There are several themes present in the Aeneid. The most prevalent are The Dominance of Fate, The Suffering of the Lost, and the Power of the Romans.
The Dominance of Fate
Throughout the entire poem, Aeneas is guided by the principle to fulfill his fate. Despite encountering tremendous suffering on his journey, and experiencing many victories, his course remains unchanged. His end goal is always to achieve his destiny. The will to meet his fate is far greater than the fear of the gods and any of the supernatural elements that they may call upon to knock him off course. Often times, he is guided by Jupiter, one of the most powerful gods. Jupiter is said to be more steadfast than the other gods, meaning that he is capable of combating the interference of the lesser gods and aiding the Trojans on their journey.
Throughout the poem, the main characters see various heights of development, each following out their own destiny. Turnus and Juno fight against their perceived destiny with every chance they get. However, in the end, this leads to their downfall. Dido has a strong desire to wed Aeneas, and finds herself denied by his own commitment to fate – this leaves her grief stricken.
The Suffering of the Voyagers
The first half of the poem tells the tale of the Trojans as they journey from Troy to Italy. Historically, people were drawn to familial loyalty and never went far from home. This was partly due to the fact that someone’s homeland become a true part of who they were. For example: Helen of Troy.
Becoming homeless was equal to becoming nameless. The author, Virgil, further ads to the struggles of the Trojans as he writes them into situations that cause them to be at the pure mercy of supernatural or worldly forces. On the Mediterranean Sea, they find their ship battered by tremendous storms, they are put in dire situations where they must regularly determine which direction to travel, with little clues as to where they actually are. Every time the Trojan’s dock on a new land, they are surrounded by unfamiliar territory and are unsure of what awaits them. The audience knows what is in store, but the Trojans are left to wander aimlessly, at the mercy of the gods and fate.
The Power of the Romans
Virgil penned the Aeneid during the Golden Age of the Roman Empire, while the area was still under the rein of Caesar Augustus. It was his objective to create a fictional account of the origin of Rome that would highlight the success of the empire that had conquered most of the world as it was known at the time. The poem routinely leans towards this cultural pinnacle. Aeneas can even be seen justifying the Trojan’s settlement in Latium in a manner similar to the Roman empire’s justification of its settlement of several territories. The author works in reverse, aligning political and social connections of his day with adopted Greek mythology of gods and heroes, to highlight one as being derived from the other.
