Both the Aeneid and the Odyssey are classic pieces of literature that have withstood the test of time without losing their significance. Even though these two pieces were written by different authors, many years apart, the two epics share many similarities in both form and storyline. Let’s take a look at the similarities that these epics share.
Before we look at specific examples of these two stories similarities, I would like to first review the individual storylines. The Odyssey is an epic poem written by Homer, in which Odysseus, the hero in this story, a true king, must endure a relentless journey to return to his home in Ithaca, after the Trojan War. This journey takes Odysseus 10 years, due to the fact that he must face the wrath of …show more content…
Odysseus has a son; whose name is Telemachus. Telemachus is very loyal to his father also, and he wants to rid his father’s kingdom of the horrible and greedy suitors, however he does not know how to do so, for he has very little experience in fighting, and very low self esteem. Due to the fact that the suitors, one named Antonius in particular, do not know Odysseus is still alive, never the less voyaging home, they have plans to kill Telemachus. Part of the reason Odysseus’s home is in such disorder is due to the fact that he was gone for so long. This is partially because he had angered multiple gods, which caused his otherwise short voyage, to last years. In this epic Odysseus tells stories leading up to his stay on Calypso’s island. We hear of his arrival at the land of the lotus eaters, his fight with Poseidon’s one-eyed-son Polyphemus, the affair he has with Circe, his encounter with the deadly Sirens, the voyage he takes to Hades, and a battle with Scylla and the whirling waters of Charybdis. After enduring these hardships and losing his men, Odysseus spends a long time imprisoned on Calypso’s island, only escaping due to Zeus sending
Before we look at specific examples of these two stories similarities, I would like to first review the individual storylines. The Odyssey is an epic poem written by Homer, in which Odysseus, the hero in this story, a true king, must endure a relentless journey to return to his home in Ithaca, after the Trojan War. This journey takes Odysseus 10 years, due to the fact that he must face the wrath of …show more content…
Odysseus has a son; whose name is Telemachus. Telemachus is very loyal to his father also, and he wants to rid his father’s kingdom of the horrible and greedy suitors, however he does not know how to do so, for he has very little experience in fighting, and very low self esteem. Due to the fact that the suitors, one named Antonius in particular, do not know Odysseus is still alive, never the less voyaging home, they have plans to kill Telemachus. Part of the reason Odysseus’s home is in such disorder is due to the fact that he was gone for so long. This is partially because he had angered multiple gods, which caused his otherwise short voyage, to last years. In this epic Odysseus tells stories leading up to his stay on Calypso’s island. We hear of his arrival at the land of the lotus eaters, his fight with Poseidon’s one-eyed-son Polyphemus, the affair he has with Circe, his encounter with the deadly Sirens, the voyage he takes to Hades, and a battle with Scylla and the whirling waters of Charybdis. After enduring these hardships and losing his men, Odysseus spends a long time imprisoned on Calypso’s island, only escaping due to Zeus sending