Elizabeth Vandiver states that, “the Aeneid is the great national epic of Ancient Rome and because of Rome’s influence on western culture, it is one of the primary works of literature in the western tradition. Within Roman tradition, the Aeneid provided a foundation myth for the Romans—how they came into existence, how Rome came to be, how it came to be so great. The Aeneid provides a link between Roman culture and the great mythic stories of the earlier Greek culture, specifically the Trojan War. Virgil links Rome’s history with the myths of Greece by telling us how Aeneas, a minor member of the Trojan royal family, made his way westward, came to Italy, and found a new people there. Generally, Rome borrowed and adapted Greek models to provide background for its own culture. Virgil was born in 70 BCE and died in 19. He was an experienced poet when he began work on the Aeneid, but he had not previously written epic. Our ancient sources tell us that Virgil worked slowly and meticulously on the Aeneid. He started with a prose draft of how he wanted the story to go and then worked on bits and pieces of it into dactylic hexameter. The Aeneid was incomplete when Virgil died in 19 BCE. He was on a journey to Greece to get local color for those bits of the Aeneid that deal with Greece when he caught a fever and died. On his deathbed, he asked that the manuscript be burned because he was so dissatisfied with his epic where it stood at the time he died. Augustus forbade the burning of the manuscript, rather he commissioned two friends of Virgil to amend the Aeneid, to polish any rough edges for publication but not to add anything to it.” Here are sites associated with the narrative of the Aeneid:

Troy (modern-day Turkey): SparkNotes writes that, “Virgil opens his epic poem by declaring its subject, ‘warfare and a man at war.’ The man in question is Aeneas, who is fleeing the ruins of his native city, Troy.”

• Inhabited between 3600 BCE and 500 CE, Troy was rediscovered in the 19th century. In November of 2022 I went to Istanbul, primarily in order to visit the ruins of Troy. There are day trips offered from the city, which are quite an excursion: 5 hours to Troy, several hours visiting the archaeological site, and 5 hours back. It is quite exhausting, but worth it in my opinion. There are also overnight options, during which you also get to also visit Gallipoli.
• Frank Calvert and Heinrich Schliemann began excavating at Troy in the 1870s, the site of the semi-legendary Trojan War, which may have occurred sometime around 1200 BCE. In 1960 Marjorie Braymer published a book entitled The Walls of Windy Troy, which tells the story of the excavation. She writes that upon uncovering what they believed to be the Scaean Gate, “into their minds moved a procession of heroic figures who had passed through that famed gateway and into legend… this was near where Hector bid farewell to his wife, where Aeneas had fled the burning city.” When you first enter the archaeological site, you see the ruins of wall that someone imagine to be the wall that Achilles rode around, dragging Hector’s body behind him.
• Alexander the Great is said to have visited Troy on route to conquer the Persian Empire, stopping at and making a sacrifice at the Tomb of Achilles, which remains undiscovered.

Thrace (modern-day Bulgaria): SparkNotes continues, “after escaping from Troy, he (Aeneas) leads the survivors to the coast of Antander, where they build a new fleet of ships. They sail first to Thrace, where Aeneas prepares to offer sacrifices. When he tears at the roots and branches of a tree, dark blood soaks the ground and the bark. The tree speaks to him, revealing itself to be the spirit of Polydorus, son of Priam. Priam had sent Polydorus to the king of Thrace to be safe from the war, but when Troy fell, the Thracian king sided with the Greeks and killed Polydorus.”

• In Bulgaria you can see the Tomb of Kazanlak in the Valley of the Thracian Rulers. National Geographic writes that, “much of what is known about Thrace comes from Greek sources… they were portrayed by Homer as allies of the Trojans in The Iliad and The Odyssey: warrior aristocrats who flaunted their gold and fine horses. Greeks considered the Thracians barbarians, yet Greek contacts led them to associate their gods with Apollo and Hermes. Greek writings on the Thracians often noted their warlike nature.”
• The Tomb of Kazanlak was discovered in 1944, a part of a royal necropolis which contains over 1500 tumuli. The tombs date to the 4th century BCE, so well after the approximate time of the Trojan War. In Bulgaria you can also see Baikushev’s pine, a tree that is 1,300 years old, perhaps like the tree that spoke to Aeneas.

Delos (modern-day Greece): SparkNotes continues, “they sail southward to the holy island of Delos. At Delos, Apollo speaks to Aeneas, instructing him to go to the land of his ancestors. Anchises interprets Apollo’s remark as a reference to the island of Crete, where one of the great Trojan forefathers—Teucrus, after whom the Trojans are sometimes called Teucrians—had long ago ruled.” There are many historic sites on the island that you can visit today.

Crete (modern-day Greece): SparkNotes continues, “Aeneas and his group sail to Crete and began to build a new city, but a terrible plague soon strikes. The Trojan refugees take to the sea again. A cover of black storm clouds hinders them.” A popular site on Crete is Knossos, an important Minoan site, first built beginning in 2000 BCE. Around 1600 BCE there was an eruption on the Minoan island of Thera (Santorini), may have have served for the legacy of Atlantis. In 1450, many palaces on Crete were destroyed and only Knossos was rebuilt. It was abandoned between 1380 and 1100 BCE (around the supposed time of the Trojan War).

Strofades (modern-day Greece): SparkNotes continues, “they land at the Strophades, islands of the Harpies, fierce bird-creatures with feminine faces. The Trojans slaughter many cows and goats that are roaming free and hold a feast, provoking an attack from the Harpies. To no avail, the Trojans attempt to fight the Harpies off, and one of the horrible creatures places a curse upon them. Confirming that they are destined for Italy, she prophesies that the Trojans will not establish their city until hunger forces them to try to eat their very tables.” There isn’t much on the Strofades today, apart from a medieval monastery.

Lefkada (modern-day Greece): SparkNotes continues, “the Trojans depart for the island of Leucata, where they make offerings at a shrine to Apollo.” There is very little left of this shrine today.

Butrint (modern-day Albania): SparkNotes continues, “next, they set sail in the direction of Italy until they reach Buthrotum, in Chaonia. There, Aeneas is astonished to discover that Helenus, one of Priam’s sons, has become king of a Greek city.” The ruins of this city remains a very popular destination in Albania today, as there is quite a bit to see.

Sicily (modern-day Italy): SparkNotes continues, “Aeneas pilots his fleet along the southern coast of Italy to Sicily, where Mount Etna is erupting in the distance. Resting on a beach, the Trojans are startled by a ragged stranger who begs to be taken aboard. He was in the Greek army under Ulysses, and his crew was captured by a giant Cyclops on Sicily and barely escaped alive. He reports that Ulysses stabbed the monster in his one eye to allow their escape. As the stranger finishes telling the Trojans his tale, the blinded Cyclops nearly stumbles upon the group. The Trojans make a quick escape with the Greek straggler.” There are many Greco-Roman ruins on Sicily, which you can read about here.

Carthage (modern-day Tunisia): SparkNotes continues, “Aeneas tells Dido, the queen of Carthage, that divine will has driven him to her shores. When they first arrive, on the outskirts of the city, they encounter a shrine to Juno and are amazed to behold a grand mural depicting the events of the Trojan War. Aeneas and Dido become lovers, despite the fact that Dido told her late husband Sychaeus that she would never marry again. Mercury comes to Carthage to remind Aeneas that his destiny lies elsewhere and that he must leave for Italy. He tries to prepare his fleet to set sail in secret, but the queen suspects his ploy and confronts him. In a rage, she insults him and accuses him of stealing her honor. While Aeneas pities her, he maintains that he has no choice but to follow the will of the gods: “I sail for Italy not of my own free will.” After the Trojans sail away, Dido takes her own life.” The ruins of Carthage are a popular tourist site today.

Eryx (modern-day Italy): SparkNotes continues, “massive storm clouds greet the Trojan fleet as it embarks from Carthage, hindering the approach to Italy. Aeneas redirects the ships to the Sicilian port of Eryx, where fellow Trojan Acestes rules.” Little remains.

Cumae (modern-day Italy): SparkNotes continues, “at last, the Trojan fleet arrives on the shores of Italy. The ships drop anchor off the coast of Cumae, near modern-day Naples. Aeneas goes to the Temple of Apollo and inquires whether the Sibyl (priestess) can gain him entrance to Dis, so that he might visit his father’s spirit.” There is quite a bit you can visit today at Cumae, including Sibyl’s Cave.

Lake Avernus (modern-day Italy): “The Sibyl leads him to the underworld through a cave near Lake Avernus. He sees his father, who describes what will become of the Trojan descendants.” Aeneas also sees Dido. Elizabeth Vandiver tells us that, “the most obvious literary models for Virgil are the Iliad and the Odyssey. The use of the poetic meter by Virgil is beautiful, graceful, fluid, compelling—a testimony to Virgil’s enormous skill as a poet. One obvious thing that Virgil picks up from Homer is the use of poetic similes. Virgil drew not only on Homer, but also used the great Greek tragedies. Virgil used many phrases, almost complete lines, from a lyric poet Catullus, who died around 54 BCE. The most famous line he borrows from him is a line that Aeneas says to Dido in the underworld after she has committed suicide and her ghost won’t speak to him, ‘unwillingly, oh queen, I left your shore.’ This was an homage to the earlier poet, who a verse in Poem 66 where a lock of hair originating from another queen is speaking, ‘Unwillingly, o Queen, did I depart from the top your head.'” Below is an image of Dido from a manuscript of De Mulieribus Claris.

Casinum (modern-day Italy): SparkNotes continues, “sailing up the coast of Italy, the Trojans reach the mouth of the Tiber River, near the kingdom of Latium, beginning the epic’s second half.” Today you can visit the ruins of Casinum.

Aventine Hill (modern-day Italy): SparkNotes continues, “war breaks out between the Trojans and a king named Turnus. After a feast, holy rites are performed in honor of Hercules, the patron of the Arcadians, who killed the monster Cacus at this spot [Aventine Hill]. Aeneas and Turnus battle outside of Laurentum. At the end of the poem, Aeneas kills Turnus.”

Naples (modern-day Italy): in Naples, you can visit Virgil’s Tomb