Aeneas

             The Aeneid is a poem of parallels and contrasts. This is because Virgil crafted his epic as a means of placing the Romans above the Greeks on the literal level. It was often understood that while Rome had a far superior military, the Greeks had a far more evolved sense of Art and the more sublime aspects of existence. As such, Virgil wrote the Aeneid as a direct parallel to Homer's great epics: the Odyssey and the Iliad. He saw these works as the pinnacles of Greek fable, and as such he felt that he had to write a superior epic in order to show the Greeks Rome's cultural dominance. He felt that the best way to do so was to closely emulate the Homeric epics with one important change: heroes with Roman minds and ideals.
             The typical Greek hero, such as Achilles, was a much more self serving glory hound, who took a sort of delight in the wanton slaughter of enemies and had much less depth of character. Aeneas, on the other hand, is a more developed hero. He has a three-fold code of conduct: Duty to the gods, duty to one's country, and duty to one's family. This is called 'pietas'. Throughout the Aeneid, he attempts to find the best course of action to satisfy his duties. As such, the Aeneid's first half is very much so one of growth, and Aeneas' growth from a Homeric sort of hero into a Roman one. In Book 2 especially, Aeneas does not show himself to be "pious" in the Roman sense of the word. His first thoughts are to search for vengeance among the Greeks whom are pillaging Troy. He says, " 'the city that you would help is now in flames. Then let us rush to arms and die. The lost have only this one deliverance: to hope for none' so were these young men's spirits spurred to fury. Then – just as plundering wolves in a black fog," pp 41, ln 475 - 481 He behaves like a Greek hero, that is, he is out for his own personal glory and seeks satisfaction for his feelings...

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Aeneas. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 11:45, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/76202.html