Adventures of Aeneas

1. Adventures of Aeneas John Xia Saheli Parekh Philip Song Aysia Johnson Ethan Scott

2. Heroic Qualities • Brave-Aeneas went to the underworld unfazed by the imminent dangers that were facing him. • Valiant - Aeneas was one of the greatest warriors in Troy. • Righteous- Aeneas always does what he believes is right.

3. Flaws • Obedient to the point of being obsequious. • He follows Jupiter’s orders without asking any questions or thoughts about the consequences of it.

4. Background • Aeneas was a highly respected Trojan Warrior in the Trojan war. • He was also the son of Venus the Goddess of Love. • He was destined by the Fates to establish a race that would one day rule the world. • These people would later become known as Romans.

5. Journey • Aeneas’ journey starts when Troy is destroyed and he must find a new home. • Aeneas escaped Troy with his father and his little son. • When he set sail from Troy many Trojans joined him. • The Trojans tried multiple times to build a city all of which failed until one day Aeneas was told in a dream to sail to Italy where he and his fellow Trojans were destined to establish their home. • However, the actual journey took a very long time due to a lot of detours and stops along the way. The first stop was on the island of Crete where they were driven away by Harpies (horrid creatures). • At their next landing point they met Andromache, Hector’s widow, and Helenus, a Trojan prophet. They told the Trojans not to land on the east coast of Italy but in fact to land on the west coast. However they were not to take the shortest route between Sicily and Italy for that straight was guarded buy Scylla and Charybdis.

6. Journey continued • After Aeneas and his comrades left Andromache and Helenus they sailed around the eastern tip of Italy and docked at the southern tip of Sicily. • However for all of his mysterious powers, Helenus was not aware that the southern tip of Sicily was now occupied by Cyclops and therefore, did not warn Aeneas. • The Trojans would have been captured if not for a wretched old man who warned them of the Cyclops and told them to set sail immediately. • When the Trojans escaped Sicily they were struck by a storm that was unlike any mortal storm. • The goddess Juno had gone to the wind god Aeolus and told him to blow the Trojans off course because Aeneas’ descendants were destined to bring ruin to her pet city Carthage.

7. Journey • Neptune, the god of the sea, did not take to kindly to Juno interfering with his seas and promptly reprimanded Aeolus, thus calming the ocean. • However it was too late the Trojans were already blown to the north coast of Africa near Carthage. • Juno immediately hatched a plan to turn this unexpected arrival to her advantage. • She called up Venus, the goddess of Love, to make Aeneas fall in love with the queen of Carthage Dido. • However because Aeneas was Venus’ son she wanted him to fulfill his destiny of establishing Rome and so she created a plan of her own • Venus planned to have the Queen of Carthage, Dido, fall in love with Aeneas and to have Aeneas only accept whatever Dido was to give to him.

8. Journey • Dido became enamored of Aeneas and lavished him in all of her riches. • Aeneas was spending more time in Carthage than Jupiter, king of the gods, liked. So, Jupiter sent Mercury to Aeneas with a message, “depart and seek the kingdom which is your destiny.” • Aeneas being loyal to the gods promptly left Carthage leaving Dido with a broken heart. • Dido then killed herself out of grief for her lost love. • As they sailed to Italy once more Aeneas remembered that Helenus had told him to seek Sybil of Cumae, a wise prophetess that lived in a cave, and so he did. • Sybil of Cumae then gave him a task, he was to travel to the underworld to gain the knowledge he would need to establish Rome.

9. Journey • Aeneas was to gain this knowledge from his father who had died shortly after he left Troy. • In order to gain entrance to the underworld Aeneas must have first retrieved a golden bough. Once he retrieved it, he and Sybil then traveled into the underworld. • Once in the Underworld, Aeneas faced many terrors such as Disease, Care, Hunger, War, Discord and many other curses. • They then reached the river of the underworld in which they had to give the ferryman, Charon, the golden bough in order to cross. • After they had safely passed through the river they were confronted by Cerberus, the guard dog of the Underworld, but following Psyche’s example they appeased him by giving him cake.

10. Journey • While in the underworld Aeneas sees his love Dido, for she had killed herself when he left Carthage. However when Dido saw him she was stolid and in Aeneas’ words “ A piece of marble could not have seemed less moved.” Aeneas was shattered with grief. • Aeneas then moved on through the Underworld to find his father, Anchises, in the Elysian Fields • Anchises then gave Aeneas the knowledge he would need to form his new home in Italy and how to avoid hardships in doing so. • After leaving the Underworld and the ghosts from the past behind Aeneas gathered his men and sailed to Italy. • Soon the Trojans arrived in Latium where there was a king, Latinus, who was forbidden by heaven to wed his daughter to any man of Italy. So, when the Trojans arrived he had decided to wed her to Aeneas.

11. Journey • All would have gone well if it had not been for Juno, she made it so that the most powerful peoples of the country oppose the Trojans. • On top of being opposed by the strongest kingdoms in Italy the Trojans faced the wrath of Juno in another way, Alecto the Third Harpy of Hades. Juno ordered Alecto to incited war across the land of Italy to drive the Trojans out. • Following Alecto inflamed the heart of the Queen Amata of Latinum, the mother of Lavinia. Lavinia was destined to marry Aeneas but because of AlectoQueen Amata fiercely opposed the marriage fo the two. • Queen Amata then flew to the king of the Rutilians, Turnus, who was the most favored to have Lavinia’s hand. At the mention of another suitor having Lavinia’s hand Turus gathered his army and marched toward Latinum.

12. Journey • Alecto devised another plan to force out the Trojans, She bewitched Aeneas’ son into killing a stag that belonged to a Latin farmer and was loved by all in the land. At the news of this the entire country enraged as they were joined the Rutulian army to try and kill the Trojans. • At the sight of the Rutulian Army and the Latins King Latinus went into his chambers and decided he would just see how things played out. If Aeneas won the battle he would “win” Lavinia. • Turnus also had two allies join him to oppose the little band of Trojans. • Mezentius, a stong soldier but so cruel his own people, the Etruscan people, rebelled against him. • Turnus’ second ally was Camilla. • Camilla was a mistress in all ways of warfare from the axe to the bow.

13. Journey • In this bad situation for the Trojans the god of the river the Trojans were encamped by, Father Tiber, came to Aeneas in a dream. • He told Aeneas to travel upstream to the kingdom of Evander, a small town that was destine to become Rome, to seek the help they needed. • There Evander suggested that Aeneas employ the help of the Etruscans to help him fight the war. • The fact that the Etruscan fugitive king, Mezentius, was opposing Aeneas was reason enough for them to chose Aeneas’ side.

14. Nisus and Euryalus • While Aeneas was away the Rutulians attacked the Trojan encampment in force. • The Trojans fought fiercely but were soon overwhelmed by the Rutulians. • Two Trojans devised a plan to get word to Aeneas that they needed help. Nisus and Euryalus were the two men. They would sneak past the enemy lines in the cover of night to get word to Aeneas. • When they presented their plan to the Trojan leaders they leaders instantly accepted.

15. Nisus and Euryalus (continued) • The two men left that night to go and notify Aeneas of the situation. • However they did not make haste and did not make it past the enemy forces by sunrise. • The Rutulians spotted the two men and captured Euryalus. Nisus knowing it was better to die trying to save Euryalus than to leave attempted to save him but failed and they were both killed.

16. Journey • Aeneas returned to Latinum with a strong army of Etruscans at his back in time to save the Trojan camp. • A bloody war ensues and many people die including Mezentius and Camilla. • Finally Turnus and Aeneas meet in single battle • Aeneas strikes down Turnus and marries Lavinia and starts the Roman race. • The roman race left to nations other things such as art and science.

17. Motifs and Themes • Rags to Riches- in the story line, when Aeneas reaches Carthage, him and his crew/people are haggard and poor. They have suffered a great storm and have very few items of value. However, upon reaching Carthage, Dido showers Aeneas with lavish and opulent clothing, jewels and weapons as well as a position of authority in her city.

18. Motifs and Themes • Forbidden Love: This theme is a phrase describing a pair of lovers whose relationship is often thwarted by outside forces. In the story, Dido falls in love with Aeneas due to the Cupid’s arrow. This made Dido feel enflamed with love and passion for Aeneas. The outside force to this is everything she is risking for Aeneas. The love between Aeneas fails which makes her unable to reassume her dignified position.  By taking Aeneas as a lover, she compromises her previously untainted loyalty to her dead husband’s memory. She also loses the support of Carthage’s citizens, who have seen their queen indulge an amorous obsession at the expense of her civic responsibilities.

19. Motifs and Themes • Vengeance: Vengeance is retribution exacted for an injury or wrong, especially the death of a loved one. This motif is an important element of heroic culture in the Adventures of Aeneas. In the story, Aeneas has a different viewpoint on when reminded of the slain Pallas. Aeneas thought that letting Pallas’ death go unforgotten would be disloyal and dishonorable. So Aeneas seeks vengeance in order to honor of Pallas’ death and not let Pallas’ death go to unpunished.

20. Major Archetypes • Hero-Aeneas • Aeneas is the hero because he is portrayed as larger than life, exemplifies the values of his culture, is self sacrificing and undergoes a journey. • Shrew-Juno • Juno was the shrew because she waged emotional warfare on Aeneas. She also imposed her will on Aeneas’ adventure in way that she intervened with his travels and love life. • The Wise Old Man- Anchises • He guided Aeneas with very good advice about his future city and set him on the right path to success

21. Major Archetypes • The Sea • In the myth the sea is a dangerous place for Aeneas and his men. They meet many storms and perils while sailing. Also is very vast and chaotic because of Juno’s intervention. • The Island of Sicily • This island is an archetype because it is its own small world. It contains many Cyclops, including Polyphemus, and is unlike any other place in the book.

22. Major Archetypes • RiversCocytus and Archeron- • These rivers symbolize a border between the Underworld and the living world • Supernatural Intervention- Juno, Neptune, Jupiter and Venus are constantly playing with Aeneas and his chances at victory. They also play with the people around Aneas including Dido.

23. Roles of Women and Fate • In this story, it is evident that Fate cannot be changed or played with; what is destined to happen will happen. • This is shown when despite all of Juno’s attempts to change the course of history, she is never successful leading to the establishing of Rome • Another key point is how women are shown as pliable and evil in a sense • In the beginning, Dido was a strong woman who was succesfully ruling her city. However, through the love of Aeneas she became lovesick and weak, eventually taking her own life. Her views were easily bent • Another example would be how Lavinia became dead set against marriage to Aeneas through a simple spell of a god • She is also displayed as evil because she begs Aeneas to abandon his mission to stay with her. She is begging Aeneas to give up his divine duty just for love. This was unacceptable in the ancient era.

24. Rome’s Reputation • Through Aeneas’ long and brave journey, the city of Rome gained a rich and illustrious history and origins. • Rome gained the reputation of bravery, perseverance and loyalty to duty and to the gods • The people now had something to be proud of and connect them as one

25. Story Summation • Duty/destiny always comes first, even if you have other needs/wants, you must always fulfill your duty and destiny • The gods are not all good and full of good intentions, however, one does need their help to complete a mission/task successfully. • Perseverance is key to a successful mission, no matter how many obstacles come in your way

26. Lessons and Cultural Values • One of the moral lessons gained from this story is that you must follow your destiny and not your dreams. Aeneas really wanted to stay with Dido, but the gods remind him that it is his duty is to found Rome. So he leaves Dido. • Fate is instrumental in life. You cannot escape it, it will follow you wherever you go and whatever you do.