Menelaus

Homer’s The Odyssey, a sequel to the Greek epic poem The Iliad, is about Odysseus’ ten year struggle to return home after the Trojan War. While Odysseus was on his way back to Ithaka, his wife Penelope and son Telemakhos forestalled the suitors competing for Penelope's hand and Ithaka's throne. Major themes in The Odyssey include the maturation of Telemakhos, civilized versus uncivilized societies, and loyalty versus disloyalty. These three themes have developed as the epic poem progressed. The…

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…

“Why does any man do anything in the whole damn world? ‘Cause there 's a girl.” These words pretty well sum up men’s actions since the creation of woman. Odysseus, the hero from Homer’s Odyssey is no exception to this. While the Odyssey is no doubt a great adventure story, full of great battles and severing of limbs, it is also at its core, a love story. It is the tale of Odysseus facing innumerable trials to return to his ever faithful Penelope. For him, returning to his wife his final cause,…

Menelaus and Agamemnon try to deny a burial for Ajax in response of his attempt to kill them . This comes as a response due Ajax already being dead by his own hand and thus all they can do to punish him now is to deny him a proper burial. Ajax avoids not…

Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus’ Trojan War comrades return home and celebrate Odysseus as a hero and leader, while mourning his loss at sea. According to his fellow commanders, like Menelaus, Odysseus demonstrates strength, courage and restraint. In Ithaca, preceding the war, Odysseus enjoyed a reputation of being a kind and merciful king, adored by his people. However when voyaging home after the war, Odysseus displays his stubbornness when faced with decision making, and his overarching need…

The Story as an Essential Part of Human Knowledge Once upon a time, someone asked a question, and someone else answered with a story. Stories hold many functions in civilizations, from telling us how the world was created like Genesis in the Torah, to explaining natural phenomena such as the changing of the seasons like in the story of Dumuzi in Inanna’s myths, to providing guidance and a cultural legacy like Homer’s Iliad. Stories exist as an essential part of human knowledge to answer our…

For example when Agamemnon (leader of Achaeans) captures Chrysies, though he has to eventually give her back to her father. In "Iliad" Helen's position seems to be higher than the maidens Achilles and Agamemnon captured. She was originally Greek Menelaus' (Brother of Agamemnon) wife, but later captured by Paris, who is on the Trojan side. She is the whole cause of the Trojan war. However, in Aeschylus's Agamemnon, women seem to be moving with stealth. For example, Clytemnestra is plotting…

God’s relationship with Abraham and Jacob is a friendship relationship similar to that of Athena and Odysseus, because both Gods provide protection for their human companions, promote the legacy of their humans, and challenge the relationship both their chosen and themselves. At the core of both friendship relationships is faith and respect from the chosen humans towards their respective Gods, who in return bless the humans with divine acts. In this sense, both of their friendships are defined…

It was because of those generous, hospitable, and god fearing characters that Odysseus was able to survive throughout his rough journey on the wrathful sea. In her writing “What Pains are Fated to Fill Your Cup: The Role of Food, Drink, and Xenia in the Homeric Epics”, Amanda Urban states, “ This crucial moral principle was often exercised through the sharing of feasts, wine, and gifts between guests and their hosts. It is unsurprising then that The Odyssey is rich with examples: Odysseus, the…

A common assumption is that the Iliad is merely a tale that celebrates the conquests of great warriors who create legacies for themselves and their families. In reality, beneath the idea of a legacy is a negative side. The epic poem is written so that the famous are the ones who experience the greatest misery because they are trapped by public opinion. In the Iliad, Homer subverts the ancient Greek trope that legacies are crucial to a fulfilling life. One of the most complex characters in the…