Free Will In Virgil's The Aeneid

In Virgil’s The Aeneid, a Trojan man, named Aeneas, flees Troy after its destruction at the hands of the Greeks. Aeneas is destined to sail to Italy and found Rome, along with his companions, the fellow surviving Trojans. Despite this predetermined fate, throughout the story of The Aeneid, Aeneas seems to deal with obstacles which prevent him from making his way to Italy, and therefore prevent him from his destiny of founding Rome. Aeneas, at certain points in the narrative, is prepared to renounce his destiny and settle in places besides Italy and therefore not found Rome. Aeneas, in these moments where he strays from assigned path, seems to be displaying free will in that he is able to not complete his assigned task of founding Rome. The

Through various happenings - including the meddling of the gods Juno and Venus (Virgil 4.125-126) - the two enter into a romantic relationship. Seemingly an act of Aeneas’ own free will, he stays in Carthage with Dido for the better portion of a year (4.192-196). Aeneas settles into what we can grasp as his chosen life with Dido just in time for the god Mercury to appear to him and remind him of his task. Mercury says to Aeneas, “Have you entirely forgotten your own kingdom and your own destiny?” (4.269-270). This prompt from Mercury truly moves Aeneas, and the idea of spending life in Carthage building an empire with Dido is quickly abandoned, as Aeneas suddenly and completely change his mind about staying in Carthage at these words. In this case, the word of the gods is absolute, and Aeneas has no choice but to submit to there will, leaving Dido for his future in Italy. Aeneas himself tries to explain to Dido upon his departure that, “ It is not by my own will that I search for Italy ” (4.361). This statement is further confirmation that Aeneas is acting under the influence of the gods and not by his own free