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...elease to some winds to destroy them now. The winds are so fierce that they need a "heap of mountains [laid] upon them" and even then "[b]ehind the bars they bellow, mightily fretting: the mountain is one immense murmur."6 Aeolus releases them by pushing his spear at the flank of the mountain, and "in a solid mass, [they] hurl themselves through the gates" and they nearly devastate the Trojans. Neptune quiets the winds and the seas, and then rides away. Odysseus and the Trojans have much in common. Both are plagued by gods (the former by Poseidon and the latter by Juno). Despite their troubles, both are also guaranteed eventual success, for their accomplishments have been ordained by the supreme God, and this cannot be denied. However, the distinction between the source of their difficulties is an important one. Odysseus willingly invited disaster by flaunting the power of the gods. If he had not done so and followed custom as he should, he would have returned home much sooner with much less travail. The Trojans are simply subject to disaster, for no reason whatsoever. The winds are specifically portrayed as bound furor for this reason; in Virgil's world furor is always present and can strike at any time. At the moment, this is just a subtle difference, but further into the episode it becomes magnified. In the Odyssey, Odysseus meets Nausikaa and wins her over, earning passage into the city. He then proceeds to Phaiakia and meets Athena in the guise of a little girl. With Athena's guidance he makes his way to the palace, under a mist which screens him from sight. There he stops to admire the courtyard and orchard, and pauses to form his thoughts before entering. He then finds Arete and beseeches her to help him. The corresponding scenes have been fused and altered in the Aeneid. Aeneas first tries to scout the area and meets Venus in the guise of a Tyrian girl. With Venus's guidance he makes his way to the temple/court, under a similar mist. While admiring the city builders, he stops and laments over some frescoes of the Trojans war. He sees Dido dispensing justice in her court, and then sees his comrade Ilioneus winning her over. After observing this he reveals himself and thanks Dido for her sympathy and help. Here we begin to see the divergence between the episodes. Phaiakia represents the ultimate god-blessed society, so fortunate that it has no understanding of the suffering present in human experience. One is led to believe that they have never known hunger or thirst, since their palace has an orchard upon which "[f]ruits never failed"7; they feast on "abundant fare"8 and have a clear fountain to serve "all who came for water."9 Nor have the Phaiakians ever known true conflict or division, as "[n]o grace or wisdom fails in [Arete]; indeed just men in quarrels [go] to her for equity"10 and "the power or [their] people stands"11 with Alkinoos. It is also certain that the Phaiakians have never known war, since "there's no fool is so brash, and never will be, as to bring war or pillage to [that] coast."12 Consequently, they have no grasp of the horrors of war, for Alkinoos needs to ask Odysseus why he "grieve[s] so terribly over ... the fall of Troy."13 Carthage is a newly founded city under construction, vibrant and growing, where "[t]he work goes on like wildfire." Aeneas "marvels at [their] great building, ... city gates, and the din of paved streets." and exclaims, "Ah, how fortunate you are, whose town is already building!" Moreover, the city has great potential, with the "prospect of great towers"14 and signs that "[t]heir nation would thrive in wealth and war."15 Aeneas is moved by the Carthaginians' renewal, and "first dared to hope for Salvation and believe that at last his luck was turning." But then he notices "a series of frescoes depicting the Trojan war," and cries, "is there anywhere, any place left on earth unhaunted by our sorrows?" He is touched by "human transience."16 There are again basic similarities between the two situations; both Phaiakia and Carthage represent ideal societies to the wanderers. Moreover, even though the cultures are ideal, neither of them belong there. But again, the differences between the two societies illuminate the differences in ideology. Phaiakia is a static culture, a type of fairy tale place where everything is in perfect harmony. As long as its citizens follow custom as they should, it will continue to exist in perfection. Carthage is a dynamic culture, one link in the chain of successively better societies. However, even if they have extreme civitas and do nothing wrong, it is still possible for furor to destroy it, just like it destroyed Troy. The former is an immortal society, existing forever; the latter is a mortal society in the process of birth, and consequently the possibility of death. In the Odyssey, Odysseus sits in the ashes of the fire. Ekheneos, an elder and oracle versed in the laws, admonishes Alkinoos for not instantly offering his hospitality. Alkinoos then offers the wanderer a seat of honor, orders food brought, and decrees the customary rituals to be performed. Then he speaks to Odysseus, is taken by him, and offers him his daughter's hand in marriage. Everyone rests, and the next day is spent in festivities. Afterwards, Odysseus recounts his various wanderings to the Phaiakians. Then he is sped on his way home. In the Aeneid, Venus sends Cupid in the form of Ascanius to make Dido fall in love with Aeneas. Aeneas then recounts two tales to Dido and her court: the fall of Troy and the Trojan wanderings. Meanwhile, Dido has become enamored with Aeneas, and eventually Aeneas reciprocates her love. He decides to stay in Carthage and help with the building until he is chastised by Hermes. When he then prepares to leave, Dido becomes enraged and then despondent. Finally, after he is gone she takes her own life. Even though Odysseus is given very good treatment by a variety of people, he never doubts for a moment that he belongs home on Ithaka....