“Duty, heroism or love.” Which of these do you think was the most important to
Aeneas? (30)
Duty (pietas) - A’s strong sense of pietas is embodied in the emotional
is the most imagery evoked by the Fall of Troy -> attempts to fight
significant for his people during the Greek invasion (despite being
attribute to instructed by Hector’s ghost not to do so); once he sees
“Father Jupiter’s omen (shooting star + harmless flame on
Aeneas” since Ascanius’ head) he leads those who survived the attack
his entire out of the city, with his son holding his hand and his
mission and father Anchises on his back -> clearly the paradigm of
purpose is pietas -> remains dutiful to his family and people even
shaped in times of severe crisis
around his - ALSO carries household gods with him as he leavers
familial and Troy + constantly prays to them for guidance -> shows
political duty to the gods
responsibilitie - In the Homeric section of the epic, he leads his people
s on a nautical journey to find the land that has been
promised to them -> encounters prominent leaders
such as Dido + Helenus in order to discover how he can
fulfil Jupiter’s prophecy
Heroism -> - Displays true heroism in his battle with Turnus ->
makes him slaughters hundreds of Latins in his moments of aristeia
worthy of and ultimately stabs T as an act of vengeance for Pallas’
establishing death -> enacts justice on the battlefield = true hero
Rome - BUT does not show Clementia when Turnus begs for his
life + Mezentius’ son defends his father -> not an
attribute of a hero -> perhaps enacting indiscriminate
justice is more important to A
- A’s virtue of heroism is embodied in his Vulcan-crafted
shield -> depicts significant events in future Roman
history a contemporary audience would have been able
to spot -> e.g. Punic Wars; Romulus +Remus; battle of
Actium-> A physically carrying it into battle is
emblematic of him carrying the weight of the future of
Rome on his shoulders -> must carry out the foundation
of Rome so that the Augustan era of peace may occur -
> true Virgilian hero
Love - Important for Aeneas in his mission to found Rome ->
must win Lavinia’s hand in his war against the Latins so
that he may unite the 2 people and bring about an era
of peace -> symbolic of the fulfilment of the divinely
ordained prophecy
- We also see this in his relationship with his late wifre
Creusa -> mourns for her death after having been
visited by her ghost
- BUT consistently chooses pietas over love -> refuses to
accept his “marriage” with Dido; had Creusa walk
behind him whilst leaving Troy, not at his side -> left her
unprotected; has no real emotions for Lavinia -> she
only serves as a means to an end of the prophecy
CONCLUSION - The most significant Augustan value for Aeneas is
pietas -> throughout the epic he remains true to his
epithet “Father Aeneas” by putting his duties to his
Aeneas? (30)
Duty (pietas) - A’s strong sense of pietas is embodied in the emotional
is the most imagery evoked by the Fall of Troy -> attempts to fight
significant for his people during the Greek invasion (despite being
attribute to instructed by Hector’s ghost not to do so); once he sees
“Father Jupiter’s omen (shooting star + harmless flame on
Aeneas” since Ascanius’ head) he leads those who survived the attack
his entire out of the city, with his son holding his hand and his
mission and father Anchises on his back -> clearly the paradigm of
purpose is pietas -> remains dutiful to his family and people even
shaped in times of severe crisis
around his - ALSO carries household gods with him as he leavers
familial and Troy + constantly prays to them for guidance -> shows
political duty to the gods
responsibilitie - In the Homeric section of the epic, he leads his people
s on a nautical journey to find the land that has been
promised to them -> encounters prominent leaders
such as Dido + Helenus in order to discover how he can
fulfil Jupiter’s prophecy
Heroism -> - Displays true heroism in his battle with Turnus ->
makes him slaughters hundreds of Latins in his moments of aristeia
worthy of and ultimately stabs T as an act of vengeance for Pallas’
establishing death -> enacts justice on the battlefield = true hero
Rome - BUT does not show Clementia when Turnus begs for his
life + Mezentius’ son defends his father -> not an
attribute of a hero -> perhaps enacting indiscriminate
justice is more important to A
- A’s virtue of heroism is embodied in his Vulcan-crafted
shield -> depicts significant events in future Roman
history a contemporary audience would have been able
to spot -> e.g. Punic Wars; Romulus +Remus; battle of
Actium-> A physically carrying it into battle is
emblematic of him carrying the weight of the future of
Rome on his shoulders -> must carry out the foundation
of Rome so that the Augustan era of peace may occur -
> true Virgilian hero
Love - Important for Aeneas in his mission to found Rome ->
must win Lavinia’s hand in his war against the Latins so
that he may unite the 2 people and bring about an era
of peace -> symbolic of the fulfilment of the divinely
ordained prophecy
- We also see this in his relationship with his late wifre
Creusa -> mourns for her death after having been
visited by her ghost
- BUT consistently chooses pietas over love -> refuses to
accept his “marriage” with Dido; had Creusa walk
behind him whilst leaving Troy, not at his side -> left her
unprotected; has no real emotions for Lavinia -> she
only serves as a means to an end of the prophecy
CONCLUSION - The most significant Augustan value for Aeneas is
pietas -> throughout the epic he remains true to his
epithet “Father Aeneas” by putting his duties to his
