Essay The Role of the Gods and Fate in Virgil's The Aeneid

COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE PORTRAYAL OF THE GODS IN VIRGIL'S AENEID AND OVID'S METAMORPHOSES. There is a significant difference in the treatment of the gods in the Aeneid and the Metamorphoses, even though both authors were writing in the epic tradition. Virgil wrote his Aeneid in the last ten years of his life, between 29BC and 19BC, after the Battle of Actium, in 31BC, which was significant, as it established Octavian as the sole emperor, Augustus, of Rome. The Aeneid is a celebration of Augustus' achievements and rejoices in the development of Rome. There is a great sense of political propaganda, as well as an historical element, as it illustrates the origins of the Roman people.

The tragic love story between Dido and Aeneas is a prime example of the gods ability to intervene but not interfere. Venus asks her son Cupid to work his divine power on the Queen of Carthage to fall in love with Aeneas, for she fears that Juno ‘will not stand idle when the gate of the future is turning’ [1.673]. By book 4 when Dido has admitted to her sister her love for Aeneas, Juno sees

Human suffering as a major theme in Virgil’s piece is also evident in a speech that Aeneas delivers to his men in lines 198- 207 in Book I. In this scene, the remaining Trojans are forced to the shores of Libya after an intense storm and unforgiving winds which push the fleet off course. In his speech, Aeneas reminds his companions of more deadly adversities that they have previously faced and the destined mission to found a new Troy towards which they strive. After ten years of siege and warfare, the Trojans lost their home and many members of their families and fellow soldiers.

Sharon Rice Engl 2111 9/1/2014 Response Essay Blame it on the Gods The signs, dreams and visions from Book II in the Aeneid help Aeneas determine what the gods have in store for him and Troy, from the death of Laocoon to Creusa’s spirit. The Gods’ determination and fate they have set in place for Troy and Aeneas cannot be changed or averted. Despite all attempts by Laocoon, Aeneas and the others who attempt to change it, fate is unwavering; the path cannot be altered Laocoon’s death is the first sign of the gods’ plan for the fall of Troy.

The Aeneid has a long story to tell so, the following would focus on the Book I: A Fateful Heaven. Firstly, it is undeniable that the gods play an important role in the Aeneid. At the beginning of the book, Aeneas and his fellows was already experienced seven years’ of wandering, had left Troy and towards Italy. No wonder it was a tough situation. However, how could this happen at the very beginning of the book which seemed unreasonable?

It is consistently difficult to understand in old world literature, from Homeric epics to Virgil's work, The Aeneid, what the relation of fate is to the Pantheon of gods. There seems to be an ongoing debate within the texts discussing whether "fate" is the supreme ruling force in the universe and the controlling element of the lives of men, or whether fate is the will of the king of gods, Jupiter. In, The Aeneid, several situations and instances of the use of fate are presented to the reader. The direction and destination of Aeneas's course are preordained, and his various sufferings and glories in battle and at sea over the course of the epic merely postpone his unchangeable destiny.

Many may tell themselves, “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul”, William Ernest Henley’s, Invictus. Individuals often believe life is independent of outside forces; one does not often ponder whether situations that introduce decisions or experiences are controlled by fate and the gods. In Virgil’s The Aeneid, he introduces the notion that we are all subject to the workings of fate regardless of our will or desire; this is shown through the tragic romance between Aeneas, a Trojan, and Dido, the queen of Carthage. Their love and lives are a combination of free will, fate, and the work of the gods. We are all brought into the world without choice, thus lack the will to change our destiny from birth. In the end, however it

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

The concept of fate and the influence of gods on mortals’ lives are prominent aspects of Greek mythology. While the gods of Olympus are commonly presented as the primary manipulators of human lives, the Fates are the true creators of destiny. Gods may be able to affect human lives in monumental ways, but predetermined destiny and the Fates’ intentions ultimately reign. The gods have respect for this authority, as well, as they’re aware that a limit on their ability to intervene is necessary to maintain the order of the universe. This leaves one to question the amount of knowledge that the gods themselves have of fate, and whether they have their own free will to refrain from intervening or if they truly must submit to the authority of the Fates and their plans. The gods do have some knowledge of the Fates’ plan, but they are also wise enough to avoid too much interference and therefore don’t necessarily need to be commanded; they sometimes help guide mortals by sending them messages and symbols—and sometimes even influencing them for their own advantage—but ultimate fate cannot be avoided.

His brother Hector and he were on a peace mission in Sparta on behalf of Troy visiting the king, Menelaus, when Paris ran off with Menelaus’ wife, Helen. This action divides the Gods who constantly meddle with the mortal’s lives. Naturally, Aphrodite is on the Trojans’ side, as was her lover and God of War, Ares, and Apollo. Although Zeus, King of Gods, tried to be neutral, he was pro-Trojan. Hera, Queen of Gods, and Athena help the Greeks because they were mad that Paris chose Aphrodite. Poseidon, God of the Sea and Zeus’ brother, also sided with the Greeks whenever Zeus was not looking. An example of this constant intrusiveness of the Gods in the Iliad was when King “Menelaus hurls his spear, lightly wounding Paris. Paris’ helmet strap becomes caught at his chin and Menelaus has nearly dragged him away before Aphrodite intervenes, breaking the strap. She then wraps Paris in a mist, sets him in his own perfumed bedchamber, and hurries to catch Helen” (Bloom 13). Of course, in the movie version, when Paris becomes wounded he crawls to Hector’s ankles. King Menelaus becomes angered and says Paris is not worthy of royalty nor his wife Helen. Hector is then forced to defend his little brother and kills Menelaus. The elimination of the Gods from Troy, although unsatisfactory, does simplify the movie compared to the complicated plot of the Iliad. Wolfgang Petersen may have had motivation to remove the Gods because it

He makes it seem like he already knew that the Greeks were in the horse and that they weren’t gone. In Book II of The Aeneid, lines 58-60 state,” O my poor people, Men of Troy, what madness has come over you? Can you believe the enemy truly gone?” Obviously Aeneus is making this up to make the Trojans seem like the good people and that they were aware of the Greeks presence. Aeneus adds this part to his story to make him seem brilliant to Dido and to impress her.

She calls upon Aeolus, King of the Winds, to cause a mighty storm that will destroy the Trojan fleet. As the storm arises, several ships are destroyed while others are swept away, but eventually Aeneas and some other ships end up in the harbor of an unknown land. Aeneas decides to inspect this strange place, and during his exploration he encounters a huntress. This is actually Venus in disguise, and she informs him that this is the land of Dido, Queen of Carthage. Aeneas meets Dido, who welcomes the Trojans and invites them to her feast. During the feast, Venus has her son Cupid, God of Love, make Dido fall in love with Aeneas. He succeeds, and Dido asks Aeneas to tell her of the fall of Troy, which he does.

No one knew when or where their fate would be. In The Aeneid, the theme of Fate is viewed as something that can be delayed for time. The goddess Juno never gets tired of reminding us in the Aeneid, destiny may determine that the Trojans

In The Aeneid by Virgil, the main character Aeneas is born of Venus; he is the pious, loyal hero of Rome from Troy. The idea of a hero in Virgil’s epic poem was built upon a dual pillar structure of piety and loyalty. The ideal version of piety is exemplified in Aeneas, who often sacrifices his own loyalties to appease the gods. The other pillar that the book stands upon is loyalty to friends, family, the gods, and the future. These two pillars often clash and Aeneas must choose one over the other, Aeneas always chooses loyalty to the gods, referred to as piety, over any other loyalty that he has. The clash of these two virtues cause Aeneas to always be in action. Virgil defines action as the movement toward a goal. This paper will prove these definitions as well as how a person who holds Aeneas’ virtues would look like in the modern era. Piety being the most important virtue that Aeneas holds will be discussed first.

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,