Aeneas the Modern Hero
The world is a dynamic place where changes occur leading to different events . People in various parts of the world consider the Roman Empire as one of the greatest nations of all times. In the ancient world, the Roman Empire was great, strong, and popular among people living in that era. Some individuals believe that no other state has been greater than the Roman Empire. What made it so great is that Romans were extremely patriotic and proud of what they possessed. These people would do the best they could to protect their resources and to take care of their property (Galinsky 103). Therefore, it is evident that the empire was so magnificent as each its citizen and hero would conquer rivals and protect its followers and folks, as well as was aimed at expanding the nation’s territory regardless of obstacles that can arise.
Above all, it would be appropriate to note that Virgil did not resist expressing Roman patriotism. In Virgil’s Aeneid, he compares Greek to Romans. It is important to note that Greeks were the cultural predecessors of Romans. The characters and qualities of Odysseus and Aeneas are shaped by their culture. By comparing Odysseus to Aeneas, Virgil demonstrates how Romans had a more superior culture than others (Cormier, Raymond and Sarah 131). Superiority in this case is looked at in terms of economic power, ability to rule people, conquering lands and social integration. Thus, the Roman patriotism was fundamental to the great culture.
Odysseus and Aeneas undergo a similar journey with an aim of going back to their homes. The two heroes undergo many challenges as they try to pursue their dream. The characters use different mechanisms to solve the problems that they face on their way. Aeneas embraces Roman values and uses such principles to solve problems. Gods challenge him to leave Carthage and establish a new empire in Rome (Hardie 149). Upon receiving the message, Aeneas was ready to take the challenge because he believed in his personal capabilities.
The task was extremely challenging because Aeneas has to leave his good past life behind. Aeneas was also religious because he obeyed Gods’ commands. Most people in the modern life would not agree to leave the homes they have already established and go to unknown destinations where success is not guaranteed. Despite the fact that he loves his family, Aeneas is still willing to leave his lover because he is obedient to Gods (Hardie 151). He is also willing to sacrifice his peaceful and comfortable life. As a result, Aeneas sacrifices his private life and personal happiness so that his people would have a bright future.
On the other hand, Odysseus does not carry out his roles since he does not have a sense of duty. He leaves Troy to go to Ithaca, but his journey takes quite a long time. It is expected that a hero should take a short time to achieve something that he wanted. This character seems to prove different because the activities are carried out at a slow rate. When Odysseus arrives, his destination, he is not accompanied by his original crew (Hardie 173). As a hero, it is his duty to ensure that everyone is safe and that he is in a position to take responsibilities over other people. In turn, a modern hero ensures that people under his authority are safe and protected.
Odysseus does not demonstrate the true qualities of a modern hero. He puts self-interest first and looks for ways he can possibly benefit as an individual unlike Aeneas. For instance Odysseus abandons people who he should be responsible of and those he owes. He strays several times from what he is meant to do. In turn, a modern hero is focused on his target and does not wander until he achieves. Aeneas is a good example of this because despite everything, he still maintains his focus.
Odysseus wanders away from his path on Cyclops hence putting all his followers at risk. By doing so, he also betrays his wife. Odysseus goes back to his missus and Ithaca after he is ordered by Gods. This scenario is quite different from that of Aeneas because the later takes full responsibility of his family. All actions taken by Odysseus are mainly inspired by his self-interest. If he does not see the way he is going to benefit, Odysseus does not find the need to take action. Unlike Aeneas who takes public duty seriously, Odysseus puts his private life first. Odysseus’ traits are not respected in the Roman culture. Virgil compares the duties carried out by Odysseus to those of Aeneas to demonstrate the Roman culture and to show how stronger it was than that belonging to Greeks.
Aeneas is totally different from modern heroes such as Superman or Batman. In most occasions, he has to be pushed so that he may take action. In the modern life, heroes seem to have greater capabilities than normal human beings. Therefore, they ensure that they are always ahead in terms of thinking and solving problems. According to Hardie, Aeneas is at first not quick because he waits to become instructed (77). Modern heroes are not always instructed but are well knowledgeable.
In some incidences, Aeneas shares similar qualities that of the former US president, Barack Obama . The two heroes fight for their people as much as they can. Similarly to Obama, Aeneas is honorable as he uses a noble language to address his people. The president takes good care of his family and shows great concern for them as Aeneas does. The two heroes also show great care for the public by ensuring that people are served first in times of need.
Aeneas was a great hero because he was among the people who founded the ancient Rome. Aeneas was Remus’ and Romulus’ ancestor. The most outstanding thing about Aeneas is that he engaged in Trojan War, and h e became successful because he was not enslaved. Aeneas played a major role in defending Troy against attack from Greeks. He was saved by gods such as Aphrodite, Apollo, and Poseidon (Hardie 93). Batman and Aeneas have certain similarities because they all struggle to save their people from massive destruction. Even though Aeneas fails, Batman succeeds; thus, showing a slight difference between the heroes. Modern heroes in most cases succeed while it is different from Aeneas who did not achieve everything he desired.
Aeneas seems to be a weak hero because he shows an element o fear once he faces a danger . Aeneas panics when waves and water tear the ship apart. In other incidences, he also went down on his knees (Casali 28). Aeneas was sacred of some of the things that ancient heroes were not. For instance, there are no incidences where heroes such as Jason, Theseus, or Hercules showed a sign of weakness and despair. In most cases, they were courageous despite the challenging situations they faced. They were not even scared of death; thereby, showing a major dissimilarity from Aeneas who is more of a modern hero. When reading about ancient heroes, emphasis is laid on their external journey. In turn, much about their individuality is not talked about in stories. From the start of Aeneas story, we are able to learn both his internal and external struggles. We experience not only his encounter with enemies but also his inner struggle. In this case, Aeneas, unlike other ancient heroes, has a story that describes his internal and external journey.
Other ancient heroes are not presented as whole men with a lover, a child or other close family members. In this story, Aeneas is a modern hero since he shows the qualities of a whole man with a lover and close people. Aeneas does not only get concerned about public duties but also has private responsibilities, which he does not compromise with under any occasion (Cormier, Raymond and Sarah 131). Ancient heroes such as Jason, Theseus, and Hercules also had offsprings, wives, and parents but their stories are not concerned about such relationships. Aeneas shows a huge amount of respect to his father and shows care to his young boy (Galinksy 185). He also shows disappointment and sorrow just like other human beings when he loses his wife.
After breaking up with Dido, Aeneas expresses tenderness. He also goes ahead to seek for advice from his father. After he also found out that Aeneas had committed suicide, he weeps and tenderly speaks to her. Aeneas feels sorry for her and explains how everything happened against his will (Hardie 51). According to the above incidences, Aeneas is not a usual ancient hero. He is totally aware of the consequences of his actions and what may happen to other people. His actions also show that he is full of compassion which makes him outstanding.
What makes Aeneas different from other ancient heroes is that he does not do most things according to his will. Most of his actions are against his will. For instance, after discovering the death of his lover, he explains everything that happened and shows that he had no control over the situation. Aeneas was ordered by gods to leave his lover (Dido) so that he could pursue a greater mission that was meant to establish the Roman nation (Hardie 24). Other ancient heroes experience control to a certain extent, but Aeneas’ life seem to be completely controlled.
In our modern life, there are a great number of factors controlling our lives; in turn, an individual may not have full control over his/her life. Modern heroes also fight for the future of people as demonstrated by Aeneas’ actions. In most cases, ancient heroes fight for the present conditions of their people to ensure that they are safe. Modern heroes show human qualities which are a true representation of reality. People are able to relate to stories that show real human capabilities. One may either fail or succeed in different operations. There is no guarantee that whatever activities modern heroes pursue will become successful. Ancient heroes seem to show different characteristics from other people. Aeneas is a modern hero because we can relate to his individual qualities of anger, grief, and fear. He also takes good care of his family and other people. In the modern society, it is expected that a hero should be good at addressing both private and public issues.
Works Cited
Casali, Sergio. “The development of the Aeneas legend.” A Companion to Vergil’s Aeneid and its Tradition, 2010, pp. 37-51.
Cormier, Raymond, and Sarah Ruden. “The Aeneid, Vergil.” Vergilius, vol. 55, no. 2009, pp. 131-138
Galinsky, Karl. Aeneas, Sicily, and Rome. Princeton University Press, 2015.
Hardie, Philip. The Last Trojan Hero: A Cultural History of Virgil’s Aeneid. IB Tauris, 2014.
