It's true that Aeneas' wanderings in the beginning of the poem are reminiscent of the same perils that Odysseus faced on his journey home to Ithaca, such as Aeneas' encounter with the Harpies (3:245) and the Cyclopes (3:760). ... At first all of these similarities may appear to be a poorly veiled appropriation of Homer's epics, but that is far from the actual purpose of Virgil's epic. Virgil seeks to reveal the true reason for the Trojan War and Aeneas' journey to Italy to found the predecessor to Rome. ... However, as Anchises describes "the glory that awai...

• Word Count: 707
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate