The death of ruler, especially during a war, often signifies the death and utter destruction of a community. Priam’s death as portrayed in both Virgil’s The Aeneid and Seneca’s Trojan Women shows the merciless slaughter of the king on an altar symbolizing the complete ruin of Troy. However, Virgil and Seneca portray Priam in a different light. In The Aeneid Priam is shown to be fighting to his death even though he is frail and old, whereas Seneca focuses on Priam’s death as just one of the many adding to the continual suffering of all the remaining Trojans. Virgil’s Priam is a symbol of Virgil’s notion of the ideal Roman leader, strong and fighting to the end, while to Seneca Priam’s death is not one of great importance rather just another
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Aeneas is watching the other Trojan royal line being killed off and realizes the utter destruction of Troy; “the monarch who once had ruled all in his glory… A powerful trunk is lying on the shore. The head wrenched from the shoulders. A corpse without a name,” (Aen.II. 687-692). Through the death of Priam, Aeneas sees that Troy itself is being sacrificed as the life of Priam is directly related to the life of Troy. The trunk is all the power and greatness that was Troy, but is left wasting away unassuming with the passing of its ruler. Virgil is reinforcing his ideal that in order for a civilization to prosper there must be a strong ruler who is so entwined with the civilization that without the ruler the civilization will wither away. Throughout the course of The Aeneid Virgil emphasizes certain characteristics in Priam, Aeneas, and Ascanius that fit the notion of an ideal Roman leader. In Priam’s death, Virgil highlights that even though Priam is old and frail he is willing to fight to the very end for his country, “with all his might the old man flings his spear- but too impotent now to pierce, it merely grazes Pyrrhus’ brazen shield that blocks its way…all for nothing,” (Aen.672-677). By fighting to the end Priam acts as a model for an ideal Virgilian ruler. Since Aeneas, who will act as the continuation of Troy’s legacy, witnesses Priam’s death Aeneas is able to recognize the traits of the great leader that he can then pass on to his son Ascanius who continues on the found Rome thus spreading those ideas throughout Rome’s legacy. In The Aeneid Priam’s death is one to be honored for his strength till the end and taken as the death of the city along with its
Aeneas is watching the other Trojan royal line being killed off and realizes the utter destruction of Troy; “the monarch who once had ruled all in his glory… A powerful trunk is lying on the shore. The head wrenched from the shoulders. A corpse without a name,” (Aen.II. 687-692). Through the death of Priam, Aeneas sees that Troy itself is being sacrificed as the life of Priam is directly related to the life of Troy. The trunk is all the power and greatness that was Troy, but is left wasting away unassuming with the passing of its ruler. Virgil is reinforcing his ideal that in order for a civilization to prosper there must be a strong ruler who is so entwined with the civilization that without the ruler the civilization will wither away. Throughout the course of The Aeneid Virgil emphasizes certain characteristics in Priam, Aeneas, and Ascanius that fit the notion of an ideal Roman leader. In Priam’s death, Virgil highlights that even though Priam is old and frail he is willing to fight to the very end for his country, “with all his might the old man flings his spear- but too impotent now to pierce, it merely grazes Pyrrhus’ brazen shield that blocks its way…all for nothing,” (Aen.672-677). By fighting to the end Priam acts as a model for an ideal Virgilian ruler. Since Aeneas, who will act as the continuation of Troy’s legacy, witnesses Priam’s death Aeneas is able to recognize the traits of the great leader that he can then pass on to his son Ascanius who continues on the found Rome thus spreading those ideas throughout Rome’s legacy. In The Aeneid Priam’s death is one to be honored for his strength till the end and taken as the death of the city along with its