Answer one of the questions below.

  1. Some see Aeneas as the wimpiest of the ancient heroes. The way he sneaks out in the middle of the night to avoid having to deal with Dido isn't exactly gallant. Is he a hero, or is he just a cowardly cad? Be sure to support your answer with very specific evidence from the text.

  2. This is a slightly different spin on the topic above. In what ways might a leader have to sacrifice his or her personal life for the good of the nation? Find passages in The Aenead where duty to the nation is more important than what happens to the individual. If you'd like to show the relevance of the work (if you do find that it is relevant), you might want to relate this to real-world examples (historical or current) as well.