In the context of the epic hero's characterization, what does 'pietas' signify, particularly within Virgil's *Aeneid*?
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Correct answer: A sacrificial devotion to duty—to the gods, fatherland, and family
Unlike the individualistic, honor-driven *kleos* of Homeric heroes like Achilles, Virgil's Aeneas is characterized by *pietas*. This civic and moral virtue prioritizes communal duty, historical destiny, and religious reverence over personal desires or emotional fulfillment. It frames the epic hero as a foundational architect of a civil state rather than an isolated agent of destruction.
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