Leadership In Odysseus In Homer's The Odyssey

Homer was an ancient Greek writer best known for his book of epic poems The Odyssey. In The Odyssey, Odysseus is the protagonist who is meant to be the hero throughout the story; however, he does not display heroic qualities through his impulsive decisions, he is full of hubris, and displays terrible leadership.
Throughout the whole journey, Odysseus makes impulsive decisions by never sticking to one plan. In the beginning, Odysseus and his men are stuck in a cyclops cave. In order to get away from the cyclops, he offers him "some wine"(Fitzgerald 123). Though it is a good idea to get the cyclops drunk to escape, many men had already died at the hands of the cyclops. Odysseus could have had a better plan before many men died. Later on, dressed as a beggar, Odysseus gets offended by Antinous and starts “making cruel plans in his heart” (Fagles 59-60). Instead of confronting Antinous, Odysseus

When entering Helios’ islands, Odysseus warns his men that “the cattle here aren’t for our provision” (Fitzgerald 839). The one simple warning will not the men from devouring the cattle. To avoid such mistake, a great a leader would have scared his men and warned them profusely. Odysseus becomes ready to tell “one man, or two, the prophecy Circe foresaw” (Fitzgerald 721). Yes, he did tell a few of his men; however, a great leader and hero would have informed all the men. It is clear that Odysseus is not a hero through his terrible leadership.
In conclusion, Odysseus is not a hero because of his impulsive decisions, his hubris, and terrible leadership. He does not plan ahead, he is not humble and a sore loser, and he strays away from telling important things to his men. Though in Greek society Odysseus is seen as a hero, he can not be called one now. There is a clear difference from Homer’s society to modern day. It shows home people’s aspirations change over a period of