Ideals of Ancient Greece Portrayed in the Odyssey
Ideals of Ancient Greece Portrayed in the Odyssey
One of the traits the Greeks held in high esteem was intelligence. For example, when Odysseus encountered the cyclops Polyphemus, his quick wits saved his life. Telling Polyphemus that his name was “nobody” protected Odysseus from incurring the wrath of the other cyclopses, when Polyphemus cried out for help. Not only did Odysseus save his life, but he was rewarded with Polyphemus’s flock of sheep. However being foolish resulted in consequences. By mocking Polyphemus and shouting “Cyclops, if anyone ever asks you how you came by your blindness, tell them your eye was put out by Odysseus, sacker of cities, the son of Laertes, who lives in Ithaca.” (Pg 139 Ln 502) After this fatuous taunt, Odysseus was plagued with Poseidon’s anger for nearly ten years. Furthermore, Odysseus was revered by fellow humans and favored by the gods for his astuteness. Upon defeating the Trojans with his ingenious scheme, Odysseus’s fame as a brilliant strategist spread around the world. Henceforth Odysseus was called “favorite of Zeus, Odysseus of the nimble wits.” (Pg 161 Ln 60) In addition, Penelope is an example of how the ancient Greeks valued a keen intellect. Penelope’s shrewd plot to weave Laertes’ death shroud, and then to unravel it each night, showed her cleverness. Revered by all for her intelligence, like Odysseus, explains why Penelope had so many suitors. However because of their ignorance towards courtesy, Penelope did want any of them. All these examples illustrate the Greek value of intelligence.
Another quality honored by the Greeks was refinement. The Greeks always gave generous gifts to any visitor that appeared at their door. This exemplified some of their good manners. The reasons for this are general kindness and to make allies which would assist you in times of need. At a god’s whim you could find yourself shucked across the world without any means for getting home, similar to Odysseus’s plight after his greedy crew had opened the gift from Aeolus. An instance where generosity proved helpful afterwards was when Eumaeus nourished and sheltered Odysseus upon his return to Ithaca, not even knowing that the beggar was really Odysseus in disguise. Greeting each other cordially and respectfully also shows that the ancient Greeks valued refinement. For...