Unwitting Propaganda in the Shield of Aeneas - Research Paper Example

I. INTRODUCTION A. What and where is the ‘Shield of Aeneas” (Thrown in as echo of Homer)? The Shield of Aeneas is part ofa set of armor given as a gift by Aeneas’ mother, Venus. It is a gift given worthy of his imposing stature. The Shield of Aeneas is received and studied in a very special place of the remote Caere-vale, an area that is withdrawn from Arcadian Rome and present war preparations (Miller 45). B. What was Virgil’s purpose in writing the Aeneid? Virgil’s main purpose of writing the Aeneid was to prove to Homer that the Roman tradition surpasses the Greek tradition. This desire is seen in Augustan Rome which is the Golden Age that Virgil wrote, as the Roman Empire made all efforts to outshine accomplishments made by ancient Greece (Toll 34). C. How (very briefly) does it fit into the agenda of Book 8? Virgil’s purpose of writing Aeneas fits into the agenda of Book 8 in that he has provided a number of contrasts between Romulus’s humble beginnings and Caesar’s far reaching glory (Hardie 78). Additionally, his description of the mural on the Shield of Aeneas emphasizes on the Roman legend, stressing Augustus’s position as the climax of that particular legend. D. Briefly survey how various scholars have interpreted the shield. Around 30BC, Virgil, a Roman poet began composing the Aeneid, which is an epic revolving around Aeneas the legendary hero, founding and destiny of Rome (Galinsky 100). The epic also offers tales of adventure where gods and goddesses, doomed lovers, warriors and even ghosts are featured. Even though Virgil died before completing the work, it established his reputation as the foremost poet of the Romans (Faber 49). In the course of history, numerous scholars have attempted to interpret the Shield of Aeneas in addition to contributing to the account of how Aeneas went to Italy so that his offspring could put up Rome (Casali 185). Virgil wrote the Aeneid based on the Iliad and the Odyssey, which were Homer’s 2 most admired epics of ancient Greece. Literary scholars are to this day still debating Homer’s existence in spite of existence of the two epics (Miller 48). However, majority of writers and scholars use the Aeneid together with the ancient Greek epics of Homer as their models. The Aeneid also influenced a number of English writers for instance poets Edmund Spenser and John Milton who wrote epics reflecting the work’s influence (Toll 35). John Dryden was also a poet who translated the Aeneid and whose version is considered one of the best English translations. Majority of earlier modern interpretations of the Shield of Aeneid concentrated on its political ramifications, for instance G.E. Lessing (1776) cited that the shield is an interpolation meant to flatter the pride of the Romans (Hardie 79). Lessing also stated that the shield was copied from the one made by Homer and therefore must exist for the reason of promoting Augustus. The shield’s symbolism is as a token of criminality that is relevant to its bearer. The shield exhibits an emblem of divinely maddened Io, where the shield device is a reflection of the characteristics of its owner (Galinsky 103). Majority of scholars believe that the rich description given of the shield tends to parallel Homer’s description of the shield that Vulcan made for Achilles in The Iliad (Faber 50). Thesis Sentence: Virgil meant for the shield to represent divine protection of Rome, hence serving Augustus’ propaganda purposes, but it can also be interpreted as symbolic of deception. II. PROOFS A. Description of shield – any description here. The shield of Aeneas feature elaborate details as described by Virgil. As aforementioned, the shield was given as a gift from Venus for use in battle. The details included on the shield are as intricate as it is beautiful. The description of the shield provides Virgil with a great place to commemorate the most significant conquest Augustus won during the Battle of Actium (Galinsky 107). The shield portrays the momentous events that will take place in the future glory that is Rome. The themes incorporated in this particular shield also suggest that of a promising future (Miller 50). Scenes displayed on the shield’s face bear no resemblance to those displayed on Achilles’ shield. While the latter depicts generic descriptions of human life in different aspects, Aeneas’ shield depicts scenes from Roman history culminating in the Battle (Toll 36). On Aeneas’ shield the lord with the power of fire and knowledge of the centuries to come was depicted as having fashioned the history of Italy and Rome’s triumphs (Hardie 80). A she-wolf, having just littered was shown lying on the ground in the green cave of Mars while Romulus and Remus, twin brothers, were depicted as hanging and playing on the she-wolf’s teats. They were shown fearlessly sucking at their foster mother. She in turn caressed them and licked their limbs with her tongue as they sucked on her (Galinsky 109). Also on the face of the shield, Rome, the Sabine women snatched from the seated crowd when the games were held in the Circus was depicted (Casali 186). Next, Tatius and Cures, were depicted standing armed in front of Jove’s altar, holding wine cups and sacrificing a sow. Not far from that, there was yet another depiction of 4-horse chariots being driven in different directions and tore Mettus apart (Toll 37). Tullus is then seen dragging the liar’s guts through the woods. Porsenna was on the face of the shield too, where he was seen ordering Rome to take back Tarquin after being banished (Miller 52). The scions of Aeneas running on the sword for the sake of freedom could also be observed. One could see Porsenna angry due to Cloelia breaking her chains and swimming the river. Also depicted on the face of the shield of Aeneas were the Gauls in the gorse, protected by the dark night. They appeared to shine in striped cloaks where they each waved 2 Alpine javelins in their hands, long shields protecting their bodies (Faber 51). The scene ends with a scene of the leaping Salii and naked Luperci. What has just been described is a depiction of the history of Rome and what had taken place up to the present time. The next depictions on the face of the shield are scenes from modern history, travelling through Cato and Catiline to the Battle of Actium and its consequences (Hardie 81). Depictions of the swollen sea could be observed flowing everywhere in gold, through the flood seemed to foam with white billows and dolphins depicted as bright silver animals, sweeping the waters round about with arching tails (Galinsky 114). In the centre, bronze ships were portrayed together with the Battle of Actium. One could make out all Leucate preparing for war, the waves gleaming with gold (Casali 187). On one side, Augustus Caesar was depicted standing on the high stern, leading Italians to battle. With him were the household gods, the People, Senate and the great gods, with his father’s star shining on his head (Faber 52). In another scene, Agrippa could be seen leading his towering fleet of ships wearing his proud battle distinction. Antony with barbarous wealth and weapons perceived to be strange was depicted on the other side, bringing Egypt and the might of the Orient with him (Miller 54). Shamefully, Bactria who is Antony’s Egyptian consort is seen following him. They are all seen to be pressing forward together as the whole sea foams. Blazing tow as well as missiles of winged steel is depicted showering from their hands where Neptune’s fields turn red with fresh slaughter (Toll 38). Cleopatra, also referred to as the queen, is at the centre with twin snakes looming over her. She signals to her columns with the native sistrum and does not turn to look at the twin snakes at her back (Hardie 82). The twin snakes are a representation of the Greeks as they prepare to move in on Troy from where they are hiding behind Tenedos. Nearby, Anubis and monstrous gods of every form are depicted brandishing their weapons against Venus, Minerva and Neptune (Galinsky 119). Bellona is following behind with her blood-drenched whip. Looking from above, Apollo of Actium sees what is happening and bends his bow. Following this action, all India and Egypt, the Sabaeans and Arabs turn and flee (Casali 188). The queen is then depicted as calling upon the winds and setting sail. The lord with the power of fire has created her pallid with the coming of death amidst the slaughter while before her Nile is seen mourning with is vast extent (Faber 53). As he mourns, he opens wide his bays and calls the vanquished to his dark green breast and sheltering streams (Miller 55). The next scene depicts Augustus entering the walls of Rome in triple triumph where he dedicates his immortal offering to Italy's gods (Toll 39). The streets are full of people celebrating this victory and Augustus is seen, seated at the snow white threshold of shining Apollo. Gifts of the nations are before him and he examines them, hanging them on the proud gates. This scene completes the depiction of modern history on Aeneas’ shield. The shield reveals the greatness of Rome’s future and even though it may appear to be so, the shield is not at all divided. It instead is uplifting, united and hopeful, being a prediction of the important role Aeneas will play in the founding of Rome (Hardie 83). B. How shield is used – describe deception here. Aeneas’ shield holds a significant symbolic value to the bearer, depicting scenes of war and peace from ancient times to modern history. The shield of Aeneas was not only used for Battle but also involved some form of deception especially on Augustus’ part. Aeneas, being a prince of Troy and the son of Venus, was part of pre-Roman history after escaping from the obliteration of the city together with his son and father (Galinsky 120). He obediently followed the destiny that had been set by the gods where he earned the name Pius Aeneas, eventually leading the surviving Trojans to settle in a land that would soon become Rome (Casali 189). Aeneas is however not seen as enjoying the pursuit of his goal but is forced to follow it because there is no other alternative. The prophecy described in Aeneid shows the manner by which Aeneas’s descendants will initially rule Italy and then the known world, where they will take payback on the Greeks over the fall of Troy (Faber 54). It also predicts events leading up to Augustus’ rise to power and spread of Rome to greater heights under his reign. As aforementioned, the shield of Aeneas was to be used in the Battle of Actium. Aeneas used some form of deception in that he fought and killed his foes out of pietas or duty and not because he wanted to. He deceived everyone else into thinking that he was ready for Battle and was looking forward to it. Aeneas is seen killing Turnus, one of his foes, even as he begs for mercy (Miller 57). His actions in this particular scene can be interpreted as an act of duty to his final objective. Aeneas also deceived his father by going to Battle who had advised him to spare the conquered and subdue the proud (Toll 40). Killing his foes was also as an act of anger that led Aeneas to lose hold of his virtue, disobeying his father’s advise given in the underworld (Hardie 84). In this whole episode, Virgil appears to be praising Roman imperialism and criticizing it at the same time. The shield of Aeneas is viewed by some as a piece of propaganda that is meant to bring glory to Rome, with the tough decisions Aeneus had to make simply being the humble sacrifices that are requisite of every excellent Roman for the magnificence of his empire (Galinsky 122). The main principle of the guard is to motivate Aeneas by showing him a glimpse of Rome’s future glory. The prophetic episodes are in one way or the other related to the action that Aeneas takes in abandoning his mission and committing himself to Dido as an act of deception to his family (Casali 190). Regarding the subject of Carthage, emphasis on victory over the Greeks in the prophecy possessed a unique significance in relation to Venus. Absence of any reference on the shield regarding the victory over Carthage brought about a dramatic relevance to Juno (Faber 55). Jupiter’s prophecy provides a striking contrast with other references to the future of Rome by the Augustan poet. The prophecy promises greatness regarding Rome’s future. However, this is yet another part of Jupiter’s deception of Juno (Miller 63). The shield of Aeneas together with the armor is Venus’ answer to Juno and Allecto. However, they are only considered to be an answer because Aeneas is himself prophesied to be the man of destiny and of humanities, having been ordained by fate as well as his own piety, to overcome human violence and the divine powers (Toll 41). C. How shield was made – describe in detail here. The shield of Aeneas is as interesting and as significant as the story in which it is so marvelously portrayed. The shield feature elaborate details as described by Virgil, and is of vital importance to Aeneas. Aeneas, being the son of the Roman deity of love, “Venus”, is given the shield for use in a very specific battle (Hardie 85). Aeneas needed the shield to defeat Turnus who had previously killed Aeneas’ ward, Pallas (Galinsky 123). Vulcan, a prominent Italian deity and the god of fire, is charged with the responsibility of fashioning Aeneas’ shield. The shield is intricately and beautifully crafted, depicting scenes of the future of the great city of Rome. The shield is crafted with pictures of Romulus, portrayed as being nursed by a she-wolf in addition to indicating the defeat of the Gauls (Casali 195). Augustus Caesar’s victory at the battle of Actium is also indicated on the shield. The forging of the shield took place in the volcanic mountains and represented the turbulence that awaits the Roman Empire (Faber 56). The shield is also a creation of a Roman Universe and as per the crafting it is to be founded on won battles and success. It is quite obvious from the poem that Virgil fashioned the shield of Aeneas after Homer’s shield of Achilles. The shield is decorated with all the victories of Aeneas’ predecessors, showing the future of his generation (Miller 64). Unlike Achilles’ shield which was also fashioned at the same time Aeneas’ was and depicting the four elements, earth, sea, sky and the heavens, Aeneas’ shield was not made of four elements. The shield was made depicting 5 elements that is the heavens, sea, earth, sky and Hades (Toll 42). The shield was also fashioned in a mode so as to symbolize all the power that an almost immortal human being can be given, even though it comes with a great loss. In the Illiad, Hephaestus, who is charged with the responsibility of making Achilles’ shield and also a god of metals, is seen working tirelessly in a manner reminiscent of craftsmanship (Hardie 86). Vulcan on the other side, does not apply the same artisanship and instead gives out orders to a team of Cyclops and other blacksmith in a setting similar to that of a factory and oversees the work (Casali 196). While forging the shield, they are seen working the bellows sucking the air as others plunge hissing bronze in the brimming troughs (Galinsky 126). The Cyclops raises their arms up and down with their power to the drumming, pounding beat as they forge the molten mass in gripping tongs. The forging of Aeneas’ shield is a scenario of the future of Aeneas and the empire he will unfortunately never come to know. III. What deceptions on Augustus’ part are you referring to? Why do you think he did this, or was it completely unwitting? Augustus was the name taken up by the Octavian shortly after receiving the title of first citizen which was bestowed on him by the Roman Senate in 27 BC (Faber 50). He had the desire of raising cultural standards in addition to reviving the old Roman morality that had fallen quite low prior to the establishment of the empire. Upon realizing that Roman citizens would take into consideration pietas as being a key characteristic for their new ruler, Augustus would have sought to promote similar recognition of quality in himself (Miller 69). Augustus also befriended Virgil, who was known by the name Publius Vergilis Maro and it was the Emperor’s initial idea for Virgil to write the Aeneid (Toll 43). Augustus wanted the Aeneid to be an epic that glorified Rome and in the end himself. Virgil grew up in the midst of the civil war and had thus experienced first hand what pain and suffering really meant. Bringing together all Italy under one rule would mean the end of the civil war and this was exactly what Augustus had planned (Hardie 87). Virgil in one way or the other shared the same vision, thus making it an ideal choice to write the Aeneid. As mentioned earlier, the prophecy included in the Aeneid tells how Aeneas’ descendants are to initially rule Italy then the world in which they will be capable to take revenge on the Greeks. The prophecy also predicts Augustus’ rise to power, establishing the culmination of thousands of years of history (Casali 197). In the course of his reign, Augustus ensures that all writing that spoke ill of his regime were ceased, steadily removing the freedom majority of writers had enjoyed by punishing those who did not adhere to his orders. Augustus’ influence in regards to the legend of Aeneas reveals that his efforts were not only political propaganda but also an intentional reshaping of Roman literature (Faber 57). He made a cunning and successful attempt to redirect the focus of Roman literature to the unflagging support of his imperial propaganda (Casali 198). Unlike Aeneas, Augustus perceived history to be a benchmark against which to make comparisons of the various achievements of his life as well as those of others who were to follow him. After 27 BC, Augustus cites that he had by then surpassed all others in the Roman empire through his careful manipulation of propaganda and politics in addition to defeating those who were considered his rivals, as was the case in the Battle of Actium (Miller 70). The belief that Romans held in a pius Aeneas was viewed as important to imperial propaganda as Aeneas of Virgil possessed similar virtues and qualities important to Rome and his patron, Augustus (Toll 44). Upon the selection of Aeneas as the subject of the epic narrative, the full weight of Augustan propaganda was unleashed as a way of promoting and popularizing the legend, where it would in the end strengthen the Julian claim of Trojan descent (Hardie 88). IV. Conclusion Without Virgil’s intending it, the shield is a symbol of the Roman victory over the Greeks and therefore a deception on Augustus’ part. Augustus, previously known as Octavian, was the only remaining leader once Anthony was defeated and killed. He purposed to glorify Rome and himself through writers such as Virgil together with Livy, a historian, who were encouraged to develop Rome’s greatness as it was in the past and as it was presently. The Aeneid is all about the victories of the universal Roman regime together with the high price paid to get there. Even though Virgil’s vision of the future Roman glories was beautiful, it was not a certainty as he believed the price to be paid was rather too high. The shield, carried by an individual who passed on hundreds of years before the birth of Augustus, is considered an example of the political iconography Virgil utilized in the comparison of the actions of Aeneas to those of Augustus. The epic of Aeneid is a heroic poem founded on a mythological story where the main character, Aeneas, experiences a number of challenges that are heightened during the civil war between the Latin and Trojans. For Aeneas to be fully prepared for the war, his mother, Venus, requests Vulcan to forge a shield and other superior weapons that will increase his chances of victory. As it has been discussed, the shield of Aeneas acted as a symbol of hope, having been crafted with depictions of future events. The shield was also an indication of the Roman belief that their empire would last throughout. Born in 70BC, not much is known about Virgil’s life. He was raised in the countryside in Italy and was also well educated. His family farm was however seized as a political spoil in the course of his growing up. At the age of 31 years, Virgil is known to have resided either in Rome or near Naples where he associated with Maecenas, a patron of his and Octavian’s minister of Internal Affairs. Virgil was a court poet who earned a living from pleasing powerful members of the dominant class. As it turns out, Virgil was quite good at this since other wealthy patrons including Maecenas himself supported him financially, thus enabling him to spend his life writing poetry. Virgil’s writing is proof of the historical background and period which he lived. It is considered a reflection of the history of the Romans during his time. Unfortunately, after working on the Aeneid for 11 years, he saw it as a failure and planned on going for a trip in an attempt of fixing what he perceived to be wrong with the project. He passed away before he could complete his work. WORKS CITED Casali, Sergio. “The Making of the Shield: Inspiration and Repression in the Aeneid.” Greece & Rome, 53(2). 2006: 185 – 204. Print. Faber, Riemer. “Vergil’s ‘Shield of Aeneas’ (‘Aeneid’ 8.617 – 731) and the ‘Shield of Heracles.’ Mnemosyne, 53(1). 2000. Pp. 49 – 57. Print. Galinsky, Karl. ‘Augustan Culture: An Interpretive Introduction/Karl Galinsky’. Princeton: Princeton University Press. 1996. Print. Hardie, Philip R. ‘Virgil’s Aeneid: Cosmos and Imperium/Philip R. Hardie.’ Oxford: Clarendon Press. 1986. Print. Miller, Dean A. ‘Epic Hero.’ Johns Hopkins University Press. 2000. Print. Toll, Katharine. “Making Roman-Ness and the ‘Aeneid’.” Classical Antiquity, 16(1). 1997. Pp. 34 – 56. Print. Read More