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The Aeneid And Jesus Analysis

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In the Bible and Virgil’s The Aeneid, the pursuit of honor and glory is complex, and it does not come without serious consequences and hardships. However, while Jesus and Aeneas both strive to achieve a certain goal due to divine intervention and both overcome certain adversities, their underlying motives and their ultimate outcomes are starkly different. Although it would appear that neither Jesus nor Aeneas would be motivated by personal fame or glory—as they were sent on godly missions, this is not the case in The Aeneid. Jesus acts completely selflessly as he teaches others about the Kingdom of God and how to live their lives, whereas Aeneas is working to win greatness for his ancestors as he was sent by the gods to settle and create an …show more content…

Seemingly, both men are simply following the wishes of the divine. Jesus has been sent down to Earth by the Lord to “save his people from their sins” [Matthew 1: 21]. His entire life is devoted to spreading the word of God, and he is ultimately crucified so that all have the opportunity to live in the Kingdom of God. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus is constantly giving thanks to the Lord and reminding those around him that the miracles that are being performed are done so out of God’s grace. After his encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus says, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work” [John 4:34]. Through reminders like this, it is obvious that Jesus truly only wants to share God’s love with the world. He is not at all corrupted by a greed for power or any personal reward. On the other hand, although superficially Aeneas is also following divine orders, he is truly seeking personal gain. Due to fall of Troy after their loss of the Trojan War, Aeneas is ordered by his mother Venus to set sail for Italy. She promises him safety and assures him that this is his

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