The Preface to the Aeneis of Virgil (1718)

In 1718, Joseph Trapp sat down to defend the Aeneid against its critics, and what emerged was a passionate manifesto for why epic poetry mattered in the Enlightenment. This preface, written as an introduction to Trapp's translation of Virgil's great work, argues that the Aeneid is not merely a story of a Trojan refugee founding Rome, but a masterwork of moral imagination. Trapp positions Virgil alongside Homer while arguing for his distinct virtues: clear judgment, emotional depth, and a refined artistry that elevates heroic virtue into something both intellectual and moving. He rejects the notion that epic is mere entertainment, insisting instead that poetry of this caliber shapes character, trains the mind, and reflects the highest aspirations of human thought. Written in an age when the purpose of classical learning was being hotly debated, this preface captures a moment when scholars still believed great literature could civilize and ennoble its readers.