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 Servius’ reading of Virgil connects the poet’s imitation of Homer to praising Augustus through ancestry. Ian Du Quesnay is the scholar who argues this precise point: that Servius attributes Virgil’s Homeric imitation as a deliberate gesture to honor Augustus by linking him to a respected lineage. This interpretation shows a political reading of intertextual imitation, where the epic model serves to legitimize the emperor by echoing ancestral glory. The other scholars are associated with Homeric influence in a broader sense, but they do not frame Servius’ commentary as specifically tying the imitation to Augustus through ancestors.