Which scholar argues Turnus is a 'Homeric' hero who must give way to the proto-Roman Aeneas?

• A. Richard Rutherford - Characterisation of Turnus
• B. Bruce Gibson - Book 2
• C. Ian Du Quesnay - Characterisation of Dido
• D. Damien Nelis - Structure of book 4

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is how Virgil uses Homeric patterns to shape Turnus’s character and then places him under the authority of a destined Roman founder. Richard Rutherford argues that Turnus is drawn as a Homeric-type hero—noble, formidable in battle, and worthy of high status—yet the arc of the Aeneid requires Aeneas to be the founder of Rome. That means Turnus’s heroic strength is acknowledged, but his fate is to yield to the proto-Roman mission embodied by Aeneas. In this reading, Virgil channels Homeric epic conventions to set up a contrast: Turnus exemplifies heroic prowess in the Homeric sense, but the epic’s telos is Roman, centered on Aeneas’s pietas and the founding of a new city. The result is a narrative where Turnus is impressive and heroic, yet his role is subordinate to the destiny that Virgil ascribes to Aeneas.

The other scholars focus on different aspects of the poem—Book two, Dido’s characterization, or the structure of book four—rather than on Turnus’s status as a Homeric hero who must defer to a Roman-foundational figure. Rutherford’s claim specifically ties Turnus to Homeric traits while highlighting Virgil’s Romanizing purpose, which is why this interpretation fits the question.