11/3/23

Dr. Sundet, Leta

Reading questions: Aeneid 1-2

1.) Both poems begin with an invocation to the Muse, asking for inspiration to tell the story. However,
the Odyssey’s proem raises a question about the protagonist, Odysseus, and his journey home, while
the Aeneid’s proem does not raise a question or problem.

2.) Juno holds a permanent grudge against Troy because another Trojan, Paris, judged Juno’s rival Venus
fairest in a divine beauty contest.

3.) Aeneas’ speech to his people reveals that he is a compassionate and empathetic leader who is
concerned about the welfare of his people. He delivers speeches to his fleet to keep the men’s spirits
high and is sympathetic to the weariness of others on the journey

4.) Zeus, the king of gods, has no personal interest in a Trojan victory over the Achaeans. He tells Hera
that he will again come to their aid, but that Troy is still fated to fall, and that Hector will die after he
kills Patroclus

5.) He and his fellow Trojans are traveling the Mediterranean in quest for a new place to call home.
Dido, the queen, welcomes Aeneas and his troops upon their arrival at Carthage and extends an offer of
safety. Aeneas sees a fresco in the temple grove that reminds him of the Trojan War, which triggers
unpleasant memories. But he also gets an image of Rome's glories in the future, which for the first time
gives him hope and allays his concerns. Aeneas can muster the courage to carry on with his voyage after
being reminded of his destiny and his obligation to his people by the vision of Rome's eventual
grandeur.

6.) Venus is compelled to take additional measures to guarantee Queen Dido will always have kindness
toward Aeneas after seeing the Tyrians greet him with such warmth. Venus chooses to step in and sends
the god of love, Cupid, to make Dido fall madly in love with Aeneas. Cupid attends a meal that Dido is
hosting while posing as Aeneas' son Ascanius.

Book 2:

1.) Fulfilling Dido’s request, Aeneas begins his sorrowful story, adding that retelling it entails
reexperiencing the pain. He takes us back to ten years into the Trojan War: at the moment the tale
begins, the Danaans (Greeks) have constructed a giant wooden horse with a hollow belly. They secretly
hide their best soldiers, fully armed, within the horse, while the rest of the Greek army lies low some
distance from Troy. The sight of a massive horse standing before their gates on an apparently deserted
battlefield baffles the Trojans.

2.) Aeneas’s bitterness is understandable given the circumstances, but it is also a reflection of his piety.
As a devout follower of the gods, Aeneas is deeply troubled by their apparent disregard for human life
and suffering. His anger is not just a personal grudge against the gods, but a broader critique of their
role in the world. Aeneas’s bitterness is therefore both justified and a sign of his piety.

3.) The Aeneid, an epic poem by Virgil, tells the story of Aeneas' fall from Troy, giving the characters in
Homer's Odyssey a new perspective. The Greeks are portrayed in the Odyssey as the winners of the
Trojan War, and the Trojans as the losing side. On the other hand, Aeneas, the Trojan prince, is the main
character in Aeneid, and his viewpoint is used to tell the tale. Aeneas' story of Troy's collapse offers a
more complex perspective on the conflict by emphasizing the pain and grief that the Trojans endured.
Additionally, it presents the Greeks as crafty and dishonest, as opposed to the heroic and noble qualities
that the Odyssey frequently bestows upon them.

4.) She gives him a glimpse of the fight from the gods' perspective, showing how Juno and even Jove are
on the Greek side, and encourages him to depart.

5.) The image of Aeneas leaving the burning city of Troy, carrying his father Anchises on his back, holding
his son Ascanius by the hand, and with his wife Creusa trailing behind, is a powerful representation of
the heroism and devotion of Aeneas. The image tells us that Aeneas is a hero who is willing to put the
safety and well-being of his family above all else, even in the face of great danger and adversity. By
carrying his father, who is carrying the household gods, Aeneas is demonstrating his respect for tradition
and his commitment to preserving the cultural heritage of his people. By holding his son’s hand, he is
showing his love and concern for the next generation. And by looking back to make sure his wife is
following, he is displaying his loyalty and devotion to his spouse.