Will I love The Aeneid?

I know it’s weird to suggest a Roman epic on a list of books about climate change! But Virgil’s poem is fundamentally a story of a group of people who overcome immense obstacles—enemies, monsters, puzzles, temptations—to found a new world.

It narrates how to cultivate a strong, even heroic character and engage in sustained collective action—exactly what we need to resolve the climate crisis. I read this book for lessons and inspiration! 

This book gives us the tragic love story of Dido and Aeneas. Their story is recounted in the first four books of this poem, and it is simply unforgettable. Few works surpass this poem in its evocation of mood and place. Its ideological stance is difficult to fathom, and the poem will unsettle you whenever you think you understand its politics. 

Like the Odyssey and the Ramayana, the poem is about war, conquest, migration, and a thousand other things. The love story will stay with you forever. The classic English translation is by Dryden, but there are a number… show more.