The Arrogance and Pride of Humans
There are countless descriptions that people use to detail the tendencies of humans, but not everyone can agree upon which description better matches the overall nature of humans. As a result, barely anybody has the same outlook on humanity as each other. The famous writer of the Aeneid, Virgil, even has his own interpretation of human nature that other may or may not agree with. Virgil, being tasked with writing a national epic for Rome, works for many years up to his inevitable death on the piece he calls a “failure.” Now being taught in schools as one of the most well written epics in history, the Aeneid details the story of a man with a job to found Rome. Virgil expresses his views on humanity through this …show more content…
When the Queen of Carthage, Dido loses her husband, she vows to never remarry again. This does not stop a king named Iarbas from attempting to win her over and become her husband. The Queen eventually throws her vows down the toilet as she goes on to marry a Trojan soldier by the name of Aeneas, the main character of the Aeneid. “King Iarbas, crazed by the raw story/ Stood, they say, amid the Presences,/ With supplicating hands, pouring out prayer/ ‘All powerful Jove, to whom the feasting Moors… This woman/ Who turned up in our country and laid down/ A tiny city at a price to whom/ I gave a beach to plow… After refusing to marry me has taken/ Aeneas to be master in her realm” (Virgil, Aeneid: Book IV 264 - 277). Iarbas, sitting at the high rank of king, becomes arrogant and earns a sense of deserving. He believes that, as king, he has a personal belief that he is more important and worthy of Dido’s hand in marriage than a mere soldier from Troy. Virgil uses this to explain how there are people who think of themselves as more deserving than others, which can lead them to personal anger when they do not have their way. This is not the only time someone think highly of their importance due to their status. “And you neither see nor care; and even threaten to rob me of my prize given by the sons of Achaea, reward for which I laboured. When the Achaeans sack some rich Trojan city, it’s not I who win the prize… So now I’m for Phthia, since it's better to lead my beaked ships home than stay here dishonored piling up wealth and goods for you” (Homer, Iliad: Book I 151 - 153). Achilles says this to Agamemnon, king of men. Agamemnon expresses his arrogance similar to King Iarbas; using his high-ranking to explain his sense of deservingness. Agamemnon believes that he deserves the credit and prizes because he seems
There are countless descriptions that people use to detail the tendencies of humans, but not everyone can agree upon which description better matches the overall nature of humans. As a result, barely anybody has the same outlook on humanity as each other. The famous writer of the Aeneid, Virgil, even has his own interpretation of human nature that other may or may not agree with. Virgil, being tasked with writing a national epic for Rome, works for many years up to his inevitable death on the piece he calls a “failure.” Now being taught in schools as one of the most well written epics in history, the Aeneid details the story of a man with a job to found Rome. Virgil expresses his views on humanity through this …show more content…
When the Queen of Carthage, Dido loses her husband, she vows to never remarry again. This does not stop a king named Iarbas from attempting to win her over and become her husband. The Queen eventually throws her vows down the toilet as she goes on to marry a Trojan soldier by the name of Aeneas, the main character of the Aeneid. “King Iarbas, crazed by the raw story/ Stood, they say, amid the Presences,/ With supplicating hands, pouring out prayer/ ‘All powerful Jove, to whom the feasting Moors… This woman/ Who turned up in our country and laid down/ A tiny city at a price to whom/ I gave a beach to plow… After refusing to marry me has taken/ Aeneas to be master in her realm” (Virgil, Aeneid: Book IV 264 - 277). Iarbas, sitting at the high rank of king, becomes arrogant and earns a sense of deserving. He believes that, as king, he has a personal belief that he is more important and worthy of Dido’s hand in marriage than a mere soldier from Troy. Virgil uses this to explain how there are people who think of themselves as more deserving than others, which can lead them to personal anger when they do not have their way. This is not the only time someone think highly of their importance due to their status. “And you neither see nor care; and even threaten to rob me of my prize given by the sons of Achaea, reward for which I laboured. When the Achaeans sack some rich Trojan city, it’s not I who win the prize… So now I’m for Phthia, since it's better to lead my beaked ships home than stay here dishonored piling up wealth and goods for you” (Homer, Iliad: Book I 151 - 153). Achilles says this to Agamemnon, king of men. Agamemnon expresses his arrogance similar to King Iarbas; using his high-ranking to explain his sense of deservingness. Agamemnon believes that he deserves the credit and prizes because he seems