Roman society can be marked by the virtues applauded in its citizens. Such virtues as dignitas, gravitas, and comitas were the pillars of character; to display these was to be a true Roman, worthy of the respect of others. In The Aeneid, Virgil – through the storytelling of Aeneas in Book II – describes Ulysses, also known as Odysseus, the hero of Homer’s epic poems. Virgil, however, portrays Ulysses as a man without veritas, or truthfulness, making him unworthy of the respect of others. At the very beginning of Book II, Aeneas recounts how Laocoön asked, “Do you believe… that any Greek gifts are free of craft? Is this the way Ulysses acts?” (II, 61-63) Laocoön is reminding the crowd of Trojans how treacherous Ulysses can be. He doubts
