Aeneas and Achilleus Both Aeneas from Virgils Aeneid, and Achilleus, the protagonist of the Homers Illiad, are supernatural heroes who represent symbols of Roman and Greek cultures respectively. Achilleus possesses phenomenal strength and has a close bond with the gods; he may strike contemporary readers as less than heroic. He has all the symbols of a great warrior (one of the necessities for heroism), but his deep-rooted character flaws continually obstruct his ability to act with honesty or dignity. One might refer to Aeneas as a behind the scenes man in the book, The Iliad. Although he was second in authority for the Trojans, Homer infrequently talked about the unsung hero. His upbringing was different than most children his age.
Without a prevailing mother figure in his life, Aeneas learned his principles and beliefs from his warrior father, Anchises, a Trojan prince. One also might consider that because Aeneas had a fighting machine for a father that he would grow to be one also. While, as it is shown throughout his contribution in the Trojan War, Aeneas is not precisely like Anchises. After the fall of the Trojans in the war his fate awaits. Born in Troy, to Anchises and Aphrodite, the goddess of love, Aeneas was born into a very rich family. Aeneas, being the son of a Trojan prince, never had to be anxious about a home or food.
Aeneas lived in a Trojan fortress until later in his childhood when a steady home could not be relied on. When he wasnt at home in the palace he traveled with his father and most probably stayed in well-off houses along the way or just in the barracks if he went with his father to an army site. Soon after he was born, his father and unavoidably a nurse or nanny raised Aeneas; as it was appropriate for a wealthy man not to simply raise Aeneas on his own. Achilleus’ first display of rage is when he contemplates killing Agamemnon, only to be stopped by Athena. He is not able to overcome his emotion enough to see the error of his ways; therefore, others must intervene: “It was to check this killing rage I came/ from heaven . . .hold your hand.
The Essay on The Aeneid Aeneas Trojans City
The novel Aeneid, written by Vergil is great story of Aeneas the son of Trojan Prince Anchises and the goddess Venus, Aeneas has valiantly defended Troy until it was burnt down by the Greeks after ten of war. Now the oracles prophesize a destiny for him as the founder of the city state Rome, where he must lead his son Ascanius, as he is called and the remaining Trojans, who have fled their city's ...
Obey. (I. 243-252)” His next fit of anger comes when Hector kills his friend, Patroclus. Although this rage serves to help the Greeks by bringing him back into battle, it just goes to show that he acts only according to his emotion at the time–he was grieving for his friend and wanted to avenge his death. While this aspect of Achilleus’ personality shows that he does have a somewhat human side, it is virtually cancelled out by the fact that he has already let thousands of Greek men die due to his absence. In book 19, Patroclus’ death prompts Achilleus to “apologize” to Agamemnon; this does not alleviate his rage, however, he is only redirecting it towards Hector. His irrationality becomes clear when he says “By god, / I’d send our soldiers into action now/ unfed and hungry . .
.Slaughter and blood are what I crave, and groans/ of anguished men! (IX. 226-236)” His thirst for blood is more important to him than the welfare of his soldiers. His last act of rage comes when he kills Hector, and mutilates his body (in fact, that is a light way of putting it).
This is by far his most unheroic action; no human or god approves of this. Apollo says “The man has lost all mercy;/ he has no shame . . .(XXIV.
51-52)” Shadwill, 3 Some may argue that Achilleus does display heroism towards the end of the epic: King Priam says “And take/ pity on me, remember your own father./ Think me more pitiful by far, since I/ have brought myself to do what no man else/ has done before–to lift to my lips the hand/ of one who killed my son. (XXIV. 605-610)” Aeneas began childhood unlike most children his age. He probably traveled with his father a great deal as he grew older, learning about war and fighting tactics. Along the way and on visits home, a tutor educated him, since most wealthy boys were educated at a young age. Being an only child and an eventually heir to the thrown, Aeneas may have been spoiled slightly. Though Aeneas had an important role as second commander in The Iliad, he was rarely mentioned throughout the book. In the beginning of the Trojan War, Aeneas was certainly not on anyones side, simply because he wasnt fighting.
Origins of World War II – Book Review
Origins of World War II - Book Review Essay submitted by scott World War II was much more than battles, statistics, politics, and opinions. The things that contributed to its beginning, what happened during the war, and the effects of the war are still being debated and discussed. Patrick Finney assembles some of the best writings for a number of subjects relating to World War II. First the reader ...
One reason for this may have been that Aeneas didnt have the same desire to fight like his father. A feeling such as sensitivity, inherited from his mother, is shown when Aeneas doesnt take the initiative to battle the Greeks. It is believed that Aeneas thought the war was silly and he tried to ignore it. Even with this being true, eventually Aeneas was begged by his fellow Trojans to fight in the long war. He complied and used the skills he was taught by his father to defend his country against the Greeks. After the war was over, Aeneas was revered as a hero to most.
He saved his family, and fought hard for his country during the war. He also had a destiny to fulfill.
Bibliography:
Homer. The Iliad. New York: Anchor Books, 1974. Virgil. The Aeneid.
New York: Anchor Books, 1983.
