Compare and contrast Odysseus and Aeneas' descents into Hell

Odysseus and Aeneas' descents into Hell

What parts does Virgil borrow from Homer?

Homer's influence on Virgil's writings can be reflected in the Aeneid. This is not to say Virgil has no interest in his characters as pure fiction, but seemingly, Homeric style is used to add weight to the Aeneid. For example, Odysseus tried to embrace his mother three times when they met in the Underground. Not knowing she was dead, Odysseus folds his arms three times about nothing but air and begs her not to withdraw from his grasp. Similarly, Aeneas tried to embrace his father, and three times folds his arms about nothing but air and begs him to withdraw from his grasp when they met in the Underground. Aeneas knows his father is dead, and he is told to go and visit him in a dream but cannot meet his mother, a goddess in the Underground. Odysseus may not meet his father since he is still on the farm mourning. However, he must meet be able to meet him to finish the reconciliation that has to take place to finish the rounding off of the poem; indeed, Homer composed book 24 of the odyssey. To the point that both poems are similar, Aeneas meeting his father may be an attempt to show that Greek is not greater than the Trojan hero. As a man who slept with a goddess, Anchises would have more status than Odysseus' mother and so, Aeneas has more status than Odysseus. To tie this, Odysseus' parents are half immortal since it is a story about a man and going home, while on the other hand, Aeneas is half immortal to add pride to the roman race.

Where does he deviate from Homer?

Although there are many common aspects shared between homer's Odyssey and Virgil's The Aeneid, each author's depiction of the Underworld can be an interesting basis to evaluate their differences. From the odyssey book X, line 560 and book XI line 62, and the Aeneid book VI lines 335-489 can be used particularly to draw the differences in their journey to the Underground. One sharp contrast is the depiction of the hero character. Aeneid is accompanied by Apollo's prophetess, the sibyl who dispenses commands throughout the journey. For instance, she instructs him to enter the path and unsheathe the sword (Aeneid VI 359). Odysseus does not have a helper and embarks in the journey alone. He pushes on the trials that embark him alone while Aeneas received help even before he embarked on the journey when sibyl informed him that Misenus's body was there with the unburied, and he should give him rest (217-221). Again, Odysseus' journey into the Underground is told while he sits with arête and Alkinoos, while Aeneas is related to the reader by the narrator in the third person. Their intentions and motives of going to the Underground also depict a major difference. In odyssey X (490-492), he is there because the circle commanded that he go to the Underground before going home. On the other hand, Aeneas was fulfilling the wishes of his father, who begged him to go and meet him (Aeneid V952). His obedience to his father exists even after his death. He wanted one last moment to speak to his father

Which account was more terrifying to you and why?

To me, Aeneas's journey to the Underground is more terrifying since he had to go through a lot. One sharp contrast lies in the last step when they make the formidable journey across sibyls cave. This is achieved by making proper sacrifices to the gods and finding the golden bough into the River Styx. Odyssey's process is simple as he converses and calls lost souls after sacrificing animals and promising the best heifer. Aeneas journey is long, and his experience can be described as a test of determination. More immensely, Odysseus had to wait for the souls to come to him while Aeneas opened the gates and walked through hell to meet the lost souls. This alone depicts him as a greater hero.