Thank-you for your replies, I found them very thought provoking and interesting. I hope to continue this discussion in the near future, but for now I must get back to my dissertation which has to be completed by Monday! (Wish me luck!)Sarah.
>From: "Jim O'Hara" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: Re: VIRGIL: Re: Aeneas' 'greatest labour' ? >Date: Tue, 13 Apr 1999 09:19:54 -0400 (EDT) > >>Possibly the idea of the second half of the Aenied being described as >>Vergil's 'greater labour' is to do with the struggle of Aeneas in >>fighting the violence and anger (furor)of others with his >>strengthened pietas. Before his visit to the underworld in Book 6, >>Aeneas was unable to look forward clearly, he was too concerned with >>founding a 'New Troy'. He is given insight into a prosperous Roman >>future and emerges more confident and mature. In books 1-6 Aeneas has >>to battle with his pietas, which he is famed for and the furor which >>is brewing within himself. Despair and confusion often trigger >>outbursts of furor, but after the revelations in Hades Aeneas becomes >>more rational. >>The task for Aeneas in books 7-12 is to use his strengthened pietas >>against the furor of others on the battlefield. This is the ultimate >>test, if he can emerge as the victor then it is a truly a heroic >>achievement. >> >>What do others think of this point I have raised? Are Aeneas' actions >>at the end of the epic fit to be called pious? Is his killing of >>Turnus justified, and if so what does this say about pietas? >>I would appreciate any responses, as I find this topic of great >>interst. >> Sarah. > >Interesting ideas, but I offer more questions: What is the textual evidence >for Aeneas being "more confident and mature" after returning from the >underworld? Why does Anchises point out to Aeneas in the underworld the >son he will have "in old age"? Why does Aeneas exit the underworld through >the gate of false dreams? How does the start of Book 8, where Aeneas can't >sleep because he is as fitful as Medea was after meeting Jason, fit into >the idea of Aeneas being more confident? In what way is he "more rational" >in 7-12 (esp. 10) than in 1-6? Where is 1-6 do we see that "Despair and >confusion often trigger outbursts of furor"? Maybe only in 2? Is "furor" >more characteristic of Aeneas in 1-6 or 7-12 (esp. 10, 12)? Does Aeneas >understand what's going on with Juno in 7-12 any more than he did in 1-6? >In 7-12, does Aeneas merely have to fight against the furor of others, or >must he also fight to contain his own furor? Does Aeneas fight against >others using his pietas against their furor, or does he mainly use swords >and spears? What happens when a man devoted to pietas is faced with >conflicting loyalties, claims, and duties? Why is Aeneas described as >"furiis incensus et ira terribilis" and as "fervidus" when he kills Turnus? > >Jim O'Hara James J. O'Hara >Professor of Classical Studies & Chair Classical Studies Dept. >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Wesleyan University >860/685-2066 (fax: 2089) Middletown CT 06459-0146 >Home Page: http://www.wesleyan.edu/classics/faculty/jim.html > > > >--------------------------------------------------------------------- -- >To leave the Mantovano mailing list at any time, do NOT hit reply. >Instead, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message >"unsubscribe mantovano" in the body (omitting the quotation marks). You >can also unsubscribe at http://virgil.org/mantovano/mantovano.htm#unsub ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------- To leave the Mantovano mailing list at any time, do NOT hit reply. Instead, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message "unsubscribe mantovano" in the body (omitting the quotation marks). You can also unsubscribe at http://virgil.org/mantovano/mantovano.htm#unsub
