1981 R Silver 500 Lira Italy Coin. Celebrating Virgil One Of Greatest Roman Latin Poets. 500 Lira Graded By Seller Circulated Condition

Virgil was born in the village of Andes, near Mantua, in northern Italy. He received his early education in Cremona and Milan before moving to Rome to study rhetoric and philosophy. There, he befriended several prominent literary figures, including the poet Horace and the statesman Maecenas, who later became his patron. Virgil began his career as a poet by writing pastoral poetry, a genre that celebrated the beauty of the countryside and portrayed an idealized, peaceful rural life. His first major work, the "Eclogues" or "Bucolics," is a collection of ten pastoral poems that blend mythology, politics, and personal emotions. The "Eclogues" established Virgil as a skilled poet and gained him recognition among his contemporaries. Building on his success, Virgil embarked on his most ambitious project, "The Aeneid." Comprising twelve books, this epic poem tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan hero who journeys to Italy and becomes the founder of Rome. The poem combines elements of Greek mythology and Roman history, weaving a grand narrative that explores themes of destiny, heroism, and the foundation of a great empire. "The Aeneid" was commissioned by the Emperor Augustus, who sought to promote Rome's mythical origins and its association with the noble Trojan lineage. Virgil spent the last ten years of his life working on the poem, but he left it unfinished at the time of his death. Emperor Augustus ordered the poem to be published posthumously, despite Virgil's wish for it to be destroyed due to his dissatisfaction with its unfinished state.