The Religion of Christianity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Religion of Christianity - Essay Example Aeneas is the center character of Vigil’s Latin epic The Aeneid, a legendary story of a Trojan (Aeneas) who traveled to Italy and became the ancestor of Romans. Aeneas is depicted as an ideal and one of the great epic heroes. He was one of the few survivors of the Trojan War and an ancestor of the Roman emperor Augustus. He had guided the men through the perils of uncharted waters, and other adversities to their destined land that was supposed to become Rome someday. Aeneas has been endorsed with the characteristics, which were highly idealized during Vigil’s time in Rome. These virtues were piety or faith in the will of God, courage, determination, skilled warrior ship and inspiring leadership. Aeneas reflected the personification of the heroic origins of Rome and a flawless hero. Conventionally a young student should read Julius Caesar, Cicero, Ovid and Catullus before reading Aeneid. The character of Aeneas should be studied and understood by the young Roman students mainly to understand the virtuous Roman ancestory and the values of a great leader that one should find in Aeneas. Piety or reverence for Gods was one of the values highlighted in the epic through the character of Aeneas who sent prayers and sacrifices to the gods and asked for assistance. It also reflected the devotion and the power of the gods who helped in the creation of Rome. Through the role of Aeneas Vigil showed how prayers worked and disrespectful (towards the will and power of gods) people are punished. For an instance during the war between Aeneas and Mezentius, Aeneas’ prayers to Apollo gets answered by his victory while Mezentius who claimed not to care for or fear gods has to face death. Aeneas’ sacrifices of the cow and sucklings to Juno, prayers to Jupiter before killing Remulus, all reflect his utter dedication and faith. At times the reader may feel that he was too much into the sacrifices and prayers but the connection between profound faith and success is established – a faith that was embedded in the tradition of Rome and hence the young generation also needs to remember that.