A leader’s utmost important trait, loyalty, can be shown through Virgil’s Aeneid. Aeneas, the father of the roman civilization, has several different traits attributed to him throughout the story; piety, internal strife, and action. These traits can all be classified as loyalty or as a direct result of loyalty. This paper will show that these traits are a result of loyalty, but that they are necessary aspects to a leader in both The Aeneid and in the present.
Aeneas is presented as the epitome of piety several times in The Aeneid. Aeneas’s character shows piety as fidelity to the gods and he shows his reverence by putting the Gods’ wants over his own. Aeneas’s expresses the origin of piety in a conversation with Palinurus, where Aeneas says, …show more content…
Loyalty is a large factor in Aeneas’s life. His ranking of loyalties is what causes internal suffering and emotional conflict. By making his loyalties to the gods a priority Aeneas causes strife within himself through ranking his loyalties to first the Gods’, second his family, third his people, and then finally allows other loyalties to exist. Piety having been shown as fidelity to the Gods’ wishes is what causes Aeneas the most pain. This is due to the direct conflicts of the loyalty to the Gods’ and his loyalty to Dido. Aeneas is loyal to the Gods’; however, it is because he is pious that he struggles to reconcile his relationship with Dido and the fate of his life. When speaking to Dido, Aeneas is forced to “[press] care back within his breast (90).” The insight provided by this quip, can display that Aeneas must fight his want to follow enjoyable loyalties to honor and follow the gods. The idea that he must hide his true feelings to abandon Dido allows for the inference that Aeneas is torn internally but has chosen to comply with what the Gods’ wishes. Aeneas also is shown obeying his loyalty to his family through the choice to leave Dido for his sons’ future. The loyalty Aeneas has for his son was in part the reason he left Dido to go to Italy. Aeneas’s own words “I see the wrong I have done / to one so dear, my boy Ascanius, / whom I am cheating of Hesperia, / the fields assigned by fate …show more content…
They are a person who, undeterred by external issues continue to hold steadfast to their beliefs, and always will fight for their cause. Aeneas’ embodiment would be recognized also as internally torn between following the gods and following their own personal loyalties. Such a person would rise to power quickly and stay there for the remainder of their life never straying for too long from the path that the gods had destined for them. This great person would always be in action and continue to pursue the goal given to them by the gods. The resulting person would be a strong leader who would always do what is best for the people who follow them. The result of such a leader would be an empire or country so great that there would be no empire to rival it for
Aeneas is presented as the epitome of piety several times in The Aeneid. Aeneas’s character shows piety as fidelity to the gods and he shows his reverence by putting the Gods’ wants over his own. Aeneas’s expresses the origin of piety in a conversation with Palinurus, where Aeneas says, …show more content…
Loyalty is a large factor in Aeneas’s life. His ranking of loyalties is what causes internal suffering and emotional conflict. By making his loyalties to the gods a priority Aeneas causes strife within himself through ranking his loyalties to first the Gods’, second his family, third his people, and then finally allows other loyalties to exist. Piety having been shown as fidelity to the Gods’ wishes is what causes Aeneas the most pain. This is due to the direct conflicts of the loyalty to the Gods’ and his loyalty to Dido. Aeneas is loyal to the Gods’; however, it is because he is pious that he struggles to reconcile his relationship with Dido and the fate of his life. When speaking to Dido, Aeneas is forced to “[press] care back within his breast (90).” The insight provided by this quip, can display that Aeneas must fight his want to follow enjoyable loyalties to honor and follow the gods. The idea that he must hide his true feelings to abandon Dido allows for the inference that Aeneas is torn internally but has chosen to comply with what the Gods’ wishes. Aeneas also is shown obeying his loyalty to his family through the choice to leave Dido for his sons’ future. The loyalty Aeneas has for his son was in part the reason he left Dido to go to Italy. Aeneas’s own words “I see the wrong I have done / to one so dear, my boy Ascanius, / whom I am cheating of Hesperia, / the fields assigned by fate …show more content…
They are a person who, undeterred by external issues continue to hold steadfast to their beliefs, and always will fight for their cause. Aeneas’ embodiment would be recognized also as internally torn between following the gods and following their own personal loyalties. Such a person would rise to power quickly and stay there for the remainder of their life never straying for too long from the path that the gods had destined for them. This great person would always be in action and continue to pursue the goal given to them by the gods. The resulting person would be a strong leader who would always do what is best for the people who follow them. The result of such a leader would be an empire or country so great that there would be no empire to rival it for