The Great Odysseus Research Paper

Many people know the story of the Great Odysseus, but nobody knows his story like I do. I, the great sun god Helios, knew Odysseus and his men for who they truly were. They were thieves, cheaters, and murderers. It is time that the true story is finally told, the way it should be. Get ready for a story that will change the way that the Great Odysseus is thought of forever.
It all started on a dark, rainy day on the island of Thrinakia. I visited this island many times over the course of the year, and had the pleasure of viewing it every day from my chariot in the sky. The island was beautiful itself, but the truly beauty lived within the cattle on the island. They were my sacred bovine, my joy. I filled the island with bountiful grass for them
to eat, and they grew to proportions fit for a god. The cattle were truly my sacred pets, until Odysseus and his men came along. On this evening, the weather had forced Odysseus and his men to take refuge in a cave on my island. At first thought, I was not concerned. Many ships had come upon the shores of my island before, and this one was no different. The men on the ship rarely left the boat for the first couple weeks, but soon began fishing in the rough seas persistently. It became clear to me that the men were in trouble, so I began the come up with a plan. I decided that on the thirty-fifth day that the men were on the island that I would clear up the storms.
I would also produce a huge feast of fruits and wine and swine. My cattle were to be excluded from the feast of course. Proud of myself for coming up with such a brilliant idea, I decided to go and tell the leader of the ship of my plans. What I found on the island made me so angry that the earth itself shook. The men of the ship had been overcome by selfish ambition and had slaughtered my cattle. Not one cow remained after the feasting of the men. They even had the audacity to use my cattle as part of a shrine to me, as if I would forgive them for their killings. Odysseus seemed to know that the men had done a very bad thing, and he did not take part in the slaughter of my innocent cattle. I went straight up the Olympus to visit Zeus, and I commanded him to destroy the ship, along with all of the men in it. Zeus tried to fight with me to calm down, but he knew that he had no choice. I threatened Zeus that I would never again light the sky if he did not obey my orders. He agreed to destroy the boat, but only if he could spare Odysseus’ life. I thought that that would be okay since he did not eat any of my cattle, and I went back to Thrinakia. The men were just leaving the
island when I arrived, so I was just in time to see them die. Just as the men were leaving, a massive thunderbolt struck the center of the ship, blasting pieces of wood and flesh for miles. Odysseus was left unconscious in the water, doomed to drift for days until he finally came ashore on some distant island. I had gotten my revenge on Odysseus and his men once and for all.
So now you know the truth about the horrible men that were on that ship. They let their own pride control them, and they paid the ultimate consequence for it. The truth may be different from what is commonly told about Odysseus, but it is still the truth. That is how I, Helios, came into contact with the Great Odysseus, and made an impact on his journey forever.