odyssey and aeneid
odyssey and aeneidThe Odyssey’s book 11 and the Aeneid’s book 6 are very similar. In both of these books, the main character (Odysseus and Aeneas) is trying to get home. Odysseus is trying to get back to his home in Ithaca. While Aeneas is going to Italy to build a new home. On their way home both of them go to the underworld to seek advice. There Odysseus receives advice that he will reach home alone, if he does as directed. Aeneas is also told that he will reach home but with his crew. There Aeneas shall settle and build a home for his future heirs.
In the Odyssey, Odysseus crosses the Oceanus river at the end of the world, to reach the underworld. [11.1-13] Aeneas also crosses a river (Styx) to reach the underworld. [6.436-441] After reaching land, Odysseus performs a ritual of digging a pit, sacrificing an ewe and a ram, pouring milk, honey, and wine, and sprinkling barley. [11.23-36] Odysseus performs this ritual to allow the spirits to come up to him. Aeneas on the other hand has to make preparations for two rituals one to get into Dis (underworld) and two to get out. Sibyl a priestess of Apollo tells Aeneas that in order to come back alive from Dis he must bury one of his men that has died without his knowing it and he must find a golden bough of a tree. [6.235-239] Sibyl performs the second ritual (to enter Dis); four black bullocks, a lamb, a cow and carcasses of bulls are sacrificed into a holy fire. [6.336-350] After communicating with or entering the underworld, both Odysseus and Aeneas see a person that has recently died. Odysseus sees Elpenor (he died when he fell off the roof and cracked his neck) who asks Odysseus to cremate his body along with his gear and to mark the burial ground with his oar, so he can enter into the underworld. [11.51-78] Similarly Aeneas sees Palinurus upon entering Dis, he too begs to be buried so that he can cross the river and into Dis. [6.490-500] Neither Odysseus nor Aeneas is able to do anything for these men.
Now we see Dido (Aeneas’ old girlfriend) she has committed suicide. Aeneas tries to speak to her but she turns away. Dido is still holding a grudge against Aeneas for not marrying her. [6.613-639] Like Aeneas, Odysseus also meets a person that is holding a grudge against him. Odysseus meets Aias, he is still angry that Odysseus got the weapons that had belonged to Achilleus. [11.543-67] Aeneas then sees his father [6.929-942] and tries to hug him as Odysseus tries to do with his mother. [11.204-208] They are both unsuccessful since their parents are but images now, they no longer have a body. Aeneas’ father tells him the explanation of his lineage in Italy. Anchises describes what will happen to the future Trojan descendants. He points out the kings of Alba Longa- the city that Ascanius (Aeneas’ son) will build after Aeneas dies. Anchises points out Romolus the founder of Rome and Augustus the rebuilder of Rome after the civil wars.