Similarities Between The Aeneid And Turnus

688 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: How is the gods and fate central to the understanding of virgil's in Aeneid

The belt of Pallas serves as a highly important symbol in the Aeneid and for Turnus’ fate. In Book X, Turnus defeats Pallas and disrespects Pallas’ body and glory by stripping him of his armor, taking the young prince’s belt. Ironically, the sword belt is engraved with “pictured crime” of men being murdered on their wedding night by Danaus’ daughters. This scene of betrayal engraved on the belt parallels to when Turnus betrayed Aeneas by promising Aeneas Lavinia. The parallel between the two tragic scenes also foreshadows Turnus’ own ill-fated destiny: For Turnus there will come a time When he would give the world to see again An untouchable Pallas, and will hate this day, Hate that belt taken.

The scene on Pallas’ belt depicts …show more content…

Although Aeneas wanted to show compassion for Turnus, he knew he must avenge Pallas in order to seal Rome’s fate. Aeneas’ defeat of Turnus symbolizes the Roman civilization victory. The Aeneid was written as Roman propaganda, and Virgil depicts Aeneas as the hero that wanted to be good, but chose the fate of Rome over his own, encapsulating what a true Roman hero was. One can also draw parallels between the deaths of Pallas and Turnus. When Turnus killed Pallas, Turnus’ fate was sealed that he would die as well. Similarly, when Aeneas kills Turnus, the fate of Rome’s victory is sealed. The parallel between the two deaths shows the difference between the two heroes: Turnus stole the belt of Pallas out of arrogance and ruthlessness, while Aeneas chose to kill Turnus not for his own personal vengeance, but for the fate of Rome. The ‘robbery’ of Pallas’ belt and the decision to kill Turnus are both key turning points for the future of Rome. Without these two acts, Rome’s destiny would still be unknown. Virgil wanted the readers to view Aeneas as a true war hero. Aeneas is a good man who is unafraid to show emotion, compassion, and his flaws. Although Aeneas did not want to kill Turnus, he ultimately became lesser of a person in order to complete his fate for the glory of

Show More
Related

  • A Comparison of The Aeneid and Metamorphoses

    1104 Words  | 3 Pages

    This gives the readers a clue that what is to happen in the upcoming text is a

    Read More

  • Vergil's Ending In The Aeneid By Ariosto

    1311 Words  | 3 Pages

    Vergil arouses pity for Turnus when he describes "a groan [sweeping] the Rutulians as they rose,/ A groan heard echoing on all sides from all/ the mountain range, and [echoing] by forests" (XII 1261-1263) after Aeneas spear-shaft "[passes] clean through/ The middle of Turnus’ thigh" (XII 1258-1259). Turnus is clearly in pain, and we are compelled to feel compassion for his suffering. Nonetheless, Aeneas suggests that Turnus deserves to suffer and die as punishment for his previous deeds when he claims, "Pallas makes this offering/ And from [Turnus’] criminal blood exacts his due" (XII 1293-1294).

    Read More

  • Aeneid vs. Odyssey

    2152 Words  | 5 Pages

    are followed and proper respect given the gods, it is possible for man to live

    Read More

  • A Comparison of Aneas of Aeneid and Turnus of Iliad

    1178 Words  | 3 Pages

    A Comparison of Aneas of Aeneid and Turnus of Iliad The subtlety in the differences between Aneas and Turnus, reflect the subtlety in the differences between the Aeneid and the Iliad.   Although both characters are devout and noble,  Aneas does not possess the ardent passion of Turnus.   Unlike Turnus, Aneas is able to place his beliefs in the fated establishment of Latium before his personal interests. Although Turnus is not a bad person, the gods favor Aneas in their schemes.

    Read More

  • Attitude Towards Women In Virgil's Aeneid

    409 Words  | 1 Pages

    We also see in the story what someone must sacrifice in order to fulfill their goals. Though Aeneas's destiny was much more grand than many of our own, we still must make choices that can sometimes hurt others. I really thought that Vergil captured our inner emotions with the affair between Dido and Aeneas.

    Read More

  • Comparing Aeneas from Aeneid and Gilgamesh from the Epic of Gilgamesh

    539 Words  | 2 Pages

    Out of the two heroes Gilgamesh was the one who was most aggressive and pursued the more ambitious goal, though it was one near impossible to achieve. Gilgamesh wanted to have a power that only the gods possessed. He wanted to be immortal. Aeneas never sought such an unachievable task, and was not as determined as Gilgamesh was. Aeneas only had to find a place where the defeated Trojans could settle and found a new city. Once in the story he even had to be reminded of his destiny by the Jupiter when he was distracted by his love for Dido.

    Read More

  • Comparing the Aeneid and the Odyssey

    2715 Words  | 6 Pages

    Both the Odyssey and the Aeneid represent their cultures very well, but they express different ideas on what one should strive for in life.  There are also different forces that pushed both epics to be written.  The Aeneid expresses the Roman idea of pietas which means to show extreme respect for one’s ancestors. We see this in Aeneas when he is pictured caring his father away from burning Troy.  He has pietas because he cared so much for his father that in fleeing from Troy he took up his father over his shoulder to save his from certain death.  This is not the only major idea in the Aeneid.  There is also a very political focus.  The Roman were very interested in politics which comes through in the Aeneid. The Odyssey has the Greek idea of arete trapped somewhere among the many themes.  Arete is a strive for perfection in both mind and body.  It is a much more personal and individual idea than the Roman pietas. In the most basic seance the Aeneid and the Romans have a much more political focus and duty to the state ( republic ) than the Greeks who honor tradition , family , and arete.

    Read More

  • Arrogance of Greek Heroes

    1441 Words  | 3 Pages

    ... wife and home as well as his place in Carthage in the name of the gods, in the name of a quest that does not directly benefit him. From this pursuit, he does not stand to gain spoils, and the most that could be said of his fame would be drawn from his descendents. It is this moral stance, this understanding of universal placement, of purpose, that sets Aeneas apart from other heroes.

    Read More

  • The Portrayal of Women in the Aeneid

    1830 Words  | 4 Pages

    While the Aeneid does outline the future of Rome, it also highlights the pains of war, and also exposes his audience to a culture of violence, which they may be unfamiliar with. The act of balancing one’s duty towards others and his or her personal desires was a conflict that many people struggled with. By presenting the struggle between balancing inner desires and and personal responsibilities, Virgil offers his audience a framework that enhances their overall understanding of the poem.

    Read More

  • Authority In The Aeneid By Virgil

    1201 Words  | 3 Pages

    Because of the underworld, he has gained compassion for his lost men by always thinking about the welfare of his people. He has proved to be a great leader who showed responsibility by keeping his spirits high when times were tough, even though he had great honor which gave him desire and determination to fulfill his duties regardless of the circumstances. Virgil wrote the Aeneid in order to arouse patriotism in the Roman people. His references to oracles and prophesies are implications that Rome was founded because it was destined to be founded by the gods who just happen to be the most powerful and influential beings during Virgil's era. The entire Book VI, referring to the underworld, is intended to show how the future leaders of Rome are destined to found it. The fact that they consume almost the entire good part of the underworld shows that they are the "chosen

    Read More

  • The Aeneid's Metamorphoses

    188 Words  | 1 Pages

    Eastern Rome contributed the mass majority of works of literature. Virgil, a well known Roman poet, gave the world his epic: The Aeneid. The Aeneid is about a traveler who sails for Italy but is destined to end up in Rome. As Aeneas, the traveler, and his crew near Rome, a storm throws them off and they end up in Carthage. Aeneas tells the story of his journey to the queen of Carthage. Ovid wrote Metamorphoses. This story is about Ovid asking the Gods to help him come up with an idea for his work. Ovid writes about the creation of the world and goes on into present day. Ovid also describes the birth of the world. Publius Cornelius Tacitus wrote the Germania, which is a historical work on the Germanic tribes outside the Roman Empire. Julius

    Read More

  • Virgil's Aeneid - Is Aeneas Really a Hero?

    1550 Words  | 4 Pages

    What is a hero?  We would like to think that a hero is someone who has achieved some fantastic goal or status, or maybe someone who has accomplished a great task.  Heroes find themselves in situations of great pressure and act with nobility and grace. Though the main character of Virgil's Aeneid, Aeneas, is such a person, it is not by his own doing.  He encounters situations in which death is near, in which love, hate, peace, and war come together to cause both good and evil.  In these positions he conducts himself with honor, by going along with what the gods want.  Only then goes on to pave the way for the Roman Empire.  His deeds, actions, and leadership would never have come to be if it were not for the gods.  The gods took special interest in Aeneas, causing him misfortune in some cases, giving him assistance in others.  On the whole, the gods constantly provide perfect opportunities for Aeneas to display his heroism. Without them, Aeneas would not be the hero he is.  This gift does not come without a price, though; he must endure the things heroes endure to become what they are.  Despite his accomplishments and the glory associated with his life, Aeneas only achieves the status of hero through divine intervention, and this god-given position causes him just as much grief as it does splendor.

    Read More

  • Character Motives in William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar

    1184 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout this play, readers see what the motives of Cassius, Brutus, and Antony drive each of them to do, and how this affects their outcomes. Though these motives did not lead to a tragic downfall for each of these characters, motives are often taken too far. They prove to be so strong that they blind characters from making educated decisions and having a sense of rationality. The many deaths in this play all started out with one person being motivated to do something, and one things leads to another. Motivation fueled by loyalty can be just as dangerous as motivation fueled by hatred. The strength of that motivation is what can really make it dangerous, and cause lives to be lost.

    Read More

  • A Comparison Of The Aeneid Vs. The Metamorphoses

    1573 Words  | 4 Pages

    In many ways, judging and comparing Vigil’s Aeneid and Ovid’s Metamorphoses is inevitable because each of the writers lived at roughly the same time in history, both sought to create a historical work that would endure long past their mortal existences, and while each man was ultimately successful in their endeavors, they achieved their desired goals in vastly different ways. That being said, the epic poem by Ovid is superior because unlike Virgil, whose epic poem utilized a character centered narrative steeped in historical inferences and a theme that celebrated the moral virtues of Greek and Roman society, Ovid defied tradition by creating an intricate narrative that looked

    Read More

  • Revenge in Julius Caesar

    933 Words  | 2 Pages

    The theme of revenge is evident when Antony demonstrates a desire to avenge Caesar's death. After Caesar's death, Antony swears to take revenge on those who murdered Caesar,

    Read More

More about Similarities Between The Aeneid And Turnus

Open Document