Glory In The Aeneid

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Glorious, honorable, and courageous are just a few of the words used to describe warriors who fought in the Trojan War. While many fought valiantly there were only a select few who had their legacy reach past the pages of the Iliad. Virgil’s The Aeneid discusses the origin of Rome and even dares to give credit to one of these heroes. Aeneas, who went virtually unnoticed in the Iliad, takes the stage for the retelling of his glorious journey. Although many points throughout the text suggest that he is not the courageous soldier who deserves glory, it is clear that Aeneas did achieve glory. However, any fool can be a tool of fate; glory cannot be fated and true glory comes from honor.
To begin with, Aeneas, plagued by many troubles and misfortunes, has one true ally throughout his quest: Fate. Fate guided Aeneas on his path to glory and inevitably achieved its goal by founding the great Roman Empire. Before the battle that would decide the fate of the Roman Empire, the two armies strike a pact of peace and agree to a duel to …show more content…
Even though many of the Greek gods actively attempt to thwart Fate’s plan for Aeneas, he still stays true to them. Aeneas even forbids himself from touching holy objects with unclean hands and says “I must not handle the holy things- it’s wrong- not till I cleanse myself in running springs”(100). In addition, even though Aeneas’ path has been drawn by Fate, he actively seeks the gods’ will in his actions. Once a hero has Fate on their side life would normally become very simple, however, Aeneas’ chooses to continue to respect the gods and seek their counsel and even prays to Zeus: “Command us, where do we settle now? Grant us a sign, Father, flow into our hearts!” (106).
In conclusion, while Fate wrote Aeneas’ glory into history, it was him who achieved it. Aeneas’ respectful and honorable nature gained him the glory he

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