Bonds Between Gods and Men

A Trinity College essay from my sophomore year about The Aeneid by Virgil.

Venus loves her mortal son, and through her actions displays this love by helping Aeneas to survive to fulfill his destiny. When Aeneas is in unfavorable circumstances, Venus and Apollo nurture him by giving him much needed help. Juno hates Aeneas and the Trojans and wants to greatly delay his efforts to found his city. Juno does not delay Aeneas' fate for sport, but is deeply moved by mortal actions that greatly affect her emotional welfare. The gods do not treat the human characters as flies because they have personal bonds with human beings and are intimately involved in preserving the welfare of their beloved mortals.

Venus has deep maternal bonds with Aeneas, and she treats him and the Trojans with love and aids them to fulfil their fate. Venus has a close relationship with her son, and shows her strength as a mother when she sends doves to land on the golden branch in answer of Aeneas' prayer (BK. VI l.190-192). Venus intelligently thinks of how to help her son in battle when she, even realizing the great labors needed, asks her husband Vulcan and his workers to make armor for Aeneas (BK. VIII l.385). Venus instills confidence in Aeneas when she hands him the armor by saying that he must not hesitate to fight the Laurentines or Turnus (BK. VIII l.613-617). Venus picks the dittany herb and puts it in bowls, and it heals Aeneas' wound (BK XII. l.412).

Whereas flies are just insects which cannot interact with humans, gods not only directly interact with humans, but also form bonds with them. Nurturing Jupiter sends Mercury down to tell Aeneas to sail away from Carthage for the sake of his descendents (BK. IV l. 223-226). Apollo forms a bond with young Iulus by telling him that he has become a man from killing Remulus with his bow (Bk. IX l.641-643). Diana calls the warrior Camilla a love, and shows the intimate connection with her when she says Camilla is dear to her above all other things (Bk. XI l. 536-539). Diana suffers knowing Camilla is in the way, and tells the nymph Opis that whoever wounds Camilla will pay likewise with a wound (Bk. XI l.591-594).

Fierce Juno's relationship to Aeneas is one of hatred and to Turnus one of love, postures that are not reminiscent of sport but as an important part of her life. Showing her grudge against the Trojans partly from the judgment of Paris, Juno unleashes her anger when she convinces Aeolus to employ fierce tempests against the Trojans (BK. I.68-70). Juno oversees the discord among the men from the heavens with personal satisfaction that her wishes are fulfilled when she has Allecto start the war by bringing evil upon the people (Bk. VII l.453-455). When Turnus is alone at sea, he tries to kill himself, but Juno allows Turnus to live yet longer to create more discord by pitying him in her heart and not letting him move (BK. 10 l. 684-686).

The gods form essential bonds with human characters, and show their deep care for them by nurturing them. Venus sacrifices her time to care for Aeneas, who deeply loves his mother and is furnished with Vulcan's armor (BK. VIII l.385) and healed by the dittany herb (BK. XII l.412). Diana has a personal commitment to exact revenge against whomever kills Camilla (BK. XI l. 591-594), who is dear to her above all other things (BK. XI l.536-539). Juno does not begrudge the existence of men, but feels sharp hatred and deep sentiment towards mortals, and she saves Turnus from killing himself at sea (BK. 10 .684-686).