The Aeneid quickly rose to prominence in Latin literature and eventually gained a significant place in world literature and culture. Due to the Aeneid's immense popularity and its rapid adoption as an educational text, it became the benchmark for epic poetry in Western Europe. Consequently, the works of Virgil's predecessors were largely forgotten. This makes it challenging to fully appreciate Virgil's originality. Early Roman epics by Naevius and Ennius were primarily historical accounts, sometimes reflecting current events, presented in epic form. Virgil's Aeneid also focuses on Roman history but approaches it in a distinctly different manner.

To address both the shortcomings and the genuine, albeit hindered, virtues and potential of the Roman ethos, Virgil employed legend as the primary narrative framework in the Aeneid. Historical elements were confined to digressions. In the Aeneid, legend is depicted as reality, while history is woven into prophecy and visions are integrated into object descriptions (ecphrasis). This allows the main narrative to be interpreted both as a depiction of the ancient origins of Roman life and as a reflection on Virgil's contemporary experiences. The protagonist, Aeneas, is simultaneously linked with and distinct from the ruler Augustus (who might have commissioned or requested the work).

Virgil bridges ancient legends with his contemporary reality. Aeneas's legendary trials paradoxically form the reality from which the Roman people, their history, and their institutions emerged. Aeneas and his story shape the Roman character, for better or worse. In the Aeneid, the perils and triumphs of the Roman way of life echo from their beginnings through the nation's entire history into Virgil's present day.