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  • Essay / The Aeneid: Virgil's Heroic Underworld - 3216

    It is clear from reading the Aeneid that Virgil was familiar with Homer's earlier works, the Iliad and the Odyssey. Virgil, more than just aware of these earlier works, uses the themes and ideas of these poems in his own. Much more than simply copying scenes and ideas, Virgil expands and modifies these themes to better tell his story, unique from the Greek originals from which he draws inspiration. Virgil reveals what qualities he considers heroic through the juxtaposition of Aeneas' character and the negative aspects of the underworld. By looking at which qualities are esteemed and ridiculed respectively, we can identify the qualities that Virgil would like to positively emphasize to his readers. Furthermore, we can say that Virgil is indeed trying to convey a particular morality to these readers. Beyond the underworld, it is possible to clearly identify these traits in other sections of the poem where Virgil borrows and makes his own modifications. Using these distinctions, we can very clearly infer Virgil's morality from the poem and see how Virgil's ideal characters depart from the Greek ideal that preceded him. Virgil's heroes closely resemble the heroes of Homer's earlier works, however there are some differences that are not simply the result of differences in character. Virgil describes his ideals through the traits of his heroes and villains, and some of these traits are different from the Greek traits of The Iliad and The Odyssey. The best way to identify the specific traits that Virgil is trying to implant in the minds of his readers is to look at the main hero, Aeneas. Through Aeneas we see a slightly different variation of the Greek hero. Aeneas is strong and deadly in battle, but he is fabulous, allowing those familiar with the older works to see where changes were made and how important those differences are to his characters. . To drive home his point, Virgil writes his underworld in a way that allows his reader to see what horrors await those who do not adhere to these specific traits. During these scenes, he sometimes speaks directly to the reader, warning them of the dangers of ignoring his lessons. This had such a profound impact that Virgil's version of the underworld was used as the basis for many works and is the origin of a view of hell that many people still adhere to today. Works Cited Knox, Bernard and Robert Fagles. The Odyssey. City: Penguin Classics, 2006. Knox, Bernard and Robert Fagles. The Iliad. New York: Penguin Books, 1991. Knox, Bernard and Robert Fagles. The Aeneid:. City: Penguin Classics, 2008.