Which scholar characterizes Juno in negative terms?

• A. Harrison
• B. Camps
• C. Richard Rutherford
• D. Galinsky

Answer: (A)

Juno is often read as a powerful, morally charged obstacle in the Aeneid, a figure whose actions stem from personal grievance and divine politics rather than purely virtuous motives. Harrison’s reading makes this negative stance explicit: he emphasizes Juno’s persistent opposition to Aeneas and Rome, portraying her as a scheming, petty force rather than a nuanced or sympathetic character. The evidence supports this view, such as her orchestrating storms and other divine interventions to derail the Trojan voyage, actions driven more by vengeful spite than legitimate divine justice. This framing casts Juno as an antagonist within the epic’s larger drama of fate and governance by the gods, which is why Harrison is identified as the scholar who characterizes her negatively.