Aeneid Books I-II

The Aeneid was definitely written to celebrate the greatness of the Roman Empire. The very first book reveals the end of Aeneas and the rise of the empire. Juno declares he has granted them an “empire without end” (Book I, line 334). This nation is the be-all, end-all of sovereignties. In comparing this epic to The Iliad, I’m amazed that the Tyrians have built their city—not conquered it. The “cluster of huts” developed into a community with “gates and bustling hum and cobbled streets” (Book I, 511,512). The Tyrians are certainly not the warriors Homer would have written of. These individuals are invested in creating and maintaining a home. It is a refreshing change from studying epics about those who were strong soldiers. These people work “at their tasks as bees in early summer” (Book I, 520). Unlike the Greeks or Trojans, lions, jackals, and natural disasters do not describe these people. These people are ordinary. Perhaps this is why they appeal to me. They seem to more closely resemble a society or culture which I would like to be a member of. They seem to be a peaceful nation, not perfect, but still a marked improvement over any society portrayed in The Iliad outside of a soldier’s memory of some almost forgotten home and family.