Tre studier i Vergilius' Aeneid: Ideologi och litterär påverkan i skildringen av Neptunus, Aeolus, Aeneas och Iulus

Abstract

(1) In Aen. 1.50-156, Aeolus, king of winds, enforces his will by imperium, vincla ('fetters') and carcer ('imprisonment'), but his vanquisher, Neptune, lord of the sea, by dictis ('words'), hence relying on natural authority (auctoritas). This is the central theme of Augustan propaganda, which portrayed Augustus as a statesman in the old Roman tradition in contrast to the oriental despotism of Mark Antony. (2) The development of the character of Aeneas in the Aeneid is related to the polar structure of the work, where the first, “Odyssean” half represents the stereotypical “Easternness” of the Trojan Aeneas. Aeneas’ first appearance is modelled on the Persian Xerxes’ appearance in Aeschylus Persians 908–16 and the conduct of Aeneas throughout the first half of the Aeneid is burdened by “oriental vices” such as emotional conduct (crying) and luxuria (the Dido episode). In the second, “Iliadic” half, Aeneas hardly ever cries, except barely (inlacrimans) at the funeral of Pallas. His sense of duty and martial conduct is clearly “Roman”. The duality of the work may be expressed by polar opposites such as Odysseus (1–6) – Achilles (7–12); Nostalgia (1–6) – Assurance (7–12); Wandering (1–6) – Homecoming (7–12); East (1–6) – West (7–12); luxuria, vanitas (1–6) – bellum, feritas (7–12); egotism (1–6) – duty (7–12); emotionalism (1–6) – restraint (7–12); Antony (1–6) – Augustus (7–12). (3) The depiction of Iulus in the Aeneid my be modelled on the young Cyrus in Xenophon’s Cyropaedia.