> "the souls of the unburied: 'thick as the leaves in autumn strow the woods, / or fowls, by winter forc'd, forsake the floods, / and wing their hasty flight to happier lands; / such, and so thick, the shiv'ring army stands." -virgil, aeneid, book vi, (19 b.c.), transl. john dryden. this passage describes the souls of the unburied dead who await passage across the river styx. they are compared to leaves falling in autumn or birds fleeing winter, which emphasizes their helplessness and multitude. the imagery conveys the cyclical nature of life and death, and the critical importance of proper burial rites in roman culture. without burial, these souls are denied peace, reflecting a broader theme of duty to the dead. > "palinurus fate: 'what envious pow'r, o friend, / brought your lov'd life to this disastrous end? / ... the boatman, charon; those, the buried host, / he ferries over to the farther coast; / nor dares his transport vessel cross the waves / with such whose bones are not compos'd in graves." -id. apollo had prophesied that palinurus would reach italy. palinurus' fate underscores the tragic unpredictability of life and fate, even for those favored by prophecy. charon, the ferryman, represents the rigid laws of the underworldonly those who have received proper burial rites may pass. **> <a> <**> <i> <**
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