‘The main purpose of the Aeneid is to glorify Rome. ’ To what extent do you agree with this statement.
By Sam (Upper Sixth, Swift)
In a letter written by Ovid, addressed to Augustus, the poet, famous for composing the Metamorphoses, describes the great poem by Virgil as ‘your Aeneid’, implying that the poem, ultimately, is a work which explicitly tethers itself to Rome, through both its content and political context. From the parallels between Augustus and Aeneas, to the fate which forces Aeneas through the story, it is clear that from Maecenas’ patronage to Virgil on behalf of Augustus, the Aeneid is foundationally a work which glorifies Rome. However, arguments can be made that this takes away from its story, and that the best way to view the poem is as several purposes outside of propaganda: as poetry, as life, and as facing the struggles and the hardships of existence.
The Aeneid consistently evokes images of Augustus of Rome throughout its narrative. From this sustained reference, it is clear that we can say that this glorification of Rome is its central purpose. For example, in book two, as Aeneas flees Rome, he carries his father, Anchises, over his shoulder, and leads his son, Ascanius, by the hand. This symbolically sees Aeneas, paralleled to Augustus, leading the past of Rome (Anchises), the present (himself), and the future (Ascanius) from the burning ruins of Troy. This symbolic interpretation is furthered if we assume that the burning Troy represents the turmoil that was Rome during the muddy years of civil war and corruption in the first century BC. Here, with Virgil positioning Augustus as the hero Aeneas, we see him glorify Augustus – and therefore Rome – through his leading of his people from their old home into a new world. A fresh society where they will settle and will one day be safe.
Furthermore, seeing as the narrative force of the Aeneid is to do with the founding of Rome, Aeneas is ‘forced into a mission by circumstances beyond his control’ as the critic Hardie remarks. The ‘circumstances beyond his control’ here mean the founding of Rome, suggesting that the entire story of the Aeneid – and all of Aeneas’ journey – is tethered to its conclusion. The preordained fate of his, which means he will found Rome. Despite his desire not to continue this journey, his piety and understanding of fate means he continues. In parallel to Augustus, this could be seen as a recognition of the civil war and turmoil which has been, and the desire for Augustus to avenge his father (Caesar) and remain in political strife. By ‘turning the other cheek’ and aiming for a greater vision for Rome, not unlike a utopia, Augustus is characterised through Aeneas as heroic because of his decision to progress Rome. These parallels of Augustus should not be seen as coincidence, seeing as the Aeneid war largely seen by the Roman people as a glorification of Augustus and his achievements. The proof can be seen through the quote by Ovid, which was referenced in the introduction, and by the role of Maecenas in the conception of Virgil’s epic, as he was the minister of culture, whose role was to promote Augustus through art, language, and literature.
Another element of the Aeneid, which proves its main purpose is the glorification of Rome, can be found in book six and book eight, where visions of the future frame Rome as a glorious society. This theme is first recognised in book six, where Aeneas endures a katabasis as he enters the underworld to understand the depths of his fate, freeing ‘himself implicitly from old faults’ as the critic Anderson recognises. This journey, for Aeneas, culminates in his reunion with Anchises, who greets him warmly and shows him the future of his people, consolidating his belief in the fate he has. This, as a parallel to Augustus, frames him as a man pious, much like Aeneas, and backed by the gods. The pageant of heroes in book six introduces many of the Roman figures the readers will recognise, such as the Gracchi, or Caesar, and Augustus himself. The pageant looks further into the future, and Virgil may have done this to give promise to the Roman people that the Rome which Augustus leads is preordained by the gods, and that they should put faith in him because of this. By framing the Rome which will be founded as fated, Virgil glorifies this image of Rome by having it viewed as a utopia, a world set in motion by the fates and willed by the majority of the gods. Furthermore, as Evander leads Aeneas through Pallanteum – which will one day be Rome – he takes Aeneas through a journey much like the pageant of heroes, explaining to him the past, with reference to Saturn and the cruel leadership of Mezentius, the present, as experienced by Pallas and Evander, and the future, with reference to Romulus and the Lupercal, the Temple of Jupiter, and the Carinae, all of which involve Rome in some way. The message of this journey is clear: don’t forget your roots. This is a call to the Roman people to remember where they come from, and recognise the struggle it was to found Rome. This glorifies Rome through the knowledge that the hardships of Aeneas and Augustus succeed, as we see the Roman rule under Augustus as a consequence of centuries of trials and tribulations resulting in his leadership, but not ending with it. By illuminating the story of Rome, Virgil glorifies it and its leaders through the connection to the gods, as Aeneas is the son of Venus. This further emphasises the point made earlier about the role of fate in the Aeneid, as the relation Augustus has to Aeneas means he is both fated by the gods, and is the distant offspring of one.
Despite this, Parry disagrees with this view that the glorification of Rome is the main purpose of the Aeneid, saying that ‘we, when making a judgement on the Aeneid, feel constrained to put forward a hypothetical ‘Roman reader’ who is blinded by Augustus and would see the Aeneid only as a great work of Augustan propaganda’. This standpoint implies that the reading of the Aeneid as mainly a political work actually detracts from its message, as the reader is ‘blinded’ by the role of the Roman reader in the perception of Augustus. This argument emphasises that the focus on the political implications of the Aeneid make it one-dimensional, neglecting, as the critic, the sense of ‘loss’ in the Aeneid, which gives a mood to the Aeneid of frustration, loss, and sadness’. This viewpoint makes the Aeneid’s political parallels simply one of the many purposeful elements of the poem, highlighting this theme of loss, which is evidenced through the likes of the loss of Creusa in book two, Palinurus in book five, Dido in book four, and Anchises in book two and six. This sees the Aeneid as more of an emotional piece of art, with the element of propaganda ancillary but not imperative to its message.
It can also be argued that the main purpose of the Aeneid is to evoke Homer. Drawing inspirations through narrative, with the Aeneid split between its Odyssean half and its Iliadic half, the use of similes and epithets, and the Homeric ideals of ‘kleos’ and ‘geras’, which are present in the Aeneid through the masculine dominance found through battle and war. Virgil’s evocation of Homer is central to its purpose as it displays the culmination of Latin literature, written in a time where a lot of Greek culture was permeating and influencing those in Rome. This theme is corroborated through the ending of the Aeneid, where Turnus’
11 death is a loss for the Rutulians, yet his reputation and people will forever live on through the Romans by art and culture, much like how the Greeks influenced the Romans.
Whilst these arguments provide disputation over the main purpose of the Aeneid, they are not sufficient in proving how they are more central than the glorification of Rome. The themes of loss and sadness communicated by Virgil serve only to reinforce the Aeneid as the ‘story of the great struggle to found the Roman race’, and the Homeric influences can be interpreted as elements which are utilised by Virgil to create a successful piece of Latin epic. It is not the main purpose of the Aeneid to evoke Homer, but to pay homage to him through its construction. It is an archetype which Virgil is using to best express the story Augustus and Maecenas want told.
In conclusion, the main purpose of the Aeneid is to glorify Rome, seeing as its narrative is driven by the elements of fate taking Aeneas to Rome. It also uses elements of ekphrasis and description, which consolidate its aim to be this, such as the pageant of heroes and the shield of Aeneas. Whilst arguments can be made against this fact, they are not convincing enough to replace this central purpose, though they highlight the importance of viewing the Aeneid not simply as a glorification of Rome, but also a story of loss and perseverance. These elements are just as vital to the Aeneid, and they contribute to the larger message of Virgil’s story, which all lead to Aeneas and his epic journey in founding Rome.
