Greek Epics - 873 Words

Greek Epics There are some challenges in each history period, and authors will create some heroes in their epics that reflect values of the culture at the time. By studying the hero’s actions and his motivations, it tells the society conditions and the civilization of that history period. Homer; the authors of The Iliad and The Odyssey; and Vergil; the authors of The Aeneid are two of the greatest writers in ancient western civilization. There are heroes in these three literatures to reflect the society and culture: Achilles, Odysseus and Aeneid. The Iliad and the Odyssey are two of the oldest ancient literatures by Homer in around 8th century B.C. (Homer, 2012). According to Redfield (1975), â€Å"the culture portrayed in Homer’s works†¦show more content†¦Aeneid was written by one of the greatest Roman poet Virgil in 79-19 BC. The story is about a legendary of a Trojan, Aeneas. Due to the fall of Troy, Aeneas survived in the war was forced to leave the city of his birth and travelled to Italy. He was searching a land where he could build the city which becomes the Great Roman Empire and he became the ancestor of the Romans (Aeneid, 2012). The Aeneid was written in a period that there was a major political change in Rome which was after the fall of the Republic (Aeneid, 2012). Augustus Caesar, the adopted son of Julius Caesar become the new emperor and he established a new era by reintroduce the traditional Roman moral value. According to Steimnbrenner (2012) â€Å"Augustus wished to cement his claim to p ower in every possible way, and he did this in part by having Virgil bring the legend of Aeneid back to the hearts of Romans, reminding them that this claims was bolstered by his being a descendant of the Trojan hero and well as the legal heir of Julius Caesar.† Augustus used his power to create a literature in his own image to further his political agenda. He successful deliberate focus of Roman literature has fully aim with national epic. â€Å"The Glory that was Greece, the Grandeur that was Rome.† This quote is from a poem by Edgar Allan Poe, To Helen. The beauty of Helen reminds him of the glory of Greece which refers to Greek philosophy, art, science, literatures and etc. Ancient Greece’s art andShow MoreRelatedThe Ancient Greek Epic Essay1268 Words   |  6 PagesThe Ancient Greek epic is in part defined by the way it depicts the relationship between the gods and humanity, focusing on men made great by their connection to the divine, either by birth or virtue and merit. Heroes are heroes not only because of their strengths but because of that connection. 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