The Power of the Poet
In January, Eidolon announced an essay contest for high school students, with a full scholarship to the Paideia Institute’s Living Latin in Rome program as the prize. We’re thrilled to publish here the winning essay.
Virgil is so far removed from our modern world that it is hard to imagine what he could offer in terms of advising today’s leaders. Before reading the Aeneid, I worried about how I could possibly find a link between our world and Virgil’s epic poem about Aeneas’s journey to Italy, but I found that the poem resonated with me and has relevance today.
The Aeneid is a poem that I can constantly revisit, and find something new each time. When I first translated passages from the Aeneid during my AP Latin class, I was preoccupied with learning the grammar and what the poem meant literally. To do this — to only focus on the surface of his poetry — is to do a great disservice to Virgil and his work.
As a first-time reader, everything about the Aeneid seems larger than life — the huge extent of Aeneas’s journey from Troy to Italy, the storm that wracks the Dardanian ships, his intense affair with Dido, his enraged killing of Turnus. Between these events of immense size and importance, I find myself most drawn to instances of compassion and humanity. In these moments, I can most clearly see Virgil’s vision for the world shining through. In particular, when I read the poem now, I think about what Virgil has to say about leadership and obligation.
One of the issues I find with modern politicians is their tendency to use fear to their advantage. Fear is a powerful tool, and too often I see it used to generate hatred. Driving people to fear differences instead of finding strength in them only weakens and divides us. Instead of this fearmongering, our current leaders should follow the approach laid out by Virgil at the beginning of the Aeneid. Having just weathered a horrible storm that sunk many ships, the Trojans wash up on the Carthaginian shore. Aeneas, even though during the storm he was lamenting his fate and wishing he were dead, puts on a brave face for his companions. He does not ignore the hardships they have faced and the challenges that are to come, but he tries to inspire hope in his men. This moment shows the qualities that Virgil values in a leader, such as the ability to motivate others and to suppress their own personal worries and interests for the good of the group.
Dido also exemplifies many traits that Virgil appreciates in a leader. Even now women are not given the same respect and opportunities as men, and the ancient times were much more restrictive, so it is refreshing and rare to see a woman like Dido in the Aeneid. Dido is remarkable not just because she is a powerful, competent woman, but also because of the compassion and fairness with which she rules Carthage. When the Trojans are stranded in Carthage, Dido offers to help them repair their ships. She goes even further and says that she will treat Tyrians and Trojans equally. Dido’s downfall as a leader come about through no fault of her own, but because the gods curse her to fall in love with Aeneas. This causes her to prioritize her love and conflicted emotions over the welfare of her city.
Through his portrayal of Dido and Aeneas, Virgil asserts that a leader should be fair and selfless. Dido does not discriminate against the Trojans in her kingdom but instead offers them help. Modern politicians should follow this example, because we can only move forward as a society if we are welcoming and fair to everyone, despite their background or other differences. Aeneas sets aside his fear about his journey and Dido suppresses her grief for her late husband, Sychaeus, so that they can lead their people well. Although Aeneas (with his merciless killing of Turnus) and Dido (with her eventual neglect of her subjects) are flawed, the traits they possess in their early appearances in the poem reflect Virgil’s vision of strong leaders.
Another idea that Virgil explores is the obligation one has to future generations, a topic which I find very timely. Recent events and the political climate have frustrated me and many of my friends. The decisions being made today will affect our generation down the road, and many modern politicians remain ignorant of the impact their actions have. In Virgil’s Aeneid, however, Aeneas is always keenly aware of how his actions will affect his descendants. He is defined by his piety, which extends beyond religious obligation to familial commitment. One reason that he gives to Dido for his departure is that he could not bear to rob his son, Ascanius, of his destiny of ruling Alba Longa. Additionally, the purpose of Aeneas’s descent to the Underworld is to learn more about the future of his family and the result of his struggles. As Virgil has him learn, Aeneas can only succeed if he keeps the future in mind and considers what he needs to do to ensure his descendants’ prosperity.
While perhaps an ancient politician would be a more obvious choice, I believe that, precisely because Virgil was a poet, he would be an excellent counselor to our modern leaders. The power of a poet lies in their ability to transcend time and connect with all sorts of readers. Although much has changed since the time of the Roman Empire, people essentially want the same things. They want to feel respected, and to know that their children will have a successful future in a stable world. This means that today we need the same qualities in a leader — selflessness, fairness, and forethought — that Virgil champions in his Aeneid. Virgil not only teaches us how to be leaders, but his moments of hope, struggle, and care remind us how to be human. His tremendous understanding of humanity is why I believe that Virgil would be an invaluable advisor to us today.
After all, if Virgil can lead Dante safely through hell, he certainly can handle the tumultuous atmosphere of the twenty-first century.
Charlotte Skolasky is a senior at the Bryn Mawr School. She is the winner of Eidolon’s 2017 essay contest.
