The Aeneid

How does Aeneas view women? Does his view of women change throughout the epic poem?

It is clearly evident that Aeneas loved his first wife, Creusa. He went through a heart-wrenching tragedy when she died. Especially since he blamed himself for her death. It is conceivable that Aeneas could never love again after her death; however, it has to be decided if Aeneas did love again, or was his first wife his last love?

Additionally, a debatable question could be, did Aeneas truly love Dido? Cupid played a major role in their relationship. But Cupid only played with Dido’s feelings for Aeneas. It is believable that Dido did have her own feelings for Aeneas but Cupid made her “love blind.” She was under his spell for the rest of her life. The only way she became free from the love spell was in her death. Dido went from being a strong, independent goddess to be a hopeless heartbreak because the gods decided otherwise. But Aeneas wasn’t under Cupid’s spell. The only time his emotions were toyed with was when it was time for him to leave and continue on his journey of fate. His ears became deaf to her pleas to stay and he was made to be unaffected by her begging. Before it was time for him to leave, it can be alluded to the fact that Aeneas did have true feelings for Dido. However, after Dido’s death, his coldness becomes evident. The text says, “But Aeneas, no less struck by her unjust fate, escorts her afar with streaming tears and pities her as she passes.” (6.556-558). Aeneas does pity her, but he does not show any true remorse. He feels no responsibility for her death. Yes, Dido killed herself, but it was because Aeneas left her. Did Aeneas know that she was influenced by Cupid? Did he know how unfair her death was? Or was he too blinded by his own personal goal to be invested in another person.

This opens up to the next discussion: Did Aeneas love Lavinia or did he just let their union happen because it was apart of the plan? Dido was not apart of the plan, so Aeneas did not stay with her. It just happened to work out perfectly with Lavinia. He was able to get the girl and have his victory paved out by Fate. So, was his pursuit of the daughter of the king honorable, or was it selfish? Aeneas’s selfishness is most likely hereditary. Signs of this selfishness can be seen in his mother.

The women in Aeneas’s life are somewhat of a “pitstop” in his journey of fate. His mother, Venus, is not a constant in his life; could this be why he does not view women as a constant in his life? We always hear of girls having “daddy issues,” but, in this case, Aeneas has “mommy issues.” An example of their relationship can been seen in book one. Venus appears to Aeneas in a disguise. He only realizes it is her right before she flies away. Aeneas says, “Why, you too cruel as the rest? So often you ridicule your son with your disguises! Why can’t we clasp hands, embrace each other, exchange some words, speak out and tell the truth?” (1.494-497). This is an example of how Aeneas cannot trust his mother. All he wants is a normal, loving relationship between mother and son. But she cannot even appear to him in her true form, she feels the need to disguise herself. An argument could be whether she did this to protect him or protect herself. Did she hide herself from Aeneas for his benefit or for her own? After all, she is a goddess, and gods and goddesses are known for their selfishness. Whether her intentions were honorable or not, this is an obvious insight into how unhealthy their relationship was. If Venus could just come in and out of Aeneas’s life as she pleased, then why couldn’t Aeneas do the same to the women in his life? This could be Aeneas’s mindset.

Aeneas is seen as an honorable man. He is just trying to work towards his end goal and stay on the right path of his journey. Aeneas is selfish in his pursuit of his destiny. He views women as insignificant in comparison to his true love, his love for fame and his righteous destiny. Yes Aeneas did love after his first wife died, but his love became his love for fame and his rewarding destiny.