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Discussion of the Aeneid
The Aeneid was written by Roman poet Virgil between 3 !" an# $% !"& 't is an epic
poem that is #i(i#e# in twel(e boo)s or chapters an# narrates Trojan warrior *eneas story
following the Trojan +ar& *n epic poem is #escribe# as a long, narrati(e poem that #escribes
the a#(enture of a great hero& The poem is partly mo#elle# on -ree) epic poems, the 'lia#
an# the .#yssey by /omer& The aim of this paper is to un#erstan# the narrati(es of the boo)s,
with special emphasis on the flashbac)s of !oo) ''& /owe(er, before a##ressing the central
issue, the paper will first a##ress the style an# structure of the epic poem in or#er to set a
bac)#rop for the thesis&
*s mentione# earlier, Virgil borrows hea(ily from -ree) epic poems, /omers
Odyssey an# Iliad& The Iliad narrates the e0ploits of the protagonist *chilles an# other -ree)
heroes in the Trojan +ar& 't is the same Trojan +ar that force# Virgils hero *eneas to lea(e
Troy an# is #escribe# in a flashbac) in boo) ''& 1eanwhile, the Odyssey narrates how
2lysses or .#ysseus roam for se(eral years in or#er to return to home following the Trojan
+ar& +hile the first si0 boo)s of Aeneid parallel the Odyssey, the remaining si0 boo)s
parallel the Iliad& 3(en though Virgil imitates the two -ree) epic poems, he changes them to
highlight Roman themes& 4or e0ample, Aeneid is a patriotic poem, while the Odyssey an#
Iliad are poems about in#i(i#ual heroism& 5athleen .Neill in her boo) Virgils The Aeneid
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Professors Name: Word Count
says that the chapters of the poem can be #i(i#e# in pairs& The o##6numbere# chapters are
less #ramatic, for e0ample !oo) ''' where Trojans wan#ering is #escribe#, while the e(en6
numbere# chapters are emotional clima0 of the trage#y or glory, for instance the #eath of
Di#o in !oo) 'V&
The poem #eploys se(eral narrati(e techni7ues, inclu#ing flashbac)s, to help the
rea#er un#erstan# how *eneas was grante# the region of 8atium, a place in central 'taly&
*eneas, along with his father, *nchises, an# his son, *scanius, fle# Troy #uring sac) of the
city& The narrati(e of the poem is generally through an omnipresent narrator& /owe(er, the
sac) of Troy an# *eneas subse7uent wan#erings are #escribe# in a 9flashbac)9& Similarly in
!oo) V', following the commemoration of *nchises first #eath anni(ersary, the secon# half
of !oo) V' #escribes the encounter of *eneas an# figures from his past #uring *eneas (isit
to the un#erworl#& * prophecy of the #estiny of *eneas #escen#ants is also announce#
#uring his journey to the un#erworl#& *s the poem progresses, *eneas finally settles in
8atium an# Virgil conclu#es by affirming that *eneas was the #escen#ants of the Roman
people&
The narrati(e of the poem is (ery subjecti(e& *part from the secon# an# thir# boo)s,
the *enei# is tol# from the point of (iew of an omnipresent narrator& 3(en though the narrator
of the poem is Virgil, the poet uses the con(ention of epic poetry an# in(o)es the muse, a
style that helps Virgil to imply that the poem is objecti(e& The poem is objecti(e as Virgil
wante# to praise the *ugustus an# Roman (alues, as *eneas is seen as the embo#iment of
Roman (alues of #uty an# piety as well as courage& /owe(er, *enei# is also (ery subjecti(e&
Virgil gi(es insight into the characters hea# an# their feelings& 4or instance, although Di#o is
#escribe# from the outsi#e, the rea#er can easily un#erstan# how she feels an# her how she
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Professors Name: Word Count
thin)s& Therefore, one can say that Virgil combine# both objecti(e an# subjecti(e point of
(iew to analyse *eneas character from insi#e an# outsi#e&
'n !oo) 'V, *eneas is almost seen from Di#os point of (iew, as he har#ly #efen#s
himself& The rea#ers fails to un#erstan# his feelings an# shows that *eneas ha# to sacrifice
his own feelings in or#er to fin# Rome& Di#os point of (iew suggests that the poet shows that
*eneas feelings #i# not matter more than his #uty& /owe(er, Virgil also shows the insi#e of
*eneas through flashbac)s an# his personal point of (iews& 4or instance, in !oo) ', *eneas
cries out an# wishes to #ie when he is hit by :unos tempest& 't shows that he was an unhappy
an# unwilling tra(el at the start of the poem& The secon# an# the thir# boo)s tell the most
about him an# are totally from his point of (iew& /owe(er, as the poem progresses, the point
of (iew in the poem changes& This change in point of (iew also suggests the change in
*eneas character from an uncertain, scare# e0ile to a heroic lea#er&
'n !oo) '', *eneas, spea)ing 9ab alto9 ;<&<= fully #escribes the fall of Troy, an# the
rea#er sees a shift into a realm of changing e0perience, history, an# its implications for
*eneas& The language use# in this flashbac) to #escribe the ol# worl# an# the a#(ent of the
new worl# changes from realistic to symbolic& 'n this episo#e, *eneas transforms into a hero
who fails to impose his or#ering on the worl#& *eneas, the me#ium of Roman #estiny,
en#ures patiently an# sufferers& 'nitially *eneas leaps into the war 9>Rage an# wrath #ri(e my
soul hea#long an# ' thin) how glorious it is to #ie in arms>9 ;<&3$?6$@=& /owe(er, he loses
such con(iction an# certainties an# the ine(itability of Troy>s fall is focuse# on the #efen#ers
themsel(es ruining their city, AThe Trojans in turn tear #own the towers an# roof6co(ering of
the palaceB with these as missiles C for they see the en# near C e(en at the point of #eath they
prepare to #efen# themsel(esB an# roll #own gil#e# rafters, the splen#ours of their fathers of
ol#D ;<&EEF6E%=&
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Professors Name: Word Count
3(en though *eneas sur(i(es the #estruction of his city e(en though he suffers& +hile
the flashbac) helps him to mo(e inwar#, it also helps me mo(e upwar# an# gain perspecti(e
of an un#erstan#ing that is in proportion to his helplessness #uring the war& /e e0periences
#eath throes of Troy that gi(es him an imme#iate meaning of /ector>s initial warning to run
away, 9Then first an awful horror encompasse# me& ' stoo# aghast, an# there rose before me
the form of my #ear father, as ' loo)e# upon the )ing, of li)e age, gasping away his life un#er
a cruel woun#& There rose forlorn "reusa, the pillage# house, an# the fate of little 'ulus&9
;<&FF%6?3=& *eneas lo(e of a particular place an# its people corroborates the prophecies he
recei(es, but which he only slightly un#erstan#s&
!oo) '' becomes important, an# more particularly the flashbac), because it e(ol(es
*eneas as a character& 't also shows that go#s themsel(es ha# brought #own Troy& 't is the
appearance of Venus that ma)es this message clear& 't also ma)es it clear that the
counteractions of the circumstances that brought #own Troy will lea# to the foun#ing of a
9new Troy9& 4rom that moment onwar#s, *eneas starts li(ing for tomorrow an# starts relying
on his family as a connection between the sacre#ness of the past an# the glorious promise#
future& *eneas belie(es that he bears the symbolic structure of three ages: the gol#en age
where go#s themsel(es appeare#, his fathers sil(er age where men spo)e with go#s as
frien#s an# his own bronGe age where the heroic image ha# been tarnishe# an# #estroye# #ue
to the war& /owe(er, as the poem progresses, *eneas gathers hope in the people he lea#s an#
the prophecies of a foreign city that sharpen both the past an# the future& *eneas is only at the
start of a new phase of historical consciousness Atremulous & & & an# fearing ali)e for my
companion an# bur#en9 ;<&@<%=&
!y recollecting the #ownfall of Troy, *eneas gains an initial perspecti(e, 9ab alto9, on
it& /e e0presses his #eepest lo(e for the fallen Troy an# this catastrophe forces him to wi#en
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Professors Name: Word Count
the #istance between emotion an# action, between what can be ac)nowle#ge# in wor#s an# in
actions& The opposition presente# in the poem cannot be consi#ere# as alternati(es, but as an
ongoing process whose e(olution may e0cee# the solutions propose# in the poem& The poem
a##resses the historical change of Virgils time& Rome of Virgils time was e0periencing a
change an# Virgil himself was in(ol(e#& The *ctium was 7uite a fresh inci#ent to offset years
of the traumas of e0pansionism an# ci(il war& 1oreo(er, there was a constant fear that the
*ugustan peace may not outli(e .cta(ius himself& Virgil selecte# *eneas story, which was
popular at the time, an# create# an epic on the foun#ing myth for Rome& The Aeneid connects
Rome an# the legen#s of ancient Troy& The poem also glorifies Roman (alues, an# asserte#
that Roman emperors were the #escen#ants of heroes an# go#s&
Thus, Virgil tries to present an attitu#e for combating traumatic change an# starts
#ialectically& The flashbac)s, li)e in the secon# boo), helps to clearly, yet painfully,
un#erstan# the e0periential )nowle#ge of the shortfalls of the past& This )nowle#ge of the
past is use# to form patient e0pectation, to #e(elop, strengthen, an# increase the initial basis
of one>s e0istence, an# to enable humans to support growth& Primiti(e figures such as Di#o
an# Turnus fa#e away in the poem because they cannot un#erstan# the historical situation
clearly in or#er to mo#ify their situation& 'n conclusion, flashbac)s in the poem not only helps
the rea#ers to un#erstan# the #ownfall of Troy, but also helps *eneas to un#erstan# the
historical situation an# mo#ify his situation to become the )ing of 8atium&
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Professors Name: Word Count
+or) "ite#
Virgil& The Aeneid& Trans :ohn +illiam 1ac)ail& $H *pr <$E& +eb&
http:IIwww&goo#rea#s&comIauthorIshowI@3%?$<E&:J+J:ohnJ+illiamJ1ac)ail
.Neill, 5athleen& Virgils The Aeneid& !arrons 3#ucational Series 'nc& New Kor)&$%HE&
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