Significance Of Palinurus Essay Research Paper Virgil

Significance Of Palinurus Essay, Research Paper

Virgil s Use of Palinurus

In writing The Aeneid, Virgil subtly describes his perspective of the Roman civilization through various means, primarily through the characters in his epic. Rather than using the characters to build the idea that a great Rome is to be created, he instead, compares characters such as Palinurus and Aeneas, to depict a society that will be more inferior. According to Virgil, Rome cannot be successful because its inhabitants do not possess the characteristics needed for a successful empire an empire that is disci-plined, preserves and unifies its conquered, and is humble. Although these virtues are present in charac-ters such as Palinurus, they are absent in the major leader of the Trojans, the main character Aeneas. Thus, in Virgil s Aeneid, the death of Palinurus is significant because it symbolizes the death of a great civilization, underlining Virgil s view that Rome cannot succeed Rome cannot flourish to greatness be-cause the character that represents the embodiment of all the essential Roman virtues is not there.

The focus of The Aeneid is the story of Aeneas s journey to found a new civilization, Rome. Vir-gil describes the character Aeneas as someone who strives to be more civilized. However, the protagonist can never undergo a complete transformation into a civilized man because he cannot overcome the bestial side in him. Weighted down by uncertainty and confusion, Aeneas is often puzzled as to which direction he should go. When Troy is under attack, Aeneas immediately grabs his weapons, thinking he can fight his way through: Insane, I seize my weapons. There s no sense / in weapons, yet my sprit burns to gather / a band for battle, to rush out against / the citadel with my companions. Rage / and anger drive my mind (Book II, lines 428-432). Unlike a true leader, Aeneas does not think through the situation but gives in immediately to his inner desires, to fight and kill. This passage exemplifies the animalistic side in him as he relies strictly on his instincts. His tendency to succumb to physical and mental temptations leads to his futile efforts to become more civilized. In his exchange with Dido, he seems to already forget about Cre sa, and has a romantic interlude with Dido, once again giving in to his physical desire, his sex drive. In everything Aeneas does, he always returns to the bestial attributes that are the foundation of his char-acter. Unless reprimanded or redirected, Aeneas will inevitably live and spread, as a leader, a lifestyle subject to his personal passions. Without a guiding, outside influence, Aeneas cannot create a successful Rome because of his own, bestial characteristics.

Therefore, through the eyes of Virgil, Rome is not a prosperous, successful place. He not only conveys this view through Aeneas s characteristics, but through his interaction with Anchises as well. When Aeneas seeks encouragement from his father in the Underworld, Anchises gives Aeneas a detailed, yet false description of the triumph and success of Rome in the future. At the end of this description, Aeneas asks Anchises about a Shade that Aeneas sees who is quite handsome and strong, but whose facial expressions carries only sadness. Anchises does not answer him directly, but instead, chooses to avoid the question:

With rising tears Anchises answered him:

My son, do not search out the giant sorrow

your people are to know. The Fates will only

show him to earth; but they will not allow

a longer stay for him.

(Book VI, lines 1157-1161)

Why is Anchises avoiding the question, and even so tearfully, if all he is telling Aeneas is true and good. The character that Aeneas actually describes is Marcellus, the son-in-law of Augustus who shows great promise, but dies at a young age. Virgil uses Marcellus to draw a parallel to Palinurus in that Marcellus is a virtuous person who does not survive to inspire Rome to be greater. Thus, Anchises knows that Rome is destined to be a fallen empire; the Romans are meant to face sorrow because they do not live by the vir-tues that make up a successful society. These virtues are the specific philosophies Anchises commands Aeneas to follow if he is to create a brilliant Rome: Roman, these will be your arts: / to teach the ways of peace to those you conquer, / to spare defeated peoples, tame the proud (Book VI, lines 1135-1137). If Rome is to be a great empire, she must be disciplined, be a leader to all in order to establish peace, and be humble. Aeneas does not exemplify these traits, but rather is just the opposite.

Above all, after all the encouragement Anchises has for Aeneas, Anchises sends Aeneas back to the world above through the gates of false dreams:

And when father Anchises

has shown his son each scene and fired his soul

with love of coming glory . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

he [Anchises] sends them through the gate of ivory

[the way through which the Spirits send false dreams into the world above.]

(Book VI, lines 1185-1199)

Thus, Virgil uses Anchises to describe a brilliant Rome, but at the same time, uses him to give the idea that all Anchises describes is a hoax. Falsely encouraging Aeneas, Anchises knows the truth about Rome he j

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