The
paper deals with the development of Aeneas' character in Virgil's "Aenid", from a weak, fragile mortal in the first lines
of the epic, to a raging warrior in the final book and everything in between. It explains how Anchises guides him into his
new role as a leader of men and how his divine calling comes into conflict with his human desires and frailties, with tragic results. Finally, the
paper discusses his status as a new model of socially responsible hero.