The Meaning Of Suffering In Job And The Aeneid Essay

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The Meaning of Suffering in Job and The Aeneid



Chris Phillips

Dr. Whalen


Throughout Virgil's Aeneid and Job from the Old Testament, great

obstacles block the paths of the protagonists. Mental and physical, anguish is

placed upon Job and Aeneas. Though both men suffer extreme pain, the extent and

content of the tribulations are different.

Job's suffering is placed upon him without provocation. Aeneas also

believes his ³pain [is] so great and unmerited!² (Virgil 2.89). Juno's hatred

towards the Trojans, however, is fueled by many things such as the descent of

the Trojans from Jupiter's illegitimate son and the fact that the Trojan people

are fated to destroy Carthage, her favorite city.

God takes away everone deat to Job. He is physically alone except for

Eliphaz, Bilad, Zophar and Elihu. These men, although they are the only people

to speak to Job, offer very little sympathy. They blame him for his misfortune

and tell Job that he has probably angered God to an extent that his punishment

is deserved. Aeneas, though, has the companionship of his men and other

friends which help him along his journey. Not only are his men friendly and

admiring of Aeneas, they are on his side. They help him on his journey. They

are all fighting for the same cause. This fact alone makes Job's misfortune

more taxing.

Their mental anguish is not limited to matters of this world. Each man

is faced with dillemas concerning their spiritual beliefs. Though he begs and

calls to God for an explanation, Job receives nothing. This causes alone causes

more mental anguish than anything else that happens in either work. Job's

family is exterminated, he is pile of fermenting flesh, and he has no sign from

God as to why this is happening. Job does not even get omens or other

supernatural signals to assure him of God existence. Aeneas, though, receives

security not only of the existence of higher powers, but that they are actually

aiding him. These incidents such as the omen of the flame on his son's head,

Jupiter sending Mercury to remind Aeneas to stay on task, and Venus predicting

the safety of his ships to him allow Aeneas to be comforted that there are gods

looking out for him. Satan's relentlessness combined with God's confidence in

Job take Job to a degree of suffering that Aeneas could only imagine.

Though both men suffer physically, the way in which they suffer is

extremely different. Job absorbs a greater amonut of pain without leaving his

home. Socially, Aeneas is an outcast. His teeth are rotting. He has boils,

lesions, and scabs covering his skin. His senses of sight and hearing are

severly impared. His putrid breath and horrendous appearance virtually exclude

him from functioning with other people. Aeneas, however, finds his pain on a

physical journey which takes him to many different lands. He has the...

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