Abstract The paper concerns the story of Aeneas, more specifically, the role of Aeneas's father on the future of his son and the Roman Empire.
From the Paper "The continued future of any civilization lies in its ability to amass a new generation of leaders and followers. And at the forefront of each new generation is its familial ties,. The smallest yet most essential proponent of every civilization. It is the relationships between fathers and sons, mothers and daughters that ensure the continuation of any great civilization. Civilizations like Rome and Greece. Their importance is transcribed in the lines of many great literary works. In the Aeneid, for example, Virgil illustrates the significance of the familial bond in particular, Anchises? role in Aeneus? future and his inherent role in the future of Rome. Yet oddly enough Virgil places more value in Anchises? death than in his life. He seems to suggest that only in Anchises? death can Aeneus fulfill his destiny in founding Rome, arguably the greatest empire of that time."
Abstract The paper deals with the development of Aeneas' character in Virgil's "Aenid", from a weak, fragile mortal in the first lines of the epic, to a raging warrior in the final book and everything in between. It explains how Anchises guides him into his new role as a leader of men and how his divine calling comes into conflict with his human desires and frailties, with tragic results. Finally, the paper discusses his status as a new model of socially responsible hero.
From the Paper "The figure of Aeneas had already been present, albeit in a small role, in the Homeric epics when work on the Aeneid commenced. Virgil, however, chose Aeneas as the hero for his modern, post-civil war, Roman epic and, with skill and sophistication, unquestionably made the character his own. In a bid to give his work emotional depth unheard of in all previous epics, Virgil characterises Aeneas through his two simultaneous journeys: the physical quest for the future site of Rome, and the personal, character-building process he goes through as he matures and grows into the poet's notion of the new "Roman Hero". This is done cleverly by Virgil; since whereas heroes such as Achilles or Odysseus are highly characterised at most opportunities by any means, Aeneas is defined more by his actions and the epithets given him (especially "pietas", which will be discussed later), with Virgil significantly avoiding writing Aeneas much dialogue in the poem."
Abstract The paper starts with an examination of Aeneas's leadership skills in Book II of Virgil's "Aeneid, which are still at a very early stage. It looks at how, by the time he finds a group gathered for him to lead at the end of the Book III, his pietas and duty begin to force him into this responsible role. It also explores how, by the end of Book V, he is less desperate and panicky and it picks up on his examples of fairness and decisiveness.
From the Paper "One of the most outstanding features of the Aeneid is the subtle but convincing development of Aeneas' character throughout the twelve books. A factor in this development is his position as leader of the surviving Trojans and his mission to lead them to the site of Rome. In Books I-VI, Virgil thus charts the process by which Aeneas becomes a true leader of men, ready for the war in the second half of the epic. The hero must become an established leader in the story before Virgil can begin his maius opus (VII.45), and Books II, III and V contain the main stages and turning points in the development of the leader. It should also be noted here that in these Books Virgil concentrates, as is his habit, on the political aspects of leading a group of people, rather than leadership in a military sense."
Abstract The paper begins by emphasising the importance of Book VI of Virgil's "Aeneid" to the epic as a whole and sketching Aeneas' more mature character at the start of the book. It discusses his meetings with old acquaintances in the underworld and the effect of these on him. After dealing with the comparisons to Homer and discussing the "Augustan propaganda" label, it analyses the message of the Show of Heroes and its inspiring effect on the hero.
From the Paper "Furthermore, the most effective example of ad hominem poetry is the sorrowful and slightly speech-deflating lament for Marcellus in lines 868-886, Augustus' own adopted son. The eulogy for him would have commemorated his recent death in battle and been especially effective in impressing and moving Augustus (his sister Octavia, Marcellus' mother, reportedly fainted when the passage was recited). In literary terms, the dramatic, emphatic mention of Marcellus would have set up the later deaths of other such young, valiant warriors such as Euryalus and Pallas, and even would have heightened the pathos of their deaths with reflected glory and sympathy."
Abstract This paper examines how "The Aeneid" is an entirely different poem in character than Homer's the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey" even though it seems to be constructed largely by the re-molding of Homeric materials. It looks at how, with the help of a list of many of the instances of "Virgilian imitation," it is possible to make some useful inferences about the way Virgil uses Homeric epic to create a unique tale of his own. It also considers why this is not plagiarism.
From the Paper "Homer deliberately begins with the situation in Ithaca, for "he meant his audience to picture clearly the ultimate destination towards which his hero would be struggling" (Otis 92). When Odysseus sets sail from Calypso's isle, he is at last on his homeward journey. Technically, it is from this point that Aeneas's voyage begins to parallel Odysseus's. But since Virgil does not use an introduction like that of the Odyssey (Books 1 - 4), we are given a different impression entirely: "it is... as though [Aeneas] has as little idea of his destination as we do; and this landing in Africa represents not a stage on his direct journey home, but a detour, a deflection from the straight line of duty" (Anderson 4)."
Abstract This paper shows how Virgil conveys in his epic, "The Aeneid", that fate was once considered to be so unyielding that not even the gods themselves could intervene to prevent its coming to fruition. Juno, queen of the gods and the main antagonist in Virgil's foundational fiction, is not affected by the same fate that rules over humans. Nevertheless, she actively attempts to obstruct the Roman hero Aeneas in his journey to fulfill his own destiny, which Juno suspects will be responsible both for the downfall of her favorite city, Carthage, and the death of her most cherished mortal, Turnus. This paper shows that although some may argue that Venus is responsible for foiling Juno's intentions, it is ironically Juno herself, in her actions to thwart Aeneas, who brings about the fated events she tries to prevent. This is demonstrated by Dido's death coupled with Carthage's fated demise as well as Aeneas' prophesied founding of Rome.
From the Paper "As a subsequent result of Juno's attempt to save Turnus, Turnus begins to lose support from his army and is forced to settle the war with Aeneas in a fight to the death. When the fight finally commences, Aeneas soon has Turnus pleading for Aeneas' mercy. Aeneas is initially moved by Turnus' reasoning, but spots the young Pallas' belt on Turnus' arm. This sight reminds Aeneas of Turnus' own brazen ruthlessness and Aeneas executes Turnus, which clears the way for the founding of Rome. Since Juno originally inspires Turnus to fight against the Trojans, and Turnus murders Pallas, she secures Turnus' doom."
