A good soap opera (if there is such thing) has everything; action, romance, lies, and many interconnected subplots. There’s always an ongoing battle between the forces of good and evil, and trickery and lies are mingled with a few broken hearts. The Aeneid, a tale of the founding of Rome and predecessor of these modern melodramas, is a prime example of dramatic writing at its best. This Roman epic, authored by Virgil, even attempts to teach younger generations to “do as the Roman’s do” in regard to proper conduct and the values this ancient civilization held dear. Their two most important virtues were honesty and not letting emotions take over.
In Book II, honesty is addressed by giving a non-example. Since this book