Book 9 Reflection

I teared up a little during this book. I don't like war and I don't know if I could handle the stress of one of my loved ones being sent to endure it, no matter how much of an honor it is to serve your country.

The first thing I don't understand is: why would the Tiber river god carry Turnus away to safety if he wants Aeneas to win? I thought he was on Aeneas's side, but I'm assuming he probably wanted Aeneas to kill Turnus instead (it's a more entertaining fight that way...just kidding). Juno seems to be withdrawing at this point. She still intervenes, but much less, and I think she's realizing that she's not really making too much of a difference. She still protects and fuels Turnus while he fights in a last ditch attempt to knock out as many Trojans as possible, and make Turnus's last few days as worthwhile as possible (my guess). Furthermore, she still relies on Iris to do some of her work, and I can't figure out why she chooses Iris instead of another god or goddess. Every time war is referred to, Mars is usually in there somewhere, however he does not really chose one side or the other, or even get involved all that much. Apollo also appears again in this chapter as the god of archery (he's the god of a lot of things) and keeps Ascanius from fighting because of his youth (or possibly his jealousy of his talent, even though he denies it, gods have a history of being jealous of talented mortals). An interesting quote from Nisus: "Is it, Euryalus, gods who implant these obsessions, deep in our minds?... Or do each individual's passions become god?" (184-185). As unlikely as it seems, this quote helped me understand what the gods signify to the people, but it also made me think deeper into it. Virgil is asking does belief create the beings that lead us, or are they created before we are made and give us our beliefs. That's a really hard question to answer, because it all depends on how you want to look at it and what you believe in.

So throughout the novel the characters talk about omens, but I haven't addressed those yet. This book was the first time I actually noted them, and how they typically are correct. Most of the humans in this epic are pretty intuitive, being able to understand these omens, almost giving them a way to foresee the future. This made me think that humans are actually a lot like the gods. They feel the same emotions and can somewhat do the same things, the gods can just do them with supreme power. Back to fate, I'm starting to wonder if fate predicts the outcome of events, but not the buildup. It shows the end result, but leaves the in between events to chance and free will. Therefore, both fate and free will govern our lives and there is a somewhat equal balance. The quote that helped me come to this conclusion is "How can Aeneas complete a predicted journey whose dangers can't be predicted?" (97). That part also made me consider another idea, but I'm going to address that in a later blog, because I need some more information.

The story of Nisus and Euryalus I'm familiar with. I remember hearing about it before I read the Aeneid, I just don't remember how. I really like Nisus and Euryalus's kind of love because "they were as one in their love" and "charged as a pair into battle" (182). They are presented more as equals than any other couple in the book, and I admire that. They are also stronger together than they are separately because a group can almost always win out against an individual, and their love makes them a stronger group than others. When they split up (Nisus leaves Euryalus behind similar to the way Aeneas leaves Creusa earlier in the epic), is when it all goes south for them. However, Nisus risks his life to save the one he loves because it is greater than his love for glory and rewards. The love for glory however, is also a very powerful love, although much more greedy and selfish than a love for another would be. In line 445, Virgil talks about "release from anguish" in death, because the lovers are joined in the afterlife, but it's interesting that although life on Earth may be a living hell after losing a loved one, many people tough it out because the love of their own life is just that littlest bit greater, or their natural will to survive is just too strong. Euryalus's mother may be "wholly destroyed," but the reader never hears about her taking her own life to deal with the pain (477). It's a sad topic to think about, but it's also one that a lot of people deal with even today.

I know I've already mentioned the "all's fair in love and war" thing, but this time, I'd like to look at the morality of vengeance and rewards. Nisus and Euryalus make their journey to send Aeneas the message that battle has broken out, but on their way, they slaughter many of their foes. Nisus eventually  calls off their slaughter, showing that there is a time for "full battle fury" to end, and also showing that he retains good reason and does not let war completely destroy his morals (342). The task that Nisus and Euryalus were sent out to do was righteous, but also cruel. However, Ascanius offers immense rewards and glory to the two of them, reinforcing the idea that they were making a good choice. Killing is expected during war, and even justified, but the absolutely awful methods chosen seem repulsive to me, who has never even had to think about going to war. Morals really take a backseat, because they have to. If a person were not to kill, they would probably die themselves. It's almost like living two totally different lives with totally different norms and values in one lifetime, but Virgil never shows in the epic the effect it has on a person.