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Examples Of Piety In The Aeneid

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In The Aeneid, Virgil uses the deaths of Euryalus, Nisus, and Turnus to demonstrate the troubles caused by war spoils. In contrast, Aeneas’ decision to sacrifice rather than profit illustrates the positive impact of discipline and piety. In doing so, Virgil warns against greed and taking plunder from enemies, while connecting The Aeneid’s morals to those found throughout the epic tradition. The first instance of war spoils causing problems for soldiers is when Euryalus steals a prize from a Latin captain. After slaughtering many Latins on their way to send news to Aeneas, dawn approaches. Nisus decides they should quit fighting and leave before they are caught. However, before they leave, Euryalus takes keepsakes from the Latins. Virgil describes, “Euryalus seizes them, fits them onto his gallant shoulders / all for nothing. …show more content…

Not long after doing so, Euryalus must pay the consequences for his actions. While additional Latin troops make their way to the camp, they see Nisus and Euryalus running off. Virgil says, “The helmet—Euryalus forgot—it glints in the dark, it gives him away, it’s caught in a shaft of moonlight” (9.434-435). Shortly after being spotted, Eurylaus is caught by Latins who kill him, and they eventually his companion Nisus. Through the deaths of Nisus and Euryalus, Virgil warns about what happens when one claims even the smallest of war prizes. In the final book of the epic, Turnus nearly loses his duel with Aeneas. Turnus drops to plead with Aeneas for his release. Turnus begs to return home to his father and his people. Aeneas begins to feel convinced to let Turnus go when he suddenly “caught sight of the fateful sword-belt of Pallas, swept over Turnus’ shoulder, gleaming with shining studs, / Aeneas knew by heart” (12.1098-1100). After seeing the belt of Pallas, Aeneas stabs Turnus in the heart with his

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In Aeneid Book I, Virgil tells the story on how Roman’s became Roman’s. Virgil used Book I as his beginning of Roman history and to share his story with his people. He starts his epic tells after the fall of the might city of Troy with the broken remnants of the Trojan people fighting to survive a brutal storm conjured up by an iniquitous goddess. After surviving the storm the displaced Trojan’s find shelter on the Libyan coast, ironically, with the beloved people of the very goddess that just tried to kill them. Virgil’s main focus throughout Book

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Turnus begs for his life and nearly sways Aeneas to spare him. However, Aeneas spots the belt of his dear friend, Pallas, on the shoulder of his killer, Turnus. This sends Aeneas into a rage, and he brutally kills Turnus. Aeneas’s decision to give in to his anger and kill Turnus is significant because

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My hand will shield you in war today and guide you toward the great rewards” (XII 513-515) This shows that Aeneas tells his son, Ascanius, that he will be there as long as he can to keep him safe. He realizes to tell him this now because if Turnus kills him he can not tell him. Turnus shows Aeneas courage to keep moving forward and shapes him into a leader. When Aeneas is about to make the final decision to maybe let him live he sees pallas’ belt on

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In the Bible and Virgil’s The Aeneid, the pursuit of honor and glory is complex, and it does not come without serious consequences and hardships. However, while Jesus and Aeneas both strive to achieve a certain goal due to divine intervention and both overcome certain adversities, their underlying motives and their ultimate outcomes are starkly different. Although it would appear that neither Jesus nor Aeneas would be motivated by personal fame or glory—as they were sent on godly missions, this is not the case in The Aeneid. Jesus acts completely selflessly as he teaches others about the Kingdom of God and how to live their lives, whereas Aeneas is working to win greatness for his ancestors as he was sent by the gods to settle and create an

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Upon later arriving at his establishment disguised as an old beggar, Odysseus is met viciously by a particular beggar called Iros, who challenges him to a boxing match. Just as the fight is about to take place, Odysseus “…pondered if he should… drop [Iros] dead on the spot, or only… knock him down. Better that way, he thought—a gentle blow” (Homer 18.110-113). Iros, a man who had recently mocked Odysseus, is unwittingly at Odysseus’ disposal, doomed to whatever fate his foe willed upon him. However, Odysseus chooses to spare Iros’ life rather than “drop him dead on the spot”.

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If I return home to my dear fatherland / My glory is lost but my life will be long,” (Il. 9.325-328). Neither Achilles or Nicias are successful in staying out of battle, both getting dragged into fighting a war they don’t believe

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The virtue of piety was a defining characteristic in Roman life, Romans carried out their everyday lives in accordance of the ideas of pietas which is one’s duty to their family, God, and people; these Roman values are displayed in Virgil’s The Aeneid through the actions of the character Aeneas, and challenged further in the Gospel of Matthew by Jesus Christ. The word “pietas” is a Latin word that means dutifulness, and refers to the balanced duty to a person’s family, gods, and people in Roman culture. The Romans believed that for these duties to be upheld then it must be implemented in one’s everyday life, and this belief of the Romans separated them from other ancient societies. In The Aeneid, Aeneas engages in all aspects of pietas throughout his journey to Italy to become the ancestor to the city of Rome.

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