Question about Aeneid

[litguy7]

I've got a question here that I'm having some problems finding information about.

How does the aeneid attempt to reclaim the heroic identity of troy and why?

Can anyone help out? Thanks for any help.

[David Lurie]

How does the aeneid attempt to reclaim the heroic identity of troy and why?

how: claiming that Aeneas - a minor character from Homer's Iliad - after wandering in the Mediterranean was the ancestor of Romans.

why: Romans loved and respected greek history and culture so the Julio-Claudian dynasty - the family ruling the Roman empire when Virgil wrote this epic poem - was happy to see the roots of its power linked to this legendary story about the foundation of Rome, since it gave legitimacy to Augustus linking his adoptive father - Julius Caesar - to the founders of the town.

[litguy7]

Thanks... That will help.

I've got some more stuff that I've come up with.

Empathy for Hector (in the illiad)
one up the illiad - virgil wanted to do this
Counter the illiad - built great city out of the ashes of a war that they didn't lose because they were "tricked"
They go back and "defeat" greece with the new story.
Vindicate Rome over greece

Let me know if you've got something to add or elaborate on from these points. The more info we can gather the better we can stand this question up.