The Aeneid A Poem of Piety, Power, and Propaganda
nd Ana Smith, 2 Vice President
Long before the Aeneid( c. 20 BCE) was written, the Julian clan claimed to be descended from Iulus, son of Aeneas and grandson of Venus. Perhaps the most famous of the Julians are C. Julius Caesar and Caesar Augustus, Rome’ s first emperor. Augustus came to power following victory in a Civil War that left the Republic in a state of chaos and disarray, and by its end( c. 27 BCE), his name had become closely tied to violence. When creating his masterwork under imperial patronage, Vergil chose not to write about the emperor himself, but instead about a figure the Julians claimed as an ancestor. Writing about the demigod Aeneas indirectly strengthened both Augustus’ s divine right to rule and the perceived character of his family. Throughout the epic, Vergil frequently alludes to events in Roman history, naming the emperor as“ The man you hear so often promised to you … Augustus Caesar, born of gods”( Vergil 6.791 – 793). Thus, Augustus’ s rule is presented as destined and prophesied to bring prosperity to Rome. These references reveal the Aeneid’ s purpose as a political tool, but they are matched by Aeneas’ s role as a paragon of Roman virtues. Earlier portrayals of Aeneas depict him as a minor figure rescued by divine intervention, or even as one who betrays Troy to the Greeks. Such characterizations would fare poorly as a representation of imperial authority. Vergil therefore remolds Aeneas into a more fitting model of Roman values, particularly pietas. Early in the poem, Aeneas is called“ pious”( Vergil 1.220), exemplified when he carries his father— and Troy’ s sacred household gods— out of the burning city( Vergil 1.707 – 717). This piety mirrors Augustus’ s self-presentation in the Res Gestae Divi Augusti, in which he emphasizes temple restoration and his role as Pontifex Maximus. Even the episode with Dido ultimately reinforces Aeneas’ s devotion to divine command: though personally costly, his departure is framed as obedience to the gods, while Dido’ s frenzy is divinely induced( Vergil 4.300 – 304). Vergil’ s Aeneid thus reflects Roman values that long predated Augustus while legitimizing his authority. Like history, myth provides insight into the social pressures and ideals that shaped the Roman Empire.
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