Aeneas: The Death of a Trojan
Throughout The Aeneid, Aeneas embarks on a series of journeys, both within himself and with his men as an army. Aeneas, one of few remaining survivors of Troy, transitions from a Trojan character to a Roman character throughout the text. This transformation marks the end of a state wracked so severely by tragedy, the land was found in ruins and the population destroyed to near genocide. Aeneas' transition from Trojan to Roman was long and onerous both on a personal level, and on a higher level which led to a greater outcome - the founding of Rome and with that the example of the ideal Roman citizen. There in lies the problem: Aeneas was not a Roman citizen, he was a Trojan, and by adhering to fate and the will of the gods, he lost his identity.
Though the city of Troy had been destroyed, the Trojan mindset still lived within Aeneas. As Troy burned and disintegrated before him, Aeneas was told not to stay and fight to the death as he had intended but was instead given a task. There was something much greater for him to do. The ghost of his dead wife shares with him, “A long exile is your fate... the vast plains of the sea are yours to plow until you reach Hesperian land, where Lydian Tiber flows with its smooth march through rich and loamy fields, a land of hardy people. There great joy and a kingdom are yours to claim.” (Virgil 2:966-972) Still not completely convinced, Aeneas reaches out for his wife three times, hesitating to leave his beloved country of Troy, before taking his father on his back and his son by the hand and reluctantly leading them out of the destruction toward their supposed destiny. Unfortunately, a “long exile” was exactly what lay ahead for Aeneas and his men. Wandering without a homeland, the Trojans “hoisted their sails to Fate!” (Virgil 3:10), but they hoisted their sails in the wrong direction, misinterpreting many of the signs given to them. The gods speak to them occasionally in an attempt to stimulate a move in the right direction, however, they make mistake after mistake which result in the appearance of strange omens such as blood coming out of the ground as Aeneas tears at the roots of a tree, or plagues that rage for years due to the fact that they are not in the correct place to form the Roman kingdom, or what Aeneas believes to be a new Troy. In addition to sheer ignorance and misinterpretations on the part of the Trojans, an angry goddess, Juno, is trying to do anything in her power to deter them and to insure that was was fated will not become reality. This stems from petty, personal reasons with which Aeneas has nothing to do with, but Juno decides that she must channel her anger toward the Trojans in some way, and given that they are the only ones left, they will have to do. Procuring help from the Lord of Winds, Juno asks,
Aeolus, the Father of Gods and King of Men gave you the power to calm the waves or rouse them with your gales. A race I loathe is crossing the Tuscan sea, transporting Troy to Italy, bearing their conquered household gods – thrash your winds to fury, sink their warships, overwhelm them or break them apart, scatter their crews, drown them all! (Virgil 1:78-83)
Fate, however, cannot be stopped by neither god nor human, and Neptune intervenes to calm the seas and allow the Trojans to move further toward their goal: the journey that will eventually lead to the founding of the Roman empire, and Aeneas's transition from a Trojan man to a man devoid of his past self, but a man that exemplified the ideal Roman citizen all the same.
Aeneas was expected to come to terms with the fact that he was no longer to be a Trojan, but that he was part of a larger picture – the founding of Rome – which entailed becoming a Roman citizen and making many personal sacrifices for the greater good. Preceding an especially long detour on the journey to Rome was the death of Aeneas's father, Anchises, which marks the first of several personal losses for Aeneas. It was during this detour that Aeneas developed feelings for Dido, the leader of Carthage, who had been enchanted by Juno to fall madly in love with him. Believing him to be distracted from the task at hand, the other gods became impatient waiting for the Trojans to set sail for Italy and send the messenger of the gods down to relay a message down to Aeneas,
Blind to your own realm, oblivious to your fate! The King of the Gods, whose power sways earth and sky – he is the one who sends me down from brilliant Olympus, bearing commands for you through the racing winds. What are you plotting now? Wasting time in Libya – what hope misleads you so? If such a glorious destiny cannot fire your spirit, [if you will not shoulder the task for your own fame,] at least remember Ascanius rising into his prime, the hopes you lodge in Iulus, your only heir – you owe him Italy's realm, the land of Rome! (Virgil 4:332-343)
By means of the enticement of the glory, planting the thought of the guilt that will surely take him over should he not do this for his son, and the feeling of obligation they place upon him, the gods convince Aeneas to leave his love, Dido. Aeneas does not hesitate, as he has in the past, but tells her, “I set sail for Italy – all against my will” (Virgil 4:451-452), showing that he has simply been conditioned to believe it is better to suffer these personal losses and to appease the gods and fate. Aeneas' actions of blind faith in the gods express the Roman ideal of pietas, or devotion to one's family, their country, the law, and the divinities. This is but another clear sign that Aeneas has already begun the the transition to Roman citizen.
Aeneas' transformation is complete when he travels to the underworld. As the voyage commences, Aeneas is still referred to as the “Trojan Aeneas” by the Sibyl (Virgil 6:64), yet by the end Aeneas is no longer “Trojan Aeneas” but is directly addressed as Roman by Anchises when he says, “But you, Roman, remember, rule with all your power the peoples of the earth – these will be your arts” (Virgil 6:980-981). After seeing all that is destined to happen in the future during his time in the underworld, Aeneas now fully accepts the fate that has been thrust upon him and emerges a new man - a Roman man - in more ways than name alone. Aeneas and his men soon arrive at their destination on the Italian coast, and are no longer wandering, something that had characterized the Trojans. Before long, war breaks out between the Latins and the Trojans over the king's daughter, Lavinia. As the battle rages, Aeneas finds himself face to face with his enemy, Turnus. After hesitating briefly, Aeneas cements his status as a Roman by stabbing Turnus in a moment of “savage grief” (Virgil 12:1104). This moment solidifies Aeneas' transformation from Trojan to Roman, for when placed in a similar position with Helen as Troy was burning, Aeneas allows Helen to live despite the fact that she was the reason Troy was in fiery ruins. Aeneas has become the ideal Roman warrior, putting his country before all else, including humanity and compassion.
The transition of Aeneas from a Trojan to Roman is consistently portrayed as positive, for with this change, Aeneas is contributing to the glory of Rome and all that an ideal Roman citizen is supposed to embody. However, it is anything but positive. Aeneas had many struggles and personal hardships prompted by fate and the interference of the gods, all for minimal recognition. Though it was fated that he was to found Rome, Aeneas never had to lose who he was as a Trojan citizen. Through the loss of his identity, Aeneas only succeeded in one thing: aiding in the carrying out of the unfinished genocide of the Trojans.

Works Cited
Virgil. The Aeneid. Trans. Robert Fagles. London: Penguin, 2006. Print.