r very much relying on the Homeric tradition while also developing an alternative interpretation of the aftermath of the Trojan War. The stories together provide a textured account of the preoccupations of Hellenistic culture. Attachments and hatreds of the Hellenistic pantheon toward certain human beings (Odysseus-Athene-Poseidon, Aeneas-Venus-Juno) do something to explain the fate of the human beings involved and the pull of cosmic priorities that can make life problematic for human beings. Odysseus's kinship with Athene can be compared to Aeneas's attachment to Aphrodite/Venusùthe two goddesses' rivalry with Helen having been a cause of the Trojan War in the first place.
The voyages of Odysseus and Aeneas from Troy can be directly compared in a variety of ways. The progress of each voyage is a story of homeward travel, although Odysseus is going to reclaim and reestablish a stable home life, while Aeneas is setting out to claim new territory in order to
...