Aeneas From Aenid, Essay Example

Aeneas is best described as an instrument of fate, being the son of Anchises and Venus.  This assured him of a degree of divine protection and as such he was saved at the siege of Troy in order to follow his destiny and become part of the force that would build Rome and the foundations of the Roman Empire.

Aeneas demonstrated the traits of wisdom. This depicted in Book 11 where Aeneas placed great emphasis upon how the concept of human feelings had no relevance when faced with what the Gods wanted.  It was the harsh will of the Gods that in itself destroyed Troy.  Aeneas also demonstrated the trait of compassion as illustrated in Book 11 . This illustrated in Book 11 when he escorted his family to safety from Troy and carried his elderly father on his back  Perhaps the strongest trait was that of piety depicted by the great value and esteem he held for his family.

In the underworld Anchises (father) explained to Aeneas his role in the important events that would follow leading to the founding of Rome and it is here that Aeneas began to understand the true meaning of his destiny.  Only at a later date he would lose track of this in his dealings with Dido in Carthage, after responding to an appeal by Jupiter and an obligation to his son Ascanius.

The family tree that followed showed the rise of Julius Caesar and that of Caesar Augustus (Julian family) that traced their lineage back to Aeneas and thus the link to the goddess Aphrodite (Venus).  The later legendary Kings of Britain trace their lineage to a grandson of Aeneas, Brutus.  Thus from the fall of Troy rose the mighty Roman Empire and the future monarchical line that would support the History of Britain.