journeys of Odysseus and Aeneas, it must be known that Aeneas is actually a hero in

search of his own soul while Odysseus is a hero trying to find his old life and in a sense,

his old soul. The Aeneid is very much of a spiritual quest, which makes it unique in

ancient literature and in contrast with the Odyssey. Only Virgil admits to the possibility

that a character can change, grow, and develop. In the story's earlier stages, the character

of Aeneas is obviously unsure of himself, always seeking instructions from his father or

from the gods before committing himself to any course of action. In the underworld he

sees a perspective of the future history of Rome down to the time of Augustus, and that

vision gives him the self-confidence to act on his own initiative. Comparatively, Odysseus

is driven though his journey beginning with apparent self-confidence and continuing with a

While reviewing the myth's fantastic journey, I wondered if Aeneas was great

because his fate made him great or was he great because he had the courage and

determination to live up to the role fate handed him? There is a side to Aeneas, I noti

does. He is sad, tired, always waiting for his father or the gods to tell him what to do.

country are fulfilled. The result is that the Aeneas we see at the end of the Aeneid is

superhuman. At the end of the story, with only his inexperienced son and two farm lands

But Aeneas always fulfills his duty to his family, to his country, and to the gods, even

Some common words found in the essay are:
Antinoos Antinoos', Comparatively Odysseus, Homeric Greeks, King Alkinoos', Virgil's Aeneas, Poseidon Eventually, Odyssey Virgil, Aeneas Aeneid, Aeneas Aeneas, Throughout Odyssey, western literature, family country, throughout journey, skylla kharybdis, father gods,
Approximate Word count = 1025
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)