The Concept Of Gravitas In Virgil's The Aeneid

Throughout Virgil’s epic poem, The Aeneid, the hero Aeneas undergoes a personal journey of establishing Rome, not only in the corporeal sense, but also in establishing the example of how a true and virtuous Roman acts. In the first six books, Aeneas struggles with the concept of gravitas, shown in his lack of true understanding of what was at stake. In the last six books, Aeneas struggles with his own pietas, trying to become the leader that his people need him to be. Eventually, Aeneas conquers the Latins, founds the glorious Roman Empire, and obtains the ultimate achievement of becoming immortalized in history. However, Virgil is in fact attempting to persuade his commissioner, Augustus Caesar, to become a more upright leader by tempting

Virgil uses Aeneas’ process of understanding gravitas to help Caesar fully understand the sweetness of immortality. Previous to book six, Aeneas attempts to settle his people in several different lands despite the clear and repeated warnings that his promised empire was the land of Latium. The gods made this painfully clear, going as far as simply stating “these are not the shores Apollo of Delos urged. He never commanded you to settle here on Crete” (The Aeneid 3.197-199). Therefore, the reader naturally questions why Aeneas seems so willing to give up the promise of being the father of the Roman Empire. The answer is the Roman concept of gravitas. Aeneas is simply too immature to understand that he has the opportunity very few will ever know; Aeneas has the opportunity to become immortal. Since it is so obvious to the reader while Aeneas remains oblivious, the natural reaction for the reader is to attribute it to foolishness. Cleverly, as Virgil is using Aeneas to parallel Caesar, Caesar’s initial reaction will be to attribute that same foolishness to himself. This foolishness is defined as Aeneas’ unwillingness to sacrifice, even when there is so much to gain. The first six books are nearly defined by Aeneas attempting to avoid hardships by ending his

In Sabine Grebe’s article, Grebe explains the significance of a ruler’s power and his ancestors. A ruler’s power depended on his ancestors, as “a Roman official had to act within the boundary of authority established by the ancestors” (Grebe 36). In ancient Rome the law was second to tradition.1 Ancestors of rulers establish not only the extent of Caesar’s rule, but also how he ought to rule. Consequently, Virgil is making Augustus a more powerful ruler by displaying Aeneas as powerful leader. However, even while Virgil pleases Augustus by making his rule more legitimate, he also establishes Aeneas as leader of pietas, causing the people of Rome to expect the same morals and virtues that Aeneas shows from Augustus. Virgil is nearly forcing Caesar to become the leader he wants him to be, but his persuasion is nevertheless effective because Caesar commissioned him to ascertain the foundation of his power. Virgil knows as long as he fulfills this one goal he can add anything else he pleases, thus using his own commission to his advantage. Additionally, since Virgil had the luxury of defining what pietas would be, he added that a leader of pietas, due to their duty to the citizens, only uses violence to establish peace. Virgil’s epic poem is filled with anti-war sentiment,