For next Tuesday, please read this summary of Virgil's Aeneid. Then read as much as you can of Book I and Book II. Skimming through Book I is sufficient. Please read Book II with a bit more care.Cite a line or two from Book I or Book II that particularly well show Virgil's "insight into the human condition," i.e., that shows his understanding of subjects like fate, the relationships between men and women, relationships between men and gods, the impact of war, etc.
Achilles, far away from Latium, storm-tossed hither and yon across the ocean, and for many years they had been drifting, blown by the fates around the world's seas. To plant the Roman nation was a mountainous task.In this passage he talks about fate and how they let fate manage there ways.
ReplyDeleteVirgil took a few liberties when writing this, like making Helen out to be a baddie when she actually cursed her fate and face in the Illead. That kind of stood at odds with the way Aeneid was devoted to his wife. Does this mean Virgil like women or hates them? Or does it mean that women rock, as long as they are the right women? One of the sceens that shows understanding between one generation and the next is the part where Aeneid's mother shows up to tell him off for thinking about killing Helen and to go see to his own family, who really need his help to survive the sacking of the city. One line in particular shows how Virgil would like Rome to return to honoring their elders, "...you must never fear a nother's precept or disobey her word." She ends her diatribe by promicing him that she is always with him to guide him safely home. Nice thought and different from killing mothers, fathers and wifes, huh?
ReplyDelete"Why do you go on tormenting your son with false hopes, you heartless women? Why is it forbidden for us to meet as equals, and hear the truth and speak truth in return?"
ReplyDeleteVirgil appeared to understand the nature of man in relation to God or the Roman "Gods." The first word in each line is why. The nature of man is to question God when things are not going very well. In the mind of man, bad times can not be because of something that they have done. It must be because God or Roman "Gods" are against them.
Anyone notice how Odysseus is viewed as a liar by the Romans but as cunning by the Greeks?
Democrats remember to vote on November 9th. The November 2nd date is a lie fomented by Republicans. Vote on the 9th.
“Then indeed a fresh panic crept into all our palpitating hearts, and they said that Laocoön deserved to have paid for his crime, for damaging the sacred wood with his spear-point, and aiming his evil lance at the horse's back. The clamoured for the image to be towed to its rightful position, and for the goddess's power to be appeased.” This quote shows Virigil’s understandin of fate. It was Laocoon’s fate to pay for his crimes because of the bad things he had done.
ReplyDeleteDuring the recount of the battle near the beginning:
ReplyDeleteThe first Greek to bump into us, with a full company of men, was Androgeos - casually assuming we were friendly troops. He actually shouted out a comradely greeting:
"Get a move on, lads! Hurry up or it'll all be over : the acropolis is already burning and you've only just got here from your ships. The others are looting among the ruins."
So he spoke, and at once he sensed from the lack of response that he'd fallen among the enemy. His voice dried, and he stepped backwards. Like a man who's not noticed a snake in the undergrowth, and as he puts his weight on it suddenly jumps back in panic as it rears up angrily showing its steel-grey head, so Androgeos tried to get away in cold fear at what he'd seen.
** Fog of war…mistaking opposition soldiers for your own…the realization that things aren’t quite what you thought they were…like a man who’s not noticed a snake in the undergrowth. Not really the impact of war, but rather a description of something that can occur in a battle in a very vivid way – caught my eye.
"So saying, with tremendous force he launched his massive spear at its flank, aiming at the curving woodwork of the beast's belly. There it stuck, shuddering, and the cavernous hollows reverberated and groaned as it struck the pregnant womb. And, if the will of the gods had not been against us, and our own will had not faltered, he would have thrust the weapon through and disgraced the Greeks cowering in their lair: Troy would now be standing, and the high acropolis of Priam would be there still."
ReplyDeleteThese lines demonstrates the impact of wars as a Trojan man tried to warn the people that Greeks can not be trusted during a time of war. To save Troy we need to destroy this gift or it might back fire against us. This shows Virgil's instight how fate sometime controls the outcome regardless.
"Then indeed a fresh panic crept into all our palpitating hearts, and they said that Laocoön deserved to have paid for his crime, for damaging the sacred wood with his spear-point, and aiming his evil lance at the horse's back. The clamoured for the image to be towed to its rightful position, and for the goddess's power to be appeased"
ReplyDeleteThese lines say that any one who wontanly damages and god will eventually feel the wrath of the gods and there fate shall be much worse for it. Virgils insight into how to treat and appease the gods shows that Laocoon definatly chose the wrong way
"Unfortunately you cannot put your faith in gods who have rejected you. It was then we saw Priam's daughter, Cassandra, being dragged by the hair from the actual sanctuary of Minerva. She was flashing her eyes in fury towards heaven - in vain - only her eyes could make the appeal, as her gentle hands were chained together. Coroebus could not bear this sight. Like a man berserk he hurled himself at the Greeks, to inevitable death." I feel like this is a good example of man's relationship with the gods, fate and the impact of war.
ReplyDelete"extending both arms towards the sky he voiced such thoughts as these: "How blest indeed were those who had the good fortune to fall in front of their parents, before the walls of Troy! Diomedes, strongest of the Greeks, could you not have slain me, and released this soul of mine with your right hand on the plains of Ilium, where brave Hector lies, thanks to Achilles' spear, and mighty Sarpedon too, where the river Simois washes over so many shields and helmets sucked beneath its waters, and so many corpses!"
ReplyDeleteRelationship between the Gods and Men, were that if the man was to not die in honor, and by his people they consider it to be a punishment from the gods, but as things began to change the man began to believe in the gods again, so the relationship between Gods and Men flips flops from not believer to a believer.
"Your Majesty, the pain you tell me to revive is not something that can easily be spoken of - how the Danaans overthrew the wealth of Troy and its royal family for which we mourn, and things which I personally saw to my cost and of which I was a major part... But if such is your passion to learn of our misfortunes, and hear briefly of the final agony of Troy, although my mind shudders at the memory, and shies away from the grief, I shall begin.
ReplyDeleteit showed that the king was unsympathetic to Troys plight. Virgil shows us that there are bad people in the world.
"It was the time of night when sleep begins to overtake us helpless mortals - and the gods' priceless gift slips into us. As I sleep, there, before my eyes Hector seemed to materialise, in his deep misey streaming with tears. He lookes as he did when he had been dragged behinnd Achilles' chariot, caked with blood and black filth, his feet swollen where they'd been slit to take the strap. Alas what was he? How changed from the Hector who returned resplendent in Achilles' armour, or after hurling Trojan firebrands at the Danaan ships. His beard was matted, his hair stiff with blood - showing off those countless wounds he received being dragged around the walls of the city of his fathers."
ReplyDeleteThis vision presented in Book II demonstrates an ironic vision of fate from the perspective of a "helpless mortal." Virgil understood where gods fit into the world of mortal men and how men's lives could be controlled and altered by supreme beings.
"And, if the will of the gods had not been against us, and our own will had not faltered, he would have thrust the weapon through and disgraced the Greeks cowering in their lair: Troy would now be standing, and the high acropolis of Priam would be there still."
ReplyDeleteThis is an example of the relationship between men and gods. The gods control what happens to them, to every last detail. If they want your people dead they will find a way to kill every single one of you, even if that means something out of the normal has to happen.
Who could put into words the horror of that night and describe the pains of death, or could weep enough tears to match the agony? An ancient city, for centuries ruler of an empire, fell. Everywhere lay lifeless corpses - in the streets, in the houses, in the temples. And it was not only the Trojans who were paying the price with their blood; occasionally the defeated regained their courage, and it was the turn of the victorious Greeks to fall. Everywhere there was torment, everywhere panic and death in a myriad shapes.
ReplyDeleteThis line is an example of the agony of war. There are no feelings to describe the pain of losing an entire city and all of its people. They went down with a fight but they were unprepared for the attack which makes it hurt worse.
"Who could put into words the horror of that night and describe the pains of death, or could weep enough tears to match the agony? An ancient city, for centuries ruler of an empire, fell. Everywhere lay lifeless corpses - in the streets, in the houses, in the temples. And it was not only the Trojans who were paying the price with their blood; occasionally the defeated regained their courage, and it was the turn of the victorious Greeks to fall. Everywhere there was torment, everywhere panic and death in a myriad shapes"
ReplyDeleteI think this shows the impact of war on Troy. Aeneas was remembering how beautiful a city Troy had been, and how it had ruled over an empire. But because of the war with the Greeks his beautiful city was destroyed. And, on top of that, many Trojans were killed. He cites this killing as torment panic and death. The war also shook his faith in his gods. He said "Unfortunately you cannot put your faith in gods who have rejected you." I think this feeling is a very common feeling with war. When people experience the horrors of war many are tempted in feeling that God has abandoned them, much like Aeneas felt.
"Who cares whether what's done in battle is courage or cunning?" Here, a group of young Trogan men put on Greek armor and went after them ferociously. "In the dark, like blind men, we blundered into fight after fight, and many were the Greeks we consigned to the death god."
ReplyDeleteThis shows insight into the mentality of young soldiers protecting their homes, and understanding of how warfare is conducted in such situations.