Which scholar claims Aeneas leaving Troy symbolises a departure from Homeric values?

Which scholar claims Aeneas leaving Troy symbolises a departure from Homeric values?

• A. Thomas - Book 8
• B. Cox - Homeric influence
• C. Simon Swain - Book 6
• D. Richard Rutherford - Homeric influence

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is how Virgil’s Aeneid reinterprets Homeric values, specifically whether Aeneas’s departure from Troy signals a break with those values. Cox argues that this moment is not just part of the plot but marks a shift: leaving Troy embodies moving away from the Homeric ideal of glory through heroic combat and immediate kleos toward a Roman ethic rooted in pietas—duty to the gods, family, and the destined founding of Rome. In this reading, the act of departing Troy becomes a symbol of adopting a new epic framework, one that priorities long-term purpose and divine legitimation over the traditional Homeric emphasis on martial prowess and personal fame. That focus on a change in values is what sets Cox apart as the scholar making this claim. The other scholars noted generally engage with Homeric influence in the Aeneid in different ways (often discussing how Homeric cues shape episodes or how Homeric influence persists in various parts), but they don’t center the departure from Troy as the specific symbol of leaving Homeric values in the same explicit way Cox does.

The idea being tested is how Virgil’s Aeneid reinterprets Homeric values, specifically whether Aeneas’s departure from Troy signals a break with those values. Cox argues that this moment is not just part of the plot but marks a shift: leaving Troy embodies moving away from the Homeric ideal of glory through heroic combat and immediate kleos toward a Roman ethic rooted in pietas—duty to the gods, family, and the destined founding of Rome. In this reading, the act of departing Troy becomes a symbol of adopting a new epic framework, one that priorities long-term purpose and divine legitimation over the traditional Homeric emphasis on martial prowess and personal fame. That focus on a change in values is what sets Cox apart as the scholar making this claim.

The other scholars noted generally engage with Homeric influence in the Aeneid in different ways (often discussing how Homeric cues shape episodes or how Homeric influence persists in various parts), but they don’t center the departure from Troy as the specific symbol of leaving Homeric values in the same explicit way Cox does.