At the orders of Jupiter, Mercury is sent down in Book Four of the Aeneid to remind Aeneas of his true fate for Aeneas had fallen in love with Dido and was content to stay in the fertile lands of Carthage, The messenger god mocks and scolds Aeneas for forgetting his duties, especially to his son, Ascanius. As a result of this, Aeneas finally decides to leave Dido and depart Carthage, although he fears losing the queen’s love and her wrath. This demonstrates that he is incredibly pious (as to choose the wishes of the gods over his own love) and that he is noble for attempting to leave Dido as gently as he can. In addition, he displays his admirable hero qualities and commitment to paternal duty in this section.
Aeneas’s piety is a common theme throughout the Aeneid. In fact, it is even mentioned among the first few lines of the prologue. In fact, Vergil describes him as “insignem pietate virum” or “a man known for piety” (1.10). This piety is later reinforced that he specifically takes the household gods with him as he
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leaves; in fact, the gods are one of the things Hector tells him to take with him in Book 2, “sacra suosque tibi commendat Troia penatis” - “Troy commands her sacred relics and household gods to you” (2.293). Therefore, it is to no surprise when Aeneas listens to Mercury and orders Mnesthea, Sergestume, and Serestum to “classem aptent taciti sociosque ad litora cogant” or prepare the ships and ready the men to the shore (4.288-9). The weight of Mercury’s word is furthermore enforced because it is an indirect order from Jupiter. It is only natural he takes heed of what Mercury says, especially as he already knows what he must do deep down. In fact, after the warning he was “ardet” or burning to leave at such a warning. However, Aeneas is not a heartless man; in actuality, he is quite noble.
As such, he does not want the men to inform Dido of what is going on and wants them to hide the reason for these changes - “et quae rebus sit causa novandis dissimulent” (4.290-1) because he knows it will break her heart. He wants to tell her himself, at a “tender moment” which he can let her down softly, as seen as Virgil writes “temptaturum aditus et quae mollissima fandi tempora, quis rebus dexter modus” (4.293-4). He does not want to break their love because it appears he truly cares about her, and he refers to her with highest regard, calling her “optima Dido” (4.291). As such, Aeneas can be considered noble man. While he is still abandoning her, he is not doing it in the middle of the night without saying goodbye. It is extremely difficult to face someone you love and tell them goodbye, but he undertakes this task because he understands this is the only right thing to
do. Aeneas’s reaction shows that Aeneas is a man of high character; not only is he adept at the art of war, he is tactful in handling personal issues. It further demonstrates that Aeneas has “hero” qualities as he now “deals” with another “obstacle” and faces it as he has done in the past - with courage and intelligence. His mind is described as moving here and there very rapidly; “atque animum nunc huc celerem nunc dividit illuc atque animum nunc huc celerem nunc dividit illuc” (4.285-6) which proves that he is not going to blindly rush into handling this situation. Much as in war, he plans carefully his next step to avoid “casualties”. He is not going to approach the queen when she is busy or distracted or particularly fired up; instead, he will find a quiet time when she will be the least likely to retaliate. This calm under pressure is a key quality for a hero to have and can be seen in other hero characters such as clever Odysseus from the Odyssey. By treating the separation of Dido as another hardship for Aeneas, Virgil continues to reiterate to the reader how Aeneas is fit to be the chosen hero. Aeneas is also tested on his commitment to Ascanius. Mercury’s most convincing argument to leaving is about Aeneas’s duty to leave a city for his son to eventually rule. Mercury says, “Ascanium surgentem et spes heredis Iuli respice, cui regnum Italiae Romanaque tellus debetur” (4.274-6), which reminds Aeneas that Ascanius is growing into his heir, Iulus, whom will be “owed” the kingdom of Italy. Ascanius’s future is also predicted by Jupiter in Book One as building the mighty walls of Alba Longa and ruling for thirty years, but that cannot happen if Aeneas does not found a city first. As a good father, Aeneas understands more than just his future is at stake and puts his son first over his own comfort and love. Although the scene of the lines between 279 and 294 can be overlooked as a transition section from Mercury’s words to Dido’s reaction, it is a quite telling piece of writing about the character of Aeneas. Aeneas is an extremely pious man with devotion to the gods that supersedes all as he follows their orders with strict obedience. He is also a noble man for giving consideration to his lover, Dido; and the way he plans out and handles the situation showcases his traits as a hero. In addition, he is a faithful father and is incensed to leave to protect his son’s future. Virgil seems to have used this opportunity to really showcase the better traits of Aeneas.
Dido’s emotions have caused her to act like a wounded animal, not thinking about the consequences of her own actions. By being reduced to an animal, Dido has lost all rational thought. Consequently, Dido’s lack of rational thought causes her to begin to ignore other duties she has to fulfill. After she falls in love with Aeneas, Dido disregards the vow that she made to her suitors.
We are able to sympathise with Dido because of the dramatic irony caused by the fact that all the readers know that Aeneas doesn’t stay in Carthage, and so as Dido becomes more and more attached to Aeneas, we feel sorry for her. Her last ditch attempt to send Anna to negotiate is another futile gesture.
For a year, Aeneas delayed his destiny and departure to Italy by settling down with queen Dido in Carthage. The gods deliver a message to Aeneas and to his dismay he must leave “the land of his love” and resume his destiny (Aen. 4.). Though his parting from Dido is emotional, and he leaves her broken and suicidal, Aeneas remains level-headed and strong-willed, a noble quality known as gravitas to the Romans. By Aeneas having to leave Dido, he is overcoming a very emotional obstacle; he is leaving despite a chance of stability and love, the first since the death of his wife.
In both characters loyalty and dutifulness is a central ideal that they stick to. In The Aeneid Aeneas’ loyalty and sense of duty is seen in many instances, such as when they arrive on the shores of Italy and takes refuge Dido’s city of Carthage. While there, Aeneas and his people feast and live well, and Aeneas has the opportunity
By mentioning the downfall of his people during the Trojan War and foreshadowing his destiny by "Sparing the conquered" Trojans and "battle down the proud" Greeks, can be looked upon as a reinforcement of his duties not only to his dead father and family, but to the entire Trojan population. To let another character found and rule Rome would just prove the failure of his people again, as shown through the Trojan war. Aeneas feels great pride and energy regarding his role in history and is anxious to continue on his journey. The gods are trying to convince Aeneas to value duty to his city and family, a kind of affiliation or relation by virtue of descent as-if from a parent, above duty to a lover by mere affiliation, or arbitrary association. This perspective on an appeal to authority still hinges on a relationship between Aeneas' desire for affiliation and public authority as the authority of filial priority. We learn early on in this epic that Aeneas is a very important character because of his divine parentage. After all, his mother is the Goddess Venus and his father's brother was the King of Troy. His mother is more concerned with his destiny than with his happiness. She makes Dido fall in love with Aeneas and then he falls in love with the Carthaginian queen in return. Despite the fact that he is happy, his mother is one of the gods working to make him fulfill his destiny. This "destiny" is truly revealed to Aeneas in the underworld when he encounters a few fellow Trojan comrades.
In “The Prioritization of Moral Duties”, physician and philosopher Alex Scott explores the ways in which morals differ. Scott states that moral duties or obligations “...are requirements to perform actions in order to comply with given principles of morality.” It is a necessity to appease these duties so one may fulfill moral standards of society. Executing “...actions that are advised or recommended but not necessarily required or obligatory” (Scott) are known as moral prescriptions. Virgil shows Aeneas making both moral duty and prescription choices in The Aeneid. Once he recognizes that his moral prescription choice to let Sinon in hindered his job as a leader, Aeneas switches gears to accomplishing his moral obligation of defending Troy instead. In short, he lets his emotions get in the way of completing his job even while realizing that his responsibility is to help protect Troy. Scott explains, “the amount of blame that may be properly placed on persons for noncompliance with moral duty may also be determined by whether they actually recognized their moral duty.” Aeneas’s dilemma is not that he does not know his duty is to protect Troy, but more along the lines of his ignorance as to what could possibly happen by letting Sinon enter. Disregarding
Many people seem to be under the impression that the Aeneid is a celebration of Roman glory, led by the hero of fate Aeneas. I find these preconceived ideas hard to reconcile with my actual reading of the text. For starters, I have a hard time viewing Aeneas as a hero at all. Almost any other main characters in the epic, from Dido to Camilla to Turnus, have more heroic qualities than Aeneas. This is especially noteworthy because many of these characters are his enemies. In addition, Aeneas is presented as a man with no free will. He is not so much bound to duty as he is shielded by it. It offers a convenient way for hum to dodge crucial moral questions. Although this doesn’t necessarily make him a bad person, it certainly makes him a weak one. Of course some will argue that it takes greater moral conviction to ignore personal temptation and act for the good of the people. These analysts are dodging the issue just like Aeneas does. The fact is that Aeneas doesn’t just sacrifice his own personal happiness for the common good; he also sacrifices the past of the Trojan people, most notably when he dishonors the memory of his fallen city by becoming the men he hated most, the Greek invaders. The picture of Aeneas as seen in the end of the Aeneid bears some sticking resemblances to his own depiction of the savage and treacherous Greeks in the early books.
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.
For the Romans, being a man included being able to do the things that either are the most painful or those which no one else will do. To Aeneas leaving his city and his people behind while they were under attack, was one of the toughest things he had to face. By like everything that Aeneas faced in The Aeneid, he
In ancient republic Rome, piety was one of the highest virtues. The concept of pietas was a driving force in ancient republic Rome. Pietas was very important in Roman society and many romans lived revolved around it. Pietas means “dutifulness” (Sayre 86) but also has many other meanings. The meaning of “pietas” shaped the literature as shown in the pieces, such as a poem written by Vergil, called “The Aeneid”. As well as “On Duties” an essay by Marcus Tullius Cicero.
... 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.
I believe that the ending of the Aeneid shows that Aeneas is very heroic. According to Webster’s New Dictionary, “a man of distinguished bravery” and “admired for his exploits.” Aeneas is very brave when he fights Turnus, especially because it is known that the gods are on his side. He successfully killed Turnus, which is an achievement that calls for admiration.
However, when closely examining the text we can see that Dido’s suicide was not written in her fatum. Once Dido had chosen there was no life worth living in her diseased state of furor, she chose to pierce her chest hoping to welcome death, but failing to drift from her mortal clutches. Juno “pitying Dido’s long agony and hard death, sent Iris to free her struggling soul” because “her death was neither fated nor deserved” (Aen. 4.809-812). Dido took control of her fortuna in order to escape her pudor from obliterating her husband from her mind when she became immersed in uncontrollable passion toward Aeneas. Aeneas, nonetheless, did not have the same passions and took pride in his duty over staying in Carthage to be with Dido (Aen. 4.665-681). Needless to say, it was not Dido’s fatum to die in this way. Similarly, Aeneas fell victim to fortuna by killing Turnus. Aeneas was not fated to kill Turnus, but chose to, compelled by his rage (Discussion Nov. 2). Virgil influences our pathos and treatment of Dido by making her a victim of the gods, yet still, Dido’s quote is fault (Discussion Oct.28). Dido believes wholeheartedly that she and Aeneas are married after their union in the cave, but Aeneas counters this belief staying true to his duties (Aen. 4.350-361). In the poem, Virgil makes Aeneas seem pious for carrying out his
...or as a prize to the biggest and strongest warrior and Odysseus won. Achilles' armor symbolizes great honor and respect so Ajax is jealous and "blazing with anger" (11.621) at Odysseus for winning because he was "greatest in build [and] works of war," (11.629) and is upset that his glory was stripped away by someone weaker. However, in the Aeneid, Dido kills herself because Aeneas "left [her] land" when she loved him and so she is angry with him and refuses to speak to Aeneas when he calls but instead "savagely glar[es] back" (6.629) at him. This helps convey the difference in values because in Homer's Underworld, Ajax is mad at losing the glory for himself, showing that the Greeks believed in individuality and glory for the individual, whereas in Virgil's Underworld, Dido is upset that the love she had for Aeneas was not returned, conveying the devotion to love.
Aeneas is often referred to as 'pious Aeneas', and this is also how even he...