The Aeneid Family Quotes Page 4

If Aeneas tries to remind Ascanius of how courage runs in their family, here Jupiter tells his sister Juno that being a prickly pear runs in theirs. You can tell by that "half-smile," however, that Jupiter is also poking fun at himself. By this subtle touch, Virgil makes even the gods seem like a family just like those of mortals, with its own foibles and inside jokes.