Hephaestus In The Odyssey

Greek Gods come in many different forms and sizes and looks. The greek god Hephaestus a very smart and strong god he is the god of metal and craftsmanship and he is also the god of fire the legend has it the Hephaestus lived in a volcano where he could craft his weapons and tools he created for all the other gods in the heavens.

The myth about Hephaestus had many connections which relate to real life and society. The connection I made while reading the myth were that looks do not matter, everyone has a talent and hard work. Hera gave up her son, Hephaestus because he looked ugly and deformed without knowing his personality. This took place during the Unusual Birth part of the hero cycle. Hera had seen how her son looked deformed so she threw him into the sea where a Sea God caught him and took care of him. In real life many people judge each other by how they look without actually getting to know them. Hephaestus was just born and Hera had no idea about his talents in Blacksmith and metal work. The second connection I made was that everyone has a talent or something

Hera would have been an excellent alternative guardian for Odysseus. Athena was Odysseus' protector during his time of suffering, but if Athena was not there, Hera could have easily stepped into her place. Hera's characteristics, point of view, family situations, and qualities would have made her an ideal replacement for Athena.

Athena’s navigational skills and quick thinking made Odysseus’ victory feasible. She provided a disguise for Odysseus, came up with a battle plan, and kept his anger in check by letting the suitors continue their taunts against him. Athena “had no mind to let the brazen suitors hold back now from their heart-rending insults-she meant to make the anguish cut still deeper into the core of Laertes’ son Odysseus” (Homer page 419). Additionally, she helped Odysseus battle the suitors, “looming out of the rafters high above them, brandished her man-destroying shield of thunder, terrifying the suitors out of their minds, and down the hall they panicked” (Homer page 448). Saving Odysseus’ and his servants’ lives, Athena acted against the suitors and, undoubtedly, won the battle for him by scaring off the suitors who were not already dead.

These types of heroes are bested by no other earthly entities, emerging victorious after every battle. However, in the Odyssey, readers find that Odysseus’s tragic future could not be saved by strength and power; in fact, his abilities sparked the wrath of Poseidon, thus sealing his miserable fate for the next decade of his life. To save himself from, and avenge his fallen comrades against the cyclops Polyphemus, son of Poseidon, by means of driving a burning stake into his eye, Odysseus incurred the rage of his father, the divine and mighty “Earth Shaker”. As a result, his voyage homeward was ruined, and he eventually found himself helplessly alone and cast away along the shores of

She helped Odysseus a lot through his journey. First, Athena was his guide through everything. She would come and talk to him and tell him useful information like what to do sometimes. In fact, she helped him keep his kingdom. When Odysseus got to Ithaca, she disguised him so the nobody could tell who he was. She then made him figure out certain things before revealing him to the people of Ithaca. Athena eventually changed Odysseus back into his regular self. Then he fought some of the suitors, and kept his kingdom. In conclusion, Athena helped Odysseus a lot more throughout his journey. She was one of the main reasons Odysseus got back home to

Eumaios speaks to Odysseus in the form of a beggar about the kingdom. Everything is still the same, his wife and son are still loyal and await him, and the suitors are still present. Odysseus tells a fabricated story about how he actually just heard of Odysseus, and that he is planning to come back home very soon. Eumaios does not believe this. However, he still treats the beggar with hospitality.

It’s been 10 years since the Trojan war ended and Odysseus has still not returned to his kingdom. The suitors have decided to get Penelope married but she is faithful to Odysseus and refuses. Their son, Prince Telemachus wants to get rid of them but he doesn’t have the confidence or experience to do so. One of the suitors, Antinous, plans to assassinate the prince.

After successfully avoiding Charybdis, Odysseus and his men, famished and hoping to find nourishment, stop at the first island they see. The island is isolated, green, but not lush with trees, and flat. They dock their ship at an inlet and await Odysseus’ commanding orders.

Shortly after humans were created, they came to suffer. With fire recently taken away, the conditions were harsh. It rained almost everyday, and humans were dying at a remarkable rate. Recently abandoned by Zeus, Hephaestus was angry. Why should humans have to suffer like I do? What did they do to Zeus? Being a builder, Hephaestus knew that he must do something. He built and he built, trying to find a way to keep humans safe. Finally, he built a house made of mud and sticks. It kept humans protected from the elements, and kept them warm in the coldest of conditions. He brought it to the humans, who rejoiced. Now, Zeus was angry. He had taken away fire to punish Prometheus, and now Hephaestus was interfering? Angry and bitter, Zeus banished

Of all the Greek heroes, the greatest of all was the mighty and powerful Theseus. Theseus rose above and beyond any other hero by using his intellect and not just superior strength. He refused to take the easy path and instead took the path he felt was right. The myth of Theseus proves that intellect, courage, and compassion can be superior to strength and brute force.

Play an important role in this story was Polyphemus because he captive a Odysseus and his men in his cave. Later, he prayed to his father Poseidon to cursed Odysseus because odysseus left him blind, like in the text says: “Hear me, Poseidon, Girdler of Earth, grant that Odysseus may never reach his home in Ithaca. But if he is destined to reach his native land, let him come late, in evil plight, with all his comrades dead, and when he is landed, by a foreign ship, let him find trouble in his home.” One god is Poseidon because he is the god of the seas and he did not let Odysseus return to his home in Ithaca. I can interpreted that Poseidon put challenges in Odysseus trip.

After nine years of fighting the fall of Troy was a great feat in Greek history. Oddyseuss and his men were blown of course from the greek armies as they sailed home to Ithaca. After they had been split up Oddysuess and his men had multiple treachorus encounters, one of them being Sicily, island of the cyclopes, the coast along the mediterranean sea which they stopped upon. They stopped only to gather supplies and hunt for food and it turned out to be a near death experience for many of them.

It is important to keep reading, “The Odyssey.” Even though it is 2800, years old, students still need to learn about it. It is important to continue studying “The Odyssey” because is it a moral story, the historical significance is important, and it is essential to study other culture’s mythology.

When Odysseus is in trouble he always shows that he is depending on the gods by praying to them. The fact that the gods usually listen to him shows that he is well liked by the gods. In order to be a Greek hero you had to be liked by the gods since religion was such a big part in their lives. Odysseus, with the help of the gods, can survive adventures that kill most other men. Odysseus travels to the island of the Cyclopians. The Cyclopians are giants that have one eye, they don't fear the gods because they believe that they are better than the gods and they eat people. They represent the opposite of what Greek men should be. Odysseus and his men meet Polyphemus the Cyclops. Polyphemus being a Cyclops eats some of Odysseus' men. Odysseus with the help of the gods figures out a plan to escape and he does. Scylla is a ferocious monster with six heads that kills most men that pass by her island. She kills six of Odysseus' men. Odysseus prevents her from killing himself and more men. There is another ferocious monster named Charybdis. Charybdis sucks in water from the sea and creates a whirlpool that kills any ship that passes by. Odysseus passes by her. His crew is killed and his ship is destroyed in the whirlpool but Odysseus alone survives. There is an island that Odysseus passes by with monsters called Sirens on it. The Sirens sing beautiful songs that lure ships toward them. The ships then crash into the island and the people are killed.