Values in the Aeneid - Essay Example

Values in “The Aeneid” Introduction The Aeneid is a ical work of art characterized as Greek mythology. The literal piece of work is a Latin epic poem written in the ancient times between 29 and 19 BC. The poem was later interpreted from Latin to English in prose form It tells a legendary story of Aeneas, a native of the ancient Greek city called Troy, who travels to Rome and becomes the ancestor of the Roman people. The Aeneid can be divided into two parts each classified according to the stage Aeneas’s journey to Italy. The division to the two parts solely focuses on the disparity of the subject matter in each section. The first section involves Aeneas’s wandering period from Troy to Italy while the next half comprises of the victory in the war with the Latin people. Thesis This essay shifts focus to the philosophical, ethical and political implications of the Greco-Roman myth the Aeneid. The ideologies that determine the operations of a Republic, such as Rome, also influence literature. Through the analysis of Aeneas’s story, the essay will prove that there exist a link between literature and the societal ideals and beliefs. Rationale for the poem The Aeneid The rationale for the poem about Aeneas focuses on explaining the complexities of the relation between the Romans and the Greeks. It is important to note that, the Romans later conquered Greece. Both the Romans and the Greeks share some myths based on heroes and their origin. The poem seeks to find common ground in the history of the two cultures by claiming that Greece is the ancestral home of the Romans. The themes of the Aeneid focus on common Greek wartime themes and origin of myths. The Aeneid is the literal work of a famous Greek writer called Virgil. Virgil wrote the work in a time of social change in Rome accompanied by political modifications. This period is known for the collapse of the republic specifically the final stages of the war of the Roman Republic. During this period, the new emperor called Augustus Caesar started reforming the political ideologies guided by the need for peace and prosperity. The Aeneid portrays Aeneas as a devoted hero loyal to his country based on Caesar’s aims to change the political ideologies of Rome. Aeneas tends to focus on legitimizing Caesar’s rule and that of his descendant Augustus. Based on the period of writing the Aeneid and the apparent implications of the story in the political sphere, it is very logical to question the story’s relation to the philosophical, ethical and political thought. The political atmosphere between 22-29BC determined the character of the protagonist and the events in the story. In the recent past, scholars of Greek and Roman literature have come to the conclusion that, the writers used allegory. Each part of the stories that form the Greek mythologies represents a wholesome part in the real world. Therefore, the thoughts of the elite, otherwise called philosophers, get portrayed through the fictional events in the Aeneid. Genre The Aeneid is a literary epic otherwise called a secondary epic. This differentiates it from the primary epics mainly the Homeric poems. The focus for the Homeric poems lies in the Odyssey. Referring to the Homeric poems as primary does not count as value judgment. However, it implies that the originality of the characters in the books is improvisational/ oral. On the other hand, the Aeneid involves writing. Improvisation of the characters requires that the author use stock phrases specifically designed to fill in the dactylic hexameter lines. In the composition of the poem, Virgil creates his own poetic language. The Aeneid lacks the repetitive aspect of formulas unnecessary in literary epics. Vergil derives the story from the Greco-Roman myths in a Roman version. A good example is the characterization of the heroic protagonists in the stories. The Aeneid propagates social ideals that suit Roman civilization setting the events to a legendary age in correlation with the Trojan War. Therefore, in literal terms, characters in the poem give value to the poem based on the times of the poet’s existence. Originality of the Aeneid It is possible to relate the Aeneid to other literal pieces of work. First, consider the aspect that a lot of literal works based on Greek mythology focus on the Greek gods and their activities. Therefore, Greek and Roman interwoven literature tends to focus on wartime themes and wandering themes based on the attributes of their gods. It is important to note that, the Aeneid is just another version of the story highlighting the relation between Troy and Rome. Other ancient writers wrote poems and wonder stories on the ancestry relation between the Greeks and the Romans. The major difference between the myths is the names of the protagonists. The unfolding events in each case are similar for all literal pieces of work. One such story that relates to the Aeneid is the poem the Odyssey Relation of the Aeneid to the Odyssey The Odyssey centers on a hero, Odysseus, based on his journey after the fall of the city of Troy. People assume that Odysseus is dead; thus, the scenes that follow focus on suitors trying to woo his wife Penelope. The epic poem capitalizes on the aspects of family, betrayal and homecoming. Scholars estimate that the poem, the Odyssey, dates back as early as 8BC. The Odyssey is put under the Homeric epic category. In comparison, the Aeneid came a little earlier between 19BC and 29BC. It shares many similarities with Homeric epics. Focusing on the period of the writing helps in determining the level of influence each piece has on the other piece. In this case, it is only right in support of chronology to state that, the Odyssey might have been influenced by the Aeneid. The Aeneid introduces the prewar period based on the Trojan War while the Odyssey starts in the period the war. There exists an undisputed connection between the two books. Considering the fact that the Odyssey may have borrowed from the Aeneid, then we can summarize the connection as being based on; 1. Plot 2. Characters 3. Themes a. Wartime themes b. Wandering themes 4. Style Point of focus: Issues in the Aeneid To focus on an issue in the Aeneid, the major question that will guide the analysis of the issue is; How does the main issue raised in Virgil’s, the Aeneid, relate to the themes? This analysis focuses on the themes in the Aeneid with respect to allegory. The main theme in the Aeneid is the wandering theme. Scholars have interpreted Aeneas’s journey as the main point of focus in the story. Other events, including the Trojan War, lie in the circumstances surrounding Aeneas’s departure and travel from Troy to Rome. Virgil takes the tales of Aeneas’s wanderings and associates them vaguely with the foundation of the Roman Empire. The Aeneid also focuses on wartime themes. Therefore, this analysis will look at the implications of the war in the real world scenario. In fact, scholars claim that the physical war ending in the victory of the Trojans led by Aeneas is itself an allegory. In the poem, Virgil introduces the conflict and covers the war. This fashions the story into a compelling myth, later considered a nationalist epic, which ties the foundation of Rome to the mythological ideologies of Troy. Through the analysis of the conflict created, the poem explains the Punic wars; thus, the acceptability of the wartime themes. Discussion Allegory The Aeneid interprets events in the real world and gives evidence beyond the narrative level. In comparison, the Odyssey classified as a Homeric narrative, is straightforward; thus, one does not need to look for meaning beyond the story. Virgil writes the poem with an aim of crafting a symbolic meaning. In the Aeneid, there exists some reference to the Roman history. Scholars claim that the author of the Aeneid focuses on the wanderings of the hero called Aeneas because he believes that it is related to the history of Rome. A good example is the fall of the city of Troy that leads to the wandering theme developed through the protagonist Aeneas. Aeneas’s wanderings accompanied by his followers to find a new life are parallel to the history of Rome in 1BC. In the first century BC, the republic of Rome faces destruction and then Augustus restores order. Philosophical basis A major issue in the Aeneid lies in the fact that the poem has a philosophical basis. The Odyssey is said to be crafted in an era lacking in philosophical ideologies. The philosophical idea advanced in the Aeneid is stoicism. This issue focuses on the visible connection between the story of Aeneas and Rome’s foundation. Aeneas tends to adhere to stoic principles raising the wartime themes. For example, consider the point where Aeneas kills Turnus when he recalls that Turnus killed his friend Pallas. Existence of the philosophical basis introduces the issue of digression based on the nature of the universe. This focuses on the existence of the human race with respect to the physical theory of stoicism. It is important to note that the gods that represent Aeneas do not support stoicism. The issue of Imagery In the Aeneid, there are recurring images such as fires, storms and snakes. Virgil makes a real part of Aeneas’s story an image. To support this, consider the fact that Aeneas is a hunter who kills a deer. Metaphorically, Aeneas is Dido’s hunter. Virgil uses the hunting instances to comment on the story. Note that the effect of the repetitive words does not come out clearly given that the work has been translated from Latin to English. Consider the word furor meaning fury which has an important meaning for the characters in the story the Aeneid. Other major Themes and issues Fate The Odyssey complements Virgil’s Aeneid based on theme of fate. The events focus on the determination of Aeneas to fulfill his destiny for himself or his son Ascanius. Similarly, Odysseus seeks to achieve what the gods have prescribed for him. Aeneas’s fate is sealed as seen by how he overcomes the obstacles set by the god Juno. The source of conflict is Juno’s hatred for the Trojans hindering the victory of Trojans. Jupiter calls for a council between Venus and Juno gods to determine the fate of Aeneas and his rival Turnus. The Gods Virgil gives some attributes to the gods where they are seen as having a distinctive personality and go to great lengths to achieve their wishes. The gods have the ability to manipulate events but they cannot change the destined outcome. Patriotism In the Aeneid, Augustus gets mentioned twice where he appears in the underworld. Aeneas paves way for the shining of the Rome in future. Consider that the Aeneid was written in the period of political changes in Rome. During this time, Augustus began to restore peace to the Republic of Rome. Virgil incorporates Augustus’s vision in his work by emphasizing the aspect of patriotism as a major theme seen through Aeneas. Conclusion The Aeneid is a literal interpretation of Rome in the period of unrest. It has since become the point of focus for the history of Rome and the ancestral ties between Rome and Greece. The work is still authentically represented through the neoclassical paintings in the national gallery, London. The Aeneid is central to Latin Education. It is used in philosophical and educational studies based on Latin- Christian culture. The Aeneid remains supreme in the literature that describes Greece. The poem compares to other literal pieces of work especially the Odyssey in the themes and their applicability. The two major themes, wartime themes and wandering themes highlight the issues addressed in the poem the Aeneid. Value judgment of the work of art presented in the Aeneid can be achieved by looking at the applicability of the poem into the ethical, political and philosophical fields. Work Cited Dunkle, Rodgers. The Classical Origins of Western Culture: A Focus on the Aeneid. New York: Brooklyn University Press, 1986, Print. Read More