Virgil Aeneid IV: A Selection

This is the OCR-endorsed edition covering the Latin AS and A-Level (Group 3) prescription for examinations in 2026–28 of Virgil's Aeneid Book IV, lines 1–128, 529–629, and the A-Level (Group 4) prescription for examinations in 2027–28 of lines 259–396, 416–503. It provides the full Latin text, commentary, and vocabulary, accompanied by a detailed introduction that also covers the prescribed material to be read in English for A Level.

The Aeneid – in twelve books – is Virgil’s great epic poem telling the story of Aeneas, an exile from the fallen city of Troy, and his journey to found a new city for his people in Italy. According to legend, that civilisation would become the ancestor of the Romans, and, writing in the age of Augustus, Virgil celebrates the achievements of the Roman race.

The present selection from Book IV narrates Aeneas’ departure from the north African state of Carthage and the tragic consequences of that departure for its queen, Dido. It is a story of love and abandonment, of duty and despair, which invites the reader to consider the power of fate and the way in which it impacts on the lives of those caught up in events beyond their own control.

Supporting resources are available on the Companion Website: https://bloomsbury.pub/OCReditions-2026-2028.