Theme Of Propaganda In The Aeneid

Superior Essays
Roman Propaganda The Aeneid centers on a man, Aeneas, who travels to search for his new home. When Troy crumbles Aeneas leaves in order to search for Latium, a place set aside by Zeus for the Trojans to begin the Roman Empire. While attempting to reach home Aeneas finds himself in various situations that lead up to a climax later in the poem when Aeneas reaches Latium and must battle the Latins in order to retain his claim to the land. This poem focuses on a hero who follows the normal path of an epic work of poetry, but Virgil accomplishes more than simply pushing a plotline forward. He also cleverly sews nationalistic messages into The Aeneid by displaying the gods’ favor and Aeneas’s virtues. At first it may appear that The Aeneid centers …show more content…
Throughout the poem the reader realizes that Aeneas retains positive qualities that exemplify Roman values. Aeneas manifests three main qualities throughout The Aeneid, the first being his leadership skills. While the city begins crumbling around the Trojans, Aeneas stands against the Greeks by rallying troops. He cries, “Brave hearts-brave in vain if you are committed to follow me to follow me to the end-you see how we stand” (2.409-11). Aeneas stirs the hearts of his men with a compelling speech. Not only is he able to emotionally charge them, but he also brings them to action against the Greeks. The ability to produce a band of warriors in an already lost war truly sets apart Aeneas’s leadership ability. He openly states, “All that is left for us is to rush onto swords and die” (2.414-15). Even though the situation seems hopeless, Aeneas brings a calming presence and rouses men to fight. This adept leadership skill holds value in Roman culture. Virgil wants the readers to visualize how the glorious founder of Rome capably handles terrible situations. This section of the reading flaunts a great Roman’s ability to lead an army, therefore, Virgil subliminally states that Aeneas’s action represents an ideal of the Roman nation. The might of Rome appears in Aeneas’s decision to fight in a hopeless situation. Aeneas not only leads an army, but he also directs a …show more content…
Aeneas’s piety is tested when Mercury brings order from Zeus commanding Aeneas to leave Carthage and follow his destiny. Choosing to follow the will of the gods comes before the wishes of Aeneas. We know that Aeneas loves Dido because he calls her “my queen” and states that he never regrets knowing her (4.379-82). Furthermore, he explains that he must leave because the gods proclaimed that he must. The gods state that his destiny awaits in Rome, and they remind him that his son inherits the kingdom after Aeneas dies. Aeneas even declares, “It is not my own will-this quest for Italy” (4.395-415). Proving his piety by abandoning the woman he loves, Aeneas demonstrates the religious fervor that holds high esteem in Roman culture. Aeneas possesses these qualities in order to represent his nation, and these qualities all are positive in nature. Therefore, one concludes that the Roman Empire must demonstrate excellent leadership, strong family bonds, and great reverence for the gods. Virgil continues his argument when he includes the god’s response to Aeneas’s behavior. Aiding and defending, the gods appear to respect Aeneas because of the Roman characteristics he

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Some ancient Roman writers modeled literature pieces after Greek literature pieces. Virgil, an ancient Roman writer, also considered Rome’s greatest poet, was called on by Caesar Augustus to compose an epic poem about the founding of Rome that would rival those of the Greek’s, Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. In response, Virgil wrote the Aeneid, which tells the story of Aeneas, a Trojan prince and early ancestor of Rome. Livy, was another ancient Roman writer, who wrote hundreds of books about the history of Rome. He followed the example of the Greek historian,…

    • 461 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The Aenied Analysis

    • 86 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Republican culture emphasized several distinct virtues, including thrift, piety, trustworthiness, self-discipline, self-sacrifice, obedience the “paterfamilias”(male head of a family), and devotion to liberty. As years passed, the Roman people were pulled from the republican virtues, The Aenied was an attempt to bring the people back to what was really important, and Aeneas, the Roman hero, demonstrated that. These problems included the rise of powerful generals, influence of Christianity, and distinct classes. These all lead to the fall of Rome and created problems within the Roman state.…

    • 86 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “The Final Hours of Troy” Virgil is a first century B.C.E. Roman epic poem writer. Virgil wrote the greatest epic poem and the most influential work of all classical literature, The Aeneid. The Aeneid makes up twelve books in total and it incorporates various legends of Aeneas who later becomes the founder of the Roman Empire. The story of “The Final Hours of Troy” is Book II of The Aeneid and it’s told by the Trojan Prince, Aeneas, to a Queen named Didio and her court. This long and tragic story begins with the 10-year war between the Greeks and Trojans.…

    • 761 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Aeneid was then written in a time of great political and cultural change, as the established political order is replaced by an emperor. Ovid himself states, “...and the exiled Aeneas, the beginnings of lofty Rome: no Latin work is more famous.” (Ovid. Ars Amatoria. 3.337-38.…

    • 323 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Gods In The Aeneid

    • 1186 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The Aeneid, a long poem written by Vergil, focuses on the journey of the Trojan Aeneas and his men as they travel to found Rome. Vergil’s intricate and carefully planned writing provides a background to each character and place that the heroes encounter on their travels. In Book One, three gods; Juno, Aeolus, and Neptune; give speeches that give insight into their personalities. Juno is the queen of the gods who fears and dislikes Aeneas because he has the potential to overthrow her beloved city of Carthage. Aeolus is the god of the winds who assists Juno in attempting to throw Aeneas off course.…

    • 1186 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Augustine And The Aeneid

    • 1090 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Desire is very prevalent in both Augustine’s Confessions and Virgil’s Aeneid. It often has dangerous consequences--whether it be falling away from God and spirituality, like Augustine, or shirking away from pietas like Aeneas. The Confessions illustrates how desires and choices can morph into habits which tear a person away from God whereas the Aeneid demonstrates that desire and furor are nearly interchangeable, and when gone wrong, can have deadly outcomes. The gravest consequence of desire for Augustine as seen in Confessions is him drawing himself away from God.…

    • 1090 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Aeneid by Virgil, centered on the Trojan warrior Aeneas, tells the tale of a survivor’s journey to fulfill destiny by founding a new city for the Trojan refugees. While searching for this destined kingdom, Aeneas has a vision of his father Anchises and receives the “Rule of Law” which will dictate the actions of this new city’s inhabitants. The future city was to be structured on this rule, “To spare the defeated, break the proud in war,” (A. VI. 980) as well as rational thinking. During his journey, Aeneas enrages a local warrior, Turnus, in a dispute over the hand of Princess Lavinia. This dispute led to a war, which ended with Aeneas killing Turnus, forming a problem that Virgil had eluded to throughout the entirety of the poem.…

    • 821 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    It is not difficult for one, especially someone as important and brave as Aeneas, to disassociate from the true effects of war, but this vision brings him back to reality, mentally and physically. Virgil ends the catalogue with the saddest vision to remind the Roman people that even if they are triumphant in battles, there are truly no winners when it comes to…

    • 1320 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    He goes exploring with his faithful Achates, and meets his mother disguised as a young huntress nearby. She tells him the story of the founding of the nearby town, Carthage, by Dido, leader of Tyrians escaping the rule of Dido's brother. As the two men go on into the town, Venus hides them in a mist. Poor Aeneas, as always needs someone to hold his hand and help him along the way. When Aeneas sees on one of the new buildings pictures of the Trojan War, he takes comfort in seeing that the history of the fall of Troy is known here, and so they care about such human suffering.…

    • 1047 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In ancient Roman history, Virgil a great poet wrote two of the most epic poems in The Iliad and The Aeneid. Both poems contained main characters that were meant to showcase the greatness that was to be a standard for being a great Roman hero in respect to Achilles and Aeneas through respect to Gods, duty to their country and loyalty to family. Although these characters were similar in their own respect, Virgil made a clear distention in the two using their personalities and different motivations. In comparing these characters, you will first find that both were demigods were one parent is a God and the other parent is a mortal.…

    • 753 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Aeneas' Leadership in the Aeneid. In the Aeneid by Virgil the main character Aeneas tries to be a good leader to his people, but fails; showing the lack of good leadership qualities in the majority of the book. A good leader is a person who supports people he/she is in charge of, sets a good example following rules of pietas, and helps in accomplishing a common goal.…

    • 1816 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    And the Gods ordered him to return after he fulfilled himself by Calypso. Odysseus ' actions portray self-interest. His private life and happiness is all above his public duty, which is what the Romans despise. Aeneas ' character compared to Odysseus ' self-interested character propels Romans way beyond that of the Greeks.…

    • 999 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Duty In Virgil's Aeneid

    • 1711 Words
    • 7 Pages

    “But though he longs to soften, soothe her sorrow and turn aside her troubles with sweet words, though groaning long and shaken in his mind because of his great love, nevertheless pious Aeneas carries out the gods’ instructions. Now he turns back to his fleet.” (Virgil 94) Pain often must be endured to complete one’s duty. The quote above from Virgil’s Aeneid describes precisely that.…

    • 1711 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Here the achievements of one individual has no place in the greater scheme of life as a whole, nor in the eyes of the country. In Virgil’s tale he epitomizes the ideal of honor in serving one’s country, which in today’s society is still a major philosophy. Aeneas’ duty is to his country, not to himself, and throughout his adventure he consistently puts his mission of founding a country above his own personal wants. For example when Aeneas is in the cave with Dido, he places his gods-given mission of founding a new homeland above his love of Dido. The theme is further illustrated when he travels to the underworld and encounters the ghostly specter of Dido due to the fact she committed suicide.…

    • 820 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    We witness this when Juno sends Iris down to work the women up in a frenzy to burn the ships (Coleman 151). Then we see the internal when, “The Aeneas was overwhelmed by the vision, stunned, his hackle bristles with fear, his voice chokes in this throat (Virgil 1015).” It is per Coleman, “internal motivation of human behavior comes principally through dreams and visions (Coleman 145).” The Roman people accepted both types of interventions at the time the Virgil composed the Aeneid. The one thing which separates Aeneas from the rest of the epic heroes the gods already determined his fate, therefore, making his life was divine…

    • 1238 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays