The Excursus in the First Song of the Georgics and Vergil's Didactic Technique

The article discusses form and content of the excursus closing the first song in Vergil's Georgics as part of a didactic project conveying teachings about the cosmos. The poet's use of the catalogue of portents and the other elements in the passage are analysed from the perspective of the didactic genre. It is argued that Vergil develops didactic poetry by integrating everyday experiences with considerations about the relationship between religion, politics and agriculture.