Although many nations are suffering from rising national debt, governments around the world continue to pour billions of dollars into their research initiatives, programs space, Olympic teams, etc. While some may deem this expense unnecessary, it serves an age-old purpose: national pride. Throughout history, great achievements (such as an Olympic team victory or an acclaimed work of art) have defined and unified nations by creating a shared sense of pride and fame. Homer's Iliad and Odyssey filled that role for the ancient Greeks, which inspired Publius Virgil to create a similar epic that would not only ennoble Rome but distinguish it from the fallen empire of Greece. He did this by drawing a contrast between Homer's hero Odysseus, whose meaning in life is to live, and his protagonist Aeneas, who finds meaning in piety, arguing that Aeneas is a more glorious hero as he serves a higher purpose . Odysseus' purpose in life is clarified through the values ​​that are important to him and his view of death. First of all, Odysseus values ​​his men throughout the poem. Even though they are all tragically lost in a storm, Odysseus does everything he can to save them throughout his journey. Not only does he take the time to save them from both the Lotus Eaters and Circe, but he returns to Circe's island to give Elpinor a proper burial. Another value dear to Odysseus is fighting, so much so that Athena attacks him by asking: “Where has Ulysses gone: your power, your fighting heart? The great soldier who fought for the famous white-armed Helen, fighting against the Trojans for nine long years, without stopping, without mercy. (Od. 22.236-38) However, Ulysses' journey is not dominated exclusively by war. Even t... half of the paper... had painters or eminent scientists who spent their entire lives trying to create or become something their nation could be proud of. However, Publius Virgil faced a special challenge since he was trying to unite a nation of conquered peoples, such as the Greeks, who already took great pride in their own epics and culture. Therefore, to accomplish this task Virgil had to distinguish his hero Aeneas from the Greek literary hero Odysseus by contrasting their individual views on the meaning of life. This allowed Virgil to highlight why Aeneas and, in turn, Rome could be considered more admirable as he believes they both serve an eternal purpose. But Virgil probably didn't know that it would be his epic and not the Roman empire that would resist time, becoming a source of pride not only for a nation but for the entire literary world..