The Aeneid
The term hero is often described as a man of exceptional quality, who wins admiration by noble deeds. Much of Roman and Greek literature often have a character in which they consider the “hero” of the story. In Virgil’s Aeneid, Aeneas is considered that person. Is Aneas label as a “hero” due to his own doing or did he receive that label due to divine intervention of the gods. Much of what makes Aeneas a “hero” was caused with the help of the gods but there are also several attributable personality traits that contribute to his title as a “hero”.Much of the help that Aeneas receives is from his mother Venus. Venus’ like most mothers is always trying to find a way to protect her son from dying or getting hurt. For example, in the beginning of Aeneas’ journey from Troy, Venus helped her son by preventing his death at sea. She accomplished this by begging Jupiter to protect Aeneas as he made his way to Italy and he complied. So Aeneas was saved from the face of death due to the divine intervention of his mother and not really due to a “heroic” act or quality. In Book V, another instance occurs where Venus helps and Aeneas and his crew by asking Neptune for safe passage for them over the ocean from their departure from . . .
In lines 500-510 Venus pleads: Never did I demand for the desperate Any relief at all, no weapons forged By you skill, in your metal. Aeneas states: Father it was you- Your grief-engendering spirit time and again Appeared to me and constrained me to make my way To the edge of this world (Virgil 158) On the other hand, there are many attributable personality traits that contribute to Aeneas’ title of being a “hero”. And again, Aeneas did not survive because of his heroic traits but because of his mothers divine intervention and willingness to always try to help her son. Aeneas states: “Of arms I sing and the hero, destiny’s exile…. Aeneas exhibits many characteristics that are attributable to a “hero”. Jupiter had to also intervene at one time to remind Aeneas of his fate when he was busy building up Carthage with Dido. Much of his success was due to the divine intervention of his mother and many of the other gods. If Venus had not made this plea to Neptune, Aeneas would not have been alive after that incident because of Juno. This was portrayed by the way he would constantly wait on the gods or his father to tell him what course of action he needed to follow next. For example, the time when the ghost of Creusa and Hector direct Aeneas as he fumbles through the city not wanting to do the task he was fated to do. Unlike most heroes, Aeneas must constantly be reminded of what his fated task is. There were also times when Aeneas roamed around the Mediterranean not knowing where to go next. Most dear husband, I never wished to tax you, make you toil In a lost cause, however much I owed To Priam’s sons, however long I wept Over Aeneas ordeals. This type of devotion to a duty to a duty is a quality that Romans call piety. Throughout the story, Aeneas demonstrates this by enduring many journeys at sea, through war, love, and through death.
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