The Aeneid

Aeneas, the titular hero of Virgil’s Aeneid, is the flawed Trojan hero sent on a divine quest to found the new Troy and establish the basis for the Roman Empire. Along this journey, he is pushed to his limits both mentally and physically. This strain shows him to be a deeply Roman hero, especially in the values that come forward in his actions and response to tragedy. He embodies two major Roman values: pietas and respect for family, both past and future.

Aeneas was happy in Carthage with queen Dido, but when Jupiter saw that Aeneas was getting a little too comfortable in Carthage, he sent Mercury to remind Aeneas that his fate lies in Italy not in Carthage, after Aeneas heard this he was shocked but complied knowing that he must obey the gods. Showing that he was an obedient man.

In Book 1 of “The Aeneid”, Aeneas endures a storm that was created by Juno, causing him and his comrades to become stranded, as he was traveling from Troy to Italy. As of now, the object of love for Aeneas is his country and for its growth and success. Aeneas lands on the shores of Carthage and this is where his focus of love is shaken and tested. While searching in the woods, Aeneas meets a young girl, who is disguised and actually his mother Venus. She tells Aeneas the background story of the ruler of Carthage and how everything came to be. She also reassures Aeneas that his missing ships, along with his other comrades, are safe and to continue the path into the city. Once Aeneas enters the city and observes the progress of the developing city, he is ecstatic. This encounter shows how his love for country is very focused. Instead of focusing on the individuals that may have been roaming around the city as an object of love, he views the whole city, which was still in progress, as an object of love. Aeneas goes and explores the queen’s temple to come across scenes etched of his comrades during the Trojan War. Aeneas speaks to Achates, who was one of his companions that survived the storm, about these scenes along the walls and while “feeding his spirit on empty, lifeless pictures, / groaning low, the tears rivering down his face / as he sees once more the fighters circling Troy” (Virgil, 563-565). These few lines from the text are quickly able to

Through close analysis and literary inspection, it is found that the defeat of Troy and struggle Aeneas undertook in his journey were justified to the fact that it was under passive action in the face of fate that brought him to his desired goal.

Immediately readers are introduced to Aeneas’ supernatural plight by Virgil, who states that Juno hates Aeneas. Virgil tells of the story of Paris of Troy who was chosen to

Latinus’ daughter Lavinia is pursued by many suitors, Turnus looks best but the oracle tells him that she should marry a foreigner (Aeneas)

The Aeneid, Aeneas has a duty to build a new city in Italy but becomes preoccupied when he meets the queen of Carthage,

The Aeneid is based on the fate of Aeneas, who will find the finest city, Rome. But, there seems to be a argument about the high forces that rule the world and the elements that control the lives of men, or whether fate is the will of the gods. In the Aeneid several situations and occasions of the use of fate are presented. The directions and destinations of Aeneass course are inevitable, and his various sorrows and glories in battle, and the sea over the course of the epic merely postpone his unchangeable fate.

The Aeneid is a story revolving around Aeneas’ journey. Aeneas and the Trojans escape from their home city of Troy, which

Aeneas’ growing concern for his family is evident in lines 847-882. The idea of losing someone or multiple people is discussed “Vel quae, Tiberine, videbis funeral, cum tumulum praeterlabere recentem!” This is Anchises asking, “ O Tiber when shall thou glide by the fresh made tomb?” Anchises also asks what funeral rights there are. This stresses that the characters are concerned with death and may even be foreshadowing a death or multiple in the near future. Additionally, this concern for death obviously demonstrates the care Aeneas has for his family. Family is often directly discussed in this passage as well, specifically Anchises, the father of Aeneas, who says, “ tum pater Anchises lacrimis ingressus obortis” / “Then, father Anchises began rising with tears” Virgil introduces Anchises, Aeneas’ father into this passage because Anchises goes on to discuss the journey Aeneas is on, the dangers of it, and that

In the Aeneid, Virgil’s main concern is the creation of an etiological myth that unifies Rome’s history and culture. By using established etiological myths of Rome, Virgil fits Aeneid perfectly in the chronology of these legends. Virgil was able to create a story that traces back the Roman race all the way to the Trojan race. This search of genealogy in Roman race and culture is a political attempt to give justification to the existence of the Roman Empire and to its transcendent glorification. Throughout the poem we can see there is a divine force that pushes Aeneas to complete his mission; making the empire’s existence

Dido, the Queen of Carthage, meets Aeneas, on his way to Italy, where he will found Rome. Dido and Aeneas fall in love but this couldn't happen because Aeneas was destined to fund Rome, so the gods ordered him to continue its initial road, he must leave Dido and sail to Italy. Aeneas and his sailors prepare to leave without telling Dido for not making it painful, but Dido kills herself once he has gone (this is another version of Dido's

Firstly, when Aeneas is called upon to go found a new city across the sea, he lacks self-confidence. He is suddenly thrust into his harsh fate, a fate

Thanks to Neptune, though, they are only thrown off course, and Venus assures that they will not be harmed in Carthage. At times in the Aeneid, it seems as if the story is less about the deeds of the mortal characters than about the bickering of the gods, who continuously disrupt or manipulate events on Earth. The one common theme, though, is that fate always comes true. Aeneas is destined to settle in Italy, and nothing can prevent this. Jupiter sees to it that his overall plan will come to pass by helping out Venus.

Throughout the Aeneid, one of the consistent themes that is rampant throughout the book is the theme of pain and suffering. In each crevice of the epic poem, there are always mentions of the horrors and emotions that the characters have to go through. However, this theme of suffering throughout the book allows that characters to appear more human to the reader as it is not filled with unrealistic happiness, which allows the audience to empathise with the characters as they go through problems which are relatable. By having the theme of pain and suffering being a major part of the Aeneid's plot, with mention of Book XI in particular, we are able to relate the suffering Aeneas and other characters in this book have with our own suffering, which allows us to look at the characters in order to get a sense of what we can do to overcome pain and suffering when faced with adversity,