Aeneid and Odyssey - A Comparison between Aeneas, Achilles and Odysseus

When the Athenians were making their laws all 40,000 of their citizens were invited to the lawmaking process,whilst the Romans had a 300 man senate. Also the Romans had an easier way of becoming a citizen. Another way that they differ is that Athens was ruled by a council of 500 and the Roman empire was ruled by the senate and up until third century BCE Roman kings.The Roman Empire is far more superior to the Athenian city-state because of the more efficient government, better laws and more in touch citizens.

Both Achilles and Odysseus maintained hero traits; by maintaining their reputation as warriors who possessed qualities that were remarkable and required for their separate expeditions. Both of these men valued the people that came along with them on their voyage; but they are commanders in their own heroic journeys. They demonstrated leadership, strength, and godlike qualities. Achilles and Odysseus were confronted with external conflicts as well as confrontation with the world. These infamous men represented the ideal culture; they wished to uphold their reputation. Both heroes are not characterized as by their appearances, nor the influence they leave around the folks around them, but the actions that

In The Aeneid by Virgil, I identified similarities to The Odyssey by both having obstacles intervening to complete their journey. The approach Dido decided to take on Aeneas leaving the island I considered to be selfish because she is only thinking of how it would benefit her future. The drastic measure Dido arranged to killing herself over Aeneas was irresponsible of her because she had her kingdom to rule.

Compare Aeneas and Odysseus in Their Role As Leaders And Prospective Hero's? Virgil's 'Aeneid' and Homer's 'Odyssey' are two very different stories, told from opposing viewpoints: that of the Trojans in 'The Aeneid,' and of the Greeks in 'The Odyssey.' The two leaders, Aeneas and Odysseus, that feature are therefore very different in their approach to leadership. However, despite their differences they both rise to the challenges set to them as true leaders.

Rome and Athens were both superpowers during their time and paved the way for modern day western culture. There were a few things that Rome did better though including their citizenship system. The following reasons are why Rome’s citizenship system works better than Athens’. Firstly the Romans allowed a higher number of people to become citizens. The next reason is that Rome made sure that their citizens were playing a role in society. Lastly the Romans had a more organized and efficient senate than that of the Athenians.

The second comparison is the Roman and Greek Underworlds. In the Aeneid and the Virgil portrays an underworld which is very similar to the underworld which Homer wrote; “Aeneas and Odysseus both travel to the underworld in their own stories and their journeys have many similarities as well as differences” (Course Hero). Homer describes the Greek underworld when Odysseus is about to leave the underworld, “But before that could happen, the tribes of the dead came up and gathered round me in their tens of thousands, making their eerie clamour. Sheer panic turned me pale. I feared that dread Persephone might send up from Hade’s Halls the gorgon head of some ghastly monster” (The Odyssey). Virgil describes the Roman underworld when Aeneas is being

Odysseus, the hero in The Odyssey, and Aeneas, the hero in The Aeneid, fought in opposing sides in the Trojan war. Odysseus was the king of Ithaca and was arguably the smartest king and warrior in all of Greece, whereas Aeneas was a warrior from Troy whose destiny was to found the Roman race in Italy. While both men were highly acclaimed by their respective countrymen as heroes, they shared many similarities in respect to their background, their virtue and their struggles. However, amidst these similarities Odysseus and Aeneas were very different in their social status, their innate disposition and in the defining characteristics of their quest.

Both the Odyssey and the Aeneid describe the journeys of the two Greek heroes –Odysseus and Aeneas, as they struggle towards their goal through the crises and deadly situations caused by the wrath of the gods upon them. In the Odyssey, we see that Poseidon (god of the sea/earth shaker) has a grudge against Odysseus while Athena, god of wisdom, aids him throughout his journey. Similarly in the Aeneid, we see that goddess Juno dislikes Aeneas as he is destined to destroy the city of Carthage loved by Juno during his mission to find a new land- Rome, whereas Aeneas’ mother Venus aids him.

The second major similarity between ancient Greek and Roman civilizations was that their citizens voted on who to make their elected officials, however the difference was that each culture differed in their definition of a citizen. The Greeks only recognized native-born males having the right of citizenship, women and slaves could not be citizens and therefore could not vote. The Romans on the other hand, recognized foreigners residing within Italy as half-citizens giving them full legal rights but not the right to vote. Greece mostly voted into office people of middle- to upper-class citizens, whereas Rome only voted in the rich 10% of their population. Even though history seems to show that the Greeks were more fair by randomly selecting citizens to run for office, the Roman government specifically chose who would run for election similar to our political race today where the Republican and Democratic parties choose who will be there candidates.

The Greek Empire occurred before the Romans and when compared to the Roman Empire, seems to be modest, not as great. The Greeks did not have as much conquered lands, which lessens their power. What they did have conquered was divided into parts amongst different rulers, who were constantly at war with each other, lacking the peace that Pax Romana had. The conquered Greek lands did not have a chance to civilize as one great empire as the Romans had.

The Greek heroes Achilles and Odysseus both embody strong characteristics classically found in Greek mythology, but this doesn’t mean they don’t possess flaws like mortal men. While Achilles and Odysseus are different in lineage, one being a demigod and the other a mortal, they still share similar attributes. Both of the heroes are prideful and selfish in nature and allow their arrogance to stunt their growth as individuals believing they are above showing humility for their actions. Another similarity they share that I find admirable is the endless amount of courage and sheer determination they possess as they fearlessly face danger head-on. In contrast, both heroes differ greatly in their strengths; in battle Achilles uses his physical strength to his advantage while Odysseus relies on his intelligence and wit, often outsmarting his opponents. Another significant difference between the two men is their differing view towards the Trojan War. Achilles is driven by his anger and hatred of Paris and impulsively reacts in a self-destructive manner, whereas Odysseus is the complete opposite of Achilles, as he takes control of the situation using logic and rational thinking to solve his problems.

The Greeks and the Romans were two empires with similar goals, but contrasting government control. Within Greece were the Spartans and Athenians, which had two diverse governmental bodies. The Spartans were ruthless and focused on military success, while the Athenians lived off of a democracy and let their people decide what was best for the state. Close by were the Romans, who cared for their people liked the Athenians, but made acquiring land a necessity as to the Spartans. Although the Spartans, Athenians, and Romans were made up of different laws and government, they still kept control over their people for centuries to come.

Rome's government was more organised than Athens for many reasons. The pictures in document E and F show that rome was more organized because they held meetings in buildings and they were not roaming around while Athens held their meetings outside and people roamed around freely. Rome was organized and not roaming around they were sitting down, listening, and speaking when they were aloud to. Rome also met in buildings while athens met outside meaning they were sometimes stopped by weather and could easily be disrupted. Athens Allowed citizens to show up while Rome did not.

A comparison of Homer’s Achilles and Virgil’s Aeneas brings up the question concerning what makes someone an epic hero. Although each poet lived in a dramatically different time period, with different literary integrity, Homer and Virgil each portray an epic hero using different development of the characters, but similar themes and influences. Achilles and Aeneas demonstrate that an epic hero will do whatever it takes to fulfill their duties while simultaneously displaying the difference between Greek and Roman Society. The question will be answered by first, analyzing the individual characteristics of Achilles, a merciless warrior, and Aeneas, a civilized leader, then

Achilles and Odysseus are both epic heroes because they face their external conflicts or struggles with the world and fight as strong warriors. First, Achilles stabbed Hektor in the neck and then “…had in mind for Hektor’s body outrage and shame. Behind both feet he pierced the tendons, heel to ankle. Rawhide cords he drew through both and lashed them to his