How Is Odysseus A Hero

The Iliad and the Odyssey are both the epic works of poetic art written down by Homer after previously being passed down from generation to generation of storytellers and families as a form of entertainment. As all epic adventures need a hero, the hero of these stories was no less interesting and controversial than Odysseus. Although seen as the faithful spouse who climbed mountains and crossed valleys to reach his only love Ithaca and his wife Penelope, he was anything and everything the opposite of faithful to his spouse certainly like the Hollywood stars of today’s time who dominate the entertainment of the world markets. In the Iliad and Odyssey Odysseus has an intriguing history and background, very interesting tales of his adventures

Odysseus who is the son of Laertes was the king of Ithaca. Odysseus was famous around Greece for his intelligence and tactics which also made him Athena’s favorite hero. Everyone also knew that Odysseus loved a challenge and adventure. One of the earliest records of Odysseus’s exploits is when he was fighting in the Trojan War. Before the war Odysseus, along with other Greek kings, were all vying for the hand of Helen, who was acclaimed to be the most beautiful mortal woman on earth. To keep Greece from erupting into bloodshed when Helen made her choice, Odysseus and the kings made a pact to stand by her decision and go to her defense if she needed help. Helen eventually married King Agamemnon and Odysseus married Penelope. When Helen was taken by Paris to Troy, King Agamemnon called upon the other kings to honor their promise and help him get her back. Odysseus, seeing that he was foiled by his own plan, tried to feign himself as being mad. To do this Odysseus planted salt in his fields but, he was soon discovered

Some of the kings wanted to set sail with their spoils immediately while the other kings wanted to offer sacrifices. The kings all left away unhappy. Odysseus and his men went to the land of the Cicones and looted the city and killed the residents but instead of following Odysseus’s orders and setting sail Odysseus’s men wanted to enjoy their spoils. Unfortunately for them the Cicones who escaped the city went and called their allies and they came and took the city. Odysseus lost seven men form each ship’s crew but they were able to escape with some wine casks. While leaving the Cicones Island, Odysseus and his men landed in a mysterious place. When the scouts that Odysseus sent on inland did not come back Odysseus went out to find news about them. When he found his men they were under the spell of the lotus plant and he had to drag them back to the ship and lash them under their bench. Odysseus then set sail immediately right into the land of the Cyclopes. When Odysseus reached the new island he thought of what had happened during the visit to the lotus eater’s island. This time Odysseus picked out ten stout men and a cask of wine and set off himself. While exploring the island the men reached a humongous cave filled with large sheep and great cheeses. The men wanted to take some of these riches