Book 5 Reflection

Book 5 reminded me of the Olympics. Watching only the best compete for prizes, and weeding out the weak so only the strong continue on the journey.

The book opens with a minor reflection on Dido, which I suppose can somewhat foreshadow the women burning the ships later on, by emphasizing the idea of "what a woman can do in her fury"(because it is pretty amazing what they can do). It is interesting that Virgil choses the women to be swayed by Juno and Iris, possibly showing that he believes women are easily persuaded or fooled with, or also that women can do more damage than men when excited. Furthermore, they could have been chosen because if a man had committed this crime, he would have been punished for it, while the women wouldn't be.  It's funny that Virgil portrays individual women (Dido, Creusa) stronger than they are in a group (such as this).I also found it interesting that during the games, there are no women that compete (which could have been from gender stereotyping or gender roles in ancient Rome), but also, that no women are chosen to go with Aeneas to Italy. Only the strongest are chosen and that does not include any women, but it could possibly be just because fate has other plans.


Fate still doesn't seem to always be fair, but it still dominates the characters and controls the plot line. However, for the first time in the epic, Aeneas doubts and questions whether to follow fate's plan for him or just "settle in Sicilian farmlands" (702-703). Nonetheless, he is steered back onto his path with the encouragement from the gods. Aeneas's lapse in faith makes him very relatable to the reader, because everyone has doubts about their lives and what they are meant for, but it also shows that Aeneas is hurt by and frustrated with all of the challenges he has been given. Fate does not seem to be fair, nor does it give anyone in the book an easy life. During the games, when the underdog would pull through to win, was that fair to those who should have one? Was it even fair to the underdogs, who won although they may not have actually been the most talented? Losing Palinurus for the good of the crew was not fair, but fate said it had to be so, and so it was. But why? What makes the mortals listen to fate? What makes the gods encourage the mortals to listen to fate? Is it just the knowledge that it cannot be changed no matter what, so it must be dealt with? Because Aeneas seemed to have the power to change his fate if he had decided to remain in Sicily. Aeneas seems to have that power as a human, but all Juno's efforts to stop him have had no effect at all, so she does not seem to have the power to change it. Do the gods keep the humans in line with fate because it is the one thing they cannot overcome, therefore humans cannot overcome it either? Is this a pride thing? Fate is a really tricky topic, and it's puzzling me to think about, especially when I do not view it in the same way the Romans might have.


When I look at the Gods as literary devices, it makes me realize how much they actually do move the story along, but also how much they are used to explain different phenomena. The gods do not really intervene until later on in this book, but the first to make a move is naturally, Juno. She is up to her usual scheme of trying to sabotage Aeneas's journey. What's interesting about her this time is that she recruits another goddess, and human women to get involved instead of doing it herself (explaining the women's unexplainable actions). Jupiter also,  doesn't get involved directly, but instead sends Mercury (earlier) and in this book, Anchises; however, he does send a storm against his wife's fires (explaining the perfect-timing storm). Juno and Jupiter are very funny, because as a married couple, you'd think it'd be better for them to agree or at least talk about Aeneas's journey, but instead, they are going completely head to head and taking opposite sides, one helping and one hurting Aeneas. Venus is as persistent as ever with her never-ending love for Aeneas. She also involves another god, Neptune to watch over her son, because she is anxious for his safety, especially since she cannot protect him all herself, and this explains the unusually calms seas. The usage of the gods explains why unexpected events occur, and why fate is carried out by humans in the way that it was originally foretold, making them a crucial part of this epic.

Book 5 presents a few moral issues that are interesting to think about. For example, the first few we see are during the games. The games offer men prizes and glory and "for glory, they'd eagerly trade life"(230). The reader can see that because they'd be willing to give so much for glory itself, sacrificing their morals would not be of much concern for them. During the boat race, when Gyas tosses Menoetes out of the boat, he probably knows it's wrong, but he is so frustrated at losing, that he overlooks it to get what he believes is more important than a good, moral disposition. Also, during the boxing match, Entellus might have beaten Dares to a pulp, just from "shame and awareness of manhood," if Aeneas had not stepped in to put an end to it (making Aeneas look very righteous and moral) (455). Until I said this, I didn't realize how often people disregard morality. It really isn't valued much at all (in the book and in present day), because there are so many more things looked at as more important than making good choices for yourself and others. Even something as simple as laughing as someone is in trouble instead of helping is really disheartening. A different way to examine morality is to look at what is right and what is wrong in the name of love. Juno loves Carthage, Nisus loves Euryalus, and they both commit morally wrong deeds to protect/help what they love, but then is it really morally wrong? What takes priority? Love can cause a person to make a bad choice, but does it justify it? Also, is Aeneas leaving behind part of his crew for the betterment of Rome justified? He shouldn't leave them behind because they have relied on him thus far, but fate and the gods have told him to do it, so does that make it okay? Questions I must ponder...

For once, I don't really feel like writing about love, so I've saved it for last, and I won't write much. Nisus and Euryalus are super cute, but I haven't decided if they love each other "they way boys love boys," in a brotherly way, or in a romantic way (569). I suppose it doesn't matter much, because it doesn't effect the story immensely, just gives something added to think about. Dido herself is mentioned on page 118, which could be to simply keep her fresh in the minds of the reader (because she makes a reappearance in the next book), or to show that Aeneas still loves her, and love lives on, or maybe both or other reasons. I don't know. I talked a little about love in the last paragraph and how it effects morals and justifies not applying them. I think that's a good topic to think about because it is a major factor that blurs the lines between right and wrong, and also has the power to switch what was once wrong to something that is now right. When acting with love, you're not acting selfishly, but you are acting in a biased way, and therefore giving another shade of grey to the already unclear matter of right and wrong.

My last two paragraphs got me thinking, what if I did a research project on the factors that are to blame for making right and wrong so difficult to discern. That's a kind of cool idea. I'll keep my eyes out and my mind open.