Aeneas as Hercules Reincarnate

In creating the Aeneid, Virgil attempted to fashion a universal hero for the Roman world akin to Hercules in Greek mythology. The hero of the epic, Aeneas, was to exemplify Roman imperialism and unite the populace behind the empire much as Hercules consolidated the disparate Greek city-states. Indeed in many respects he is in a sense a reincarnation of Hercules, adapted to suit the more modern ideals of Rome. As such he shares many physical and psychological qualities with the Greek hero; indeed both men become elevated beyond mortal status by their prowess. However, the two heroes contrast in several respects, reflecting the differences between the Greek and Roman civilizations. While both Hercules and Aeneas defended against threats to civilization, to the Romans, Aeneas was much more enlightened and therefore infinitely superior to the barbaric Greek. Such ideals of moral superiority figure greatly in the character of Aeneas.

The traditional concept of heroic individuals or actions had not changed significantly by the dawn of the imperial age when the Aeneid was written. Thus Aeneas was an archetypal hero for the Romans, one whose character was based on ancient conventions and was centered mainly upon his physical prowess. The most overt aspects of his personality, and those that most clearly demonstrate his congruence with Hercules, are his strength and agility. While these traits do not become manifest until the war in Italy in the final books of the poem, the delay causes them to become emphasized. His great strength and dexterity allow him to overcome many Latins in battle. Indeed, his skill and courage in combat quickly become his dominant features as the war progresses. He shares with Hercules the utmost self-assurance which elevated physical ability allows. He does not check himself in battle but rather relishes it: upon returning to his besieged encampment, “Aeneas was the first to charge against the levies of country-folk...and he was the first to strike Latins down.” (Virgil, p.260). Additionally, his physical stamina allows him to endure both the long travels before reaching Italy and the rigors of battle against the Italians. Yet such courage and ability are sometimes misguided; Aeneas’s personality includes one of Hercules’s principal vices. Several instances in the Aeneid document Aeneas’s tendency toward losing control to his impulses, seen notably when rage overpowers his sense of judgement. Such occurs when he encounters Helen in the streets of Troy while it is being sacked by the Greeks. His fury over the loss of his beloved city allows “madness [to master his] judgement and [gain] complete control” (Virgil, p.68), and nearly causes him to attack the defenseless woman. During the dual with Turnus at the end of the text, Aeneas shows no pity towards the defeated Italian; indeed as he notices his opponent wearing the girdle of his companion Pallas, his “fury [kindles, and he becomes] terrible in his rage” (Virgil, p.338). However, unlike Hercules who frequently wallows in self-blame, he does not show such qualities as self-accusation and quick penitence for his hasty actions. It is not until he encounters Dido in the underworld that Aeneas displays any grief over his abandonment of her and her consequent suicide; yet despite such sorrow he remains ignorant of his personal accountability for her death. Similarly, after losing his wife Creusa while fleeing from Troy, Aeneas lays the blame not on himself but upon “some unkind power [that] robbed [him] of his wits....[he then] upbraided every deity, and cursed the whole human race.” (Virgil, p.73). Yet, such adverse characteristics do not greatly impede Aeneas in his quest. Conversely, by overcoming them Aeneas’s positive traits are emphasized: only truly distinguished individuals can achieve greatness despite such flaws.

Similarly to Hercules, Aeneas is elevated beyond mortal status by such qualities and by his many remarkable exploits. Virgil presents Aeneas in a manner of respect and admiration, identifying him as “Father Aeneas” and “Aeneas the True” throughout the text, implying his importance to the future Rome. By referring to him as “the True”, Virgil emphasizes not only Aeneas’s loyalty to his homeland and his family, but also the necessity of his campaign to establish Rome. The various titles given to him by Virgil appear to elevate him to the status of a minor deity for the Roman people; truly such was Virgil’s intent. Indeed, though he initially needs divine guidance, Aeneas focuses his energies upon his objective. Quite literally his eyes remain fixed, thereby adding to the image of a determined icon with a single-minded pursuit: against the despair and pleas of Dido, he “held his eyes steady” (Virgil, p.107). Within the narrative itself, his significance is confirmed by the attention he receives from the gods and the respect granted to him by the mortals he encounters. To his fellow Trojans he is not merely another refugee from the fallen city but their king and inspiration; in his presence they feel no fear. As they journey with Aeneas, they do not question his authority or fear failure, but rather they delight in the certainty of his success in founding their new home. Before entreating Aeneas to follow his destiny outside ravaged Troy, the dream-spirit of Hector calls him the “light of the Dardan Land [and] Troy’s surest hope” (Virgil, p.59). To the gods he is a mortal destined for greatness; indeed his quest is so substantial that for his protection he receives armour and a shield crafted by Vulcan. He was one of the few mortals who was allowed to bend the established order and pass living into the underworld, a journey required to ensure his understanding of the importance of his destiny. Yet, in order to reach such an exalted state he had to endure the wrath of Juno and Venus. Such consideration by the queen of the gods is akin to her involvement in the life of Hercules. As she hated Hercules, so she despised the Trojan people and Aeneas in particular for his destined establishment of the Roman empire and continually attempted to impede his quest; yet even she could not overthrow the Fates. Even the gods were powerless to obstruct his inevitable greatness.

Clearly their championing of civilization gave both Aeneas and Hercules their heroic status. The majority of the stories concerning Hercules are centered upon his preservation of civilization against the evils of the wilderness. An account of this is presented in Book VIII of the Aeneid, in which Hercules liberated the people of King Evander from the monster Cacus. The light of civilization was spared from barbarism as Hercules slew the monster and “tore down the doors and the murky den was thrown open” (Virgil, p.209). He accomplished the same feats while enduring his twelve labors, the bulk of which involved killing or subduing beasts who threatened society. Aeneas realized a similar accomplishment: to found Rome he first had to subdue and integrate the native Italians. His chief opponent, Turnus, was the absolute embodiment of barbarism; in many ways he was comparable to the adversaries of Hercules. He was a young hero who became consumed by his own passions and fiery temperament. Indeed, his appearance reflected his personality:

His tall helmet was crowned by a triple plume and supported a Chimera
breathing Etna’s fires from its jaws; and ever louder it roared, and madder
grew the menace of its flames as grimmer grew the battle amid streaming
blood. (Virgil, p.199)

Turnus’s appearance reflects that of Cacus, who “belched [Vulcan’s] pitchy fires out of his mouth” (Virgil, p.207). By vanquishing Turnus, Aeneas brings the light of civilization into Italy; literally he had transported the hearth-fires from Troy among his possessions. The nature of their conflict is important as well. The fate of both the Trojans and the Italians falls upon the outcome of a single dual between Aeneas and Turnus; the personifications of society and barbarism collide violently. Yet while both heroes crusaded to spread civilization, the extent to which they themselves were civilized was vastly dissimilar. Hercules’s weapon of choice was a club, a primitive bludgeoning device that requires little skill to employ. Alternately, Aeneas wielded spears and more importantly a sword, armaments that can only be constructed in more advanced societies and require an equal sophistication in their handling. Furthermore, while Aeneas shares a predilection toward impulsiveness, such passions are largely within his control and are relatively innocuous, and are certainly not comparable to the explosive anger frequently demonstrated by Hercules. Additionally, Aeneas never indulged excessively in the pleasures of the flesh; he was not one to become drunk in a time of mourning. Indeed as a whole his attitude toward his objective was infinitely more solemn and dignified--he views his destined achievements as crucial and monumental, not as a “piece of work” (Euripides, 481)-- and thus the reader appreciates the importance of Aeneas’s enterprise. By presenting the founder of Rome in such a manner, Virgil actualizes his intended purpose of displaying Rome’s destined dominance as cultural and societal ruler among nations.

To Virgil’s readers, Aeneas was revered and was recognized for being of infinite importance, much as Hercules was to the Greeks. Indeed, Aeneas was modeled after Hercules, and thus they have many characteristics in common. Yet Virgil wanted to portray a more cultured, sophisticated, and ultimately civilized hero as befitting the Roman empire, and therefore Aeneas was conceived as such. While the Romans respected Hercules, he was perceived as being as inferior to Aeneas as the Greek city-states were to Rome. Truly, Aeneas was the personification of Roman imperialism.

Bibliography

Euripides, Alcestis. Trans. Richmond Lattimore. Greek Tragedies. Ed. David Greene and Richmond Lattimore. Vol. 3. Chicago, United States of America: University of Chicago Press, 1968. 261-311.

Hamilton, Edith. Mythology. Boston, United States of America: Little Brown and Company, 1942.

Virgil, The Aeneid. Trans. W.F. Jackson Knight. Harmondsworth, England: Penguin Books Ltd., 1972.