Zackary Park

1:00 PM Tuesday/Thursday
What is the significance of Odysseus given name?
Odysseus receives his name from Autolycus, Odysseus
grandfather. Autolycus, having been enraged at many people
throughout his life, may have decided to name his grandchild
Odysseus to remember his own life experiences. Autolycus notes
that the name Odysseus means a man of rage. The name
Odysseus may also be from the Greek word, odussomai, which
means, to suffer. Since Autolycus could surpass all othersin
thievery and swearing (The Odyssey, Book XIX), he caused suffering
to many people. It appears that Autolycus named his grandson
Odysseus so that he could also inflict suffering on people, just like his
grandfather had done during his lifetime. Ironically, Odysseus is the
one who suffers; he loses all of his men, and he does not get home
until about twenty years after the Trojan War. It is only when he
reaches Ithaca that he inflicts suffering upon all of the suitors.
In addition to the name that Autolycus gave Odysseus, Odysseus
gives himself a temporary name, No one, during his encounter with
Polyphemus, a Cyclops. In Greek, No one translates into outis, which
can be changed into another Greek word, metis, which means
cleverness. Odysseus is definitely clever and is extremely witty. He
tells Polyphemus that his name is No one so that the other Cyclops
would not come to aid Polyphemus, and Odysseus and his men hide
under the sheep to escape Polyphemus cave undetected. He is no
one once again when he becomes disguised into a beggar to be
amongst the suitors.
Both Odysseus and No one have a deeper purpose than just
being names. Odysseus foreshadows the suffering that Odysseus
will receive and the suffering that Odysseus will inflict. No one
reveals the cleverness of Odysseus and predicts that Odysseus will
become a beggar, a no one.