Examples Of Turnus In Aeneid

In The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli, the author states that to be a ruler, a ruler must follow certain rules to maintain his power. Machiavelli proposed that to be a successful leader, a prince must be feared rather than loved, if you cannot be both. Feelings and emotions interferes with tough decisions. Although Aeneas and Turnus in Aeneid by Virgil are both successful leaders, neither fully represents Machiavelli’s theory because they are both feared and love
A leader who is feared does not have a sincere relationship with people unlike love enables a mutual relationship between the people and their leader. When you are feared, people will avoid any negative consequences. Nevertheless, when you are loved, people will adore your loyalty

Aeneas was the protagonist hero and a central character who presents his devotion and responsibility as a leader. Turnus, on the other hand, was an antagonist character. He was the leader of the Latin militaries who was against the settlement of Trojans in Latinum. Both characters show Machiavelli’s theory on how to be a powerful leader but with different characteristic traits. They show great leadership styles however, one character did not fully follow Machiavelli’s main

As Machiavelli pointed out, it is better to be scared than to be adored. However, Aeneas failed Machiavelli’s concept because Aeneas was both loved and feared. Aeneas was a leader and people were feared of him although, he was loved because of his likable character. Aeneas was a protagonist hero who was able to achieves his duty to his family, his city and to the gods. Aeneas and his fellow Trojans such as his friends, his father and his son were the few people who not killed when Trojan war fell. The crew decided to leave the city of Troy and sailed to Italy where Aeneas was bound to find Rome. He recalled his conversation with Dido, a ruler of Carthage and had an intimate relationship with Aeneas, about the uselessness to continue fighting any longer, and that he must leave Troy to find his family. In the following quote of Book II, Aeneas found his father, Anchises, in the burning fire of Troy and try to save him. “Did you suppose, my father, that I could tear myself away and leave you? Unthinkable; how could a father say it? Now if it pleases the powers about that nothing stands of this great city; if your heart is set on adding your own death and ours to that of Troy, the door’s wide open for it.” Aeneas tried to convince his father to leave in the fire, but Anchises refused since he has lived and suffered long enough. Aeneas was able to save his family. He carried his father, Anchises, on his shoulder and his son, Iulus, and