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Aeneas'shield In The Aeneid

589 Words3 Pages

Exercise Two At first glance, Virgil’s description of Aeneas’ shield in The Aeneid may just appear to be a conveyance of Roman history. However, Virgil only includes precise descriptions and details in his catalogue to conform the narrative to his desires for Aeneas and Aeneas’ future in battle. Therefore, the purpose the catalogue serves in the narrative is to not only give Aeneas a purpose to fight, but also the confidence to fight bravely. The last few words of the excerpt provides one of the functions of the catalogue within the narrative, as the narrator describes Aeneas’ recognition of the shield’s message by saying, “…he knows nothing of these events but takes delight in their likeness, lifting onto his shoulders now the fame and fates of all his children’s children” (8.856-858). The shield supplies Aeneas with a history of Rome “in all her triumphs” (8.739), which causes him to believe that without his bravery in battle, Rome will never achieve the rest of the successes that are its fate. One part of the shield even specifically pictures Aeneas’ “children’s children,” as the narrator describes their part in a battle against Lars Porsena saying, “…Aeneas’ heirs rushing headlong against the steel in freedom’s name” (8.760-761). The picture of Aeneas’ …show more content…

Aeneas takes solace in the fact that his heirs will continue to fight bravely, as shown on the shield. Furthermore, he knows that if he does not fight bravely for Rome, there will no longer be a Rome for his descendants to fight for, which inspires him. The shield also instills a certain confidence in Aeneas because he is shown several victories of Rome, including a battle that should not have been necessarily won. Venus’ gift to her son most definitely gives Aeneas the added drive he needs to greatly achieve in

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