Why does Virgil make Aeneas enter the underworld
Why does Virgil make Aeneas visit the underworld?
In book 6 of the Aeneid Virgil makes Aeneas visit the underworld. There are many reasons that Virgil explains in the book. His visit to the underworld is the turning point of the Aeneid, it ends the description of his journey and starts to lead into the warfare and other events in the second half of the Aeneid. His visit rounds up all the main focus points of the whole epic, Aeneas as a person, piety and homage to Rome’s splendour. Aeneas’ meet with his father demonstrates the piety that Aeneas holds for his family and his homeland. The Pageant of Roman heroes demonstrates the homage to Rome and its future. As Aeneas continues his journey through the underworld meeting other people from his past, he changes and this demonstrates what Aeneas is like as a person.
As a debt to Homer, and to be seen as writing in the Homeric style, Virgil uses many similar scenes and references throughout his epic to those in Homer’s. For example, Odysseus meets his mother in the Underworld, but he didn’t initially know she was dead. He tries to embrace her three times, and three times he wraps his arms around nothing but air and begs her not to leave his grasp. Aeneas meets his father in the Underworld and tries to embrace him three times, and three times wraps his arms round nothing but air and begs him not to leave his grasp. Aeneas cannot meet his mother in the Underworld, as she is a goddess. He also knows that his father is dead and is told to go and visit him in a dream. Odysseus may not be able to meet his father in the Underworld because he is still at home, on his farm. It would be too much for Odysseus to meet both his parents in the Underworld. Thus, Homer has made a conscious choice. He may have picked for Anticleia to die because Laertes, being a man, had more prestige in Homer’s time, and should therefore be alive and well to greet his son when he returns home. However, it may also be ironic that Odysseus meets the
In book 6 of the Aeneid Virgil makes Aeneas visit the underworld. There are many reasons that Virgil explains in the book. His visit to the underworld is the turning point of the Aeneid, it ends the description of his journey and starts to lead into the warfare and other events in the second half of the Aeneid. His visit rounds up all the main focus points of the whole epic, Aeneas as a person, piety and homage to Rome’s splendour. Aeneas’ meet with his father demonstrates the piety that Aeneas holds for his family and his homeland. The Pageant of Roman heroes demonstrates the homage to Rome and its future. As Aeneas continues his journey through the underworld meeting other people from his past, he changes and this demonstrates what Aeneas is like as a person.
As a debt to Homer, and to be seen as writing in the Homeric style, Virgil uses many similar scenes and references throughout his epic to those in Homer’s. For example, Odysseus meets his mother in the Underworld, but he didn’t initially know she was dead. He tries to embrace her three times, and three times he wraps his arms around nothing but air and begs her not to leave his grasp. Aeneas meets his father in the Underworld and tries to embrace him three times, and three times wraps his arms round nothing but air and begs him not to leave his grasp. Aeneas cannot meet his mother in the Underworld, as she is a goddess. He also knows that his father is dead and is told to go and visit him in a dream. Odysseus may not be able to meet his father in the Underworld because he is still at home, on his farm. It would be too much for Odysseus to meet both his parents in the Underworld. Thus, Homer has made a conscious choice. He may have picked for Anticleia to die because Laertes, being a man, had more prestige in Homer’s time, and should therefore be alive and well to greet his son when he returns home. However, it may also be ironic that Odysseus meets the