Augustus Caesar was the one of the main powers in ancient Rome and a member of the second triumvirate. When one of the other members, Mark Antony, committed suicide along with his lover, Cleopatra, there was a lot of outrage being expressed by the entire general populace about what was going on with the state of their country. Augustus was now the undisputed political and militaristic power in Rome. Now that he had attained such power, he wanted to maintain it at all costs. To do this, he had to be backed by not only the Roman senate and Aristocracy; but also by Rome’s everyday citizen. In an effort to change public opinion about him, Augustus turned where many other leaders in history have; propoganda. The propaganda that Augustus spread The story does follow his personal journey to the shores of Italy and the problems in between very closely. But his character seems to be lacking in every aspect. Aeneas’ personality in The Aeneid is one that might be a typical example of Roman culture. He is ”duty bound”(4.545), and a “man of honor” (12.427), and above all else; subordinate to anything and everything the gods will him to do. He is the archetype that all other Romans should strive to be. In today’s society, however, Aeneas’ actual role, personality, and lack of action leaves a protagonist with much left to be Saying he will bring forth a Golden Age the likes of which the world has never known. This statement should come as no surprise as the man said to usher in a golden era is also the one ushering the creation of the poetry. He also points out that Augustus is to be from the direct line of Caesar. When Julius Caesar was brutally stabbed by his colleagues at the steps of the senate, his will was read aloud in the public square. In this will he named his grandnephew, Augustus,as his main heir. While he is of the line of Julius Caesar, it is not as direct as the passage would lead readers to believe. The trip to the Blessed Groves also presents another aspect of Roman culture; ancestry and legend. Whenever something great was accomplished by a politician, writer, or war figure, the first first thing that could be expected would be a comparison to those great Romans who came before. This is also the most likely reason for Virgil choosing to follow the path of Aeneas and not simply writing a piece directly praising Augustus. The foundings of Rome are shrouded in mythology and legend. Such an undetermined past leaves room for even more great
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