Frequently Asked Questions

"Aeneas - Last King of Troy" is an epic new novel, based on Virgil's classic poem, "The Aeneid." Although the story is two thousand year's old, it has rarely been re-interpreted in novel form. The following Q & A reveals how writer, Eric Dawe, came to pen this epic for today's readers.

Q: Why did you choose to re-interpret a classic like "The Aeneid" for a novel?
ED: Oddly enough, I got the idea for a screenplay just about the same time David Benioff was writing his movie, "Troy." I had been reading a lot of classics, had finished Homer's "The Iliad," and got really curious about what happened to Troy. So I picked up Virgil's "The Aeneid."

Q: Was that because "The Iliad" doesn't end with Troy's fall?
ED: Right. Most people who saw the movie probably don't know that Homer's epic ends with the death of Hector. Troy is still standing. Benioff had to pull that ending from another source, which was "The Aeneid."

Q: So the Trojan Horse isn't in Homer's story?
ED: No. The story about the Trojan Horse is in the second book of "The Aeneid." And it's Virgil who actually wrote the story about the survivors of Troy - who go on to found a civilization that changes the world.

Q: Okay, so what prompted you to write about Aeneas, instead of Achilles or Hector?
ED: For one thing, I found the character of Achilles fairly one dimensional - lots of anger, and pretty narcissistic, but not much more. And Hector was pretty bland - or 'flat,' to use E. M. Forster's term. But when I read "The Aeneid," I found a character - Aeneas - who had a wonderful backstory and psychology, as well as terrific story.

Q: What things drew you to the characer and the story?
ED: Oh my God, where do I start? Here was man who was the king's nephew, a warrior second only to Hector in renown. Aeneas and Hector were probably best friends, had grown up together, and shared a bond of brotherhood. When I read that Aeneas had fought Achilles before Hector did, I thought, what kind of survivor guilt must this guy have? He had a chance to kill Achilles, maybe end this terrible war, and he didn't. Instead, he's almost killed, survives miraculously, only to watch Achilles kill his best friend a few days later. Then, he sees his king and his friends slaughtered, his city burned, and his wife die. What a load he has to bear - and on top of that, he has to lead the survivors as their new king across a thousand miles of ocean, through storms and dangers, looking for a country whose location is lost in the mists of a legend. It's the classic "quest" story. Not only is there great grist for his inner, spiritual conflict, but his external struggles are immense, as well. I was drawn to him immediately.

Q: Were there other elements of "The Aeneid" that attracted you?
ED: Oh, God, yes. For one thing, it's an incredible love story, about two people as star-crossed as Romeo and Juliet, but on a much grander scale.

Q: How's that?
ED: Romeo & Juliet is about two young, callow lovers who have never encountered any of life's real hardships or disillusionments. It's a beautiful love story, don't get me wrong; and it has a tragic ending, sure; but it's the 'teenagers rebelling against parental authority' theme. At the heart, its scope is pretty contained. It's not an epic.
Then you have Aeneas of Troy and Dido of Tyre. Look at what they have to deal with: they both have to face a murderous madman; they both lose their lovers tragically; they both have to flee their homes and their beloved countries; they both have to care for their people; they both endure the hardships and dangers of a long sea voyage in the quest for a new homeland where they can build a city and establish a future.

Q: Sounds like a lot of parallels in their stories.
ED: Exactly! The parallels are astounding. In life, if you've suffered a unique tragedy or hardship, it's hard to relate to anyone who hasn't experienced the same kind of thing. They usually can't understand. You're isolated emotionally. You become a 'loner.' But here are these two people, both monarchs, both beset by sorrow and grief and loss on a scale no one can comprehend - and they find someone who's experienced the exact, same tragedies. My God, they'd be drawn together like magnets. I just salivated when all of this hit me.

Q: Benioff took a lot of liberties with his screenplay. 'Artistic license' is the fancy name. Did you find you had to do that with "Aeneas?"
ED: Mmmm, not a lot, but some. Most writers who are adapting a story from another source usually have to make some changes just to make things work. Benioff had a real challenge in trying to condense a ten-year conflict into a three hour screenplay. I didn't envy him. That's why I wanted to do "Aeneas." I thought "The Aeneid" lent itself more easily to an adaptation.

Q: What did you have to change?
ED: Well now, I don't want to give too much away, you understand, but the biggest changes I made centered around the two 'villains,' Pyrrhus and Pygmalion. I mean, how could Virgil introduce these two incredible characters in the beginning - and then have them disappear for the rest of the story? They were too much fun, too intriguing not to bring back into the story.

Q: Anything else?
ED: I had to condense some of Aeneas' voyage across the ocean to Numidia. While the stops he makes at Sicily and other places are part of the poem, they didn't contribute to the 'through-line' of the story the way I wanted to tell it.

Q: So what are you going to say to the 'purists,' the critics who will savage you for despoiling a classic?
ED: I'll probably refer them to Shakespeare - who changed a lot of historical and narrative elements when he adapted the sources for many of his plays. Virgil himself didn't stick to history. He had Aeneas meeting Dido four hundred years before she was actually born. I think it's best to remember, this is a story, an adaptation - based on mythology, not fact. I've blended elements I think will make it stronger and more focused as a novel - while still respecting its genius.

Q: Okay, we've covered a lot of ground, but one more question. You say you got the idea for a screenplay first. Did you write the screenplay?
ED: As a matter of fact, I did. I was in L.A. three years ago, just as "Troy" was wrapping, and I was visiting with an agent at the Morris Agency. I mentioned that I was writing a screenplay about Aeneas, and wished I could get a hold of Benioff's script, just to make sure I wasn't re-inventing the wheel. He told me that Morris was repping Benioff and courriered a script over to me. I read it in one sitting. It was nothing like my story.

Q: But the screenplay isn't being produced?
ED: Not yet. I got some coverage on the script from an independent reader who said it was great, but that since it was an epic, no one would take a chance on an unproduced writer. She told me to turn it into a novel. So that's what I did.

Q: Would you like to see it produced?
ED: Hmmm. Let me think about that for a split nanosecond. You bet I'd like to see it produced. My background is in theatre; I've been an actor and director for about thirty years. This is an 'actor's piece'; a lot of great characters, top to bottom.

Q: Who'd play Aeneas?
ED: Now, if I answer that one, I could piss off a lot of people, I know. Seriously, I think a lot of actors could do it. I loved Russell Crowe in "Gladiator," but I'm afraid he'd say, 'been there, seen it, done that.'
Actually, you know who intrigues me is Tom Cruise. He's older, more mature now. He brings a lot of gravitas to the screen that I don't think he has been allowed to engage fully. I saw some of it in "Last Samurai" - which I loved. I'd like to see what Mel Gibson could bring to Aeneas. Of course, there's Christian Bale or Hugh Jackman.

Q: What about Queen Dido?
ED: Ah, a great role for an actress. She's got to be strong, intelligent, athletic, and beautiful. I could see several actors in the part: Rachel Weisz, Angelina Jolie, Uma Thurmon, or Charlize Theron.

Q: And King Yarbas?
ED: Yarbas was the one character I think Virgil shortchanged. I developed him to a much greater degree. Great character, such fun to write. Samuel L. Jackson, Laurence Fishburne, or Denzel Washington.

Q: Do you have a director in mind?
ED: I love Peter Jackson's work. He brings so much care and attention to detail. He has so much respect for his sources. And of course, Ridley Scott is terrific. So is James Cameron. Or Mel Gibson. They're directors who won't let the humanity and pathos of the characters get lost in the epic scale.