Leadership In Virgil's Aeneid

Throughout Virgil’s Aeneid, Turnus and Aeneas become rivals. They both become leaders but have different ways of conducting their troops. Aeneas displays leadership and trustworthiness by following what is best for his troops. He makes decisions based on what he thinks could be the right choice. Turnus on the other hand does none of this. He makes decisions based on what he thinks will help him. All he cares about his the well being of himself and that does not show the qualities of a trustworthy leader. While Aeneas and Turnus strive for greatness, only Aeneas presents himself as a trustworthy leader on the other hand Turnus does not care for the needs of his troops.

Aeneas shows qualities of a trustworthy leader,when he is about to

The Trojans, mostly Aeneas,could be seen as the heroes. They fight, never give up, and Turnus becomes very jealous of this. They always get the glory and he never gets any because he does not deserve it. Virgil says, “I have my own fate too. Counter to theirs, to stamp out these accursed people with my sword” (IX 162-163). This shows that he weeps about not getting what he wants, because they are getting the glory. He hates the Trojans for the fact that they do a better job than he does at defeating people. Turnus does not show that he cares for his troops and that is something that Aeneas does. While they are in a meeting discussing the Trojans and Turnus and one of Turnus’ men stands up, Drances, and he says to him: “Turnus surrender to king and country their due rights! Why keep flinging your wretched people into naked peril? You are the root and spring of all the Latin’s’ grief’s!”(XI 430-433) This shows that even Turnus’ own troops does not even trust him. Turnus displays jealousness towards the Trojans. He thinks whatever he decides to do in the war is right. If he were to listen to them and do what is right he would not cause all these

Virgil says “But dauntless Turnus never lost faith in his daring, certain to seize” (X 332-334). He believes in himself and even though he might think he will lose him keeps moving forward like Aeneas. Aeneas keeps striving forward and Virgil says “Mourning done he commands his troops to lift the stricken body high and sends a thousand men…” ( XI 68-70) This shows that even though Pallas, which was like a son to Aeneas died. Aeneas knows as a leader he has to keep on moving or he will fall back into the procrastinating stages again. He will keep focussing on the past if he does not move forward. Turnus’ qualities of a leader is good for Aeneas to fight because he learns how to be a true man. When Aeneas is shot by an arrow after he is ready to get back out in the war he says to his son “ Learn courage from me,my son, true hardship too. Learn good luck from others. 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