Emily Johnson

Miss Noyce
A3
01/19/15
Odyssey Essay
In literature, an epic hero represents the best version of his/her people in
their eyes. A hero is a near perfect example of what their people should be.
These heroes achieve this by embodying the values and traits of their
people. Homers The Odyssey, the main hero, Odysseus, displays two traits
admired by the Greeks. One characteristic the Greeks saw in their heroes
was being above all mortal men and were almost godlike. Another quality the
Greeks admired was perseverance. Odysseus displays both of these traits
throughout his journey.
Homer expresses how ancient Greeks and the heroes themselves believed
that heroes were above all mortal men. Zeus praises Odysseus by talking
about his godlike qualities: How could I forget godlike Odysseus, preeminent before all mortal men for his intelligence and offerings to the
immortal gods, who hold wide heaven?(Ody. I. 277-279). This shows that the
Greeks believed their heroes were nearly gods in their eyes because Homer
has Zeus, God of the Gods, say that Odysseus is godlike. This also shows
that Odysseus is above all mortal men because he is better than everyone

else when it comes to intellect and pleasing the gods. If the Greek king of the
gods declares that Odysseus is comparable to the gods for his wisdom and
piety, the ancient Greeks are probably going to admire these traits too.
Another trait the ancient Greeks admired in their heroes was
perseverance. Calypso talks about how the journey is not worth all of the
pain and stress, but Odysseus argues: I will go on-the heart here in my
chest is quite prepared to bear affliction(Ody. V. 277-279). Odysseus talks
about he is prepared for anything, and this connects to the idea because this
means he will not be defeated and will continue on with faith.
In The Odyssey, Odysseus embodies characteristics that the ancient
Greeks considered heroic. In The Odyssey, the main hero Odysseus shows
the qualities the ancient Greeks believed in. One of the qualities he displayed
was being considered higher than all mortal men. By this, I mean that the
ancient Greeks believed their heroes were godlike. Another characteristic
admired by the Greeks that Odysseus showed was endurance by explaining
that he would never give up on anything no matter what.