peace on earth

Odysseus is the hero that the Achaeans most admired. His intelligence, wit, and morals of the day allow the Greeks to look up to him as a role model. Perhaps the greatest characteristic that separates Odysseus from the suitors and his fellow shipmates is the wit and ability to trust the gods with their advice.

The Odyssey begins 10 years after the Iliad had left off and Odysseus is trapped on an island with Calypso. Odysseus then has many hardships upon which he overcomes through his intelligence and wit. One of the first obstacles he conquers is his defeat of the Cyclops. Once trapped in the cave of the one-eyed monster, Odysseus must devise a plan for this giant is consuming his men. Cunningly, Odysseus gets the Cyclops drunk and allows him to fall into slumber. He then blinds the Cyclops with a red-hot spear, knowing intelligently enough that if he kills the Cyclops they will be trapped forever. Searching for help, the giant opens the cave. Earlier Odysseus told the Cyclops that his name was “No-Body.” When the blinded giant is seeking his brothers he proclaims that, “Nobody blinded him.” Therefore Odysseus and his men escape with their lives by the means of this hero’s wit.

There are many instances throughout the epic where Odysseus takes the advice of the gods and overcomes the obstacles he is faced with. One of the first events is when Odysseus encounters Aeolus, the god of winds. Many men would not trust this god and not accept his secret bag of wind, believing it would be a plague of some sort. But Odysseus accepts Aeolus’ back of winds and treats him with hospitality. Eventually, Odysseus’s men, overcome with greed and distrust, open the bag of winds and they all are sent back to where they came. Another instance where Odysseus accepts the gods’ guidance is when the hero listens to Hermes on how to overcome Circe. Odysseus eats the Molly that is given to him and patiently waits for the right time to strike. Odysseus subdues Circe and forces her to free his men from the bondage of swine. After living in luxury with Circe for a year, he listens to her advice on how to return to his homeland of Ithaca. He then travels to Hades upon her advice and speaks to Tiresias, the blind prophet.

Nearing the end of the Epic, Odysseus continues to use his wit and intelligence to overcome obstacles and hardships. Upon one attempt to return home, Odysseus must pass the island of the Sirens. He has his men plug their ears with beeswax and has his men tie himself to the mast of the ship. Even though Odysseus gives into the weakness of the sirens’ song, he is unable to escape from the bonds of the rope and his previous intelligence saves him. Once he arrives in Ithaca, Odysseus once again uses his wit and intelligence to overcome his suitors and reclaim his estate. When he first encounters the people of his land, he wisely chooses to remain anonymous, avoiding an unplanned struggle or fight. Odysseus then reveals himself to his son and few servants to plan an attack on the suitors. At a contest to see if anyone can string Odysseus’s bow, our hero plans his attack after stringing the bow and firing on the suitors. His son and servants have the other arms and they massacre the entire group of suitors. This was one of Odysseus’s final acts of wit and intelligence to conclude the epic.

Through this intelligence and wit with trust of the gods, Odysseus overcomes all of his obstacles against all odds. Being a true hero, the Achaeans look up to Odysseus as a role model with his morals held high.