Aeneas's leadership and mission demand which quality?

• A. A leader should pursue personal glory over community.
• B. A leader should put the greater good before personal goals.
• C. A leader should act independently of the gods.
• D. A leader should abandon mission to spare individuals.

Answer: (B)

Duty to the greater good and fidelity to divine will shape Aeneas's leadership. In the Aeneid, true leadership means putting the mission of Rome ahead of personal wants. Aeneas is charged by the gods to lead the Trojan survivors to Italy and found a new city. That divine mandate requires him to endure pain and make sacrifices—for example, leaving Dido behind rather than letting personal romance derail the voyage. This is the essence of pietas: a dutiful commitment to the gods, family, and the state that transcends individual gain. Choosing the greater good over personal goals ensures the safety and destiny of his people and the future Rome. The other impulses—seeking personal glory, acting without the gods, or abandoning the mission to spare individuals—would undermine the collective purpose and violate the moral standard Virgil emphasizes.