Since ancient times, land has had a defining influence on human culture, from the political and the social to the agricultural, the metaphysical and the creative. In both Augustan Rome and contemporary Southern Africa, the land question is ever present in the art and literature which engage with the issues of the day. Throughout Vergil's oeuvre land ownership and occupation rights, but also care and love for the land and the question of belonging permeate his poetry. This collection considers all things Vergil and land, whether this relates to soil, geography or politics, and takes a variety of approaches - from ecocriticism, philosophy, nation-state theory, to translation and reception - but always with an eye on the contemporary world and the challenges faced both in Southern Africa and in the world at large at a time when conversations about land, environment and sustainability have never been more central.
Annemarie de Villiers, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa; Stephen Harrison, Corpus Christi College, University of Oxford, UK; Grant Parker, Stanford University, Stanford, USA.
