Question

Who is the son of a Greek god in this allusion?
Aeneas

What mythic event does the text refer to?

How does the allusion add to the characterization of Caesar?

Answer 1

1) The son of a Greek god in this allusion is Aeneas — son of the mortal Anchises and the goddess Aphrodite (Roman Venus).

2) The mythic event referred to is the fall of Troy and Aeneas’s escape and wanderings (as told in Vergil’s Aeneid) that lead to the founding of the Trojan/Italian line that becomes Rome (his carrying of Anchises, flight from the burning city, and eventual settlement in Italy).

3) The allusion does several things for Caesar’s characterization:
- It links him to divine ancestry and legitimacy (the Julian family claimed descent from Aeneas and Venus), elevating him above ordinary men.
- It casts him as a pious, duty-bound leader (Aeneas’s pietas), emphasizing self-sacrifice, responsibility, and devotion to Rome’s destiny.
- It frames him as a heroic founder/restorer — a figure of epic magnitude who survives crisis and ushers in a new order — thereby glorifying his actions and authority.