Descent to the Underworld in the Aeneid and the Odyssey
I chose to compare the Odyssey written by the Greek poet Homer and the
Aeneid by the Roman poet Virgil. I will focus my interest on Book 11
of the Odyssey and Book 6 of the Aeneid, since that is when both of
the main characters make an educational visit to the underworld. The
description of the underworld created by Homer's wild imagination,
inspired Virgil eight centuries later. Virgil's masterpiece was
planned as an imitation of Homer's poems, so one automatically starts
comparing the creations of the two authors. They were separated by
eight centuries and by the cultural differences of their people. These
differences are reflected on the structure of their compositions.
At first the reasons for Aeneas's and Odysseus's voyage to the world
below seem similar. Both of them want to receive information from the
people who have already died. This knowledge is necessary in order for
them to continue a successful life in the real world, amongst the real
people. Aeneas wants to ask his wise father Anchises for advise about
the foundation of a new state - Rome. His father tells him about the
future of his family. This prophecy includes the history of Rome all
the way until the days of Virgil himself.
What glories follow Dardan generations
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In after years, and from Italian blood
What famous children in your line will come,
Souls of the future, living in our name,
I shall tell clearly now, and in the telling
Teach you your destiny.[1]
The need for Odysseus to travel to the underworld doesn't seem to be
motivated at all...
... middle of paper ...
...not only the
characters but also the poets who wrote the two outstanding
compositions, on which all of the world's literature is based.
Homer who glorifies the great value of a person and Virgil who
glorifies the grandeur of the State - Rome.
[IMAGE]
Works Cited
Fagles, Robert. The Odyssey. New York: Penguin Books USA Inc. 1996
Fitzgerald, Robert. The Aeneid. Penguin Books.
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[1] Virgil Aeneid B.6 line 1015
[2] Homer Odyssey B.11 line 111
[3] Homer Odyssey B.11 line 129
[4] Homer Odyssey B.11 line 153
[5] Homer Odyssey B.11 line 614
[6] Homer Odyssey B.11 line 540
[7] Virgil Aeneid B.6 line 883
[8] Virgil Aeneid B.6 line 824
[9] Virgil Aeneid B.6 line 835
[10] Virgil Aeneid B.6 line 1230
Throughout literature authors have written to express a message to their intended audience. This is no exception for the plays, Oedipus Rex and Darker Face of the Earth, written by Sophocles and Rita Dove, respectively. The similarities in plot, characters, and motifs are not the sole concurrencies between both plays; the overall message to the audiences in both plays is one in the same, one cannot escape their fate. Sophocles and Dove both illuminate this message through their use of the chorus. While Sophocles uses a single chorus of Theban elders, Dove illustrates the grimness of fate through several minor characters: the chorus, the prayers and the players, the rebels, and three female slaves. Dove’s usage of Phebe, Diana, and Psyche further accentuate the battle between free will and fate, as well as the role of women, a concept absent in Sophocles’ play.
Homer. (800 BCE). The Iliad: Translated by Samuel Butler. Retrieved March 17, 2006 from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Web site: http://classics.mit.edu/Homer/iliad.html
“The Odyssey” is an epic written by Homer between 750 and 650 B.C. It is the tale of the main hero’s, Odysseus’s, journey home to Ithaca from Troy. It takes place after the Trojan War and is the sequel to “The Iliad.” Odysseus and his men set sail from Troy and come across the lair of the lotus eaters. After escaping, they run into the cyclops,
Throughout the Odyssey there are many themes that Homer uses to portray different people and events. To name a few, there are the themes of Betrayal and Revenge,Greed and Glutony, Hospitality, Role of the Gods and Wealth (the amount of money one had determined the status he held in the greek society, and this explains Odysseus's love for plunder).
Odysseus (Ulysses in Roman) was one of the great Pan-Hellenic heroes of Greek mythology. Famous for his courage, intelligence and leadership he was most recognized through his resourcefulness and oratory skills. Throughout classical literature and through many authors Odysseus’ characteristics have changed as much as the stories that surround him. The epic and tragedy I will focus on in particular is The Odyssey by Homer and Hecuba by Euripides. The defining characteristics of Odysseus ranges widely as is shown in Homer’s The Odyssey and Euripides’s Hecuba. The figure of Odysseus in homers The Odyssey is the antithesis of the Odysseus in Euripides Hecuba due to their historical contexts and respective audiences.
are followed and proper respect given the gods, it is possible for man to live
Both the Odyssey and the Aeneid represent their cultures very well, but they express different ideas on what one should strive for in life. There are also different forces that pushed both epics to be written. The Aeneid expresses the Roman idea of pietas which means to show extreme respect for one’s ancestors. We see this in Aeneas when he is pictured caring his father away from burning Troy. He has pietas because he cared so much for his father that in fleeing from Troy he took up his father over his shoulder to save his from certain death. This is not the only major idea in the Aeneid. There is also a very political focus. The Roman were very interested in politics which comes through in the Aeneid. The Odyssey has the Greek idea of arete trapped somewhere among the many themes. Arete is a strive for perfection in both mind and body. It is a much more personal and individual idea than the Roman pietas. In the most basic seance the Aeneid and the Romans have a much more political focus and duty to the state ( republic ) than the Greeks who honor tradition , family , and arete.
Although both epics justify a status quo, codify a national mythology, preserve cultural memories, and establish literary tropes, they are united by sensibility and are traditionally poetic. They both almost have the same exact core values such as in the end, but project influence into a number to areas of cultural identity. Once more, after analyzing both texts, it is possible to conclude that Aeneas is the better leader, and The Odyssey is the greater epic. Knowing that this is the proper proposition made, this affects the readers of both well-known stories.
rapidly, it may not be indicated by the script that it has changed, and was most
Sophocles’ Antigone and Euripides’ The Bacchae are indubitably plays of antitheses and conflicts, and this condition is personified in the manifestation of their characters, each completely opposed to the other. Both tragedians reveal tensions between two permanent and irreconcilable moral codes; divine law represented by Antigone and Dionysus and human law represented by Creon and Pentheus. The central purpose is evidently the association of law which has its consent in political authority and the law which has its consent in the private conscience, the association of obligations imposed on human beings as citizens and members of state, and the obligations imposed on them in the home as members of families. Both these laws presenting themselves in their most crucial form are in direct collision. Sophocles and Euripides include a great deal of controversial material, once the reader realizes the inquiries behind their work. Inquiries that pertain to the very fabric of life, that still make up the garments of society today.
Odysseus is often times considered a hero for triumphing, for living through the many challenges that he has to face over the course of The Odyssey. He defeats the mighty cyclops, he braves years away from home fighting one battle after the other and makes it home alive. Many times he has the chance to give in to death, to end his suffering, however he doesn’t take his chance and he continues fighting. He survives. However Homer doesn’t put it in that light, he doesn’t centralize the idea of life in The Odyssey but rather the idea of death, and all that it brings, or fails to bring.
the more reliable the text is. Homer's "Illiad" was written in 900 BC and the
The Iliad and the Odyssey are two classic stories told by Homer. Within these two stories the roles of the gods are very important to the story line and how they affect the characters throughout. In the Iliad, more gods are involved with the characters whereas in the Odyssey there are only two major gods that affect two major characters. The roles of the gods in the Iliad are through two different stances of immortal versus immortal and mortal versus immortal. The roles of the gods in the Odyssey are through two major gods and they affect the plot as Poseidon versus Odysseus and Athena versus Telemachus.
The 'Iliad'; by Homer is a book that deals with many emotional issues. I am going to talk about a few emotional parts of the Iliad and compare them to the emotional life of today. I have chosen a section of the book and will talk about the emotions that come up there. The section that I have chosen to talk about is in book 18 when Achilles is very angry and very sad about Patroclus death. After that he wants revenge by killing hector.
Aesop’s fables were written around 300 BCE, and originated from Greece (“Aesop par. 6). Although most of the fables are about animals, they display the characteristics of humans. Fables are usually short and easy to comprehend, and all fables have their own morals, however; some fables have more than one. Aesop’s fables may seem childish and pointless, but they were written to point out the flaws and strengths of human beings. Most fables have a central problem that the main character must solve, and have been very important to society as a whole.