Virgil's Demise: The End of True Roman Verse or Liberation?

Written by Clickbaiticus Historius

21st September 19 B.C.

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Ah, the lament of Rome rings out! Our beloved Virgil has shuffled off this mortal coil, taking with him the essence of Roman verse. It's as if Jupiter himself, in a fit of divine frustration, has flung his thunderbolt straight at our cultural heart. So, is it the end of true Roman verse or are we being liberated?

Let's not kid ourselves, dear reader. Virgil was no ordinary minstrel; he was the rock on which our culture was built. Aeneas wasn’t just a shipwrecked survivor, he was us - a symbol of Rome's perseverance and integrity. We have lost more than a poet; we've lost a visionary, a true son of Rome.

Now, I hear the murmurings of the nouveau pretentious lot. The ones who insist, with smug satisfaction, that his demise heralds a 'liberation', a chance for new voices to rise. Well, it seems to me these folks have been spending too much time in the amphitheater, neck-deep in the frothy excess of Greek thought, rather than in the forum, upholding our Roman values.

I tell you, it's not liberation we face, but dilution. The prospect of our proud verse being tainted by the flippant verses of the sophists and the pantomime performances of those Greek-loving jesters.

The poet Horace now stands alone, and I fear for him. Not because he lacks talent, oh no, but because he's now expected to pick up the mantle. To fill the sandals of Virgil is a task Hercules himself might baulk at.

I can already see the vultures circling, the opportunists ready to claim the cultural throne in the wake of Virgil's untimely demise. We must not let this happen, Romans. We must guard our virtues, our traditions, our culture, with the ferocity of a she-wolf protecting her cubs.

I challenge you, dear reader, to reject the notion of "liberation". Let us instead find solace in the legacy Virgil has left us. Let his epic works be the shining beacon that guides the future of Roman verse.

In this time of loss, let us not forget who we are. We are Romans, the sons and daughters of Mars, the descendants of Aeneas. We are resilient, we are robust, we are Rome. And we will not be brought low by the demise of one, albeit significant, poet.

Salve atque Vale, Virgil. And to those who think his demise is a liberation, I say this: Be careful what you wish for. The 'liberation' you so desire may just be the fall of Rome