Which scholar notes that displaying his piety, Aeneas carries his father on his shoulders away from Troy?

• A. Damien Nelis - Structure of book 4
• B. Bruce Gibson - Book 2
• C. Ian Du Quesnay - Characterisation of Dido
• D. Philip Hardie - Modern audience and Dido

Answer: (B)

Aeneas’s pietas is shown most clearly in the moment he lifts his father Anchises onto his shoulders as they flee the burning city. This image embodies a core ancient virtue: devotion to family and the divine will even in the face of danger. Bruce Gibson’s focus on Book 2 treats this scene as a primary demonstration of that virtue, illustrating how Aeneas puts duty to his father and, by extension, to the gods’ plan for his mission, ahead of his own safety. The act ties personal obligation to the epic’s larger purpose, setting the pattern for his leadership and the founding of Rome.

The other scholars mentioned address different aspects: one analyzes the structure of Book 4, another examines Dido’s characterization, and another discusses reception by modern audiences. None centers on this pivotal Book 2 moment of Aeneas displaying piety through carrying Anchises, which is why Gibson’s Book 2 reading is the best fit for this question.