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Virgil's Invocation In The Odyssey

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The Greeks' invocation of the muses is a classic element of epic poetry that the Romans later adopted within their own works. Homer and Virgil both make use of this technique in their epics. The contrast between Homer's quintessential invocation in the Iliad and the opening lines of the Aeneid reveal numerous differences between the two epics. There is clear reference to Homer's work in Virgil's first lines and both openings establish the theme of the epic. However, there are multitudes of elements within the Aeneid's opening that establish the epic as a clearly Roman work while maintaining its declaration as heir to the Greek tradition. Virgil's introduction in the Aeneid goes a step further than Homer's by not only establishing the theme, …show more content…
Virgil writes "I sing" (Mandelbaum 1.1), which shows Virgil making a clear expression of individuality within the very first line of the epic. He then describes the central story of the epic and makes it clear that it is his intention to follow in the footsteps of Homer. However, Virgil does more than just express individuality in this opening. By not first making an invocation to the muses, as all other epics do, he suggests he does not need the help of the muses to write his epic. This establishes Virgil as a superior writer of the epic than all of those who come before him because he does not require supernatural aid. He does not need the help of the muses to establish the foundations of the epic and tell the central story of Aeneas. His invocation of the muses deals with an issue that no mortal could answer; he asks them to describe the reasons for the goddess Juno's emotions and states, "[m]use: what was the wound/to her divinity" (Mandelbaum 1.13-14). This suggests that Virgil thinks muses are unnecessary to tell tales of mortals and are only necessary for answers that concern things unknowable to men, such as the nature of the gods. Even with Virgil's inclusion of this invocation it seems as if he simply makes it out of tradition because it does not contain an essential element to the story he does not mention earlier. The way Virgil writes the invocation also makes it so it cannot be construed as a limit to his ability as a writer, as it deals with answers unknowable to any mortal. This is a significant break from the tradition of the Greek epics, where each epic begins with an invocation to the muses. A possible reason for the difference, besides Virgil's ego, is the different ways in which they were composed. Greek epics, such as the Iliad, were passed down orally, while the Aeneid was created as a written composition.

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