Kleos In The Odyssey

Myths and legends are mainly thought of a way people entertained each other while sitting around a fire. Most westerners do not realize the impact that these heroes and gods had on the day-to-day lives of ancient people. The Greeks are probably the most well known for their myths, because of the fact that their society was built on the lessons from the countless stories passed from one generation to the next. The values that were most highly sought after were intelligence, glory, hospitality, and loyalty.
The Greeks were well known for their pursuit of knowledge in all aspects of life. All boys were encouraged to learn how to read, write, quote literature, sing, and do arithmetic. These teachings were not for the purpose of obtaining a successful
Homer points this out specifically in his epic, the Odyssey. The story follows Odysseus’s ten-year return journey home after the fall of Troy. The fall of Troy, which is chronicled by Homer’s other epic poem, the Iliad, is the ultimate way of gaining kleos. His son, Telemachus, is worried that his father died in battle and that he will inherit his “bad” kleos. Unlike in Norse mythology, where dying in battle is thought of glorious and the only noble way to go, the Greeks believed that if a warrior died in battle it was because the gods were unhappy. This affected their reputation (kleos) and legacy, which gets passed on to their offspring. The Greeks were very motivated to do good deeds, and accomplish achievements to the highest of their ability. This can be seen in the Roman culture as well, which uses a lot of influence from the Greeks. Even the greatest Greek warriors, no matter how much kleos that has been gained throughout their life, must be hospitable and humble when being a
One general rule of Greek society was to be gracious hosts to any and all guests, and that Zeus will protect them. A common theme and story that was told, was that a deity would be disguised as a traveller in need of shelter and if taken care of, would bestow gifts and rewards. This alone would motivate any Greek to be the best possible host to any and all strangers. Many Greek leaders persuaded other leaders to join in alliances by using the tactic of lavish hospitality. This caused going to war with the Greeks a very tricky one, because of all the alliances they had acquired. With hospitality came a sense of trust and loyalty between host and