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Ascanius, argues Rogerson (1), the Aeneid’s smallest hero, not only represents the glories to come after the Aeneid; Vergil also “uses Ascanius to represent the manifold difficulties associated with looking forward beyond the present.” While this could appear to be a clear statement of the obvious, in fact Rogerson masterfully pursues the ambiguities in Vergil’s Ascanius, whom she compares with numerous other versions of this character. The picture of him as a small child “clinging to his father’s hand and following in his footsteps as he escapes” from Troy was the dominant one from the late-sixth century bce. Rogerson, after developing this picture, then explores the “ambiguity” implicit in this singular figure (although noting his multiple names even in Vergil), examining him as a symbol of “a contested future” that suggests “alternative visions” (11).
Chapter 2 examines the myths around the...