ＭＡＮＡＳ　ＡＮＤ　ＡＣＨＩＬＬＥＳ：Ａ　ＣＯＭＰＡＲＩＳＯＮ　ＯＦ　Ｏｇｒａｖｅ；ＭＡＮＡＳ　Ｏａ.docVIP

ＭＡＮＡＳ　ＡＮＤ　ＡＣＨＩＬＬＥＳ：Ａ　ＣＯＭＰＡＲＩＳＯＮ　ＯＦ　Ｏｇｒａｖｅ；ＭＡＮＡＳ　Ｏａ 　　“Manas” is the name of a famous Eastern epic; the Iliad and The Odyssey are epics from the West. Manas is an epic of oral tradition, whilst the Greek epics are in written form. The content of each story differs, and there are obvious differences in the style of narration and cultural background. However, there are as well many similarities between the two. 　　These are first reflected in the way the hero is portrayed. Manas is a rebellious, ruthless and callous hero who does what he pleases, greatly resembling Achilles, the Greek hero. They both manage to fulfill thoroughly the heros daring and unwavering disposition. Some of the contents and plot of Manas and the Greek epics are surprisingly similar. These are possibly the result of the synchronized thinking of humankind, some perhaps arising from the similar customs present in ancient Eastern and Western Civilization. One example would be the ceremony in the burial of Patroclus in the Greek epic, and the memorial ceremony held for Kokotai in Manas. 　　The striking similarities between both epics are worth noticing. It would be a mere understatement to call them simply accidental coincidences. For instance, in both epics the image of the lame blacksmith and the story of the Cyclops are obvious mutual influences, arising from the flow of information between both regions and the shared learning. It is even possible that the lame blacksmith Duolike, in Manas, and the lame blacksmith in the Greek epic Hephaistos, have the same origin. It is very likely that the story where Odysseus fights the Cyclops in the Greek epic derives from an ancient Eastern central theme, where the hero also fights a Cyclops. 　　Throughout the course of trade contacts between East and West, cultural exchanges were also frequent. The interaction between traders, travelers, sailors, nomads and tribes was an important medium for contact between Eastern and Western culture. When the Greek epics