What is the purpose of the Underworld visit in Book 6, and what does Anchises reveal about Rome's future?

• A. It offers a teleology for Rome; Anchises reveals a procession of future Romans and a grand city-building destiny that frames Aeneas's wanderings as necessary
• B. It is a dream with no purpose
• C. It reveals a curse on Rome
• D. It shows the fall of Troy

Answer: (A)

The visit to the Underworld is about giving Aeneas a purpose for his journey and tying his Trojan exile to Rome’s destined greatness. Anchises shows him a procession of future Romans and a grand, city-building destiny for Rome, making Aeneas’s wanderings appear necessary rather than random. This vision provides a teleology for Rome: the hardships of Aeneas, the founding of a city, and the rise of an empire are all part of a larger plan that will ultimately bring peace and order to the world under Roman rule. By presenting Rome’s future glory through the line of its rulers and heroes, Virgil solidifies the link between Trojan ancestry and Roman destiny, and it justifies the arduous voyage as purposeful.

This isn’t a dream with no purpose, a curse on Rome, or a mere replay of Troy’s fall. It’s a deliberate forecast meant to frame the epic’s events as part of a larger, divinely sanctioned mission.