Quote 4
(Aeneas):
'Each night thoughts come of young Ascanius,
My dear boy wronged, defrauded of his kingdom,
Hesperian lands of destiny. And now
The gods' interpreter, sent by Jove himself—
I swear it by your head and mine—has brought
Commands down through the racing winds! I say
With my own eyes in full daylight I saw him
Entering the building! With my very ears
I drank his message in! So please, no more
Of these appeals that set us both afire.
I sail for Italy not of my own will.' (4.489-499)
These words, spoken by Aeneas to Dido when she confronts him about leaving, are his version of the "It's not you, it's me" speech. Well, make that the "It's not you, but it's not me either: it's the implacable powers of destiny that we all must obey." Here, as elsewhere, the Aeneid portrays duty as conflicting with personal desires and connections.
Quote 5
(Aeneas):
"Was it you, poor boy, that Fortune
Would not let me keep when she came smiling?
You who were not to see our kingdom won,
Or ride in victory to your father's house?
This was not the pledge I made Evander
On your behalf, on leaving him, when he
Embraced me and gave godspeed to my quest
For country-wide command." (11.56-63)
These words are spoken by Aeneas over the body of the Arcadian prince Pallas. They show that his grief for the dead boy is not only personal; he is also ashamed of having failed to live up to his promise to protect him.
Quote 6
Meanwhile, the man of honor, Aeneas, stood
Bare-headed with his right hand out, unarmed,
And called his troops:
"Where bound? Are you a mob?
Why this outbreak of brawling all at once?
Cool your hot heads. A pact has been agreed to,
Terms have been laid down. I am the one
To fight them. Let me do so. Never fear:
With this right hand I'll carry out the treaty.
Turnus is mine, our sacrifice obliged it." (12.427-436)
Here we see Aeneas attempting to restore order after what was going to be a duel between him and Turnus became a scene of mass violence. Aeneas is so committed to honor his agreements that he can't imagine anyone would break them. Can you think of other moments in the poem where Aeneas mistakenly thinks that other people will understand his sense of duty?