Citizenship In Homer's Odyssey

The Theogony as Role of Citizenship by Kyle Herman The Theogony should be required reading in the Ohio State freshmen curriculum over The Odyssey because the Theogony better demonstrates the role of citizenship through the importance of cooperation and the freedom to choose. The Theogony should be required reading in the freshmen curriculum over The Odyssey because it emphasizes the importance of cooperation. In the Theogony, Typhon plans to rule over the Gods and humans. Zeus notices Typhon’s plan and cooperates with the Olympians to help fight the Titans (845-885). Zeus and the Olympians end up defeating the Titans and Gaia suggests that Zeus be their king and rule the Gods (888-889). Zeus agrees to become king of the Gods and distributes their privileges and rights (890). The Odyssey, on the other hand, illustrates instances where individuals are unwilling to cooperate, which would not teach freshmen the act of working together in their role as citizens. In Book 10 of The Odyssey, Aeolus gives Odysseus a bag containing winds of all kinds to guide Odysseus and his men back home to Ithaca (10.191). As they are traveling back home to Ithaca, Odysseus’ men believe Aeolus gave Odysseus a bag full of gold and …show more content…
In the beginning of the Theogony, the Muses dance and sing on Mount Helicon, which represents the Muses being entirely free (1-20). When the Muses sing for Zeus, they have the freedom to choose whether they want to sing about the past, present, or future (37-40). In The Odyssey, however, the freedom to choose has a negative connotation, which would not teach freshmen how the freedom to choose flourishes society in their role as citizens. In Book 1 of The Odyssey, when Odysseus has yet to return to Ithaca from the Trojan War, a mob of suitors chooses to devise a plan to take over his estate and kingdom