Which scholar argues that Aeneas displays virtues quintessentially Roman, aligning with the ideals Augustus promoted: religious, social and familial?

Which scholar argues that Aeneas displays virtues quintessentially Roman, aligning with the ideals Augustus promoted: religious, social and familial?

• A. Fiachra Mac Gorain - Aeneas and Augustan values
• B. Bob Cowan - Aeneas and Augustan values
• C. Susanna Morton Braund - Characterisation of Aeneas
• D. Philip Hardie - Modern audience and Dido

Answer: (A)

The main idea this item tests is how Aeneas is read as the moral exemplar at the heart of Augustan Rome, embodying religious, social, and familial duties that Augustus promoted as the foundation of the empire. Fiachra Mac Gorain argues that Aeneas displays these Roman virtues in a way that directly aligns with Augustan ideology. His religious virtue is shown in pietas—firm loyalty to the gods and to fate—which structures his decisions and justifies his mission. His social virtue appears in his leadership and sense of obligation to his people, guiding the Trojans toward a stable future and the founding of a city. His familial virtue is evident in his devotion to his family, especially Anchises and Ascanius, weaving personal duty into the broader project of Rome’s lineage. Augustus framed these three pillars—piety to the gods, public duty, and family as the seed of the state—as the ideal Roman character; Mac Gorain’s reading makes Aeneas a clear embodiment of that program. Other scholars approach the poem from different angles: Susanna Morton Braund emphasizes the complexity and nuance of Aeneas’s characterization rather than presenting him as a straightforward exemplar; Philip Hardie focuses on reception and how modern audiences interpret events like Dido, rather than analyzing Aeneas in relation to Augustan values; Bob Cowan (like Braund) tackles related themes but not specifically the antique imperial program.

The main idea this item tests is how Aeneas is read as the moral exemplar at the heart of Augustan Rome, embodying religious, social, and familial duties that Augustus promoted as the foundation of the empire.

Fiachra Mac Gorain argues that Aeneas displays these Roman virtues in a way that directly aligns with Augustan ideology. His religious virtue is shown in pietas—firm loyalty to the gods and to fate—which structures his decisions and justifies his mission. His social virtue appears in his leadership and sense of obligation to his people, guiding the Trojans toward a stable future and the founding of a city. His familial virtue is evident in his devotion to his family, especially Anchises and Ascanius, weaving personal duty into the broader project of Rome’s lineage. Augustus framed these three pillars—piety to the gods, public duty, and family as the seed of the state—as the ideal Roman character; Mac Gorain’s reading makes Aeneas a clear embodiment of that program.

Other scholars approach the poem from different angles: Susanna Morton Braund emphasizes the complexity and nuance of Aeneas’s characterization rather than presenting him as a straightforward exemplar; Philip Hardie focuses on reception and how modern audiences interpret events like Dido, rather than analyzing Aeneas in relation to Augustan values; Bob Cowan (like Braund) tackles related themes but not specifically the antique imperial program.