Aeneas: A Trojan Hero

Though Creusa and Aeneas plead with him to join them on their journey, he argues that had the gods wished for him to remain alive, they “would have saved [his] palace for [him in Troy]” (793-794, 97). It is only when “a tongue of fire...flares up from the crown of Iulus’ head” that Anchises begins to entertain the possibility that the gods intended for him to flee Troy with Aeneas, praying for another omen to truly convince him (850-851, 98). The gods grant his wish, sending a “fiery” shooting star sailing across the sky and finally convincing Anchises that he is expected to survive the fall of Troy (869, 99). Anchises places his life

Aeneas is the son of Anchises and Venus, and one of the leaders in the Trojan War and cousin to King Priam of Troy. Aeneas was one of the most respected Trojan heroes. When Troy was being sacked by the Greeks, Aeneas fought until the gods ordered him to flee. As you

Odysseus meets the prophet Tiresias to advise him on how to get back to his home, Ithaca. But, Aeneas meets his father, Anchises, whom shows him the future of the Roman race. He tells him about the parade of future Roman heroes, and how people like Julius Caesar and Augustus are reborn. These characters play a huge role in the upsurge of the Roman Empire. Each of the heroes enters the Underworld in a different way.

Anger can always incite irrational actions. The sight of Helen seeking shelter at the altar, causes Aeneas to remember the crimes she committed driving him to furious anger. This anger drives him to contemplate an ignoble and uncharacteristic act of revenge by murdering Helen as she sought protection from the gods. Despite being depicted as a virtuous hero, Aeneas’ strong, visceral reaction to seeing Helen shows that he is subject to the same passionate feelings all humans feel, especially when something raises his anger.

The Aeneid is a grand chronicle that charts Aeneas’ obstacles versus his accomplishments. Aeneas’s accomplishments entail escaping Juno’s wrath; leaving and finding love; and losing loved ones in war. Against all odds, Aeneas continued to achieve victory over all his potential downfalls. With some divine assistance, Aeneas continued to achieve victory over all his potential downfalls. With some divine assistance, Aeneas recognizes his need to help midway through his journey and needs to speak with his father, Anchises. In Book VI, he asks the Sibyl to grant him access into the underworld. Aeneas’ journey leads him to many discoveries. He discovers Leucaspis and Orontes are among “all in the nearby

Even though Agamemnon made a success for his homecoming, what was waiting for him was her wife’s conspiracy with Aegisthus and his death (262-263). Namely, his nosmos was rather a failure and he also faced fate of his failed household. This Agamemnon’s gives a comparison with Odysseus future success for preserving his family and throne. Furthermore, Clytemnestra’s unfaithfulness and infidelity provides a foil to Penelope’s faithfulness and loyalty. Clytemnestra’s merciless and brutal actions, not sealing Agamemnon’s eyes while he was dying, adds contrasting characteristics between Odysseus and Agamemnon’s wives. Note that here, the story of successful vengeance for Agamemnon by Orestes gives a foil to Telemachus’ weakness and deficiency. Orestes here is depicted as a heroic example with murder of Aegistus after he comes of age (264). On the contrary to Orestes who saved his household and restored order in his family’s kingdom, Telemachus, as he came of age, couldn’t serve as protecting his household and repel his mother’s suitors in the absence of his father. In the light of comparing each heroic figures’ sons, the son of Achilles is also depicted as successful warrior with great strength and fame in the battlefield against Trojan, adding a foil to Telemachus’ unsuccessful position as a son (266).

Achilles, the demigod son of a sea nymph named Thetis and king Peleus of the Myrmidons, is the central representation of a Homeric hero in Homer’s Iliad. His raging power is a source of awe for men on both sides of The Trojan War. In continuation of the Trojan narrative, Aeneid follows the wanderings of the Trojan prince Aeneas. His fate is to establish the Trojan Remnant in Latium, the birthplace of The Roman Empire, Aeneas faces an endless stream of challenges in his journeys. A significant obstacle is Turnus. Turnus, described by the Sybil as a “second Achilles,” proves to be incredibly like the Homeric hero. Virgil transforms Aeneas from a figure of pietas to one of furor similar to that of Turnus and Achilles. However, Aeneas never truly reaches the inhuman rage witnessed in these other two warriors.

The Roman epic of Virgil's Aeneid describes the hardship and misadventures of Aeneas and the Trojans quest from Troy to Italy. Like Homer’s famous epics, the Iliad and Odyssey, Virgil’s narrative style and structure portrays similar attributes in the finding of Rome. Aeneas encounters several women on his journey who play a significant role throughout this epic in assisting or destroying his journey to Rome. His representation of female characters provides the readers with a better understanding of gender politics and reasons why some female leaders failed. Each of Virgil's female characters demonstrates a combination of traits throughout the epic; however, such behaviors of these women tend to develop unwanted conflict due to emotions.

The function of prophecy manifests itself in many ways in the Aeneid. Throughout the epic, prophecies and omens act as the agents behind Aeneas fulfilling his destiny as well as providing clear social commentary on the dawn of the Roman Empire under Emperor Augustus. Even though not all of the prophecies and omens included in the epic come to pass in literary terms, Virgil’s inclusion of prophecy is of paramount importance for driving the plot forward. In this essay I will discuss the function of both internal and external prophecy and the effect these prophecies have on both the characters in the epic and the enjoyment of the reader from The Roman Empire until the present day.

     A comparison between Virgil's hero, Aeneas, and the Homeric heroes, Achilles and Odysseus, brings up the question concerning the relevance of the difference between the Homeric heroes and Aeneas. The differences in the poets' concerns are explained by the fact that Virgil lived many years after Homer, giving Virgil the advantage of a more developed literary and philosophical society than Homer had at his disposal. But the question remains: how are the differences between the Homeric heroes and Aeneas relevant to the epic at large? This question will be answered by first pointing out the differences between Greek and Roman society, then explaining

Aeneas is a person who holds his family and friends close to his heart, but doesn’t show care to people who he feels have done acts that harm his loved ones. Test of character that confront him are losing people that he loved to death, having to enter the Underworld, leaving Dido for his fate to travel to Italy, and facing Turnus in battle after Turnus killed Pallas. Aeneas passes all of test he is given with minor setbacks, like being able to leave the Underworld alive, but he carries the mourning of the deaths of his loved one through the entire myth. The temptations he resists are staying with Dido in Carthage, and letting the death of people he cared for stop him from his journey. Aeneas resist staying with Dido because his fears what the gods would do if he didn’t leave Carthage for Italy. He doesn’t let the death of loved ones stop his journey, because most of them wanted Aeneas to continue his journey and reach his destiny. Aeneas find the task of killing Turnus out of revenge for Pallas’s death irresistible, since Pallas was Aeneas’s friend and seeing Turnus with Pallas’s belt filled Aeneas with rage.

Dido has a passionate desire and lust for Aeneas. Cupid has lit a flame in her heart, and it continually grows and desires to be with Aeneas. Dido is hesitant to pursue a meaningful relationship with Aeneas because she had vowed to never remarry upon the death of Sychaeus. Dido becomes consumed with herself and her lust for Aeneas. In her splendor, she begins to forego many of her duties, and the city of Carthage begins to see the effects. Juno sees this as an opportune time to toy with the fates. She proposes, to Venus, that they work together in order

Once Dido’s and Aeneas’ “love” has been set on its course, he receives word from the god Mercury to return to his duties for Troy, “Blind to your own realm, oblivious to your fate!” (Virgil, p.136) Aeneas desires the love of Dido, but recognizes his obligation to found Rome. This is where a complication arises regarding fate. Aeneas strayed from his destiny, moving alongside his desires rather than uniting his aspirations with his obligations, thus creating conflict within his life and difficulties weighing the importance of his obligations and desires. The pressures of fate and the gods were not in Aeneas’ control; however, it was his own decision to fall in love with Dido and ignore his mission, even if momentarily. As humans we are obligated to one another regardless of desire.

In Virgil’s poem, The Aeneid, the ideal Roman hero is depicted in the form of Aeneas. Not only does Aeneas represent the Roman hero, but he also represents what every Roman citizen is called to be. Each Roman citizen must posses two major virtues, he must remain pious, and he must remain loyal to the Roman race. In the poem, Aeneas encompasses both of these virtues, and must deal with both the rewards and costs of them.

Throughout the Aeneid, a constant theme of suffering is made apparent. Whether it be in war, in travels, in his meeting others; Aeneas’ journey is anything but normal. The gods are torn on the topic of Aeneas; some support his journey and his goals while others oppose them vehemently. Because of this contrast in support, Aeneas often becomes the subject of their conflict. Torn between two sides in this never-ending spat, Aeneas is forced to persevere through great contention between those of a higher power. In lines 450-476, Book VI, Aeneas states in a speech to Dido, “sed me iussa deum, quae nunc has ire per umbras, per loca senta situ cogunt noctemque profundam, imperiis egere suis;” (I was commanded by gods, who drove me by their decrees, that now force me to go among the shades, through places thorny with neglect, and deepest night). Aeneas’ most recent endeavor was to travel to Hades, among the shades, where no one before had gone and come back unscathed. Aeneas, forced to attempt the impossible, ventures into the underworld.