For the Romans virtues were of the highest importance. Their virtues were much like ours in the fact that they are a particular excellence in a person that is admirable and meet standards for the cultures morals. Their family, their country, and their gods were the most valued symbols of the Roman public life. There were many virtues that the Romans would have honored, but the ones they prized most were steadfastness, courage, patience, obedience to the will of the gods, and prize of their elders. Through the epic, the Aeneid, Aeneas gains the most important Roman virtues and becomes a true epic hero.
Aeneas is not considered a hero at the start of the story. This can be seen by his reactions to the situations he is faced with at the beginning of the epic. He sometimes lets his emotions get the better of him, but he will always listen to whatever his father has to say. By giving Aeneas these human feelings Virgil makes the heroic character more believable (Thompson 2). .
Aeneas has high self-respect, the heavenly protection of his goddess mother, valor, and righteousness. But Aeneas has the piety and loyalty and tenderness of true Roman and at the same time, he has the courage of Hector and the strength of Achilles, and thoughtfulness in some degree, though not the self-dependence of Odysseus (Commager 150). There might seem some danger of a character which would be all good, and not human or sympathetic, if the good qualities were thus to be taken from everywhere, and the bad left behind. But Virgil knew how to make Aeneas real and imperfect in a real way, in a way .
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real to men of his, and of later, times; and he made him, unlike most, or even all, ancient characters, grow in moral stature, with time (Virgil Aeneid 2 ).
The flaws that Aeneas had would make it easier for the reader to relate to him. During the story he shows these valued virtues in all the things he does and the only time he is seen as flawed is when his emotions take control over him.
