Theseus Vs Theseus

These qualities are favoured and held in high regards by the gods. Which is why Odysseus has so much help from the gods, but is also the why he encounters their justice as well. Odysseus is viewed as being smart, because of the multiple times he used his intelligence to overcome adversity. Odysseus created the master plan to use the Trojan horse to invade Troy, which is what led the Greeks to win the war. Throughout The Odyssey, there are multiple situations where Odysseus uses his brilliances to get him through tough predicaments. He creates a sea worthy craft, made from what little resources he had in just one day, to leave Calypso’s island. (pg. 54-57) Which most people could never have the power to do

In ancient Greece, Theseus would be considered a hero because he was courageous while also being kind. Even as a small child, Theseus showed great courage. For example, when he was a young boy and was looking for his father, he chose travel by land instead of by sea because the land was more dangerous. The land was more dangerous because there were many bandits along the way, but Theseus wanted to become a hero as quickly as possible, so he traveled by land and killed every bandit along the way. Greeks would have valued this courage because in ancient Greece, people greatly admired brave and powerful heroes who wouldn't back down from any challenge. Although Theseus was brave, he was also kind to others. This is why he convinced Hercules not to kill himself after he murdered his family under the influence of Hera. Many other people would’ve agreed with Hercules ending his own life for what he’d done, but Theseus knew that it wasn’t his fault, and that suicide was not the right way. The ancient greeks would have valued this because ancient greece was a violent and dangerous, so someone who was kind and gentle and was also strong was person to be respected.

This is quite similar to Odysseus, who is able to weave his way through countless situations due to his incredible sense of psychology and tactics, a lot of which is based off of his good looks and social personality. One noticeable moment from the Odyssey was when he fooled the Cyclops, Polyphemus, into telling the other Cyclops that “nobody” was bothering him. This ploy was the reason that Odysseus managed to escape a horrible fate. Moments like these are what set these two men apart as both keen, and just flat out smart. Intelligence is something that is key to have when dealing with the world, and these characters show true talents by possessing it. But one thing that seems to be quite intriguing is how that intelligence is used. Odysseus first uses it in order to escape fighting the Trojan War, however, in the end; it is his love for his son, Telemachus which forced him to play his part in the battle. Of course, from what we have read in the Odyssey, Odysseus also shows extreme talents on his way back to Ithica, where he fought not only people and monsters, but also the god Poseidon. With all of stress these men have, where can they find compassion?

The general question was, what does ancient Greek culture value? A way of interpreting this is, what is the most valued trait in Greek culture based upon the reading. Respect sees to be the most general of all traits. All of these events have shown respect toward the gods. When Odysseus had to fight the Cyclops and the suitors is all out of consideration for the gods and their values towards the people. Since Odysseus is thankful and is being respectful the gods give him help in return, a little role change. Odysseus also helps the gods by telling a person or people the rules of being a good host for new

Strong, intelligent, and morally upright- This is the common portrayal of almost every hero, including the old epic heroes of Greece. In Mythology by Edith Hamilton, the heroes of old are no different and that includes Theseus. Theseus is born of royalty and grows with the goal of proving his strength. After his initial journey to meet his father in Athens, Theseus bore challenge after challenge to prove his worth and earn his title as a great hero as quickly as possible. This leads to the Athenian facing many obstacles, and earning many rewards, until he earns the title he seeks after for so long. Throughout his stories and adventures, there are a few common hero traits portrayed in his actions. His most remarkable traits would be an ethically upright mindset and his strength and courage.

The Greeks also valued intelligence and intellect. Although there were certain areas in Greece that valued it more than others, such as Athens, the Greeks were generally an intelligent race of people. An example from the Odyssey is when Penelope (Odysseus’ wife, Telemakhos’ mother) tells her suitors that she needs to finish weaving a shroud for an old man before she marries. She proceeds to weave on her loom every day, but unravels it during the night, so that she will never have to marry. Another example is when Odysseus finally arrives home, and he disguises himself so he can question people about his home and the situation, all without being noticed. In this way he gained information without revealing himself.

The Greeks valued intelligence and wit very strongly. “The Odyssey” offers countless examples of this. In fact, Odysseus himself gets out of many tough situations and conquers many obstacles with his wit and cleverness. He tells Polyphemos the Cyclopes that his name is “Nobody” and succeeds in blinding him and getting

If compared to Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey theory, Theseus is considered a mythological hero; however, not in a historical manner in which he is often accredited.

Oedipus first demonstrated his ability to be a good leader in his helping the city escape the Sphinx.  He continued his leadership in the same manner, doing good things for the city and winning esteem in the eyes of the citizens.  The premise for the book is that he was trying to rid the city of a second plague.  He showed no hesitation to give it his best effort, saying "Indeed I'm willing to give all that you may need; I would be very hard should I not pity suppliants like these" (Sophocles page #). Displaying this willingness to help his citizens and earning such lofty acclaim as being called "great" or "greatest," Oedipus could not have been a poor ruler or a tyrant.  If Oedipus had ruled his subjects poorly then they would not have addressed him as "great," so he should be viewed as a good leader, one who cared for his charges, one who ruled justly.  In this light, Aristotle would have judged Oedipus to be a good man, or more precisely, a good ruler because Oedipus' labor was "for the benefit of others," one of Aristotle's characteristics of a good ruler.

Theseus has many changes in his character throughout his adventures. These developments in his mindset lead him from being a depressed, weak child, to a strong leader that many look up to.

Glorification of a person and their land was the highest level of accomplishment to achieve in ancient Greece. Homer wove into his epic poem the qualities of justice, truth, and being faithful, but the overall quality that brought Odysseus to becoming the ideal human was honor. After twenty years, Odysseus brought honor on himself and his home by fighting and prevailing over the suitors attempting to overtake his household. This honor presents him as an ideal human because of the how society and the gods viewed him. Odysseus was idolized because of how he honored his word, fought for his men and what they believed in, and honored the gods and their role in his life. Honor is deemed his best quality, and gives him a god-like idealization amongst his people. Without the honor he was given,

“Gods can be evil sometimes.” In the play “Oedipus the King”, Sophocles defamed the gods’ reputation, and lowered their status by making them look harmful and evil. It is known that all gods should be perfect and infallible, and should represent justice and equity, but with Oedipus, the gods decided to destroy him and his family for no reason. It might be hard to believe that gods can have humanistic traits, but in fact they do. The gods, especially Apollo, are considered evil by the reader because they destroyed an innocent man’s life and his family. They destroyed Oedipus by controlling his fate, granting people the power of prophecy, telling Oedipus about his fate through the oracle of Apollo, and finally afflicting the people of

Overall, the ancient greeks valued Theseus because of his compassion and wisdom. Theseus showed compassion when Hercules’s burst of insanity, caused by his stepmother, Hera, led him to kill his wife and children and then want to kill himself. Although the public shunned Hercules, Theseus thought that a man could not be charged for murder if he had not known what he was doing, and those who had influenced the man should be charged for the crime as well. So Theseus brought him under his wing and welcomed him inside his house. Theseus, who was just as compassionate as he was wise, demonstrated his wisdom after his father’s death, who was king of Athens. The only place of power he wanted was the position of commander and chief. He also formed a council and a place where people could vote. Thus, establishing the first democracy. As seen in my first example, Theseus showed compassion to Hercules, when no other man

Notwithstanding, the fact Perseus severed Gorgon Medusa's head, Theseus is braver than Perseus as he is more courageous and intelligent, consequently leading him to be a better role model for adolescents.

The Greeks wrote many stories of people seeming to do the impossible. Whether they were the descendant of some supernatural being or had the power of a god on their side, they believed that they would always be able to get out of whatever horrible situation they might find themselves. While this element this element of the supernatural was present in almost all their stories, usually coming in the form of deus ex machina, there was one other element that was vastly more important. This element is what made the Greek stories so compelling, because, no matter if the character was a lowly farmer or the king, they were human. Humanity was an important part of Greek life, and is very evident in their mythology. Even their most noble and highest of characters have flaws, and their deities were portrayed with human qualities. What makes a person human is so complex. The Greeks frequently tried to answer the question of “who am I,” often resulting in the question only being vaguely answered. One story that came very close to giving a full answer to this question was the story of Oedipus. Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex tries to answer this question through the form of a riddle, the main character giving the answer as Man. However, Oedipus’s answer is not just the answer to a riddle, it is answering a question about himself. Throughout the play, Oedipus continually asks the same question as the his true origin becomes a mystery and his standing as a respected king is threatened. The answer