Despite his accomplishments and the glory associated with his life, Aeneas only achieved some fantastic goal or status of a hero through divine intervention, and this god-given position causes him just as much grief as it does splendor.
             What is a hero? A Courageous or Valorous man (Webster's). We would like to think that a hero is someone who has achieved some fantastic goal or status, or maybe someone who has accomplished a great task. Heroes find themselves in situations of great pressure and act with nobility and grace. Though the main character of Virgil's Aeneid, Aeneas is such a person, it is not by his own doings. He encounters situations in which death is near, in which love; hate, peace, and war come together to cause both good and evil. In these positions he conducts himself with honor, by going along with what the gods have in store for him. Only then does he go on to pave the way for the Roman Empire. His deeds, actions, and leadership would never have come to be if it were not for the gods. The gods took special interest in Aeneas, causing him misfortune in some cases, giving his assistance in others. On the whole, the gods constantly provide perfect opportunities for Aeneas to display his heroism. Without them, Aeneas would not be the hero he is. This gift does not come without a price, though; he must endure the things heroes endure to become what they are. 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.
             Aeneas is the son of Venus. This fact alone brings about much of the hero in him. Venus is a concerned mother, always looking out for her son she does everything she thinks will help to endure his safety and success. At the beginning of his journey form Troy, she prevents his death at sea when Juno persuaded King Aeolus to c...