The Gods in the "Aeneid"

Paper Summary:

This paper highlights the device and effects of the divine sphere of activity in the poem as well as the mortal. It first deals with the issue of "Fate" and its relationship to the power and will of Jupiter. It then explains the notion and rhetorical effect of the "Optimistic Prophecy" in the poem and the different characteristics of the various gods as characters in a text, especially Juno. Finally, it considers a more psychoanalytical view of the gods as elements of Aeneas' psyche.

From the Paper:

"The prophecy of Jupiter in lines 254-296 is very significant for the poem, and shows much about how Jupiter himself, and gods in general, are treated by Virgil. At the start of the passage, before he has started speaking, Virgil continues the mood of the calm after the storm, portraying Jupiter as a benevolent father figure to Venus' worried daughter: "vultu, quo caelum tempestatesque serenat /oscula libavit natae" (I.255-6). This, crucially, sets the tone for the coming prophecy, in which Jupiter is trying to assuage her fears by telling of the glory of Rome and thus Aeneas' enterprise."

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