Nothing defines a society like the individuals we elevate, praise, and emulate. The pinnacle of a society’s heritage consists of its pageant of heroes, passed from parents to children for centuries, perhaps millennia, because it embodies the values of the culture. It lights a fire in the hearts of each succeeding generation to be something more, to stand for something, to be not unworthy of their ancestors’ achievements.
The Romans called it “pietas“—piety—“a respectful and faithful attachment to gods, country, and relatives, especially parents.”
A Roman Hero
“Aeneas flees burning Troy,” 1598, Federico Barocci. Galleria Borghese, Rome, Italy. (Public Domain)
The paragon of piety in the Roman tradition is the character of Aeneas from Virgil’s epic poem “The Aeneid.” Aeneas flees the blistering, burning city of Troy when it is overrun by the Greeks, and brings with him his father (literally carried on his shoulders) along with the “lares” and “penates,” the household gods, which in Roman religion included the hero-spirits of one’s ancestors….