What is the role of prophecies and/or fate in The Aeneid?
Being polytheistic societies, people of both Rome and Greece have been largely influenced by gods and their actions, just as well as by prophecies and their beliefs of what their fate is and what they’re destined to accomplish in their lives. Virgil, a Roman poet, has also been influenced by all the above when he wrote “The Aeneid”. He wrote the book in such a way that stresses out the importance of prophecies and fate in it, and Virgil lets those serve reader as some sort of guide through the book. However, just as it’s the case with the main character, Aeneid, who keeps repeating how’s he doing what he’s destined to do but doesn’t specify how exactly he’s going to accomplish it, Virgil guides readers by briefly introducing what’s going to happen but without specifying how it is exactly going to happen. Overall, prophecies and fate do play an important role in “The Aeneid” but it is not necessarily the only thing that matters in the story. This is because Aeneid, although repeating that he’s doing what he’s destined to do, he’s not blindly led into his actions, he rather makes a conscious decision to follow his “destiny” and therefore does have some control over it.
