ROME and GREECE
Breanna Poole
When reading through the books required for the latest readings, immedailty I almost began comparing it to my knowledge of Ancient Greece's literature and stories. I didn't set out upon that path the moment I started reading it, but once I began picking up on them I almost couldn't stop noticing the similarities.
To begin with the beginning (which is a very good place to start I am told), the opening calls back to the epic poems by Homer. I don't mean this in that Virgil directly references passages or quotes Homer's versions of The Odyssey or The Iliad, but it starts the same way from a literary perspective. All three -- despite Virgil's being written many years after Homer -- begins in medias res, meaning that the story has already began by the time we the reader have begun reading the story.
It also carries over it's portrayal of Juno (or as Homer knew her, Hera) in the stories of the Odyssey, as vengeful and upset, the very reason for the war. This does make sense considering that this is a retelling and continuation of those same events from a Roman perspective, but it was not necessarily a necessary choice. Couldn't have Virgil simple have said 'Homer was wrong, this is what really happened'? It would have provided the Roman world with another version of the story, not consistent with the Greek version while still giving the Romans a tale of their strength?
This seems to be a direct example of the kind of respect that the Romans had for the Greek civilization. While the Romans are well-known for a special kind of arrogance that put them above others -- something the Greeks were not exception to -- the Romans held a special kind of respect for the Greeks in addition to their arrogance. The Greeks are still below them (as evidenced by the way they are treated within the narrative itself), but they also admire them enough to use tools and story threads from their civilization.
When reading through the books required for the latest readings, immedailty I almost began comparing it to my knowledge of Ancient Greece's literature and stories. I didn't set out upon that path the moment I started reading it, but once I began picking up on them I almost couldn't stop noticing the similarities.
To begin with the beginning (which is a very good place to start I am told), the opening calls back to the epic poems by Homer. I don't mean this in that Virgil directly references passages or quotes Homer's versions of The Odyssey or The Iliad, but it starts the same way from a literary perspective. All three -- despite Virgil's being written many years after Homer -- begins in medias res, meaning that the story has already began by the time we the reader have begun reading the story.
It also carries over it's portrayal of Juno (or as Homer knew her, Hera) in the stories of the Odyssey, as vengeful and upset, the very reason for the war. This does make sense considering that this is a retelling and continuation of those same events from a Roman perspective, but it was not necessarily a necessary choice. Couldn't have Virgil simple have said 'Homer was wrong, this is what really happened'? It would have provided the Roman world with another version of the story, not consistent with the Greek version while still giving the Romans a tale of their strength?
This seems to be a direct example of the kind of respect that the Romans had for the Greek civilization. While the Romans are well-known for a special kind of arrogance that put them above others -- something the Greeks were not exception to -- the Romans held a special kind of respect for the Greeks in addition to their arrogance. The Greeks are still below them (as evidenced by the way they are treated within the narrative itself), but they also admire them enough to use tools and story threads from their civilization.
Is that a "The Sound of Music" reference I see? :)
ReplyDeleteI really like your blog post!
You present a very clear comparison here that I really appreciate how you explained the similarities between Homer and Virgil's writing.
In those days, the Greek and (soon to be) Roman gods were all cut from the same cloth. The Trojans actually believed much the same as the Greeks. Gods and goddesses warred among one another. We already saw that with the Mesopotamian city-states and their patron gods. History has a way of repeating itself in so many ways.
ReplyDeleteI know we're supposed to enter who we commented on into the regular blog post, but my computer is being really funky and not letting me re-access the blog post again. So, I commented on Will and Moriah's posts. I know this isn't how we're supposed to do it and I understand if this detracts from my grade. Y'all have a blessed day.
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