Omens in the Aeneid: How Virgil Used Signs to Predict the Future
Omens in the Aeneid are signs that foreshadow future events while giving assurances of what is to come. Several times throughout the poem, the gods use omens to communicate to the characters.
The signs then empower, encourage, or strengthen the resolve of the character to strive on. Discover some of the omens and their meanings in Virgil’s Aeneid.
What Are Omens in the Aeneid?
Omens in the Aeneid are signs and symbols that the gods in the epic poem use to assure their followers of what is to come. In the book they come in different shapes and forms including animals, objects, or even elements of the weather and are mostly understood by the characters.
The Omens in the Aeneid
There are different omens in the book of Aeneid, as they present various messages in various ways. Some of the omens are the twelve white swans, there are signs of the plagues, through prophecy, snakes, events like funerals, and how the ship turned into nymphs.
The Twelve White Swans
The Aeneid summary is about the journey of the epic hero, Aeneas, and his quest to found the Roman empire. Jupiter, the King of the gods, gave a prophecy that Aeneas would establish the foundations of the empire which made Venus, the mother of Aeneas, happy. Venus heads off to inform his son and to assure him of the fulfillment of the prophecy, she points to twelve swans. The swans were motifs in the Aeneid that symbolized the twelve ships that would make it to Carthage.
The Sign of the Plagues
When Aeneas and his people got to Thrace after finding the body of Polydorus, they ended up on the island of Delos. There they are informed by Apollo to desert it for the land of their forefathers. They landed on the island of Crete and believed that that was the land that Apollo was talking about so they established a city there. However, the gods sent plagues as a sign that Aeneas had still not reached the land where he would build the city of Rome.
The Prophecy of Celaeno the Harpy
They left the island of Crete and headed towards Strophades where they encounter Celaeno the Harpy (a creature that is half-human and half-bird). Celaeno asked them to leave the island and search for a land called Italy. However, she prophecies that Aeneas and his cohorts won’t find the land until hunger drives them to eat their tables. This meant that they will encounter extreme difficulties before they finally land in Italy.
The Snake on the Grave of Anchises
When Aeneas organized the funeral games for the anniversary of his father’s death, the Trojans prepared offerings and placed them on the grave of Anchises. A huge snake appears on Anchises’ grave and consumed the offering. The symbol of the snake calmly consuming the sacrifice was an indication that the plight of the Trojans had come to an end. It was a foreshadowing of events to come as the Trojans would finally have peace in a new land.
The Events of the Funeral Games
The games that took place during the anniversary of Anchises’ death each foreshadowed events that were to come. The boxing match indicated the final duel between Turnus and Aeneas, while the dove that was shot during the archery contest foretold the death of Polites. The arrow of Acestes miraculously turning into flames indicates that the Trojans were favored by the deities. In the end, Turnus and Aeneas fought in a duel where Aeneas emerges as the victor setting the Trojans at peace.
The Omen of the Ships Turning into Nymphs
When Aeneas left to seek help from Evander and the Etruscans, Iris advised Turnus to launch an attack on the Trojans in his absence. When the Trojans saw him coming they retreated to protect their ramparts. Turnus decided to burn the ships of the Trojans but Jupiter turns the ships into sea nymphs who escaped unhurt. The Trojans interpreted the omen as the gods being on their side while Turnus interpreted the sign as a defeat for the Trojans since they had no way of escape.
Conclusion
This article has discussed some of the many omens in the Aeneid and how the characters interpreted them. Here is a recap of all that we have talked about so far:
- The omens were signs or symbols in various forms that indicated what was to come and were appropriately interpreted by the characters involved.
- The symbols were meant to encourage the characters as they undertook one venture or to warn them about future happenings.
- When Venus told his son, Aeneas, about the prophecy of Jupiter, she pointed to twelve swans indicating that Aeneas would fulfill the prophecy.
- Various events at the funeral games of Anchises including the snake on his grave and the burning arrow all foreshadowed good tidings for the Trojans.
- When the Trojan ships turned into nymphs, Turnus interpreted it as a bad omen for the Trojans while the Trojans saw it as a sign that the gods were with them.
Virgil used omens to give the audience a foretaste of what the future held in his epic poem. The omens either were forms of prophecies or served as guarantees that the prophecies would come to pass.
