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Connecting the Aeneid to Today's Society
No teacher of Vergil's Aeneid needs convincing that Book 4 is pivotal to the plot of the epic and to the characterization of its protagonist, Aeneas. The doomed love relationship between Dido, the founding monarch of Carthage, and the war-battered Trojan prince never fails to ignite the imagination of students, whether they are at the level of high school -- AP and non-AP alike -- or college.
In addition to the human drama intrinsic to the episode, Vergil offers a complex intersection of societal and psychological issues that are as pertinent to our age as they were in Vergil's. Indeed, it can be argued that this very intersection is part of the timeless appeal of the Aeneid. For the Vergil instructor who wishes to go beyond the obvious to unpack this complexity, she or he need not look any further than characters who, to use film jargon, have been cast in a supporting role. In this article, I suggest some avenues that could be explored through one such character: Dido's neighbor and rejected suitor, Iarbas.
Ways to Interpret Iarabas
Here is what we know. Vergil casts Iarbas in the role of the spoiler (4.195-218). Through the intervention of public opinion (Fama), Iarbas learns of the relationship between Dido and Aeneas. Fama did not randomly choose Iarbas as the recipient of its gossip. He was, of course, one of the African rulers who sought a marriage alliance with Dido upon her arrival in Africa. We have learned that Dido at that point was still being faithful to her deceased husband Sychaeus and so rejected all comers. This makes Iarbas a logical choice to be open to Fama's information, and he then prays for Jupiter's intervention, which advances the plot, but is there more to it than that? This is the gateway question into a classroom discussion that will engage students for more time, probably, than the teacher has made available. It is a question rich in opportunities for practicing critical thinking and essay-writing skills. Here are some avenues of interpretation that a closer examination of Iarbas can open:
- Iarbas and Aeneas have similar genealogies. Aeneas, of course, is the son of Venus (immortal) and Anchises (mortal), fulfilling the classic definition of a hero (at least one divine parent). Iarbas is the son of Jupiter, known as Ammon in Africa (immortal), and a "Garamantian nymph" (immortal? mortal?). Students armed with this information could debate whose genealogy is stronger for the status of "hero." During such a debate, the instructor should draw the students' attention to the fact that these seemingly comparable genealogies are another way that Vergil interrogates the category of the ancient hero. Many students are familiar with a movie trivia game called "six degrees of Kevin Bacon." Using the theory of degrees of separation, Iarbas as son is closer to Jupiter than Aeneas as grandson. If students are puzzled as to why Jupiter responds so quickly to a seemingly minor character, this theory goes a long way in clarifying their puzzlement. In addition, students could write essays about the implications of this idea for the epic: while choosing a perfectly logical character (rejected suitor) to advance the epic's plot, Vergil also subverts the category of hero.
- Iarbas is an African ruler. In earlier modern centuries, when white supremacist ideologies affected classical scholarship, great effort and much ink was expended to distance Iarbas (and hence Vergil) from Africa. Iarbas was (and still is) described as a "Moor," a "Berber," and a "Libyan." However, Vergil is very clear about his African roots. He acknowledges Ammon as Iarbas's father and even has Dido (4.326) and Anna (4.36-38) describe Iarbas as a son of Africa. Iarbas shows us that Vergil was aware of the connections between African and Roman mythology. Iarbas also represents Vergil's cognizance of the multiethnic and multiracial milieu of the ancient Mediterranean and of the tensions that go along with it. Iarbas offers students opportunities to discuss constructions of racial and ethnic identities and of difference -- how Vergil's characters represent such identities and what cultural stereotypes the Romans held about others. For example, an instructor could ask students to analyze Iarbas's prayer to Jupiter. On the surface, clearly he was envious and angry that an immigrant was able to accomplish something he, a native, could not. (The tension between native and immigrant is another avenue to be explored and discussed.) Is there more to it than that?
One commentator has suggested that "Iarbas speaks from racial resentment" when he (Iarbas) characterizes Aeneas as "ille Paris cum semiviro comitatu" (4.215). This same commentator suggests that Iarbas speaks from "ignorance," and his vitriolic response is nothing more than "stereotyping." This is an arguable point and bound to lead to a wonderful discussion that can train AP students how to use the text to support the points they make in their argument. Research could be explored as to the stereotypes that the Romans held about specific racial and ethnic groups. Livy demonstrated a bias that people from the same part of Africa as Dido and Iarbas were "oversexed." Does Vergil contribute at all to that stereotype?
Iarbas represents the dominant construction of masculinity, while Aeneas represents a stigmatized one. Ask students to imagine the effect of the words "ille Paris cum semiviro comitatu" on the Roman male audience. Through Iarbas, Vergil seems to be casting aspersions upon the masculinity of Rome's founder and subtly -- or not so subtly -- upon all Roman men. Yet paradoxically, Iarbas is lashing out at Aeneas's masculinity because he has, in fact, achieved the cornerstone of the ancient construction of masculinity: he is controlling a woman's sexuality, or in other words, he got the girl. To both men, Dido is nothing more than an object, a sexual trophy to be owned by the best man. In this instance, Aeneas is like Paris. Iarbas thinks of Dido as his Helen, and a Trojan interloper has stolen her from him. Somehow the men seem to have forgotten that Dido rejected Iarbas, and Dido (with a lot of interference from the gods) chose Aeneas. In addition, the teacher could anticipate the text and point out that Turnus makes a similar comment in Book 12, "semiviri Phrygis et foedare in pulvere crinis vibratos calido ferro murraque madentis" (12.99-100), about Aeneas. What is Vergil implying about the construct of masculinity in ancient Rome?
No doubt, students can point to the plots of any number of romance novels or romantic comedy or teen films where the popular heroine is won over by the nerdy SNAG (sensitive New Age guy) instead of the popular athlete who turns out to be a jerk. Students could have a rousing debate as to whether either Aeneas or Iarbas are SNAGs in this instance. The teacher must always stress that textual support is crucial to their argument, whatever side they are on.
- Teachers should explore with students what we know of Iarbas after Dido's suicide. Most teachers and students forget about Iarbas, probably because Vergil does once Dido dies. However, other ancient Roman poets did not. It might be fun for students to read Ovid's fanciful epilogue in the Fasti (Book 3,line 545ff). The episode is about Anna, but her flight from Carthage is precipitated by Iarbas's invasion of Carthage and his conquest of Dido's palace. At least for Ovid, Iarbas was only concerned with acquisition of territory, and the woman Dido was simply an added attraction.
Applying These Perspectives to Other Characters
Many of the ideas presented here could be adapted for other supporting characters. The aim is to sharpen students' critical thinking and analytical skills while deepening their appreciation for the textual treasure trove that Vergil has left for us in the Aeneid.
Shelley P. Haley is a classics professor and director of Africana studies at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. She served as Chief Reader for the AP Latin Exam from 2000 to 2003. Currently she is the chair of the AP Latin Development Committee. Her current research centers on recovering the constructions of race and gender in ancient Rome. She is also finishing a book on the role of classics in the lives of college-educated black women in the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries.
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