war in the Aeneid
universal suffering
in book 7, virgil lists all those who will die
father son relationship between mezentius and lausus similar to evander and pallas
mezentius was a despotic ruler but the audience can sympathise to some extent
"that was the only way you could have found to destroy me"
"greeks were cut down in their hour of triumph"
aeneas "groaned from his heart in pity"
"so heavy was the cost of founding the roman race"
destruction of youth
virgil was myoved by the glory and grief od the deaths of the young in battle
euryalus is "like a scarlet flower languishing and dying"
pallas "lay like a flower"
cassandra "the maiden daughter of priam being dragged from the temple of minerva"
lausus and pallas united "they were almost of an age... but fortune denied each of them a homecoming"
heroes
trojan war was already famous in the greek world
"he had on his body all the wounds he had recieved from defending his native city"
"to what a pinnacle of glory will carthage be raised if trojans are marching at our side"
"if an early death was his destiny, i shall rejoice to think that he first killed thousands"
"when he saw the capture and fall of his city... the old myan buckled his armour"
psycholgoical effects
no man could speak of such things and not weep
aeneas was "blazing with rage" and "burning with mad passion"
aeneas "heartsick at the sadness of war"
"the whole of latium rose in a frenzy to take the oath"
"like wolves foraging blindly on a misty night"
"frenzy and anger drove me on and suddenly it seemed a noble thing to die in arms"