to his proper place, werehe always has and always will belong. However, Aeneas' tale is far different. He begins with the fall of Troy,which was precipitated by the Trojan Horse. The Horse is portrayed as boundfuror just like Aeolus' winds. Laocoon throws a spear into its side, whichstuck "quivering" and the Horse "grunted at the concussion and rumbledhollowly."22 Soon after, the potential for violence pent-up in the Horse isreleased violently, and Troy is consumed in flames. Moreover, no one is prooffrom this same type of disaster. Aeneas is the pinnacle of his culture, theparagon of sacrifice and duty who carried his father out of Troy. Even hefalls prey to his human passions and stays with Dido; in so forgetting hiscivitas, he relaxes his grip on furor. Dido is then consumed in flames justlike Troy, and her final words are prelude to strife between Rome and Carthagein the future. The comparison of these scenes shows the fundamental differences betweenthe Greek and Roman ideals. The Greeks believed in the everlasting power ofcustom to protect and preserve them, and that any tragedy stemmed from theirown recklessness. In a sense, Odysseus brought his troubles upon himself. Ifhe had followed custom like the Phaiakians had, he would have remained withinthe ordained scope of humanity. Moreover, in some absolute sense Odysseusbelongs at home on Ithaka, and once there he can remain there indefinitely insafety. The Romans' world was much more uncertain because of the constantpossibility for disaster, and believed that human existence was inherently atragedy because of this everpresent furor. Even had all the Trojans donenothing wrong, they still would have received the winds sent at Juno's behest.All they had was vulnerable, their lives, their cities, and theircivilization; anything could be destroyed by the godless discord. Moreover,no matter how devout and full of civitas one is, it is always possible forfuror to surfa...
