How is aeneas different from odysseus

Achilles slew the Trojan hero Hector during the war and is the tragic hero of the Iliad. The major difference between these two heroes -- besides their allegiance to opposing factions -- is their sense of self: Achilles stands as an emblem of flawed self-serving, while Aeneas is emblematic of self-sacrifice.

Aeneas and Achilles are both mighty heroes. Achilles is often self-centred and egotistical, allowing his comrades to suffer in order to further his own ends, whereas Aeneas exposes himself to great dangers in order to protect the future of the Trojan people.

Why did Odysseus go to the underworld? Answer and Explanation: Odysseus goes to the Underworld in order to get important advice that will help protect him and his men once they leave Circe's island. What does the Aeneid mean? How is Aeneas a hero? Aeneas is described as a hero who is dedicated to his country and people, and stays loyal to his responsibilities. He heroically sacrifices his happiness and his love to Dido to the sake of his duties before gods and his people.

He accepts responsibility of bringing about his preassigned fate. Who does Aeneas see in the underworld? They see Trojan ancestors and great poets. Aeneas asks one Trojan where he can find Anchises, and the Trojan points them to a ridge where they'll have a better view of the Elysian fields. When they find Anchises, he. Is Aeneas mentioned in the Iliad? Aeneas, the leader of the Dardanians in the Trojan War, appears in the Iliad as early as Book 2, when Homer tells about the Trojan hero's parents, but his major exploits are in Books 5 and In Book 5 he fights with Diomedes, who overcomes Aeneas only when he throws a stone and wounds him in the hip.

In the Aeneid and the Odyssey , Aeneas and Odysseus both undergo a parallel journey with the ultimate purpose of returning home. Aeneas attempts to establish home after he has to abandon his Troy, while Odysseus returns to Ithaca, which he has left since the beginning of the Trojan War. In such a way, both heroes have a similar purpose, but they look in different directions since Odysseus is looking back into his past, since he wants to return back home to reunite with his family and to return his kingdom, whereas Aeneas is looking into the future, since he wants to establish a new city-state which could become the new home for his family and his people.

Therefore, Homer depicts a selfish and sentimental hero, who relies heavily on his emotions, his love to his wife, son, and his kingdom, whereas Aeneas is a hero, who thinks strategically as a statesman rather than a mere hero, who commits brave or outstanding acts on the battlefield or wherever else. However, the main sentiment of Odysseus as a hero is his selfishness because he regrets about the loss of his kingdom and possible disgrace for himself, if his wife remarries someone but him.

Instead, Aeneas embodies the Roman value of duty. He is given a task by the Gods, told directly by Mercury: to leave Carthage and found an empire in Rome. In this regard, Aeneas is also very different from Odysseus. Aeneas is pious and manifests his piety in relation to Roman gods. He obeys them without questioning them about their purposes or risks, which he may confront while executing their orders.

Instead, Odysseus disobeys blatantly to gods and he even dares to injure severely Polyphemus, a Cyclop and a son of Poseidon.

He does not just disobeys gods but challenges them. In spite of the rage of Poseion, he is determined to reach Ithaca by sea, where Poseidon rules, and he succeeds in his adventure. Such disobedience to gods is almost unthinkable for Aeneas. Such difference in relations of the main characters of Aeneid and Odyssey to gods reveals the attitude of Romans and Greeks to religion. Romans appreciated gods and were quite pious. At any rate, piety and worshipping of gods were essential attributes of a virtuous man in ancient Rome.

Instead, the attitude of Odysseus to gods shows the profound transformation in attitudes of Greeks to gods. Greeks started questioning and challenging gods like Odysseus and Homer just mirrored this trend that occurred to Greek culture in his epic work. His obedience to gods is the manifestation of his focus on his duties.

Hence, Virgil prioritizes public duty over the personal life and happiness of his hero, while everything Odysseus does is driven by his personal self-interest and strife for happiness. He does not consider much public interests. For example, he is the only survival from his crew that sailed off to Ithaca from Troy. He easily puts his companions at risk for his self interest and pleasure as is the case, when they sail by the island of Sirens. He seems to regret about the loss of his companions but he does not really feel grief or any remorse.

Customs were handed down by the gods, and were meant to keep men safe by giving them civilization. When men flaunted their customs and the gods, they invited retribution and chaos by placing themselves outside the ordained scope of humanity.

Moreover, if the customs are followed and proper respect given the gods, it is possible for man to live in harmony indefinitely. These differences in ethos are most easily seen when Virgil borrows a scene and transforms it to his own ends. For example, Virgil adopts the episode where Odysseus is washed up on shore and meets the Phaiakians and uses it to form the core of Aeneid I and II.

In the Odyssey, the episode begins with Odysseus on his makeshift raft, heading home after all his trials.