Greek Characters In The Odyssey

Hesiod’s gods lost their carelessness and gaiety of the Homeric gods, became the moral forces, severe guardians of order and justice, born of Zeus. The role of gods according to Hesiod belongs not only the Olympian gods with human form, like Zeus or Apollo, but the Earth, Sky, Star, Wind, Fight, Lies, Victory, Wisdom, violence, etc. Zeus as for Hesiod is not just carrier of the power, as Uranus and Kronus, but also the embodiment of a long-awaited order, keeper and guardian of ethics. The desire to have a better life and a constant feeling of dissatisfaction are natural for people, and the gods tend, on the contrary, to complicate people’s lives and create new difficulties. Thus, the Hesiod’s style of poetry is close to Homer’s one, but because of the general didactic orientation Hesiod’s poetry is almost out of bright Homeric metaphors, similes and epithets.

Hades is the Greek God and ruler of the Underworld. He is often associated with wealth and agriculture. He is also the son of Cronus and Rhea and the third most powerful Greek god. Unlike his two brothers, his realm cannot be seen by anyone living. The Greeks believe that his name, Hades, means “The Unseen One.” He is the only god that does not live on Mount Olympus; he has his own glittering palace made of pure gold and gems in the Underworld. The Greeks believe that when mortals

Thousands of years ago, the ancient Greek civilization had a god for everything that they could have thought of. One such god was Poseidon. Poseidon was the god of the sea and horses (Gil). Symbols that represented Poseidon included the trident and dolphin(Gil). He became one of the most well known of the gods because of his fierce temper and his adulterous ways. Poseidon was also part of many battles, such as the Trojan Wars. (Poseidon: Greek) He also caused many hardships for Odysseus as he returned home from the war.(Gall 49). Poseidon was a lustful (Gall 48) being who showed signs of violence and was also known to hold fierce grudges against those who wronged him (Poseidon).

    Most people think of a hero as a strong, superior, good-looking person that could never make a mistake. However, in a story called The Odyssey, a connection to real life reveals imperfections to be common in heroes. Each person has their low points and highlights, regardless of their “rank”. The author and epic poet, Homer, exemplifies our main character, Odysseus, to take on this idea of a hero throughout his writing. The time period took place in Ancient Greece, allowing Greek culture to relate to the poem. Different aspects of such culture and history may have influenced the works and creativity of Homer as well. A major point includes The Trojan War because it focuses in on Odysseus’ journey to bring Helen back home by devising a plan to destroy warriors in the city. Acknowledge this factor when reading The Odyssey, for not only evidence of heroism, but also other major points of archetypes, in which the device reflects the insights of readers in modern time and what is seen from Ancient Greek culture.

The author of the book, The Single Woman: Life, Love, and a Dash of Sass, once wrote “Sometimes when you lose your way, you find yourself.”(Hale, Mandy) “The Odyssey” is an epic poem written by Homer depicting the adventures of a man named Odysseus who is traveling back to his home of Ithaka. The poem “The Journey” by Mary Oliver features a girl who finally realizes her purpose then journeys out into the world. Personification in each of the poems portrays how people undertake journeys to pursue goals based on greed but instead find themselves during the journey and come to realize that their original purpose was trivial.

Over time, many would debate on which Greek myth is the most intriguing of the collection. There are many selections to chose from, with their own special attributes that make them what they are. However the god Hades, lord of the underworld, is definitely the most compelling of them all with a great amount of interesting attributes to help him fit the part. In other words, Hades has taught many over the centuries, he is a misfit in Greek mythology, and shows to be very human at his core.

For example, as Achilles chases Hector around the walls of Troy in Book Twenty-two, Athena appears disguised as one of his companions and convinces him to stop running and to fight Achilles together. Hector falls for the trick and turns to fight Achilles before realizing his betrayal by the Gods and perishes from Achilles’ rage. Another example is in Book Eight when Zeus forbids the gods to take part in the day’s fighting, then the battle begins, and Zeus disregards his own command and supports the Trojans so that they are winning. Then, Diomedes restores the Greeks to a superior position. Zeus retaliates by helping the Trojans again. Hera, who always seems to try and mediate, is unsuccessful in her intervention and the Greeks start losing badly. Next, Teukros restores the Greeks to a higher position. Zeus becomes angered by this action, so he helps the Trojans begin to take the lead in the war. Then, Hera attempts to intervene again and is unsuccessful. Night arrives, and the Trojans are so happy with their victory. This almost ludicrous battle among the God’s represents the theme of anger as they experience strong emotions as well as the humans. Ultimately, the humans do not have control over their lives as the God’s quarrel over the sake of humans.

the great hero who built the Trojan horse.” stated by Aeolus. After his victory it was almost as if he too was a god. This only caused him to believe he is equal to the gods

The term complicated can mean several different things to countless different people. Complicated can mean consisting of many interconnecting parts, but could also mean consisting of complicated parts. Countless people can be complicated and have contrasting views on the circumstances and ideas and do not always have a clear view on a topic. In the Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is an unquestionable complicated person. The use of the adjective, complicated, to describe Odysseus is perfect because of his conflicting character traits that are revealed throughout the story.

Hades along with the ruler of the dead is also called the god of wealth because all of the precious metals and minerals are under the ground. Another one of his names is described as the god of fertility on earth( which will be later explained in the myths chapter). Hades is described physically as pale and always wearing black robes. His armor and weapon is tarnhelm, a helm giving the user the ability to become invisible and his weapon is a scepter. His symbols are a cornucopia, cerberus, a three headed dog, and a cypress key. Cerberus is his dog, a guard of the underworld but also his animal. The cornucopia represents fertility on earth: farming, food from farming, and seasons. The cypress key is part of his scepter. These things all represent hades in a certain

There are various female characters in Homer’s poem The Odyssey. While some of them play positive roles, others display the evil side of women. Penelope is a portrait of loyalty of a woman towards her husband. Athena is a symbol of helpfulness. On the other hand, Circe, Scylla and Charybdis represent the women who find it fair to fulfil their desires through unethical desire. During the ancient Greek, the societies were patriarchal; the women in the poem support this notion through their submissive personality despite the unfathomable powers they hold.

Throughout all of the Greek mythology and texts that I have read, each story contains one or more heroes. A hero is a person who is selfless and somehow gets all of the attention in a story because he or she causes some sort of change. There is always someone who gains leadership qualities throughout the story and ends of saving the rest of the people. One particular person who stood out to me was Odysseus. Odysseus was an ordinary person who eventually accomplished a huge task. He ruled Ithaca with his wife, Penelope, and throughout the story, he tried to get back to Ithaca after the Trojan War and return to his position as king. Throughout the Odyssey, there are multiple instances in which Odysseus can be seen

Symbols of Hades include the ghosts of the dead, and pomegranate seeds. The ghosts of the dead are a symbol of him, because he rules over the underworld were the dead go. The ghosts would then follow their bodies. The pomegranate seeds are from a story where he finds his wife and tricks her into staying with him in the underworld after giving her six pomegranate seeds.

Regardless of the time frame, Virgil’s Aeneid and Homer’s epic the Iliad share both a copious amount of similarities and differences. For example, many common themes such as heroism, fate, and destiny are apparent in both works. Within the Aeneid and the Iliad, it is seen that the wars going on during that time were glorious that is why the role of gods were significant in leading both Aeneas and Achilles and influencing fate. In both texts, it is clear from the beginning that the role of the gods is to make Aeneas and Achilles fulfill their journey The Iliad focuses on the end of the Trojan War and the damaging power, while the Aeneid is focused during the aftermath of the war and underlies the foundation for the new civilization. This paper will address and argue the comparison of the role of gods and how each of the authors representation of the gods have influence on the lives of mortals.

   Ancient Greek society treated women as secondary citizens. Restrictions were placed on the social and domestic actions of many aristocratic women in ancient Athens.  The women depicted in Homer's Odyssey, on the other hand, are the ideal.  Penelope, Clytaemestra, Athena, and Helen are all women with exceptional liberty and power.