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THE CHIEF CHARACTERS
aspects of Turnus' behaviour which mean that he cannot survive in the proto-
Roman world which Aeneas is founding. In the Sibyl's prophecy (Aen. 6.89)
Turnus is said to be another Achilles; he is equated, or equates himself, with the
Greeks in 7.371—2, 9.136—9, 9.742; in the final scenes he is the Achilles figure
placed now in the loser's position. We have already seen that Aeneas has by no
means succeeded fully in replacing Homeric violence by a new and more
civilized attitude towards the defeated — by no means; but he has made a start
in that direction, he wishes to find a new way however imperfect his efforts to
find it. Turnus on the other hand is wholly devoted to the old Homeric way,
and however much our sympathies may sometimes be with him, our judgement
must be in favour of the new way.
5. DESTINY AND RELIGION IN THE 'AENEID'
Above everything else, the Aeneid is a religious poem. It is based on the unquestioned
assumption that there exist powers outside the world of men, and
that these powers direct and influence mortal actions in accordance with a farreaching
plan of their own, extending over the centuries as far as history can
reach, and concerned with the long destiny of nations.
The nature of this divine plan and the part which Rome is to play in it is
outlined in Jupiter's speech to his daughter Venus in i.257fF. In it he reveals to
her the fates of the future as he will bring them to pass, especially with regard
to the Roman mission. He has given the Romans rule without end (imperium
sine fine dedi) and he stresses two aspects of their destiny. The first is by means of
conquest to establish universal peace:
aspera turn positis mitescent saecula bellis. . .
dirae ferro et compagibus artis
claudentur Belli portae. . . (1.291-4)
Then the harsh generations will be softened with wars laid aside. . .the gates of War,
terrifying with their tight bands ofsteely will be closed. . .
The second is to establish law (jura dabunt, 293; cf. 4.231 totum sub leges
mitteret orbeni). This concept of the mission is broadened in the famous words of
Anchises at the end of the pageant of the ghosts of Roman heroes (6.851—3):
tu regere imperio populos, Romane, memento
(hae tibi erunt artes), pacique imponere morem,
parcere subiectis et debellare superbos.
But you, Roman, must remember to rule the peoples with your government — this will
be your art — to add to peace a civilised way of life, to spare the conquered and crush
theproud.
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