Abstract
The fifth book of Vergil's Aeneid plays a crucial role in the composition of the entire poem. It provides a certain repose in the turbulent story while directing readers' attention towards Aeneas himself, as he fully assumes the role of the leader and "father" to his people.
Later reception of the Aeneid focused mainly on other, more dramatic, parts of the story (e.g. Books IV and VI).
Late-antique cento poetry, however, contains several passages that find ample inspiration in Book V, and make references to this book central to their meaning. Based on an analysis of one of the poems, namely Hippodamia (Anth.
Lat. 11 Riese2), the first part of this study proposes a hypothesis that all these passages are linked by two crucial motifs - gaze and performance - which could be the central connotation associated with the book among late-antique readers. The following two parts of the study aim to confirm the hypothesis using other centos (the Anthologia Latina, the Cento Probae, and Ausonius's Cento Nuptialis).