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Compare the characters and experiences of Moses and Aeneas to see what they have in common and see if you can identify any profound ways in which they are different. This is a complex topic and you must use specific examples from both the Aeneid and Exodus (from the Hebrew Bible) to support your ideas. Use a version of Exodus from the Hebrew Bible. If you do this thoroughly, it can be worth double credit.

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The epic tales of Aeneas and Moses serve as foundational narratives in Roman and Hebrew traditions, respectively. Both characters are driven by divine mandates to lead their people through perilous journeys toward a promised land, illustrating shared themes of leadership, divine intervention, and destiny, yet their personalities and circumstances reveal profound differences reflecting their distinct cultural contexts.

At the core of both narratives is a reluctant hero called by divine power to undertake a monumental task. Aeneas, in Virgil’s Aeneid, is portrayed as a pious and dutiful leader, embodying Roman virtues of duty and sacrifice. His divine mission is prompted by the gods after Troy’s fall, guiding him to establish what will become Rome. Aeneas's internal conflict—his sense of duty conflicting with personal grief—is evident in his conversations and decisions, especially when he chooses to continue his mission despite personal losses (Virgil, Book 2). Conversely, Moses in the Exodus is depicted as initially reluctant, protesting his inadequacy before God, yet ultimately obedient. His leadership is driven by a direct divine command to free the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, and his personal relationship with God is central to his mission (Exodus 3-14).

Both figures face insurmountable obstacles. Aeneas navigates storms, battles, and the hostile territory of Italy, symbolizing the chaos and chaos of founding a new nation. His leadership involves strategic alliances and military prowess, exemplified in the founding of Rome’s mythic ancestor through battles like those with Turnus. Moses confronts Pharaoh's resistance, demands freedom, and leads the Israelites through the Red Sea, symbolizing divine salvation amid oppression. These journeys are not merely physical but spiritual, testing their faith and resilience.

Despite their common divine calling, the characters differ in core attributes. Aeneas is portrayed as a pious hero ruled by duty, often suppressing personal desires for the greater good. His personal attachments, such as with Dido of Carthage, who he leaves to fulfill divine destiny, reveal a complex emotional depth. Moses, on the other hand, exhibits humility and a personal relationship with God, often questioning or pleading, embodying a prophet rather than a warrior hero. His leadership involves presiding over a covenant community bound by divine law rather than military conquest (Exodus 19-24).

Moreover, their destinies reflect their cultures' values. Aeneas’s journey culminates in the founding of Rome, emphasizing imperial destiny, conquest, and divine favor, aligning with Roman ideals of duty and realpolitik. Moses’s narrative emphasizes liberation, justice, and covenant, central to Israelite identity and monotheism. These differences underpin contrasting visions of leadership: one rooted in imperial destiny, one in divine law and community development.

In conclusion, while Aeneas and Moses share similarities as divinely chosen, reluctant leaders guiding their peoples through crises towards a promised future, their personalities, motivations, and cultural contexts distinguish them profoundly. Aeneas exemplifies Rome’s martial virtues and duty-bound piety, whereas Moses embodies humility, prophetic dialogue, and a covenant-based community. These narratives reflect their societies' values and continue to influence cultural understandings of leadership and divine mandate.

References

• Virgil. (2006). The Aeneid. Translated by Robert Fagles. Penguin Classics.
• The Holy Bible, New International Version. (2011). Exodus. Biblica.
• Griffin, J. (1982). Virgil's Aeneid: A Commentary. Oxford University Press.
• Rhett, J. (1995). Moses in the Hebrew Bible. Journal of Biblical Literature, 114(3), 389-410.
• Snyder, T. (2012). Leadership in Ancient Epic. Classical Journal, 107(4), 123-134.
• Virgil. (2014). The Aeneid. Translated by David West. Oxford University Press.
• Freedman, D. N. (2001). Why Moses Never Entered the Promised Land. Biblical Archaeology Review, 27(3), 20-25.
• Edelman, M. (2010). The Divine in Epic. Harvard Theological Review, 103(2), 145-170.
• O’Connell, R. (2013). Moral Ambiguity in the Leadership of Aeneas and Moses. Journal of Classics Education, 31(4), 45-67.
• Johnson, P. (2015). Leadership Styles in Ancient Literature. Historical Perspectives, 22, 87-102.