Picking up in the middle of bk III, I want to draw your attention to a theme which runs through this section of the Aeneid. It seems that the prophets of Apollo and references to Juno keep popping up; Aeneas seeks prophecies to guide his journey. There is a sense in Virgil that one cannot rightly found a new empire without heeding divine advice. And so we have in book III a number of instances where Aeneas seeks to have some sort of sign from the gods in order to guide him. The seers of Apollo figure large in this book. Without their guidance, Aeneas would not know his true destination. We have already seen that sometimes the god’s prophets can be cryptic, or misinterpreted. Remember that Anchises mistakenly interprets one oracle to mean that they should build their new city in Crete. And so there is a second problem: how do humans know what the gods mean in their prophecies?
As Aeneas sets sail, they come upon what they think is a rather bountiful discovery. They easily slaughter herds on the islands of Strophades, and this Macfeast – this quick and easy plenty – is short lived. For the island is the home of the Harpies, and the Harpies drive the Trojans from their spoil. Celaeno acts as herald for the Harpies, and both rebukes Aeneas and gives a further prophecy from the gods:
Then put your mind on what I prophesy: a thing
Foretold to Phoebus by the almighty father
And by Apollo then to me; now, I
First of the Furies, will disclose it to you.
Italy is the land you look for
(III.339)
The will of the gods is now clearer. In a “hierarchy of mediation”, the divine will of the gods is communicated to humanity. First, the “almighty father” gives revelation to a lesser god (Phoebus=Apollo), who then tells Celaeno, and she in turn tells Aeneas. Virgil is telling us how he thinks humanity comes to know what the gods require of us. These things are not known directly, but indirectly, by a series, as it were, of messengers, in a sort of descending hierarchy. There is no direct and clear message at this point from the “almighty father” to Aeneas. Instead, the will of the almighty is communicated through this series of lesser beings. Aeneas and his crew rejoice that the direction is finally clear, and they celebrate with some games as they set out (III.374)
So Aeneas has the big picture of his journey, but not the details. He knows where he is to go, but is not yet sure how he is to get there. Theory and practice, or the ideal and the practical working out of that ideal: this is what Roman virtue will consist of. There are still some lessons which Aeneas must learn before he accomplishes his divine task. Part of those lessons come toward the end of this book. There are two things in particular which are mentioned. First, Aeneas visits the “new Troy” of Helenus (III.396), and then there is the death of his father Anchises.
What are these two things about? They are about continuity and breaking with the past: what does one have to “leave behind”? The new Troy which Aeneas visits is a rebuilt imitation of the old one. He meets Helenus and Andromache, and in the course of his conversation we learn that he sees “a brook, thin replica of Simois”, tomb in imitation of Hector’s, a citadel named Pergamum (like that of old Troy). All in all, Aeneas tells us that he saw before him “Troy in miniature” (III.477).
The city of Helenus is merely an exact imitation of what had already fallen. It is a lesson which Virgil wishes us to learn. You cannot simply replicate what the gods have already destroyed, hoping that this time it will stand. Old Troy was doomed; it will not do to simply build it again. It must be changed; and Aeneas and his followers must let go of old Troy.
While he is there, Aeneas receives some further prophecy about the specifics of his journey: how to navigate the waters, what dangers to avoid, by which routes to sail. But he does not receive every detail. In a marvelous prophecy from Helenus, Aeneas hears about the relationship between Fate and Fortune, about the overarching will of “Lord God” and the goddess Juno. If Jupiter represents the big picture, Juno represents the details. You need both in order to have an eternal city. Greek idealism, without the practical ability to live it in the world of “fortune” – the everyday world of chance and accidents and earthly sorts of things – will not do. And so Aeneas must learn not only the great will of Fate, but from Juno he must learn how to overcome everyday obstacles and make it practical. That is what Aeneas must learn is the “power of that lady”.
Are clearly seen for your sea faring
The Lord God deals out destiny so
And turns the wheel of change, so turns the world…
Other details of time to come the Parcae
Keep from Helenus, and Saturn’s daughter
Juno, will not allow him speech of these.
(III.510)
If you can trust a seer, and if Apollo
Fills his mind with truth, I have one thing
To tell you, over and over again, one thing
To warn you of, son of the goddess: make
Your prayer first of all to Juno’s godhead,
Chant with a will your vows to her; secure
With humble gifts the power of that lady.
(III.582)
Aeneas learns that he will also have to hear from the Sibylline oracle, who, if he can manage, will give him much more specific details of the journey, “the wars to come, the way you should avoid each difficulty, or face it” (III.611) Eventually, the gods will reveal not only the large plan of destiny, but the details of fortune.
They sail to Sicily, narrowly avoiding the dangerous straights of Scylla and Charybdis, toward the Mount Etna and the Cyclops’ home. Here they meet Achaemenides, who was cast off by Ulysses (Odysseus). He begs Aeneas to have pity and take him along (contrast this with Sinon’s reception at Troy), and Aeneas is content to get away from the Cyclops as quickly as possible. The book closes with the death of Anchises, father of Aeneas. The break with old Troy is complete.
View entire series on the Aeneid here.
Keep posting on the Aeneid, Joe - its much more interesting than the House of Bishops...
Posted by: Tim | November 06, 2008 at 10:13 AM
There is an argument to made in favour of that proposition. At the same time, I find Virgil informative about many contemporary things.
Posted by: joseph | November 07, 2008 at 12:28 PM