Aeneas Physical pilgrimage to Italy was as important to him as it was for

Odysseus to Ithaca. Allegorical pilgrimage is similar to that of Odysseus. He seemed to

lose track of his destiny particularly during his relationship with Dido in Carthage.

Similarly Odysseus reflected that same lose of connection while he stayed at Calypso

Island.

We learned from the story that the value Aeneas places on his family is

particularly evident in the scene which he escorts his father and son out of Troy, bearing

his elderly father on his back. He behave no less honorable towards the gods, always

seeking to find out their wishes and conform to them as fully as possible. His ability to

accept his destined path despite his unhappiness in doing so, makes him a grateful hero

and worthy of the honor of the gods deposited upon him. His pilgrimage never loses

connection with spirituality. Aeneas was continually enriching his spirituality and

reminded by the gods his duty. His words to Dido in books four and six expressed his

commitment to obey fate rather than indulge his feeling of genuine romantic love.

Aeneas’s self personal investment in the future of Rome increased as the story

progressed. The events of book five , in which the Trojans sail away from Carthage

toward Italy, and book six, in which Aeneas visited his father in the realm of the death,

depict Aeneas’s growth as a leader. In book five, he showed his sympathy for the

affliction of others by allowing the impaired and unwilling to stay behind. He also grows

in compassion in the underworld when he observed the lot of the unburied dead. He

carried these lessons into the war that followed, taking care to ensure the proper burial of

both ally and enemy. Whereas, Odysseus was often self investing on his fame and glory.

Sometimes his glory-seeking got in the way of his home-seeking. As when he waited too

long in the cave of polyphemus, enjoying free milk and cheese he found, and was trapped

there when the Cyclops returned. Ultimately Odysseus’s love of glory prompted him to

revealed his identity to the Cyclops and brought Poseidon’s anger down on him.

The value of transformation is a criteria about the transformation a person

experience along their journey to a destination. Is about how could every moment of that

journey bring a new experience, the new surroundings that could compelled an

unconscious change within a person in all senses. Analyzing Aeneas and Odysseus might

bring us to a quick judgment, where we could place them into different categories.

Aeneas obeys fate, while Odysseus fights fate. This criteria could be look at in different

perspectives. Aeneas obeying fate does not necessarily means that he was not being

transformed or deeply touched by the experiences along his journey. Likewise, Odysseus

fighting his fate does not mean either that he did not appreciate experiences along his way

neither could this contribute to his transformation. From the story we learned that

Aeneas was chosen to survive the siege of Troy and to lay the foundations in Italy for the

glory of the Roman Empire. However, Aeneas as a Trojan leader attempted to incorporate

the idea of his own destiny into his actions. We could relate his actions to the willingness

of being transformed, to be altered or touched as when he took care of the proper burial of

the ally as well as the enemy.

Odysseus on the other hand although he constantly fight his fate, there are only segments

of transformation within him throughout the story . His confidence in his authority, and

his quick thinking helped him out of very tough situations. Nevertheless, this also

contributed to his arrogance in challenging Poseidon when he revealed his identity to

Polyphemus. He was told by Poseidon that men without the gods are nothing. By the end

of the story he seemed to be some how touched or transformed. When he was disguised

as a beggar, he does not immediately react to the abuse he received from the suitors,

instead he endures until he putted his plan into action. This scene showed that Odysseus

was much more willing to temper his pride with patience giving us a sense of

transformation within him.

Another criteria is valuing the journey as well as the arrival. Both characters,

Odysseus and Aeneas placed value in their journey as well as the arrival. The different

relationships they developed along the way, the adventures, and the situations they

encountered, were part of their legacy. Although it seems that all that matter to them was

getting to their destination, it was not completely so. In scenes where poseidon told

Odysseus that “men without the gods are nothing”, we get a sense that it was important

for Odysseus to experience different situations, to grow, to be able to understand the

world around him better. The journey itself served as learning experiences for both heroes

to be able to achieve their goals at the end of their story.

The last criteria is about valuing the community. Throughout the two story both

heroes reflected their sense of community. Aeneas and Odysseus looked after their

people and support them along their travels. Both characters demonstrated a sense of

belonging and the discipline on valuing community. Xenia, the guess friendship

hospitality custom that not only The Odyssey but also The Aeneid practiced emphasize

the value that both stories placed on citizenship.

After analyzing every Donnelley criteria and trying to fit Odysseus and Aeneas in

each one of them, we could them more clearly define in which category they belong to, a

pilgrim, a tourist and/or a hybrid. Just judging by the reading and not considering the

authors interpretations or the era where this characters belong to, we can conclude that

Aeneas has exhibit in every aspect its pligrim characteritics. His compassion for the

suffering of others, his devotion to his duty, his self-awareness and the significance of

valuing the internal are some of the aspects of someone who is interested in divesting in

others. The investment of time and energy helping others that Aeneas reflected

throughout the story is what places him in the category of a pilgrim.

In spite of the fact that Odysseus has also illustrate pilgrim characteristics, likewise at a

certain degree has shown those characteristic as of a tourist. He was often found self

investing in what people could rely their memories on, his glory, his fame and admiration

of others. The same way for the tourist whose memories or experiences need to be

entrusted to paper and other perishables because they are not consecrate in the heart.

Therefore, Odysseus is hybrid, because his character intertwined both category

interchangeably at some parts of the story.