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Why do Things Come in Threes? - Caroline Tucker

 I have to say that I did not understand everything that was going on. But, some of the things that happened were very intriguing. I loved the way Virgil illustrates things and describes why things are the way they are. The symbols and similes were very interesting and made me excited. One of my favorite lines was when Aeneas first enters the underworld and Virgil describes the reason the infant shades are wailing by saying “At the door / Of the sweet life they were to have no part in” (Virgil, VI.576,577). This single line holds so much emotion, thought, and meaning, which is the reason I like this line so much.

While I find all of this very interesting, I want to focus on something else for this post. One thing I noticed was the occurrence of the number 3. While this seems a little strange, there is a reasonable explanation. The first time this happens is in book II. When we see Aeneas after talking to the ghost of his wife narrates how he tried to hug her saying, “three times / I tried to put my arms around her neck, / Three times enfolding nothing” (II.1028-1030). When we read this, I thought it was only to show how he long for his wife. While this might be true, I think this also could have a deeper meaning. This belief is because in book VI it happens again. This time it happens when Aeneas tries to hug his father. This is shown in book VI saying, “there he tried three times / To throw his arms around his father’s neck, / three times the shade slipped through his hands” (VI.939-941). 

The symbolism of three is very interesting to me. The symbolism is very important to Christians and I would assume the Romans because of these passages. In Christianity, three connect to both our hope and faith. This is because our hope is placed in Christ who rose from the dead on the third day and our faith is placed in a God who is the Trinity. God in three persons. I am not going to dive into the trinity but I think my point can be understood. 

I do not know the importance of three for the Romans and I think it is interesting how the number could have importance in two very different cultures and worldview. What do you think? Do you have an idea why three is such an important number to the Romans?


P.s. I commented on Braylan’s and Clabo’s posts.

Comments

  1. kaitlyn terryNovember 16, 2020 at 5:55 PM

    I did a little research, and the number 3 is actually frequently associated with Pluto, the Roman God of Death. This makes sense since he is interacting with souls and not their physical beings. I think it might also correlate with Cerberus, being that he is a three-headed dog, but that could be a reach.

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  2. Ian BlairNovember 16, 2020 at 8:28 PM

    I'd like to point out as well that Cerberus, the hellish-hound who guards the gates to the underworld, also has three heads. A big reason that the number three is so important to them is because of the myths they read about the three brother and three sister gods/goddesses that ended the reign of the titans. They could be influenced to use that number as a reference point to their greek inspiration for their own stories. The triumvirates also featured a coalition of three people, showing once again the influence of the number on Roman culture.

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  3. Haylee LyndNovember 17, 2020 at 8:20 AM

    I notice often the use of the number seven. For example, in the use of how many ships were left after Aeneas and his men believed the rest to be destroyed. It's used multiple other times too. Seven, in the Bible, is the number of divine completeness and perfection. I assume for the Romans, it shares a similar meaning. When we read The Iliad, I noticed the continual use of the number nine, which also symbolizes divine completeness.

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