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The Aeneid of Virgil is probably the single most important poem written in the history of the western civilization. Publius Vergilius Marco, also known as Virgil or Vergil wrote The Eclogues, The Georgics and The Aeneid. The composition of the rough draft of the Aeneid lasted eleven years. Virgil planned a three year trip to Greece and Asia, during he intended to finish and polish the work. Unfortunately he became ill at the beginning of his journey and died on his return to Italy, on September 21, 19 B.C. In his will he asked his executors to destroy the uncompleted epic, but Augustus would not allow this. Two poets and friends of Virgil were assigned by the Emperor to edit the manuscript and prepare it for publication. They were instructed to remove all that was redundant, but under no means to make any additions. The Aeneid was published shortly after and was immediately acclaimed by the readers as a masterpiece. Although Virgil lived and wrote nearly two thousand years ago he was heir of literary and cultural tradition many centuries old. Virgil was a great creative genius, but is both understandable and natural that the form and content of his epic poem should have been affected by the work of other writers. The mo