Which scholar asserts that the Homeric heroes are great individuals, but Aeneas must be the social man for collective success?

• A. RD Williams - Greek heroism vs Roman heroism
• B. Ian Du Quesnay - Homeric influence
• C. Simon Swain - Book 6
• D. Richard Rutherford - Homeric influence

Answer: (B)

The idea at play is how Virgil modulates Homeric heroism to fit Rome’s public mission. Ian Du Quesnay is known for arguing that Homer provides powerful models of individual prowess, but Virgil reworks that pattern so Aeneas becomes a social man—someone whose leadership is measured by its contribution to the community and to Rome’s founding, not by personal glory alone. In this view, the epic uses Homeric influence as a template, yet redirects the hero’s purpose toward collective success: pietas, duty to the city, and the creation of a shared future. That contrast between the Homeric ideal of the great individual and Virgil’s emphasis on communal achievement is what this scholar highlights.

Other scholars discuss Homeric influence or Greek-Roman heroism in broader terms or focus on different aspects (such as Book 6 or general heroism), but they do not foreground the specific claim that Aeneas must be the social man for the epic’s collective aim in the way this author does.