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The Aeneid, by Virgil, is an epic that attempts to give the Roman Empire an illustrious founding. As the story progresses, Virgil presents two very real human emotions: pietas, and impious furor. Pietas is duty towards the Gods, country, and family. Impious furor, in contrast, is the feeling of fury and passion. These two emotions are consistently at odds with each other. Many characters within the epic, such as Juno, are consumed by their own …

…of this he is someone who is worthy of founding the Roman Empire. However, Aeneas’s final act indicates a man consumed by his own impious furor, and rather than providing a noble conclusion to the epic, it suggests that Rome was founded by an enraged man. For this reason, Virgil’s intended message and his apparent message are at odds with one another. Thus, the ending of the Aeneid is left unresolved. Word Count: 1431