The Shades of Aeneas: The Imitation of Vergil and the History of Paganism in Boccaccio's Filostrato, Filocolo and Teseida

Offering fresh readings of three early romances by Boccaccio, this book treats the medieval Italian writer as a serious interpreter of history and as a subtle reader of Virgil. The book argues that in the stories, all written in the 1330s, Boccaccio takes issues with themes in classical writing. Boccaccio's perspective, the author argues, is not neutrally historical but ethical and theological, and reflects the poet's sense of the difference between the pagan past and his own Christian present. Central to Boccaccio's achievement in these works is his response to the world-view of Virgil. In his dispute with Virgil, the crux is the pagan contention that individuals can achieve the good life through their own efforts, and the Christian counter-argument that because of the Fall, they cannot achieve the good without divine help. In showing Boccaccio's response to the classical tradition, McGregor also traces the writer's indebtedness to Dante and to theological traditions originating with Saint Augustine.