Hellenic Polytheism In The Odyssey

Homer incorporated themes reflective of polytheism, heroes, and society into his poems. Ancient Greek culture is incorporated into his themes by the Greek gods being key characters in his epics. Gods have no moral code or rules of conduct to justify their actions so they are always seen as just and right. This reflects the ancient Greeks view of higher power and that power upon man (Versényi 21). The gods are seen as all powerful except when fate is in play. The gods are seen as weak to the defining power of fate to the protagonist to demonstrate how death is inescapable (Versényi 28). A common theme seen through Homer’s use of polytheism is the lack of peace between each god and they all come together under a common cause, to help

Odysseus is tempted again when he encounters the Cyclops, Polyphemus. Unlike his encounter with the lotus-eaters, he displays a more reckless side when he couldn’t resist screaming out his name in pride after escaping the Cyclops:

Odysseus’ hubris played a negative role when Odysseus revealed his identity to Polyphemus. Odysseus and his crew had just managed to escape from the Cyclops, Polyphemus, after driving a stake into his eye. But then, Odysseus told the blinded Cyclops his identity by shouting, “Cyclops – if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed you so- say Odysseus, raider of cities, he gouged out you eye, Laertes’ son who makes his home in Ithaca” (9, 558-562). Odysseus managed to tell Polyphemus his name, father, and home. Polyphemus then prayed to Poseidon, his father, to get revenge on Odysseus. Poseidon ended up killing Odysseus’ entire crew and delaying Odysseus for 10 years. None of those terrible consequences would have happened if Odysseus had suppressed his enormous pride. Odysseus’ hubris resulted in a lot of suffering for many people. Odysseus’ hubris prevents Odysseus and his crew from getting back to Ithaca again when Odysseus did

Odysseus clearly demonstrates three of the subset greek evil thoughts. These thoughts include Philargyria, Hyperphagia, and Kenodoxia. The evil thought of Hyperphagia pertains around the concept of an over exceptional amount of self esteem that is not earned from another individual.

This suggests that Odysseus is not a forgiving person and that he will punish anyone who is in the way of his wrath. His uncontrolled anger is a hazard to his life and those around him. Narcissism (hyperephania) is also characterized in the book, and it can allow a person to always have an expectancy for praise and adulation from others, and this can lead a person to think too highly of oneself, when truly one is not able to be compared to that esteem. In “The Cyclops” Odysseus had not told Polyphemus his name, but when he was sure of success, Odysseus proclaimed his name with pride, “...how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye’ (503-504):” Odysseus once again cannot leave without the cyclops knowing who did this atrocity to him, so that when he gets home people will know his name and of the great things he did. This tells us that Odysseus is a man that needs other people to know his accomplishments and achievements for he himself to feel accomplished. This means that everything that Odysseus does, he will need to receive praise from others, for it to mean

Pride is a good thing and a bad thing. Odysseus’s greatest problem was pride. When Odysseus tried to return home, there was an island, therefore they stopped looking for food. This island was the home of Cyclops's. Odysseus along with his men infuriated a Cyclops named Polyphemus. Odysseus along with his men ran back to the ship, it was then he had let pride immerse him. Polyphemus ended up asking his father Poseidon for revenge.“The rate of major earthquakes--those with a magnitude higher than 7.0-- more than doubled in the first quarter of 2014 compared with the average since 1979”(Yan and Berlinger 2). Just alike the earthquakes doubling in the amount, Odysseus will encounter more storms than usual. Odysseus was extremely smart at first

(Or-guh) anger is detriment to humans because being angry all of the time is not a good quality to have and which can lead to rash decisions. Odysseus says, “He dumped it with a great crash into the hollow cave, and we all scattered fast to the far wall(220).” Odysseus used Orge by going to the cyclops because of his grudge with Poseidon. This shows that he has always been angry and never forgave Position for whatever he did which lead to Odysseus messing with the Cyclops. (Gas-tri-mar-gia) is the love of

In the Odyssey, Odysseus exemplified strong leadership and outstanding noble qualities. Like Achilles, Odysseus carried some flaws at the beginning of the story. A strong case can be made that his biggest flaw as a character was pride as it caused him unnecessary risks that only delayed his journey and possibly endangered his men. This is evidently shown when Odysseus and his crew wander around in Polyphemos ' cave. After the confrontation with the Polyphemos, Odysseus and his men escaped by stabbing Polyphemos’ in the eye while he was asleep. Once Odysseus and his men were safe on board on their ship, Odysseus took it upon himself to reveal his true identity and proceeded to taunt Polyphemos. At

This may suggest that Odysseus shares the attributes of a narcissist - and this is a fault in himself as to place oneself so highly on a pedestal can generate him to be aggressive towards those who are in no way deserving of the act. Not to mention, having this specific type of mentality can produce issues that may build up overtime

The eight Greek Evil thoughts were a set of guidlines for the ancient greeks to follow. These guidelines helped the ancient greeks a better life. In The Odyssey, Odyssesus and his crew come to an island of cyclops an they stole food. Polythemus a gaint they met got mad then, ate two of his crew members and then, Odyssesus got him drunk and poked his eye. Odyssesus demonstrates some of the Greek evil thoughts. Philargryia is when someone is greedy or doing whatever it takes to get something, greed leads restlesses because when someone is greedy it’s caused by. Odysseus describes, “We lit a fire, burnt an offering, and took some cheese to eat; then sat in silence around the embers, waiting,” (The Cyclops. [219). This reveals Philargyria which is greed.

However, after this perilous and disgraceful encounter, Odysseus once more feels the need to strengthen his sense of pride by giving away his true name, his father’s name, and his homeland to Polyphemus. This is an incredibly poor decision for Odysseus considering that Polyphemus is the son of Poseidon, Odysseus’ archenemy. By doing this, Odysseus has insensibly endangered his crew, ship, and even family, which proves that he is a self-absorbed, problem-causing leader. After all, isn’t the job of a hero to protect and save his people, not jeopardize their safety? In addition, Odysseus once more shows his unbelieveable amount of pride when he blames the gods for “letting him fall asleep” on the island of Thrinacia. Instead of accepting his own fault, Odysseus puts the blame on the gods’ shoulders, proving not only that he is an irresponsible leader, but also that he views himself as too perfect to have done wrong. Only an egotistic, self-centered individual would do something this low. Finally, Odysseus’ weak sense of heroism is shown through his recurring unloyalty. Odysseus first shows

Odysseus’s arrogance is shown throughout the poem, but it is clearly shown during his time with a cyclops named Polyphemus. When Odysseus and his men enter a dangerous cave because of their leader’s foolish curiosity and meets Polyphemus, Odysseus says “It was our luck to come here; here we stand,/ beholden for your help, or any gifts/ you give-as custom is to honor strangers,” (256-268). Here Odysseus is practically demanding that the cyclops treat him and his men with courtesy just because he is a guest. His arrogance and pride makes them stay with the dangerous cyclops even though they had a perfect chance for escaping from cyclops at the very beginning before the conversation even started. If only they quickly left with some cheese or nothing at all, Odysseus wouldn’t have lost so many men. Because of Odysseus’s arrogance, six of his men were eaten by the cyclops. Another example when Odysseus arrogance is shown was just

According to both Greek and Homeric values humans should have reason, but very often they express passion, which leads to contradictory emotions and obstacles in life. Odysseus, a man with a complex life, struggles with many internal, personal contradictions that have a collective impact on his decisions throughout his existence. The most important contradictions Odysseus faces are loyalty and betrayal; humility and hubris; and wisdom and folly,

Odysseus thinks that his reasoning are final and his activities are constantly just and right, although he frequently allows his ego control his rational thinking, resulting harm to his group and messing with the gods’s plans. His men could have went back home Securely for it is the desire of Athena and the other heavenly gods who surround to her in Mount Olympus, however Odysseus takes it to himself to outrage and blind Polyphemus, the monstrous son of Poseidon, adored by his dad yet abhorred by the people, In this way distrusting their whole arrangement . Subsequent to being blinded by the heroine, Polyphemus tosses huge pieces of rocks at Odysseus's ship, nearly obliterating them at the same time. But instead of retreating for safety, Odysseus keeps on provoking Polyphemus and “[calls] out to the cyclopes again, with [his] men hanging all over [him] begging him not to”(Book 9, 491-492). His feeling of pride and presumption influences to disregard the requests of his people even in these critical circumstances . He will fulfill his own feeling of interest and pleasure without thinking of the result it would have on his crew. Despite the fact that he is bound to get away from all passings and assaults, his group isn’t so blessed. Their lives are in mortal peril since Odysseus considers them as child sheeps who should forfeit their lives for him when the circumstances comes, much the same as how mortals make conciliatory offerings of sheeps for the heavenly gods. He is willing to fulfill his own feeling of interest without thinking of his groups lives or their suppositions and is regularly infuriated when they negate his request. If they hurt his sense of pride and self-importance and pomposity , Odysseus will be overcome with outrage and

The eight Greek evil thoughts is a list of thoughts and behaviors that the Greeks perceived to be morally wrong. The Greeks disapproved of thoughts that were not normal, such as wallowing in depression or loving food beyond compare. “The Cyclops” is an Epic about Odysseus by Euripides, where a mortal man and his men are trapped in a cyclops’ (Polyphemus) cave. Odysseus made the cyclops drunk, gathered up a few of his men, drove a stake into the Cyclops’ eye, and then escaped under his livestock. Odysseus demonstrates hyperephania, kenodoxia, and orge. Hyperephania (pride and narcissism) is when someone has an extremely high self esteem for oneself that is not earned. Odysseus demonstrates hyperephania when he took all of the credit for the wounding of the cyclops,”’...tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes’ son, whose home’s on Ithica!