Genre
Historic writing, both fictional and factual
Setting and Context
The action takes place in the area known today as Italy and the action started in 1200 B.C. and continues until 200 A.D.
Narrator and Point of View
The action is told from the perspective of a third-person objective point of view.
Tone and Mood
The tone and mood in the book is a neutral one.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonists are the Romans and the antagonists are the various enemies they fight against in order to protect their nation and way of life.
Major Conflict
The major conflict in the book is between the desire to create a wonderful nation and the various problems which those who wanted to create the nation must face.
Climax
The action reaches its climax when Rome is founded by Aeneas.
Foreshadowing
At the beginning of the book, the narrator describes how Rome was the perfect place for modern civilization to be born. This description is important because it foreshadows the instance in which Roma and its empire will be described as being the father of modern society.
Understatement
From the beginning, the narrator claims that women cannot be good rulers. However, at the end of the book, the narrator mentions Boudica, a woman ruler, and the way in which she is described makes the first statement an understatement.
Allusions
One of the main allusions is the idea that violence is necessary in order to win. Violence is also presented as being necessary when it comes to keeping that power.
Imagery
One of the most important imageries in the book is that of Romulus standing and looking in the distance, envisioning how the future empire will look. This image is an important one because it marks the moment when the empire is born.
Paradox
N/A
Parallelism
A parallel is drawn between the Roman Empire and Carthage, the latter being the former dominant force. This parallel is an important one because it shows the reason why Rome became the ruling force.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The Latin language becomes used here as a general term to make reference to the power the Roman Empire has over the rest of the world.
Personification
We have a personification in the sentence “the boats were carried left and right by the ruthless wind”.
