here's no fool is so brash, andnever 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 Odysseuswhy 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] greatbuilding, ... city gates, and the din of paved streets." and exclaims, "Ah,how fortunate you are, whose town is already building!" Moreover, the cityhas 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 theCarthaginians' renewal, and "first dared to hope for Salvation and believethat at last his luck was turning." But then he notices "a series of frescoesdepicting the Trojan war," and cries, "is there anywhere, any place left onearth unhaunted by our sorrows?" He is touched by "human transience."16 There are again basic similarities between the two situations; bothPhaiakia 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 inideology. Phaiakia is a static culture, a type of fairy tale place whereeverything is in perfect harmony. As long as its citizens follow custom asthey should, it will continue to exist in perfection. Carthage is a dynamicculture, one link in the chain of successively better societies. However,even if they have extreme civitas and do nothing wrong, it is still possiblefor furor to destroy it, just like it destroyed Troy. The former is animmortal society, existing forever; the latter is a mortal society in theprocess of birth, and consequently the possibility of death. In the Odyssey, Odysseus sits in the ashes of the fire. Ekheneos, anelder and oracle versed in the laws,...
