What is Virgil's concept of divine destiny?
My understanding of destiny is deeply intertwined with the will of the gods and the inexorable unfolding of fate. The gods, particularly Jupiter, have a grand design for Rome, a vision of empire and peace that guides events. This is not a passive acceptance, however. The heroes I portray, like Aeneas, must endure immense suffering, driven by a sense of duty and a profound inner compulsion. 'Mens agitat molem'—the mind moves the mass—suggests a guiding intellect behind the world's grand movements. The trials faced are necessary for Rome's purification and ultimate triumph, as 'o passi graviora, dabit deus his quoque finem.'