The Aeneid
“‘Here, / the victor and vanquished, I stretch my hands to you, / so the men of Latium have seen me in defeat. / Lavinia is your bride. /
Go no further down the road of hatred.’” (Virgil, Aeneid 12.1089-1093)
“‘Here, / the victor and vanquished, I stretch my hands to you, / so the men of Latium have seen me in defeat. / Lavinia is your bride. /
Go no further down the road of hatred.’”
- Turnus to Aeneas
- recall Anchises instruction: “to spare the defeated, break the proud”
- was this right decision? pious?
- humanization complicates A’s choice, question the morality of the final act
- can appear to suggest the personal cost, in emotion/internal conflict, for
public glory, conquest, and empire - pietas (duty) - pleads reconciliation and the cessation of needless violence
The Republic
“‘Virtue has no master: as he honors or dishonors it, so shall each of you have more or less of it. Responsibility lies with the chooser; the god is blameless’” (Plato, Republic 617e)
“‘Virtue has no master: as he honors or dishonors it, so shall each of you have more or less of it. Responsibility lies with the chooser; the god is blameless’”
- Lachesis to the souls in Myth of Er
- justice and the good life must be actively chosen and cultivated by each person rather than being dictated by external circumstances or divine intervention
- guidance (such as the philosopher-king’s) can aid individuals, the responsibility for moral development ultimately resides within each soul
- the universe is inherently rational and just; thus, any injustice is a result of human folly, not divine will
Oedipus the King
“You have your eyes but see not where you are / in evil, nor where you live, nor whom you live with. / Do you know who your parents are?Unknowing / You are an enemy to kith and kin / in death, beneath the earth, and in this life.” (Sophocles, Oedipus Rex 413-417)
“You have your eyes but see not where you are / in evil, nor where you live, nor whom you live with. / Do you know who your parents are?Unknowing / You are an enemy to kith and kin / in death, beneath the earth, and in this life.”
- Tiresias to Oedipus
- juxtaposition of sight and blindness reflects one of the central themes: the limits of human perception and understanding
- O is ironically blind to the truths of his own life- T, who is blind, “sees” the truth clearly
foreshadows - unknowing role raises questions about personal responsibility and guilt, is it always up to fate?
Antigone
“One husband gone, I might have found another, / or a child from a new man in the first child’s place; / but with my parents covered up in death, / no brother for me, ever, could be born. / Such was the law by which I honored you.” (Sophocles, Antigone 909-913)
“One husband gone, I might have found another, / or a child from a new man in the first child’s place; / but with my parents covered up in death, / no brother for me, ever, could be born. / Such was the law by which I honored you.”
- Antigone apostrophe to Polyneices
- Conflict Divine vs. Human Law
- Antigone obeys higher, unwritten divine law
- Creon = mortal law
- Creon values political order
- Antigone values familial duty and divine justice
- her role as last defender of her family’s honor
- the importance of familial duty -> unwavering resolve, which is both admirable and tragic
The Iliad
“However, / the besieged would have none of it, were arming for an ambush. / The ramparts were manned by their dear wives and children, / and along with them such men as were crippled by old age; / but the rest were out after action, led by Arēs and Athēnē—” (Homer, Iliad 18.512-516)
“However, / the besieged would have none of it, were arming for an ambush. / The ramparts were manned by their dear wives and children, / and along with them such men as were crippled by old age; / but the rest were out after action, led by Arēs and Athēnē—”
- description of two cities - Achilles’ shield
- contrasts the civilian defenders (wives, children, and the elderly) with the warriors led by the gods
- juxtaposition highlights the stark realities of war, where all segments of society are drawn into the conflict, from the most vulnerable to the divine
- war is a universal force affecting every level of existence
- reflects the universal theme of resilience and the human instinct to protect one’s community and way of life, even in the face of overwhelming odds
- contributes to the larger narrative of the shield by illustrating the ever-present threat of violence, even within the context of a structured and civilized society
Nicomachean Ethics
“the good of man is an activity of the soul in conformity with excellence or virtue, and if there are several virtues, in conformity with the best and most complete.” (Nicomachean Ethics, 1.7, 1098a16)
“the good of man is an activity of the soul in conformity with excellence or virtue, and if there are several virtues, in conformity with the best and most complete.”
- Aristotle
- defines the eudaimonia (constitutes the ultimate goal of human life)
- living in a way that exercises reason and aligns with virtue
- Human flourishing involves excelling in rational activities and ethical behavior - incorporating both intellectual virtues (e.g., wisdom) and moral virtues (e.g., courage, temperance)
- emphasis on activity distinguishes Aristotle’s concept of flourishing from passive states
Augustine’s Confessions
“greedy for the enjoyment of things present though they ever eluded me and wasted my soul: and at every moment saying: “To-morrow I shall find it” (Augustine, Confessions 6.XI.18)
“greedy for the enjoyment of things present though they ever eluded me and wasted my soul: and at every moment saying: “To-morrow I shall find it”
- nearing 30, still in same situation
- “To-morrow” becomes a habit that perpetuates itself
- postponing his pursuit of truth and God, trapped in a cycle of worldly distractions and self-deception
- the soul is designed to move toward its ultimate end: union with God
- allows his soul to stagnate in earthly distractions, preventing its true purpose from being fulfilled - “wasted”
- resonates with readers because it speaks to a universal experience (procrastination?)
