When Lausus, son of Mezentius, dies at the hands of Aeneas, Virgil describes Aeneas as moved by "profound pity" when he beholds how young the boy was (p. Yet Aeneas acted as a true leader and a role model for his fellow Trojans to follow by extending kindness to a sworn enemy.Īeneas shows this similar humanitarian compassionĪnother occasion, and in this case the individual was a Latin, just like Turnus. The Trojan War has just ended at this point, and Troy fell at the hands of the invading Greek army surely, one could imagine the amount of hatred both peoples still had toward the other. Aeneas extended kindness to the Greek as a fellow human, rather than an archenemy, by adopting him as one of their own (p. The sailors clothing betrayed his identity as an enemy of the Trojans, yet this fact did not stop Aeneas from showing pity toward this individual. Take for instance the compassion he shows toward the Danaan sailor, left by Ulysses (Odysseus) on the island of the Cyclops (p. However, throughout his travels, one can gather that Aeneas is in fact not an individual devoid of sympathy and benevolence for his enemies. Hektor was with respect to Achilleus in The Iliad. Turnus was an enemy of Aeneas, very much the same Indeed, Aeneas lost his sense of duty and respect for his fellowman in the instant he took Turnus’ life. It is evident that one can only explain such a display of savagery on the part of Aeneas through a loss of emotional control. 1270-3), yet Aeneas, at the site of his fallen comrade’s swordbelt on the shoulder of Turnus, fills with rage and kills Turnus without answering his request. Turnus pleads with Aeneas to return his dead body to his father Daunus for a proper burial (p. Aeneas’ inconsistent behavior is apparent in his last battle with Turnus. However, in the war with the Latins, one no longer perceives such a defined moral code. Concerning Dido, one clearly sees that responsibility holds a greater importance than emotion for Aeneas. 107), and the remorse that he displays as he placates her spirit in the Underworld demonstrates his sincere regret for having hurt her (p. Indeed, his romantic affair with Dido of Carthage forces him to make the difficult choice of duty over love (p. Throughout his journeys, he encounters various trials where each refines a different aspect of his character, evolving him into a hero and a leader. 545), often has to make difficult decisions, sometimes at the expense of his own immediate happiness, to fulfill his destiny as founder of Rome. "Duty-bound Aeneas", as Virgil often describes him
With his unending concern for the welfare of his Trojan people, one couldĮntertain the idea that his dedication and responsibility foreshadow theĬoncept of duty to the Republic and obedience to Caesar that might have If one takes the protagonist AeneasĪside and analyzes his persistent adherence to his own destiny, along It plays a crucial role as a key character traitįor the individuals that we encounter.
Duty is a recurring theme throughout Virgil’s
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