Tthe Christian Virtue of Fortitude: Aeneas

1093 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Examples of heroism in the aeneid

Aeneas during his “labor of love” (2.881) and “exile” (3.197) demonstrates the Christian virtue of fortitude. Virgil, even though he is a pagan, was called a “naturally Christian spirit”, by Tertullian. He was one of the great writers of the early Christian church. Even Dante, in his “Divine Comedy” has Virgil lead him through the spiritual realm. To be a good Christian, one must have virtues. A virtue helps one “do the good”, and by doing the good one gets closer to heaven.
Aeneas is a virtuous person. A virtuous person is one who is valiant, or manly. Virtue originally comes from the Latin virtutem which means, “moral strength”, and “valor”. Virtues are “firm attitudes”, “stable dispositions”, and “habitual perfections of intellect and will”. Aeneas shows many virtues in the Aeneid, including, “prudence”, “justice”, and “temperance”, but the virtue that I believe that is most prevalent in the Aeneid is fortitude. Fortitude is the Christian virtue that, “ensures firmness in difficulties”, “keeps constancy”, and aids in “overcoming obstacles.
Aeneas exemplifies Fortitude when he is in Troy, and he runs back to save his beloved city from the Greeks, who are wreaking and sacking everything that he ever loved. Priam and Laocoon have just been killed. Who is going to be next? Then, he remembers his duty to save his family from being killed by the hands of Ulysses’s army. Fortitude, in this example, is the moral virtue that enables a person to overcome obstacles.
Aeneas is in the burning, devastated city of Troy (~book 2). He sees his family, friends, and comrades in trouble. Aeneas uses fortitude to go out and fight, gather troops, and protect his family. Aeneas shows fortitude when he tells his tragic tale to Queen Dido. He ke...

... middle of paper ...

...oughout the entire epic shows great fortitude. He exemplifies it in many ways. Fortitude “ensures firmness in difficulties”, “keeps constancy”, “overcomes obstacles”, and “enables one to conquer fear, even the fear of death”. These examples are shown throughout the Aeneid. Aeneas ensures firmness in difficulties Troy. He keeps constancy when there was chaos among his crew, and they needed his help. Aeneas overcomes obstacles in the underworld, when he sees the dead souls of his comrades, and loved ones. Aeneas truly shows fortitude in the epic Aeneid by Virgil.

Works Cited

[1]Catholic Church. Catechism of the Catholic Church. 2nd ed. Vatican: Liberia Editrice Vaticana, 2011. Print.
[2]Virgil. The Aeneid. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.
"Tertullian." 24 Nov. 2013. http://www.newadvent.org/ Web.
24 Nov 2013 http://www.etymonline.com/ Web.

Show More
Related

  • What Livy Was A Roman Historian Who Wrote The ' Ab Urbe Condita Libri '

    819 Words  | 2 Pages

    Livy’s story starts off with Aeneas eventually arriving in Italy. After his men steal livestock another tribe arises to attack. Livy mentions that it is unclear on what happened. One account states that the armies fought and the Trojans beat back the attacking tribe lead by Latinus. Livy also states that after Latinus heard the attackers were the famous Trojans lead by Aeneas, he “marveled at both there fame and courage. (Livy 1)” Even though the Trojans lost the war Livy states that there fame and courage was widely well known. He has started to show the greatness within the beginnings.

    Read More

  • Les Miserables Connections to Charity

    2201 Words  | 5 Pages

    US Catholic Church. Catechism of the Catholic Church. Complete Edition ed. N.p.: US. Catholic Church, n.d. Print.

    Read More

  • The Aeneid: Virgil's Heroic Underworld

    3216 Words  | 7 Pages

    Virgil's heroes bear a strong resemblance to the heroes of the earlier works of Homer, however there are some differences that are not merely the result of differences in character. Virgil is depicting his ideals through the traits of his heroes and villains, and some of these traits are different from the Greek traits from The Iliad and The Odyssey. The best way to identify the specific traits that Virgil is trying to plant in the mind of his readers is to look at the main hero, Aeneas. Through Aeneas we see a slightly different variation on the Greek hero. Aeneas is strong and deadly in battle, but fa...

    Read More

  • Attitude Towards Women In Virgil's Aeneid

    409 Words  | 1 Pages

    We also see in the story what someone must sacrifice in order to fulfill their goals. Though Aeneas's destiny was much more grand than many of our own, we still must make choices that can sometimes hurt others. I really thought that Vergil captured our inner emotions with the affair between Dido and Aeneas.

    Read More

  • Odysseus and Aeneas Similar with Important Differences

    1001 Words  | 3 Pages

    Aeneas also went to fight in the Trojan War. He also was a national hero. He was a great warrior. Both Odysseus and Aeneas were trying to head home.

    Read More

  • Comparing Aeneas from Aeneid and Gilgamesh from the Epic of Gilgamesh

    539 Words  | 2 Pages

    Out of the two heroes Gilgamesh was the one who was most aggressive and pursued the more ambitious goal, though it was one near impossible to achieve. Gilgamesh wanted to have a power that only the gods possessed. He wanted to be immortal. Aeneas never sought such an unachievable task, and was not as determined as Gilgamesh was. Aeneas only had to find a place where the defeated Trojans could settle and found a new city. Once in the story he even had to be reminded of his destiny by the Jupiter when he was distracted by his love for Dido.

    Read More

  • Arrogance of Greek Heroes

    1441 Words  | 3 Pages

    ... 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.

    Read More

  • Aeneid

    692 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Compare Aeneas And The Odyssey

    1405 Words  | 3 Pages

    There has been much debate on who is the greatest hero of the ancient world. There has also been much dispute on which is the greatest epic poem of the ancient world. However, comparing The Aeneid to The Odyssey is entirely a difficult task itself. Odysseus' journeys, both physical and emotional, are essential in the overall work because it defines The Odyssey as an epic poem. Aeneas also shares a similar experience as Odysseus as well. Both stories are similar in countless ways because they both undergo comparable experiences on their travels and their life journeys. With that being said, they both demonstrated leadership in their own way. However, it is difficult to determine who the best leader actually is. Both men exhibit great leadership skills; therefore, causing a challenge for some in determining which the greater epic is. After analyzing both texts, it is possible to conclude that Aeneas is the better leader, but The Odyssey is the greater epic.

    Read More

  • The Perseverance of Odysseus

    737 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the epic poem, The Odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus goes through many trials while trying to return home from the Trojan War. On his voyage home, he must visit the Land of the Dead, evade the Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis and when he does arrive home, participate in a tricky reunion with his wife, Penelope. All of these examples show that Odysseus has extreme determination and perseverance. Perseverance is an excellent quality that few possess which can spark achievement.

    Read More

  • Aeneas, the Anti-hero of Aeneid

    2032 Words  | 5 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Virgil's Aeneid - Is Aeneas Really a Hero?

    1550 Words  | 4 Pages

    Thesis: 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.

    Read More

  • The Ship in Virgil's Aeneid

    1027 Words  | 3 Pages

    ... prominent source of his weighty troubles. They are helpless to withstand the gods, restrain Aeneas from advancing towards Italy, and burn at women’s torches. Yet, his ships are invaluable to the overall success of his journey and the expression of his character. Aeneas is a ship, chugging toward western shores and providing refuge for his people. However, this extended analogy has greater importance to Virgil and the rest of human society. After the destruction of Troy, Aeneas has no country to protect or call his home. The cargo and soldiers aboard his ships are the remnants of his past civilization, but they are also the seeds for a new empire. Aeneas, just as his ships, is the invaluable carrier and protector of one of the greatest empires in all of human history – Rome.

    Read More

  • Role of the Gods in Virgil's The Aeneid

    1234 Words  | 3 Pages

    Aeneas is often referred to as 'pious Aeneas', and this is also how even he...

    Read More

  • Free Will vs Fate: Analyzing the Character of Aeneas in 'The Aeneid'

    1904 Words  | 4 Pages

    When discussing the fate of Aeneas, a thought provoking question is posed that is commonly debated. If Aeneas is commanded by fate, does he have free will? It is important to approach this question with a solid understand of fate. There are two common sides to the debate of whether Aeneas had free will or not. One view believes Aeneas had no choice but to follow his destiny because he was commanded by fate, and prophesied to found the race that will one day build Rome. The other side states Aeneas did indeed have free will, and even though his fate was set, room is available within his fate for events to change. One can argue Aeneas makes some of his own choices, but no particular detail of his life is untouched. Destiny determines that the Trojans will found a city in Italy, but it does not stipulate how that will happen. This is where room is left for free will. After much research and considering the views of many commentators and the proof they showed, the answer can simply be found by going back to the text of The Aeneid.

    Read More

More about Tthe Christian Virtue of Fortitude: Aeneas

Open Document