The Underworld and How It Reflects the Goals and Realities...

The Underworld and How it Reflects the Goals and Realities of Virgil and Homer Two epic poems from two great civilizations depict their authors varying views of the Underworld: The Odyssey and The Aeneid. The Greek poet Homer describes the hardships of Odysseus and his struggle to return home to his beloved wife and family after the Trojan War in The Odyssey. The Roman poet Virgil composed The Aeneid for the first emperor of the Roman Empire, Caesar Augustus, in order to rebuild Rome after the civil war had ended. The Aeneid portrays a demigod, Aeneas, whose mission is to create a grand city that will be known as Rome. This paper analyzes the differences and similarities in how Virgil and Homer view the Underworld in The Odyssey†¦show more content†¦The Odyssey emphasizes the barren and sad nature of the Underworld, showing that the Greeks believe that death is the end of lifes happiness. Odysseus mother explains to Odysseus why he cannot embrace her: â€Å"The sinews no lo nger hold the flesh and bones together;/ these perish in the fierceness of consuming fire as soon as life has/left the body, and the soul flits away as though it were a dream† (Homer 6). From this statement, it can be inferred that the Greeks think that death is a great equalizer. The bad have it worse in Hell but they die like the good, feeling rather sad in not being able to live again. Virgil, however, describes the Underworld in greater detail through its sequences and in much more glorified details (Leach 120). In The Aeneid, every seat in the Underworld is a product of judgment on peoples lives (121). Virgil depicts Plutos dome, which has the roman vestibulum where official and honorable guests congregate (121). Virgil also describes the differences between the people of honor and people of sin in the Underworld. Sinners suffer in the cliff guarded by Tisiphone, where vultures eat their livers and experience numerous other forms of suffering. The Underworld also holds h eroes who continually fight their legendary battles: â€Å"Here found they Tsucers old heroic race,/ Born better times and happier years to grace./ Assaracus and Ilus here enjoy/ Perpetual fame, with him who founded Troy† (Virgil 6). Virgil is saying thatShow MoreRelatedThe Myth Of The Divine Comedy2390 Words   |  10 Pagesideas and has various definitions, running from a whole mode of thought to depicting specific stories. In this setting, I am alluding to myth to allude to the assemblage of customary stories from antiquated Greece and Rome: the wellsprings of Homer, Virgil, Hesiod, and Ovid. Notwithstanding, even that qualification does not answer the topic of what decisively about the myths has incited their persevering impact all through history, particularly in the humanities. A piece of the reason those myths