Role of The Gods In The Aeneid

The second possibility is that fate is an entity in the universe, which ordains the accomplishments of men and asserts a specific plan for each mans life.

Since the two concepts of fate are contradictory, why would Virgil include both of them his work? The easiest answer would be that there were two schools of thought prevalent when he was writing and he has to appease both or risk unpopularity, perhaps even with the extreme of being punished as wicked by the senate. This could mean a long detailed plan involving the actions of men and the founding and destruction of civilizations, or merely a whimsical commotion with which he amuses himself. This is why there is the element of confusion in the texts and a currently ongoing discussion of the matter of fate's role in daily life.

The Romans, like the Greeks before them, were puzzled about the exact nature of their gods and rather diligently pursued answers to their curiosity. In this case the Pantheon is subject to the intents of this supreme or objective fate and only has the jurisdiction to ensure the fulfillment of its design. The argument is then a simple matter of personal choice and the hope that yours is the right, pious one. the discussion of fate's place in Virgil's writing is discovering the two different views presented regarding where Jove resides in the matter. Exploring more deeply into the matter however, is rewarded with a more convincing answer such as this; Virgil does not give a definitive answer because he does not know it himself. The authors of the works which feature the confusion, in this case Virgil specifically, are themselves uncertain of the true relationship between gods and fate and thus in keeping with a notion of personal piety feel it is necessary to include both ideas in their works which results in the high level of both proofs and ambiguity.

In summation, the reason why fate is such a hot topic is as follows, there is evidence presented on both sides in such quantity that neither opinion could simply negate the other.