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classicschronicles · 2 years ago

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Hi lovelies,

I hope you guys are well <3. As it currently stands, I am swamped because I chose to completely ignore the fact that I had a history essay due and it is now criminally overdue. Basically, I didn’t have the time to write an actually good post for today so I’m going to share an essay I wrote for Classics class a few weeks ago which discusses the threat that both women and feminity posed to the destiny of Rome in the Aeneid.

“To what extent is women and femininity the most significant threat to the destiny of Rome in the Aeneid”.

Within Virgil’s Aeneid, the central plot revolves around the founding of Rome and its destiny and so naturally within the epic, there are many things that may be see to threaten or destabilise the destiny of Rome. Some of these things may include fate, the role of the gods, or war. However, there is no threat as significant as the role that women and the theme of femininity plays in threatening the destiny of Rome. For this reason, the view that ‘the biggest threat to the destiny of Rome is women and femininity’ can be seen as agreeable.

When looking at the dangerous role of women, it is important to first consider the context in which Virgil wrote the Aeneid. Augustus’ establishment of the new Roman Empire based many of its important moral principles upon the characteristics of pietas (piety, patriotism, and duty) in men and the control of furor (rage, irrationality, and unchecked emotion) in both men and women. Furor was seen as inherently feminine and so the threat of furor fell under the threat of women and femininity. Given Augustus’ new moral reform programme and propaganda, the villainisation and presentation of femininity in the Aeneid makes sense as the greatest threat to Rome.

One of the main women within the Aeneid is the Queen of Carthage- Dido. When the audience first mets her they have a lot of respect and admiration for her character as she appear, initially, as a leader and city builder, things which (to a contemporary audience) were seen as inherently masculine. Therefore, when she offers to shelter the Trojans in book 1 and 2 the audience do not see her as a threat. It is only when she become more in touch with her feminine attributes (and therefore more womanly) do we see her as a threat to Rome. This emerging femininity can be seen to link clearly with her furor. When she is struck by Cupid in book 4 her love her love for Aeneas takes root, the audience begins to lose admiration for her, with arguably the last stroke of sympathy fading when she ‘marries’ Aeneas in the cave. It is at this point she loses her qualities as a leader and city builder. The loss of her male attributed in favour of womanly ones marks a shift in her offering shelter to Aeneas and the Trojans to her keeping them from their Roman destiny. Indeed, the message of Mercury where he asks Aeneas why he was abandoned his Roman mission solidifies this. Indeed, modern scholar Desmond shares this opinion stating that ‘Dido’s change from good to bad queen occurs because her activities as a lover explicitly compromised her status as a good king’.

Furthermore, the contemporary references to Cleopatra through Virgil’s characterisation of Dido further illustrate how women and femininity were the greatest threat to the Roman destiny. Augustus’ propaganda included the villainisation of Cleopatra and her ‘seduction’ of Mark Anthony a and her role in the Battle of Actium (as portrayed though the shield of Aeneas). This all posed a threat to the founding of the Roman Empire, and so by likening Dido to Cleopatra (i.e. the seductive queen form the shores of North Africa) its shows Dido as a threat to the destiny of Rome.

The dangers of women and femininity and the subsequent threat to the destiny of Rome are epitomised through the role of Juno. Throughout the entirety of the Aeneid her main goals is states explicitly to delay and threaten the destiny of Rome. This sentiment is seen clearly in Book 7 where she says “If I cannot move heaven I will raise hell”. However justifiable the reasons she lays out in book 1 are for her hatred of the Trojans (e.g. Ganymede, the Judgment of Paris, and the prophesied replacement of Carthage) her feminine ‘furor’ is not combatted by her divinity and so her role in threatening the destiny of Rome is reduced down to her womanhood. At every instance she tries to keep the Trojans from founding what will become Rome (Latium). For example, through the storm in book 1 or her control of Dido. When the Trojans do inevitably find Latium, she does everything in her power to stop them from claiming the land- primarily through Alecto’s role involving Turnus and Amata. Her constant furor and her inability to let go of the past threatens, more so than anything else, the Roman destiny and so by direct correlation it is her womanhood and feminity that threatens the density of Rome.

On the other hand, it may be argued that Aeneas reluctance to let of the past is primarily what threatens Rome’s destiny. He says on multiple occasions that he wishes he had not been burdened with the finding a new home and that if it were up to him, he would rebuild Troy. Examples of this can be seen in book 1 following the destruction of the ships, and also the attempt to settle in Crete. His reluctance only stops in book 6 after his katabasis, with the emergence of him from the underworld symbolic of the death of Troy in his mind. However, this means that for the remaining 6 books, it is not his reluctance to follow is fate that threatens Rome. However, his characterisation as a hero does threaten the Roman destiny. At many instances, Aeneas can be seen to abandon his pietas and embrace furor instead. For example, his human sacrifice and murder of priests in book 10 following the death of Pallas (almost similar to the death of Dido because of the loss of a loved one). Additionally, there are many points within the Aeneid where Aeneas is villainised because of his Trojan heritage. Essentially, the characterisation of him as Trojan makes him distinctly feminine. This femininity was used to villainise much of the ‘unknown’ or ‘uncivilised’ world (i.e. anyone who didn’t speak either Greek or Latin) in the ancient and classical periods. Notable examples of his feminisation are all laid out by his rivals, and not explicitly by Virgil himself. For example, in Book 4, Iarbas says, “now this second Paris, with eunuchs in attendance and hair dripping with perfume and Maeonian bonnet tied under his chin”. Within the Iliad, Paris’ femininity is used to demonstrate all the reasons he is an incompetent warrior and the reason his not a hero, and so by calling Aeneas ‘the second Paris’ it effectively groups the two together. Furthermore the description of the ‘Maeonian (Phrygian) bonnet’ links him the hyper-feminised image of Troy, and also with the image of a fallen city. Therefore, the feminisation of Aeneas is used to show the incompetency of his character and all the ways he may pose a threat to the Roman destiny.

However, when arguing that women and femininity played the most significant role in threatening the destiny of Rome, it must be acknowledged that within the Aeneid there are also women who help and do not threaten its destiny. One such example is that of Venus. Like Juno, she is also divine, but she doesn’t allow her womanhood to threaten Rome, rather she aids the Trojans many times in finding the Roman destiny. For example, she instructs the Carthaginians to give Aenas shelter, she also protects Iulus as he is instrumental to the founding of Alba Longa and therefore the Roman destiny.

Another useful woman is Lavinia, after whom Aeneas will name Lavinium after. She is characterised by Virgil as the perfect woman in that she doesn’t speak at any point during the epic, despite her importance. However, the only reason she is able to remain helpful to the Roman destiny is because she has not yet grown into her femininity (i.e. she is a virgin). This therefore suggests that women were not a threat to Rome so long as they weren’t fully aware of their own womanhood and did not flaunt it, demonstrating that once again women and femininity really were the greatest threat to the Roman destiny.

In direct contrast to the character of Lavinia, we have the character of Camilla. Whilst Camilla is always a threat to the Roman destiny, it is because of her skill as a warrior and not because she is a woman. In fact, she is rarely ever characterised for her feminine attributes until she does something associated too closely with femininity, which in turn costs her her life. The action causing her to die is noticing something shiny on the ground. If Virgil intended for her feminity to head to her death, then it directly suggests that dangers of womanhood, suggesting that they were a threat to Rome.

One other factor that demonstrates clearly the threat of women and femininity to the Roman destiny is the fury Alecto. She exemplifies modern scholar Morgans suggestion that “women create obstacles for Aeneas”. The sole aim of Alecto’s presence, all be it at the behest of Juno, is to create discord and prevent the Trojans from obtaining Rome, thereby threatening the Roman destiny. One way in which she does this is by putting rage and madness into Amata, at Lavinia marrying a stranger, and into Turnus, as someone has taken Lavinia from him. Before the arrival of Alecto neither character seemed to be overly bothered by the arrival of Aeneas and his friendship with King Latinus, and it is only because the two women (Juno and Alecto) wish it so, that they become obstacles to Aeneas. Indeed, as a direct result of the dangers of women, Turnus becomes one of Aeneas greatest challenges in the entire poem through his military prowess and skill. The obstacles created for Aeneas by women may not be directly carried out by them , but they are able to use other characters to act out these obstacles. The role of Alecto and the obstacles put in place by women, all demonstrate how women and femininity presented the biggest threat to the roman destiny.

Overall, whilst there are other factors within the Aeneid that threaten the Roman density, non is as prominent or plays as large a role as women and femininity. They threaten to delay Aenas and the Trojans, set him off course, and even to put a stop to Rome. Almost every obstacle threatening the Roman destiny within the Aeneid can be traced back to women and therefore it the view that ‘the biggest threat to the destiny of Rome is women and femininity’ can be seen as correct.

I hope you all enjoyed reading one of the rare instances of me attempting to sound like an academic, and if you disagree with any of the points I made please comment, I love reading all of your thoughts!! I hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend <33

#classical studies #greek mythology #ancient rome #ancient greece #dark acamedia #roman mythology #hellenic deities #ancient world #history #classics #virgil's aeneid #rome #my history #teacher hates me

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