While reading the assigned chapters of Virgil’s Aeneid I found it very interesting how much power the gods have over everything. They are able to manipulate every characters life so that in many ways none of the characters have any free will at all. I see how this would contribute to the overarching theme of Fate, but I see it as the gods using the characters as puppets, to fight each other with. This tends to bring a sad ending to a lot of characters, with unnecessary deaths other than to prove a point to some other god. Ultimately, this puppetry actually works in favor of Virgil’s intention of the entire work, the justification of the reign of Caesar. For, if the gods are using everyone as a puppet, it must be there will that Caesar reign and that he was put there by the gods doing. One of the most tragic manipulations was that of Dido. Dido was overcome with love for Aeneas by the god of love and she could not help her infatuation. So, when the gods told him that he had to leave, of course she would lament, for this spell of the god of love intentionally placed love there. Yes, her death was a rash tragedy, but if the gods had wanted to they would have prevented it from happening. So, I believe that Jupiter was trying to prove a point, that it does not matter how much a women infatuates a man, the man will always do what he wants and is called for, thus it did not matter how much Juno tried she would not be able to save her beloved people. Through this it could be said that the work is a bit misogynistic, for man is portrayed as superior to women, and women are slightly disposable. But, on another note, maybe the tragedies that happen by the hands of the gods are a metaphor for any tragedies that may have been happening by Caesar’s hands. This work has a lot to interpret, and could stand for many things, even if it may have been written for one soul purpose.
Caesar was born 100 bc, and I'd say he was lucky to belong to a time when Rome's own infatuation with Greece allowed it's literature to take on new mythological perspectives.
These perspectives would have been humorous, in that the Romans could easily defeat Greece at that time, which was a country used by Romans as a kind of template and as somewhere they go for education.
Also because they did have it in for Carthage, which the Punic wars culminated in the destruction of.
The thing about Caesar is that he was most loved by Romans, more than any tyrant before, his army was loyal becasue they knew Caesar would lets them ransack and pillage communities. In some cases he massacred entire communities according to some sources.
But it's well known that he brought unheard of riches back to Rome and had Cleopatra and Egypt to add to that repertoire.
Reading Caesar's commentaries, he doesn't seem much interested in the specific God's of any kind, but in his own judgments regarding what was best for Rome and himself.
Caesar wanted to be a God but during an official ceremony declined even to crown himself, which was why Ovtavius, or Augustus Julius Caesar was the first emperor or Rome.
I went to Epcot at Disney today and as you may know, Epcot has a world showcase that includes the countries Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, the United States, Japan, Morocco, France, the United Kingdom and Canada. In each country’s space around the showcase you can sample their cuisine, peruse various gifts and such that are specific to the country and experience a little bit of their cultural. I have been to Epcot previously but I was not old enough to appreciate just how great Epcot is in the sense of experiencing so many different cultures in such a short period of time. It really gives you a feel for how similar yet so different cultures can be from one another. Today, we had lunch in Mexico and went on a gondola ride then we proceeded through a couple of other countries and stopped along the way to look around. We stopped in France for pastries and in Morocco for henna. It was a great experience. Epcot is unlike any of the other Disney parks and I think that is part of what is so appealing about it, especially to those older than young children. I think it is amazing that you can get a taste for so many different cultures all in one area and it is for the most part, quite legitimate. Of course, we also went on the rides like Soarin’ and Finding Nemo, as well as the Dinosaur ride with Ellen. You can’t go to a Disney park without going on the rides, too! All in all, it was a great experience and I would go back again to take even more time visiting each country.
On a different subject, does anybody know what we are supposed to read of Shahnameh for Tuesday? The syllabus still says TBA. Thanks in advance!
So this week I went on an alternative break trip to Give Kids the World Village in Kissimmee, Florida. Me and a group of 13 other students from Geneseo are volunteering in the village all week. For those who do not know what Give Kids the World is, I will describe it. It is a small village right outside of Orlando where children with life-threatening illnesses and their families stay for a cost-free vacation. I am sure many of you heard of the Make A Wish Foundation. This village is where the wish kids and their families stay while they are fulfilling their wishes at Disney, Sea World, Universal Studios, etc. It is such a wonderful place. You may think that this would be a sad place since many of the children may not have many years of their life yet, but the amount of happiness I see every day is unbelievable and can only make you smile. I am so grateful to be a part of all of the memories that these children will have from their trip. Some of the jobs that I've had was a food server, carousel operator, food deliverer, pool attendant, and castle worker. All of the jobs are so simple, yet make such an impact on the child's experience at the village. I really hope this week goes slower. I have met so many amazing people and can't wait to meet even more. This is truly a life changing week and I am so glad I've had the opportunity to be a part of it.
The Aeneid of Virgil was a very interesting epic. It gives you a perspective of what happened with the finding of Rome and the Trojan War. I found it was very interesting to read. I feel that it was translated very well. I thought it was interesting that the fate of Aeneas was really left completely in the hands of the gods. Everything that happened to him and his men was mostly because of what one of the gods did. For example when he finally found Dido it was mostly because of his mother who was a god. Also his mother was the reason that Dido fell so much in love with Aeneas because she sent her son Cupid down to make it happen. I just thought that it was interesting that the gods had such a hand in everything. It amazes me. I thought it was also interesting that Dido acted so ridiculous when she found that Aeneas was leaving. They were not even technically married. I don't think that killing herself was necessary at all. I thought it was interesting that the gods let that happen. Especially one of the gods that was very fond of Carthage. Once again it comes back to the gods controlling everything. Everything in this book happens for a reason. Everyone has a specific fate. A fate set out for them by the gods.
Virgil’s epic shows Gods who seem to contend for control over Aeneas destiny. It makes me wonder how the authorities of each God overlap and affect Aeneas on his journey. For example in book 1, the Trojan Captain has his fleet scattered by turbulent winds created by the master of winds, Aeolus. Yet when these winds stir up the waters, Poseidon intervenes and calms them. I guess it just highlights a balance of power between the Gods. And then in book 4, Cupid is the one responsible for Dido’s fervent love for Aeneas, and even Juno tried to foster this love so that Aeneas might remain in Carthage and never set sail to found Rome. What skullduggery. And yet, Zeus still gave Aeneas the ultimate command to leave and fulfill his destiny. I’ve found the feuds between the Gods of the Greek Pantheon to be one of the more entertaining parts of this book.
Before this class I had no idea whatsoever of what the Aeneid was about. Now that I’ve read some of it, Roman cultural ideals of the time seem to make more sense. I’ve known for a while that Romans lived a disciplined life. So many Roman citizens placed an emphasis on personal initiative, and a responsibility for Rome, it would make sense that it all ties back to their supposed origins. They believed their lineage could be traced all the way back to Aeneas and the Trojans, a legacy which they undoubtedly looked on with pride. Adding to all this, by the time Augustus ascended to Emperor, the Roman Empire was already a powerhouse. This must have only served reinforce the idea that Romans were destined for great things.
While reading the Shahnameh, I realized how little I knew about greek/roman mythology. Although we are taught about some Gods such as Zeus, athena, and Hercules, we aren't taught other Gods or any importance/significance in history classes. It is still hard for me to understand and comprehend all these stories/mythologies and I believe that since many of God/Goddesses/stories/myths are a big part of the Greek/Romans etc, I believe these should be a part of the history we learn about those countries.
Many of these books such as Aeneid, Shahnameh and Averroes (etc) were books I have never read or even heard about growing up. It makes me wonder whether it is because I grew up and went to school in a big city and it was just easier to teach novels in english and the basic history in history class, but I feel that if I were able to be exposed to these types of readings earlier in my life, it may have been easier for me now to be able to read and actually understand the concept and stories.
I thought that the tone in The Aeneid was what stood out the most to me at first. The Greek people living in that time are represented in a way that depicts every one of their actions out of fear of the gods. On the other hand there are times throughout the epic that the gods use the people as pieces in their grand plan. Or when the gods are simply to preoccupied with human desires that nothing else seems to matter to them.
For example how Juno and Venus plot to find a way to have Dido and Aeneas to fall in love in hope that they would once marry. It seems like Juno is really after the Trojan people that follow behind Aeneas, and not the implied hope that Dido and Aeneas find love. This way Juno and Venus would successfully keep the Trojan warriors from invading Italy, which as the Epic develops; I realize is extremely important to them. To me the epic is a story of the gods trying to govern the people in how they see fit. At the same time the use of deception and bad intentions are masked with themes like war, power and love.
I completely agree with the different tones the Aeneid had. I think it is very interesting how the gods battled over what path the people should take. I agree with the themes you listed but I also think fate is a big theme. no matter what Juno and Venus tried to change in the end Aeneas would end up starting the Roman Empire. It is very interesting how invested the gods are in the people and how much they care about particular people to survive. The relationship between the gods and the people is very strange. Sometimes they seem to be controlled and just pawns for the gods and other times the people seem to deeply affected the gods. Overall the tone and character development of the Aeneid is very interesting.
While reading the assigned chapters of Virgil’s Aeneid I found it very interesting how much power the gods have over everything. They are able to manipulate every characters life so that in many ways none of the characters have any free will at all. I see how this would contribute to the overarching theme of Fate, but I see it as the gods using the characters as puppets, to fight each other with. This tends to bring a sad ending to a lot of characters, with unnecessary deaths other than to prove a point to some other god. Ultimately, this puppetry actually works in favor of Virgil’s intention of the entire work, the justification of the reign of Caesar. For, if the gods are using everyone as a puppet, it must be there will that Caesar reign and that he was put there by the gods doing.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most tragic manipulations was that of Dido. Dido was overcome with love for Aeneas by the god of love and she could not help her infatuation. So, when the gods told him that he had to leave, of course she would lament, for this spell of the god of love intentionally placed love there. Yes, her death was a rash tragedy, but if the gods had wanted to they would have prevented it from happening. So, I believe that Jupiter was trying to prove a point, that it does not matter how much a women infatuates a man, the man will always do what he wants and is called for, thus it did not matter how much Juno tried she would not be able to save her beloved people. Through this it could be said that the work is a bit misogynistic, for man is portrayed as superior to women, and women are slightly disposable. But, on another note, maybe the tragedies that happen by the hands of the gods are a metaphor for any tragedies that may have been happening by Caesar’s hands. This work has a lot to interpret, and could stand for many things,
even if it may have been written for one soul purpose.
Caesar was born 100 bc, and I'd say he was lucky to belong to a time when Rome's own infatuation with Greece allowed it's literature to take on new mythological perspectives.
DeleteThese perspectives would have been humorous, in that the Romans could easily defeat Greece at that time, which was a country used by Romans as a kind of template and as somewhere they go for education.
Also because they did have it in for Carthage, which the Punic wars culminated in the destruction of.
The thing about Caesar is that he was most loved by Romans, more than any tyrant before, his army was loyal becasue they knew Caesar would lets them ransack and pillage communities. In some cases he massacred entire communities according to some sources.
But it's well known that he brought unheard of riches back to Rome and had Cleopatra and Egypt to add to that repertoire.
Reading Caesar's commentaries, he doesn't seem much interested in the specific God's of any kind, but in his own judgments regarding what was best for Rome and himself.
Caesar wanted to be a God but during an official ceremony declined even to crown himself, which was why Ovtavius, or Augustus Julius Caesar was the first emperor or Rome.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI went to Epcot at Disney today and as you may know, Epcot has a world showcase that includes the countries Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, the United States, Japan, Morocco, France, the United Kingdom and Canada. In each country’s space around the showcase you can sample their cuisine, peruse various gifts and such that are specific to the country and experience a little bit of their cultural. I have been to Epcot previously but I was not old enough to appreciate just how great Epcot is in the sense of experiencing so many different cultures in such a short period of time. It really gives you a feel for how similar yet so different cultures can be from one another. Today, we had lunch in Mexico and went on a gondola ride then we proceeded through a couple of other countries and stopped along the way to look around. We stopped in France for pastries and in Morocco for henna. It was a great experience. Epcot is unlike any of the other Disney parks and I think that is part of what is so appealing about it, especially to those older than young children. I think it is amazing that you can get a taste for so many different cultures all in one area and it is for the most part, quite legitimate. Of course, we also went on the rides like Soarin’ and Finding Nemo, as well as the Dinosaur ride with Ellen. You can’t go to a Disney park without going on the rides, too! All in all, it was a great experience and I would go back again to take even more time visiting each country.
ReplyDeleteOn a different subject, does anybody know what we are supposed to read of Shahnameh for Tuesday? The syllabus still says TBA. Thanks in advance!
So this week I went on an alternative break trip to Give Kids the World Village in Kissimmee, Florida. Me and a group of 13 other students from Geneseo are volunteering in the village all week.
ReplyDeleteFor those who do not know what Give Kids the World is, I will describe it. It is a small village right outside of Orlando where children with life-threatening illnesses and their families stay for a cost-free vacation. I am sure many of you heard of the Make A Wish Foundation. This village is where the wish kids and their families stay while they are fulfilling their wishes at Disney, Sea World, Universal Studios, etc.
It is such a wonderful place. You may think that this would be a sad place since many of the children may not have many years of their life yet, but the amount of happiness I see every day is unbelievable and can only make you smile. I am so grateful to be a part of all of the memories that these children will have from their trip.
Some of the jobs that I've had was a food server, carousel operator, food deliverer, pool attendant, and castle worker. All of the jobs are so simple, yet make such an impact on the child's experience at the village. I really hope this week goes slower. I have met so many amazing people and can't wait to meet even more. This is truly a life changing week and I am so glad I've had the opportunity to be a part of it.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe Aeneid of Virgil was a very interesting epic. It gives you a perspective of what happened with the finding of Rome and the Trojan War. I found it was very interesting to read. I feel that it was translated very well. I thought it was interesting that the fate of Aeneas was really left completely in the hands of the gods. Everything that happened to him and his men was mostly because of what one of the gods did. For example when he finally found Dido it was mostly because of his mother who was a god. Also his mother was the reason that Dido fell so much in love with Aeneas because she sent her son Cupid down to make it happen. I just thought that it was interesting that the gods had such a hand in everything. It amazes me.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was also interesting that Dido acted so ridiculous when she found that Aeneas was leaving. They were not even technically married. I don't think that killing herself was necessary at all. I thought it was interesting that the gods let that happen. Especially one of the gods that was very fond of Carthage. Once again it comes back to the gods controlling everything. Everything in this book happens for a reason. Everyone has a specific fate. A fate set out for them by the gods.
Virgil’s epic shows Gods who seem to contend for control over Aeneas destiny. It makes me wonder how the authorities of each God overlap and affect Aeneas on his journey. For example in book 1, the Trojan Captain has his fleet scattered by turbulent winds created by the master of winds, Aeolus. Yet when these winds stir up the waters, Poseidon intervenes and calms them. I guess it just highlights a balance of power between the Gods. And then in book 4, Cupid is the one responsible for Dido’s fervent love for Aeneas, and even Juno tried to foster this love so that Aeneas might remain in Carthage and never set sail to found Rome. What skullduggery. And yet, Zeus still gave Aeneas the ultimate command to leave and fulfill his destiny. I’ve found the feuds between the Gods of the Greek Pantheon to be one of the more entertaining parts of this book.
ReplyDeleteBefore this class I had no idea whatsoever of what the Aeneid was about. Now that I’ve read some of it, Roman cultural ideals of the time seem to make more sense.
I’ve known for a while that Romans lived a disciplined life. So many Roman citizens placed an emphasis on personal initiative, and a responsibility for Rome, it would make sense that it all ties back to their supposed origins. They believed their lineage could be traced all the way back to Aeneas and the Trojans, a legacy which they undoubtedly looked on with pride. Adding to all this, by the time Augustus ascended to Emperor, the Roman Empire was already a powerhouse. This must have only served reinforce the idea that Romans were destined for great things.
While reading the Shahnameh, I realized how little I knew about greek/roman mythology. Although we are taught about some Gods such as Zeus, athena, and Hercules, we aren't taught other Gods or any importance/significance in history classes. It is still hard for me to understand and comprehend all these stories/mythologies and I believe that since many of God/Goddesses/stories/myths are a big part of the Greek/Romans etc, I believe these should be a part of the history we learn about those countries.
ReplyDeleteMany of these books such as Aeneid, Shahnameh and Averroes (etc) were books I have never read or even heard about growing up. It makes me wonder whether it is because I grew up and went to school in a big city and it was just easier to teach novels in english and the basic history in history class, but I feel that if I were able to be exposed to these types of readings earlier in my life, it may have been easier for me now to be able to read and actually understand the concept and stories.
I thought that the tone in The Aeneid was what stood out the most to me at first. The Greek people living in that time are represented in a way that depicts every one of their actions out of fear of the gods. On the other hand there are times throughout the epic that the gods use the people as pieces in their grand plan. Or when the gods are simply to preoccupied with human desires that nothing else seems to matter to them.
ReplyDeleteFor example how Juno and Venus plot to find a way to have Dido and Aeneas to fall in love in hope that they would once marry. It seems like Juno is really after the Trojan people that follow behind Aeneas, and not the implied hope that Dido and Aeneas find love. This way Juno and Venus would successfully keep the Trojan warriors from invading Italy, which as the Epic develops; I realize is extremely important to them. To me the epic is a story of the gods trying to govern the people in how they see fit. At the same time the use of deception and bad intentions are masked with themes like war, power and love.
I completely agree with the different tones the Aeneid had. I think it is very interesting how the gods battled over what path the people should take. I agree with the themes you listed but I also think fate is a big theme. no matter what Juno and Venus tried to change in the end Aeneas would end up starting the Roman Empire. It is very interesting how invested the gods are in the people and how much they care about particular people to survive. The relationship between the gods and the people is very strange. Sometimes they seem to be controlled and just pawns for the gods and other times the people seem to deeply affected the gods. Overall the tone and character development of the Aeneid is very interesting.
Delete