Aeneid

In Virgil’s Aeneid, Nisus asks the question, “Do the gods / Put this fire in our hearts, Euryalus, / Or do our passions become our gods?” (Aeneid 9.244-226). Nisus is asking whether passions motivate human actions, or whether the gods make humans do what they do. While examining the cause of Dido’s death, Nisus’ question arises: Did Dido kill herself because her own passion drove herself to death, or because the gods instilled that passion in her? Distinguishing between her own passion and the…

Through these stories the creation of Rome and the natural world were explained to the citizens of Rome. In the Aeneid gods and goddesses determine the destiny of the mortal beings and hold supreme control. The Iliad was distributed 700 years prior to the civilization of Rome, and Roman works of mythology did not appear until 1000 years after the Greeks demise .…

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…

Lastly, after arriving in Italy, Juno further attempts to disrupt the actions of the Trojans by pitting the native Latins against them. She accomplishes this by sending Allecto, a fury, to infiltrate and infect the minds of Amata, King Latinus’ wife, and Turnus, a politically powerful suitor and warrior, causing them to meet the Trojans with hostility inciting the rest of the Latins against them. This inevitably leads to the Trojans and Latins going to war; the Trojans led by Aeneas, and the…

that came in waves from the steppes of today's Russia and Asia, collapse leaving the world to deal with centuries of dark ages. The importance of Rome must be understood in those terms, just like great Roman poet Virgil predicted in his epic work Aeneid.
 When Octavian, now called Augustus, assumed imperial power many institutions…

Many people try changing their destiny to better suit themselves, whether through studying more to earn better grades and have a brighter future or taking action to face obstacles around them to accomplish what is desired. The majority of the human race holds guilt to this, even the ancient Greeks and Romans. Listening to the wise Mahatma Gandhi, people try to “be the change [they] want to see in the world.” Gandhi’s words may not have been known during the time in and around the Trojan War, but…

Underworld is much different for Aeneas. In the Aeneid, he is following through on the last wish of his father, who urged him to travel to the Underworld after his death for one last moment to speak to him. Virgil remarks that Aeneas is “duty-bound” because he obeys his father’s instruction.…

In Virgil’s The Aeneid, the reader is introduced to the character Dido. Beginning with the influence of Cupid, this vulnerable Queen of Carthage was a malleable mortal; predetermined to suffer the hardships of life and the outside influences of fate. By introducing this character, one may question the motives the author intended for the reader to form based off of the facts presented about the queen in relation to the Roman morals during Virgil’s time. Was Dido a great leader who simply could…

This is the common theme shared by the story of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and the ancient Roman text The Aeneid by Vergil. The deer and fire imagery that highlights the disastrous love of Dido and Aeneas is referenced through Victor Frankenstein. Both texts comment on powerful emotions and unavoidable fate. The tragedy itself begins with the realization that love is painful. In the Aeneid, Dido doesn’t realize how strong her feelings for Aeneas are until it’s too late. For her, love is felt…

Differently to the way Homer portrays women in The Iliad Virgil’s Aeneid portrayal of female characters allows Virgil to give women a stand in the war and in society. But to Virgil, a great leader must be able to control their temperance on both the throne and the on the battlefield. It is not very popular to see women have control over a land or be apart of a war because stereotypically women are seen to be sensitive and weak. However, in the epic Virgil does a good job to show how powerful a…