Aeneas Qualities In The Epic Story Of The Aeneid

To be perceived as a Hero, one must have many qualities, qualities in which he or she must use for the greater good of others, rather than oneself. In the Epic story of the Aeneid written by Virgil, Aeneas is a prime example of portraying the qualities one needs to be a hero, exhibiting courage and noble qualities. Being successful doesn’t come easy for Aeneas, but through his display of virtuous mannerisms and help from the Gods, he integrates himself with family, his nation, and his Gods.
Aeneas faces tragedy after tragedy throughout the Epic, but still follows through with his duties as a father, brother and leader of his people. One instance that highlights the view Aeneas has on family is when Aeneas escorts his father, who is an elderly man and isn’t very mobile, out of troy, by carrying him father on his back. This shows the love he has for …show more content…
Juno, who despises Aeneas, wants him to fail in his mission to get to Italy, the land in which he is destined. Juno plans to stop Aeneas by continuing by making Dido fall in love with Aeneas. Dido and Aeneas hit it off with a bang and soon the two are obsessing with one another for quite a while. It is then that Mercury is sent down to tell Aeneas to leave Carthage and head to Italy, ““But it would be destined that he would be the man who would rule Italy, heavy in command and raging in war, a man who would carry forward a race from the blood of Teucer, and a man who might send the whole earth under its law”. Aeneas drops everything he has, including his lover Dido, his lover, to follow the Gods plan for his nation and himself, giving them his complete trust. Here we acknowledge the piety of Aeneas, at this moment he is living the life, free from war and has found a lover, leaving all that behind to get back onto ships and follows the Gods