Women And Virgil Essay Research Paper How

Women And Virgil Essay, Research Paper

How Virgil Saw Women

Maxwell C. Bedley

In The Aeneid of Virgil, Virgil creatively discusses his view of women in Roman society. He used characteristics that were common among all of his women roles yet each woman had strength in one of the categories. The characteristics of the women can be broken down into a group that is called pietas, which are the virtuous displays of courage with undying love for family, country and the gods. I believe that Virgil wanted to show his readers that the women of Rome were virtuous people that have the ideal characteristics of all the Romans; he used Creusa, Camilla, and Dido as his main female roles to show that women had courage and the virtues of piety.

Creusa, Aeneas first wife, played a central role to the poem complimenting the heroic males. The virtue that was deeply rooted in her was dedication to ones family. She wants to be with her son and her husband regardless of whether it means death or to stay and fight. In death, Creusa comes back to the land of the living to make sure that her husband looks after their son.

Creusa is the first woman that we are introduced to in the Aeneid. She is also the first woman to characterize women as having courage and being pious. In our first description of her, she is clinging to Aeneas feet beside the threshold of their bedroom. At the same time she is passionately lifting their son Iulus to Aeneas while saying; If you go off to die, then take us, too, to face all the things with you; but if your past still lets you put your hope in arms, which now you have put on, then first protect this house (The Aeneid of Virgil, Book II Line 910). Virgil wanted to show that women understood that family is important, which is why he has her trying to keep their family together at all costs. Not only does she have the characteristics of courage and dedication to her family, she teaches Aeneas about piety. While his head is set to fight, she reminds him that he has the responsibility of a family.

Late in the second book, when Creusa s family is fleeing from Troy, Creusa is left behind by Aeneas and is then killed by the Greeks. When Aeneas comes back to find her instead of finding her, he finds her ghost. He is shocked that he could let such a thing happen to his family. Rather than being upset at the turn of events Creusa keeps a level head and speaks to Aeneas saying; And now farewell, and love the son that we share (Bk. II L. 1064). These few short words in death show that she is still looking to the well being of her family.

Creusa has great power and great courage in life and even in death. In life, she was willing to die in order to keep her family together. Now in death she tells Aeneas that he need not worry because if the gods had not wanted her dead then she would still be alive. Nevertheless, the gods had wanted her dead so now he must move on with his life and the building of a new home for the Romans and their son. She is a great character who portrays the ideals of pietas and courage. Virgil is expressing his feelings of women with the use of Creusa s representation of dedication to ones family and courage.

Camilla, having very little family, considers the country of Latvia as her country so she is willing to defend it. She was brought up in the woods and it is there that she became dedicated to the gods, especially Diana. In taking up arms against Aeneas, she is upholding the characteristic of pietas, because the Trojans are threatening her country. Her most amazing characteristic is her courage. She is filled with courage especially when she prepares for war with the Romans. Even though Camilla fights against the Romans and kills many of them, Virgil uses her as an example of a woman who resembles piety, and courage.

The gods are very dear to Camilla and she is dear to them, especially Diana. Diana is the goddess of the woods and of the hunt, which is why she is so fond of Camilla. Camilla grew up in the woods and she gave dedication to Diana by hunting and preserving the woods by living in harmony with them. Speaking of Camilla to the other gods shortly after Camilla joins the fight against Aeneas men Diana says; Camilla goes to cruel war and wears in vain our armor-she who is more dear to me then any other (Bk. XI L. 700). Although Diana has great love for Camilla, above all other humans, she cannot save her from death because she is getting in the way of the future of Rome. Virgil may have used this to keep Augustus happy because Camilla, although she had great courage and dedication to the gods, was still fighting against Rome

As a woman, Camilla s courage was unparalleled. The fact that she would walk into battle alone with so many men who were all skilled in fighting makes her a courageous person. She is someone that all could look to as an inspiration at person as a result of her courage. When she arrived in Latium she saw that none were fighting against the Romans and she asked; Turnus, if the brave deserve to trust in their own selves, why, then I dare and promise to oppose Aeneas squadrons, to ride out alone against the Tuscan horse (Bk. XI L.660). She was the only one to try her skill against the army of Aeneas near the city, due to this; she had the courage that a whole city of men could not equal.

Much like that of Creusa and Camilla, Dido is a woman who