Reading Journal 1

    Many people today have a misconception of the role women played in the past. When most of us think back on historical times, we have the tendency to believe women only existed to serve their husbands. However, when we begin to study ancient Greek and Roman mythology, we find women had a more prevalent role in ancient history than we originally imagined. Although Aeneas is the main character in The Aeneid, the story spends a significant amount of time on the goddesses Juno and Venus. Venus is Aeneas’s mother, and she tries to protect him from Juno’s threats. Although many gods appear in the play, the story mainly integrates these two goddesses. The Aeneid even mentions the worship of Juno: “Here Dido of Tyre was building Juno a mighty temple, rich with gifts and the goddess’s aura of power” (62). Another example of a significant female role is found in Agamemnon. Clytemnestra is the main character in this play, and it ends with her murdering both her husband and his consort. Not only was I surprised that a female played a leading role in a play, but also by the emphasis placed on the goddesses in The Aeneid.