Phaedrus The Charioteer

“I am Laerte’s son, Odysseus./Men hold me/formidable for guile in peace and war” (Homer 488). It is evident that the author of the famous epic poem intended to portray the voyager, Odysseus, as a valiant and compassionate person. However, one may believe that he is a foolish man who delayed his own journey home. In the epic The Odyssey by Homer, the main character, Odysseus, is a hero because he always tries to keep his thoughts on home, he keeps his crew focused on the next task, and he is intelligent to win the gods’ favor. Odysseus is a hero because he never loses sight of his homeland during his tedious travels.

Spider-Man is your average modern day hero, he is a citizen who was bitten by an unusual and peculiar spider which gave him powers and abilities such as being able to shoot webs out of his hands and climb walls without the need of any equipment. And Odysseus is a Greek hero who was strong, heavily favored by the gods, and could take down any and all challenges he´d ever have to face. And if you ever compared the two you would see that both characters are extremely different. Why you would see this is because we know that Spider-Man is a modern day hero, but can we consider Odysseus as one. My answer to this would be NO. Society today would not consider Odysseus as a modern day hero because of many reasons. One would be that he doesn´t show

In Greek literature of mythology, we have examined Odysseus. Students and scholars alike have held debates about Odysseus. The discussion is whether Odysseus was a true hero, as read in The Odyssey. There is abundant supportive evidence to verify all sides of the debate and opinions held about Odysseus. Odysseus had encompassed many qualities that I believe make him a hero. The qualities he embodied were mental strength, physical strength, and spiritual strength. I would like to advocate for why Odysseus was a hero.

Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus experiences many ups and downs throughout his journey home. He is throw into peril and there often seems to be no hope for his return home. While he remains victorious in the end, returning to his wife, son, and father, the poem itself is filled with many darker moments filled with doubt and sadness. Odysseus is the hero of the Odyssey, and in order to exist as a hero he must be relatable. His story cannot be one entirely of triumph, it must include a more human perspective. Triumph cannot come without strife, and heroism cannot come without tribulation. Athena and Odysseus’ experiences as divine and human, respectively, and define whether or not they are heroes. By comparing Odysseus to Athena, it is apparent that what makes Odysseus a hero before anything else is his humanity.

Some may believe a hero is a person who fights evil and saves people. In reality, it is more than than that. A hero is someone who fights for what they believe in, they are courageous, fight for the greater good, and above all, would sacrifice their life to save the lives of many. For example, in The Odyssey, a hotshot is shown in the life of Odysseus. While many believe Odysseus was a great figure and leader, he was far from that. He failed his crew, and for one reason only, he was not the chieftain his men needed.

In Homer's The Odyssey, Odysseus shows time and again his heroic characteristics such as, courage, leadership, and cleverness that prove him and others to be a hero, even today. Odysseus’s goal is to return home to Ithaca after fighting in the Trojan War, but is forced to overcome obstacles set throughout his journey designed to make him fail. Odysseus uses his heroic traits to conquer these obstacles. The same traits that make Odysseus a hero are also present in many of the people who are labeled as heroes today. For example, Martin Luther King Jr., an undeniable hero, is courageous, a leader, and clever. Odysseus’s courage helps him to stay determined while he propels himself through bumps in his journeys on his way home.

In the poem The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus, the main character, travels away from his home and finds himself in a situation that prevents him from going back for a long period of time. During the times of trouble, Odysseus reveals characteristics about himself that might otherwise have been hidden if it were not for the journey. This defines his character and shows him to be not an admirable hero. Odysseus first shows this when he successfully escapes from the Cyclops’s home but made a drastic mistake and says: ‘O Cyclops! Would you feast on my companions?

Trouble. Pain-giver. Hated one. These all seem to be phrases used to describe an especially troubled villain, not ones which we would expect to be applied to a known hero such as Odysseus, who endures unimaginable hardship, years of captivity, a shipwreck and bad luck before finally returning home, triumphant. The above adjectives and phrases are exactly what the name “Odysseus” means.

Do you consider odysseus to be a hero? Many people have different beliefs if he was a hero or not. With all of the things he did, Odysseus would not fit the descriptions of a modern day hero. Odysseus did a lot of things in his time that were bad, one was he was really arrogant and sneaky he was also killing people and hero’s do not kill people they help people.

Amphinomus is clearly depicted as an antagonist in The Odyssey. He is one of the dozens of suitors who plague Odysseus’ home, eat all his livestock, drink all his wine, and vie for his wife’s hand in marriage. Perhaps worst of all, Amphinomus is part of the conspiracy to kill Telemachus. However, his status as a villain is not entirely dependent on his poor moral character. In fact, some of his actions show that he isn’t a terrible person. Amphinomus does initially oppose putting Telemachus to death before he can call an assembly when the suitors hear news of his return. In addition, he does show some degree of hospitality to Odysseus, compelling Odysseus to warn him about the impending slaughter. These redeeming qualities may make it appear

After reading the Odyssey, and hearing about all of the actions that Odysseus took part in, the conclusion had been met that, even though he made some bad decisions, Odysseus is generally a strong leader. One event that show his guidance is when Odysseus was the leader of a group of men when they went together, bravely, into the rough Trojan War. During the war, Odysseus showed his strong leadership by never giving up on his men, he told his men to keep fighting and to keep moving. Although there were some events in which he did not make the best decision, or had to make a decision that might seem bad but will be good in the long run. Another reason why I believe that he is a strong leader is because, Odysseus is persistent in his choices,

Perseus son of Danae and Zeus, was thrown into the ocean while locked in a chest at birth by his grandfather because of a prophecy. Later found by a fisherman named Dictys who raised Perseus with Danae. The ruler of the land Polydectes was the brothe of Dictys and wanted Danae, so he told Perseus that he wanted a gorgon head. Perseus went on a long journey trying to find a gorgon. Athena and Hermes help find the gorgons and give Perseus the Equipment to kill a gorgon. Perseus travels back home to Polydectes after killing Medusa and shows everyone Medusa's head. Turning everyone into stone. Later he finds his mom and they go back to his grandfather. Perseus kills his grandfather afterward.

Odysseus, Phoinix, and Aias each attempts to persuade Achilleus with his own strategies, but I personally find Odysseus’s speech to be the best and the most effective out of the three speeches presented. Odysseus opens with a plea, “There is doubt if we save our strong-benched vessels or if they will be destroyed, unless you put on your war strength” (Il.9.230-231) He goes on to relay Agamemnon’s apology and offer of grand compensation that includes gold, land, women, status, and more. To conclude, Odysseus tells Achilleus that even if he still hates Agamemnon, he should “at least take pity on all the other Achaians, who are afflicted along the host, and will honor [Achilleus] as a god” (Il.9.301-303). By presenting

“The truest characters of ignorance are pride and arrogance. This quote by Samuel Butler is truer than gold in the two greek myths Phaethon and Daedalus and Icarus. The protagonists of both stories boastful,arrogant and prideful natures lead them to their agonizing deaths and downfall. The two myths would be lifeless and stale without the use of of literary elements like conflict,imagery,and and characterization. Conflict shapes the story,Imagery foreshadows and provides color,and characterization develops the characters personalities and behaviors. These elements are how the authors were able to teach the lesson in the theme. The two stories’ main characters, Phaethon and Daedalus and Icarus share the same moral theme of a prideful disregard from those elder and wiser can quickly lead to disastrous consequences,existing thanks to these literary elements.

The sources I will utilize in this investigation will range from primary sources such as Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics and Euclid’s six books entitled Euclid’s elements to secondary sources from scholars and experts who have studied Greek Mythology/philosophy. I will also supplement my research with preliminary research from the internet, which will answer questions that my print sources cease to answer. While some of my research manifests from the ideals of Greek philosophy, other aspects of my