Similarities Between The Odyssey And The Aeneid

A Tale of Two Epics An epic is typically defined as a long poem pertaining to a hero’s journey, focusing on the achievements and obstacles of said hero. An epic can be external—a literal journey from one place to another in which the hero faces physical challenges and struggles, needing to overcome them using resolve and guile, or an epic can be internal—in which the hero faces more mental obstacles, needing to make smart decisions using thoughtfulness and wisdom. Homer’s The Odyssey and Virgil’s The Aeneid are both classic epics of the Ancient Mediterranean world sharing many similarities but also having many differences, one of which is The Odyssey is more of an external epic whereas The Aenied is more of an internal epic. Odysseus and
Odysseus began his epic journey with one goal in mind, return to his homeland of Ithaca to reunite with his wife and family. Throughout his trip he ran into many physical obstacles that helped to define his journey as external, but his homecoming ultimately confirmed that definition. It begins when he returns to Ithaca, unsure of where he is. Athena then appears and reveals his homeland to him while disguising him to assure that he gets home and reveals himself in a safe manner. He proceeds to reveal his identity to those close to him, first the nurse and then his son Telemachus. The event that truly signifies his homecoming is when “with his virtuoso ease Odysseus strung his mighty bow” (Book XXII, Ln. 456). He then is revealed to the suitors and battle erupts in his home. Odysseus comes out victorious and there is relief at his return. Because this final act of victory for Odysseus is such a physical act it concludes that his journey was external. He overcame numerous physical obstacles, traveling from place to place, and he finally closes his journey with the conquering of another one. The presence of so many concrete, physical aspects of Odysseus’s journey categorizes it as an external epic, one that involves more interaction with the outside world than with the mind. Aneas’s fate however, is a bit more abstract. He is destined to end up in Italy to begin the Roman Empire and he knows that, but he is not technically returning to his home. The idea of “homecoming” in The Aeneid, even though it is not a traditional homecoming, plays into the fact that Aneas’s epic is internal because no matter where he gets caught up he needs to have the will power to keep moving. He is very much obedient to fate, even when he is enjoying himself with Dido he realizes that he has to leave. It is seen when,