The Odyssey

In Homer's epic The Odyssey, Odysseus is able to use his stregnth, courage, and smart wits to overcome numerous challeneges impossible to others. His use of trickery does not rebuke his heroicness but rather enhances his intelligence and bravery. His actions were not just "heroic" or "cunning" but a mixture of both and in using his intelligence he was able to overcome many challenges impossible to others, making him a great hero of his time. In this greek time it was those that brought glory and victory who were praised and worshipped as heros along with those that could learn from their victories and mistakes and lead others to a better fate.

In greek culture a hero was not just one who showed great stregnth but also one whose stregnth, honor, and connection to the gods was valued over their personality all of which ___ Odysseus. On many occasions it was his actions that single handedly saved many others, bringing victory. Odysseus' cunning intelligence won the war for the Acheans with his plan of building a large wooden horse within which the Achean army could hide. This allowed for a surprise attack to defeat the Trojans and take over the city of Troy. On the Island of the cyclops Odysseus and his men became trapped inside a cave with the great Polythemus. Odysseus, unable to defeat the large creature by pure stregnth masterminds a plan to outsmart the cyclops and by blinding the creature and clinging to the underside of the sheep the men are