Civ_1

At the conclusion of the 10 year Trojan War, the Trojan forces had fallen and the city of troy was destroyed by the Greek army. Left with nothing, Aeneas and fellow Trojans abandon Troy and set sail to found a new city. The Aeneid follows Aeneas’s journey and the challenges he faces along the way to fulfilling his destiny of founding the city of Rome. When the story begins, Aeneid is portrayed as dutiful and respectful, as he continues to fulfill his destiny of establishing a new city, despite the challenges and ordeals he and his men face along the way. A major determinant of Aeneas’s character is his piety and strong will to carry out the plans set forth to him by the Gods. As the poem continues, we witness Aeneas’s piety grow stronger despite the numerous challenges and tests of faith that he endures.  Aeneas's has many opportunities to stray from his journey, considering the numerous obstacles and challenges that he faces, which include: twice failing to build the new city, encountering stormy weather, and plagued with bad omens and curses. Once in Carthage, Aeneas is welcomed by Dido, a queen whom later lives with and becomes the victim of lust. Aeneas is content in Carthage and losses sight of his destiny until Mercury, sent by Jupiter, reminds Aeneas that his journey must be fulfilled and that his destiny is not with Dido. Although reluctant and displeased with the message he receives, Aeneas obeys the will of the Gods and plans his departure from Carthage. When confronted by Dido regarding his departure, Aeneas explains “I sail for Italy not of my own free will” (Lawall IV.499). Although Aeneas does not want to leave Dido, he is bounded by his piety and faith to follow the will of the Gods at all costs. In Aeneas’s final goodbye to Dido, we witness the warrior’s reluctance to leave and his commitment to the Gods. Virgil discusses the challenges that Aeneas faces and eventually overcomes when in the poet’s reference to Aeneas’s “struggle with desire to calm and comfort [Dido] in all her pain” (Lawall IV.546–547). Virgil’s statement about the conflicted feelings of Aeneas further alludes to the warrior’s worship of his duties and fulfillment of the God’s will without restriction. Aeneas is willing to sacrifice his own happiness and comfort to fulfill his destiny and commitment to the Gods. If not for piety and a strong respect for the Gods, Aeneas may have disregarded the Gods will and failed to fulfill his destiny of establishing a new city. Due to the maturity of Aeneas throughout the course of his journey and him staying true to his beliefs, we are able to see the continuation of Aeneas’s proposed journey and the eventual fulfillment of his destiny. The Aeneid should not be considered a political propaganda, because the work is not by nature a political poem. Although the poem discusses topics of Roman history and culture, the poem should still be considered an artistic work. Virgil, whom is the poet of the Aeneid created the work during a time of high tensions and political turmoil; however his creation should not be considered a propaganda which is meant to sculpt the political minds of readers. Virgil’s work is most certainly shaped by the environment in which he wrote it; however the Aeneid is not biased or meant to sway the beliefs or feelings of readers. All artistic works evoke emotion and thought, which is why I do not consider this poem to be specifically a political work. I consider the Aeneid to be a continuation of Homer’s work the Iliad, as Aeneas is a character from that epic poem. Virgil further develops and elaborates on a character that Homer created long before Virgil’s work. If The Aeneid is considered a political poem, then there is reason to believe that Homer’s work, the Iliad, is also propaganda. It is would be reasonable to do so because The Aeneid explores topics and further develops a preexisting character, Aeneas. The Iliad is classified as an epic tale and not a political poem; therefore, it should not be assumed that the Aeneid is written as propaganda. Instead, the work should be considered an artistic work that reflects the concerns and culture of the time period in which it was written. Works Cited Lawall, Sarah. The Norton Anthology of Western Literature, 8th Edition. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2006.