The Aeneid; Artistic Expression or a Propaganda Epic
The Aeneid; Artistic Expression or a Propaganda Epic
This week’s question pertains to an epic mythological poem that is named The Aeneid. This is a story about a man named Aeneas (who was a Trojan); he decides to exit his destroyed city of Troy when he is ordered by one of his gods (Mercury) to follow a heroic determined path in life, and discovers the fact that he is destined to settle a new and most influential city in a foreign land. The irony that comes to be, is that this future colony will one day become to be known as, the all-powerful city of Rome in which is the Roman Empire.
This tale has depictions of mythical powers, love, jealousy, human suffering, war, and is foreshadowed by the typical conflict of humanities politics.
This elegy is believed to have been written in either Rome or Greece around the year 20 B.C.; it takes place in the post destruction of the city of Troy, which is shadowed as a result of the Trojan Wars. The story dates to around 1000 B.C., and is geographically located in the Mediterranean, and Italy area.
For this week’s discussion, we were asked to answer two questions. First, how does Aeneas's piety and sense of duty change as the poem unfolds? Second, to what extent is the Aeneid a political poem? And last, is it propaganda?
I had to gently read this poem numerous times, as there was much drama present. As for the first question; I feel that Aenea’s sense of duty did change. His actions reflected a sense of enhancement to his dutiful virtues; it was not a case of conveying a form of no action (duty) to action (being dutiful) per say, but perhaps a transformation into a much higher sense of honor and duty.
He was shown from the start as being dutiful; with that said, it is in my opinion that through Aeneas initial tasking by the god Mercury, than through being swayed off track by lust, and finally ending with the ultimate example of duty; by unselfishly placing his own life on the line for the good of all, in a duel, it’s the
This week’s question pertains to an epic mythological poem that is named The Aeneid. This is a story about a man named Aeneas (who was a Trojan); he decides to exit his destroyed city of Troy when he is ordered by one of his gods (Mercury) to follow a heroic determined path in life, and discovers the fact that he is destined to settle a new and most influential city in a foreign land. The irony that comes to be, is that this future colony will one day become to be known as, the all-powerful city of Rome in which is the Roman Empire.
This tale has depictions of mythical powers, love, jealousy, human suffering, war, and is foreshadowed by the typical conflict of humanities politics.
This elegy is believed to have been written in either Rome or Greece around the year 20 B.C.; it takes place in the post destruction of the city of Troy, which is shadowed as a result of the Trojan Wars. The story dates to around 1000 B.C., and is geographically located in the Mediterranean, and Italy area.
For this week’s discussion, we were asked to answer two questions. First, how does Aeneas's piety and sense of duty change as the poem unfolds? Second, to what extent is the Aeneid a political poem? And last, is it propaganda?
I had to gently read this poem numerous times, as there was much drama present. As for the first question; I feel that Aenea’s sense of duty did change. His actions reflected a sense of enhancement to his dutiful virtues; it was not a case of conveying a form of no action (duty) to action (being dutiful) per say, but perhaps a transformation into a much higher sense of honor and duty.
He was shown from the start as being dutiful; with that said, it is in my opinion that through Aeneas initial tasking by the god Mercury, than through being swayed off track by lust, and finally ending with the ultimate example of duty; by unselfishly placing his own life on the line for the good of all, in a duel, it’s the
Cited: W. W. Norton & Company. The Norton Anthology of Western Literature, Volume 1. Eighth Edition edition . W. W. Norton & Company, 2005.