The Odyssey Vs The Aeneid Essay Research — страница 2

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2. Odysseus tells his tale while he is among the Phaeacians. He tells his tale in Books IX, X. XI, and XII. In The Aeneid, Aeneas asks Helenus to be brought to the underworld so that he can have a safe journey. She at first protests, but then she permits him to go. This visit to the underworld allowed Virgil to express his religious and patriotic imagination. He blended the past and future together with a vision of the heroes of Roman history. This is where the Aeneid can be viewed as an epic of glorification and praise. In The Odyssey, Odysseus holds Circe, his lover for some time, to the promise that she would help him on his journey home. He had to go to Hades in order to be guaranteed a safe voyage. Odysseus? visit to Hades was to enlighten his intellect and to express to him

the importance of experiences throughout the life span. This also reflects the change to the new life of Odysseus. The idea of death and rebirth are common to people of the Mediterranean. These two pieces of work are very similar in comparison. The evidence that I have revealed shows the influence the Greeks have had on Roman culture and ideas. Virgil was capable of using this influence and expressing his own Roman ideas through his alterations and transformations of the tales. The many similarities between these adventurous epics convinced me that Homer had an impact on Virgil?s story line. I am also convinced that Virgil used his knowledge of past epics to create a well-renowned epic for his time. He was able to achieve that goal, but I think that without the influence of Homer

and Greek culture, The Aeneid would not have become the prestigious epic it is today. 1. Virgil, The Aeneid, Vintage Classics Edition, June 1990; Translated by Robert Fitzgerald ? 1981, 1982, 1983 2. Homer, The Odyssey, ? 1961, 1963 by Robert Fitzgerald; Anchor Books, Doubleday ? 1961 3. Microsoft, Bookshelf Dictionary 1996-1997 edition, ? 1987-1996, Microsoft Corporation 4. Odyssey, Microsoft ? Encarta ? 97 Encyclopedia. ? 1993-1996 Microsoft Corporation 5.