.
Virgil's portrayal of Aeneas as flawed is representative of his subtle criticism of Rome. Aeneas does not live up to his role as a hero. The point that Virgil is making is that Rome itself does not live up to its ideals. The false hero Aeneas symbolizes Rome.
ii) The Gods In this day and age, when President Bush bluntly states that God is on America's side, he is stating something that is not uncommon for leaders of powerful nations to declare. Rome believed that it had the will of the gods on its side, and yet in The Aeneid the gods are not all on the same side in terms of the formation of Rome. Juno is against Aeneas, Troy, and Aeneas's founding of Rome, and she does everything she can to rewrite destiny. Venus, as Aeneas's mother, is naturally for the founding of Rome and does what she can to help Aeneas. The most powerful of the gods, Jupiter, declares himself neutral on the situation, saying, "I shall hold without distinction Rutulians and Trojans, whatever fortune each may have today To them all King Jupiter is the same king. And the fates will find their way" (p. 297). Jupiter takes no side in the battle and his goal is simply to let fate run its course. The overall neutrality of the gods in the Aeneid is in direct contrast with Rome's belief that the gods are on its side. Virgil is going against Rome's attitude.
iii) Carthage and Dido The greatest enemy of Rome was Carthage. It is thus very interesting that Virgil portrayed Carthage as he did. Dido is the victim, for her part, as the things that happen to her are unfair. Dido represents Carthage, and like Dido, Carthage is portrayed as the victim, and this depiction goes against the Roman idea of Carthage being the evil enemy. There is sympathy for Carthage in Virgil's text as Aeneas's unfair leaving of Dido was, at least mythically, the first of many problems between Rome and Carthage that eventually led to war.
