Although the Aeneid is set in the remote, mythical past, it deals with Vergil's present, most prominently in books 6 and 8. In book 6, Aeneasvisits the Underworld, and, after meeting figures from his past, sees a parade of future Roman heroes, who are, for the contemporary reader, leaders from Roman history and recent past. This history is again depicted in book 8, this time in artistic form, as a design on the divine shield made for Aeneas, which showcases Augustus' victory over Cleopatra VII as its centrepiece.

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