How did Homer’s epics influence Virgil’s Aeneid?

Virgil closely modeled his national epic, the Aeneid, on the two great epics of Homer: the Odyssey and the Iliad.123

The structure of the Aeneid is divided into two distinct halves that mirror these Greek models:

• The Odyssey influence: The first six books of the Aeneid recount the travels of Aeneas after the fall of Troy. This section is patterned after the Odyssey, featuring many imitative passages and even direct translations of Homeric themes.123
• The Iliad influence: The final six books describe the war between the Trojans and the Latins in Italy. This portion of the epic abounds with incidents modeled after those found in the Iliad.123

By adapting these Homeric structures, Virgil successfully transformed Greek epic traditions into a distinctly Roman work that served to dignify Rome's origins and symbolize the destiny of the Roman state.142