The Importance Of A Roman Hero In The Aeneid Of Virgil

Aeneas, the main character in The Aeneid of Virgil, symbolizes the origins of the Roman Empire and of the ancestry of Augustus, the emperor during Virgil’s life time. Because of this symbolism, Aeneas’ characterization taps into the pride of the audience; the citizens of the Roman Empire and emperor Augustus himself. Therefore, Virgil decided to create Aeneas as the epitome of Roman virtues— the perfect example of a Roman hero. These accepted virtuous qualities include not only the basic abilities that would make a successful leader, such as providing health, security, and maintaining respect, but also pride, dignity, tenacity, and piety. Jesus, a prominent leader figure of the Jewish community who came about in the Roman empire a couple years after the completion of The Aeneid, did not possess many of these qualities. In the eyes of a Roman audience, Jesus’ actions and teachings depicted in the Gospel according to Mark is not in tune with Roman values because he

His appearance and manners are the exact opposite of what a Roman would consider dignified; he is always dressed in rags, carrying no riches, and hanging around people who were considered sinful or “unclean”. Jesus, in fact, opposed the idea of possessing riches, and instead of boasting his name and accomplishments, often attempted to keep others from talking about him. After an encounter with a rich man who was not willing to give out his possession, Jesus stated, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!... It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:23-25). For a Roman audience who identifies with heroes like Aeneas who often showed pride in their name and possessions, Jesus’ actions of condemning riches and quieting the spread of his accomplishments would have contradicted their