Vergil's Aeneid: Commentary

Imitation of Homer

The first lines of the Aeneid are closely modeled on those of the Odyssey, verging in places upon paraphrase or even translation:
Odyssey 1.1-5:

a)/ndra moi e)/nnepe, mou=sa, polu/tropon, o(\s ma/la polla\
pla/gxqh, e)pei\ *troi/hs i(ero\n ptoli/eqron e)/persen:
pollw=n d' a)nqrw/pwn i)/den a)/stea kai\ no/on e)/gnw,
polla\ d' o(/ g' e)n po/ntw| pa/qen a)/lgea o(\n kata\ qumo/n,
5
a)rnu/menos h(/n te yuxh\n kai\ no/ston e(tai/rwn.

Aeneid 1.1-7:

Arma uirumque cano, Troiae qui primus ab oris
Italiam fato profugus Lauiniaque uenit
litora, multum ille et terris iactatus et alto
ui superum, saeuae memorem Iunonis ob iram,
5
multa quoque et bello passus, dum conderet urbem
inferretque deos Latio; genus unde Latinum
Albanique patres atque altae moenia Romae.
The first two words of the Aeneid, arma uirumque, which announce the theme of the epic, allude in different ways to the first word of the Odyssey, a)/ndra, which performs the same function. arma does its work through assonance with a)/ndra, uirum[que] by translating the actual meaning of the Greek word. Similarly Vergil's multum...multa translates Homer's polla\... pollw=n... polla/ and reproduces the effect of repetition. cano corresponds to e)/nnepe, though with the significant difference that the Vergilian narrator himself sings, while the Homeric narrator immediately calls on his Muse to tell the story. Both heroes are said to have come from Troy (Troiae ~ *troi/hs Homer's pla/gxqh (2) becomes Vergil's iactatus while ille is equivalent to o(/ g', terris...alto expands upon e)n po/ntw|, and passus answers for pa/qen (4).
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(12/17/95)