Leadership In The Odyssey

The Odyssey, said to be written by the poet Homer, and translated by numerous people, is an ancient Greek epic poem.The Odyssey centers around the hero Odysseus’s 10 year journey home, after he leaves his wife and newborn son for 10 years while he goes off to fight in the war. Known as the original Hero’s Journey, Odysseus encounters many challenges, tests and obstacles along his way home. He must face great gods and deadly monsters as these obstacles are attempting to prevent him from reaching home. An epic poem is a very long poem. In an epic poem there is an epic hero. The hero like Odysseus is strong, brave, confident and courageous. Though Odysseus is strong, cunning and courageous, he also has flaws such as great pride, love of any attention

One of the times he demonstrates his awful leadership is when he and his men land their ship on the Island of the Cicones. When Odysseus is speaking to the king Alcinous, he tells him “ I sacked/the town and killed the men. We took their wives/and shared their riches equally among us.” (Wilson, 43). This does not display any good leadership on Odysseus’s behalf. Because of this many of Odysseus’s men were killed by the enemy for revenge, proving that Odysseus is not a good leader, and it is not smart or good to do, and can cause Odysseus to gain more enemies. Another example of Odysseus’s poor leadership is when he and his men have just narrowly escaped the Cyclops cave. While safely sailing away from danger Odysseus yells “Hey, you, Cyclops! Idiot!/The crew trapped in your cave did not belong/ to some poor weakling. Well, you had it coming!” (Wilson, 477). This is a clear example of how Odysseus was a horrible leader and how his arrogance and pride overcame him causing him to put himself and his men in even more danger. “My taunting made him angrier. He ripped / a rock out of the hill and hurled it at us.” Odysseus recalls when speaking of the experience. (Wilson, 481). Because Odysseus let his pride and hubris get in the way of making smart logical decisions, he threatened the lives of himself and his men when taunting the Cyclops which proves to be terrible