Theme Of Suffering In The Aeneid - 1032 Words

Virgil’s The Aeneid is a Latin epic poem that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. The poem details the journey of Aeneas and his men after they are forced to flee burning Troy and as they wander the seas in search of land suitable to found a new Troy. Throughout the many books, the Trojans suffer through the Trojan War, the loss of their home, fierce storms, horrible monsters, and the wrath of the gods. A major theme of The Aeneid is human suffering as the characters in the poem experience the full front of despair and pain. One of the major themes present in lines 295-332 in Book VI of The Aeneid is human suffering. In this book, Aeneas travels to Dis in order†¦show more content†¦After seeing the miserable souls and listening to the Sibyl’s explanation, Aeneas stands still, aghast and troubled, pondering much, and pitying in mind their unkind fate (constitit Anchisa satus et vestigia pressit multa putans sortemque animo miseratus iniquam). Aeneas is so struck by the suffering of the deceased souls that he has to pause and thoroughly consider their painful and unkind ordeal. Human suffering as a major theme in Virgil’s piece is also evident in a speech that Aeneas delivers to his men in lines 198- 207 in Book I. In this scene, the remaining Trojans are forced to the shores of Libya after an intense storm and unforgiving winds which push the fleet off course. In his speech, Aeneas reminds his companions of more deadly adversities that they have previously faced and the destined mission to found a new Troy towards which they strive. After ten years of siege and warfare, the Trojans lost their home and many members of their families and fellow soldiers. After the winds called upon by Juno strand them on the coast and result in the loss of even more companions, Aeneas addresses the weary and discouraged men, saying, â€Å"Oh comrades - for surely we are not ignorant of troubles before - Oh men having suffered rather serious things, the gods will also give an end to this† (O socii - neque enim ignari sumus ante malorum - O passi graviora, dabit deus his quoque finem)Show MoreRelatedFate : Fate And Fate In Virgils Aeneid1637 Words   |  7 PagesVirgil’s Aeneid, tells the story of Aeneas, the hero and object of fate who is also well known for fitting every description of a classic epic hero. He is of noble and supernatural birth, he faces and successfully overcomes temptations, and he acts as the vessel the gods wish him to be. 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