Aeneas and the Sibyl facing the Chimera, illuminated S from Book 6 (Aeneid, Bodleian, MS. Canon. Class. Lat. 52, f54r)

Image series :

Virgile 1375 : Énéide in-4° à lettres historiées, école de Niccolò da Bologna, fin 14e s, Bodléienne, MS. Canon. Class. Lat. 52

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Date :

Between 1375 and 1400

Type of image :

Enluminure

Topic :

Aeneid. Aeneas in the Underworld

Storage Location :

Oxford, Bibliothèque bodléienne

MS. Canon. Class. Lat. 52

Description

The catalog presents this miniature as "The Sibyl and Aeneas looking at a devil emerging from the flames of Hell", and assumes a vague transposition of the Virgilian text into the medieval imaginary of Christian Hell. Perhaps we can clarify the intention: the devil has the head of an animal, perhaps a lion. The chimera is a lion-headed monster. It is evoked in v. 288, flammisque armata Chimaera, which can be understood literally as the Chimera armed in flames (instead of: provided with, surrounded by flames). This would explain the presence of a sword in the monster's hands.

Aeneas points the monster to the Sibyl, who can attest that he is allowed to pass. (Nothing of the sort in this particular passage, but it's the general idea of the descent into the Underworld.)

Image composition :

Lettre historiée

Textual Sources :

VE06 - Virgile, Énéide, Livre 6

Technical Data

Notice #025316

Image HD

Image editing :

Image web

Image Origin :

Ressources en ligne de la Bibliothèque bodléienne, Oxford (https://digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk)

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