The Aeneid: Virgil's epic poem and literary legacy

¶ … Role of Fate in the Aeneid

The role of fate is significant in that Virgil sincerely believed that the Romans were destined to rule the world. Fate lies within the hands of the gods and they alone determine the destiny of humanity. Jupiter has supreme power over all other gods and while they may to thwart his power, as we shall see, they will not succeed. The most an opposing god can do is temporarily alter fate and cause chaos. The epic begins and ends with divine intervention, signifying its overall important throughout the text. It is important to realize that we are dealing with types of fate in the Aeneid, one being individuals fate and universal fate. Individual fate is that which the minor gods feel as though they can intervene while universal fate is predetermined, unable to be thwarted, changed, or prevented. Aeneas is a blessed individual in that he is directly connected to the universal fate of mankind. However, he will encounter trials and tribulations in his personal life as the result of other gods meddling in his affairs and attempting to throw fate off course. Virgil's interpretation of fate was one that played an active role in the life of mankind and through the development of Aeneas, we see the importance of this role and the importance of accepting this role.

Fate is the predominant theme in Virgil's the Aeneid, focusing not so much upon the hero but his role in the glorification of Rome. His role in helping to establish the Roman state cannot be overlooked as Aeneas embodies the characteristics of a true and noble Roman. Virgil believed that the affairs of the world were controlled by fate, or the gods, not of this world. From this perspective, it is understood that the gods ordained Rome to achieve the greatness it does in the epic and nothing can change this outcome. One way in which Virgil emphasizes the role of the gods in the story is though prophecy. An example of this can be seen with the conversation between Jupiter and Venus, where one of the central prophecies is declared. Aeneas will be carried "high as heaven's stars" (Virgil 10) and "Romulus shall take the rulership and build the walls of Mars' own city... I give them empire without end" (10-1), Jupiter announces. This prophecy establishes the conclusion of the epic. While this is a foregone conclusion, it is not without difficulties and Virgil reveals the successes and failures of divine intervention along Aeneas' journey to greatness.

Without the gods' intervention and without the destiny of Rome, there is no story to tell. The gods are major players in this poem and Virgil points to their importance in every book of the text, alluding not only to their power but to their emotions as well. The two seem almost inextricably connected in that we rarely see a god acting without emotion. The emotions of the gods allow us to relate to them. Early in the epic, chaos and destruction are introduced through the actions of Juno and she will remain a viable force throughout the text. Virgil establishes this presence of the gods and their influence early in the story to illustrate their importance. Juno creates the storm that results in the destruction of one of the Trojan ships while Neptune intervenes and prevents any further damage. Virgil is allowing us to see that not all gods are good and they do not always have man's best interests at heart. They have their own agenda and humanity becomes a pawn in which a god might play to achieve their own victory. The story continues with more intervention from the gods. Juno illustrates how the individual fate of man can be thrown off course while the universal fate of man still remains on track. In Book II, we see an excellent example of how intervention is absolutely necessary. When Venus assists Aeneas with the supernatural presence of ghosts in his dreams, the intervention is significant because without it, Aeneas would have died. Hector's appearance is associated with patriotism and the preservation of Troy's consecrated vestiges, which are significant to Trojan destiny. These early circumstances allow us to see how the gods were active characters in Aeneas' life and without them, his life would not have been what it was.

Aeneas' character begins to develop in Book III, preparing him for his true destiny. The most significant aspect of his development is that he becomes aware of it and begins to accept his fate. As he recounts his adventures to Dido, we begin to see how fate is unfolding through his journeys. Aeneas concludes the book by telling her that he is confident that the gods "drove me upon your shore" (80). In Book IV, Aeneas begins to emerge as a symbol of the Roman people. Mercury intervenes on Aeneas' and Dido's relationship, asking him if he is "forgetful" (90) of his own fate and admonishing him. He reminds Aeneas of the role of fate simply by telling him, "The very god of gods, whose power sways / both earth and heaven, sends me down to you / from bright Olympus" (IV. 357-9). Aeneas is "stunned" (373) and "struck dumb" (373) by the vision and becomes aware of his destiny after the ensuing fight with Dido. Intervention is necessary at this point to prevent Aeneas to become involved with Dido even further. Had he remained in Carthage, the story would have had a completely different ending and Mercury was the one who felt compelled to remind Aeneas of his destiny and its significance over love.

When Aeneas finally comes around, he emerges as quite the warrior, ready for action and more determined than ever not become distracted. By leaving Dido, we also see how the universal fate of Carthage is achieved. The role of fate begins to emerge victorious as Aeneas begins to realize his role in the journey. In many ways, Aeneas must mature in order to grasp the enormity of what it is he is destined to accomplish. Juno proves again to be helpless against the promise of fate. Her craftiest maneuvers cannot stand between Aeneas and his fate.

It is worth noting that Virgil offers a complex view of good and evil in the Aeneid. Aeneas faces many challenges in the story and many are represented as evil, which is not something that he stumbles upon randomly but rather events thrust upon him by outside forces. Fate takes a hand in his life from many angles and some of them are interesting to say the least. For example, it is Aeneas' free will that possesses him to stay with Dido and the only way that he leaves her is through some serious divine intervention. Dido's suicide and the eventual destruction of Carthage may seem to be drastic conclusions that cruel but Virgil asks us to see the circumstance from that of the gods. When we do look at her situation from this perspective, we see Dido as exactly what she is - a distraction that only gets in the gods' way. Her suffering is the result of mankind's attempt to explain evil that exists in the world.

Book VI is significant for many reasons with the most prominent one being Virgil's ability to merge the sections of the epic together. The afterworld provides a stable foundation for the story and it successfully blends the past and the future together. Aeneas' journey into the underworld is significant to his character development in that he begins to realize his part in the big picture. His evolution reinforces the notion of fate. His courage in spite of the horror he encounters establishes his role as a great warrior. Because he emerges with such a different perspective, the entire tone of the story changes from this point forward. While the gods continue to intervene in negative ways, we have more faith in Aeneas and his abilities to prevail. In Book VII, we see a sympathetic side of the gods as Tiberinus and Venus, as they begin to realize the brutality and inevitability for the war. Tiberinus advices Aeneas to seek assistance and Venus beseeches her husband to manufacture weapons to assist Aeneas in battle. Later, Juno again attempts to intervene with destiny by inciting Turnus to war while Aeneas is preoccupied. His attempts to destroy Trojans ships fail; however, the ships are altered. Apollo prevents the death of Ascanius. In Book IX, Jupiter realizes that chaos and destruction are only making matters more complicated and not accomplishing anything. He asks the other gods to refrain from interfering with the war. Turnus' death is also the result of fate. Aeneas kills him without so much as a second thought, reaffirming his fate. Turnus' death also affirms the notion that the universal fate of mankind cannot be altered. Certainly, it experiences moments of intervention but it is never a question of Rome's eventual greatness. The question of individual fate is toyed with, especially with Turnus and the prolonged nature of his struggle with Aeneas. As their saga unfolds, we realize that Turnus does not experience the same protection as Aeneas and we can even say that while fate is working for Aeneas, it is working against Turnus. Aeneas never looses sight of the prize and Turnus' death provides even more confirmation that his life is indeed in the hand of protective fate.

It is important to realize the significance of how the gods intervene in human fate. While we have established that human fate can indeed be altered it is done almost always through the actions of a god. Some events are predestined to occur and only the circumstances relating to them can be altered or influenced by the gods. Free will without the intervention of the gods reveals itself most predominantly when Jupiter chooses not to become involved with the war between the Trojans and the Latins. With this example, Virgil allows human

Here human choice is allowed and the final analysis will be revealed when the gods establish anger or pleasure over the choice. The significant aspect here is realizing that while man is allowed free will in certain instances, it does not always go unpunished.