THESIS STATEMENTIn the epic poem The Aeneid, Virgil emphasized the theme of ultimate victory over defeat through Aeneas' adventures in Italy. PURPOSE STATEMENTThrough the analysis of the text and critical analyzes of the Aeneid, it is true that Aeneid is ultimately the victor in this war for freedom.INTRODUCTIONImagine that you were a recognized nobleman; you had everything you could want. Then imagine sudden defeat. You are no longer a nobleman, but a fugitive. There seems to be no victory in the future and you have lost all hope. Just when all seemed lost, you overcame the obstacles and finally made it back to the top. Anthony Esolen made a simple statement about the astonishing loss of Aeneas. “Virgil laments the terrible loss on which the nation [of Rome] was built” (Esolen 1). In his review of Robert Fagle's translation of the Aeneid, Anthony Esolen describes how Virgil shows how sad the Trojans' countless defeats were. When Aeneas fights in Italy, Virgil describes him as a courageous hero who leads his men into battle. The problem is that the odds are stacked against Aeneas and his small army. Aeneas eventually overcomes this problem. Aeneas is repeatedly aided throughout his journey by the mystical power of gods and goddesses who favor him, such as Venus (Aeneas' mother), Vulcan, and others. For example, when Aeneas and his crew wash up on the shores of North Africa after an exhausting voyage, Venus appears to Aeneas in the form of a young hunter and directs him to Queen Dido, shrouded in a misty veil. The triumph of the Trojans throughout Virgil's Aeneid is highlighted in the arrival of the Trojans in Italy, with the coalition of enemies and sudden wars. This trio...... middle of paper ... where Aeneas was always (if not ultimately) triumphant over all obstacles thrown at him, although the obstacles themselves always suffered a terrible defeat. As author Alden Smith said in his review of Virgil's Aeneid: “Yet a winner also implies a loser, and no victory is without loss” (Smith 220). During the first half of the Aeneid, Smith's comment rang all too true for Aeneas and his group of surviving Trojans. However, towards the last half of the epic, the situation is reversed and it is now Aeneas and his Trojans who are victorious, while some Latins are the losers. In the Aeneid, Virgil made Aeneas' victories astonishing with all the troubles, difficulties, and demoralizing defeats that Aeneas and his fellow Trojans went through. With danger and defeat lurking around every corner, Aeneas finally got a break and was ultimately victorious..