The Steps To Success

            
             Aeneas is destined to establish the great city of Rome by decree of the gods. However, for a mortal who has the support of several almighty gods, Aeneas does not live at ease. If he does not begin to accept his fate, his fear of failure may become a reality, since, in certain aspects, fate can still be altered. Although originally conceived as an inescapable end assigned to each mortal by the gods, Aeneas will discover through the course of his adventures, that many times, the gods are easily influenced by favoritism, selfishness and vendetta. Combined with their immense power and control over many aspects of mortal life, the gods are able to change the events of history to their desires. On the contrary, he will also find that humans will also be able to take matters into their own hands. Every time he is challenged, he will realize that his self determination has much to do with the fulfillment of his destiny, but with several gods in opposition, will Aeneas be able to overcome the power of the gods?.
             Humans can control their lives, and if the gods were non-existent, their control would be total. On his visit to hell, Aeneas discovers that those who have committed suicide have avoided fate before its time had come. Similar to the choice of taking ones life, humans are also able to make many decisions of their own in order to live differently. On many occasions Aeneas is presented the opportunity to abandon his destiny. Dido tempts Aeneas by asking if he "would care to join [her] in Carthage." BOOK I LINES 776-779 Aeneas could have easily taken the easier route. Instead of continuing on to Italy, which was obscured by many difficult times and loss in between, Aeneas could have stayed with Dido, whom he had fallen in love with, and live comfortably seeing that "Trojan and Tyrian will all be one." BOOK I LINES 776-779 From this example it is easy to see how much influence humans still have on fate.