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Odysseus is a hero of all times thanks to Homer who wrote his story in The Odyssey
Odysseus
Odysseus is a hero of all times thanks to Homer who wrote his story in The Odyssey. Odysseus is a hero in his on time because of all his adventures and characteristics. Homer wrote about the Trojan War, in which Odysseus took part in, in the Iliad, and about Odysseus’ long journey home in, The Odyssey. There have been theories that suggest that Homer was illiterate and could not have possibly recited poems of these lengths by memory, and that they were put together much later on and added to. However, there is evidence that a city, possible Troy, existed and was destroyed. Also there was a kingdom of Ithica, which allows for a king Odysseus. Even if the King did not go to the war there was still a chance that he might have existed. In the Odyssey, Homer used a narrative structure to tell his stories. The original texts were written on papyrus scrolls and it is theorized that these scrolls each told a chapter in Homers plays. The modern version of The Odyssey is a combination of all these scrolls that could have existed as separate stories about Odysseus’ travels, his encounters, and how he obtained his status as a hero. Ancient Greece has always been an interest of mine. In 6th grade a teacher that I had know for my whole schooling showed a movie every week.
One week we watched “Jason and the Argonaughts”. Ever since then I could never get enough Greek mythology. In freshman year of high school we read the annotated textbook version of The Odyssey. Lucky for me, I transferred English classes at the semester and I was able to read The Odyssey twice. And since then Odysseus has been a hero to me. The story starts in book 9, Odysseus telling his story to the King of Phaeaica. They sacked a city then sailed away when faced with opposing force. Next, they landed on the island of the lotus-eaters. After Odysseus pried his crew away from the lotus-eaters, they landed on the island of the Cyclops. Here is where Odysseus displays all his heroic qualities. Odysseus picked twelve of the best warriors from his crew to accompany him on the visit to the Cyclops, Polyphemus, and son of the god that shakes the Earth, Poseidon. Polyphemus takes Odysseus captive and proceeds to eat his warriors for meals. Odysseus dreams up an ingenious plan. He reveals to the Cyclops that his name is Nobody. Then, while the Cyclops slept, Odysseus sharpened a log, heated it to an ember, and blinded the Cyclops. When Polyphemus cried to the other Cyclops that he had been blinded, he told them that Nobody had blinded him so the other Cyclops did not come to his help.
Then to complete his plan, Odysseus and his remaining crew hid in the under belly of Polyphemus’ sheep when they went out to pasture. Odysseus had to actually hold on to the sheep’s under belly with his arms, unlike his crew who was tied to them. Odysseus uses his heroic qualities to over come all the conflicts that the fates and the Gods throw at him. He uses his cunning when he returns to his household. First he has to figure out a way to defeat all the suitors when there are only three of them. After he defeats the suitors, he has to play mind games with his wife Penelope because of the warning Agamemnon gave him at the river of death. Another heroic quality is his looks and charm. If Odysseus had not have been as handsome then Circe would not have seduced him and he would not have been giving the advice about the river of the dead, the Sirens, Scylla and Charyboidis. Also, at the end of his journey had he not been handsome, Calypso would not have taken him in, fed him and gave him shelter, and he would have died on her island. And after all that, I do not believe that he would have been as welcomed at the Kingdom of Pheaecia by the princess Nausicaa. Having the protection of a god is also a certain quality of a hero.
Athena constantly helps Odysseus during his travels. Athena helps him escape from Calypso’s island, helps him land on Pheaecia, and she also disguises him when he finally reaches home in order to help trick the suitors. Finally Odysseus super human strength helps him become a hero. Out of all the heroes that went into the Trojan War, Odysseus was one of the few that came back alive and lived. His strength and fighting ability helped him in the war. Also without his strength he would have not been able to escape from the Cyclops, Polyphemus. His strength was also useful when he had to string his bow in order to win Penelope from the suitors and kill them all. In the text, heroism is defined as certain qualities that are revealed in interaction between the Gods, monsters and other humans. In book 8, page 207, line 559-84, the bard, Demodocus, tells the story of the hero Odysseus and how he defeated the Trojans. This is an example of how the Greeks remembered heroes, by their actions. Before the story Odysseus earns his title as a superb war hero by defeating the Trojans. Then in his journey home, Odysseus bests the son of a god, the Cyclops, Polyphemus. After that he tricks Circe, then he passes the Sirens, Scylla, and Charyboidis.
And upon completion of his journey home Odysseus achieves the greatest task of all. A mere mortal beats a god; Odysseus battles with Poseidon through the whole story. All these conflicts earn Odysseus his rightful title of Hero in ancient Greece. In order to encounter all these conflicts, Odysseus has to endure great suffering. He is kept from his lovely wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus, for twenty years. Not only that but he has to suffer by watching monsters such as Polypheums and Scylla devour his crew. And then he has to endure the destruction of his ship and crew at the hands of Zeus after they slaughtered the sun god’s cattle. Odysseus has suffered more than anyone that I can imagine. Odysseus is a classic Greek hero. A person has many attributes and events that make them a hero. In ancient Greece to be a hero you had to have certain advantages then the ordinary citizen. There was a very strict view on who could become a hero in ancient Greece. This stereotype was, a male born to a rich/high class family. Many heroes have come and gone, but Odysseus is one of the few that have remained. The reason that Odysseus is one of the few is that he displays all the characteristics of a hero in ancient Greek culture as well in today’s culture. During all of Odysseus’ encounters, he uses his “metes”, or street smarts, the most to survive and come out on top. Even though in most situations he could easily fight his way out he still tries to think his way out. Will Odysseus remain in the realm of heroism in the distant future or will our views of heroism change and eliminate Odysseus from the hero category?
Bibliography:
Odysseus To Be A Leader Or Not
Odysseus To Be A Leader Or NotMartin Luther King Jr., George Washington, and Michael Jordan were all leaders in different ways of life. A leader or leadership can be defined in many different ways. I have come to the conclusion that they both basically have the same definition, someone or something that can overcome obstacles and lead people on the right path to victory. In The Odyssey, a book about war, struggles, power, and leadership, one man who is a great warrior must learn to become a leader if he wants to be cherished as a hero. Odysseus, king of Ithaka, an island off the west coast of Greece, has been granted the gift of leadership. Failing to realize that he must create conditions that enable people to grow and have happy and productive lives he must overcome his own selfishness to prove that he can be a leader (II Fairholm pg 19).
Even though he leads a crew of men that are somewhat ruthless to the destruction of living organisms it is his responsibility to lead them to safety. I understand leading others is not easy; it can be very stressful and irritating (I Fairholm preface). Still Odysseus must learn to become more responsible and mature in the decisions that he has to make on his journey. At times, he makes the wrong decisions regarding the safety of his crew. Because of this, he is punished all through his journeys, were his pride and power really takes over his process to think correctly it enables him to have good judgment about situations. Even though he is a quick thinker, able to get out of almost anything that comes his way. He still is not a great leader for the time that he has a crew to follow his command. Also, Odysseus has a son, Telemachos. Because of Odysseus being away at war in Troy, he has not been able to be there for his son. This essay will involve the definition of leadership, Odysseus’s becoming a leader, how Telemachos acquires leadership skills in his father’s absence, and Odysseus’s eventual accomplishment of leadership skills.
As I mentioned earlier, a leader or leadership can be defined in many different terms of language. There have been many studies that have been conducted to determine the meaning of both of the terms. Even though leaders are needed throughout the world, it is hard to find the right person for the job (Nanis & Berns pg 5). Odysseus was chosen because of his rank as a great warrior in the Greek days. He was born to be a leader and a great warrior. The traits of his father Laertes, have been passed down to him; and the gods see that he will be a leader one day. A leader sets the occasion or provides a stimulus for the evocation of the follower behavior (spears pg 31). Odysseus gained his leadership because he knows how to sweet talk people and twist up a situation so that he may have what he wants in life. He was a very slick and shifty man that could con his way out of almost any thing. Leaders sometimes have the tendency to move out of the structure of things. All because of the excitement or the rule they may have over other people’s lives. This is one reason why Odysseus could not save the lives of his men in their time of need. Because he thought that they should know what to except out of situations that came before them in life. One can also see Odysseus irresponsibility when dealing with his son, Telemachos. He did not really have anyone to look up to and teach him how to become a great leader.
Odysseus, a man of much being, has been given the gift of leadership, but can it be said that he has proven himself to be a leader? After the Trojan War, Odysseus and his men must travel a long journey back to Ithaka. During their travel, they run into much hardship. Odysseus being the leader of these men in obligated to insure their safety to return home. Odysseus, still not really understanding what it means to be a leader puts the lives of his crew in danger. One example of this endngerment is when Odysseus and his crew encounter the Louts-Eaters. When Odysseus and his men sailed the sea restlessly for ten days at one point they landed on the country of the Lotus-Eaters and relaxed for some time. Odysseus decides to send some of his men to find out about the country they have landed on instead of going himself. When his men find the settlers they were offered some fruit. This is no ordinary fruit. It is the honey-sweet fruit of lotus. This fruit has the ability to make someone forget their homeland and stay there to eat away ate the fruit forever. Odysseus has to go and force his men on the ship in order for them to leave without anyone wanting to stay on the island (Homer IX pg 137). This time they were lucky not to loose any men, but at the lawless island of the Cyclopes they were not so lucky. Because of his greed and pride Odysseus causes the deaths of some of his men. If Odysseus is really a great leader, he would have avoided some of the situations that happened on his journey. It is just a matter of time before Odysseus becomes the only man left to return home to the great island of Ithaka.
Telemachos, the son of Odysseus, has been without the leadership of his father his whole life. His mother has raised him ever since he was a baby. It is good that his mother has been there to lead him on the right path throughout the time that his father is not there, but in that age and time it is very important to have a man there to follow as you grow up in life. The absence of his father is one thing that has come to hurt Telemachos as a young warrior coming into the world. A leader has the power to bring out the best in a follower (O’toole pg 23). Telemachos did not have anyone there to inspire him by showing him how good he is capable of becoming, and helping him realize his elevated aspirations. This absence of a father is why he really could not control the suitor’s actions when they entered his home. Because he did not have a leader there to create visions and values about situations that deal with everyday life he could not succeed. The conditions that were created for Telemachos did not really conduct a change in his behaviors as a man. In other words, even though his mother raised him up to be a man and take care of his responsibilities, Telemachos just never had a leader to show him how to be strong and take charge for all of his actions in life. Odysseus’s absence has really affected Telemachos a great deal, this absence may affect him throughout his life.
Odysseus was born to be a leader, but can he accomplish the goal of actually being a leader who shows leadership? Even though he has been through so many hardships and caused the lives of all his men, he will one day become a great leader. As he sits and tells his story to the Phaiakians, he realizes that there were some things that he should have done differently on his journey. During the situation on Circe’s island where his men were transformed into pigs, Odysseus was obligated to sleep with Circe in order for his men to be transformed back in to humans. He had to learn a lesson about leadership and the way a leader has to stay true to his mission or duty that lies ahead. Even though he stepped up as a leader at that poin, he was able to participate in sexual relations with Circe in order to free his men. He totally forgot about the fact that he was trying to return home to his kingdom. A leader primary contribution is in the recognition of good ideas, the support of those ideas, and the willingness to challenge the system in order to get new products, processes, and services adopted. I must say Odysseus is a real leader. He made many mistakes as a leader, but he was able to reflect on them and learn from all of his mistakes. Odysseus was the type of leader that saw his ideas in his mind and thought about the situation before reacting to it. That is why he was able to escape many of the obstacles that were laid in front of him. Odysseus will one day be able to challenge the process of individuals, inspire a shared vision, enable others to act, model the way for his son, and encourage the hearts of his entire kingdom (O’Toole pg 31).
Odysseus may one day be added to the list of great heros in his own way. Leaders are people who need to be respected throughout of life. They help pave the way for young people to grow up as mature adults in the world today. I know that I am a leader. I feel everyone can be a leader. It is not about what one does or how great one is, but how they do it. Odysseus had to learn that lesson the hard way. Telemachos, will eventually learn to become a leader in time. It is not hard to become a leader if a person really thinks about the situation and go approaches it the right way. One must take control, be the aggressor, and be a leader; that is what life is about. The faith of Odysseus’s men was determined by the decisions that he made on his journeys. Nevertheless, these obstacles were the only way that Odysseus could learn to take control and be a leader. Sometimes situations must occur to make sure that a person fully understands a point of view. It is hard to be a leader. That is why it takes a strong person with the right attitude to accomplish all of the goals that are needed. Leadership will bring Odysseus a long way; helping him to teach his son Telemachoas how to be a leader so he does not go through the things that he had to go through in life.
Bibliography:
O’Toole, James. Leadership A to Z: A Guide for the Appropriately Ambitious. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1999.
Fairholm, Gilbert. Perspectives on Leadership. Westport, Conecticut: London, 1998.
Spears, Larry C, ed. Insights on Leadership. New York: 1998.
Fairholm, Gilbert. Capturing the Heart of Leadership. Westport, Connecticut: London, 1997.
Bennis, Warren & Nanus, Burt. Leaders: The Strategies for taking Charge. New York: Harper & Row, 1985.
Hormer. The Odyssey. New York: Harper Collins, 1965
Odysseus And Siddhartha One Hero With Two Faces
Odysseus And Siddhartha: One Hero With Two Faces?
Joseph Campell implores his students to study mythology with the enticing argument that myths are keys to unlock the spiritual truths of humanity. Latent in his statement is the idea that truth is universal; the unique interpretations of different cultures are no more than adaptations to support functional societies based on individual customs. “Essentially,” he states, “it might even be said that there is but one archetypal mythic hero whose life has been replicated in many lands by many, many people.” One cannot help but be intrigued by this notion, largely because of the inherent possibility of a worldwide understanding. Such an accord could be accomplished by recognizing the similarities of mythological systems and comprehending the cultural predispositions that necessitate their deviations.
Homer’s Odysseus and Siddhartha, as portrayed by Hermann Hesse, are two heroes from two very different cultures. Siddhartha engages in a pursuit of truth, while Odysseus’s goal is to return to his homeland. Is it possible to find a common thread that would unite these heroes? Can we dismiss their differences as cultural?
Campbell summarizes the beginning of the heroic journey:
“The usual hero adventure begins with someone from whom something has been taken, or who feels there’s something lacking in the normal experiences available or permitted to the members of his society. This person then takes off on a series of adventures beyond the ordinary, either to recover what has been lost or to discover some life-giving elixir.” The Power of Myth, p. 123
Siddhartha’s journey begins with him living as a prince, his father a Brahmin. He is admired and loved by his family, friends, and society. In spite of this, he feels discontent. He leaves the security of his home in a search for something greater, declaring, “One must find the source within one’s own Self, one must possess it. Everything else was seeking– a detour, error.”
Odysseus, similarly, is a king, the son of a heroic father, when he leaves for war. Successful in war, too, he now must return home.
While a feeling of something lacking in everyday life inspires Siddhartha’s journey, Odysseus seeks to regain what he has lost—a home life with his wife and son. Odysseus’s journey will ultimately unite him with his family; and Siddhartha’s, comparably, to his own Self.
The transformation of consciousness (which, Campbell declares, is the reason for the hero’s journey) is accomplished through trials themselves or illuminating revelations.
Odysseus’s trials consist primarily of temptations to distract him from his goal. The Goddess, Calypso, exemplifies this when she coerces him to spend seven years on her island, giving him the option to live with her eternally. He, finally, refuses her offer, saying:
“…I wish—yes, every day I long—to travel home and see the day of my return. And if again one of the gods shall wreck me on the wine-dark sea, I will be patient still, bearing within my breast a heart well-tried with trouble; for in times past much have I borne and much have toiled, in waves and war; to that, let this be added.” The Odyssey, [V. 215]
This declaration represents a decision, one that Odysseus must make several times throughout his journey, to steadfastly adhere to his goal to return home.
Siddhartha becomes a Samana when he leaves his father’s home. He leaves this lifestyle, however, upon the realization that asceticism is rejection of the self—not self-mastery. He informs his friend:
“Govinda,” “I believe that amongst all the Samanas, probably not even one will attain Nirvana. We find consolations; we learn tricks to deceive ourselves, but the essential thing—the way—we do not find… I suffer thirst, Govinda, and on this long Samana path my thirst has not grown less.”
The motif of a metaphorical death contributes to the necessary transformation of consciousness found in myths. Out of each of these ‘deaths’ comes a rebirth. Campbell explains, “In order to found something new, one has to leave the old and go in quest of the seed idea, a germinal idea that will have the potentiality of bringing forth that new thing.”
Siddhartha first ‘dies’ as an ascetic upon the realization that reality and meaning were not hidden behind things, they were in them.
How deaf and stupid I have been, he thought, walking on quickly. When anyone reads anything which he wishes to study, he does not despise the letters and punctuation marks, and call them illusion, chance and worthless shells, but he reads them, he studies and loves them, letter by letter. But I, who wish to read the book of the world and the book of my own nature, did presume to despise the letters and signs. I called the world of appearances, illusion. I called my eyes and tongue, chance. Now, it is over; I have awakened. I have indeed awakened and have only been born today. Siddhartha, p. 40
He later renounces his life of the flesh when he falls asleep under a coconut tree by the river. He awakens, now understanding that he had to become nauseous with worldly power in order that the ‘Siddhartha the pleasure-monger and Siddhartha the man of property’ could die.
Odysseus also ‘dies’ twice– once when he descends into the underworld, and later when Poseidon thrashes him into the depths of the ocean and is ‘reborn’ on the island of Scheria.
“Before he can achieve his goal of returning home to Ithaca, Homer’s Odysseus must meet with the dead. He learns of his destiny from Tiresias and of the nature of death. Having so “descended,” he can begin to rise into his true self, in a motif that relates him and many other heroes to the ancient sun gods, who seem to die each night only to be reborn each day.” The World of Myth, p. 295
Leeming states that, “The myth that emerges from the many cultural versions of the hero, then, must be seen as a universal metaphor for the human search for self-knowledge… To follow the hero is to lose our selves in order to find our selves…”
It is easy to see how Siddhartha fits this description. He is, without a doubt, pursuing knowledge of himself; and the theme of losing himself to find himself is repeated with his casting away of old dispositions for those more awakened. Odysseus’s quest is harder to decipher. Although the death and rebirth motif is present, we must read the epic with the belief that his journey home is a metaphor for the search for his true nature. The undeniable similarities in their journeys, as well as their mutual fit into the mold of the hero as described by Campbell, is evidence to motivate such an understanding.
Bibliography:
Edited by Betty Sue Flowers; Doubleday Press, 1988
The World of Myth; an Anthology, David Adams LeemingOxford University Press, Inc, 1990
Siddhartha, Hermann HesseTranslated by Hilda Rosner, Bantam Books, 1951
The Odyssey, Homer
Translated by George Herbert Palmer, Edited by Howard Porter, Bantam Literature, 1971
Myths and Legends, Neil PhillipeDK Publishing, Inc, 1999