Epithets in Aeneid I

Epithets in Aeneid I.12-123: Secret messages from Virgil! 

Written by Noa Cebon 

Vergil has drawn his characters so strongly through the epithet device that it seems difficult to extract [epithets] from direct contact with the plot. 

Columba (1962) 

When studying the Aeneid, you might notice that characters are often given specific labels, and these labels both describe a character, and show something significant about them. These labels are called epithets. Examples of epithets might be ‘most beautiful Deiopea’ (pulcherrima Deiopea), or ‘Aeneas, king of the Trojans’ (Teucrorum rex).  

In order to fully understand the Aeneid, we have to look at the epithets that are used so frequently within it. We must delve more deeply into how they are used, not only in Book 1, but also in the rest of the Aeneid. Doing this can help to show crucial themes within the poem. You will really stand out to examiners (and your friends!) if you are able to understand and appreciate the epithets in your set text prescription (I.23-123). 

Still not convinced that epithets matter? Virgil would carefully have polished every line of the Aeneid (he only wrote about two lines of the poem per day), so anything that is written in the poem was intentionally put there. In other words, if Virgil did not like an epithet, he would have changed or removed it! 

In your prescription of the Aeneid, there are 20 epithets: 

So, let’s discuss why some of these epithets are so important. 

23: Juno, Saturnia (daughter of Saturn) 

This is known as a patronymic epithet, which means that the character is called ‘son/daughter of [father’s name]’. The term comes from the Greek pater (father) + onuma (name). Here, we are seeing how much of an impact Juno has on the Trojans, because she is a powerful goddess and daughter of Saturn.  

Other patronymic epithets in your prescription (that similarly show greatness/power) are: 

• 97: Diomede, Tydide (son of Tydaeus) 

• 99: Achilles, Aeacidae (son of Aecus) 

30: Achilles, immitis (harsh, unripe, sour) 

This emphasises all the challenges that the Trojans are forced to suffer – they didn’t only have to survive the horrible Greeks (led by harsh Achilles), but now they have to deal with Juno, too.  

38: Aeneas, Teucrorum rex (Teucrian/Trojan king) 

Juno uses this epithet to describe Aeneas, and she does it to emphasise that her hatred of Aeneas stems from his ethnicity, as a Trojan. One of the reasons she dislikes Aeneas is because the Trojans were founded by Dardanus, who was Jupiter’s son through an affair, and Jupiter is the husband of Juno. This also links the Trojans with their enemy, in line 40 (below). 

40: The Greek fleet, Argivus (Argive – from Argos in Greece) 

In the story of the Trojan War, Ajax (son of Oileus) raped Cassandra in a temple dedicated to Athena. Athena was so enraged by this that she killed him with a firebolt. Here, Juno says that Athena was allowed to punish mortals that she disliked, and her focus on ethnicity in both line 38 and line 40 shows a connection between the Argives (Greeks) and the Trojans. However, by making this link, Juno inadvertently shows us that they are not really so different, after all. 

46-7: Juno, Iovis et soror et coniunx (both wife and sister of Jupiter); 60: Jupiter, pater omnipotens (almighty/omnipotent father); 65: Jupiter, divum pater (father of the gods); 65: Jupiter, hominum rex (king of men); 121: Aletes, grandaevus (old) 

All of these epithets serve an important purpose for Virgil. An epic poem such as the Aeneid was thought to be the pinnacle of a Roman poet’s career, and showed that he was part of an exclusive network of elite Roman men (yes, only men) who were more learned than the rest of society. Throughout the Aeneid, Virgil uses references to show that he is part of this group. Here, for example, Virgil references authors like Horace, Ovid, Ennius, Aeschylus, Lucilius, and Homer, to show that he knows all of their work. 

68: Aeneas’ household gods, victi (conquered/subdued) 

Juno is highlighting here that the Trojans were conquered by the Greeks. Religion was fundamental to ancient people, so by specifically mentioning their personal gods, Juno is attacking the very core of their Trojan identity. She is saying that the Trojan religion and culture are weaker than that of the Greeks. This also shows Juno’s disdain for Aeneas’ own pietas, or piety (which we know is very important to him), because he was the one that brought these victos Penates out of Troy. By bringing these Penates with him, Aeneas is going to spread Trojan culture to Italy, which Juno hates. As far as Juno is concerned, the Trojans were conquered, and should have been killed in Troy. However, to her dismay, they are very much still alive. What’s more, they are spreading the very religion and culture that she is so opposed to! 

96: Diomede, fortissimus gentis (bravest/strongest of his people) 

Aeneas was almost killed by Diomede in the Iliad but was rescued by Aphrodite. Virgil here is referencing the Iliad (where Diomede is called the bravest of the Greeks), to show how learned he is (as above). Also, by calling Diomede the bravest of the Greeks, Aeneas is showing that he had to fight a formidable enemy. However, learned people who knew the Iliad would have known that Aeneas only survived because his mother saved him. Perhaps he’s not such a great warrior after all… You might be interested to know that later on in the Aeneid (Book VI), Aeneas himself is called fortissimus heros. Is Virgil making a joke? 

99: Hector, saevus (fierce, savage, cruel, furious) 

This epithet is one of my favourites in the whole of the Aeneid, and it’s so interesting because it is used almost equally of both pro- and anti-Trojan characters. Because of this, we see that Virgil is using it to show that everyone has both good and bad attributes, and there aren’t just ‘good guys’ and ‘bad guys’! Although it can be seen to mean something complimentary, like ‘fierce’, it still implies that someone is violent. It’s interesting to recall that Achilles was called immitis (which has a similar meaning) about 60 lines earlier, and that he is also called saevus elsewhere in the Aeneid. Hector and Achilles were famous rivals in the Trojan War, and yet they are both given the epithet saevus. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions about that… 

Activities: 

1. What is the significance of the following epithets:  

• 46-7: Juno, Iovisque et soror et coniunx (both wife and sister of Jupiter) 

• 60: Jupiter, pater omnipotens (almighty/omnipotent father) 

• 65: Jupiter, divum pater (father of the gods) 

• 65: Jupiter, hominum rex (king of men) 

• 121: Aletes, grandaevus (old) 

2. 76: Juno, regina (queen) – Aeolus says this to Juno. Why does Aeolus use this epithet for Juno? 

3. Which epithets could show that Virgil doesn’t always like Aeneas? 

4. Which epithet has the biggest effect on how we understand the Aeneid? 

5. Make up an epithet for a friend (or several friends!). The epithet must show something important about the person!