Roman author Vergil wrote the Aeneid to give Romans a fresh sense of their history. In this epic, Aeneas, the man said to have paved the way for Rome’s founding, risks destruction in the ruins of Troy, passes through the underworld, and fights to establish a homeland for his people. The Aeneid is the first great Roman epic, and Vergil set out to rival the Greek Iliad and Odyssey with his work. Homer’s works had been around for many years prior to Vergil, and Romans wanted their own piece of ancient history. To do this, Vergil juxtaposes following in the path of Homer while also speaking from his own voice throughout the Aeneid.
The Aeneid follows the wanderings and wars of hero Aeneas, a survivor of the Trojan war. After the fall of his city, he is forced to establish a new homeland. After many struggles and mistrails, in accordance with fate, he establishes the foundation for the greatness of Rome. Aeneas acts as somewhat of a foil to Homer’s heroes Achilles and Odyessus. The Greek heroes value their own glory, or aristea, while the Aeneid focuses on how Aeneas is setting up a foundation for his people’s success. Vergil emphasizes this idea throughout the story. The text states, “such difficulties there were to found the Roman race” (1.33). This quotation demonstrates a major theme, that great things cannot be established without great toil and pain. By showcasing how much Aeneas was bound to go through, as determined by fate, Vergil sets up Aeneas as a selfless man who went through such tragedy to make way for the Romans.
Within the first lines of Aeneid, Vergil does not invoke the muse. Vergil sets up his invocation of the muse and his first use of the imperative in line 8, rather than line 1, an unusual phenomena for epic poetry. Vergil’s predecessor, Homer, invokes the muse at his stories' beginning. However, Vergil sets the Aeneid up to be something different, more personal, and perhaps greater. When Vergil invokes the muse, he brings himself into the poem solidifying his voice. He states, “Muse, remind me of the reasons” (1.8). In Greek epics, authors state that the muse is telling the story through them as a vessel. Vergil takes firm ownership of his writing. “Remind me” lets the audience know he is taking inspiration from the Muse, but he also is acknowledging himself as the author.
Much like the Iliad and the Odyssey, the Aeneid begins in media res. The first line “I sing of arms and a man” elucidates much about the poem. I, of course, refers to the poet, Vergil, who will be establishing his own voice throughout the work. “Man” refers to Homer’s Odyssey, as the first six books about one man’s travels and adventures to reach home. “Arms'' refers to the war, much like in the Iliad. The Iliad follows the Trojan War, while the Aeneid follows Aeneas’s battles to found a homeland. Vergil flips the order of the Greek books, showcasing a key difference between the two central characters. Aeneas is trying to find a new home while Odyessus is trying to return to his. Within these first few lines, themes are also established within the work. Piety, rage, and the role of the gods in mankind’s suffering will shape the rest of this epic. Rage is also a common theme through the Iliad. Achilles’ inability to let his rage go, and to be the bigger person, caused him to lose those closest to him. His prolonged rage was what fueled so much of the conflict throughout the epic. This is another connector that Vergil uses to reference Homer.
Further, the Roman value of pietas, another major theme of the Aeneid, could be compared to the Greek value of agathos. Agathos means being good in battle, being brave, and worshiping the Gods. This was an essential value to Ancient Greeks. Achilles and Hector, the main heroes of the Iliad, were agathos. Despite the cruelty they had at times they were revered as amazing warriors. Homer describing these characters as agathos is what made them likable to audiences. In contrast, the Roman value of pietas means devotion to one’s family, to the gods, and to their people. Aeneas exemplifies this value perfectly, making him palatable to a Roman audience. A famous sculpture showcases Aeneas walking out of a fallen Troy, carrying his father on his shoulders, carrying his household gods, holding the hand of his son. Within this sculpture, Aeneas manages to fall under every category. By having so much pietas, and having so many trials and negative things happen to him, Aeneas can be even more revered. He is showcased as a man who had to go through unbelieve trials due to the gods, and due to fate. However he did it to found the Roman race. This description and portrayal of Aeneas makes him a likable character that can be used as a “poster child” of what it means to be a good Roman, much like Homer’s heroes are for Greece.
Vergil’s use of his own voice in the Aeneid sets him apart from Homer, and his works the Iliad and the Odyssey. By putting his own take on an epic, Vergil created something uniquely Roman in values and in history. The Aeneid is indicative of its time, and in many ways signifies the period of Roman history Vergil lived in. Vergil takes inspiration from his predecessor Homer while diverging from his path to create a sense of Roman history and values within the Aeneid.
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