Pietas in Ancient Roman Society and Literature

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Pietas was important in Roman society and most of the Romans lives revolved around it. Pietas means sense of duty, which includes, devotion to gods, ethics, morality, country and family. (Class Notes) Romans must show proper behavior towards gods, country and their families. Virgil shows pietas in the novel, The Aeneid. He expresses pietas through main character, Aeneas’, actions and behaviors. Through examples of pietas, a clear parallel can be drawn comparing the Romans, Augustus and Aeneas.

Pietas is clearly described in the novel, As The Romans Did, by Jo-Ann Shelton. Shelton emphasizes how important pietas was in the Roman society when she writes “It is impossible to understand Roman society without being acquainted with this concept of duty, which the Romans called pietas.” (Shelton 2) Shelton’s point is that pietas plays a significant role in the Romans lives and in order to know how their society works one must know how important duty is to them. “Pietas pervaded every sphere of life, for Romans were expected to be devoted and dutiful to their family, friends, fellow c...

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