Thomas Homer-Dixon

Eumaeus, the swineherd of Odysseus, is an important character that Homer depicts within the poem of The Odyssey, and one very interesting aspect of this character is his characterization of loyalty. Homer establishes loyalty as a strong and vital characteristic of Eumaeus through the passage in Book Fourteen in which the swineherd is introduced into the poem, approximately from lines 40 through 85. This portrayal of the theme of loyalty through the character of Eumaeus is a crucial aspect of The…

Pride is something that effect all manner of human nature. Pride is normally described as a deep satisfaction in one’s own achievements, abilities or qualities that are greatly admired. In a study done by Prisca Brosi, Matthias Spörrle, Isabell M. Welpe and Madeline E. Heilman called “Expressing Pride: Effects on Perceived Agency, Communality, and Stereotype-Based Gender Disparities” it says “Pride is closely connected to the achievement of personally or socially valued outcomes. Given the…

tragedy Antigone, Antigone is a woman who fights for her right to bury her deceased brother, Polyneices, going against the king’s laws. Antigone proves herself to be a Homeric hero through her actions. In comparison with characters from the mind of Homer, who made many heroes in his works, Antigone is most like Achilleus and Hektor, from The Iliad. Achilleus in that she follows through in what she believes is right and isn 't afraid to speak up to authority, and Hektor in the way she is…

Two Types of Monsters The scene between Odysseus and the Cyclops, Polyphemus, in Homer’s Odyssey is universally recognized as one of the greatest displays of cunning in ancient Western literature. Odyssey is the narration of the epic hero, Odysseus, and his journey home to his native land, Ithaca, after the fall of Troy. Throughout the narrative, Odysseus meets and interacts with a wide array of characters—gods, creatures, and humans. In Book 9, Odysseus and his men come to the land of the…

In The Iliad Homer, the epic poet brings the reader into a war of attrition between two great peoples, the Achaeans and the Trojans. Throughout the epic poem the reader familiarizes themselves with the two of the main protagonists within the poem, Hector and Achilles. As the epic progresses the reader learns the key differences and similarities Achilles and Hector have, and perhaps maybe choose who they see as the true hero in poem. However, one could say that both Hector and Achilles could be…

Perhaps Homer combined the Trojan war in 7a, with the sizable land of Troy 6. There is also evidence that multiple battles lasted for a long period of time in the Late Bronze Age, around the time of the supposed Trojan War. (Fischman 59) Fischman states that houses in the area and time period were usually very close to one another. However, in this newly discovered section of Troy, the houses are scattered, almost as if some had been destroyed by war. (Fischman 59) This would fit with Homer…

In Homers epic, the Iliad, we see that dishonor is something that is looked down upon. Honor is why the warriors go to battle and what gives them the motivation to push through the gruesome events that take place. The Iliad is full of characters that are stunted by fear. In Book 17 we see that Menelaus is too fearful to protect Patroclus’ body. Lastly, Achilles is mentioned in this section to show that the refusal of giving up Patroclus’ body could be the one thing to draw Achilles out of his…

In the Iliad, King Agamemnon played the role of commander of the Greeks, and King Nestor played the role of an elder council (an advisor). In the scene between Achilles, Agamemnon, and Nestor; Homer does not portray Agamemnon as somebody who would directly be in opposition to Nestor’s words of wisdom. In his book, Raphael Sealey commented that in Homer’s Iliad, “Decisions are taken by the king, but the poems avoid the question whether the king…

give up his kidnapped woman rather than Achilles, the greater warrior. Homer casts Achilles in the light of the besieging hero and Agamemnon as the greedy king who cares more for wealth and honor than his men’s lives. As the book progresses and insults traded, Homer switches sides as Achilles removes himself from the battle. Homer reveals his true support not for the character, but the greater good of the Achaean war effort. Homer shows his audience that Agamemnon is not upset about returning…

The famous epic poem by Homer, The Odyssey, tells of Odysseus’ tumultuous journey back to his home on the island of Ithaka. Odysseus, the main character in the epic poem, appears to be the hero slaying the monsters, but as his journey continues it becomes more difficult to distinguish who the monster really is. Upon closer inspection, the true monster is not one of the various mythical creates Odysseus faces, but is instead Odysseus himself. Passages from book nine and book 22 of The Odyssey,…