Aeneas In The Underworld Analysis

o 26) Aeneid Book VI: Aeneas in the Underworld

 Summary: Aeneas and his men make it to Italy. Aeneas goes to see Sibyl and she tells him that if he wants to talk to his father he must go into the forest and find a golden branch. If it breaks off easily, he can talk to his father. Two doves come down and help Aeneas and lead him to the tree. He grabs the branch off easily and goes to Dis. Aeneas learns that there are two sides to a river. Only souls with proper burial are allowed to cross the river, and no living souls are aloud over period. Aeneas flashes the branch and is allowed passage. Aeneas talks to Dido, who practically ignores him, and eventually to his father. Aeneas discovers his fate and leaves Dis.

 Commentary: This is the part of mythology that always has to be reread for me. All of the extra little places and people get jumbled up. However, I have some mixed emotions about this section. I like Aeneas’s persistence to see his father, but I don’t like that he has to pretty much see a “fortune teller” about

his future. He should take on life one day at a time and not make sure everything will act in his favor before taking action. He isn’t supposed to know his fate. He should accept the life he was given and run with it, not question it. Generally though, this section was a nice break from harsh warfare and battles. It felt like a breath of fresh air knowing there was not to be a battle in Dis.
o 27) Aeneid Book VIII: The Shield of Aeneas
 Summary: Aeneas is approached by Tiberinus and he convinces Aeneas to create an alliance with the Arcadians, which he does. Aeneas has a feast with his new allies where he learns about Saturn and Hercules and is even gifted a house. Scared for Aeneas, Venus convinces Vulcan to make special armor for Aeneas, which he commands his Cyclopes to do. Evander gathers his spare troops and all neighboring kingdom troops and gets them to help Aeneas. He now has almost too many troops, delaying him. Evander even sends his own son with Aeneas, the ultimate trust exercise. That night, Venus brings Aeneas his new armor and on it is his fate and what will happen after his death because of what he will do.
 Commentary: Aeneas seems to be getting a lot of help from outside forces, but that’s what an ally is I guess. Aeneas hasn’t really had to do too much yet. I think the allies and Venus are setting Aeneas up for a success so it sounds like the battle should work out in his favor. Aeneas seems to be trying to take on a leadership position but I don’t think he’s quite there yet. He needs to show some strength and integrity, not just get handed everything. Fate is looking upward for Aeneas and his men.
o 28) Aeneid Book XII: Aeneas and Turnus
 Summary: Denying the King and Queen’s request, Turnus says he is going to fight Aeneas alone and for the prize of a beautiful maiden. Juno asks Turnus’s sister to watch out for him, afraid for him in battle. Turnus’s sister convinces the troops to fire at the Trojans now that they were off guard, despite a previous truce. They do so and Aeneas gets injured, forcing his retreat. Venus sends a balm to help Aeneas’s arrow come loose, while Turnus gains confidence in his abilities now that he has sent Aeneas running. Aeneas returns to battle and the fight waivers back and forth. Queen Amata commits suicide and Turnus and Aeneas decide to fight 1 v 1, as initially planned. Aeneas immediately comes out on top and Juno agrees to allow the Trojans to win if they take on the Latin language, which Jupiter abides to. Aeneas, nearly letting Turnus live, kills Turnus and the Trojans win.
 Commentary: This was a simple battle that was complicated by a woman, so stereotypical. Anyways, I feel this battle was fair in the end. I think Turnus made his fate worse in the death of the young Trojan warrior. Aeneas deserved to come out on top and he was incredibly prompt do to so. Aeneas deserved this win and I don’t think Turnus ever really had chance with all that Aeneas was equipped with. Overall, I feel Aeneas finally got his validation, despite my thinking that he never really reached full “leader” standards.
- The Aeneid as a whole I felt was a little difficult to read, but I enjoyed the language in the way that it created the framework for the stories. I feel without this challenging language, the story wouldn’t have had as unique of an affect as a modern, simplified version. This is kind of how I feel about all of the mythology we had to read. I didn’t always enjoy the way in which it was written, personally I was slightly annoyed because I knew it would take me longer to comprehend, but I think the language adds to the stories, and makes the stories worth the read.
o 29) Luke 2: 1-52: The Birth and Youth of Jesus
 Summary: In this section, Luke discusses his version of the birth of Jesus. He explains how Joseph went all over to register for marriage with Mary. At this time, Mary was “with child,” as it was put there by God and Mary was still a virgin, which would cause problems later on. Luke also explains how Shepherds and Angels came from all around to see this marvelous son of God. After word got out that Jesus was lying in the manger, it was only a matter of time before the people accepted that Jesus was in fact, the son of God. Annually, Jesus and his parents visited Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover. When he was twelve, his parents accidentally left Jesus in Jerusalem and three days later when he was found there, it was found that Jesus had been sitting among teachers, listening to them, and asking them questions all while being in “[his] Father’s house.”
 Commentary: I feel this overall story in the Bible is beautiful. It almost seems that every situation that happens in the Bible has some kind of outrageously complex outcome. I feel that the general story of Jesus’s birth is beautiful. Even though Mary was miraculously a virgin when she gave birth to Jesus, the people eventually accepted him. This story is just inspiring to me in how Jesus stayed in Jerusalem and learnt about his Father. Nowadays we hear, “back in my day” and immediately zone out to our parents, but Jesus wanted to know everything. Overall, I feel this story shows the difference in current and past times relations with our families. However, I also feel the Jesus’s birth story is one of the most inspiring stories out there and I think it further validates the phrase “seeing is believing.”
o 30) Matthew 5:1-28: The Sermon on the Mount
 Summary: In this section, Jesus went up on the mountainside and sat down, where his disciples accompanied him. Jesus then began to teach and taught about “Salt and Light,” “The Fulfillment of the Law,” “Murder,” “Adultery,” “Divorce,” “Oaths,” “An Eye for an Eye,” and “Love for Enemies.” Each of these topics was accompanied by a story that taught the topic. While Jesus taught the stories, his disciples and the crowd listened.
 Commentary: Personally, I love this overall story. However, I intend to focus on the topics that Jesus taught rather than the story itself, as the story is just Jesus telling more stories, specifically “Murder.” Everyone knows that killing someone else isn’t morally right. I feel Jesus presents murder in a gentler way that also addresses anger with siblings, name calling, and judgement. I feel that Jesus discusses murder on the same level that he discusses “calling one ‘a fool’.” It really puts into perspective how harsh even our “smallest” sins are.

o 31) Luke 15:1-32 Parables of Jesus
 Summary: Jesus speaks and discusses parables of sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. Jesus not only teaches that there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety nine righteous persons who do not need to repent with the coin story, but he also speaks of similar scenarios with the coin and the old woman and the lost son with his years of work.
 Commentary: I find this section of the Bible truly inspiring. Jesus stretches the same scenario over a phase of three separate stories. Jesus continues to reuse the same moral that there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. I completely understand this scenario and I find it more inspiring to be a greater person and sin less often.
o 32) Matthew 26: 14-75 The Betrayal of Jesus
 Summary: In this section, Judas agrees to hand over Jesus for thirty silver coins. Jesus tells his disciples that one of them will betray him while eating with them at the Passover. Jesus tells Judas that it is him that will betray Jesus, and then passes the bread and wine around the table. Jesus then predicts to Peter that he will disown Jesus three times, but Peter denies this to ever become of the truth. Judas then gets Jesus arrested and Peter continues to disown Jesus three times before the rooster crows.
 Commentary: I think this section is somewhat of a turning point. Jesus was this grand figure that had twelve followers and now his own men were turning against him. Times went from good to bad in the blink of an eye and the sinless Jesus was the one to get caught in the crossfire, even after predicting the future. This section makes me feel terrible for Jesus. He knew it was coming and his disciples didn’t believe him. The Last Supper is almost Jesus’s last spur of hope.
o 33) Matthew 27: 1-66 The Trials and Crucifixion of Jesus
 Summary: Judas came to the temple and threw down the thirty silver coins and said that he had sinned and betrayed innocent blood so he did not deserve the money.

Judas then hung himself. The chief priests decided to use the money to fund a burial ground for foreigners, since it was blood money and could not be used for the temple’s personal use in the treasury. Jesus was brought to the crowd and the crowd was asked if Jesus himself or another prisoner should be released. The crowd picked the other prisoner and yelled to crucify Jesus even though he had committed no crime. The soldiers then stripped Jesus and dressed him in a scarlet robe with a thorned crown. Elders, chief priests, and teachers mocked Jesus and his claims as he walked carrying the cross. Jesus eventually died after he had been nailed to the cross and then placed in a tomb guarded by a rock and guards themselves. There the people would wait and see if he was resurrected or

not.
 Commentary: This section hurts my heart for Jesus. Nobody deserves to go through the amount of humiliation and taunt that he did before he died, and for doing nothing wrong. Jesus should not have been crucified and he should not have had to endure the punishment of someone that had actually sinned. This seems to be one of the most discussed sections of the Bible aside from the resurrection. However, I feel that this section has been talked about so much that it’s almost made to seem less cruel than it was. Once something has been talked about, regardless of the harshness, for such a long period of time, I feel it loses its initial shock value, making it seem less cruel. I have a lot of respect for the harsh conditions Jesus had to endure and I truly wish another punishment could have been chosen, should one have had to have been chosen at all.