Roman Mythology: An Overview (Part II)

Last time, we discussed the main Roman gods/goddesses and their relationships with each other. Today, we'll be exploring some of the common myths that Latin authors allude to. The authors included in this overview are: Virgil (Aeneid, Eclogues, Georgics), Ovid (Metamorphoses, Amores, Heroides, Ars Amatoria, Fasti), Horace (Odes, Satires, Epistles), Livy (Ab Urbe Condita), Catullus, Lucretius, Seneca (tragedies), Statius, and Lucan.

Key Myths: The Trojan War Cycle

How to read this table:

Each row is a myth or mythological cycle. The columns show which authors engage with it and, where relevant, the specific work, book, or passage, and a note on how the myth is used. A dash (—) means the author does not meaningfully engage with that myth.

Author abbreviations:   Virg. = Virgil  ·  Ov. = Ovid  ·  Hor. = Horace  ·  Cat. = Catullus  ·  Liv. = Livy  ·  Lucr. = Lucretius  ·  Sen. = Seneca  ·  Stat. = Statius  ·  Luc. = Lucan

Work abbreviations:   Aen. = Aeneid  ·  Met. = Metamorphoses  ·  Od. = Odes  ·  DRN = De Rerum Natura  ·  Theb. = Thebaid  ·  BC = Bellum Civile (Pharsalia)  ·  AUC = Ab Urbe Condita  ·  Her. = Heroides  ·  Fast. = Fasti  ·  Am. = Amores

The Trojan War Cycle

Myth	Summary	Virgil	Ovid	Horace	Other
The Judgment of Paris	Paris awards the golden apple to Venus over Juno and Minerva, naming her the most beautiful goddess; Venus promises him Helen. The origin of the Trojan War — and of Juno's relentless hatred of the Trojans.	Aen. I.27–28: Juno's rage explained by the iudicium Paridis. Not narrated directly; its consequences frame the entire epic. Also Aen. V.370, X.91.	Her. XVI (Paris to Helen) and XVII (Helen to Paris): the judgment is referenced as Paris's authority for pursuing Helen. Met. XV.232 alludes to it briefly.	Od. III.3: alluded to as the cause of Troy's destruction. Horace uses it as a moral exemplum — beauty and desire bring ruin.	Cat. 64.275–277: brief allusion in the wedding hymn context. Sen. Troades: underlies the entire dramatic setting.
The Fall of Troy	The Greeks enter Troy hidden inside the wooden horse; the city is sacked and burned. Pivotal for Roman identity, as Rome was founded by Trojan survivors.	Aen. II: the fullest Latin account. Narrated by Aeneas himself to Dido. The burning of Troy, the death of Priam, and the flight of Aeneas carrying Anchises. One of the most influential passages in Latin literature.	Met. XIII.1–622: a compressed retelling focused on the aftermath. The contest of Ajax and Ulysses for Achilles' armor, and Hecuba's grief.	Od. III.3.1–8 and IV.9: Troy as the archetype of pride destroyed. Used rhetorically. Horace invokes it to warn against arrogance.	Sen. Troades: dramatizes the aftermath: Greek leaders debate what to do with Trojan women and children. Cat. 64.344–370: Trojan War alluded to in the Peleus and Thetis context.
Aeneas and Dido	Aeneas, blown off course, arrives in Carthage. Venus and Cupid cause Dido to fall in love. Aeneas stays until Mercury reminds him of his duty; he leaves. Dido kills herself, cursing Rome and Carthage.	Aen. I, IV, VI. The love affair is books I–IV; Aeneas meets Dido's shade in the underworld in book VI. Virgil's Dido is the defining treatment.	Her. VII: Dido's letter to Aeneas, written as she prepares to die. Ovid gives her a voice; Virgil does not.	—	Luc. BC X: Caesar's visit to Egypt is modeled partly on Aeneas's stay in Carthage.
Achilles and the Trojan heroes	Achilles, Hector, Patroclus, Ajax, Ulysses — the Greek and Trojan heroes of the Iliad. Frequently invoked as archetypes of glory, pride, grief, or cunning.	Aen. I.458–493: Aeneas views scenes of the Trojan War on Dido's temple murals — a meditation on suffering and fame. Hector appears in Aeneas's dream, II.270ff.	Met. XIII.1–398: the debate between Ajax and Ulysses over Achilles' armor, followed by Ajax's madness and suicide.	Od. I.6: Achilles invoked as a subject requiring an epic poet — Horace deliberately declines. Used to frame the limits of lyric. Od. IV.6 praises Achilles through his son Pyrrhus.	Stat. Achilleid: an unfinished epic focused on Achilles' upbringing, education by Chiron, and disguise on Scyros.
The Wanderings of Aeneas	After Troy, Aeneas wanders the Mediterranean for seven years — Sicily, Carthage, the underworld — before reaching Italy. Modeled on the Odyssey; structured around pietas and divine will.	Aen. I–VI: the wandering half. Book III narrates stops at Thrace, Delos, Crete, Strophads, Actium, and Sicily. Book V contains the funeral games for Anchises. Book VI is the underworld descent.	Her. VII (Dido's letter) engages with one key stop. Ovid elsewhere largely avoids restating Virgil.	—	Luc. BC uses the Aeneas wandering template critically: Caesar's journey to Troy's ruins (IX.961–999) is an inversion.

Stay tuned next week for an explanation of myths pertaining to the founding of Rome. Until then, comment with any questions or pieces of information you'd like us to add!