Throughout the thousands of years of recorded human history, invasion has been a common practice among human beings. Whether it is the raiding of your sister’s wardrobe, or the conquest of another country, there are many common trends that can be observed in the act of unwelcomed human incursion. One example portraying invasive human behavior is in the epic of poems, The Odyssey, written by Homer and translated by Robert Fagles. Although the epic was written nearly three thousand years ago and even before the times of the Old Testament, it remains very relevant and can be related to many issues of our modern world. For instance, the ethics of invasion observed in The Odyssey are similar to the ethics and consequences of modern ecological invasion.
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For one thing, an essential purpose of both invasions is to extract resources from the area. Telemachus describes the suitors and says, “They butcher our cattle, our sheep, our fat goats, feasting themselves sick, swilling our glowing wine as if there’s no tomorrow—all of it, squandered.” (2.60-62). From these words it is clear, the ethics of this certain invasion. The suitors have come to a place they are not entitled to, and yet they make themselves excessively comfortable and take from its riches as if it is inexhaustible. The suitors do not consider that what they are doing is wrong despite the fact that Odysseus’ house and goods simply were not allotted for them. On behalf of the men Antinous tells Telemachus, “It’s not the suitors here who deserve the blame, it’s your own dear mother, the matchless queen of cunning. . . she’s played it fast and loose with all our hearts.” (2.94-97). Antinous blatantly blamed their invasion on Penelope for not marrying any of the suitors. Moreover he symbolizes the carelessness of the suitors’ actions, as if they can be so easily justified by the hurt egos of the men. Likewise, society plagued much of the natural world for its own personal interests. …show more content…
Each invasion must deal with its own consequences. For example, in The Odyssey, Penelope is pressured to remarry one of the suitors, so that there may be a new king to rule Ithaca. With Odysseus long lost, the nation does not have a single ruler, nor does it have a properly functioning government, therefore Ithaca is left in complete chaos. Correspondingly, the invasion of the natural world has led to chaos and mass destruction, which continues today. For example, according to www.worldwildlife.org, “1.6 billion people rely on benefits forests offer, including food, fresh water, clothing, traditional medicine and shelter.” Conversely deforestation has continued at a rapid rate, and people are running out of resources to live on. Much of the fishing industry also suffers extreme losses due to the endangerment of so many species. Global warming has become a threat to future generations, and the signs have been made clear of this. The transgressions and their harms are endless. The world has been invaded by the human species and the entire biosphere suffers the magnitudes of these
For one thing, an essential purpose of both invasions is to extract resources from the area. Telemachus describes the suitors and says, “They butcher our cattle, our sheep, our fat goats, feasting themselves sick, swilling our glowing wine as if there’s no tomorrow—all of it, squandered.” (2.60-62). From these words it is clear, the ethics of this certain invasion. The suitors have come to a place they are not entitled to, and yet they make themselves excessively comfortable and take from its riches as if it is inexhaustible. The suitors do not consider that what they are doing is wrong despite the fact that Odysseus’ house and goods simply were not allotted for them. On behalf of the men Antinous tells Telemachus, “It’s not the suitors here who deserve the blame, it’s your own dear mother, the matchless queen of cunning. . . she’s played it fast and loose with all our hearts.” (2.94-97). Antinous blatantly blamed their invasion on Penelope for not marrying any of the suitors. Moreover he symbolizes the carelessness of the suitors’ actions, as if they can be so easily justified by the hurt egos of the men. Likewise, society plagued much of the natural world for its own personal interests. …show more content…
Each invasion must deal with its own consequences. For example, in The Odyssey, Penelope is pressured to remarry one of the suitors, so that there may be a new king to rule Ithaca. With Odysseus long lost, the nation does not have a single ruler, nor does it have a properly functioning government, therefore Ithaca is left in complete chaos. Correspondingly, the invasion of the natural world has led to chaos and mass destruction, which continues today. For example, according to www.worldwildlife.org, “1.6 billion people rely on benefits forests offer, including food, fresh water, clothing, traditional medicine and shelter.” Conversely deforestation has continued at a rapid rate, and people are running out of resources to live on. Much of the fishing industry also suffers extreme losses due to the endangerment of so many species. Global warming has become a threat to future generations, and the signs have been made clear of this. The transgressions and their harms are endless. The world has been invaded by the human species and the entire biosphere suffers the magnitudes of these