The Wanderer
One of the most prominent figures not only in Greek mythology, but all of Western literature, Odysseus has been long hailed as one of the most fascinating and complicated heroes in literature. Best known for his feats during and after the Trojan War, the origin of his name is disputed, but some scholars contend that it derives from an ancient Greek word meaning "to hate" and, thus, might be interpreted as "the one who is hated."
In Greek mythology, Odysseus is the King of Ithaca and is widely acclaimed for his cunning, guile, and ingenuity. Many of the common epithets attributed to Odysseus celebrate his intelligence and wisdom as his predominant heroic attributes: "the cunning," "the master mind of war," "the great tactician."
In addition to celebrating his heroism and prowess, tradition also praises Odysseus for the great strength of his family (especially compared to other families in Greek mythology, such as Agamemnon's). The members of his family who play a prominent role in The Odyssey are his son, Telemachus, his wife, Penelope, his father, Laertes, and his mother, Anticlea.
In Greek mythology, Odysseus is the King of Ithaca and is widely acclaimed for his cunning, guile, and ingenuity. Many of the common epithets attributed to Odysseus celebrate his intelligence and wisdom as his predominant heroic attributes: "the cunning," "the master mind of war," "the great tactician."
In addition to celebrating his heroism and prowess, tradition also praises Odysseus for the great strength of his family (especially compared to other families in Greek mythology, such as Agamemnon's). The members of his family who play a prominent role in The Odyssey are his son, Telemachus, his wife, Penelope, his father, Laertes, and his mother, Anticlea.
The Man Skilled in the Ways of Contending
Oral tradition has little to say about Odysseus' earliest years, and, aside from some references to his childhood and young adulthood in The Odyssey, the story of Odysseus does not really begin until Ithaca, like the other Greek kingdoms, has fallen under the shadow of the impending war with Troy. After Menelaus' wife, Helen, has been taken by the Trojan prince, Paris, Menelaus and his brother, Agamemnon begin gathering together the forces of all the Greek kingdoms, which, of course, leads them to Ithaca.
When the two brothers arrive in the hope of recruiting Odysseus for both his skill in battle and, more importantly, his smarts and daring, Odysseus pretends to go insane in order to avoid from going to war and instead stay with Penelope and his newborn son, Telemachus. (An oracle had also told him that, if he went to Troy, he would be a long, long time in coming home.) To demonstrate his insanity, Odysseus tied a donkey and an ox to his plow (preventing it from working effectively) and began sowing his fields with salt, which ruins them. Another Greek prince, Palamedes, questioned whether or not Odysseus was truly insane and, in order to test his insanity, placed the infant Telemachus right in the line of Odysseus' plow. Odysseus, unable to kill his only child in order to keep up the ruse, stopped and, by demonstrating his sanity, had no choice but to go to war.
In Troy, Odysseus was the counterbalance to the moody and hot-headed Achilles. Calm, rational, and diplomatic, he plays a crucial role in keeping the Greek forces from turning on each other as the war drags on and on. Similarly, he plays a key role in keeping Achilles and Agamemnon from turning against each other and, in the process, ruining what chance the Greeks have of winning the war. Ultimately, his diplomatic skills benefit him in a tangible manner when, after Paris kills Achilles, he is able to convince the Greek armies that he, rather than Ajax, should receive Achilles' armor. (Ajax, outwitted and humiliated by Odysseus once again, is driven insane by Athena and commits suicide.)
When the two brothers arrive in the hope of recruiting Odysseus for both his skill in battle and, more importantly, his smarts and daring, Odysseus pretends to go insane in order to avoid from going to war and instead stay with Penelope and his newborn son, Telemachus. (An oracle had also told him that, if he went to Troy, he would be a long, long time in coming home.) To demonstrate his insanity, Odysseus tied a donkey and an ox to his plow (preventing it from working effectively) and began sowing his fields with salt, which ruins them. Another Greek prince, Palamedes, questioned whether or not Odysseus was truly insane and, in order to test his insanity, placed the infant Telemachus right in the line of Odysseus' plow. Odysseus, unable to kill his only child in order to keep up the ruse, stopped and, by demonstrating his sanity, had no choice but to go to war.
In Troy, Odysseus was the counterbalance to the moody and hot-headed Achilles. Calm, rational, and diplomatic, he plays a crucial role in keeping the Greek forces from turning on each other as the war drags on and on. Similarly, he plays a key role in keeping Achilles and Agamemnon from turning against each other and, in the process, ruining what chance the Greeks have of winning the war. Ultimately, his diplomatic skills benefit him in a tangible manner when, after Paris kills Achilles, he is able to convince the Greek armies that he, rather than Ajax, should receive Achilles' armor. (Ajax, outwitted and humiliated by Odysseus once again, is driven insane by Athena and commits suicide.)
Without a doubt, however, Odysseus' most famous demonstration of his ingenuity was the ruse that brought about the end of the war: the Trojan Horse. Aided by Epeios, who built the actual horse, Odysseus devised a daring plan in which the Greek forces would pack up their camp and sail away, just out of sight, and leave an enormous wooden horse (the emblem of Troy) in their wake as an indication that they had given up the fight and were suing for peace. The horse, however, would be hollow and a small squad of men, led by Odysseus, would hide inside so that, when the Trojans rolled the horse inside the city, the concealed Greeks could slip out after dark. The Greek fleet would secretly sail back to shore, and Odysseus' squad would open the gates of the city, allowing the entire Greek army to enter the city, circumventing the defenses that had thwarted them for a decade.
Odysseus' plan went off without a hitch, and the Achaeans raided the city, destroying it and killing many Trojans in the process. Following this, Odysseus and the rest of the Greeks set off for home, looking forward to seeing the families and homes they had not seen in over a decade. All would not go as planned, however, due to the poor sacrifice to the gods who had helped the Greeks win the war. Unimpressed by the meager thanks given to them by the returning victors, the gods blew many of the returning ships off course, delaying the desired homecomings still further. This was more true for Odysseus "the wanderer," who would have to bear "the barren sea." |