The main difference for citizen readers against the Aeneid by Virgil and for the Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer is in making the right decisions in terms of moral compass and also, choosing a good spouse.
As citizens, the importance of compressing one’s emotions is essential when making a decision. In terms of making the right choice, Achilles in the Iliad exemplified this action better than Aeneas in the Aeneid. When pleaded by his enemy, Priam, to return the body of Hector to the Trojan people, Achilles suppressed his anger and allowed the body of Patroclus’s murderer to return to the Trojans (Homer, Book 24). The Iliad ended with the main character choosing empathy over his prolonged rage. It sends a powerful message to the readers of the …show more content…
This was exhibited more in the Odyssey with Odysseus and Penelope, than with Dido and Aeneas in the Aeneid. Despite being apart for so long, Odysseus and Penelope remained faithful to one another due to their strong mental connection. It is the commonality of their minds and their kindred wits that demonstrated the homophrosyne between the two. This is exhibited when Penelope tested her husband’s knowledge of their immovable bed (Homer, Book 23). Throughout the Odyssey, the book stressed the importance of mental connection over physical attraction. Therefore, as citizen readers, choosing the right spouse should be prioritized to achieve homophrosyne in a relationship. On the contrary, the Aeneid embodies the opposite of homophrosyne as can be seen in the tragic relationship between Aeneas and Dido. Although the love between the two were apparent at first, Aeneas made no qualms in abandoning Dido when called upon by the gods to do his duty (Virgil, Book 4). The story of the tragic lover in terms of Dido, cautions the citizen readers that making the right decision in choosing his or her spouse requires a strong foundation based on trust to acquire a long and happy
As citizens, the importance of compressing one’s emotions is essential when making a decision. In terms of making the right choice, Achilles in the Iliad exemplified this action better than Aeneas in the Aeneid. When pleaded by his enemy, Priam, to return the body of Hector to the Trojan people, Achilles suppressed his anger and allowed the body of Patroclus’s murderer to return to the Trojans (Homer, Book 24). The Iliad ended with the main character choosing empathy over his prolonged rage. It sends a powerful message to the readers of the …show more content…
This was exhibited more in the Odyssey with Odysseus and Penelope, than with Dido and Aeneas in the Aeneid. Despite being apart for so long, Odysseus and Penelope remained faithful to one another due to their strong mental connection. It is the commonality of their minds and their kindred wits that demonstrated the homophrosyne between the two. This is exhibited when Penelope tested her husband’s knowledge of their immovable bed (Homer, Book 23). Throughout the Odyssey, the book stressed the importance of mental connection over physical attraction. Therefore, as citizen readers, choosing the right spouse should be prioritized to achieve homophrosyne in a relationship. On the contrary, the Aeneid embodies the opposite of homophrosyne as can be seen in the tragic relationship between Aeneas and Dido. Although the love between the two were apparent at first, Aeneas made no qualms in abandoning Dido when called upon by the gods to do his duty (Virgil, Book 4). The story of the tragic lover in terms of Dido, cautions the citizen readers that making the right decision in choosing his or her spouse requires a strong foundation based on trust to acquire a long and happy