The Golden Bough
The Aeneid is a tale of fate in epic proportions. Following the Trojan War and the fiery destruction of Troy, Aeneas must lead his family to a new land, and become the father of a great people.
When he arrives in Italy, he finds a prophetess, who is over seven hundred years old, and she agrees to take him to the Underworld to see the ghost of his father.
Before entering the Underworld, Aeneas must find the golden bough to give to Proserpina, the goddess of fertility who was abducted by Pluto. Being of divine heritage, Aeneas is aided by his mother, the goddess Venus in finding this spiritual relic of the earthly realm.
When Aeneas and the prophetess descend, there are evil and horrific sights; fiery rivers, men being tortured, Tantalus never being able to eat or drink. But at the palace of Pluto, Aeneas places the golden bough on the door before he enters the Elysian Fields.
There he finds his father, living in the sunny, green, luscious fields. However, his father is as air, and Aeneas cannot touch him.
He shows Aeneas the river Lethe, which is the river of forgetfulness that all shades of the dead must drink from to erase the memory of their earthly lives. But on the other side are spirits who are waiting to be born on Earth. Among them were the descendants of Aeneas who would later become his fateful people, the Romans.
After this, his father leads him to the gate of Sleep, whereby Aeneas returns to Earth.
Strength, prosperity, and legacy are the coveted qualities of every nation. Naturally we as a country want to be strong and secure, defending ourselves from every assailment. Likewise we desire to prosper and abound, creating wealth for the good of ourselves and our fellow man. From these two fountainheads come a legacy to be proud of.
Strength, prosperity, and legacy are now at the forefronts of every citizen’s mind. Fear and concern for these things take up our weekends, free time, and hobbies. It is almost inescapable.
“Men and their motives, the historical sequence of events, principles for the conduct of life, in fact, practical philosophy, is what the emergencies of the times require us to possess, and to be able to communicate. These things are not to be arrived at by any short cut of economics, eugenics, and the like, but are the gathered harvests of many seasons’ sowing of poetry, literature, history. The nation is in sore need of wise men, and these must be made out of educated boys.”
- Charlotte Mason1
Knowledge is the beginning of wisdom. Wisdom weighs and considers but cannot make a decision if it first is not informed. A wide and varied education displays to the citizens and youth of our country which paths lead to death and which lead to life. To be truly informed we must have the knowledge of God, of ourselves, and of the world.
When we have learned wisdom, we will know virtue. For virtue is the acting upon wisdom, and by it we become men; men who are good and strong, discerning and upright. It is upon the shoulders of these mens that fathers are carried, and by their hands the heritage and legacy of us all are led.
So men, take the golden bough of education as you cross rivers of fire for the sake of your fathers and your children. Hold onto your mind, and never let your uprightness before God and men go. The city is burning; we are waiting for you.
The Home Education Series, Volume 6, Philosophy of Education. Page 313. 2017 Edition.
Excellent! A call, I pray will be heard and answered by many, many men across our land!