resided there for a few years, enjoying the quiet of country life at
the family homestead.

About this time the Emperor Augustus was engaged in a war against a
powerful party of his own countrymen, led by a famous Roman named
Bru'tus. In the year 42 B.C. he defeated Brutus in a great battle,
which put an end to the war. He afterwards rewarded many of his troops
by dividing among them lands in the neighborhood of Mantua, and in
other parts of Italy, dispossessing the owners for having sided with
his enemies. Though Vergil had taken no part in the struggle, his farm
was allotted to one of the imperial soldiers. But this was the
beginning of his greatness. Through the friendship of the governor of
Mantua, he was introduced to Maecenas, and afterwards to Augustus, who
gave orders that his property should be restored to him.

Thus Vergil became known to the first men of Rome. He expressed his
gratitude to the emperor in one of a series of poems called Pastorals
or Bu-col'ics, words which mean shepherds' songs, or songs descriptive
of life in the country. These poems, though among Vergil's earliest
productions, were highly applauded in Rome. They were so much esteemed
that portions of them were recited in the theatre in the author's
presence, and the audience were so delighted that they all rose to
their feet, an honor which it was customary to pay only to Augustus
himself. Vergil also wrote a poem called the Geor'gics, the subject of
which is agriculture, the breeding of cattle, and the culture of bees.
This is said to be the most perfect in finish of all Latin
compositions. The AEneid is, however, regarded as the greatest of
Vergil's works. The writing of it occupied the last eleven years of
the poet's life.