the flawed odysseus versus the heroic aeneas - the florence newspaper

The Flawed Odysseus Versus the Heroic Aeneas

A fresh look on two classical heroes in an essay written by Kirsten Filarsky, for the course Italy, the Journey and the Self, Gonzaga in Florence, fall semester 2008, professor Gabriela Dragnea Horvath.

Literature is often used as historical insight into the period in which it was written, and often serves to document the society in which an author lived. In the case of Virgil�s Aeneid, and Homer�s Odyssey, we see the effect time and modernization have in the telling of a similar story set in the same time period, but written hundreds of years apart. Virgil had the benefit of using Homer�s work as a basis for his own, and also had access to knowledge and technology that was developed long after Homer�s time. Virgil incorporates this technology into his tale of Aeneas, which gives Aeneas a strong advantage over Homer�s Odysseus when it comes to his quality of leadership and ability to navigate. Another contributing factor to the differences between Odysseus and Aeneas is their author�s differing agendas. Homer wrote without a bias, and as a result, the hero of his story, Odysseus, is a real character who is prone to the character flaws of humanity just like the rest of us. This is in stark contrast to Virgil�s hero, Aeneas, who is near flawless and a born leader. Virgil was a writer for Augustus, and as a result his story is more of a glorification of the Roman Empire and their fate to rule, than it is an analysis of human behavior. It is a culmination of the authors� differing agendas and the mere fact that they were alive in very different time periods, which resulted in their poems being drastically different, aside from sharing a similar basic plot.

The character of Aeneas seemed to have had access to the same technology Virgil himself had access to, despite the fact that Virgil was writing about events that supposedly took place over a thousand years earlier; these details were clearly added as an embellishment intended to present Aeneas as a superior leader to Odysseus. The stories and events surrounding both Aeneas and Odysseus are happening simultaneously, however, Aeneas seems to have had access to a much broader range of knowledge and technology. While Odysseus is blindly sailing around the Mediterranean, landing in places only by chance, Aeneas is successfully navigating his way through channels and passing already named lands. Aeneas explains the ease in which he was able to navigate the seas with the help he received from one of his men, and his ability to navigate using the constellations and winds as a guide. Aeneas explains the techniques used by this man, saying, Studying the winds, he cupped his ears to catch movements of air; Observed the slowly wheeling constellations in the still heaven: bright Arcturus, rainy Hyades, Great Bear and Little Bear, Orion is his belt of gold (Virgil, p. 84). This knowledge of the constellations allowed for Aeneas and his men to map and track their location by gauging their distance and movement from one constellation to another, from one evening to the next. Not only did Aeneas have knowledge of the stars and constellations, but he also knew the cardinal directions and the effect winds blowing in a certain direction had on the ship�s speed and direction. Unlike Odysseus who simply based where he docked on chance, and essentially explored whatever land he might come across, Aeneas more often than not knew his location and used the winds to his advantage. For example, Aeneas explains, Now making landfall under the sound wind there, I plotted on that curved shore the walls of a colony... (Virgil, p. 65). While Aeneas can pin point directions and sail with the help of the winds, rather than against the wind, Odysseus is having to simply rely on a bag of winds, that once opened, will supposedly guide the ship back to Ithaca.

Another telling sign of Virgil attributing ideas from his lifetime to Aeneas�s lifetime is his description of the underworld. Both Odysseus and Aeneas have contact with the dead; however, Aeneas actually descends into the depths of the underworld while Odysseus does not. Instead, the souls come to Odysseus and appear before him without him having to transcend into the depths of hell. Virgil�s description of the underworld is more closely related to the Christian perception of the afterlife with a heaven, hell, and purgatory. As readers today we can infer that this is because Virgil wrote during a period closer to the time in which Christianity was first practiced, and that Christians incorporated Virgil�s ideas into their own perceptions about the nature of the afterlife. In other words, this notion of a complex underworld had not even been fathomed during Homer�s time, and only goes to further stress Virgil�s many historical inaccuracies and extensive use of his creative license as an author.

Virgil�s description of the afterlife is much more detail oriented and shows the cultural transition into the Christian belief that one�s life on earth is in direct correspondence to one�s quality of life after death. Aeneas witnesses the various punishments and varying lifestyles people must endure based on their caliber, merit, and virtue practiced in life on earth. By representing the afterlife in this way, Virgil stresses the importance of leading a virtuous life and exercising good character, if for no other reason than to escape punishment in the eternal life after death. Aeneas sees for example the luscious lands for war heroes, the deep abyss of eternal punishment, and the Fields of Mourning where he sees Dido who has taken her own life. Aeneas elaborates on Dido�s place in the afterlife, explaining, The Fields of Mourning came in view, so called since here are those whom pitiless love consumed with cruel wasting, hidden on paths apart by myrtle woodland growing overhead. In death itself, pain will not let them be (Virgil, p. 175). This idea of paying for your wrongs committed on earth in the afterlife foreshadows the power the Christian Church will one day have over people.

Homer on the other hand offers no insight into the afterlife and offers no explanations for what the dead experience. Odysseus does not see the place in which souls reside, nor does he witness any differential treatment in the afterlife based on one�s actions on earth. Homer gives the reader a much different impression of religion and death, and leads readers to the conclusion that during the period in which Odysseus lived, it was believed that people would be punished immediately, and only on earth, for their wrongdoing and discretions against the gods; so in essence, virtuous behavior was required in order to avoid the wrath of the various gods. Odysseus experiences this wrath of the gods when he underestimated the Cyclops�s heritage, and took his food uninvited, in accordance to, and a consequence of his sense of entitlement. In turn the Cyclops grew furious and attacked Odysseus�s men, at which time Odysseus plotted against him and left the Cyclops blind and outraged. Only after these events, did Odysseus come to realize that the Cyclops was son of Poseidon- and by that time he had already revealed his true identity out of pride and vanity. The Cyclops called to his father Poseidon and asked him to seek revenge on his behalf; he spells out his desired revenge telling Poseidon to, grant that Odysseus, sacker of cities, son of Laertes, who makes his home in Ithaca, may never reach that home; but if it is decided that he shall see his own people, and come home to his strong-founded house and to his own country, let him come late, in bad case, with the loss of all his companions, in someone else�s ship, and find troubles in his household (Homer, p. 151). Poseidon hears him, and Poseidon insures that the Cyclops wishes become Odysseus�s new prophecy.

Although Odysseus�s and Aeneas�s experiences and perceptions of the underworld and life after death are in stark contrast to one another, they do share some similarities; similarities which can easily be inferred as a result of Virgil using The Odyssey as a basis for his own work. By incorporating experiences specific to Odysseus�s tale, and tailoring them to fit Aeneas, Virgil makes an attempt to bring Aeneas�s journey back into historical context by creating an undeniable parallel between the men�s journeys. A good example of this is the fact that both Odysseus and Aeneas have one God for a parent; Odysseus is the son of Zeus and Aeneas the son of Venus. During both men�s encounter with the souls from the underworld, they encounter their deceased parent who is not of Godly origins. Their parents give them advice and comfort, and give them the confidence and will to persevere that only a parent can instill. The soul of Odysseus�s mother appears and urges Odysseus to return home and assume his responsibilities as both king and head of his family. Because Odysseus has been away for so long he was unaware of his mother�s death, which she explains to him saying, shining Odysseus, it was my longing for you, your cleverness and your gentle ways, that took the sweet spirit of life from me (Homer, p. 173). Odysseus discloses his heartache when he relays his reaction to the situation, saying, So she spoke, but I pondering it in my heart, yet wished to take the soul of my dead mother in my arms. Three times I started toward her, and my heart was urgent to hold her, and three times she fluttered out of my hands like a shadow or a dream, and the sorrow sharpened at the heart within me... (Homer, p. 173).

Although Aeneas was aware of his father�s death, and knew the circumstances behind it, their encounter shares many similarities to Odysseus and his mother�s. Odysseus is a war hero who is distracted by pride and curiosity, but his mother reminds him of his responsibilities in Ithaca and the immediate need for him to return home. Although Aeneas�s responsibilities are much greater, and he must follow his fate of establishing the Roman Empire, his encounter with his father�s soul holds similar meaning to Odysseus�s- the love and respect for a parent cultivates a relationship in which parental advice and demands are of utmost importance. Just like Odysseus, Aeneas wants to embrace his father, and says to him, .. let me have your hand, let me embrace you, do not draw back (Virgil, p. 184), and just like Odysseus, there he tried three times to throw his arms around his father�s neck, three times the shade untouched slipped through his hands, weightless as wind and fugitive as dream (Homer, p. 184). Despite the fact that Odysseus and Aeneas are on two completely different journeys, one a war hero and one destitute, one a Greek and one a Trojan, they have their humanity and allegiance to their parents in common.

In general however, Odysseus and Aeneas are incongruent in their goals and perceptions of what a good leader should encompass. Due to their dramatically different situations, their quality of leadership varies dramatically. Odysseus is a Greek king who has just helped to lead his people to victory in the Trojan War. From a reader�s perspective, he is at his peak and has achieved the ultimate standing in life. He is leaving Troy a victorious war hero and has his family and position of King of Ithaca to return home to. However, it quickly becomes apparent that although Odysseus possesses all the skills necessary to be successful on the battlefield, he lacks the maturity and knowledge to be a good leader off of it. He is cocky from victory and is constantly wanting more- he chooses his needs over the needs of his men, and satiates his curiosity at the expense of his men�s lives. Instead of returning to Ithaca straight away, and assuming his responsibilities of a king and father, he wanders and is driven by his sense of entitlement and importance for having won the war. For example, Odysseus and his men stop at the country of the lawless outrageous Cyclops... each one is the law for his own wives and children, and cares nothing about the others (Homer, p. 140). Despite knowing that the people in this land were not accustomed to Greek tradition, and lived by a completely different set of beliefs, Odysseus ignored this, and carried on like he would have back in Ithaca (although we already know he later paid a high price for his actions). He expected to be warmly relieved and showered in hospitality and gifts, and even after eating the Cyclops food uninvited, he tells his men that they must stay so that he may receive gifts.

As a leader Odysseus should have led his men back to safety while he still could, however he didn�t, and even admits: From the start my companions spoke to me and begged me to take some of the cheeses, come back again, and the next time to drive the lambs and kids from their pens, and get back quickly to the ship again, and go sailing off across the salt water; but I would not listen to them, it would have been better their way, not until I could see him, see if he would give me presents (Homer, p. 143). Even knowing that the land of the Cyclops was far different from his own, and much more primitive in nature, was not enough to make him put his pride aside in exchange for his men�s safety.

Aeneas on the other hand is quick to avoid danger and feels no shame in doing so. He is a rational leader, who will not let his pride and dignity get in the way of bringing his people to safety. Although he has just lost the Trojan War and watched his city of Troy fall, he is in no hurry to excercise dangerous behavior in order to regain his pride. We can attribute this level-headed approach taken by Aeneas, to Virgil�s overarching goal of creating a history for the Roman Empire in which the ideal hero and leader was the founder. When he and his people come to the land of the Cyclops they are greeted by one of Odysseus�s men who was forgotten and left behind. He relays the story of what happened to his fellow Greeks soldiers and begs Aeneas to take him with them and leave immediately. Aeneas did not question the man, but instead knew that he must take this seriously and protect his people at all costs. He lets the Greek man board his ship and then leaves immediately. Aeneas did not risk his people�s lives at the expense of his curiosity or loss of pride for taking advice from a Greek. Instead, he is cautious, and luckily so, because as Aeneas explains, We cut our hawsers, launched, and put our backs into a racing stroke... Out of the mountains, poured the Cyclops tribe to crowd the bay and shoreline: we could see them standing there, each with his awful eye in impotent rage... (Virgil, p. 89). Had Aeneas stayed and investigated the Greek�s story like Odysseus might have very possibly done, he and his people would no doubt have been the Cyclops next meal.

It is important to reinforce yet again, that lthough Aeneas is clearly represented as a flawless hero and leader, it is important to remember that Virgil was writing for an agenda, and was employed by Augustus, a Roman emperor. Virgil therefore created Aeneas as the embodiment of the ideal Roman, and essentially wrote a glorified history of the Roman Empire. Homer on the other hand, was not under the same pressure, and was free to create a dynamic hero whose internal journey was more important than his external journey. The story was passed down through oral tradition, so a flawed Odysseus was already in existence, and Homer did not have to worry about offending the Greeks with an imperfect war hero. Giving the illusion of perfection was of little importance in comparison to conveying the human capacity for internal growth and maturation. Ironically for Virgil, it is our interest in and ability to identify with this human capacity for change that keeps us more interested in Odysseus that Aeneas, and continually makes us willing to forgive his faults.

Although the majority of people in society will never be in a leadership position like that of Aeneas or Odysseus, we can all relate to their personal journeys and their psychological growth as a result of their experiences. This idea of a personal journey is more applicable and obvious in the character of Odysseus; he makes multiple mistakes as a leader, but learns from them, and only becomes a good leader over time, through trial and error. When analyzing the characters of Aeneas and Odysseus, it is easy to criticize Odysseus and judge his decisions because his mistakes are so very blatantly obvious. The reality though is that the majority of us are much more similar to Odysseus than we are to the nearly flawless Aeneas. As humans, we learn not only through example, but also through our experiences, the bad and good, pleasant and unpleasant. The road to maturity is really a journey, with multiple stops along the way, and many decisions to be made. The ability to make good decisions is a learned skill that is perfected overtime as we discover the consequences of our actions and come to realize what we desire out of life. Regardless of Virgil�s efforts to create a superior hero to Odysseus in order to represent Roman history, readers of all kinds still identify more with Odysseus�s journey and appreciate the fact that although a king and a great war hero, he is human, just like the rest of us, and is prone to error and skewed judgment as well.

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