Heroes of the Classical Western World, Essay Example

In the Odyssey and the Aeneid, the tales of the wandering heroes of Odysseus and Aeneas both convey the conceptual theme of being separated from home. This separation is accompanied by a journey home, in the case of Odysseus, and a journey to discover a home, in the case of Aeneas. Yet it is clear in both narratives that there is an importance conferred to the notion of home: it is the notion of a home, a family and a community that become worthy goals for both heroes. Accordingly, when focusing upon what may be considered the “lowest points” of their journeys, the most despairing encounters experienced by Odysseus and Aeneas are precisely those moments where the value of this goal is radically questioned, as individual subjective happiness is placed in antagonism with the communal life of the home. In the case of Odysseus, this is most clearly demonstrated in the narrative concerning the Sirens, in which the characters are drawn to an alien island where only despair awaits them. In the case of Aeneas, this takes the form of the episode with Dido, as his subjective love for the princess draws him to remain with her, whereas destiny ultimately determines that the home for his new empire lies elsewhere. Accordingly, both heroes experience a similar torment precisely in the moments when they are forced to radically decide between the community and the individual.

In the midst of his endeavor to return home to Ithaca, Odysseus stumbles upon the Sirens. The witch Circe explains to Odysseus the temptations of the Sirens as follows: “First you will come to the Sirens who enchant all who come near them. If any one unwarily draws in too close and hears the singing of the Sirens, his wife and children will never welcome him home again, for they sit in a green field and warble him to death with the sweetness of their song.” (Book IV) Hence, the Sirens are explicitly defined in terms of their negative relationship to the notion of family and home. Once one has been seduced by the Siren song, home essentially no longer exists. Yet the fact that the song of the Sirens is nevertheless “sweet” entails that there is a sense in which the abandonment of home and familiarity is also tempting. This particular challenge is significant to the Odyssey, precisely because it represents a direct antagonism to the primary aim of the narrative: to return home. In the form of the Sirens what is embodied is the very questioning of the worth of the community. The fact that Odysseus, despite being warned of these temptations, ultimately becomes extremely close to being seduced by the Siren song indicates that here Odysseus radically questions his own identity: is the individual defined by his family, by that which is closest to him, or is the desire of the individual that, which constitutes him or her? The notion that all those who eventually are seduced by the Siren song die and are rejected suggests that the value of one’s existence is ultimately carefully bound to a social community. The pursuit of selfish individuality inevitably leads one to perish. Despite being tempted by these notions, the fact that Odysseus is able to overcome them symbolizes his resolution of this existential crisis.

Much like Odysseus, the end of Aeneas’ voyage is represented in the image of a homeland. While Aeneas’s journey intends to found a new homeland, the aim is nevertheless similar to that of Odysseus, insofar as both narratives emphasize the importance of the home and a communal life. The greatest challenge faced by Aeneas is subsequently one that questions this very goal in the form of Dido. Aeneas’ tragic romance with Dido is the most explicit part of the narrative in which Aeneas questions the very merit of finding a new homeland for his people. There is a sense in which Aeneas wishes to remain with his new love Dido and abandon his quest. Yet this desire is questioned in the form of the apparition of a god, who states that remaining with Dido would be disastrous: “Son of the goddess, are you able to draw out sleep under this disaster? Neither do you perceive the dangers which stand around you herafter, fool….She revolves in her breast deceits and a dreadful crime, certain to die, and she rouses a changing tide of anger.” (560) Despite the apparent happiness he experiences with Dido, Aeneas is compelled by the godly figure to continue his quest. The abandonment of a search for a new home would be consistent with a disaster for Aeneas. He must overcome his own individuality and his own subjective desires in order to found the social community that he has been intended. Here, once again the motif of a greater homeland is that which properly defines individual existence.

Hence, both Aeneas and Odysseus are compelled by the aims of returning or discovering a home. The most dangerous moments of their respective journeys occur when the value of this very goal is radically questioned. In both cases, individual desires seem to threaten the realization of this goal. However, by ultimately overcoming these individualistic and subjective desires, both Odysseus and Aeneas convey the notion that a path of a righteous existence is consistent with a rejection of the ego in favor of a life within a home and thus in favor of a life within a greater community.

Works Cited

Homer. The Odyssey: Book XII. Accessed at: http://www.online-literature.com/homer/odyssey/12/

Virgil. The Aeneid: Book IV. Accessed at: http://ibnotes.tripod.com/Subjects/Latin/aeneid4.pdf