The Battle of Pietas and Furor Within the Aeneid, and Within the Heroes Themselves

The Battle of Pietas and Furor within the Aeneid, and within the heroes themselves.

Virgil's Aeneid is a battle between pietas and furor on many different levels. In the epic poem, the Trojans, with their dutiful leader Aeneas, represent the side of pietas, and the Turnus led Rutulians represent the forces of furor. In this light, Virgil's poem is setup exactly like both of Homer's previous works the Iliad and the Odyssey. However, in Virgil's epic the conflict between pietas and furor does not only exist between two great forces, but manifests itself within many of the "good" and "bad" characters. As we see in the epic, Virgil is very apt at operating in shades of gray, not just black and white. It is in this regard that he surpasses his Greek predecessor. By applying pietas and furor in this manner Virgil is able to create very real, multi-dimensional characters that show us both pietas and furor. Very early on in the epic Virgil is able to show us Aeneas's depth in the "Helen Episode." Aneas spoke,

"At just that moment I was the only man left and then I saw her... Helen of Argos...Out it flared, the fire inside my soul, my rage ablaze to avenge our fallen country-pay Helen back, crime for crime...I was swept away by fury now." (Aen. 2.704 28 [Fagles 95]).

This story serves us a two-fold purpose. Firstly, it shows us right away that the "all-pious" Aeneas also possesses furor and sometimes, like all people, his emotions might get the best of him. In the same scene, we later see that in accordance with his namesake, Aeneas does get his emotions under control and listens to his mother/gods. It is very interesting that Virgil chose to put this scene right at the beginning of his book. Here we have the hero that is supposed to represent Roman virtue brimming with emotion, which is the exact opposite of how the stoic Roman is supposed to act. Emotions were to never take control of a person or dictate their actions. Obviously in the end of this encounter Aeneas does act with piety and listens to his mother, but it is still worth noting that Virgil wrote this passage here; if for no other reason than to show the multi-dimensionality of his hero right from the start.

The major heroes of the Aeneid are not the only characters that possess multiple characteristics. While not all of these characters are fully good or pious, almost all of them are easily relatable to the audience in one way or another. A prime example of one of these characters is Mezentius, who is portrayed like a crazed animal in the beginning of book 10:

"Mezentius... Picture the wild boar harried down from a ridge by a snapping pack of hounds, some beast...like a famished lion stalking the cattle pens for prey, the hunger will drive him mad... Mezentius pounces hotly onto the enemy masses." (Aen. 10.835-60 [Fagles 386]).

In this passage Mezentius is a one dimensional, bloodthirsty animal that represents nothing but untamed furor. However, we must remember that this is Virgil's work, and that perhaps there is another more human side to this monster after all. We see this when Mezentius' beautiful son Lauses is slain protecting his wicked father.

"Was I so seized by the lust for life, my son I let you take my place before the enemy's sword? What, your father saved by your own wounds? Kept alive by your Death?... I, in all my pain-at last a wound strikes home...I've stained your name so, with my own crimes... I owed a price to my land and people who despise me. If only I'd paid in full with my own guilty life," (Aen. 10.1002-12 [Fagles 321-22]).

Surprisingly, we see an incredibly emotional and tender response from Mezentuis. Vergil makes it possible, with this small passage, for the reader to sympathize with perhaps the most evil and furious character in the epic. We see this wounded "Despiser of the gods" weep for his slain child, and then acting with pious duty to