The iliad or the odyssey?

Isis

Member
Which do you prefer, the Iliad or the Odyssey? I much prefer the Odyssey, but honestly it could just be because I read it first. I find it more interesting than the Iliad, even though the Iliad is good too.
 

ApolloPriestess

New Member
Both stories are wonderful of course but I kind of prefer The Iliad just for the insanely epic battles, Athena and Ares being my top favorite. I just like all the involvement of the Olympians in The Iliad; however, in The Odyssey I like how we get stories such as Ares and Aphrodite's affair etc.
 

Libros

Member
One is a war epic and the other is an adventure epic. I can't compare them, their flavours are different.
 

fibi ducks

Active Member
The Iliad is really funny. Like when Agamemnon tests the troops' moral by offering tyhem the chance to go home, and they're half way to the ships before Odysseus manages to get them to come back. But the Odyssey has lots of what I feel is sickly propoganda about what it is to be a good slave/wife/son. Maybe its real, but I seem to smell something fishy there.
 

Isis

Member
Well, that's a good point, fibi. As much as I love the Odyssey, I know if I had been Penelope, Odysseus would be getting an earful about Circe and Calypso!
 

Olsen

Member
Like Libros pointed out, I don't think they can be compared, as their only common point is that they're both ancient epics. The Odyssey is more complex, in my opinion, but the war scenes in the Iliad are absolutely mind-blowing. If I really have to choose, I pick the Iliad, just because I read it a few years ago for an exam...
 

LegendofJoe

Active Member
I never read it. What do you like about it?
Hi fibi
It is just such well-crafted story; part of it is gut-renching.
Aeneas just saw his city of Troy destroyed. In the mayhem his wife dies as well.
If this was not enough, that cosmic ***** Juno is still harrasing him because she is still stewing over not being picked as the fairest goddess by Paris.
He is forced to land at carthage where the gods connive poor Dido to fall in love with him.
He breaks her heart and is forced to leave her since it is his destiny to found Rome.
In the meantime you learn all about how Troy fell, wooden horse and all, mastifully told.
In the middle of the book you have the famous journey to the Underworld that many heroes must take in order to finish their journey.
The Underworld is better fleshed out than in the Odyssey.
This epic was commisioned by Augustus himself. Virgil wanted it destroyed if he died during taking a vacation, since he still was not happy with it and wanted to work on it some more. He did die!!!
But Augustus saved the epic from the flames.
I could go on, but I hope this wets your appetite fibi. It does not seem to be read as much as Homer nowadays, but it is probably the greatest masterpiece we have in Latin.
 

LegendofJoe

Active Member
I am glad I sparked your interest. You will not be sorry.

BTW I had lunch outside of Rockafella U. today. A duck came up to me to say hi.
I had no food to give him. I had just eaten it.
 

EyeofZeus

New Member
The Iliad and the Odyssey are so different in some ways. The Iliad has such rich language and visual imagery - the similes are fantastic. The description of the Trojan camp fires on the Plain of Troy is absolutely beautiful. The whole shape of the story and the tender moments mixed between the wildness of the battle is amazing.
For pure energy and excitemnet there is nothing like it.

The Odyssey seems more personal. Every time I read it I notice different things about Odysseus - the man of twists and turns. There are so many ways to think about the characters and their transformations.

Love them both
 

Abishai100

New Member
I think "The Iliad" provides a better exploration of the drama of human angst, while "The Odyssey" provides a better treatment of the emotional torments associated with the social aftermath of physical displacement. I like how in "The Iliad" we have to understand why Achilles' wrath represents fantasy strength, while in "The Odyssey," we have to understand, among other things, why the seductive words of the goddess Circe represent decision-making vertigo.

It's like comparing the seemingly similar Hollywood (USA) movies "Mystic Pizza" (1988) and "Fried Green Tomatoes" (1991). Since I like "Mystic Pizza" (1988) better for its treatment of social coordination, I prefer "The Odyssey" to "The Iliad."

Anyone see the Hollywood (USA) movie "Avatar" (2009)?
 

Myrddin

Well-Known Member
Anyone see the Hollywood (USA) movie "Avatar" (2009)?
Yes, I love it! Very visually pleasing. Of course, so is Life of Pi. That one I really do like more for the visual sensation more than anything else. if you haven't seen it, you really should.

E. M.
 
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Helen from Paris

New Member
Which do you prefer, the Iliad or the Odyssey? I much prefer the Odyssey, but honestly it could just be because I read it first. I find it more interesting than the Iliad, even though the Iliad is good too.
I prefer Illiad. Odyssey is an adventure story which lacks Illiad's heroic hymn dreamy pathos.
 

Hykez

New Member
I really enjoy Odyssey the most. Don't know why, but Odysseus is such an different hero from any other greek one. He's smart as f*ck.
 

thundergoddess

New Member
I really much more like Odyssey. The Iliad was very hard to read for me. I am very interested in storyline about the gods and that's why I read it. I am not very interested in the battle scenes. The Odyssey on the other hand is masterpiece. Not that the Iliad is not, I kinda really like Achilles and I really enjoyed the time when we were studying the ancient poems at school, I had to write a report about Achilles, very interesting. :)
 
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