Vergil as a Master of Psychology

Psychology as a definite science may be the product of modern investigation but among the ancients a natural intuition often supplied the lack of organized science. Chief among these “natural” psychologists was the Roman Vergil whose untaught instinct has led to a skillful analysis of the character of Dido, which as a study in feminine psychology has always commanded admiration. The present discussion is concerned with a smaller episode, that of Sinon, in which a wide range of psychological knowledge has been focused into comparatively few lines.

The circumstances are as follows: After ten years of war around Troy, the Greeks remain baffled. Not being able to take the city by direct assault they have recourse to the famous strategy of the wooden horse. This strategy also is doomed to fail unless the Trojans shall be induced to take the horse into the city. So the Greeks leave Sinon, one of their number, behind them, who is to exercise the well known cunning of the Greeks. Then they sail away only to hide behind the neighboring island of Tenedos, to await the success of Sinon in persuading the Trojans to demolish their walls so as to admit the horse which is filled with armed men. After the Greeks have apparently departed, the Trojans issue from their ten years confinement within the walls and meet Sinon who, with his hands tied behind him, has thrown himself in their way, and amid the jeers of a hostile crowd he is led into the presence of the king, where single-handed, he is to counteract the dangerous mood of the foe.

It should be remembered that Vergil is describing the character of a Greek, who in his mind is typical of the entire nation. Vergil shared in the general aversion of the Romans toward the outstanding characteristic of cunning possessed by the Greeks.

The entire episode contains only 142 lines of which 111 lines comprise the speeches of Sinon. So we may rightly regard the effort of the poet as oratorical rather than dramatic.

Sinon really makes four speec