Anthony Giorgio

Ms. Noyce
English 9 A4
12 December 2014
Odyssey Heroism Essay
In many stories throughout history, there are heroes that represent the epitome of what
was valued in the society that created them. Whether it be the case of Captain America during
World War II or Robin Hood in medieval England, heroes represent the best of their people,
whether by example or through metaphor. To look at a slightly more ancient example, one finds
that the Odyssey by Homer demonstrates this idea perfectly. Through the storys main character,
Odysseus, the readers and listeners, ancient as well as modern, could rediscover the ideals of
Greek society. Odysseus embodies and shows the utmost importance of the Greek ideals that
good heroes must both be honorable and must seek out glory in all facets of their life. In the
Odyssey, Homer shows Odysseus to be both the most upstanding member of Greek society that
the world had seen thus far, as well as being constantly in pursuit of treasure and glory, and by
doing this he highlights the tremendous importance of both of these traits.
In the Odyssey, Homer shows constantly that the main character values his honor more
than his own life, or the lives of others. One instance in the story where this rings most true is in
book XXII, after Odysseus has killed the Suitors. Not only did Odysseus just brutally slaughter
all those who sought the affection of his wife, Penelope, but directly thereafter he commands his
chief housemaid to tell me about the women in these halls, the ones who disrespect me and the

ones who bear no blame(Ody. XXII, lines 350-352), so that he may hang them for their
dishonorable behavior. Odysseus, conqueror of cities, he who defeated and blinded the Cyclops,
takes it upon himself to capitally punish his servants that consorted and had relations with the
equally dishonorable suitors. This is because in the Ancient Greek society, honor was the most
important quality of any mortal or immortal, and those who were dishonorable had to be
punished, and punished indeed very harshly. The hero of the story, god-like and revered, killed
those who were dishonorable in their actions, and who simultaneously cast dishonor upon him,
because that is what was expected and respected in his culture, and by the extremity of his
action, Homer shows how vital honor was to his society.
A concept that is associated with honor, mainly in part by the Ancient Greeks, is that
concept of glory, a hugely important pillar of what could make or break Greek heroes. In the
Odyssey, the hero among heroes, Odysseus, repeatedly goes out of his way during his journey
home in pursuit of glory and treasure. Even willing to put his own life, well-being, and his crew
at risk in the name of glory, he makes a staggering judgment call in book IX. Before he is
anywhere near finding safety, his shouts to Polyphemus, the Cyclops he recently blinded, that if
any mortal being asks about the injury that blinded you, tell them Odysseus destroyed your eye, a
sacker of cities, Laertes son, a man from Ithaca(Ody. IX, lines 527 531). As soon as Odysseus
says this, the Cyclops prays to his godly father, Poseidon, to put a curse on Odysseus and his
crew. Odysseus shouted his name and title to the Cyclops in the name of glory, so that word
might spread and anyone who asked would know that he, Odysseus, man of Ithaca, was the man
who conquered the mighty Cyclops. Although this causes many problems for Odysseus and his
crew for the rest of the story, one might guess that Odysseus would not regret his actions in the
least. This is because the glory and spoils of the hunt were just as important to the Greeks as their

honor, and Odysseus would not be a true hero if he did not risk his neck in the name of glory. It
shows how important glory was to the Ancient Greeks, that the most revered mortal man up to
that point would, some people of today might say stupidly, risk his life with only the goal of
bettering his reputation with the treasure of his travels.
The heroes of all cultures act as mirrors into the past, reflecting the values of those
cultures that built and nurtured them in their stories and epics. Homers character, Odysseus
shows that the two most important qualities of an epic hero at the time of the Ancient Greeks,
were that they possess both honor and glory in plentiful amounts. Odysseus takes opportunities
to show this by giving the lives of others to preserve his honor, and additionally by continually
risking his own life in the pursuit of glory and repute. Although this story took place long ago,
the themes are relevant today, and it shows the people of today what values were important to the
Ancient Greeks. Like those heroes that came before and all that come after, Odysseus never fails
to give a window into what it means to be a hero.