Write An Essay On The Aeneid

We open the scene by fading in from black to a pre-dawn glow over a bustling crowd. Men, women, and children are hurrying down the pathway to a large gathering. The streets are packed with people; you can hear the myriad of conversations taking place. You hear a woman off screen talking to another saying “I’m glad you were able to make it, I was worried!” “And miss the Panathenaea festival? Never!” the other responds. “This is one of the few festivals we can actually participate in!” Text fades into the bottom left of the screen: “Athens – 430 B.C.E.” The camera slowly pans over the bustling crowd who is now slowly forming into a rough line extending far down the road. The scene cuts to a slightly later point in time, it is now lighter out, dawn has arrived and the

jumbled crowd has now formed a solid line. The camera pans over the crowd, in the front there are four young girls dressed in white tunics, carrying an adult sized peplos between them. The girls are giggling excitedly and in anticipation. After the girls are women dressed in white tunics all carrying gifts such as flowers. As the camera continues moving, the unmistakable sounds of mooing and baaing are heard and a number of cows and sheep are seen being led by young woman with baskets. The camera continues to pan coming across men and woman wearing purple robes. Each of them is holding a tray of cakes or honeycombs. Music is heard, full of wind and string instruments and musicians come into view. Each having a flute like instrument (aulos) or harp like instrument (kithara) in their hands. The camera passes on to small wooden ship on wheels with a larger peplos draped across its mast. This peplos is more spread out and the view can see the layering and ruffles of the tunic. Next old men are seen, each as an olive brank grasped in his hands. The camera continues down the line of the procession, the continuous pan shows the sheer magnitude of this event and the number of Athenians in attendance. Chariots, drawn by four horses are next each containing a driver and a fully armored soldier. They are followed by women holding various crafts they toiled over. The Athenian army follows the craftswomen, first is the carvery with the infantry following behind. Each hoplite carrying the typical round hoplon shield and either a javelin or short sword. Victors from the various races and games of the past few days follow behind the military.

Bringing up the rear are every day citizens of Athens, organized by where in the city state they lived. As the camera reaches the last person in the procession, everyone starts to move and the scene shift to an overhead shot and follows the procession. The parade makes its way through a wide open area lined with trees and vendors. The merchants have everything for sale, wine, breads, and cheeses are shown. Potters with Red-figure and bilingual vases are show. You can make out drachmas changing hands for goods. More people, of all ages and genders are lined up along The Panathenaic Way watching the spectacle. An engraving in stone labels this as the Agora. White marble buildings surround both sides of the Agora, ionic columns are plentiful. The scene fades to the procession mounting the steps of the Acropolis, here the procession stops. With many offered prayers, some of the sheep and cows are brought forward for sacrifice. The procession then continues up to The Erechtheion, and the craftswomen carry in the peplos. Inside the temple there is a life sized wooden statue of Athena, which is then dressed with the

peplos. As the women work around the statue, embroidery is revealed on the garment depicting scenes of Athena and her Victories. As the women leave, the scene again cuts to the acropolis, you can see the massive sculpture of Athena within the Parthenon as a group of women enter carrying the large peplos. The camera’s focus is then turned to the alter of Athena. Numerous speeches are made about Athena, and even more prayers are offered up. After a time, the remaining animals are lead to the alter to be sacrificed and as the knife descends to kill the first animal the scene cuts to a banquet full of merriment.