Aeneas is actively in charge of men from the very start of ‘The Aeneid.’ After Neptune causes the ferocious storm to subside, we see Aeneas and his fellow Trojans land on Libya. It is here that we get our first glimpse of Aeneas the leader as he immediately checks the sea for any lost men, and shoots down enough stags to feed his companions:
‘…he succeeded in stretching seven huge carcasses on the ground, one for each of the ships.’
Odysseus on the other hand is alone throughout most of ‘The Odyssey’ as he attempts to reach home, having lost all his men in the dangers accounted for later on in the work. This gives us the impression he was perhaps not such a caring leader as Aeneas. It is not that he appears a selfish leader in the flash backs, but we must remember that Odysseus himself is telling the stories and may well have enhanced his own greatness. A clear example of him putting his own safety before his men’s is when they reach Circe’s island and he sends one of his men to check the island for any possible hostilities.
Aeneas and Odysseus’s aims in the works are similar in the sense both men wish to reach their homeland. However, Aeneas is not trying to reach Troy but a found a new homeland for his race, which makes his journey appear much more of a challenge. However, we learn from Odysseus account that his journey has been far from easy. He has faced many fearful creatures and challenges, and been detained in Ogygia for eight years before finally being allowed to reach home. In his encounter with the Cyclops, he is shown to be a very shrewd, cunning leader. He manages to contract a plan to escape from the Cyclops cave before any more of his rapidly deteriorating army are eaten. He is clearly very passionate for success and kleos, which was a typical Greek characteristic. It is no doubt that his respect for the heroic code would set a good example to fellow Greek warriors, as it is what was expected of them. He is therefore a good leader of the Greeks.
Aeneas’ character is much more thoughtful. He is a very pious man and does not allow himself to act spontaneously, unlike Odysseus who foolishly calls out his name boastfully as they leave the Cyclopes island (allowing him to be cursed!) This calm, careful authority was looked for in a true Trojan leader. Aeneas gives up his love Dido in order to fulfil his duty and destiny. There are only a couple of occasions where we see him act upon his heart rather than his head, the most distinctive being when he kills his Greek rival Turnus:
‘“Are you to escape me now, wearing the spoils stripped from the body of those I loved? By this wound which I now give, it is Pallas who makes sacrifice of you. It is Pallas who exacts the penalty in your guilty blood.” Blazing with rage, he plunged the steel full into his enemy’s breast.’
In each work, we see our leaders neglecting their duty to their men for the sake of a woman. In Aeneas’ case it is the tragic Dido; in Odysseus it is the sorceress Circe. Although we are not told in either case how long they were settled in the homes of these women but in the case of Aeneid it was long enough for the previously civilised citadel to begin to deteriorate; and in the case of Odysseus his men finally got so angry with waiting for Odysseus to return to his duties they had to literally force him to leave. From this comparison we can clearly see that, although their neglect was just a human emotion, Aeneas’ self-control allows him to come across as the better leader as unlike Odysseus he made the decision to leave without pressure from his men:
‘He longed to be away and leave behind this land he has found so sweet.’
The final battles in each work are our greatest opportunities to see an unbiased-in the sense it is not their own accounts- view of the two men as leaders. Their situations are quite different from one another making a comparison tricky. Aeneas and the Trojans, along with their allies the Etruscans, face the Rutullian army; therefore although the Rutullian army is bigger, there is much more equality in the size of the armies than in ‘The Odyssey.’ Odysseus, along with his son Telemachus and a couple of other household allies, must face the wrath of one-hundred suitors. Although he may have fewer people to lead, it also means his planning must be much more precise and shrewd in order to gain the upper hand. Aeneas on the other hand leaves his men to face the perils of war whilst he goes to find allies. He does however give them orders and is acting in the army’s best interest, once again showing his caution and self-control:
‘With a great clamour the Trojans streamed in by all the gates to man the walls, for these were the orders they had received form Aeneas, the greatest of warriors, as he left them: if anything should happen in his absence, they were not to dare take up position for a pitched battle or trust themselves to the plain, but only to stay and defend the camp and the walls.’
It is clear that both are great leaders in their own rights and equally suited to their own race. ‘The Aeneid’ itself tells us that the Greeks were a much more scheming race and therefore the cunning, quick witted Odysseus is the ideal leader for their race. The Trojans on the other hand were a much more trusting city, as we see in their innocent but foolish acceptance of the scheming Sinon (he let the Greeks into Troy after gaining the Trojans sympathy and trust.) However, trust is not a downfall in Aeneas’ case. It is this trust that allows him to be such a pious man; he takes the advice of the gods even if there is doubt in his mind. His fatherly care for his men and careful planning for war is ideally suited to the Trojan race. Both men live up to the reputations they have as great leaders, and each is successful in their quests.
