The Aeneid by Virgil

I loved my World Lit class.  I really did.  I did not like all of the texts I had to read.  In fact, I disliked most of them.  The Aeneid was one of my favorites.  I guess that is to be expected.  I'm an English major, after all, and I prefer narrative over history and philosophy.  Don't get me wrong, I do love history and I enjoy philosophy.  I do not enjoy much of the Catholic philosophy that we covered.  It appalls me that such a group of before, told to love by their God and Creator, would choose to massacre so many in the name of said God....but that's a rabbit I'm not going to chase today.  

Today is about the poet Virgil and his masterpiece, The Aeneid.  I'm sure you'll find my reflection a bit critical, but to be honest, it was a fun read.  I enjoy the action-packed fantasy writing that is mimetic of Homer's great epic poems.  However, since I do love history, it's important to remember the context in which The Aeneid was written.  Augustus Octavian was Emperor of Rome, but he was smart enough not to call himself so.  Instead, he opted for the first citizen of Rome.  That went over much better with the people and the Senate.  Octavian's uncle, if you're unaware, was Julius Caesar.  Yes, that Julius Caesar.  

"Et tu, Brutus?" --William Shakespeare.  I don't know who I should credit for the pic,

but thanks for the humor.

Anyway, the citizens of Rome were pretty put-out by the fact that ol' Julius had attempted to become a dictator for life.  So, they offed him.  This started one hell of a civil war in which 19-year-old Octavian showed just how politically and physically lethal he could be.  If you know your history, then this isn't news to you.  If you don't, then it's a heck of a story, and I'm not going to tell the whole thing.  

I will tell you that after the civil war was resolved and Marc Antony's and Cleopatra's double-suicide, Octavian needed a way to truly unite Rome and solidify his authority.  That's where Virgil comes in.  Octavian enlisted Virgil to compose an origin story for Rome that supports his right to rule.  Virgil died before he finished The Aeneid, and had told his companions to burn the manuscript should he die before completing it, however, Octavian got his hands on it and had it published en masse.  There are some obvious issues that Virgil would have likely tightened up but died before he could.  In any case, The Aeneid is still a literary masterpiece.

I used the Robert Fagles translation, which is WONDERFUL!  I highly recommend using this translation.

Roman poet, Virgil, wrote his epic poem, The Aeneid, over a ten-year time and never finished it to his satisfaction.  He began the work endorsed by Caesar August around the time 30 BCE.  This two-part epic has been arguably considered the greatest contribution of literature from the whole of early European nations.  Others argue that Virgil has written a Romanized fan-fiction of Homer’s two epic poems, The Odyssey and The Illiad.  While there are a wealth of Homeric tones in Virgil’s masterpiece, he presents the flip-side of the coin beginning with the Battle of Troy and does not stop until his dutiful hero, Aeneas, establishes himself in a place destined to become Italy.  It is around Aeneas that this review will focus—particularly his philosophy in the first six books and effect his experiences had on said philosophy.

As many may remember, Aeneas was the most relevant Trojan character from Homer’s Illiad that was not given a full-character story.  He was notable enough for Homer to mention but not as notable as characters like Hector and Achilles.  The backstory Homer provided in his epic for Aeneas is one which Romans of the time would have been familiar.  This knowledge of the Trojan and his genealogical link to Caesar August—the one bank-rolling Virgil in writing the poem—set Virgil up nicely to identify the protagonist of his poem and coincidental patriarch of Italy. 

Though Homer does not give much information about Aeneas, he gives enough that Virgil is able to fill in the gaps.  The stark difference between Homer’s Aeneas and Virgil’s is found in the emotional state of the character.  Homer depicts Aeneas as Hector’s right-hand man with the drive of a true Trojan Warrior.  Virgil chooses to give Aeneas more dimensions to his character in the form of emotion.

This emotion is deeply embodied into the character of Aeneas throughout The Aeneid and is likely meant to reinforce the sufferings which Aeneas has constantly undergone.  In each of the first six books, Aeneas is shown weeping.  Despite being moved to tears, there is a touch of stoicism, “Sick with mounting cares he assumes a look of hope and keeps his anguish buried in his heart” (Virgil, p. 54, Book I, Lines 246-247).  Stoicism is often described as indifference to pleasure or pain, but it is also of the belief that “a good person should play an active role in public life” which Aeneas most definitely does (Noble, p. 111, par. 6).  Other concepts of stoicism can be seen in his patience, acceptance of fate, and his the adherence to his responsibility to the people of Troy.  We could go so far as to term Aeneas “the Emotional Stoic.”

In his defense, Aeneas has suffered some tragic turns of events.  The loss of his homeland, his wife (who he so easily lost and left-for-dead), the uncovering of a fellow-Trojan’s remains on foreign soil, constant storms brought on by the hate of Juno, and so on.  Aeneas only seems to show these emotions when they are deemed virtuous by Virgil himself and, in conjunction, Rome.  The place of women is much like that of Ancient Greece, meaning that they were unimportant and were constant scape-goats depicted as incapable.  It is at the hands of a woman that Troy has fallen, be it Helen or Venus; the spite of Juno follows Aeneas continually as she tries to thwart his every attempt to reach his destiny; distraction by the beautiful Dido ends with her dooming future Rome to never be at peace with Carthage; women are spurred on by Iris to burn the ships at Sicily; and even poor Lavinia—mother of Rome—never utters a single word.  It is strange that Virgil deems Aeneas’ tears worthy of the storm wreaking havoc and the death of his father, but not the death of either wife.  As far as women are concerned in our hero’s life, we shall deem Aeneas’ netherregion The Peen of Death, because that is the fate that befalls women who become smitten with the son of Venus.  To the women, Aeneas is stoic, or outright deceitful, but to the men and gods he is pious and filled with virtuous emotion.

Apart from Stoicism, Aeneas also noticeably exemplifies a characteristic described in Plato’s Republic.  He is forced to follow his role, much like Plato’s Guardians were forced to follow theirs.  In fact, Aeneas is a rather unwilling leader throughout the first six books which a mirror of Plato’s philosophy of “philosopher-kings” who are unwilling, contemplative, and continually striving to reach Truth (Plato, p. 192, 473d). Throughout the poem, Aeneas tries to settle in places like Carthage or Sicily but fate and the gods will him onward. 

Though Aeneas clearly depicts characteristics of both Stoicism and Platonism, it is not until Book VI that he truly begins to embody them.  The first five books of The Aeneid show an unwilling Aeneas who is stuck in his past.  He constantly looks back to Troy, that once-great city.  He continually dwells on every misfortune to befall him despite his steadfast commitment to the gods.  Noticing that Aeneas will continue to struggle until he changes his mindset, the phantom of his late-father  Anchises appears to Aeneas and tells him he must journey to the Underworld and find him in Elysium to gain understanding (Virgil, p. 177, Lines 811-814). 

During his journey through the Underworld Aeneas is forced to relive much of his painful past experiences before reaching Elysium. His lamentations renewed, but his guide does not allow him to wallow long and leads him to where his father, Anchises awaits.  Anchises then opens Aeneas’ eyes to the importance of his fate.  He reveals the future of the Great Roman Empire which is destined to be established by Aeneas’ own descendants.  This experience changes Aeneas and he begins to look toward future Rome and leaves Troy behind.

The conclusion of The Aeneid finds Aeneas in the thick of battle and, again, virtuously enraged at the death of a male character.  The difference between this Aeneas and the Aeneas from the first six books of The Aeneid is his drive.  Not only is he a willing participant in his fate, but he is also attacking and conquering it with a mighty vengeance (Virgil, p. 371, 508-509).  This new Aeneas is the model Roman.  He is stoic, he is steadfast, he is relentless in his pursuit of destiny, and he shows emotions when virtuous (in the eyes of this male-dominated society). Aeneas’ philosophy did not change.  He remained pious, patient, and resigned.  However, once he learned where to focus his thoughts, success became attainable.  Aeneas spent years tossed about on the sea, suffering hardships and island hopping.  Had he continued to live in his past the path to his future would not have been opened to him.  One can acknowledge the past and all the good and bad with which it came, but one cannot stay there forever.  We could do well to learn from Aeneas.  We must not live in the past as doing so will prevent the future.