Comparing 'Satire I, And Virgil's Aeneid'

In both Juvenal’s Satire I, and Virgil’s Aeneid, allusions to earlier literature illustrate a variety of different ideas. Their importance to the text is evident through the way in which they play on the conventions of previous poetry. Their use of allusion differs thought, with Juvenal’s references intended to debase other poetic forms, whereas Virgil intentions are to respectfully acknowledge previous epics.
The allusions to the poetry, and form of Juvenal’s predecessors in Satire I are primarily used to justify and explain his decision to write satirical poetry. The opening lines of his first satire mock Roman comedies recited by ‘this one’, and love elegies recited by ‘that one’, which shows an absence of importance in who the poets

It also has heavy influence on succeeding epic poets themselves. This influence is particularly noticeable in Virgil’s Aeneid, which adopts many of the themes present in Homer’s Odyssey and Iliad, altering them to fit and justify a changing Roman society, and embody traditional Roman moral values. The link between the two poets is established in the first line of The Aeneid, which introduces the subject of the poem, Aeneas, when Virgil writes, ‘I sing of arms and the man of old’. The arms represent the Trojan War depicted in the Iliad, and the man of old represents Odysseus’ call to the Muse to tell him ‘of the man of many ways’ in the Odyssey. Both poets call to the Muse in this way, but Samuel E. Bassett notes Homer’s ‘reliance on the Muse to tell the story’, whereas Virgil ‘invokes her aid incidentally and in connection with minor portions of the tale’. This connection is developed further with the events that befall the protagonists. In the same way Odysseus is cursed with storms by Polyphemus, Aeneas suffers storms called upon him as a consequence of angering Juno. Both heroes make similar journeys into the underworld, but Aeneas’ journey, although similar to Odysseus’, contains alterations that present the hero as superior to Odysseus. Even Aeneas’ entrance to the underworld is markedly easier than Odysseus’,

Allusions to the Odyssey provide the audience with a familiar tale, but one that can be adopted as part of Roman history through its notions of Roman morality, and its attempt to restore the population’s trust in Rome’s significance. In a similar way, Juvenal in his satires attempts to question why Rome has lost its sense of virtue, and angrily satirises the Roman vice. Through his allusions to earlier literature, he establishes a common ground with his audience, whilst also establishing his reasons for choosing the satiric form. This idea is contrasted with him envisioning himself as an epic hero, fighting against the negative change in society. The allusions in both texts serve to add depth of meaning, and also to illustrate a point; such as when Juvenal complains about the numerous times he has endured epic recitals. The contrasting use of allusions to epic, in particular Odyssey, is one that shows the unremitting dominance the epic had in society, and in many ways its malleable use in conveying different