Aeneas's Representation Of Pietas In The Aeneid

Aeneas is the prime example of what it means to represent pietas. Pietas is a custom that Romans used to describe ones duty and or loyalty to their family, the gods, and their city. Throughout book two Aeneas continuously shows how he goes above and beyond to fulfill his pietas to his father Anchises, his wife Creusa, and his beloved city of Troy. While Aeneas constantly fulfilled pietas by making sacrifices that not only affected him, but also his family this built Aeneas character molding him into the first true hero of Rome. Aeneas exemplifies pietas first by the care that he has for his father. After Pyrrhus son of Achilles slaughters Polites the son of Priam and Hecuba, and Priam himself within his own altar Aeneas is soon reminded of his own son, father, and wife and immediately becomes home bound. While on his way home to his family …show more content…
Aeneas leaves Troy with his father Anchises on his back, his son Iulus holding his hand, and his wife fairly close behind. On their way out of the city the lose Creusa but not to notice this until they’d reached a safe place and begin to search for her. Once Aeneas noticed that Creusa was nowhere to be found he headed back to the city of Troy to go and find her. This is a great example of pietas because with Aeneas knowing the conditions of Troy I believe that before Aeneas headed back that it was very unlikely that he was going to find his wife alive. But nevertheless he went back to look for Creusa and found her ghost, this was disheartening to Aeneas as Creusa told him that she was unable to go with him and that he needed to go on because he was going to wed again and also come across a new home land. Although Aeneas wasn’t happy about the outcome of his wife I believe that this gave him the strength to make sure that his pietas stayed strong within his family toward his father and