Which scholar argues that Servius attributed the poet's imitation of Homer to praise Augustus through his ancestors?

Which scholar argues that Servius attributed the poet's imitation of Homer to praise Augustus through his ancestors?

• A. Ian Du Quesnay - Homeric influence
• B. Thomas - Book 8
• C. Cox - Homeric influence
• D. Bob Cowan - Homeric influence

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is how scholars read Servius’s remark about Vergil’s imitation of Homer and its political purpose. Ian Du Quesnay argues that Servius attributes Vergil’s Homeric imitation to a aim of praising Augustus through his ancestors, tying Vergil’s epic craft to Augustan commemoration of lineage. In this view, the Homeric echo isn’t just literary influence; it functions as a deliberate gesture of propaganda, elevating Augustus by invoking ancestral glory within the epic.

This makes his stance the best fit because the question asks for the scholar who makes that specific link between Vergil’s Homeric imitation and Augustan praise via ancestral lines as interpreted through Servius. Other scholars on the list discuss Homeric influence in Virgil more generally or focus on particular sections like Book 8, but they do not advance this precise reading of Servius’s attribution aimed at Augustan propaganda through ancestors.