of Rome and the leaders who will come to lead it. He also emphasizes leaders' divine connections and speaks of the forthcoming Golden Age. This discussion shows Aeneas that it is his duty to establish a new home for the Trojans so all of this can come to be.

It is also interesting to note how this dialogue helps Virgil develop the national theme of the text, which celebrates Roman strengths and traditions. Consider how Anchises celebrates Rome's virtues and thinks that the Romans are not just great conquerors but those who can establish peace. He says:

But, Rome, 't is thine alone, with awful sway,

To rule mankind, and make the world obey,

Disposing peace and war by thy own majestic way;

To tame the proud, the fetter'd slave to free:

These are imperial arts, and worthy thee.

In celebrating these idealized virtues, Virgil suggests that pride in and commitment to one's motherland is of the utmost importance.

In the Aeneid, Virgil certainly presents duty as an extremely important part of human life, but care of one's family is part of a person's duty. Let's explore this more closely.

Aeneas is charged with a critical duty after the Trojan War. He is to leave his native land behind and make his way to a new place where he will found a new city and nation. Aeneas does not leave his family behind, though, or at least he tries not to. He carries his elderly father and leads his small son from the devastated Troy, but his wife, Creusa, gets separated from them. Aeneas searches for her frantically until her ghost appears to him, telling him to get on with his duty.

After leaving Troy, Aeneas finds himself in Carthage, the realm of Queen Dido. Here, Aeneas almost gets sidetracked from his duty, for he and Dido fall in love. Aeneas is tempted to turn his back on his destiny and form a new family with Dido. However, he is drawn back on course by the gods, and he decides he must leave Carthage. Here, duty is more important than the family he might have had.