My work selection from World Culture’s would be “The Aeneid” by Virgil. The text demonstrates a strong belief that one would go to the underworld after death. The underworld is where loss souls go to find an explanation of treatment they have received during life on earth. Therefore, for those that have done fittingly will have delightful afterlives, with happiness all around them till eternity. While for the evil ones that have done wrong in their past lives will be physically punished till eternity unless something prevents that from happening. Aeneas the protagonist goal was to find a golden bough from a tree and give it to the goddess Proserpina as a gift in order to enter the underworld, but of course not all our suitable of taking it from the tree near. It was believed that this was the first …show more content…
For me the causes I’ve seen throughout the Aeneid is mainly fate, because it’s a process you can slow down, but eventually the will of a person’s fate will be done whether they accept it or not in their afterlife. For an example, Aeneas at first didn’t know how to view death and his fate to become a reality. In Aeneas journey he faces a lot of obstacles in finding a new kingdom, facing battles, and seeing his love ones deaths or anything of that matter. The Trojans ways were that of course none of them wanted to go into war, but they had to stay strong for their people. That goes back to Aeneas being the leader of the Trojans and facing his fate/destiny of what is to come his way. Throughout the readings, especially in Book 1 he mentions that he wished he could have died at Troy, being killed by Achilles just as Hector was. He felt that the Trojans who died defending Troy were much more blessed than he was, but in the end for those that survived had no home. This is where Aeneas view starts whenever he wished he could’ve escaped his fate, but weirdly he didn’t try escaping it
Solmsen, Friedrich. “The World of the Dead in Book 6 of the Aeneid.” Oxford Readings in Vergil’s Aeneid. S. J. Harrison, ed. New York: Oxford UP, 1990. 208-223.
Ovid and Virgil are both talented writers from the First Century B.C. They are both known for creating amazing pieces of literature that are still enjoyed today. Since two talented Roman writers both lived in the same time period and the same area, is it possible that they have encountered each other at some point? Are their lives any similar or different? What about their writing styles? Understanding how Ovid lived, how Virgil lived, and their writing styles will answer these questions.
The only things in life that cannot be avoided are taxes and death. In fact, death is the only way one can avoid taxes. Since it has such finality to it, what perspectives do people have regarding death? What are the images and attitudes they have? The documents The Epic of Gilgamesh, Apology, The Satyricon, The Iliad, and The Martyrdom of Perpetua are the most important documents of the Ancient world concerning Western philosophy on death. These documents are significant because the attitudes and images associated with each work are primarily influenced by the genre it which they were written.
Additionally, the information that each hero receives is different. Odysseus learns from Tiresias that he will return home but "will find a world of pain at home" (11.132). Tiresias tells Odysseus of the obstacles that will be in his way on the way home and how to overcome them. Further, he is told how to get rid of his curse brought upon by Poseidon. Although Aeneas is also told the future by his father and "of glory in the years to come, wars that he must fight, [and] how he might avoid or bear each toil to come," (6.1207-1210) the type of information contrasts with the information given to Odysseus because Aeneas receives information relating to the rise of Rome and how he will achieve his goal, whereas Odysseus is given information that will purely suit himself. Aeneas also learns of the journeys and purging that a person's soul takes after death before being reincarnated. Anchises explains that when a body dies, "not all the scourges of the body pass from the poor souls," (6.990) so therefore they all "undergo the discipline of punishments and pay in penance for old sins: [they] suffer each his own shade" (6.994-999). This emphasizes the justice system of Virgil's Underworld because each soul receives the punishment it deserves.
Humankind’s greatest fear is death. According to Epicurus the soul is a material article. The soul is no less corporeal than any other part of the body, because it too, is part of the physical body itself. If one was to agree with Epicurus, they would stand to reason that when someone’s physical body dies the soul dies as well. Epicurus proposes that there are no grounds for people to fear death. He says that people fear and expect “some everlasting pain, as happens in myths. Or they fear the loss of sensation itself that comes with death, as if it were something that affected them directly. However, if the soul dies with the body, then there is no reason to fear death, because there will be no feelings any longer” (The Essential Epicurus 41). Extrapolating that thought further, if there is no soul left to prolong living, then there is no afterlife. Without something to continue existing, there is no essence of that object anywhere else either.
In epic stories the hero is traditionally confronted by supernatural entities that either strive to encourage or hinder him. In Virgil’s Aeneid Aeneas deals with the such supernatural interferences all of which focus on the goal of Aeneas creating Rome and its people. Throughout the books Aeneas is a truly ‘haunted’ individual faced with ghost, gods and even fate itself all of which attempt to prompt and govern his choices. Aeneas is subjected to the power of these forces as they lead him throughout a journey to create his fated city, propelling him to victory.
In the Odyssey of Homer, Odysseus travels to the underworld and meets the soul of Achilles, who bitterly comments on existence after death:
In the concluding passage of chapter six, Anchises escorts Aeneas and the Sibyl through the gate of false dreams. This chapter fixates on the heroic comings of the Roman empire, the gravity of Aeneas's duty to fulfill the prophecy, and it is also a glorious embodiment of propaganda towards Augustus’ leadership. On why Virgil decided to make them exit the Underworld through the gate of Ivory, remains in dispute by scholars; but, I hypothesize that it serves as a submerged motif that depicts on the psychological perspective of Virgil’s sincere convictions about the Roman empire and Augustus’s rule. Perhaps Virgil became skeptical towards Roman imperialism and thought it as an elusive ideology that weighs the human essence and disturbs the
Aristotle argues that friendship is a vital part of life. It serves not only as a means to bond individuals together, but also a necessity in achieving overall happiness. Aristotle comments on the various types of friendships that exist, and the role they each play in society. He explains three overarching types; utility, pleasure, and complete friendship. Yet, with family, friendship is different than it is with companionship. As Aristotle states in his piece, Nicomachean Ethics on friendship in families, “they all seem to depend on paternal friendship” (Aristotle, 1161b18). In The Aeneid, Aeneas and Anchises’ relationship, perfectly embodies this. The father son bond does not distinctly resemble one of the three types, rather it is a friendship in of itself; a paternal friendship.
The theme of fate is hugely important in Virgil’s epic The Aeneid. Fate, to Virgil’s Roman audience, is a divine, religious principle, one that even the powers of the gods cannot change. The fate of the Trojans finding a new city in Italy is repeated throughout the epic. From the souls of future Roman heroes in the underworld to the images of Roman history on Aeneas’ shield, these suggest that the Trojans are successful. While it is true that they reach Italy and find Rome, the moral of the story is them overcoming their hardships. Fate may determine that the Trojans will found a city in Italy, but it doesn't specify how they end up doing it. While the destination is certain, the direction toward the destination is in question with the choices made and the influence the gods have over the nature around them. However, the Trojans’ sufferings and glories over the course of the epic simply postpone their unchangeable fate.
Publius Vergilis Maro, known to us as Virgil, was born Oct 15, 70 BC in Northern Italy. Octavius, who had always been a friend of Virgil, became Emperor in 27 BC, adopting the name of Augustus. He made Virgil in a sense, a court poet, "although [Virgil] always retained his independence of thought and expression" (Milch 7). However it was the Emperor's initial idea, and not Virgil's own, for him to write the Aeneid. Virgil accepted the project although he later wrote that "he thought he must have been just about mad to attempt the task" (Quinn 73).
The first lines of the Aeneid introduce Aeneas and state that his actions led to the high walls of Rome (981). After doing further research, I have found that these lines offer deeper meaning and a rich history of the founding of Rome. Aeneas' impact begins when he leaves the coast of Troy to find a city overseas, as commanded by Hector in a vision (Encyclopedia Brittanica). This city would be called Lavinium, named after Aeneas' wife, Lavinia (981). The founding of this city would not be easy, however. Aeneas faced many challenges from the gods. such as the storm sent by Aeolus in book one; "Down as they crash on the sea, the Eastwind, Southwind, all as one with the Southwest's squalls in hot pursuit, heaving up from the ocean depths huge
The Underworld is a place where most souls of the dead live. “The Odyssey”and “Enkidu 's Dream” are two stories that describe how the underworld would be like when one encounters it. The Odyssey describes the underworld as a place filled with unhappiness and misery and that punishment will be served in the underworld to the wrongdoers . While, Enkidu 's Dream describes the underworld ad a very dark, unpleasant and scary place to be in, where no one looks forward to pass away due to it. Accepting fate and having fate plays a major role in both stories. Odysseus in The Odyssey accepted his fate, while Enkidu in “Enkidu 's Dream”had fate, but did not accept it. The Odyssey and “Enkidu 's Dream” have a similar concept on what a person can experience in an afterlife taken place in the underworld as a dreadful and awful setting
When discussing the fate of Aeneas, a thought provoking question is posed that is commonly debated. If Aeneas is commanded by fate, does he have free will? It is important to approach this question with a solid understand of fate. There are two common sides to the debate of whether Aeneas had free will or not. One view believes Aeneas had no choice but to follow his destiny because he was commanded by fate, and prophesied to found the race that will one day build Rome. The other side states Aeneas did indeed have free will, and even though his fate was set, room is available within his fate for events to change. One can argue Aeneas makes some of his own choices, but no particular detail of his life is untouched. Destiny determines that the Trojans will found a city in Italy, but it does not stipulate how that will happen. This is where room is left for free will. After much research and considering the views of many commentators and the proof they showed, the answer can simply be found by going back to the text of The Aeneid.
Many of the greatest stories ever written include a death that occurs out of love. Virgil’s “The Passion Queen” which comes from book 4 of the Aeneid is one of them. A long story full of action and heartbreak leads to a surprising ending. Virgil uses the death of Queen Dido to show that humans are too emotionally weak to deal with tough emotional situations.