Respect In The Odyssey

Homer incorporated themes reflective of polytheism, heroes, and society into his poems. Ancient Greek culture is incorporated into his themes by the Greek gods being key characters in his epics. Gods have no moral code or rules of conduct to justify their actions so they are always seen as just and right. This reflects the ancient Greeks view of higher power and that power upon man (Versényi 21). The gods are seen as all powerful except when fate is in play. The gods are seen as weak to the defining power of fate to the protagonist to demonstrate how death is inescapable (Versényi 28). A common theme seen through Homer’s use of polytheism is the lack of peace between each god and they all come together under a common cause, to help

Intro: There are a wide variety of themes present throughout the Odyssey, written by Homer. Be it hospitality, perseverance, vengeance or power of the Gods, loyalty is truly the theme that brings the whole book together. Being 10 years after the Trojan War, many have forgotten about Odysseus and his men as they constantly brave what the gods throw their way. This essay will be talking about Odysseus and Penelope’s mutual loyalty to one another, the loyal relationships between Gods and men and finally, the loyalty Odysseus’ men show for him until death. This essay with prove to us that without loyalty, Odysseus’ legendary journey would have been put to an end near where they started. The general theme of loyalty is what kept Odysseus

In ancient Greek culture the gods were seen as taking a very active role in the development and course of human history.  The entire Olympian pantheon, as well as many other less important divinities, meddles in human affairs to no end.  The people of the many city-states that composed Greece firmly believed that every aberration from normalcy was due to an act of the gods.  Homer, the author of The Iliad, coined the prevalent religious beliefs of the time in his epic poems, showing the gods as temperamental and willful, meddlesome and dynamic.  Homer’s entire poem is replete with instances of divine intervention in mortal lives, and no single major occurrence comes to pass unless it is the will of one of the many Olympian gods.  Few major decisions are made without consulting the gods first, and the handful of instances in which one leader or another takes initiative almost always fails miserably.  Life, according to the Greeks, is almost entirely rooted in their religion, as there is a god or goddess governing every aspect of the universe, and also because the gods so actively involve themselves in the everyday lives of mortals.

The people see the gods an authority figure so if they treat people bad they get punished. Also they give offerings as saying thank you protecter spare me, or treat me well. Odysseus makes sure to tell the Cyclops about Greek values,“‘ As custom is to honor strangers./We would entreat you, great Sir, have a care/ for the gods’ courtesy; Zeus will avenge/ the unoffending guest.’”(377). Just like any other

Growing up as a citizen of ancient Greek and Rome being raised to follow Greek and Roman mythology caused the ancient people to believe that they must act and behave like the gods. In creating this ideology, the people developed same personality and behavior habits as the gods in various myths. But even as the myths were written, the personalities of the gods and goddesses reflected the average human in that time period. The gods were so much like humans that it was normal to behave like them. Ancient Greek Philosophy stated “the gods depicted by Homer acted selfishly and were driven by emotions such as favoritism and jealousy. They behaved like ordinary people except they were immortal and had supernatural powers.” Unlike other religions were the gods have never sinned and are very different from humans, the gods in ancient Greek mythology make mistakes and commit horrific crimes that in today’s society would be highly unacceptable. For the people, it is a lot easier to be human and make mistakes rather than try to be perfect and sinless.

Within The Odyssey the concept of morals is very important, both to the plot of the epic but also to the structure of the Ancient Greek society. When the suitors ask Telemachus to send his mother, Penelope, back to her father he replies with; “It is quite impossible for me to cast out, against her will, the mother who bore me and brought me up”. This illuminates the importance of family within the society, and in turn morals. Whilst Telemachus then goes on to comment upon the monetary cost sending Penelope away, it is important to remember that his first instinct was to keep her in Ithaca due to their mother-son relationship. Furthermore, the importance of morals within The Odyssey’s is illuminated with the concept of xenia. Hospitality was

The way that their ship was destroyed by Zeus shows how they were punished for actively disrespecting Helios, which conveys how important reverence of the gods was to the Homer and the Ancient Greeks. Lastly, in what is perhaps the epitome of Poseidon’s wrath, Homer conveys the importance of respect for the deities. This value is portrayed in book 13 when Poseidon attacks the Phaeacian ship after they bring Odysseus home, “[striking] her to stone,” and, “[rooting] her to the ocean floor,” (291). This act of violence by Poseidon illustrates just one example of how mortals are punished for disrespect throughout The Odyssey. Because the Phaeacians chose to help Odysseus, thereby contradicting Poseidon and in a sense disrespecting him, they were punished which again, illustrates how disrespecting the gods, however unintentionally, can have disastrous and even deadly consequences. Homer’s use of violence by the gods in these three instances helps to convey the cultural norm of reverence of the gods in Ancient Greece.

The relationship between gods and mortals in mythology has long been a complicated topic. The gods can be generous and supportive, and also devastating and destructive to any group of humans. Mortals must respect the powers above them that cannot be controlled. The gods rule over destiny, nature, and justice, and need to be recognized and worshipped for the powerful beings as they are. Regardless of one's actions, intentions, and thoughts, the gods in Greek myth have ultimate power and the final decision of justice over nature, mortals, and even each other.

If there’s one thing one can count on when it comes to Greek gods, it’s that they’re critically flawed. Anyone reading Homer’s The Iliad can see the Greek gods act just like humans, constantly bickering, deceiving and throwing fits. The only people who can’t see through this facade of glorious immortality are the Greeks themselves. Throughout Homer’s entire epic, the gods continuously help the mortals based upon their own motives, and yet, the humans still worship them, ask them for help and forgiveness and blessings. Any reader would throw up their hands, disgusted that the humans glorify these beings that possess all the character flaws that mortals do. Homer is very successful in portraying humanity throughout his text, both through the perspective of the gods, and the perspective of the humans. While readers are allowed insight to both worlds, the characters themselves only see one dimension, resulting in the unequal nature of the humans constantly working to please the gods, sometimes to no avail. The Iliad exposes the fatal character flaws of the gods to readers, while also maintaining the mortal Greek perspective that gods are perfect beings, looking out for the greater good of mankind.

Multiple myths from greek mythology include the idea that sometimes gods will come down disguised as mortals and ask for refuge in a stranger’s house; if treated properly they would bestow gifts and rewards upon their host. Stories such as these helped establish the code of conduct between host and guest, mainly to act as if any person could be a disguised deity and therefore treat them as such. In the Odyssey, this is critical for Odysseus as without the help of some of his hosts it would have been impossible for him to return to Ithaca. An example of a proper relationship between the two in the book can be seen between Odysseus and the King Alcinous. Odysseus is the proper guest showing gratitude for what was being given to him and never

Fortunately, Neptune god of the sea restrains the storm saving Aeneas and seven of his ships who then take refuge in Libya an African port. I found that scene similar to Homer 's Odyssey where Poseidon the sea god sends a storm to destroy Odysseus on his way home because he despised him just like Juno in the Aeneid, another god rescues similar Odysseus. Such scenes demonstrate the life-altering effect that the gods have on the humans even though they lack the supreme power to change human fate. Gods in the Trojan War manipulate the humans like puppets to fulfill their purposes and interests.

    The characters of Homer’s The Odyssey struggled with the ineffable reality of the world, therefore they created gods that could carry the burden of their hopeless quest for understanding. The characters created by Homer, because of their intelligence, were finally

The struggles faced by the ancient Greeks are reflected in the creation of the polytheistic community of Mount Olympus- an acceptance of the greater forces of nature. The Gods in the Iliad assume anthromorphic as opposed to spiritual personas. These are exemplified by the patriarchal organisation of the divine family and the frequent use of patronymics, for example “Athene, daughter of Zeus”. This patriarchal ordering of Gods is based upon the Homeric society in which children were known as “daughter/son of…” This adoption of Homeric standards suggests the gods being created by the society merely to be an allegory of humanity. This would then be consistent with the idea that the gods are logical metaphors for human failure and indeed, successes.

It is important to be afraid. This is a message the two greek plays Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus and Oedipus Rex by Sophocles send to the citizens of Ancient Greece. The emotions of the gods in both plays are unchangeable, regardless of how involved they are in the plot. This steeliness causes fear of the gods and allows them to successfully lead. When displaying their power, the gods are able to keep greek citizens in the hold of their leadership. They have trapped the people so they are unable to survive without their guidance, but have also created fear and respect. If they don’t fear the gods and respect power the people's lives will descend into chaos. However, if they do have fear they are unable to lead by themselves and become independent. The fear and respect the gods invoke in people is the key to their leadership, and without it there can be no civility.

In the Homer’s Iliad, Gods are very susceptible to human desire. At some point, Gods can act more “human” than actual humans would act. They would think, act, speak, and do other things just like a human being. The only thing that seems to differ Gods and human is their immortality, power and authority over things. Compared to the gods found in Abrahamic religions, Greek Gods base their decisions and action without principle but feelings and their personal opinion. Greek God are known to be capricious, prone to arguments over insignificant things, showing a very close relationship with human behavior. These characteristics of Greek Gods are probably generated due to the lack of need to thrive and survive since they are immortal and