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Aeneas Essay

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Aeneas Essay
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Aeneas Essay

Virgil used his epic Aeneid, which was about a legendary hero named Aeneas and the founding and destiny of Rome. Through the story of Aeneas, Virgil was able to sum up everything that the Romans valued most about their society. It also offered tales of adventure, which featured some of the gods and goddesses, hero, warriors and tragic lovers. Virgil died before he could finish his work, but this epic definitely established his reputation to glorify the Roman Empire. The Aeneid demonstrated that an epic poem could express a persons values and glorify its history. In book one of the Aeneid, Virgil establishes the fact that Juno does her best to ruin Aeneas’s plans because of her dislike for the Trojans, while Venus supports him. Jupiter, which is the king of the gods, lets them know that Aeneas will ultimately reach Italy and that his descendants will fine a great empire. In the story of the Aeneid there are many prophecies and this is the first of many. The meaning of all and not most of the prophecies is that Rome rules the world because it is fated to do so and has the support of the gods. Book two through four reveals the relationship between Dido, the queen of Carthage and Aeneas. He told her about the victory in the Trojan War and how he escaped the city. These books also reveal that Dido is in love with Aeneas, and that they become lovers. Jupiter sends Mercury, the messenger of the gods, to remind Aeneas that his destiny lies in Italy. Dido was so saddened by this news about Aeneas that she killed herself. The book shows Aenea’s willingness to sacrifice his own desires to obey the will of the Gods. Also it creates the explanation for the madness between Carthage and Rome. The final book, which is book 12 in the Aeneid recaps the single combat between Aeneas and the Latin hero Turnus, the Trojans chief opponent. Aeneaus ends up winning the fight and is free to marry Lavinia, daughter of the Latin King Latinus. Their marriage

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