The Aeneid Family Quotes Page 2

Wouldn't it stink if Aeneas loved his dad a lot but his dad treated him badly? Fortunately, that isn't the case. As we can see from these lines, spoken by the spirit of Anchises in the underworld, the old man deeply loved his son as well.

These lines shed light on a family structure very different from ours – in which young women did not get to choose who they would marry, but instead were carefully shepherded into matches that their parents deemed suitable. Theoretically, control over these matters rested squarely with the male head of the family, or paterfamilias, who in this case would be King Latinus. Family dynamics are rarely so simple, however, and much of the drama of the second half of the Aeneid comes from the fact that Latinus's wife, Amata, wants their daughter to marry Turnus, a Rutulian prince. This might be because Amata thinks he is the best match for Lavinia, but doesn't it strike a bit odd that Virgil says she was "desiring him with passion"? Compare this with other scenes involving Amata and see if you agree with us that there's something fishy going on between Amata and the Rutulian prince.

Evander, king of the Arcadians, provides yet another example of a father who cares deeply for his son. All the same, he sends young Pallas off to war with Aeneas because he thinks it is important for him to learn how to fight.