What Qualities Does Aeneas Display Of Piety In The Aeneid

In books 1 and 2, Aeneas shows traditional Homeric leadership qualities, for example the desire for honour gained through fighting in battle as well as eternal glory and immortality. However Aeneas begins to display proto - Roman qualities within the books, including his display of Piety: having a sense of duty towards the Gods, city state and family.

On the one hand, Aeneas is a good leader as he is caring and encouraging to his men. We see this is book 1 as Aeneas and his companions dock their ships in Libya. We are told there was ‘no need of chains to moor the weary ships’. From this we learn Aeneas was able to lead his men successfully into Libya and therefore he is shown as a good leader as he keeps his companions safe and doesn't put

them in danger. Moreover Aeneas is generous as he shares out the wine amongst his men, and he is motivating as he consoles his comrades about the storm. He reminds his men of previous sufferings and tells them that they ‘have suffered worse before, and this too will pass.’ Here Aeneas motivates his men to remain positive and this keeps morale high as they mourn for their lost comrades. Therefore Aeneas is a good leader as he encourages his men to keep them focused when they are grieving for their friends. Moreover as they arrive in Libya, Aeneas sets off to find out where they are and what people own the land: ‘bring back to his men a true account of the shores…’ As Aeneas did this ‘as soon as life-giving morning came’ we learn of Aeneas’ eagerness to find out about the land they are on, and to pass this information to his men. From this we see Aeneas is a good leader as he is concerned for his men and wants to deliver news of their situation to them as soon as he can.

Aeneas also displays piety in book 1 as he gives gifts to Dido: ‘gifts for Dido some of the treasures that had been rescued from the ruins of Troy’.

From this we learn of Aeneas’ respectful nature towards Dido and suggests he is a good leader as he leads by good example as well as obeying xenia. Aeneas also shoes piety in book 2 as he informs his father to carry the sacraments and ancestral gods as he has blood on his hands, and this would be disrespectful and insult the gods. Aeneas says ‘it is not right for me to touch them till I have washed’. This suggests Aeneas’ good leadership as he displays piety and devotion to the gods which may help to keep the Gods on their side on their journey. Aeneas also displays good leadership through his resourcefulness. In book 1, we see Aeneas ‘succeeded in stretching seven huge [stag] carcasses on the ground, one for each of the ships’. This indicates Aeneas’ resourcefulness as he is able to provide food for his comrades through his skill with his bow and arrow when they arrive, starving, in Libya. He is therefore a good leader as he is able to provide for his men in times of desperation. Moreover Aeneas portrays tactful and resourceful actions in book 2, as he is able to sneak into the palace through a back door: ‘There was a forgotten entrance at the rear, a secret doorway…’ This shows resourcefulness as he uses his tactful craft and knowledge to gain safe entrance into the palace and shows he is a good leader as he keeps himself safe

in order to climb and see the situation the Trojans are in, in order to try and help them. Aeneas also is portrayed as a more realistic hero and leader, seen in book 1 as he is mourning but puts on a brave front to keep morale high: ‘He showed them the face of hope and kept his misery deep in his heart’. This shows Aeneas had the strength to keep his men motivated even when he is suffering. Therefore we see Aeneas as a good leader as his character is more believable as he aims to keep his men motivated.

Aeneas is also portrayed as a noble and heroic warrior throughout the books. Although it can be seen as a negative action that Aeneas ignores the advise from Hektor, he proves himself a homeric warrior as he says ‘it seemed a noble thing to die in arms’. We are told his ‘heart was burning to gather comrades for battle’, here the word ‘burning’ emphasises his desire for battle in order to gain honour. This gives Aeneas homeric qualities and those of a good leader. His homeric qualities are also seen in book 2 as he loosens the joint of the tower in the palace, sending it ‘toppling, spreading instant destruction…’. Therefore Aeneas displays good leadership as he is able to kill many Greeks with his quick thinking. Aeneas also displays good leadership as he takes responsibility for his family in book 2. Aeneas instructs his father Anchises to be carried on his back and his son Iulus to walk with him, and for his wife Creusa to walk behind them at a distance. Here he is taking responsibility for his family as a group would be easily spotted and this shows his nobility as he can protect his wife as he is in front. Therefore he displays good leadership as he devises this plan in the hope of keeping his family safe. This act of piety proves Aeneas has proto- Roman qualities too. Aeneas also proves his responsibility as he returns to the city after he loses his wife in an act of trying to make up for what he did. As he does this Aeneas says he left his companions and family but ‘hiding them all away in a winding valley’ proves his good leadership as he protects his men and family by keeping them safe in his absence. Lastly Aeneas is proven to be a natural leader. In book two we are told his comrades ‘had come from all directions ready to follow me with all their resources…’ and from this quotation we learn of Aeneas’ natural skill of good leadership as they come to him without him knowing.

On the other hand Aeneas occasionally displays bad leadership in books 1 and 2. We firstly see this when Aeneas displays reckless behaviour as he returns to find his wife when fleeing the city: ‘I called her name ‘Creusa! Creusa!’. This indicates Aeneas was not a good leader as he absent-mindedly calls out his wife's name, which is Trojan and this therefore puts him in great danger. In book 1 we see Aeneas’ blind rage takes him as he goes to kill Helen. We see he has to physically be stopped by his mother Venus: ‘she caught my right hand and held me back’. This creates imagery of Aeneas in a frenzy-like state and suggests he was out of control. Venus then has to remind Aeneas of his love for his family: ‘will you not first go and see…your father…your wife Creusa…your son Ascanius’. This indicates Aeneas had to be reminded of his piety towards family which implies Aeneas was not a good leader as he had to be reminded of his proto- Roman values. This links with the fact Aeneas is portrayed as an indecisive leader. Numerous times in the books we witness Aeneas changing his mind as to what plan of action he is going to take. For example after Venus tells Aeneas to flee, he goes to his father for him to join him, but again is persuaded not to flee and to fight and die in battle. This indicates Aeneas was stuck between his traditional Homeric values of honour and status compared to new proto- Roman values of being pious towards family, city and the gods. This could suggest he was not a good leader as he was indecisive as to what he was going to do next. In addition, we see Aeneas’ slightly careless character in book 2 as he loses his wife as they escape the city. The quotation ‘I ran where there was no road, leaving the familiar area of the streets’ suggests Aeneas’ lack of awareness for his wife. Also he does not take responsibility for this: ’Creusa was torn from me by the cruelty of fate’. Here Aeneas is not taking responsibility for his actions and putting the blame on Fate. This suggests Aeneas was not a good leader as he acts carelessly for his wife when leading his family and doesn't take the responsibility for his actions as he does so.

Furthermore Aeneas is also displayed as quite a weak character in book 1.

At our first sighting of Aeneas we are told his ‘limbs grew weak’ and he says he wishes he was killed in battle by Diomede. Here we see Aeneas as selfish as he has no regard for his men and doesn't try to motivate them. This implies Aeneas was not a good leader as he acts self- centred and doesn't think of his men, he simply wishes he was dead. In addition, Aeneas is portrayed as emotionally unstable as he witnesses the pictures from the Trojan war in the palace of Dido: ‘rivers of tears washed down his cheeks’. The phrase ‘rivers of tears’ suggests unstoppable crying at the depictions, as if he cannot stop. This suggests Aeneas was not in control of his emotions and this portrays Aeneas as a bad leader as he seems emotionally unstable in front of his

men.

Overall, I feel Aeneas is a good leader and his only downfall are his realistic mistakes. He displays both Homeric and Roman characteristics which makes him an encouraging, pious and a dedicated natural leader. I think his faults are realistic and understandable given the circumstances he is in as he witnesses the downfall of his city.