There are many similarities, as well as differences between the Odyssey and the Aeneid. There are obvious, and not so obvious similarities and differences.


One similarity in the Aeneid is that in the beginning the narrator calls upon a Muse (Dryden 73), and in the beginning of the Odyssey the narrator calls upon a Muse as well (Rieu 3). Another similarity would be that both Aeneas and Odysseus shed tears when they hear of the stories about them. However Aeneas saw his story in an artwork. Odysseus was in the Trojan war, as was Aeneas, so as you can see both of these stories took place after the Trojan war.


There are also some differences in these stories. For instance, Aeneas fought on the Trojan side in the war, and Odysseus fought for the Greeks. The object of both journeys were very different. While Odysseus wants to go home, Aeneas is searching for the location of the city he was destined to find. The goals of their journeys are different.


Both tales were written by different people, the Aeneid was written by Virgil and the Odyssey by Homer. Virgil was a Roman and Homer was a Greek. Aeneas was the perfect hero for Virgil to use as a lend to found the city of Rome.


The Aeneid and the Odyssey have many things in common, as well as many things that are not as similar. Some of the similar and not so similar things are a little more obvious than others.


Dryden, John. Virgil's Aeneid. New York: P. F. Collier &Son Corporation,
1937.

Rieu, E. V, and Riu D. C. H. Homer the Odyssey. England: Clays Ltd, St Ives plc,
1946.