Odysseus a Greek Hero

It is common knowledge that Odysseus is considered to be a Greek hero, some would even say that he is the one ideal hero of ancient Greece. Yet what is the criteria that puts Odysseus as one of the great Greek heroes? One thing many definitions had for a Greek hero was that they were from divine ancestry, favored by the gods, and have had the skill to complete their journey successfully. In The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus has fulfilled being demi-god, being favored by the gods and mainly showing that he has the skills to complete the quest that has been set before him by the gods and is therefore a true Greek hero. The first criteria to be filled is that Odysseus comes from divine ancestry. This is easily seen with his grandfather’s father is Zeus. As well as his mother’s father being the son of Hermes. This shows that he is half god and fills the criteria of being demi-god. The second criteria to be filled by Odysseus is to be favored by the gods- mainly Athena. To be favored by the gods means that they took a special interest in the character and were an active part in their lives. Athena is seen throughout the epic helping Odysseus return to Ithaca and reclaim his throne. One example of this is in Book One. The scene seen is of Athena pleading to Zeus to demand that Calypso let Odysseus go. Zeus shows his favor upon Odysseus by saying “Now how on earth could I forget Odysseus? Great Odysseus who excels all men in wisdom, excels in offerings too he gives the immortal gods who rule the vaulting skies?” (Homer 1.77-80). Here Zeus is speaking highly of Odysseus which shows that he thinks of him higher than he does other mortals. It is because Zeus and Athena are even talking about Odysseus that it is shown that the gods shoe favor upon him. Another example seen of Odysseus being favored is all the ways in which Athena directly influences the outcome to what happens to Odysseus. Her main way of doing this is casting an air to make Odysseus appear more handsome and more god-like to the people around him “Athena made him taller to all eyes, his build more massive now, and down from his brow she ran his curls like thick hyacinth clusters full of blooms” (Homer 6.253-256). Time and time again we see that it is Athena who is the god who was the most active in Odysseus’s life. This is seen time and time again as Athena casts spells on Odysseus and other’s to sway the events that happen to Odysseus into his favor. A main example seen is in Book Six when Odysseus comes to the Phaeacian Island and Athena has “planted courage within [Princess Nausicaa’s] heart, dissolved the trembling in her limbs, and she firmly stood her ground and faced Odysseus….” (Homer 6.153-155). What is being seen is that Athena has swayed the princess away from running away but rather to look favorably upon Odysseus which then helps Odysseus complete his quest. Lastly the biggest criteria that needs to be filled is to have the skills required to complete the quest that has been set before him. There are many qualities that Odysseus exemplifies that show that he has the skills to complete and voyage and make it back to Ithaca to restore peace once again. Among these skills are the ability to be guile, physical strength and to embrace his mortality. The main tactic that Odysseus uses to complete his quest is his ability to deceive those around him. A scene where this is most prevalent is his encounter with the Cyclops, Polyphemus in which the man of twists and turns has tricked him into thinking that his name is actually Nobody. It is with this cunningness that Odysseus has not only escaped but was also able to trick the other Cyclopes into thinking that “Nobody’s killing me now by fraud and not by force!” (Homer 9.455) instead they are left to think “it must be a plague sent here by mighty Zeus” (Homer 9.457-458). Therefore Odysseus was then able to continue on his voyage home. Another way he was able to use his guile ability was when he made it home to Penelope. Not only did Odysseus outsmart his enemies throughout his voyages he was able to come back to Penelope despite his infidelity to her. The way he was able to accomplish this was through his deceitful ways- he did not explicitly say that he went to bed with Circe or Calypso. Instead he chooses to tell his faithful wife
“how he reached Odygia’s shores and the nymph Calypso held him back, deep in her arching caverns, craving him for a husband- cherished him, vowed to make him immortal, ageless, all his days, yes but she never won the heart inside him. *--never…” (Homer 23.376-380).
It was through his vagueness that he was able to trick his wife to thinking he was faithful and still the good man that he has been perceived to be. Another skill Odysseus was able to hone in on to make complete his voyage is his was his physical strength. To be able to successfully complete his voyage home, Odysseus had many physical challenges in front of him. This is seen once Odysseus was able to come back to his home and then slaughter all the suitors there. It was through his strength and cunningness as well that he was able to lead the suitors to their demise and reclaim his throne once again. His physical strength is again seen when the suitor, Irus, has challenged him to a brawl. Odysseus is described as “baring his big rippling thighs- his boxer’s broad shoulders, his massive chest and burly on full display…” (18.78-79). This conjures up an image of what modern day people think as a hero as well as what people from ancient Greek consider a hero to look like. The last skill that Odysseus used to complete his voyage as needed to be considered as a Greek hero was his ability to embrace his mortality. There are many ways in which Odysseus has embraced his mortality. He embraces and accepts his mortality when Calypso has offered him immortality if he were to stay and marry her, however he refuses the offer. By refusing to become immortal and rather to go back to his wife and house, it shows that Odysseus is not afraid of dying just as long as he able to become reunited with his loved one. By embracing his eventual death Odysseus has made himself more relatable to readers as well as a way for him to be able to complete his voyage back to Ithaca. It is through the completion of the definition of being a Greek hero that Odysseus is considered a Greek hero. Throughout The Odyssey it is seen that Odysseus fill the criteria that is required to be considered a Greek hero. He comes from divine ancestry, being favored by the gods and lastly honing skills to complete the journey that the gods have set before him.