Down under

As I strayed toward the near end of Book VI, this quote by Anchises 

"Roman, remember by your strength to rule
Earth’s peoples—for your arts are to be these: 
To pacify, to impose the rule of law, 
To spare the conquered, battle down the proud." (1151-1154)

Anchises delivers this speech to Aeneas in the underworld as it unfolds for his son the destiny of Rome. Virgil places his own political ideals in the mouth of the wise father, warning that the Roman nation should be more merciful than violent, even in its conquests. Later, Virgil here then propounds the values for which he wants Rome to stand, and which he believes he has, in his own time, let guide him. They defend their invasion by arguing that they bring justice. 

P.S. I commented on Joshua and Trey's post