Free Will In Virgil's The Aeneid

In Virgil’s The Aeneid, a Trojan man, named Aeneas, flees Troy after its destruction at the hands of the Greeks. Aeneas is destined to sail to Italy and found Rome, along with his companions, the fellow surviving Trojans. Despite this predetermined fate, throughout the story of The Aeneid, Aeneas seems to deal with obstacles which prevent him from making his way to Italy, and therefore prevent him from his destiny of founding Rome. Aeneas, at certain points in the narrative, is prepared to renounce his destiny and settle in places besides Italy and therefore not found Rome. Aeneas, in these moments where he strays from assigned path, seems to be displaying free will in that he is able to not complete his assigned task of founding Rome. The

idea of Aeneas having his own free will is incorrect, do to the fact that, despite everything, all forces - divine or otherwise - lead Aeneas to Italy, to Rome, and to his predetermined fate. Aeneas does not have free will after the fall of Troy and must sail to Italy to found Rome as the gods have commanded.
The first instance we see Aeneas stay from his path is upon his arrival on the shores of Carthage and his meeting with the Carthaginian Queen, Dido.

Through various happenings - including the meddling of the gods Juno and Venus (Virgil 4.125-126) - the two enter into a romantic relationship. Seemingly an act of Aeneas’ own free will, he stays in Carthage with Dido for the better portion of a year (4.192-196). Aeneas settles into what we can grasp as his chosen life with Dido just in time for the god Mercury to appear to him and remind him of his task. Mercury says to Aeneas, “Have you entirely forgotten your own kingdom and your own destiny?” (4.269-270). This prompt from Mercury truly moves Aeneas, and the idea of spending life in Carthage building an empire with Dido is quickly abandoned, as Aeneas suddenly and completely change his mind about staying in Carthage at these words. In this case, the word of the gods is absolute, and Aeneas has no choice but to submit to there will, leaving Dido for his future in Italy. Aeneas himself tries to explain to Dido upon his departure that, “ It is not by my own will that I search for Italy ” (4.361). This statement is further confirmation that Aeneas is acting under the influence of the gods and not by his own free

will.
Gods in this poem are also unable to stray Aeneas away from his foretold path. They do influence our Trojan hero throughout the narrative, with the exception that they are unable to permanently distract Aeneas away from the goal of arriving in Italy and founding Rome. This isn’t to say that they do not try to stop him, they are just aware of what divine order has in store for Aeneas, even if they do not like it. Juno is the goddess who most most resolutely opposes the idea of Aeneas settling Rome. This opposition is based on another fate, given to the Goddess’ most favourited city, Carthage (1.15-17). Carthage, the same city in which Aeneas has his torrid love affair, will be eventually destroyed by Rome to the displeasure of Juno. Juno, despite her opposition, is aware of the fact that she is unable to twist fate to achieve a more desired outcome for herself. So, despite Juno’s efforts through the poem to destroy the Trojan survivors, there is no hope for her task. The father of Gods and Men himself, Jupiter, says, “ Even angry Juno,