They face swallowed whirlpools and burning infernos. They resist the flagrant curses of a dying queen. Carriers of precious civilizations, they are described by their captain Aeneas as bearers of “gods / Of hearth and home, saved from the enemy” (Virgil I.521-522). Throughout the epic, ships are extremely vital to Aeneas, so much so that Virgil intuitively creates a powerful and unmistakable correlation between the two. In the Aeneid, Aeneas behaves like a ship, carrying the weight of Trojan society in Italy, and suffers like a ship, enduring the defeats of humans and gods; in fact, Virgil suggests that Aeneas is a human vessel. The primary function of a ship parallels that of Aeneas on his journey to Lazio. At a surface level, the ship is an efficient means of transporting people and goods between one point and another. However, on a symbolic level, a ship represents escape from oppression and death; brings hopes of new beginnings to the discouraged. This second interpretation defines Aeneas perfectly: a human ship. Just like his ships, Aeneas gives sanctuary and protection to the rest of the Trojan civilization. He transports his people from the ashes of Troy to “resurrect” on the foundations of Lazio (I.282). A ship gives new life to its passengers; similarly, Aeneas gives his Trojan people a new civilization. Using the Aeneid, Virgil creates the perfect analogy between a man and his ship. Aeneas shares the same emotional bonds with his ships; the failure of one causes depression in the other. Over the course of the epic, the devastation of Aeneas' fleet shakes the spirit of its captain. In the initial parts of his voyage, severe storms and rough waters batter his fleet, plunging many ships into the deep... the center of the chart... the main source of his grave problems. They are incapable of resisting the gods, of preventing Aeneas from advancing towards Italy, and of burning at the women's torches. However, his ships are invaluable to the overall success of his voyage and the expression of his character. Aeneas is a ship that sails to the western coasts and provides refuge for his people. However, this extended analogy has greater importance for Virgil and the rest of human society. After the destruction of Troy, Aeneas no longer has a country to protect or call home. The cargo and soldiers aboard its ships are the remnants of its past civilization, but they are also the seeds of a new empire. Aeneas, just like his ships, is the precious bearer and protector of one of the greatest empires in all of human history: Rome. Works Cited Virgil. The Aeneid. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. New York: vintage, 1990. Print.