One of the most important aspects of Aeneas's heroism, is, perhaps surprisingly, his compassion. This is definitely a parallel between Aeneas and Christ. Consider, for example, his compassion for those who are suffering. A good example of this is his pity for Danaan solider he came upon when landing on the island of the Cyclops. From the solider's uniform, Aeneas could clearly see that the man was an enemy Trojan. But instead of harming the man, he treated him not as a combatant but as a fellow human.
Aeneas shows leadership through his compassion. He sets the bar as the leader of his troops who are likely to follow whatever example he sets.
Virgil remarks on Aeneas's compassion, saying,
The man you seek is here. I stand before you,
Trojan Aeneas, torn from Libyan waves.
O you who were alone in taking pity
on the unutterable trials of Troy,
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on the unutterable trials of Troy,
who welcome us as allies to your city
and home- a remnant left by Greeks, harassed
by all disasters known on land and sea."
- Book 1, lines 836-842
It is not hard to see the connection between this story and Christ's parable of the Good Samaritan. The story appears in the Gospel of Luke 10:25-37
Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[c]and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Another aspect of character that is shared by Aeneas and Jesus is their piety. Like Jesus, Aeneas's lineage is divine. Jesus, of course, is the Son of God; Aeneas is the son of the goddess Venus and the mortal Trojan Anchises.
Like Jesus, who knows he must fulfill his destiny on the cross, so too does Aeneas know that his duty is to obey his destiny; so committed to his piety, he is repeatedly called "pious Aeneas."
Although tempted by Dido repeatedly, the warrior remains steadfast in his piety:
And more than anyone, the Phoenician queen,
Luckless, already given over to ruin,
Marveled and could not have enough: she burned
With pleasure in the boy and in the gifts. […]
And she with all her eyes and heart embraced him,
Fondling him at times upon her breast,
Oblivious of how great a god sat there
To her undoing. (1.971-974, 978-981)
The temptations of Aeneas are akin in many ways to the temptations of Jesus by the Devil during Jesus's forty-day fast in the desert. The Devil offers Jesus everything. The story is recounted in Matthew 4:1-11:
[T]he devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’ ”
11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
References
How do Aeneas's deeds in the Aeneid parallel those of Jesus in the Christian Gospels?
Aeneas
Aeneas was a survivor of the Trojan Wars. He fled to what came to be called Italy and is noted as the founder of Rome. A demigod, the son of Anchises and Venus, he is noted (briefly) as being heroic--as well as pious--because:
- he humbly attributes his actions to his birthright, not to his own volition (he acknowledges the special characteristics he possesses regardless of his choices as a condition of being the son of an immortal and a mortal)
- he bravely accepts the role of fate in his destiny: he is the agent of the out-workings of fate
- he respects the role of prophecy in his destiny and fate
- he has emotional impulses that conflict with his fated and prophesized actions and ultimate destiny
- he has the gods' favor and honor, which they bestow as a mark of their acknowledgment of his piety and single-minded determination to follow his fated path
- he has great compassion for others, which extends to the depths of their sufferings
- he strengthens his wearied followers with encouraging, uplifting and exhorting speeches as they travel on their wearisome journeys
- he goes to the land of the dead to visit his father
Jesus
[Since Jesus in the context of this question is not being spoken of in relation to his attribute of deity and divinity, it is incorrect to refer to him as "Jesus Christ" as "Christ" is the translation of the Jewish Messianic title of the Messiah who is expected by the religious of the Jewish people. In the context of New Testament analysis as literature, it is correct to call him only "Jesus" except in cases where his attribute of divinity is clearly and expressly being discussed.]
Jesus was born into the family of Joseph, a carpenter, and Mary. They fled to Egypt at the occurrence of rumors that indicated Jesus' life might be in jeopardy from King Herod who wanted the death of the child who was born on the night described by the astronomers from the East. Though Jesus was born to two mortals, he was considered to be divine as was witnessed by the seer who prophesied over him at the Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the family's pilgrimage. Whereas Aeneas was born to a mortal and an immortal and was a demigod, Jesus was born to two mortals and was considered to be God incarnate. Jesus is noted (briefly) as being heroic--and pious--because:
- he humbly acknowledges his relationship to God yet, equally humbly, set aside glory and lived on equal terms with Hebrews
- he bravely accepts the temptations and the rejection and betrayal of the Jewish people, the leaders of whom he has offended by claiming to be the "I Am" (Jehovah): he accepts that he is the agent of the out-workings of fated events
- he respects the role of prophesy in his destiny and fate
- he has emotional impulses that conflict with his fated and prophesized actions and ultimate destiny: this is most remarkably demonstrated in the Garden of Gethsemane after the visitation of Moses and Elijah and his transfiguration (the temporary restoration of his glory, which he laid aside)
- he has Jehovah's pronouncement of acceptance, favor and honor, which occurred at a public gathering when John the Baptist baptized him and a dove descended from the skies while a voice pronounced kinship
- he has great compassion for the suffering of others, which he demonstrated by healing their suffering and forgiving their sins, a function of divinity
- he strengthens his wearied followers with encouraging, uplifting and exhorting speeches as they travel on their continual journeys, in addition to which, he feeds them and quiets a storm at sea to protect them
- he goes to the land of the dead where, unlike Aeneas, he is separated from his Father, who he attests is Jehovah God
Differences in Heroism
The three elements that separate the heroism of Aeneas from that of Jesus are:
- the ironic circumstances of their parentage and their divine status (Aeneas: one mortal, one immortal, he is a demigod; Jesus: Joseph and Mary, he is attested as being fully divine)
- going to the land of the dead unites Aeneas with his father while going to the land of the dead separates Jesus from his divine father
- in the end, Aeneas retributively slays Turnus in an enraged act of punishment when he suddenly sees that Turnus is wearing the belt of Pallas as a battle trophy
- in contrast, in the end, Jesus is hanging in death throes with similarly dying thieves and robbers, whom he forgives and to whom he offers "rooms" in his "father's mansion"
References