THESIS STATEMENT
In the epic poem The Aeneid, Virgil stressed the theme of ultimate victory over defeat through Aeneas’ adventures to Italy.
PURPOSE STATEMENT
Through the analysis of the text and critical analyses of the Aeneid, it is true that Aeneid is ultimately the victor in this war for freedom.
INTRODUCTION
Imagine you were a well- recognized noble; you had everything you could ever possibly want. Then imagine sudden defeat. You are no longer a noble, but a fugitive. There seems to be no victory in the future, and you have lost all hope. Right when everything seemed lost, you overcame obstacles and were finally back on top. Anthony Esolen gave a simple statement on how astonishing the losses of Aeneas really were. “Virgil laments the terrible loss upon which the nation [of Rome] was built” (Esolen 1). In his critical review of Robert Fagle’s translation of the Aeneid, Anthony Esolen describes how Virgil shows how sad the countless defeats of the Trojans really were.
When Aeneas fights in Italy, Virgil portrays him as a courageous hero that leads his men through battle. The problem is that the odds are stacked against Aeneas and his small army. Aeneas eventually overcomes this. Aeneas is helped many times throughout his journey by the mystical power of gods and goddesses that favor him, such as Venus (Aeneas’ mother), Vulcan, and others. One example is when Aeneas and his crew beach on the coasts of North Africa after an exhausting voyage, Venus appears to Aeneas in the form of a young hunter and directs him to Queen Dido while shrouded in a misty veil.
The triumph of the Trojans throughout Virgil’s Aeneid is highlighted in the Trojans’ arrival at Italy, with the coalition of enemies and sudden wars. This triu...
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... where Aeneas was always (if not eventually) triumphant over all of the obstacles thrown at him, though the obstacles themselves always suffered a dreadful defeat. As author Alden Smith said in his review of Virgil’s Aeneid, “Yet a victor also implies, a loser, and no victory is without loss” (Smith 220). During the first half of the Aeneid, Smith’s comment was all too true for Aeneas and his group of surviving Trojans. Towards the last half of the epic though, the tables were turned and it was now Aeneas and his Trojans that were victorious, while some of the Latins were the losers. In the Aeneid, Virgil made the victories of Aeneas seem amazing with all of the troubles, hardships, and demoralizing defeats that Aeneas and his fellow Trojans went through. With danger and defeat lurking around every corner, Aeneas finally got a break and was victorious in the end.
The Aeneid by Vergil is a long-standing epic poem with brief historical connections that was contributed to the Roman people’s beginnings. Of course, the main character, Aeneas has to have had some turning point within the poem that he became Roman rather than Trojan, at least within the eyes of the readers and listeners. This turning point is within Book IV when Aeneas has remembered his fate of creating a great city in Italy, and has to leave Dido and Carthage behind. This scene contributes to Aeneas now becoming a true Roman, at least in the ideals of one, because he has continued to be ‘Pious Aeneas’ and is securing his son’s future with following his fate. As an extra factor, Aeneas is also persisting as a heroic character by putting
The decision of Achilleus is a crucial moment in understanding how fate works in epic (Homerian) literature. Thetis tells Achilleus of his opportunity to win renown as the greatest warrior of all time, earning glory through his fearless acts in battle against a foe who is sure to overcome the Achaians. The fate of ten years of attack on Troy hinge upon the decision of Achilleus, who is given the choice to win glory for the Achaians and, more importantly, himself.
The Aeneid by Vergil is a story with multiple facets. It’s a story of love, loss, identity, war, social and class structures, and most importantly, fama. In fact, I would argue that the rest of the facets can fall under the giant overarching idea of fama. I have avoided translating the latin directly in this past few sentence because the ambiguity is important to the story. The word itself has three different facets, three definitions, all of which are represented in the story. Fama is used to represent “rumor” personified, “fame” in relation to Aeneas, and negative “reputation” of Aeneas in Dido’s eyes.
Throughout the epic, Aeneas suffered the loss of many people dear to him. The first person to pass away was his wife Creusa. During the ...
While the Aeneid does outline the future of Rome, it also highlights the pains of war, and also exposes his audience to a culture of violence, which they may be unfamiliar with. The act of balancing one’s duty towards others and his or her personal desires was a conflict that many people struggled with. By presenting the struggle between balancing inner desires and and personal responsibilities, Virgil offers his audience a framework that enhances their overall understanding of the poem.
The Odyssey portrays the victor, the mighty Odysseus. His story is about a man who has everything, a loving and loyal wife, an ambitious son, a devoted kingdom, and most of all a victory. By the end of Odysseus’ story he has an ideal life. On the other hand, The Aeneid is told through the eyes of a defeated soldier. Early on in the epic Aeneas has a comfortable life. It seems as though he is happy and complancent with his life in Carthage with Dido. Aeneas chooses to leave this life behind in order to fulfill his destiny. The Trojans were defeated in the war, however, Aeneas perceivers and fights for the future of his people. Through Aeneas’ story, Virgil demonstrates the resilience of the Roman culture; he shows just how much they value a sense of
Others will cast more tenderly in bronze Their breathing figures, I can well believe, And bring more lifelike portraits out of marble; Argue more eloquently, use the pointer to trace the paths of heaven accurately And accurately foretell the rising stars. Roman, remember by your strength to rule Earth's peoples - for your arts are to be these: To pacify, to impose the rule of law, To spare the conquered , battle down the proud. " Lines 1143-1154 Within this passage, Virgil uses literary allusions to the Iliad and the Odyssey by allowing Anchises to give Aeneas some history of his people as an incentive to carry out his mission as a leader. By mentioning the downfall of his people during the Trojan War and foreshadowing his destiny by "Sparing the conquered" Trojans and "battle down the proud" Greeks, can be looked upon as a reinforcement of his duties not only to his dead father and family, but to the entire Trojan population. To let another character found and rule Rome would just prove the failure of his people again, as shown through the Trojan war.
We have read two myths of great heroes this semester, Virgil’s The Aeneid and Homer’s The Odyssey. In both of these tales we get to go along with two great heroes on their journey home and all of the troubles that they face. Although these stories tell us about two great heroes and their journey there are a lot of differences. In this paper I will compare and contrast scenes from both myths and suggest a reason that this borrowing was appropriate for what Vergil was trying to do with his version of the myth.
A comparison between Virgil's hero, Aeneas, and the Homeric heroes, Achilles and Odysseus, brings up the question concerning the relevance of the difference between the Homeric heroes and Aeneas. The differences in the poets' concerns are explained by the fact that Virgil lived many years after Homer, giving Virgil the advantage of a more developed literary and philosophical society than Homer had at his disposal. But the question remains: how are the differences between the Homeric heroes and Aeneas relevant to the epic at large? This question will be answered by first pointing out the differences between Greek and Roman society, then explaining how those differences relate to the heroes of the three epics at hand, and finally explaining how these differences allow Virgil to portray the Roman values and way of life as more structured and oriented towards a greater-good.
...rvival. However, Aeneas becomes the Virgilian leader, his concern is always for the people and they are the most important thing to him. The reason that the endings of the books are so dissimilar and the Aenied is far less satisfying than the Odyssey is a result of this point. Odysseus' accomplished aim can be viewed within his lifetime, and listened to within a short time. His short-term goal of going to bed with Penelope, and sorting out the situation in his country is all seen within the borders of the story. Aeneas' ending merely means that his journey is at an end but the rest of the story lies with his people. The emphasis is on the people he is leading and not what he individually has accomplished.
Virgil. “The Aeneid, Book IV”. The Norton Anthology of Western Literature. 8th ed. Vol. 1. New York: W.W. Norton, 2006. 974-95. Print.
Thesis: Despite his accomplishments and the glory associated with his life, Aeneas only achieves the status of hero through divine intervention, and this god-given position causes him just as much grief as it does splendor.
Odysseus’ journey is one that features much emotional pain. Pain for being away from his home, wife and son, but in Aeneas’ journey he is a warrior, and he goes through physical pain. Unlike Odysseus, Aeneas begins his journey after the Greeks have burned his home to the ground. He does not have the pleasure of long comfortable “holdups” Odysseus has and he also has to deal with his father dying—the ultimate blow.
In addition, the overall theme of the poem highlighted morality, which was a definitive tenet of Greco Roman civilization. In many ways, Virgil wrote the poem as a means of lauding the moral virtues of Roman society and as a personal challenge to outdo Homer’s epic compositions, The Illiad and The Odyssey. Virgil was successful because he had incorporated many of the same tales shared in the works of Homer into one epic poem which presented a linear storyline in the books that detailed the life and times of Aeneas and the Trojans. That being said, Virgil did not stray far from the approach that many writers had used before him; his primary focus throughout the Aeneid was placed squarely upon the back of idealized Greek and Roman moral principles, which were the dedication to ones’ honor, family, and country. By no means is there anything wrong with this approach, but in many ways, the entire poem could be viewed as a “propaganda” piece; while it might have served to enlighten, educate, and create a cohesive and uplifting story for the Roman populace, the poem lacked depth and a more profound exploration of human intricacies. While Virgil’s epic poem has stood the test of time and remains one of the greatest pieces
Ignoring the prophetic dream he received the night of the attack, Aeneas races into battle and is immediately surrounded by the overwhelming scale of death and destruction the Greeks have brought forth. In an act that would have lead to his execution had it been any other day, Aeneas decides to abandon the battle and lead an exodus from the ruined city. Aeneas had most likely taken the oath of allegiance since he was a soldier. He is forced to make a decision that is a double edged sword. Should be choose to die with the city, he would be fulfilling his oath and be considered honorable by Roman standards. However, should he follow the advice of a dream, which may or may not be accurate, he would be saving the spirit of Troy but risks being labeled a coward for abandoning his city in the heat of battle. Choosing the option of fleeing the city showcases Aeneas breaking the code the soldier must have taken years before. By choosing to instead abandon the city and try to allow for as many of its citizens to flee, Aeneas has saved the city in a way that his oath as a soldier would have deemed a cowardious crime and would have seen him executed for. Through his heroic act of fleeing, he would allow his city of Troy to see a victory through his involvement in the creation of Rome decades later (Virgil 29