Puer, iuvenis, vir. Morte di giovani eroi nell'Eneide

In the Aeneid, Virgil invents the character of the puer who, wishing to fight like a warrior (iuvenis) and to show himself to be a worthy hero (vir), ends up being overthrown by a maior hostis. The essay presents a comparative analysis of these figures and reflects on the possible reasons that led Virgil to insist so much on them.