Greek Myths Essays - Ancient Greek Religion, Odysseus,

Greek Myths Section I:"Odysseus the most cunning man in the world." Odysseus, son of Procris and Cephalus of the Royal House of Athens, played a major role in the Trojan War. However, the legends of Odysseus do not begin until after the great war. At the end of the war he was separated from the rest of the Greek armies and was forced to wander for ten years until he was reunited with his family. His journeys in those ten years were very similar to Jason's journey in his search for the Golden Fleece. Also, in the course of Odysseus' adventures, he proved himself to be not only a great hero but also a cunning and resourceful man, worthy of the title the most cunning man in the world. There are many similarities between the adventures of Jason and those of Odysseus'. Both heroes proved themselves to be mighty warriors; Jason, when forced to battle against the soldiers of the dragon teeth and Odysseus during the long battles of Troy. Both heroes showed extreme courage in the face of danger and neither shied from doing what was necessary to complete their quest. Both men were also very modest and were able to except help when needed, either form gods or from other mortals. Jason did not hesitate to ask for help from the princess Medea. Odysseus accepted help from a simple sheep herder in order to reclaim his home. Although these two heroes had similar adventures and shared similar qualities, they were very different. The first difference we notice between these two heroes is their lineage. Like most Greek heroes, Jason was a direct descendant of the gods. Odysseus on the other hand was not. He was a member of the Royal House of Athens and not divine as were many of his peers and relatives. Odysseus was also more compassionate than Jason. Jason used people to his own end and then disregarded them. An example of this would be his relationship with Medea. She made him into the hero he was, saved his life many times, and left her homeland to follow her love Jason. Jason, however, upon reaching home with the Golden Fleece, decided to marry a princess to gain more political power. He made this decision with no thought towards Medea's feelings and her love for him. Odysseus, in contrast, was far more loyal to his family and followers. He placed their happiness and safety on an equal or greater level then his own. For instance, when he was on the island with Calypso, the nymph, it would have been very easy for him to abandon his desire to return home and live in perfect comfort forever. We see his concern again on the Island with the witch Circe. After the witch had turned all of Odysseus's companions into swine, Odysseus with little or no thought for his own safety, went to confront the witch to save his crew. However, the most notable difference between these heroes lies not in they're adventures but rather in how they approached and dealt with their problems. Jason, like most Greek heroes, felt that the easiest way to deal with a problem was to kill it. Odysseus, on the other hand thought of other possible solutions to his problems. He would try to use his intellect as well as his brawn to accomplish his goals. Throughout his adventures and as early as the Trojan War, we see Odysseus's cunning. It is he who is attributed with the idea for the Trojan horse (a large hollow horse filled with Greek soldiers). A second example was when he landed on the island of the Cyclops during his adventures. The Cyclops demanded to know who he was to which he answered "I am Noman" With those words he shot an arrow and blinded the Cyclops's one eye. During Odysseus' retreat, another cyclops approached the first and asked what happened to his eye. The first cyclops responded that no man had shot his eye. This ensured Odysseus's escape from the island because the second cyclops didn't realize there were intruders. A last example of his cunning is at the end of his adventures. Odysseus returned home and found all the suitors there. Dressed as a beggar, he had no trouble retaking his bow and then killing all of the suitors. So we see that Odysseus could rely on both his wit and his strength to save him from dangerous situations. This is why he was given the title " the most cunning