Essay - There are Startling Similarities in the Two Epics: Odyssey by...

There are startling similarities in the two epics: Odyssey by Homer and Aeneid ***** Virgil. Essentially, both works are about the triumphs of good over evil. The similarities are in how the narratives proceed. The protagonists Odysseus in Odyssey ***** Aeneas ***** Aeneid go through incredible hardships. Prominent in these stories are very similar descriptions of journeys through Hell before salvation is achieved. Interwoven in their lives are instances ***** fantasy. The struggle of ***** over ***** is seen at different levels. At a global level, our heroes struggle against evil. At a personal level, Odyssey and Aeneas have to dig down deep in***** themselves and fight any negativity and self-doubt that will certa*****ly result in ***** downfall. In the end, both ***** triumphant. It *****refore seems that Virgil, whose work came after Homer's has borrowed liberally while providing a different context from Odyssey.

***** story of Aeneus begins with the annexation of Troy by the Greeks. *****, h***** father Anchises, son Ascanius ***** the remaining Trojans, defeated in the war are headed for Italy assured by the *****ds ***** a glorious future awaited him in Italy. After encounter*****g ferocious storms and losing his fa*****r Aeneas reaches Italy. In Italy, Aeneus' father requested an audience with him in a dream. An old priestess Sybil guides him on this journey ***** Hades. Various monsters and horrors crowd the antechamber to Hell. ***** is ferried by Charon, past Cerebus the three headed dog. He also encounters people from his life including Dido his lover. Eventually, Aeneas meets his ***** at Elysian Fields the heaven-part of the after*****. Here Aeneas is presented ***** ***** portent that his gr*****children will be the *****efa*****rs of the Roman Empire. Aeneus emerges from hell energized. He ***** m***** violent upheavals in Italy but overcomes them all—his experiences in Hades serving as a reminder when he became dispirited. (Poschl, 1962)

Now compare ***** story to that ***** Odysseus. ***** is on the winning side of ***** Trojan War. But he is impri*****ed on t***** island of Ogygia ***** the temptress Calypso. In his absence, his beloved wife Penelope and son Telemachus face hardships in Odysseus' homeland of Ithaca. The Odyssey is the Odysseus' journey back to *****. On the way Circe tempts him. To escape her, Odysseus has ***** go through Hades. ***** *****, Odysseus is constantly confounded by the spectral v*****ions of ***** ghosts of ord*****ary men who have suffered eternal damnation. The people ***** Odysseus encounters in Hades—*****od and evil—read like a who's who of Greek Mythology. Some people are those that Odysseus has experiences with; some he ***** even killed. A poignant moment is t***** narra*****ive is when Odysseus ***** the ghost of h***** mother who he did not know had died. T***** spirits ***** the dead and his mother describe to ***** the occurrences in Ithaca. The implore him to hasten to ***** where he could sp***** his ***** who was still faithful ***** him; and his son desperately need his help. Odysseus rejoins