The triumph of calm duty is a leitmotif of Aeneid as it plays an important role in key characters of the piece. Aeneas was ready to surrender to passion and forget his duty, but Jupiter, through Mercury, recalls him, and the hero leaves his beloved, who rushes to the sword and dies. Another example occurs when relying on the valor of the Trojans and on his newly acquired Etruscan and Arcadian allies, Aeneas defeats his future loyal friends and kills Thurn in single combat. He was ready to spare him but rejects Turn’s entreaties when sees the armor of the Arcadian prince Pallant.
At the same time, it is possible to note the examples when passion prevails over the duty. The goddess Venus, the mother of Aeneas, asks Cupid to rekindle a love affair with the hero in Dido, and she hopes that Aeneas, captured by Dido, will escape from the wrath of Juno. However, the mentioned intentions lead to tragic consequences, and Dido becomes a victim of a feeling inspired by Cupid. The queen wants to remain faithful to the memory of her deceased husband, but she is powerless to resist the attraction. The second example of passion overriding can be observed on the military council of the Latins. With a fiery speech, Thorne speaks out, and Drank argues that the latter spoke, but there was no ardor in the battles. Believing that “there is no salvation in the war”, he admonishes making peace. Nevertheless, Thorne’s point of view, which insists on continuing the confrontation with the Trojans, triumphs.