Pietas And Subservience To The Gods In Virgil's Aeneid

In Virgil’s Aeneid, Aeneas’ continuous pietas and subservience to the gods and fate lead him to the foundation of Rome; however, even though he follows the authority of the gods, Aeneas shows true heroism and human characteristics by following his own morals, values, and freedom. For Aeneas to be able to reach his fate, the gods had to interfere multiple times in order to help him achieve the qualities he needed to found Rome. Because Aeneas is a man that follows the traditions of revering the gods and goddesses that follow human nature, he shows the true pietas that allowed him to overpower Juno’s selfish desires to keep him from his destiny.
Aeneas shows his pietas when he is in the Underworld and he visits with Anchises. He clearly has a deep love and respect for his father which is demonstrated by the sacrifices and athletic games that are performed on the anniversary of his father’s death. Even though his father has passed on, Aeneas makes it a point to celebrate and honor the man that raised him and taught him how to be a man. The familial values in the desired Roman culture that Virgil writes about is clearly shown through the interactions between Aeneas, his son, and his father. Similar to how Aeneas honors his father, even in death, his son, Ascanius honors his own father’s role of leadership as demonstrated …show more content…
He continually provides a sense of purpose and fulfillment for his people by encouraging them with the idea of the homeland they are destined to found. Like many other heroes, Aeneas truly honors the gods that rule over him, but he does exhibit personal freedom and moral virtues instead of completely adhering to the god’s wishes and plans. His sense of political obligation is implied in these ideas because he must reach Rome in order to fulfill his duties to his