Greek Heroes Vs Roman Heroes

Introduction.

Greek mythological heroes, and Roman mythological heroes share similar trades, however are different in many ways. These similarities and differences can be identified when looking at the means for the creation of a hero, and a hero’s life. This essay will discuse the similarities and differences in Roman and Greek heroes by anylysing the primary and secondary sources they feuture in respectively. Firstly will context be given, secondly the secondary sources in which the heroes feature, and lastly the spefic Greek and Roman hero will be compared.

Context

Heroes.

Although heroes were not seen as gods they did enjoy the privilege of being divine or at lease semi-divine (LoCicero, 2008:3). Heroes are often admired due to their

Aeneas being a decedent from Troy and thus is he seen as an associate of the royal house of Troy. In the Iliad Aeneas is an important warrior in the Trojan war. However, Aeneas most significant role is through Virgil’s Aeneid, where Virgil made the arrival and settlement of Aeneas in Italy the main theme in his story. Aeneas was born near to tear, on mount Ida, he was given to his father Archallis at the age of five. During the Trojan war he lead the troops of Dardanian, but still under Hectors demands. (Ross, 2007: 36) The Greek hero: Odysseus.

Odysseys is known for being a hero from legendary Greek mythology. He lived in Ithaca and was also the king there, being the son of Laertes and Anticlea. He first featured in Homer’s epic the Iliad but his main feature was in the Odyssey (Griffen, 1987:45)

The primary sources in which heroes feature.

One can only understand the cause for heroes through looking at the epics which they feature in respectively (Sillk, 1965: 1). Both Odysseus and Aeneas features in the Iliad by Homer, but their greatest contributions are made for Aeneas, through Virgil’s Aeneid, and for Odyssey’s through Homer’s Odyssey. One can see the difference in Greek and Roman hero’s through understanding the creation of them (Trypanis, 1987:88)

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The Life of a Hero

The journey of Aeneas through

Virgil wanted to create a means for Rome. “The subject he finally chose was the legendary origin of Rome through the foundation in Italy by Aeneas of lavinium, which founded Alba Longa, which founded Rome”. (Williams, 1992:14)

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The purpose of roman heroes, which can be seen through the Virgil’s Aeneid is to give means to the origin of Rome (Sinnigen, 1965:55). Aeneas is thus appropriate, because Aeneas was excelled from Troy after it has been invaded by the Greeks, due to the capture of Helen, by Paris, and it was thus his duty to take his companions to a western land to find a city which would, as the centuries rolled by, achieve world dominance and civilize mankind ( Camps, 1967:33)

Virgil thus created the Aeneid to show Rome’s dominance to Greece, the characters from Roman heroes and Greek heroes are thus opposite to show Rome’s dominance. Homer however created the Iliad and the Odyssey before the Roman cavitation.

Homer and the Odyssey.

Odyssey, however did not have much of a reason for being written, it was Homer way of storytelling through a poem. Homer travelled and gained the story of Odysseus, and he create the verbal form of the Odyssey through this information (Beye, 1968:158). The Troyon war, and the heroes of it, was the myths(History) which people talked