epics comparison

[J. Randall Groves]

Dear Indologists: I have been reading a translation of the Ramayana
lately, and I am quite familiar with the Greek epics, THe Illiad and
Odyssey. Has anyone done much in the way of a serious comparison of the
two sets of epics? (Ramayana and Mahabarata vs. Illiad and Odyssey). I
know Toynbee sees epics as the result of a certain stage in the
distintegration of a civilization, but I am thinking more about a more
specific comparison of the two sets of epics. I came across a reference
to a bow that was difficult to bend in the Ramayana (Shiva's bow), and
got to thinking of Odysseus' bow, and then to the comparison in
general.Any thoughts or r eferences? Thanks in advance.  Randy Groves,
Associate Prof. Of Humanities, Ferris State University