The characteristics of the Homeric epic are many and varied, but the key elements of the Odyssey and the Iliad can be narrowed down to two main things: attention about a hero (Achilles and Odysseus, respectively) and the need for that hero to reach kleos and, in Odysseus' case, nostos. Virgil's epic is inspired by Homer's epic, but since Virgil's motivations and goals are very different, the characteristics of his epic are naturally also different. The hero of Virgil's epic, Aeneas, shares some characteristics with the Homeric heroes but is noticeably different in that he does not want to reach kleos. Many of the qualities that characterize Homeric heroes are presented as negative in the Aeneid. These differences can almost all be attributed to the fact that empire plays an important role in Virgil's epic. He does this because Virgil writes a "history" of the Roman people from the time of Troy to the Pax Augustus to flatter the emperor Augustus. Furthermore, since Aeneas's destiny is to found the city of Rome and begin the Roman lineage, this directs everything he does in a way not found in Homer's epics. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay There is an element of fate in both Homer's and Virgil's epics, but it does not become overbearing in either the Iliad or the Odyssey because the heroes of these two epics are about other things too. The gods tell Aeneas to leave the ashes of Troy to found a new city. Juno says: "shall the Trojans reign in Italy? Then fate wills it" (I.57) showing the inevitability of Aeneas' success. This is his fate, and he could not escape it even if he wanted to. This is a heavy burden to bear, but Virgil makes it clear from the beginning that he will succeed by connecting Augustus' Rome with Troy and the followers of Aeneas. The entire poem is therefore extremely teleological. Virgil is writing from a point in Roman "history" that the reader knows will ultimately end up in Virgil's Rome. Jupiter's speech in Book I also provides another reason why the fall of Troy was regrettable but necessary: ​​"Troy will overthrow the Greek state, and sweet vengeance will her victorious sons call" (I.386-7), but this it can only happen once the Roman Empire is founded and established. Aeneas' progress is therefore also incredibly goal-oriented, to the point that he sacrifices personal happiness with Dido to obey the gods and continue his journey in search of a site for Rome. This is very different from the idea of ​​destiny that Homer expresses; Achilles knows that he is destined to die young and therefore tries to defeat Kleos in battle so that he will be remembered after his death. Odysseus' goal is to return home to Penelope to restore social order in Ithaca, but he is easily distracted; for example, he spends years on Calypso's island before the gods intervene to send him home. The needs of the empire are clearly visible both in the fact that Aeneas must found Rome to begin the Roman Empire, and in the fact that Virgil himself is writing his epic as a way to glorify the emperor Augustus and the peace he created from a potential civil war. The optimistic school of criticism sees the entire poem as a celebration and glorification of Rome and its empire, showing the need for Aeneas to put aside personal desires and found Rome. This is very convincing because Virgil glorifies the Rome he knew by explicitly linking it to the great heroes of the epic. O'Connell comments that the Aeneid can be read as "a simple apologia for Augustus and the Empire" (p.298). In book V of the Aeneid, the protagonists of the funeral games are given the names of great familiesRomans of Virgil's time to flatter them with the idea that their lineage went back to the Trojan heroes. Some readers see Aeneas as a personification of Augustus; They are both great leaders who successfully face the challenge of bringing peace and restoring social order after many years of unrest. Virgil's glorification of the Roman Empire by linking it to Troy presents an immediate problem: according to Homer, the Trojans lost the war. This means that the Greeks, presented as heroes in Homer's epics, must be transformed into enemies of Rome. The fact that they undoubtedly won the war and razed Troy could be glossed over by Virgil, but this would not be convincing because Homer's epic poems were well known. Virgil attempts to demonstrate that the fall of Troy was a necessary evil so that Rome could be founded: a second Troy from the ashes of the first. Aeneas could not have fulfilled his destiny if the Trojans had won the war. It is here that Virgil must depart from the Homeric epic: the qualities that characterized the Homeric hero are indicated by Virgil as negative character traits. Achilles' bloodlust and the degradation of Hector's body, which he dragged "three times around the walls of Troy" (I.677), have no place in Aeneas's character because he must personify the Roman virtues of moderation, self-sacrifice, and balance . Likewise, Odysseus is called contemptuously for his falsehood; heroic cunning and intelligence in the Odyssey have no place even in Virgil's romanized epic because the Roman hero should be sincere and win battles by being reasonable and reasoned, not by deception or fury. "A more just lord, or a nobler warrior, never drew his sword: observant of law, religious of his word" (I.768-9): this demonstrates both the moderation that the "wicked Achilles" lacked (II .118), and the truthfulness that Odysseus lacked when he practiced the "fallacious arts" (II.118). All the things that the reader has come to associate with the heroism of the Homeric epic (bloodlust, might in battle, strength, intelligence, etc.) are attributed to fury by Virgil, which is detrimental to the achievement of goals and something that only Aeneas' enemies seem to possess. Aeneas briefly succumbs to "unmanly rage" (II.810) when he sees Helen in the ruins of Troy, but is quickly restored to health by his mother. The Aeneid can be read as a "correction of decadent Greek models in favor of Roman pietas and imperium". (O'Connell, p.298) Turnus is a very Homeric character, and is therefore an enemy of Aeneas and Rome. He has aristeia (fury) and is full of bloodlust. He ignores the combat contract and "repel[s] the wretched corpse then tear[es] the shining girdle" (X.690) of the dead Pallas, which later leads to Aeneas's righteous anger and refusal to show mercy. Virgil makes it explicit that Aeneas' killing of Turnus is caused only by Turnus' fury. If he had shown mercy and allowed Pallas' body to be returned without being plundered, then Aeneas would not have seen the golden belt and would not have felt the need to kill him. Aeneas is the emblem of Romanity; He behaves with moderation and pietas at all times, except when temporarily seduced by Dido. The need for Aeneas to leave Dido and continue his quest to restart the Roman dynasty illustrates the needs of the empire; Aeneas puts the good of his followers and descendants before his personal desires by leaving Dido. It is very easy for us, post-romantic readers, to criticize Aeneas for the way he treated Dido, but this cannot be Virgil's intention: he never explicitly criticizes Aeneas' decision because what he did was right for Rome. Dido would have been seen as a barbarian queen and enemy ofRome, and its attempts to prevent Aeneas from fulfilling his fatum can only be seen as misguided; she is too passionate and possessed by fury. This is demonstrated by the fact that she is an excellent queen who "distributes laws... divides tasks equally" (I.713) until a "secret fire" (IV.4) burns within her and she falls in love with Aeneas, causing the construction of Carthage to cease: "the neglected walls fall short of the promised height" (IV.127). This can be seen as Virgil's direct criticism of the leader who grants personal attitudespassion to defeat reason and do good to the people. Dido is also criticized for her other non-Roman qualities: the Roman people would have expected her to remain single after her husband's death and not act on feelings for another man. Love is the antithesis of history, because it is timeless; it is the supreme ahistorical force, which seeks to arrest the progression of events or to initiate a completely different sequence of events, dictated not by divine providence but by the individual. desire." (Grandsden, p.45) Love clearly shows the demands of empire on Aeneas and, to some extent, on Dido. The idea that Dido is controlled "not by divine providence but by individual desire" is what separates her from Aeneas does not allow himself to be governed by his desires. Odysseus is lucky that his desires coincide with his destiny; the gods almost unanimously decide to help him home so that he can restore order of Aeneas to stay with Dido cannot be satisfied because it stops the construction of Carthage and delays his mission to found Rome. "City" (from the Latin "civitas") is the symbol of an entire civilization, of a nation and of a sense of Roman identity; therefore, it is imperative that Aeneas sets aside his own desires and leaves Dido to found Rome. Not all the characteristics of the Homeric epic are modified by the needs of the empire. Virgil wanted to surpass Homer but was too indebted to him to distance himself completely with Homeric qualities. The first six books of the Aeneid can be read much like the Odyssey: a similar journey, similar adventures and temptations along the way, and a sort of final nostos when Aeneas arrives in Italy. Books seven through twelve are very Iliadic in that the Trojans as an invading force parallel the Greeks in the Iliad, and the final duel between Aeneas and Turnus resembles the one fought between Hector and Achilles. The Aeneid follows a hero in much the same way as the Odyssey and the Iliad: other characters are mentioned and occasionally praised, but the focus of the narrator and the gods is primarily on the eponymous hero. As a character, however, the demands of empire make Virgil's hero very different from Homer's heroes, as explained above. In terms of literary characteristics, the very nature of the epic requires that Virgil follow Homer's example to some extent because the epics had not changed much. between the time of Homer and that of Virgil. The use of epithets ("pious prince" 1.146), cataloging, and similes (1.65) are common to all three epics, as is the use of classical language. It is difficult to comment in detail on the language of these epic poems because translations vary greatly. The main linguistic difference is that Virgil refers to all the gods by their Roman names rather than their Greek ones, perhaps showing his determination to build and develop what Homer began. The idea of ​​the final duel between long-standing enemies is very present in the Aeneid, but its characteristics are greatly modified. Aeneas fights only when necessary, and is diplomatic and much more merciful and calm than the Homeric heroes. Turnus' degradation of Pallas's corpse is very similar to Achilles' treatment of Hector's body in the Iliad,, 1997.