Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Aeneas
- Criticism
- Charles James Fox "always
either insipid or odious"
- Wight Duff "The Aeneid
succeeds in spite of its
hero"
- Lifeless
- Puppet of the gods
- Lacking real
human
personality
- Pale shadow of
Homer's Achilles
- Virgil's
intention
- Not to create
new Achilles
- Create a hero appropriate to
non-heroic age
- Individualism of Odysseus
did not provide leadership
suitable for civilisation with
emphasis on social
qualities, responsibilities
and obligations
- Cf to Greek city
states, no
national identity
- Characterised by
- Willingness to subordinate
own individual personality to
needs and requirements of
his duty
- PIETAS
- Devotion to duty
- Pietas- a man should do what is right by his
gods, city and family, friends and enemies
- FUROR
- Act on impulse rather than
reason
- Like an
animal
- Aeneas attempts to
overcome his and others
furor via pietas
- Fails to do
so
- After Pallas' death
B10
- After his own
wound B12
- End of poem
where we kills
suppliant, Turnus
- Always uncertain about right
course of action: pondering,
worrying, lies awake at night
- Primarily
concerned
with
- Aeneas' efforts to
fulfil divine mission to
found new city
- Disaster and difficulties
causes doubt and despair
- Human frailty
- Suffering is essential. But he must go
on. He has been privileged to see into
Jupiter's book of fate.
- Wishes he had
died at Troy
- Lack of confidence in
the gods?
- Not until Anchises-
underworld-future Roman
when he feels strong and
resolute
- Christian
Hero?
- Aeneas acceptance of divine
mission weaker than that of
Christian heroes
- Does not draw
infinite strength and
determination from
mission
- Sees it only dimly.
- Minimal violence
- Solution to overcoming violent
opposition is violence, the
Roman historical solution
- Helps Augstus carry on fighting.
H is trying to civilise world thus
justifying war
- Virgil did not like
war
- Question of human
free-will
- Is Aeneas a
marionette of
fate
- No the Roman mission came
true, therefore it had to all the
time
- Aeneas achievements were
in fact the achievements of
fate and the gods
- is it surprising that a pious
devoted hero receives help in
desperate need? No. Not a
puppet.
- Aeneas free to give
up mission at any
stage
- Should he 'forget his
destiny'. It was essential
for future of Rone that he
shoud not
- Roman readers had similar task.
Like Aebeas they should not
forget their destiny: to create an
Empire without limits