Aeneas in the Underworld: University of San Diego

The descent into the underworld in Vergil’s 2000-year old epic poem Aeneid borrows elements from the Odyssey of Homer and the myth of Orpheus to depict a fantastical and revelatory journey, embuing the hero with divine purpose to lay the foundation for the Roman Empire. The speakers discuss the creation of the musical oratorio Aeneas in the Underworld, to be performed on Wednesday, October 1st, the trans-historical musical borrowings throughout the work that integrate text with music, and consider how Vergil’s apocalyptic narrative continues to speak in meaningful ways to the present moment.