There will be some who say that Aeneas was cowardly in running from the burning Troy. I, however, would say that he was more courageous for doing so. He was, at first, able to fight off some Greek soldiers as they began to sack the city. However, the lives of his family members were put on the line and he was forced to flee with them. He did not care about he himself dying, but when family was threatened, he changed his mind. In those times, what he did was not considered as courageous as fighting and dying for Troy. One was supposed to lay his life down for his state. However, I would say that his actions are considered more courageous today than they were in the time that this work was originally written.
Today, we see courageous heroes in many ways. We can think of soldiers dying in battle in the Middle-East, but most of all we think of the firefighters and police officers who died during the events of September 11, 2001. They put their lives on the line, not fighting other people, but by saving innocent lives. They ran into the burning, ready to collapse buildings in New York City and Washington D.C., trying to save as many people as they could before time ran out. Now, these men and women are celebrated as modern heroes, on the same level as soldiers fighting overseas. They fought for our freedom not by fighting, but by helping and assisting. Clearly, this is quite a change from ancient times, where fighters were viewed as the ultimate heroes. In this way, Aeneas’ actions should be considered just as heroic as the actions of the Trojans who attempted to fight back the Greek forces, if not even more heroic than them.
Today, we see courageous heroes in many ways. We can think of soldiers dying in battle in the Middle-East, but most of all we think of the firefighters and police officers who died during the events of September 11, 2001. They put their lives on the line, not fighting other people, but by saving innocent lives. They ran into the burning, ready to collapse buildings in New York City and Washington D.C., trying to save as many people as they could before time ran out. Now, these men and women are celebrated as modern heroes, on the same level as soldiers fighting overseas. They fought for our freedom not by fighting, but by helping and assisting. Clearly, this is quite a change from ancient times, where fighters were viewed as the ultimate heroes. In this way, Aeneas’ actions should be considered just as heroic as the actions of the Trojans who attempted to fight back the Greek forces, if not even more heroic than them.