Into the Wardrobe

Welcome, Mryan!

I can't give you any short, pithy quote that will answer your question. In most of Lewis' literary works he goes quite deeply into Virgil's influence on literature. If I understand your question correctly, I think what might help you the most would be his Preface to Paradise Lost, chapter VI, 'Virgil and the Subject of Secondary Epic'. You can find Preface to Paradise Lost in most college libraries, I believe.

Hope this helps.

Selah,
Sven

That's very enlightening. My knowledge of the Aeneid is pretty limited (I suspect it is based on a very small introduction given in school Latin class, a million years ago), and I've never read it in any version.

I had no idea that there were magical elements. Thank you. Looks like I need to improve my education.

The Christian Century magazine asked several notable Christians the question, "What books did most to shape your vocational attitude and your philosophy of life?". C. S. Lewis' answer was:

1. Phantastes by George MacDonald.
2. The Everlasting Man by G. K. Chesterton.
3. The Aeneid by Virgil.
4. The Temple by George Herbert.
5. The Prelude by William Wordsworth.
6. The Idea of the Holy by Rudolf Otto.
7. The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius.
8. Life of Samuel Johnson by James Boswell.
9. Descent into Hell by Charles Williams.
10. Theism and Humanism by Arthur James Balfour.

From the June 6, 1962 issue of The Christian Century magazine,

Thanks!