Vergil: A Biography

What it is

This is a full biography of Virgil written in 1922 by Tenney Frank, a professor of Latin at Johns Hopkins University. The preface explains that little is reliably known about Virgil's personal life, and that the ancient biography by the grammarian Donatus mixes a few facts with later guesswork.

Why it matters

This book shows how modern scholars try to reconstruct the life of an ancient poet from scattered and unreliable evidence. It highlights the gap between Virgil's poetry, which survives in full, and his personal history, which remains uncertain, dependent on later and sometimes doubtful sources like Donatus.

Why it matters

Look closer

• Why does the author say earlier biographies of Virgil, like Donatus's, cannot be fully trusted?
• How might reading a poet's work help or mislead a biographer trying to guess at the poet's life?
• What does this book's publication in 1922 tell you about ongoing interest in ancient authors?