Although Zeus is surrounded by gods who prioritize their own desires and self-interest, Zeus remains the main enforcer of morality which manifests in the forms of the code of hospitality and the upholding of justice. His sense of morality overrules his self-interest and partiality towards his fellow gods. Zeus maintains his moral values and does not let it fade into insignificance even though his connections to the gods are deeper compared to his relationship with mankind.
In Homer’s world, one of the most prevalent theme is the code of hospitality. It is a concrete and central institution in The Odyssey as mortals and gods alike acknowledge the code of hospitality as their fundamental moral principle. Characters in the epic poem such as King …show more content…
He entrusts Athena with the task of guiding Odysseus throughout his journey home. It is true that Odysseus has gained the ire of Poseidon, but Zeus believes that the grudge and fury that Poseidon carries towards Odysseus is insufficient to warrant Odysseus’s …show more content…
First example is when Zeus aids the Cicones—the people Odysseus and his men pillaged after departing from Troy—by providing disasters that kills most of Odysseus’s crews. Despite of being fond of Odysseus, Zeus punishes Odysseus and his men for pillaging and ravaging the cities of Cicones brought by excessive greediness. This shows that Zeus will not favor Odysseus and he is willing to carry out punishment if he decides that Odysseus’s actions are against his moral principles. In this case, Zeus upholds justice for the Cicones that are ravaged by Odysseus’s pillaging men instead of indulging their greed. Another example is Zeus’s harsh punishment of death to Odysseus’s men and Odysseus entrapment to Calypso’s island for multiple years because of their treasonous act of slaughtering the Cattle of Helios. Odysseus’s is warned ahead of time by both Circe and the prophet Tiresias from the Underworld to not harm Helios’s beloved cattle or disaster will befall them, but Odysseus’s men disregard the warning and slaughtered the cattle. This causes Helios to plea to
In Homer’s world, one of the most prevalent theme is the code of hospitality. It is a concrete and central institution in The Odyssey as mortals and gods alike acknowledge the code of hospitality as their fundamental moral principle. Characters in the epic poem such as King …show more content…
He entrusts Athena with the task of guiding Odysseus throughout his journey home. It is true that Odysseus has gained the ire of Poseidon, but Zeus believes that the grudge and fury that Poseidon carries towards Odysseus is insufficient to warrant Odysseus’s …show more content…
First example is when Zeus aids the Cicones—the people Odysseus and his men pillaged after departing from Troy—by providing disasters that kills most of Odysseus’s crews. Despite of being fond of Odysseus, Zeus punishes Odysseus and his men for pillaging and ravaging the cities of Cicones brought by excessive greediness. This shows that Zeus will not favor Odysseus and he is willing to carry out punishment if he decides that Odysseus’s actions are against his moral principles. In this case, Zeus upholds justice for the Cicones that are ravaged by Odysseus’s pillaging men instead of indulging their greed. Another example is Zeus’s harsh punishment of death to Odysseus’s men and Odysseus entrapment to Calypso’s island for multiple years because of their treasonous act of slaughtering the Cattle of Helios. Odysseus’s is warned ahead of time by both Circe and the prophet Tiresias from the Underworld to not harm Helios’s beloved cattle or disaster will befall them, but Odysseus’s men disregard the warning and slaughtered the cattle. This causes Helios to plea to