Aeneas

Aeneas

1. Criticism

   • Charles James Fox "always either insipid or odious"
   • Wight Duff "The Aeneid succeeds in spite of its hero"
   • Lifeless
   • Puppet of the gods
   • Lacking real human personality
   • Pale shadow of Homer's Achilles

2. Virgil's intention

   • Not to create new Achilles
   • Create a hero appropriate to non-heroic age
   • Individualism of Odysseus did not provide leadership suitable for civilisation with emphasis on social qualities, responsibilities and obligations
     • Cf to Greek city states, no national identity

3. Characterised by

   • Willingness to subordinate own individual personality to needs and requirements of his duty
     • PIETAS
       • Devotion to duty
         • Pietas- a man should do what is right by his gods, city and family, friends and enemies
       • FUROR
         • Act on impulse rather than reason
           • Like an animal
         • Aeneas attempts to overcome his and others furor via pietas
           • Fails to do so
             • After Pallas' death B10
             • After his own wound B12
             • End of poem where we kills suppliant, Turnus
     • Always uncertain about right course of action: pondering, worrying, lies awake at night

4. Primarily concerned with

   • Aeneas' efforts to fulfil divine mission to found new city
     • Disaster and difficulties causes doubt and despair
       • Human frailty
         • Suffering is essential. But he must go on. He has been privileged to see into Jupiter's book of fate.
       • Wishes he had died at Troy
       • Lack of confidence in the gods?
       • Not until Anchises- underworld-future Roman when he feels strong and resolute
     • Christian Hero?
       • Aeneas acceptance of divine mission weaker than that of Christian heroes
       • Does not draw infinite strength and determination from mission
       • Sees it only dimly.

5. Minimal violence

   • Solution to overcoming violent opposition is violence, the Roman historical solution
     • Helps Augstus carry on fighting. H is trying to civilise world thus justifying war
   • Virgil did not like war

6. Question of human free-will

   • Is Aeneas a marionette of fate
     • No the Roman mission came true, therefore it had to all the time
   • Aeneas achievements were in fact the achievements of fate and the gods
     • is it surprising that a pious devoted hero receives help in desperate need? No. Not a puppet.
   • Aeneas free to give up mission at any stage
     • Should he 'forget his destiny'. It was essential for future of Rone that he shoud not
       • Roman readers had similar task. Like Aebeas they should not forget their destiny: to create an Empire without limits