Homer. The Odyssey. Translated by Samuel Butler.
Ancient Greek culture was based heavily on masculinity and idolizing the actions that cause people to be seen as heroes. The Greeks were constantly fighting, whether it be with themselves or with others. Mythology was another important piece of everyday life. Naturally, literary works started to combine the fighting and mythology to create stories of heroes that everyone wants to be. An example of these works is Homer’s The Odyssey.
The Odyssey is a story about a man named Odysseus overcoming the conflicts and struggles thrown at him by the gods to get home to his family. Odysseus is a normal man who faces off against gods, such as when Neptune “raised a great storm” (Book 7). Even if Neptune was not responsible for the storm, surviving a storm at sea is still a great feat for a common man. Neptune was angry at Odysseus for slaying the “Cyclopes and the savage giants” (Book 7). No evidence of any cyclops or giant exists, but the actual event the writing is based off could have happened. Odysseus may have fought at this island, but Homer exaggerates the situation to further show a sense of masculinity and strength. Winning a fight may earn praise, but killing a savage giant turns men into heroes.
Most events, …show more content…
This is still putting an emphasis on being brave and strong, because the underworld is a terrible place that normal men do no go to. The epic moves away from the direct masculinity and shifts to more of a way to honor the dead, such as “burnt sacrifice with prayers” (Book 10). These sacrifices of animals are a way for Homer to give a short break from the action and show that Odysseus does still think instead of just fighting, the fighting is just focused on most of the time. If this area does exist outside of the story, it was most likely a place Odysseus would have rested and prayed to the gods to help him through the rest of his
Ancient Greek culture was based heavily on masculinity and idolizing the actions that cause people to be seen as heroes. The Greeks were constantly fighting, whether it be with themselves or with others. Mythology was another important piece of everyday life. Naturally, literary works started to combine the fighting and mythology to create stories of heroes that everyone wants to be. An example of these works is Homer’s The Odyssey.
The Odyssey is a story about a man named Odysseus overcoming the conflicts and struggles thrown at him by the gods to get home to his family. Odysseus is a normal man who faces off against gods, such as when Neptune “raised a great storm” (Book 7). Even if Neptune was not responsible for the storm, surviving a storm at sea is still a great feat for a common man. Neptune was angry at Odysseus for slaying the “Cyclopes and the savage giants” (Book 7). No evidence of any cyclops or giant exists, but the actual event the writing is based off could have happened. Odysseus may have fought at this island, but Homer exaggerates the situation to further show a sense of masculinity and strength. Winning a fight may earn praise, but killing a savage giant turns men into heroes.
Most events, …show more content…
This is still putting an emphasis on being brave and strong, because the underworld is a terrible place that normal men do no go to. The epic moves away from the direct masculinity and shifts to more of a way to honor the dead, such as “burnt sacrifice with prayers” (Book 10). These sacrifices of animals are a way for Homer to give a short break from the action and show that Odysseus does still think instead of just fighting, the fighting is just focused on most of the time. If this area does exist outside of the story, it was most likely a place Odysseus would have rested and prayed to the gods to help him through the rest of his