Significance of Palinurus

A detailed Summary of Significance of Palinurus

In writing The Aeneid, Virgil subtly describes his perspective of the Roman civilization through various means, primarily through the characters in his epic. Rather than using the characters to build the idea that a great Rome is to be created, he instead, compares characters such as Palinurus and Aeneas, to depict a society that will be more inferior. According to Virgil, Rome cannot be successful because its inhabitants do not possess the characteristics needed for a successful empire - an empire that is disci-plined, preserves and unifies its conquered, and is humble. Although these virtues are present in charac-ters such as Palinurus, they are absent in the major leader of the Trojans, the main character Aeneas. Thus, in Virgil's Aeneid, the death of Palinurus is significant because it symbolizes the death of a great civilization, underlining Virgil's view that Rome cannot succeed - Rome cannot flourish to greatness be-cause the character that represents the embodiment of all the essential Roman virtues is not there.

The focus of The Aeneid is the story of Aeneas's journey to found a new civilization, Rome. Vir-gil describes the character Aeneas as someone who strives to be more civilized. H

the breath of a breeze. He watches all the stars

slowly and was just at the point of safety -

your people are to know. The Fates will only

By comparing Aeneas and Palinurus, one sees major differences in character that change the out-come of Rome. Despite Palinurus being a minor character in the plot of the epic, he stands for all the vir-tues and beliefs that Virgil supports. Aeneas, on the other hand, represents the attempt and failure for the creation of a brilliant Rome. He is the origin of the Rome of Virgil's time. Thus, the death of Palinurus is significant because Virgil uses him to strengthen his point that Rome is not and cannot be a great empire. By killing the man that is the embodiment of good Roman virtues, he makes Rome a lower-grade society. Palinurus is the key to the understanding of Virgil's point of view toward the Roman society.

and try our course with spreading canvas wings.

owever, the protagonist can never undergo a complete transformation into a civilized man because he cannot overcome the bestial side in him. Weighted down by uncertainty and confusion, Aeneas is often puzzled as to which direction he should go. When Troy is under attack, Aeneas immediately grabs his weapons, thinking he can fight his way through: "Insane, I seize my weapons. There's no sense / in weapons, yet my sprit burns to gather / a band for battle, to rush out against / the citadel with my companions. Rage / and anger drive my mind" (Book II, lines 428-432). Unlike a true leader, Aeneas does not think through the situation but gives in immediately to his inner desires, to fight and kill. This passage exemplifies the animalistic side in him as he relies strictly on his instincts. His tendency to succumb to physical and mental temptations leads to his futile efforts to become more civilized. In his exchange with Dido, he seems to already forget about Creusa, and has a romantic interlude with Dido, once again giving in to his physical desire, his sex drive. In everything Aeneas does, he always returns to the bestial attributes that are the foundation of his char-acter. Unless reprimanded or redirected, Aeneas will inevitably live and spread, as a leader, a lifestyle subject to his personal passions. Without a guiding, outside influence, Aeneas cannot create a successful Rome because of his own, bestial characteristics.

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Approximate Word count = 1938
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English