The Greatness and Personality of Rome is evident throughout the Aeneid. Discuss.
A discussion is a balanced argument that gives voice to each side of the debate but ultimately makes
a decision.
You are essentially being asked to decide whether or not you think that Rome’s power and fame as
well as the personality of the good Roman permeates the Aeneid.
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Jupiter’s scroll of fate Book 1 + Anchises’ prophecy
Aeneas will fight a second Trojan War in Latia against an Italian Achilles and he will win. He
will rule for 3 years. Ilus Ascanius will found Alba Longa and rule for 30. The line of Silvius
Aeneas will rule there for 300 and then Ilia will bear Romulus to Mars. Jupiter places no
limititations of time or wealth on Rome’s destiny. It will rule the whole world forever.
Jupiter unrolled the scroll of fate for the sake of Venus and her son Aeneas. The Trojans are
loved by the gods. Jupiter himself has blesses them with enternal power. The piety of
Aeneas and his descendants grant this race the title they deserve.

The character of the Trojans v the Greeks in Book 2
Rome’s greatness comes at a price though. Sacrifices have to me made. The Trojans lost
their home to evil chananigans of the Greeks.
Laocoon – “beware of Greeks bearing gifts!” Never trust the Greeks. They are different to us.
Simias – a man committed to deceiving the Trojans by lying or to die in the attempt (Trojans
are fooled because they have never met such dishonesty – they are genuine, honest men)
Sly Ulixes – a Greek steeped in malicious selfish trickery; quite unlike Aeneas.
The Trojans are Romans! Romans are not Greeks.

Rome’s destiny necessitates Dido’s doom
Dido is a pawn of fate. Her tragic story is part of Rome’s destiny. Rome will become great at
the expense of a good woman’s happiness. Rome’s greatness has a price. Sacrifices will be
made to bring it to fruition. Aeneas the selfless man must equally abandon a life of
contentment in Carthage for the sake of Rome’s destiny.
Pious Aeneas however will do it with gravitas and dignitas – all Roman ideals which Aeneas
embodies and Aeneas is really a double of Augustus

The procession of souls in Book 6 is testament to Rome’s greatness. All the figures of Roman
myth and history are linked by blood to Aeneas. They will rise and lead Rome for better and
for worse but ultimately these Romans share the great and proud heritage of Rome.
Above all else Augustus, the “Trojan Caesar” embodies the true Roman. Like Aeneas he is
pious and favoured by Jupiter. He will lead Rome to dominate the world with gravitas and
rule as emperor with dignitas. Augustus Caesar represents the truest Roman persoanlity.
Like Aeneas he has a mission to lead Rome into a golden age of peace and prosperity when
the Gates of Janus will be shut forever.
Remember the Aeneid is less a mythic epic than a political one. Virgil is weaving political
propaganda into his verses. He keeps our attention with the mythical references and his
wonderful imagery but at every turn we are reminded of his mission: to lead his Trojan
refugess to Latia to found a race that will grow and blossom to found Rome, which will
avenge the Greeks for the sack of Troy and go further in dominating the whole world
forever. Rome is certainly great but also Virgil intended his epic to be read by Romans. He is
writing the Roman epic to rival Homer’s. In reading this as a Roman one is supposed to be
heartened and a sense or patriarhal pride is instilled in one’s heart. I am a Roman. I am
blessed by Jupiter and I am one of the master race. This is true propaganda.
The greatness of Rome is felt from the start of the epic when Jupiter unravels the scroll of
fate for the sake of Venus. ... We are told how great Rome will become due to Aeneas’
mission by Jupiter himself
At the same time the personality of Rome is also evident. The Romans are important to the
gods and especially to Jupiter himself. ... Why does he unravel the scroll of fate to Venus?
The greatness of Rome comes with a price however because sacrifices have to be made in
order to achieve any greatness. The first of these sacrifices is Troy, which the Trojans lost to
the coniving wickedness of the Greeks.
We remember Laocoon, the Apollonian priest killed by Poseidon’s serpent, who screamed,
“Beware of Greeks bearing gifts!” The Greeks are not to be trusted, unlike the Trojans who
are basically the Romans of this tale. Talk about how the Trojan or Roman personality differs
to that of the Greeks. Virgil exposes this by contrasting them to the Greeks. Think of Simion
and of Ulysses (Odysseus).