Homer's Odyssey and Virgil's Aeneid are both considered some of the most influential literature of ancient times. Written over six hundred years ago, it's amazing how they have so many striking similarities. However, an examination of why they were written can offer an interesting insight into the history of their times. Although Homer's Odyssey and Virgil's Aeneid share many similarities, including plot and characters, they each have respective differences. In addition to each author's different writing style, the Aeneid is used as a form of propaganda while the Odyssey is a collection of Greek myths and values. Although written more than six hundred years apart, it is evident that Virgil drew much of his writing from Homer. This is demonstrated by the similarities in plots between The Odyssey and The Aeneid. The first half of The Aeneid can be summed up as a wandering hero, like the story of The Odyssey. An example of this is found in Book 1 of The Aeneid, when Aeneas and the Trojans land in Carthage. Dido says to Aeneas “come rather, dear guest, and tell us from the beginning the Greek stratagems, the ruin of your city and your navigation” (1.1027-1029). She asks Aeneas to recount his adventures and thus begins the rest of the epic. Odysseus has a similar experience with Alkínoos when he says: "Now, by the same rule, my friend, you must not remain secret any longer... But come, now, tell me clearly, tell me about the seaways that you have traveled and the shores. you have touched; the cities and the men therein… Tell me why you should mourn so terribly for the Argives and the fall of Troy” (8. 587-617). And so both epics begin, with the main character being asked to tell his story. Odysseus and Aeneas have a...... middle of paper ...... in both epics, it begins by asking the protagonist to tell a story. These stories contain similar adventures like that of Odysseus and the Cyclops and the Trojans and the Harpies. Additionally, both epics contain similar characters, mostly gods, like Poseidon and Juno and Circe and Dido. On closer inspection, the epics begin to diverge from each other in their writing style. Virgil uses vivid imagery while Homer opts for his characteristic Homeric similes. The culminating difference between the two lies in why they were written. The Odyssey offers insight into Greek customs as well as common Greek myths, but because Virgil was hired by Augustus to write The Aeneid, there are multiple instances of bias and propaganda in favor of the Roman emperor. Ultimately, it is clear that Virgil drew heavily on Homer, but for a very different purpose..