The Aeneid essay plans

"The Romans during the reign of Augustus would have praised all of Aeneas' behaviours". Discuss.

Thesis: NO, but they would have praised most of his behaviour - Aeneas was a model for the Romans to follow.

P1: PRAISED

- they would have praised Aeneas for his piety and duty to the Fates and his destiny:

- "a man famous for his piety"

He always puts his duty first, he even put it above his love for his hometown and his furor and thirst for battle during the Fall of Troy. Although "frenzy and anger" drove him on, he had enough self-constraint to eventually leave and set out for his destiny. In a memorable tableau of Roman patriarchy and filial duty (which was recreated in statue form in the Forum of Augustus in Rome, and used on various Roman coins to represent pietas) Aeneas picks up his father on his shoulders and leads his son Iulus by the hand as they set out from Troy. This is arguably the defining image of Aeneas' pietas. Piety is one of the most important qualities for the Romans.

- Aeneas also displays duty to his family which was incredibly important to Augustus, probably because he believed that the stability of the Roman state depended on the stability of the Roman family.

Aeneas' descent to the underworld to see his father is presented as being the ultimate test of his pietas, in the form of filial duty and duty to his destiny: 'You have come at last,' he cried. 'I knew your devotion would prevail over all the rigour of the journey and bring you to your father.'

- in addition, Aeneas is religiously pious as he makes multiple sacrifices to the gods, including Juno who is firmly set against him.

P2:

That being said, there are a few actions which the Romans would not have praised. Very important to Virgil (who studied stoicism) and indeed the Romans in general, was self-control and restraint. Although Aeneas almost always succeeds in this, he does not after the death of Pallas. He is so overcome by rage that Virgil writes "everything that stood before him he harvested with a sword" and he goes to the extreme of performing human sacrifice. This would have certainly been frowned upon by the Romans. Human sacrifice was generally considered taboo in Roman society, and it was not an accepted religious practice in ancient Rome. The Romans were a pragmatic and rational people who placed great emphasis on the rule of law, social order, and the respect for human life. They saw human sacrifice as a barbaric and primitive practice that was not compatible with their values and beliefs. What is more, the final act of the play is an act of furor and seems to directly oppose Augustus' re-establishment of virtues. Turnus is wounded and begs as a suppliant to Aeneas, thus there is absolutely no need for him to be killed as Aeneas has already clearly won. Thus, the expected response by the Romans would be to be merciful. Clementia (mercy) was also an important virtue and Augustus boasted that he himself was very merciful as so too was Caesar. Octavian tried hard from the very beginning of his career to acquire a reputation for pardoning enemies. The pardoning of Turnus would have been the ideal end of the Aeneid. However, after seeing Pallas' belt on Turnus, Aeneas is once again overcome by furor and this overrides anything else he feels and he kills Turnus "blazing with rage". One could argue that this act is an extension of his duty to Pallas and Evander as Evander had explicitly ordered him to kill Turnus to avenge Pallas. However, it is still very unlikely that the Romans would have praised it. If this poem is pro-Augustus, Virgil may have included this to act as a justification for Augustus' own immoral actions, most notably, the proscription of 43BC.

Modern scholarship:

- 'This piece of barbarity is very startling indeed.' (R.D. Williams) - human sacrifice

- "Virgil had to create in his hero a prototype of the Roman character, a person who showed by his behaviour the kind of qualities which had made Rome great and would make her greater still" - R.D Williams

"How far does Aeneas succeed in subordinating his own desires and instincts to his duty?"

Thesis - he always succeeds, but with hesitation

P1: Fall of Troy

He only leaves Troy after hearing three different portents - he knows it is his duty to leave as he is told by Hector and his mother, but he doesn't agree to leave for a while.

He surrenders himself to his furor - "Frenzy and anger drove me on and suddenly it seemed a noble thing to die in arms." He is willing to die and give up his duty.

When Aeneas climbs down from the roof, he rallies a band of fellow Trojan fighters: ‘Let us die". Aeneas presents himself as the Homeric type of hero, determined to achieve a glorious death.

After Anchises initially refuses to leave the family home, Aeneas’ first instinct is once again to rush to his death, and to try to exact whatever revenge he can upon the Greeks: ‘I rushed to take up arms again in complete despair. Death was the only thing I could hope for.’ Creusa appeals to him to think of his duty to his family, but it is only when Anchises agrees to leave, following the omens of the flame on Iulus’ head and the shooting star, that Aeneas finally accepts his duty.

He is RELUCTANT to leave and subordinate his furor and desire for revenge to his duty - however, he does eventually do so - so he does succeed

P2: Dido

- Dido and Aeneas - "forgetting about their kingdoms and becoming the slaves of lust"

- Aeneas indulges and stays with Dido even though it gets in the way of his duty.

- Mercury reiterates the idea that Aeneas must subordinate his personal desires to his duty: ‘Spare a thought for Ascanius as he grows to manhood, for the hopes of this Iulus who is your heir. You owe him the land of Rome and the kingdom of Italy.’ However, he is scared by this message from mercury and as soon as he has heard it, he plans to leave Carthage.

- "the warning had struck him like a thunderbolt"

- Virgil writes that "Aeneas was faithful to his duty", but he tells Dido "it is not by my own will that I search for Italy". This is evidence of him subordinating his own desires to his duty. Clearly, he is putting piety and his duty above himself and his own wants.

- "much as he longed to soothe her and console her sorrow... He nevertheless carried out the commands of the gods and went back to his ships"

This is a clear example of him putting his duty first, even before his own happiness

P3: War with Latins

- he lets furor control him but this does not really interfere with his duty - his duty is to defeat the Latins as this is how he will be able to found Rome.

- When envoys come from the Latins asking for a truce to bury their dead, Aeneas emphasises that he would prefer peace to war, and fights only because of his destiny. He also reminds them (and us) that he has played no part in the outbreak of war: ‘You ask me for peace for the dead, whose destiny has been to die in battle: I for my part would have been willing to grant them peace when they were still alive. Nor would I ever have come to this land if the Fates had not offered me a place here to be my home. I do not wage war with your people. It was you king who abandoned our sworn friendship.’

^ by fighting in the war, he is doing his duty

Conclusion: Aeneas always succeeds in subordinating his desires and instincts to duty, however something he is reluctant and it takes him a while.

Modern scholarship:

'The Romans would have regarded Aeneas as a flawed hero.' To what extent do you agree?

Thesis: No. He is more human and more relatable. Virgil is showing that no one is perfect (perhaps to justify Augustus' bad actions)

Yes - when he lets his emotions get the best of him & is neglectful of his duty

P1: Dido & Fall of Troy

- sometimes neglects his duty.

P2: Human sacrifice & murder of Turnus

P3: No - he is human. Virgil shows that morality is not black and white.

"To what extent is Aeneas an embodiment of Roman values and ideals, as presented in the Aeneid?"

Thesis: Yes

P1: Yes - piety/ self-control

- Leaves Troy & sets out for Italy

- Dido

"pius Aeneas"

Aeneas puts his duty first

counter - sometimes he is reluctant or hesitant to follow his duty, but he always does it - always puts it first.

counter - counter - He is reluctant only because he is loyal to his "patria", fatherland - Troy. This in itself would have been a Roman value.

P2: family loyalty

As part of Augustus’ re-establishment of traditional Roman virtues (mos maiorum), An emphasis was placed on family loyalty and marital fidelity. Augustus legislated against adultery, and his own granddaughter was exiled under his law.

Ascanius:

Once Dido has agreed to welcome the Trojans in Carthage, Aeneas’ concern for his son is emphasised, and he sends for Ascanius: ‘A father’s love allowed Aeneas’ mind no rest… All his thoughts were on his dear son Ascanius.

Anchises:

When Aeneas arrives back at his house, his duty to his father seems to outweigh even the duty for his wife and son: ‘When at last I had reached my father’s house and our ancient family home, my first wish was to find my father and take him into the high mountains.’ His love and duty to his father is seen as the central pillar of Aeneas’ pietas.

In a memorable tableau of Roman patriarchy and filial duty (which was recreated in statue form in the Forum of Augustus in Rome) Aeneas picks up his father on his shoulders and leads his son Iulus by the hand as they set out from the house: ‘Come then, dear father, up on my back. I shall take you on my shoulders. Your weight will be nothing to me.’

The reunion of Aeneas and Anchises is a very moving scene. Both men weep, and Aeneas tries in vain to embrace his father’s spirit three times (recalling his encounter with the ghost of Creusa in Book 2): ‘You have come at last,’ he cried. ‘I knew your devotion would prevail over all the rigour of the journey and bring you to your father.’

P3: courage/ duty in war

Fall of Troy -

Underworld - journeys to the underworld

War with Latins - he wanted peace, he only went to Latium because it was his duty "Nor would I ever have come to this land if the Fates had not offered me a place here to be my home. I do not wage war with your people"

He shows battle prowess

counter - at the end he kills Turnus even though it was not necessary. He was overcome by furor - even though the murder is in essence, just as Turnus had killed Pallas, the fact that it is done in a fit of rage, would have opposed Roman value of self-control & clementia.

Modern scholarship:

'Women are unstable creatures, always changing.' How well do Mercury's words in Book 4 sum up the mortal female characters in the Aeneid?

Thesis - yes, this is the way Virgil typically presents the women in the epic, apart from Lavinia

P1: DIDO

NO:

When we first meet Dido, this is not true of her as she is a stable, strong queen

- Dido is presented as being the serene and just ruler of a civilised city: ‘She was giving laws and rules of conduct to her people, and dividing the work that had to be done in equal parts.’

However, is this because she is acting like a man. Here, she is acting like a statesman or like a king, not like a woman.

YES:

However, after Cupid has "breathed fire and poison into her" and made her fall madly in love with Aeneas, she starts acting as a stereotypical woman, as she is overly emotional, unstable and passionately in love.

Here, Mercury's words are fitting.

- Neglects her queenly duties "the towers she was building ceased to rise". "all the work that that started... All stood idle"

- "the madness is working through her bones"

- Dido and Aeneas - "forgetting about their kingdoms and becoming the slaves of lust" "

Dido was on fire with love" = fire, unstable, uncontrolled, powerful

- "burning with passion, she raged and raved round the whole city like a Bacchant"

- so unstable and unable to bear her emotions that she kills herself "Dido was so overwhelmed by grief and possessed by madness. She decided to die"

P2: CAMILLA

NO:

- This is also not true of Camilla at first when she is acting like a male warrior.

- She is consistently excellent in battle, her aristeia comes right before her death.

- "for every dart that flew from her hand, a Trojan hero fell" - "she stood there to face him without a trace of fear" "on nimble feet she ran as swift as fire" - like Achilles

YES:

However, she soon starts acting as a stereotypical woman, and this is when she changes.

- "burning with a woman's passion for spoil and plunder"

-"the shaft struck home beneath her naked breast and lodged there drinking deep of virgin blood"

Llewelyn Morgan - "women only have a place in the epic when they act like men". True, and only when they start acting as stereotypical women are they portrayed as "unstable".

P3: AMATA & LAVINIA

Amata:

- extremely unstable

- not entirely her fault, as Allecto took one of the snakes from her hair and "threw it on Amata's breast to enter deep into her heart, a horror driving her to frenzy and bringing down her whole house in ruin"

- "raged in a wild frenzy…. She flew into the forests, pretending that she was possessed by Bacchus."

- she is also, like Dido, so unstable that she kills herself.

- Again, Virgil is portraying women as having excessive, uncontrolled emotions.

Lavinia:

- stable & unchanging

- the model Roman woman

- quiet, does as she is told

Modern scholarship:

- Llewelyn Morgan - "women only have a place in the epic when they act like men"

- "Mercury's statement in Book 4 reflects the gender norms of Roman society, which emphasized the irrationality and instability of women" - Ellen Oliensis

"How significant is the role played by women in the Aeneid?"

significant for Virgil to teach readers things & for his narration BUT not really significant for the actual story.

P1: DIDO

- provides an aetion for the hostility between Rome and Carthage

- So Virgil can criticise an excess of emotion - he also uses Amata to do this

- To show that Aeneas is pious and will put his duty above himself and his own happiness

important role in the fact that she is being used by Virgil to explain other things. She does not have a significant role in the way the story plays out.

P2: CAMILLA

- show why women don't usually fight in war

- She is excellent in war until we are reminded that she is a woman

- "burning with a woman's passion for spoil and plunder"

- Killed below her breast "the shaft struck home beneath her naked breast and lodged there drinking deep of virgin blood"

- she is eroticised in order to dismiss her power in battle and to show why women don't usually fight in war. Love/sex incompatible with war.

P3: LAVINIA

- object of the war

- prize to be won - allows Virgil to create a reason for the war to be fought

- also, she is likened to Helen and in this way, Aeneas is being likened to Paris.

- Be quiet and do what she's told

- Similar to Penelope in the Odyssey, Lavinia acts as the ideal Roman woman - she is demure, pretty, quiet, well-behaved

Camilla and Dido only have a role in the story and are presented as strong characters when they act like men, as soon as they start acting like stereotypical women, they die and are taken out of the narrative.

Modern scholarship:

- Llewelyn Morgan - "women only have a place in the epic when they act like men"

"Are the women of the Aeneid more victims or villains?"

Thesis: they are certainly more VICTIMS.

P1: Dido - victim & villain

VILLAIN: distracts Aeneas from his duty.

- "forgetting about their kingdoms and becoming the slaves of lust"

- she puts a curse on Rome & Carthage. "Let there be war between the nations and between their sons forever".

^ However, this is only because she is entirely overcome by her emotions, which are not even her fault as she was made to fall madly in love with Aeneas.

VICTIM:

- Cupid's poison

^ Dido, stricken by love, is compared to a wounded doe who has been shot with an arrow "that will bring her death". Her love is frequently referred to a wound. We know from the beginning that when Cupid breathes "fire and poison into her", this will lead to her death. Dido was "infected by this sickness"

- Aeneas leaving her

^ she thought they were married.

^ Dido "was the first to catch wind of their plans to leave". She was "already in a frenzy" - "burning with passion, she raged and raved round the whole city like a Bacchant"

- her suicide

- in the underworld.

we certainly pity with Dido, even Virgil does.

- it would be entirely wrong to blame Dido for distracting Aeneas from his duty, as not only was she made to love him by Cupid, Aeneas is equally to blame and chose to stay with her, rather than search for Italy.

P2: Amata - victim & villain

VILLAIN:

- does not support Lavinia's marriage to Aeneas and thus she directly oppose fate. "The queen Amata longed above all things to see him married to her daughter"

- she tries to dissuade Latinus from giving Lavinia up to Aeneas and says "have you no feelings for your daughter or her mother?"

- incites the other women of Latium to rebel.

"the same passion kindled in the hearts of all the mothers of Latium and drove them out to search for new homes"

VICTIM:

- she was made like this by Allecto.

When she kills herself, we are reminded of Dido & we pity with her as we know she has been made this way by Allecto.

- "when the maddening poison of the serpent had soaked deep into her flesh...the unhappy Amata...raged in a wild frenzy"

"threw it on Amata's breast to enter deep into her heart, a horror driving her to frenzy and bringing down her whole house in ruin". This quote shows that she may be a villain, but only because of Allecto's poison, in reality, she is much more a villain.

P3: Women as victims of war

- On the temple of Juno, Aeneas sees depicted the women of Troy, supplicating Athene in vain and beating their breasts in grief. These are the faceless and nameless victims of war, and in the Aeneid the grief of war is seen in part by its effect on women

- In book 11, during the war, Virgil writes, "here were the mothers and heart-broken wives of the dead. Here were loving sisters beating their breasts, and children who had lost their fathers, all cursing this deadly war"

Modern scholarship:

- "The women in the Aeneid are deeply affected by the ravages of war, both as direct targets of violence and as witnesses to its horrors" - Joy Connolly

- "It would be difficult not to be moved to pity and sympathy for Dido". (R.D. Williams)

- "Virgil nowhere conceals his pity for her [Dido], and he meant his readers to share it with him". (R.G. Austin)

'The mortal females of the Aeneid serve simply to upset the male order of things.' To what extent do you agree?

Thesis: yes, that is how Virgil has presented women, apart from Camilla, but even she doesn't last long.

P1: Yes, Dido gets in the way of Aeneas' role

"forgetting about their kingdoms and becoming the slaves of lust"

When Jupiter sends Mercury to remind Aeneas of his destiny, he speaks of how he is not living up to the destiny his mother has promised: "She told us he would be the man to rule an Italy pregnant with empire and clamouring for war"

Mercury - "Have you entirely forgotten your own kingdom and your own destiny?"

^ However, it was a mutual thing and Dido never kept Aeneas there against his will

Also, She was "already in a frenzy" and "burning with passion, she raged and raved round the whole city like a Bacchant". She is unstable and overly emotional. A man would not act like this (in the eyes of the Romans). She certainly upsets the order when she curses Carthage and Rome to be enemies - "Let there be war between the nations and between their sons forever".

^ however, none of her actions are really her fault, she was "pierced by love's deadly wound" after being poisoned by Cupid.

P2: No, Camilla does not upset the male order of things. In fact, she helps it.

- she is so excellent a fighter that Turnus is so thankful that she is there. He says "O Camilla, glory of Italy".

- "for every dart that flew from her hand, a Trojan hero fell"

- "Instantly she struck the two tallest of the Trojans"

She does not at all upset the male order of things as she acts like a man in battle. However, as Llewlyn Morgan points out, she only has a place in the narrative so long as she acts like a man. When she acts like a stereotypical woman, "burning with a woman's passion for spoil and plunder" she upsets the male order and thus dies.

P3: Yes, Amata - causes the war. The men (latinus) wanted peace

- she tries to dissuade Latinus from giving Lavinia up to Aeneas and says "have you no feelings for your daughter or her mother?"

- incites the other women of Latium to rebel.

"the same passion kindled in the hearts of all the mothers of Latium and drove them out to search for new homes".

^ however, this is not her fault, she was turned mad by Allecto. "when the maddening poison of the serpent had soaked deep into her flesh...the unhappy Amata...raged in a wild frenzy"

"Are mortals just playthings of the gods in the Aeneid?"

Thesis - No. A lot of the time they are, but not always.

P1: Venus - YES

Venus's love for her son Aeneas often causes her to manipulate events in his favour, even if it means causing harm to others.

Eg. Dido

"soon she will be held fast, as I am, in love for Aeneas"

in hatching her plans in the interests of her own son, Venus shows a merciless disregard for Dido: 'breathe fire and poison into her.'

P2: Aeneas

Arguably, Aeneas is just a plaything of the gods because he is frequently given support by his mother and relentlessly pursued by Juno.

- Juno makes Aeolus cause storm

counter - However, Aeneas makes his own choices. If he were not a free man and all his actions were determined by the gods, then he would not be a hero.

P3: Juno

Juno gets involved it lots of other things, she is very much the puppeteer of the epic.

- Makes Allecto put furor into Amata & Turnus - this contributes to the outbreak of the war - the fearsome goddess [Juno] flew down to the earth and roused Allecto, bringer of grief"

- Dido & Aeneas - book 4 Juno says "Dido and Aeneas will both take refuge in the same cave". Some lines later, Virgil writes "Dido and Aeneas took refuge in the same cave". Why does Virgil repeat the line almost exactly? It makes us realise that everything has been scripted by the gods. Dido and Aeneas may think that they are in control, but they are just Juno's puppets.

Counter - cares about Dido

Juno sets out her plan to unite Dido and Aeneas in a cave during a storm when they are out hunting. As in Book 1, the storm here is a physical manifestation of the unbridled, destructive passion which Juno stirs. - Juno's pity for Dido seems genuine, and she sends Iris down to cut a lock of her hair and release her from her suffering: 'All-powerful Juno then took pity on her long anguish and difficult death.' There is a bitter irony in her pity, though, as she has been partly responsible, through her conniving with Venus, for Dido's destruction. She has used Dido for her own ends, but still feels pity for her.

Another counter argument: Jupiter does not get involved - shows that humans are not the playthings of the gods

'On the whole, the gods behave much less admirably than the mortals in the Aeneid.' To what extent do you agree?

Thesis: agree, the gods are far more petty & self-interested

P1 - Agree

Juno

Gods don't care about the lives of humans

counter: Venus & Juturna

P2 - Disagree. Humans = horrible

- Turnus' murder of Pallas & Aeneas' murder of Lausus - killing children

- Aeneas' human sacrifice

- Mezentius

- murder of Pandarus

^ shows how horrifically mortals can murder each other. They clearly have no care for the lives of others. Arguably, this is admirable because they are showing excellence in war, but this goes too far, even for the Romans, they are showing no respect for human life. However, - When Aeneas saw his dying face "he groaned from his heart in pity and held out his hand, as there came into his mind the thought of his own devoted love for his father"

P3: mortals are capable of genuine love which is very evident throughout the poem

- fathers and mothers love (Evander, Euryalus' mother)

-

Humans have emotions which the gods are incapable of feeling.

"Without the gods, there could be no Aeneid.' To what extent do you agree?"

Thesis: somewhat agree

P1:

Venus

Juno - essentially causes the war.

it would certainly not be as interesting without the gods.

P2: Disagree. All the events were fated anyway, thus would have happened.

P3: Aeneas - he still has free will and has to choose to make the right decision

'Does Aeneas deserve the epithet pius Aeneas?'

Thesis: agree

P1: Duty to his fate

- he leaves Troy

- he leaves Dido

counter: he is very hesistent & sometimes lets his emotions control him and get in the way of his fate - especially Dido

P2: Duty to gods

P3: Duty to his family

- Anchises

- Ascanius

'To what extent is Dido's fate in The Aeneid a result of her emotions?'

Thesis: Yes, but only because of the interference of the gods.

P1: YES

P2: No, the gods.

"doomed Dido"

"like a wounded doe" - with a deadly wound

as soon as she had been poisoned by Cupid, her death was inevitable

P3: suicide - caused by her emotions

^ but her emotions were caused by Cupid

'Does Aeneas' pietas triumph over furor in the Aeneid?'

Mention that they are not mutually exclusive.

When Aeneas chooses revenge, it is out of a sense of duty to Pallas and Evander, and so when we see him kill Turnus in a rage, it is possible to see his furor as working in the service of his pietas - as being a vital element of it - rather than working against it.

P1: FALL OF TROY - YES

P2: DIDO - YES

P3: WAR WITH LATIUM - YES & NO

"In the Aeneid, Virgil aims above all to demonstrate the importance of duty to one's family?" To what extent do you agree?

"Above all" - no, however he certainly aims to demonstrate the importance of duty to one's family, especially between fathers and sons. As part of Augustus’ re-establishment of traditional Roman virtues (mos maiorum), An emphasis was placed on family loyalty and marital fidelity.

P1: AENEAS WITH ANCHISES & ASCANIUS

- Aeneas' duty to his family is a part of his pietas

- When a second omen follows (a shooting star) Anchises agrees to leave, saying: ‘Protect this house. Protect my grandson.’ It is upon Ascanius that the preservation of his line is seen to rest, but it is only when Anchises agrees to leave that Aeneas finally accepts his duty. Aeneas picks up his father and leads his son by the hand. In a memorable tableau of Roman patriarchy and filial duty (which was recreated in statue form in the Forum of Augustus in Rome) Aeneas picks up his father on his shoulders and leads his son Iulus by the hand as they set out from the house: ‘Come then, dear father, up on my back. I shall take you on my shoulders. Your weight will be nothing to me.’

- when Aeneas is in Carthage with Dido, Jupiter sends Mercury to Aeneas to remind him of his mission, and he says that, even if Aeneas is not motivated by his own destiny, he should think of the destiny of his son: ‘Spare a thought for Ascanius as he grows to manhood, for the hopes of this Iulus who is your heir. You owe him the land of Rome and the kingdom of Italy.’

- The reunion of Aeneas and Anchises is a very moving scene. Both men weep, and Aeneas tries in vain to embrace his father’s spirit three times (recalling his encounter with the ghost of Creusa in Book 2): ‘You have come at last,’ he cried. ‘I knew your devotion would prevail over all the rigour of the journey and bring you to your father.’ It is significant that is is Anchises – his father - who shows Aeneas the pageant of future Roman heroes, explaining who each of them is. This is a scene which sets before us the fundamental importance of male lineage.

However, Aeneas certainly seems to prioritise his father and son over his wife. As Aeneas picks up his father on his shoulders and leads his son Iulus by the hand, Creusa is seen following at a distance behind them. If the three male generations serve as an idealised tableau of Roman patriarchy, then Creusa’s place – quiet, deferential, in their shadow – can perhaps be seen as suggesting something about the Roman view of the perfect wife: ‘My wife can follow in my footsteps at a distance.’

P2:

- Evander's love for Pallas & Aeneas' love for Pallas as a sort of adopted son (like Caesar and Augustus)

- Mezentius & Lausus

- Juturna & Turnus & Venus & Aeneas - shows that even the gods have a duty to their family

P3: This was not necessarily the principal aim of the work.

Duty to one's country - embodied by Aeneas.

"The Aeneid is just propaganda for Augustus. How far do you agree with this statement?"

Thesis: No, this cannot be the only reason why he wrote it. Also, there are aspects of the epic which seem not to be in line with the Roman values that Augustus was trying to promote

P1: YES

main points to make - Rome = fated. Aeneas = Augustus

- arma virumque cano - I sing of arms and of the man. The deliberate ambiguity of the poem's opening phrase can be seen as pointing both to Aeneas and the war in Latium and to Augustus and his recent victory at Actium.

It is made clear to us in Book 1 via the prophecy of Jupiter that Aeneas is to be deified after his death: 'You will take great-hearted Aeneas up to the stars of Heaven' (1.260). This is foreshadows the reference later in the prophecy to the deification of Julius Caesar: 'He will be called Julius, a name passed down to him from the great Iulus. In time to come, have no fear, you will receive him in the sky.'

- Virgil shows how Rome is the successor of Troy. By giving Rome these roots, he is proving that it is a great power worthy of a lot. It also likens Rome's emperor Augustus, to Troy's leader Aeneas.

- in book 1, Jupiter says 'From this stock there will be born a Trojan Caesar to bound his empire by Oceanus at the limits of the world, and his fame by the stars.'

- From the Aeneid's opening lines, the foundation of Rome is presented as arising directly from Aeneas' destiny: 'Great too were his sufferings in war before he could found his city and carry his gods into Latium. This was the beginning of the Latin race, the Alban fathers and the high walls of Rome.'

- Virgil draws similarities between Aeneas & Augustus

- there is a direct mention of Augustus in the underworld, showing that he was fated to be the ruler of Rome.

" he will bring back the golden years" and "extend Rome's empire beyond the Indians and the Garamantes" - he will make Rome a very strong nation. "Hercules himself did not make his way to so many lands" "Nor did triumphing Bacchus ride so far"

At the conclusion of the pageant, Anchises summarises the Roman mission (in contrast to the arts of the Greeks): 'Your task, Roman, and do not forget it, will be to govern the people's of the world in your empire. These will be your arts - and to impose a settled pattern upon peace, to pardon the defeated and war down the proud.'

Aeneas arrives at Pallanteum in the middle of an annual festival to Hercules (a prototype of the famous Roman festival of Hercules at the ara maxima) marking the day when Hercules defeated the monstrous Cacus. Most scholars now tend to agree that the Cacus episode is intended to represent in some sense the struggle which Aeneas is about to face in Italy: Cacus is Turnus, a wild and monstrous threat to Italy, and Aeneas is Hercules who will fight to rid Italy of this threat. Brooks Otis thinks the symbolic interpretation is meant to include Augustus too "All three symbolize the eternally Roman struggle of pietas and humanitas against savage and barbaric violence, against the force represented by Cacus, Mezentius and Antony.' (Brooks Otis)

P2: YES

Aeneas as a model for the Romans:

- at the time, Augustus was trying to re-establish the traditional Roman virtues and emphasised the idea of duty and piety. Aeneas embodies this. He shows duty to the state, family and the gods.

- portrayal of war - Virgil shows the Romans that war is necessary but that it will lead to a peaceful civilisation - like Rome

P3: NO

- the Aeneid can be viewed as an anti-war poem

- Turnus' death - The pardoning of Turnus would have been the ideal end of the Aeneid if it was meant as pro-Augustus propaganda because Augustus wanted to emphasise how merciful he was ( Like Julius Caesar)

- Murder of Turnus would have reminded readers of Octavian's savagery during the Battle of Actium & of the proscription. Although Virgil may be trying to justify Augustus' bad actions, this final act still seems to oppose Augustus' re-establishment of Roman virtues. Self-control was important.

- Its place at the end implies that it was the type of activity that was the most characteristically Roman

"How successfully does Virgil incorporate the need to praise Augustus and Rome within the telling of his heroic tale?"

Thesis: quite successful

P1: SUCCESSFUL

Shows that Rome was destined and will be great - as it came from Troy.

He also likens Augustus to Aeneas. arma virumque cano - I sing of arms and of the man. The deliberate ambiguity of the poem's opening phrase can be seen as pointing both to Aeneas and the war in Latium and to Augustus and his recent victory at Actium.

It is made clear to us in Book 1 via the prophecy of Jupiter that Aeneas is to be deified after his death: 'You will take great-hearted Aeneas up to the stars of Heaven' (1.260). This is foreshadows the reference later in the prophecy to the deification of Julius Caesar: 'He will be called Julius, a name passed down to him from the great Iulus. In time to come, have no fear, you will receive him in the sky.'

P2: within the Aeneid is that the poem also contains elements that subvert or challenge the idea of Roman greatness and the Augustan regime:

- murder of Turnus

- anti-war poem?

Virgil's portrayal of Aeneas as a hero who embodies Roman virtues is not always consistent. For example, Aeneas is sometimes portrayed as ruthless and cruel in his treatment of his enemies, which does not necessarily align with traditional Roman values. For instance, after the death of Pallas, he is so consumed by his furor that he performs human sacrifice and murders Turnus even though it is not necessary and he had already won.

Counter - however, Aeneas is not doing it out of blind rage, he is trying to avenge Pallas. He originally probably would not have killed Turnus, he only did so after he glimpsed the belt that he took from Pallas to boast his death. Aeneas had been told explicitly by Evander, Pallas' father, to avenge him by killing Turnus. You know it owes the life of Turnus to the son and to the father. This is the one field where you must put your courage to the test.' It is possibly to see this as effectively imposing a duty upon on Aeneas to kill Turnus, and that Turnus' death by extension will be an act of pietas. Piety is one of the virtues that Augustus wanted to promote.

However, another reason why it may seem like Virgil has not incorporated the need to praise Augustus, is that he seems to be very critical of war. He shows the brutality and subversion from the ordinary of war through events such as the horrific murders of Priam and Polites, where Priam is dragged, by Pyhrrus, through the blood of his son to then be killed on the altar. Also, the fact that it breaks apart families and leaves women and children devastated, the most moving depiction of this being Euryalus' mother when she hears of her sons death. The reason why this might be potentially damaging to Augustus' regime, is that war is the reason why he came to power. However, Virgil also shows that war is necessary and a prerequiste of peace. Like Aeneas, who has to suffer two wars before he can eventually found his city and live in peace, Virgil suggests that Augustus' reign will be very peaceful because the Battle of Actium had been fought. Therefore, his portrayal of war actually seems to encourage Augustus' rule.

P3: a bit too obvious?

As part of an attempt to consolidate his fragile position, it was obviously in Augustus' interests to be presented as a man whose glorious rule had been destined since even before the foundation of Rome. However, this can sometimes feel forced or heavy-handed. For example, the vision of Augustus in the underworld might feel like an obvious attempt to link the emperor with the mythological founding of Rome. "he will bring back the golden years" and "extend Rome's empire beyond the Indians and the Garamantes" - he will make Rome a very strong nation. "Hercules himself did not make his way to so many lands" "Nor did triumphing Bacchus ride so far". In addition, in Book 1, Jupiter says 'the rulers of the world, the race that wears the toga.' He goes on to foretell the coming of a great 'Caesar' and of the establishment of lasting peace under the reign of Augustus: 'From this stock there will be born a Trojan Caesar to bound his empire by Oceanus at the limits of the world, and his fame by the stars.' This seems very obvious and perhaps badly incorporated.

counter -

"So powerful was Virgil's sympathy for the defeated that it often seems to conflict with the triumph of Rome's achievement. (R.D. Williams) To what extent do you agree with this statement?"

Thesis: only partly agree

Rome's achievement = By the time Virgil was writing the Aeneid, Rome had achieved a great deal of political and military success, including the establishment of a vast empire through conquests and alliances. This included the subjugation of Greece, the defeat of Carthage in the Punic Wars, and the expansion of Roman territories. Virgil shows the terrible costs and consequences of war which may undermine or call into question the morality and ethics of Rome's conquests.

P1: Horrors of war - effects on family, breaking people apart

P2: Dido - humanises Carthage - we feel so much pity for her - potentially this made the Romans view Carthage in a new light

P3: it is certainly true to some extent as it probably would have made the Romans realise just how terrible war is. However, Virgil was probably only showing this side of war because he had first hand experience. He wanted to show that war is complex and difficult, but that does not necessarily diminish Rome's achievements in any way. In fact, Virgil emphasises that now that war is over, Rome can be at peace.

"Are Aeneas' achievements less impressive because they are destined?"

No.

P1: Piety - NO

Aeneas is impressive because he is able to fulfil his destiny and do his duty. There are many instances where Aeneas can put himself first and reject his fate, however he does not do that because he is too pious. For instance, during the fall of Troy, he wanted to stay to fight for his homeland and defeat the Greeks, however, his furor eventually succumbed to his piety and he chose to leave to fulfil his destiny. In addition, when he is with Dido, he falls in love and they "neglect their duties and becoming the slaves of lust". However, he is scared by Neptune and then eventually has to leave because he is dutiful and will do what he must. However, "fate" and "destiny" is not actually a power that controls anything he does, he makes every decision himself.

Troy - even though it was his fate to leave, he hesitated - he only eventually leaves because he has decided to & because creusa and Anchises agreed to it. Fate does not control his actions, he has free will.

P2: Military prowess - NO

As well as being pious, Aeneas is exceptional in battle, thus his military achievements are thanks to him - fate does not play a hand in this.

P3:

"How important is the role of Fate in the Aeneid?"

Yes, because it manifests itself in various ways which have a huge influence on events.

P1: divine intervention - sometimes opposed fate, but in the end Jupiter ensures that fate is carried out

P2: prophecy - keeps Aeneas on his journey

P3: it is not the only driving factor for Aeneas -

What drives Aeneas to fulfil his fate?

P1: SENSE OF DUTY

P2: GODS

P3: