Write a response to the following question, using at least two Latin quotes to support your assertions:
Using your knowledge of the gods as depicted in book I, discuss the nature of divine-human relationships in the Aeneid. In your answer, refer to the depictions of at least two different gods who appear in Book I.
Your post is due by class time on Tuesday, Nov. 27.
Also, read Book II of the Aeneid in English and answer the study questions (posted on the quia site). Be prepared for a quiz!
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Gods and humans have a multitude of different relationships. Some are quite intimate, like Aeneas and Venus. She comes to him, (though in a disguise which is a whole other story) as a human that he can physically see and touch. In line 314, "Cui mater media sese tulit obvia silva" (his mother carried herself to meet him) which shows that they actually conversed with each other. Venus blesses Aeneas with divine things, like the cloud "multo nebulae...amictu" (412) (a great robe of cloud)that hides them from the Carthaginian townspeople. She cares about him (in a weird immature way)and therefore has an actual relationship with him.
ReplyDeleteWhile Aeneas can boast of personally knowing this goddess, he can't do that for all of them. Although he can claim that "Italiam quaero patriam et genus ab Iove summo" (380)(I seek Italy [as a] fatherland and the race from highest Jove), he and Jupiter don't actually communicate. They don't have an intimate relationship where Jupiter comes to him for conversation. Jupiter has great plans for Aeneas and his race but has no need to personally know him in Book I.
Likewise, the gods don't have relationships with all humans. They pick who they like. When the Trojan women come to call on Athena for help, she "solo fixos oculos aversa tenebat" (482) (having turned away held her eyes fixed to the ground.) Humans were praying to her for pity and she chose to ignore them. Athena has no reason to favor the Trojans just as Venus probably wouldn't favor the Greeks. Like people they stick to who is on there side.
Overall it is obvious that a relationship with a god is like one with a human but more complex. They favor who they like or are related to, don't always talk to everyone, and can completely ignore you if they feel like it. Oh yeah, they can also impregnate you through a gold rain (way to go Jupiter) or can take revenge on you through a terrible storm (woman's wrath or just Juno's?) The point is that divine-human relationships are complex and vary greatly in intimacy from one group to the next.
Gods and humans have a multitude of different relationships. Some are quite intimate, like Aeneas and Venus. She comes to him, (though in a disguise which is a whole other story) as a human that he can physically see and touch. In line 314, "Cui mater media sese tulit obvia silva" (his mother carried herself to meet him) which shows that they actually conversed with each other. Venus blesses Aeneas with divine things, like the cloud "multo nebulae...amictu" (412) (a great robe of cloud)that hides them from the Carthaginian townspeople. She cares about him (in a weird immature way)and therefore has an actual relationship with him.
ReplyDeleteWhile Aeneas can boast of personally knowing this goddess, he can't do that for all of them. Although he can claim that "Italiam quaero patriam et genus ab Iove summo" (380)(I seek Italy [as a] fatherland and the race from highest Jove), he and Jupiter don't actually communicate. They don't have an intimate relationship where Jupiter comes to him for conversation. Jupiter has great plans for Aeneas and his race but has no need to personally know him in Book I.
Likewise, the gods don't have relationships with all humans. They pick who they like. When the Trojan women come to call on Athena for help, she "solo fixos oculos aversa tenebat" (482) (having turned away held her eyes fixed to the ground.) Humans were praying to her for pity and she chose to ignore them. Athena has no reason to favor the Trojans just as Venus probably wouldn't favor the Greeks. Like people they stick to who is on there side.
Overall it is obvious that a relationship with a god is like one with a human but more complex. They favor who they like or are related to, don't always talk to everyone, and can completely ignore you if they feel like it. Oh yeah, they can also impregnate you through a gold rain (way to go Jupiter) or can take revenge on you through a terrible storm (woman's wrath or just Juno's?) The point is that divine-human relationships are complex and vary greatly in intimacy from one group to the next.
my bad for posting twice...i have serious issues on this thing...I hope everyone is having a good break!
ReplyDeleteObviously, divine-human relationships play an important role in the progression of the Aeneid, as displayed throughout all of Book I. The nature of such relationships can be interpreted on varying levels, however, mostly, the gods are seen to act as the governing force behind Aeneas' actions.
ReplyDeleteFirst, Vergil emphasizes the importance of the gods in the opening lines of Book I, in which he states, "vi superum...Iunonis ob iram" (4), calling attention to the "unforgetting anger" of "cruel Juno". Right away, Vergil makes known the important role which the gods will play in the course of Aeneas' journey. In fact, as described here, it is temperamental Juno's "unforgetting anger" that results in the
various hardships of Aeneas and his crew throughout the rest of Book I. Apparently, the role of the gods as the rulers of all things mortal serves to be the driving force of the epic, as exhibited here.
Furthermore, the ability of the gods to intervene in human affairs gives them not only the power to influence, but to control the future fate of the mortals. In lines 257-296, Jupiter discusses the future of the Trojans, telling Venus to "spare [her] fear" (Parce metu, 257), because with time, even "harsh Juno" will "recall her plans for the better" and "cherish the Romans" (Quin aspera...Romanos, 279-82).
Consequently, the fate of the Trojans appears to be in the hands of the gods (or more specifically, Jupiter), further emphasizing their divine powers.
(Drawing on what Anna said, I think this gives further evidence as to why it would serve in ones favor to be on the gods' good sides!)
Through the depictions of the various gods seen throughout Book I, the emphasis on the vastly important position of the divine serves to not only characterize the role of the gods, but also to draw attention to the role of the mortals (or as seen here, Aeneas) as powerless. Because Aeneas himself has essentially no control over his own fate, the function of the gods (and the divine-human relationship between them and Aeneas) act as an even more important factor in the progression of the Aeneid than does Aeneas as a character.
throughout book I the intent of divine intervention has been, for the most part, to benefit Aeneas and his crew. when Venus comes to Aeneas in disguise, her purpose for doing so is to give him guidance and to inform him that his crew is safe. this is apparent when venus states "namque tibi reduces socios classemque relatem nuntio, et in tutum versis Aquilonibus actam" (For i announce that your comrades have been restored to you, the fleet carried back and driven into a safe place by the north winds). This is another example of divine intervention for the good of the Trojans. the north wind helped tame the storm when it had gotten too bad and now Venus is making sure Aeneas knows that they are safe and will be reunited. Another example of a positive divine-human relationship is when Venus makes sure that Aeneas will and his crew are safely disguised when going to see Dido: "Venus obscuro gradientes aere saepsit, et multo nebulae circum dea fudit amictu, cernere ne quis eos, neu quis contingere posset, molirive moram, aut veniendi poscere causas" ( Venus enclosed them proceeding with a dark mist and the goddess poured around with a great robe of cloud, lest someone be able to perceive them, lest anything should be able to befall them, or make a delay, or to seek the cause of the arrival). Venus helps Aeneas out like this in order to ensure his safety and his fate to meet dido. all in all, the divine human relationships we've seen so far in book I of the Aeneas have been beneficial to Aeneas and his crew.
ReplyDeleteThrough the divine-human relationships portrayed in Book I of Vergil's Aeneid, it can be inferred that the relationship between the human race and the supreme race of the gods is not "complex" or based upon a system of "governing" but through the actions of Juno and Jupiter, the relationship between man and god is based upon juvenile immaturity.
ReplyDeleteWhile it may seem that the basis of the Aeneid is due to cruel Juno's unforgetting anger "saevae memorem Iuonis ob iram" (4), it is in fact based upon Juno's jealousy of Pallas (Athena) and her cruel and vivid judgment of Ajax. Juno even mentions how she proceed[s] as queen of the gods, Jupiter's sister and wife "quae divom... coniunx" (46-47) to explain how her actions of causing not only Aeneas and the Trojans but all of the world turmoil are justified. Obviously her anger, which is based upon the judgment of Paris, is due to her immature nature.
Secondly, when Venus is griping to Jupiter about her son Aeneas and his people, Jupiter does not act in a swift manner that would end the turmoil caused by his wife. Instead, he explains to Venus how her son will wage a huge war in Italy and will crush the savage peoples "bellum ingens...contundet" (263), to calm her fears and reassure her of the future of her son to come. Although this may seem as a wise thing for Jupiter to do, it shows however how even he, the supreme ruler of the gods, does not want to interfere with fate in order to appease Venus.
In conclusion, both Juno and Jupiter, the king and queen of the gods, act in their separate ways immature and juvenile. Juno, who is obviously upset of the results to the judgment of Paris, inflicts her wrath against the Trojan race simply because she can as queen of the gods. Jupiter, who knows the fate of the Trojans and the future to come of Aeneas, decides not to intervene with the actions of his wife simply because he does not want to. Even though the solution to both of these things would obviously have shortened the epic significantly, in my opinion,Vergil creates these characteristics through the gods, analogous to political figures, to also depict the social turmoil and corruption that he experienced in his life as a poet who lived through Julius Caesar's reign.
The nature of the relationships between humans and the gods relies heavily on relaxed parental attitudes. The gods and goddesses allow the humans to do whatever they may please for the most part until it interferes with their ideal human plans. This is displayed in the obvious relationship of Venus and Aeneas. Although they may be biologically mother and son, they clearly show the relationship of goddess and man. She is perfectly fine letting her son go into danger and get himself out until she is afraid that he may be turning away from the fate that she wishes. Venus tells her son, “Perge modo, et, qua te ducit via, derige gressum” (Just proceed, and, wherever the way leads you, guide your step; line 410). Subtly, Venus implies that Aeneas may go where ever he pleases until that direction is not in the correct path. She then leads him toward Queen Dido knowing that she would aid Aeneas in his journey to Rome.
ReplyDeleteJuno, on the other hand, is not as loving, but just as determined to have her way. After seeing that Aeneas had a good chance at succeeding in his journey toward Rome, she immediately goes to Aelous, god of winds, and demands his help. This intrusion represents the blatant relationship between gods and men as a generally relaxed relationship until the divine are angered in some way. The difficulty in this characterized relationship is that all the gods and goddesses have different ideas on what is best for their “children” (biological and adopted). Therefore, the divine often argue and fight over their opinion of ideal fateful outcome. And although Jupiter reassuring says that Juno will "recall her plans for the better,” the peace is not anticipated quickly. \
Over all, the divine-human relationships in the Aeneid are highly important and very affective to the work as a whole.
In Virgil's Aeneid, divine relationships with mere mortals can vary from a plethora of options ranging from meddling forces, altering their instincts, to helping hands, saving your boat in a moment of crisis. Although Aeneas makes his own choices, the true driving force behind fate is out of his hands.
ReplyDeleteNear the beginning of book one, Neptune appears to save Aeneas' life from Juno's wrath. While calming the winds he is compared to a leader calming a crowd ("Ac velut... arma miserant" L 148-150). Neptune then goes on to, with the help of Cymothoe and Triton, dislodge Aeneas' beached vessels from the shore("Cymothoe simul... naves scopulo." L 144-145). Even though Aeneas isn't personally related to Neptune he comes to Aeneas' aid, saving him from winds, waves, and work (that it would have taken to dislodge the ships from the shore), further perpetuating Aeneas' quest to found Rome. By helping Aeneas it shows that, even if Aeneas is unable to complete his task, or else too busy crying about how he wished he was dead, the God's will, or at least Jove's, will be done. This attitude used by the Gods make humans seem like no more than tools for the God's interest.
On the other hand, Venus shows true interest in Aeneas. She goes through the trouble of complaining to her father, Jupiter ("Atque illum... reponis?'" L 227- 253), trying to convince Jove to further aid her son, Aeneas. By doing so she shows her genuine love and care for Aeneas, unlike Jove's actions.
After this, Jupiter agrees to send down Mercury to smooth things over with the Carthagians. He only does this to further his own superiority complex. So, once again, Aeneas is but a tool to only be used as a pawn to make his favorite city, race, etc etc.
As I have said, many different types of relationships exist between Gods and humans, ranging from just friendly(ish) encounters, and full blown mother/son relationships, to just using humans to prove that you can.
Throughout Book 1, divine intervention has played a major role in helping us to understand the depth of certain relationships. The lack of committment in the mother-son relationship of Venus and Aeneas is very apparent when she appears in front of him in disguise. "Cui mater...virginis os habitumque gerens, et virginis arma Spartanae..." lines 314-315 (The mother...wearing the face and clothes of a young girl, and the weapons of a Spartan girl...) Venus converses with her son, not as herself, but as a completely different persona. Not only does she hide her identity, but she then gives it away as she's leaving. This sort of seperation is common in most of these relationships which makes us wonder whether the gods/goddesses really want to get involved at all. Another way the gods intervene in Book 1 is to start the trouble. "Ast ego, quae divum incedo regina, Iovisque et soror et coniunx, una cum gente tot annos bella gero!" lines 46-48 (But I, who proceed as queen of the gods, both Jupiter's wife and sister, I wage war with on race for so many years!) This shows that for the most part, these divine relationships only cause turmoil and pain on the human side. The humans are the ones shown to cause all of the problems but in reality, the gods/goddesses have the ultimate power and stir up trouble all the time.
ReplyDeleteFrom Blair:
ReplyDeleteIn the Aeneid the relationship between a God and a mortal tends to differ depending on the situation. For example, a God/Goddess could be extremely vengeful or the divine being could get involved in a situation in order to benefit the human who they currently are dealing with. Either way, it is always the divine being that seems to call the shoots.
When Aeneas discovers his mother in the forest, he is distraught and highly annoyed, enough so that he does not even want to deal with his mother at the moment. Thus Aeneas takes his leave “gressumque ad moenia tendit” (Line 410: and he holds his step to the walls) in order to avoid any further contact with Venus, however, despite Aeneas not wishing to have any more connection with his mother, his goddess mother takes it upon herself to “obscuro gradientes aere saepsit, et multo nebulae circum dea fudit amictu,” (Lines: 411-412: enclosed [them] proceeding with a dark mist and the goddess poured around with a great robe of cloud). Though the reasons for Venus’s actions are selfless and beneficial to her son’s safety, Venus took it upon herself to do as she saw fit without permission from her son.
One of the strongest examples of the divine and mortal relations, in which the situation is completely controlled by the God/Goddess, is the intervention of Juno throughout the entire epic. Due to Juno’s hatred for the Trojan race, Juno seeks out Aeolus, the God of Wind, to summon a storm against the Trojan ships. The release of the storm reeks havoc on the sea, lifting the waves to the stars (Line 103: “fluctusque ad sidera tollit”) and scattering Aeneas’s men and the ships (Line 128: “Disiectam Aeneae, toto… aequore classem”). In this scene it is clear to see that Juno is in complete control of the situation (until Poseidon steps in) while the Trojans are merely puppets being tossed about the see through the sheer will and anger of Juno.
In conclusion, the divine/human relationships in the Aeneid are mainly situations in which the divine being calls the shoots and the mortal is really forced just to deal with the new twist that is thrown their way (or they break down and cry and become semi-suicidal like Aeneas). Either way, it has yet to be seen in the Aeneid any situation where the human really has a choice of what is going to happen to them when a divine being is involved.