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Intelligence In The Odyssey

Decent Essays

In ancient Greece, tales of epic heroes spread like wildfire, telling the journeys and quests of

warriors with incredible strength, intelligence and bravery. One such writer of these tales was Homer; he

was believed to be a blind poet who wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey. The Odyssey follows the

journey of a king named Odysseus who is trying to return home after fighting in the Trojan War for ten

years. On his journey, he angers a god, Poseidon, and is thrust into an unimaginably difficult quest to get

home. He makes some mistakes along the way, and his journey is prolonged by many years through his

tests. After twenty years, Odysseus finally makes it back home, but finds that suitors have overrun his

kingdom trying to court …show more content…

Intelligence has always been a well liked trait throughout tales ancient and modern in

our world. Perhaps this is why Odysseus is so admired. This hero is cunning, and though he has plenty

of brawn to get himself out of trouble, he uses his brains to scrape by in tough situations. An

example of this trait is this passage from the Odyssey, “Three abreast I tied them silently together, twining cords of willow from the ogre’s bed; then slung a man under each middle one to ride there

safely, shielded left and right.” (9.337-340). This passage represents Odysseus’ intelligence because

he passed standards of intelligence expected in this situation. Odysseus (as said in the passage) ties one

man each to the bottom of three rams to escape the Polyphemus’s cave, keeping a cool head so they

can all escape with their lives intact. This action proves Odysseus is not only intelligent, but able to think

on his feet in effective ways that help himself and his men throughout the epic poem.

Leadership is a trait required to keep our world running smoothly; without it there would not be

any modern civilizations to call our own. Odysseus uses this trait in more ways than we can …show more content…

More fearsome, is it now, than when the Cyclopes penned us in his cave? What

power he had! Did I not keep my nerve, and use my wits to find a way out for us?” (11.140-148). This

passage proves Odysseus is a leader because even as he and his men are sailing towards Scylla, certain

death, he still uses his leadership to keep them calm and rowing. This is important, as to be a good

leader, you have to stay calm in times of crisis, and be willing to enact a plan. Odysseus’s actions

throughout the epic and this passage prove Odysseus is a strong and responsible leader.

Odysseus is an epic hero because of of his intelligence in tough situations and his leadership in

the face of danger. Whether it is outsmarting a monstrous cyclops or keeping men calm in the wake of

disaster, Odysseus has defined what a hero should be. In our world today, heroes come far and few, and do not slay monsters, but are willing to reach out to those in need in their communities and make

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