Aeneas The Hero

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Nature of the Hero in Ancient and Mediaeval Epic
Heroes have formed an important part of literature since the ancient and medieval times. They represent the dominant values and ideals in a culture that only a few human beings could live up to. While the cultures understood the value of abiding by their virtues and ideals, they were also inherently aware of the challenges and strength of character required to accomplish such a task. Heroes were regarded as the embodiment of this struggle and a true reflection of people who had given it all to achieve the unattainable. In ancient and medieval epics, heroes played the same role of representing the dominant values and beliefs of a culture. As this values and beliefs changed, the character of heroes in the story also changed to embrace the new perspective. Sometimes, the characters represented ideals shared by …show more content…

Additionally, Aeneas character is also heavily influenced by the culture present during his time. Aeneas is a roman hero who exists during the reign of emperor Augustus. Rome had just come out of a devastating civil war and the emperor was keen on maintaining peace and stability to ensure war never broke out again. The Stoicism philosophy took root during the time as both the emperor and the masses saw it as an ideal way to live purposeful lives that will prevent war in the future. As a result, Aeneas character is that of a young man living in peaceful and stable times and seeks to show his internal ideals by looking for quests to fulfill. While Achilles existed in a time of strife and was required to defend his community from the turmoil, Aeneas was born during peaceful times and pursued heroic activities as a way of defending his personal ideals. Stoicism advocated for the acceptance of one's destiny which characterized much of Aeneas

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