Meridian Lattig
Ms. Czerkies
AFEa per. 1
26 Oct. 2017
Amazing Title Polytheism; the doctrine or belief in more than one gods or goddesses (Dictionary.com). In Greek Mythology, the gods decide the fates of every mortal that is brought to exist. Within The Odyssey of Homer translated by Allen Mandelbaum, Homer explains Greek polytheistic religion with the tales of Odysseus, and the different prophecies that surround his homecoming. Written in verse, The Odyssey exploits the journey of an epic hero on his way back from the Trojan War. Odysseus faces disturbing creatures such as a Cyclops and the six-headed Scylla. Upon his return, he discovers he is destined to fight even more battles against avid suitors trying for the hand of his wife. Along the way, immortal beings create and evolve the fates of Odysseus and his crew. Using the story of Odysseus, Mandelbaum encourages the belief that once an omnipotent being has decided the future of an individual, those events cannot be changed or avoided.
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Odysseus and the remainder of his crew must battle the son of Poseidon, a Cyclops, to regain their freedom and continue on their way. Cunningly, Odysseus devises a plot to escape from the Cyclops. After his plan succeeds, Odysseus reveals his true identity to their big foe. The Cyclops calls for his father to kill the wandering warrior, but the gods decide instead to curse Odysseus’ crew. Odysseus attempts throughout the rest of his journey to save his men from their doom, but low and behold, they die anyways. However, the son of Laertes’s crew were not the only ones to fall prey to the gods in these