Essay about Aeneid vs. Odyssey - 2161 Words

Aeneid vs. Odyssey Both the Odyssey and the Aeneid share some similarities as epics; both describe the trials of a heroic figure who is the ideal representative of a particular culture. There are even individual scenes in the Aeneid are borrowed from the Odyssey. Yet, why are Odysseus and Aeneas so unlike one another? The answer is that the authors lived in two different worlds, whose values and perceptions varied greatly of a fundamental level. To illustrate, two common ideas woven into the Odyssey are custom and recklessness. Customs were handed down by the gods, and were meant to keep men safe by giving them civilization. When men were reckless (when they flaunted custom and the gods), they invited retribution†¦show more content†¦His eventual passage home has been agreed upon by Zeus, whose will is not subject to error.1 However, in the past Odysseus wounded Polyphemos and in reckless abandon questioned the power of the gods; while he was fleeing from the Cyclops he yelled If I could take your life I would and take your time away, and hurl you down to hell! The god of earthquake could not heal you there!2 For this affront, Poseidon decided to make Odysseus journey home a long and difficult one. The god of the sea sends a storm his way but Odysseus survives with the nereid Inos gift and guidance. After Poseidon departs, he finally reaches Skherias shore with Athenas help. The opening scenes in the Aeneid corresponds to Homers sequence. Aeneas and the Trojans are on their ships, heading to found a new city after many travails. The eventual founding of the city has been agreed upon by Jupiter, and thus the Trojans [d]estiny is unaltered3 regardless of what calamity befalls them. However, Juno is worried that the Trojans descendants will eventually surpass the Greeks, root up her Libyan empire4, and enslave the children of Agamemnon5; so she convinces Aeolus to release to some winds to destroy them now. The winds are so fierce that they need a heap of mountains [laid] upon them and even then [b]ehind the bars they bellow, mightily fretting: the mountain is one immense murmur.6 Aeolus releases them by pushing his spear at theShow MoreRelatedThe Odyssey And Aeneid Vs. Today992 Words   |  4 PagesEssay 1: Hell in The Odyssey/Aeneid vs. Today As humans, we are always imagining what our lives will be like when we die. While the depictions of what hell or heaven may be from the ancient times and now, what has stayed consist is the idea of an afterlife altogether. In The Aeneid, Aeneas has his own version of what the underworld is. Hell is depicted in Book VI of The Aeneid where the Trojans sail back to Sicily where the death of Anchises is marked. Aeneas enters the underworld after meetingRead MoreGreek Mythology And The Mythology850 Words   |  4 Pagesthe epic Aeneid; however, Greek mythology has existed longer. There is no specific evidence proving when Greek mythology actually began; Greek myths are chronicled through Homer’s epics, Iliad and The Odyssey, which seem to have existed at least 700 years prior to when Roman civilization even began (Greek vs Roman). Before these epics were written, Greek myths were passed along through spoken word. Also, when comparing and contrasting the Roman epic Aeneid to Homer’s Iliad and The Odyssey one willRead MoreVirgil vs. Homer in Underworld1569 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿ How does Virgil deviate from Homer in the underworld, and why? 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A primary epic is an epic poem that comes from an oral tradition. The Iliad and Odyssey are primary epics. A secondary epic, such as The Aeneid, is a more deliberately literary production. Both terms were developed by C. S. Lewis. Scop: an Old English term for poet. In Anglo-Saxon culture, the scop had the important job of singing about the accomplishments of his