The Aeneid Warfare Quotes Page 3

In this brief image, Virgil brings home (literally) the human cost of war. Can you think of other passages in the Aeneid in which Virgil's female characters have different perspectives on politics and warfare than his male characters? If so, do you think that these differences of opinion were true only of Virgil's day, or do they still describe people today?

In this passage, Aeneas – even in his absence – shows his strength as a commander. Aeneas knows that his men won't be able to hold out against the Italian attack (that's why he's gone to make alliances with the Arcadians, and, though he doesn't know it yet, the Etruscans). So he tells them to stay put. The only risk they run now is from their own "shame and anger," which urge them to go out and fight the Italians head-on, even though that isn't the smartest move at this point.

Here Turnus encourages his men to attack Aeneas, who has just returned from meeting with the Arcadians and Etruscans. He uses a complex set of ideas to motivate them to fight: 1) love for their families, whom (Turnus implies) they wouldn't want to see fall into the hands of the Trojan invaders, and 2) a sense of pride, in their desire to live up to the deeds of their ancestors. Last of all, Turnus points out that the moment is now: they'll never have a better opportunity to give the Trojans hell. The last two lines, which could also be discussed in terms of the theme of Fate and Free Will basically express the idea that people make their own luck. Do you think that Turnus is right in thinking this or not?