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Brianna McGuire 4/13/2023 World Literature Professor Phillips McGuire 1 Essay 2/Prompt 3 The Aeneid is an epic poem written by Virgil, and it is often compared to Homer's The Odyssey, as the two epics feature similar characters and events. This essay will explore the similarities between the two epics to answer the question: Is The Aeneid a fan fiction of The Odyssey? It will discuss the similarities between the two stories, Virgil's inspiration for The Aeneid, and how Virgil makes The Aeneid his own. By the end, it will be evident that The Aeneid is a fan fiction of The Odyssey. The Aeneid is an epic poem written by Virgil, and it tells the story of Aeneas, a Trojan prince who finds his way to the Italian shores to find a new city after the destruction of Troy. This poem is unique as it portrays the trials and tribulations of the prince on his journey. However, many facts and analyses have shown that Homer's Odyssey inspires this epic. Homer’s, The Odyssey tells the story of the king of Ithaca, Odysseus and his journey back home after the Trojan War—keyword, inspired. Fan fiction is fictional writing written by a fan of a particular writing or show, and it features characters and specific events from that writing. An adaptation is a movie, television drama, or stage play adapted from a written work, typically a novel. Both epics have various similarities in telling the stories in each of the main characters' journeys; however, the distinction between the two epics can only be described as fan fiction because, again, the critical word inspired. Virgil’s inspiration for writing Aneid was Homer’s Odyssey , which makes Virgil a fan of the epic. According to Steinberg, Virgil makes a note of his inspiration for The Aeneid, “Virgil may have used… but he gave them his stamp. Even in the poem’s first words, Virgil announces his debt to Homer: Arma virumque cano,” which means, “I sing of arms and a man. Virgil makes

it known that he uses the Odyssey as a stepping stool for The Aeneid and makes sure that he pays homage. His inspiration and fan behavior of the Odyssey correlates with the meaning of fan fiction, and the only other part is that instead of using particular characters from the Odyssey, Virgil decided to mirror the main character, Odysseus, in his own

Brianna McGuire 4/13/2023 World Literature Professor Phillips McGuire 2 Essay 2/Prompt 3 Way and make a character very similar to him again in his depiction, this character being Aneas. According to the Internet Public Library, “ Both men had fought on opposite sides of the Trojan War, a war fought at Troy.” this is indeed true; not only do both characters fight in the Trojan War, but they are also royalty and are both going on a journey to fulfil a purpose and embody many more similarities. Not only does he mirror the characters, but he always uses the same structure used in the Odyssey. Also, according to Steinberg, “The Aeneid, like The Odyssey, begins in the middle of the action, tells a bit of the story, and then goes back to the beginning and continues to the end.” This is also true; the Aeneid starts when Aeneas and his men are caught in a storm at sea, then Aeneas meets Dido, then leaves, visits the underworld and migrates to Italy, where he has to fight to stay there. However, even though Odysseus and Aeneas are similar and have similar experiences in their journey, they are uniquely different. For one, Aeneas is displayed as duty-driven: "Duty- bound, Aeneas, though he struggles with desire… took the course heaven gave him and went back to the fleet.” (N.A. 1097, 520-526). The epic depicts Aeneas as obedient, loyal, and duty- driven. On the other hand, Odyssey is not duty-driven but self-driven because of his own wants and desires, which makes him selfish. He doesn't care about who he hurts and endangers in the end. This illustrates Virgil’s effort to make his own out of the inspiration he used as a stepping stool for his epic. Even though The Odyssey is indeed very similar to The Aeneid, Virgil finds ways in small details to depict his

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Brianna McGuire 4/13/2023 World Literature Professor Phillips McGuire 3 Essay 2/Prompt 3 own values and morals (Roman culture) in his written work, which makes The Aeneid even more of a fan fiction of the Odyssey. Again, while Virgil uses the similarity of characters and events from the Odyssey, he still makes it his own and adds a part of himself into the written work. In conclusion, The Aeneid is clearly a fan fiction of the epic Odyssey. The reasoning behind this is that a fan, Virgil decided to make his own written work using the basis, characters, and events of The Odyssey rather than making a film or production, which is an adaptation.

Brianna McGuire 4/13/2023 World Literature Professor Phillips McGuire 4 Essay 2/Prompt 3

Works cited Steinberg, Theodore L. “Chapter 3: Homer, the Odyssey and Virgil, the Aeneid.” Literature the Humanities and Humanity, Open SUNY Textbooks, 11 Sept. 2014, https://milnepublishing.geneseo.edu/literature-humanities-humanity/chapter/chapter-3-ho mer-the-odyssey-and-virgil-the-aeneid/. Lewis, Sarah. “Similarities Between The Odyssey and The Aeneid .” Similarities between the Odyssey and the Aeneid, 2020, https://www.ipl.org/essay/Similarities-Between-The-Odyssey-And-The-Aeneid-PCWQJNCT ZV.

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