Homer’s underworld versus Virgil’s underworld
1. Why do the heroes have to perform katabases (descents into
the underworld)?
Odysseus is lost. The witch Circe tells him he has to speak to the shade of Teiresius in the
underworld to find his way home and to discover his destiny.
Aeneas is not physically lost but in a spiritual quandary having lost his father. Like
Telemachus in the Odyssey, Aeneas is at a loss about what to do next. He must speak to the
ghost of his father to find out and to come to terms with his destiny.
2. Where are the entrances located?
Both places are ethereal, magical and somewhat grim. Homer sends his hero across the River Ocean
to the edge of the world to the gloomy shadow-land of Cimmeria. It seems like it is a dead land
perpetually covered in mist; as if it is the upper part of Erebus. Aeneas finds the entrance in a
mysterious cave called Aornos (birdless) because the sulphuric fumes emanating from this volcanic
fissure kill any bird that happens to fly by. Lake Avernus is equally mystical, ethereal and somewhat
grim: the perfect location for a gateway to Dis but Lake Avernus actually exists near Naples, whereas
Cimmeria is most likely an imagined place.
3. How do the heroes gain access to the dead?
Circe imparts the secret rites of the mystical sacrifice that Odysseus must perform in order to
summon the dead just as Aeneas is guided by the Sibyl of Cumae. Both are witch-like figures who
seem to occupy and have knowledge of the threshold between life and death. There are religious
rules to death however. Like Odysseus Aeneas is directed to draw his sword to scare away the shades
of monsters and evil spirits. Like Odysseus Aeneas must sacrifice black livestock at night and make
prayers to chthonic (underworld) deities such as the Greek Persephone or Latin Proserpina: Queen of
the underworld. Aeneas must do more however to prove his worthiness. He must bury a member of
his crew who drowned whilst Aeneas consulted the Sibyl and he must retrieve a golden bough from a
forest as an offering to appease the dread Proserpina. This is particular to Virgil. Odysseus need only
follow Circe’s advice, which suggests anyone can do likewise but Virgil insists that only Aeneas is
worthy of the katabasis; a privilege not granted to everyone.
4. What do the underworlds look like?
Here there is a clear difference because Odysseus’ katabasis is unlike that of Heracles, Theseus or
Orpheus. Odysseus does not descend into Hades. Rather he summons the ghosts to its entrance and
so the Homeric audience is cheated out of knowing the geography and appearance of the world of
the dead. Virgil’s readers however are not going to disappointed. In fact before beginning his outline
Virgil even by way of apology asks the dead permission to divulge these hidden secrets adding fuel to
the fires of suspense. Virgil’s description of the Kingdom of Dis is so detailed that we can draw a
conceptual map or the Halls of Orcus, the River Styx, the fields of mourning in Erebus, the fiery pit of
Tartarus, the bronze palace of Pluto and Proserpina and the twin gates of sleep: the gate of horn and
the gate of ivory. Homer mentions all of these things but because Odysseus does not see them
Homer’s audience cannot visualise them. The Virgilian reader however can.
5. Who do they meet and what lessons are learnt?
Amongst the scores of ghosts that Odysseus meets four stand out for mention in this regard
because we can draw parallels with Aeneas’ katabasis.
The first character that Odysseus’ meets is Elpinor, who wanders as a lost soul between worlds since
he has been deprived of a burial. Elpinor reminds Odysseus that the living have a duty to give Hades
what is his in the manner he prefers: washed, lamented and buried. Elpinor is mirrored by Palinurus
in the Aeneid and Virgil reinforces the religious notion that the living are unto death and therefore
have a duty of care towards the dead; a duty that neither hero ignores.
Odysseus meets Achilles’ best friend Ajax who committed suicide in Troy after Odysseus convinced
the Achaeans to award him Achilles’ armour. Ajax refuses to speak to Odyseeus and turns away
showing Odysseus the grudges are borne by the dead for eternity. Similarly Dido’s ghost refuses to
talk to Aeneas and is seen walking away with her ex-husband Sychaeus reinforcing the same idea.
In meeting Agamemnon’s shade Odysseus is given a lecture on the blessings that a good and loyal
wife bring to a marriage because he was betrayed to Aegisthus by his disloyal wife Clytemnestra.
Similarly Deiphoebus’ shade lectures Aeneas on the same lesson as she betrayed him to Menelaus
during teh sack of Troy as he lay sleeping soundly. Finally Odysseus is met by the ghost of his mother
Anticleia who unbeknownst to him committed suicide in his absence. Aeneas too meets his father
Anchises. Bothe heroes attempt to embrace their parents three times and three times the embrace
the airy phantoms. The point being that death is final and there are painful consequences to one’s life
choices.
6. What are your impressions of the Homeric versus the Virgilian
portrayals of the afterlife?
Homer paints a bleak picture of the afterlife. When asked one whether or not he made the right
decision Achilles’ ghost essentially tells Odysseus that it is better to be alive no matter what the
circumstances because death is but an echo of life; an eternity devoted to remembering what was
and reflecting now on what can never be. It is a grim and depressing prospect to die in the Homeric
world. Virgil initially paints a similar picture. In the fields of mourning we find figures such as Dido
and Deiphoebus mirroring the sentiments of Homer but later on in Elysium we discover that there
is not only a heavenly realm in the underworld but even the chance of redemption through drinking
the water of the River Lethe and forgetting one’s former life in order to be reborn anew. This is at
least heartening and speaks volumes on the development of theology between the Augustan
period and Homer’s time at the end of the Dark Age. Remember that a generation from Augustus St
Paul will bring Christianity to Rome and have a similar view of the afterlife to the Virgilian notion of
souls being judged based on their actions during life.
7. Ultimately what are the motives behind these dramatic
inclusions on the poets’ epics?
It is important to remember that Homer had the easier task. He was composing an entertaining
story about and entertaining hero. His hero was a lovable rogue who was nonetheless possessed of
an unbreakable moral spirit and a sense of justice. He made his hero confront the dead simply
because it is exciting and generates interest in his hero. Who but a hero like odysseus could stand
to face the dead and live to tell the tale? What kleos (glory)?
Virgil however has a far more difficult task. He must honour Homeric epic without copying it and
also engrain within his poem Augustus’ particular brand of Roman propaganda. We may well ask
why Aeneas must descend into Dis to speak to the ghost of his father when that same ghost
appeared to him in Sicily, just as Circe seems to know the way back to Ithaca when Odysseus
returns to Aiaia to bury his comrade Elpinor? These are valid questions but ones that both epics
tactfully ignore in the interests of presenting their heroes as men who have stared death iin the eye
and lived to tell the tale. There is no more to Homer’s inclusion than that but Virgil uses the
katabasis as a means to mention some of Aeneas’ more famous descendants by name such as Julius
and Augustus Caesar (his patron) and impress upon the reader the greatness that was, is and will be
Rome. He can only do that if Aeneas goes down to see the unborn souls of his descendants. This is
Virgil’s true and hidden reason for having his hero perform a katabasis and in doing so we learn all
about the underworld; a place that Homer is either unconcerned with or simply doesn’t know
about. We have to remember 7 centuries of cultural and theological evolution separates the older
Greek poetHomer from the younger Roman poet Virgil and that the former composed primary oral
epics whereas the latter wrote a secondary written one.
The Character of Juno in the Aeneid so far versus Poseidon in the Odyssey
Whilst Poseidon is Odysseus’ prime adversary in the Odyssey, Juno is Aeneas’ in the Aeneid yet
there are differences between their characters and roles in the epics.
Just as Zeus shrinks from accepting responsibility for Odysseus’ suffering by reminding his surrogate
mother Pallas Athene in Book 1 of the Odyssey that Poseidon is at odds with the hero because he
blinded his son the Cyclops Polyphemus, Jupiter too places the blame on Juno’s shoulders who
hates the Trojans because she has heard prophecies and read omens that say a race descended
from Troy (the Romans) will one day sack her beloved city of Carthage in Book 1 of the Aeneid.
Homer thus establishes Poseidon as Odysseus’ adversary in the Odyssey from the beginning of the
epic just as Virgil establishes Juno as Aeneas’ at the start of the Aeneid.
In examining Poseidon’s role in the Odyssey however one draws a sharp contrast between his
actions and the actions of Juno in the Aeneid because Poseidon is only directly responsible for two
actions against Odysseus. Chronologically speaking he approves of Polyphemus’ curse and asks Zeus
to ratify it, which he does. From then on whatever trials Odysseus undergoes are as a result of that
curse. The only other time where Poseidon actually takes a personal interest in making Odysseus
suffer is when he shipwrecks him in Book 5 as the hero is happily paddling from Ogygia to Ithaca. At
this point Odysseus’ iron will finally breaks and in despair he wishes he had died an honourable
death in battle at Troy where at least he would have been buried instead of drowning at sea. A
parallel can be drawn instantly here between Poseidon and Juno because Juno likewise arranges a
storm to separate the Trojan fleet as they sail happily towards Italy in Book 1 of the Aeneid and
Aeneas likewise wishes Diomedes had killed him in Troy. In both cases the heroes are reaching their
goals and are stopped by their adversarial deity due to a grievance borne by the gods against the
heroes but here the parallels end.
Juno is a far more active adversary than Poseidon, which goes a long way towards understanding
the different motivations of the poets. Homer’s task is to compose an entertaining story about a
wonderfully mischievous hero. Virgil’s task is more complicated. Aeneas is leading a group of
refugees to found a race that will one day bring forth the Romans. Neptune does not offer Virgil the
adversary to Rome that is required. Virgil requires a nemesis for Aeneas; an adversary committed
with all her being to thwarting fate. He achieves this by choosing a different member of the Roman
pantheon as Neptune occupies a less prominent position to Poseidon in Roman religion. Virgil
presents a character that is totally at odds with that of the ideal Roman: Aeneas.
Poseidon is quite reasonable by contrast to Juno. In fact, by the standards of Virgilian piety
Poseidon’s actions against Odysseus are justifiable. We do not begrudge Eupithes’ desire to avenge
Antinous’ death in the Odyssey. No matter the character of the son, the father is a good man who
was wronged by the hero when he killed his son. Poseidon is no different. Odysseus deserves to be
punished for his hybris (arrogance). In a Virgilian sense Poseidon’s opposition to Odysseus is totally
justified and makes sense. Poseidon is duty-bound to side on the side of his blinded son just as
Aeneas is duty-bound to lead his people on for the sake of Ascanius’ destiny. Juno however does
not conform to the Roman notions of piety. In fact, she rather conforms to the exact opposite. Juno
is motivated by the antithesis of Roman piety: furor.
When we look at Juno’s actions in the Aeneid: how she bribes Aeolus to scatter the fleet in Book 1,
knowing as Jupiter has told us that he is fated to arrive there. We see her childish refusal to accept
fate when she hatches a transparently divisive plot to settle the Trojans in her city of Carthage by
marrying Aeneas to Dido and again we see her stubborn refusal to accept fate when she contrive
through the agency of Iris to persuade the Trojan women to burn the ships. In each case her plans
are brought to an end but the other gods. Neptune calms the storm in Book 1, Venus and Jupiter
dissolve Dido’s marriage to Aeneas and Jupiter personally quenches the fires on the burning ships.
One would expect Juno would learn that nothing can stop fate once Jupiter is decided but she
cannot see this fact because of her blind furor.
It is Juno’s furor that sets her apart from Poseidon who is no more than a convenient yet
understandable adversary to Odysseus. Juno however is motivated by blind fury, by irrational,
emotional vindictiveness caused by self-interest and pride. Aeneas presents none of these negative
qualities. He is motivated by a profound sense of duty to the gods, to his family and to his people.
He is rational, emotive and consequently seems cold and taciturn. If anything he is selfless and
humble in the extreme. Who better than a furious Juno to present is with the ultimate character
foil for our pious hero Aeneas? It is through Juno that we appreciate the greatness of the Virgilian
hero and accept his worthiness to lead the Trojans to a new home to create what will become
Rome. Homer has no such intentions for Poseidon. Poseidon is merely an obstinate obstacle to
Odysseus but one who nonetheless accepts fate thus we are told by Zeus that he always falls short
of killing him. He merely wants to see that Odysseus is duly punished for his hybris and that he
learns his lesson, which he does. It is important to note that it is none other than a reformed bad
guest who once blinded his host who doles out death and justice to the wicked suitors at the end of
the Odyssey. Juno does not seek to teach Aeneas and his people any lesson. She seeks to annihilate
them or at least stop them and put them onto a new destiny; something that we readers know to
be impossible because Jupiter has already read out the scroll of Aeneas’ fate at the start of the epic.
He also informs us that Juno’s raging will cease one day and she will calm down and see sense but
for the time being (actually between Books 1 to 11) she rages against Aeneas and his fate.
In conclusion, Poseidon is no more than a convenient adversary to Odysseus who as the sea god is
ideally suited to thwarting the sea-faring wanderer Odysseus. Juno however is a custom-made
nemesis for pious Aeneas and one who quite obviously suits the motivations of the Roman poet
whose mission is more complicated than that of the travelling bard Homer. Virgil’s poem is political,
so he needs a political nemesis. Who better than the Queen of Heaven to front the opposition party
to the pious government led by Pious Aeneas and supported by Jupiter himself?