Aeneas can be considered an excellent hero. Discuss.

Aeneas can be considered an excellent hero. Discuss. (40 marks) The Aeneid, an epic poem written by Virgil is often cited as Augustan propaganda which is true to an extent and can be seen through Augustus' associations with Aeneas and other founders of Rome such as Romulus. Augustus thus sees himself as a modern founder of Rome, entering her into a new age which makes the portrayal of Aeneas as a good leader extremely important, namely piety, so that he could be paralleled with Augustus whom claimed to be a descendent of Aeneas himself. Aeneas qualities as a leader are evident in times of despair and when in the face of great adversity, it is in these instances that Aeneas often lends his men encouragement and instils courage and motivation in them. This is most evident in Book I in which Aeneas, caught in the middle of a storm, is in a vulnerable position and deeply unhappy. This is portrayed as Virgil states that 'a sudden chill went through Aeneas and his limbs grew weak' which emphasises Aeneas personal sorrows. It is for this reason that Aeneas' actions for his men upon their arrival at Carthage become significant and show him to be a tremendous leader. Self-sacrifice is a quality that Virgil builds into Aeneas' character which qualifies him as a good leader as despite Aeneas' own personal suffering "he shows them the face of home and kept his misery deep in his heart"

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  • Word count: 1972
  • Level: AS and A Level
  • Subject: Classics
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