A good father knows that he is called to serve those he loves, even sacrifice or die for them

Fatherhood in Virgil's Aeneid

by MITCHELL KALPAKGIAN

"All the evidence suggests a responsible male, ready and able to make significant and social commitment, is a rarity in any society." 

Fr. Lawrence Porter, A Guide to the Church

The Roman hero of Virgil's epic, known originally in the Latin as pius Aeneas ("pious Aeneas"), earns many similar epithets throughout the story. He is praised as Aeneas the true, the devoted, and the just. He is also honored with the title of "Father Aeneas" as he exemplifies the many attributes of a dedicated father committed to the protection, care, and happiness of his family. In one of the most poignant scenes from the book, Aeneas is escaping from the burning city of Troy sacked by the Greeks, but he safeguards his family through all the dangers and destruction of war. Instead of thinking of his own self-defense by sudden flight, Aeneas leaves the demolished city carrying his aged father on his back, holding his young son by the hand, and glancing behind him to be assured of his wife's safety:
So come, dear father, climb on to my shoulders! I will carry you on my back. This labor of love Will never wear me down ... Little Iulus, walk beside me, and you, my wife, Follow me at a distance, in my footsteps.

As this scene illustrates, Aeneas carries many responsibilities, and the weight of these obligations and cares depict him as a filial son, loving father, and faithful husband committed to these duties that he takes seriously, placing his family's safety before his own needs. They are "labors of love." A good father gladly and willingly protects and defends his family.

Commissioned by the gods to found Rome and to unite Trojan blood with Latin stock to create a new race to rule the world under the rule of law and to "shut the grim gates of war," Aeneas leads the survivors of the Trojan War westward to Italy with a profound sense of duty to the gods, to his ancestors, and to his country. To Aeneas manhood is obeying the gods, honoring promises, putting others first and himself last, placing duty above pleasure, and living a life of integrity. His whole sense of identity ("I am Aeneas, duty-bound") depends on his love of justice, giving to all people their proper due, both friends and enemies. A good father knows that he is called to serve those he loves, even sacrifice or die for them.

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