This paper explains that Virgil wrote "The Aeneid" in response to pressure from Augustus Caesar to write about the
glory
of the great Roman Empire. The author points out that Aeneas's visit to the
underworld is crucial to understanding the importance of fate within the "Aeneid". The paper contends that Aeneas's visit to the underworld
helps to reinforce the theme of fate within the story itself and helps to reassert the work's underlying theme that the great Roman Empire was fated to exist.