Admirable qualities of men in Virgil's Aeneid include bravery, honor and courage, but A woman's value rests less on her power, her wit and her brains than on their beauty, or lack thereof. There are many instances in The Aeneid where both male and female characters appreciate a woman based on her beauty. Although he is the hero of the epic, it can be argued that Aeneas follows the patriarchal example in equating female beauty with value by analyzing his three wives and the length of their respective relationships. Likewise, many of the female figures, other than his wives, who shape and aid Aeneas throughout his journey, exist in a society where beauty was a priority for both mortal and immortal women. There are often political reasons for why decisions are made, but beauty still remains a neglected subplot in The Aeneid. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The first example of beauty as power is found in the opening pages of The Aeneid. Aeneas' journey was motivated by the anger of the goddess Juno. His rage was based on two determinants: vanity and favoritism. Virgil describes how Aeneas was destined to destroy Carthage, a city favored by Juno, in Book I. In this description, in lines 38-44, there is an allusion to a past judgment made by Paris in parentheses. “The causes of [Juno's] bitterness, of her sharp and savage wound, had not yet left her mind; for in the depths of his mind lies the judgment of Paris and the harm done to her despised beauty” (I.39-43). This coy parenthetical addition draws attention by stating that there is more than one reason why Juno is angry. Juno's anger is not simply based on politics and favoritism; it is also out of vanity. Paris, Trojan prince, was responsible for selecting the most beautiful between Juno, Venus and Minerva. When Paris declared Venus the most beautiful of the three, Juno became undeniably bitter towards Paris. Paris, only a tiny fraction of the Trojan Empire, became the representative of her entire nation, and after Juno was not dubbed the fairest of the goddesses, she directed her bitterness towards anyone with Trojan lineage. Unfortunately for Aeneas, he was 1) the son of Venus, who could be seen as the source of Juno's envy, 2) a Trojan horse, 3) destined to ruin Carthage. Juno's anger toward Paris reveals that she places a high value on beauty, while her shift in anger toward Aeneas shows her pettiness. In the world of The Aeneid, beauty is synonymous with influence. Juno's desire and plans to sabotage Aeneas' journey to found the Roman Empire were based on both politics and vanity. Another example of the importance of beauty can be seen through Aeneas' wives. In The Aeneid, the physical traits of Creusa, Aeneas' first wife, and Dido, the second, are never discussed. Creusa was obviously loved by Aeneas, as he mourns her loss while recounting the events following the Trojan War in Book II with Queen Dido. However, all of Aeneas' references to Creusa illustrated his helplessness, loyalty, and tragic death, but his appearance is never discussed. One might assume that it is a given that Aeneas would choose a beautiful wife, but it can be unequivocally stated that the lack of mention of his physical appearance is worth reconsidering. This lack subliminally signals that Creusa's appearance is not worth mentioning, which is strange, because when Virgil describes his characters, fromMany physical details are usually involved. Virgil removes this character, because it is imperative that Aeneas passes from Creusa to Dido, as this is part of his journey. But it's interesting that a physically faceless character is so easily eliminated. Perhaps this is because Creusa is a minor character, but the equally anonymous description of Dido follows the same path. Like Creusa, Dido is not described using physical characteristics. Instead, she is described as having a good spirit, a "benevolent spirit", a brave, faithful wife, a fair, frank and unlucky queen. She is considered the equivalent, if not superior, of Aeneas, is admired by her followers, and she is excessively hospitable to Aeneas, which is a cherished trait in this era. His virtues are written on the pages like a list, but Virgil never mentions his physical appearance. There are two instances where readers are given a slight idea of ​​what Dido might look like. The first is when Virgil equates her with Diana, goddess of the hunt, but even that is problematic. When Paris judges the most beautiful among the goddesses, Diana does not win the competition. Diana isn't even included. Diana is known for her graceful demeanor and spirit, not her beauty, just like Dido. The second time that Dido's physical self has been somewhat described takes place in the moments leading up to her suicide. The closest image of beauty is where her hair is described as having golden ornaments in Book IV, but her actual hair, which could be a potential emblem of beauty, is never described. The lack of description of Dido's appearance is strange. Perhaps this is because Dido's virtues outweigh her physical appearance. It could also suggest that her physical appearance is too bland and not worth mentioning. Reading between the lines allows us to understand why these characters, whom Aeneas clearly loves, become victims in this scenario. The fact remains that these Creusa and Dido, two "faceless" characters, leave Aeneas' life so that Lavinia, a character by chance only known for her physical beauty, can enter his life and become his last wife and the queen of a great empire. Lavinia, unlike Aeneas' previous wives, is described as beautiful. Aeneas' attraction to Lavinia operates on a political and superficial level. Although the main reasons why Lavinia is sought after are based on politics and a prophecy that she will be both the future wife of Aeneas and the queen of the Roman Empire, her beauty is also emphasized and given immense value. Despite being an important figure in Aeneas' life and the prophesied queen of the great Roman Empire, Lavinia has no speaking role. Any chance of wit and intelligence is discarded and her beauty becomes the center of her character. Lavinia's blush is paralleled with a "kindled fire," stained "Indian ivory," and "white lilies mixed with many roses" (XII.90-94). The floral images used to describe Lavinia are perhaps the most obvious sign of her beauty. Her femininity is emphasized by the use of “lilies” and “roses”. But the other images are particularly interesting. For example, the reference “ivory” favors delicacy. What's even more interesting is that Lavinia's blush is not equivalent to a raging fire. Instead, it is controlled and “turned on.” Because Lavinia is the destined queen, this suggests that a controlled woman is a valued woman. It is undeniable that Lavinia's value in Aeneas' eyes is based on politics and prophecy, but it does not seem to be a coincidence that,.