Homer And Virgil: A Comparative Analysis

The dramatically different ways in which Homer and Virgil depict defining moments within their epics, perfectly sheds light upon the different intentions of between their epics. Even in spite of Homer’s work serving as a clear influence to Vergil’s work, the varying intent of the two epics lead to a completely different story. In essence, the purpose for Homer’s epic is primarily to entertain the audience, while the other is to serve as a piece of political propaganda and affirm the greatness of Rome. Furthermore, the different depictions of the underworld, along with the imagery adorned on the shields also communicate another key difference,which is the author’s perspective on the purpose of life. Overall, regardless of Homer’s influence

The Aeneid was commissioned by Augustus, the first citizen of Rome. Augustus desired to restore Rome after a brutal civil war and advocated for a conservative standpoint. (Williams). Within the Aeneid, the praise of Augustus’ values does not merely alter the plot, but rather it is the plot. Primarily, the Aeneid is a story about the fate of Rome, not Aeneas himself. It even could be argued that Aeneas could be replaced with essentially any other generic epic hero archetype to achieve the same effect. Aeneas as the individual is not of importance because he is solely a vehicle for the fate of

He has little care for his comrades, with the exception of Patroclus. Contrasting this, Aeneas is a placid and disciplined warrior. In the Aeneid, Aeneas is a venerable leader and a benevolent Roman. Homer’s did not idolize Achilles by turning a blind eye to his very human flaws, his actions have clear consequences. The raw, emotional depiction of Achilles is almost the polar opposite of the sober Aeneas.The contrasting intent between the two poems are heightened within the description of the hero's’ shields. Aeneas’ shield portrays the glorious accomplishments that future Rome will achieve.(Mastin). His shield solely revolves around the future of Rome. But Achilles shield is more cynical, it depicts what was occuring during the Siege of Troy and seems to mostly display the detriment of war. (“Iliad”).Considering that The Aeneid is political propaganda, it should come as no surprise to the reader that Aeneas’ shield caters to the Roman delusion that their empire is