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The world depicted In Homers Odyssey and Aeschylus Agamemnon was one quite remote from the modern concept. The society of archaic Greece was one based on communities of local landowners who joined together and accepted the rule of a chief landowner. Under this ruler, or bacillus, the large landowners held aristocratic power and formed the head council (boule) while the families of lesser wealth were represented in the assembly, comprised of all male citizens. The purpose of this hierarchy of power was to unify the territory as well as offer representation for all its inhabitants, while allowing the reigning bacillus to maintain power by giving him the final say in social, judicial, and military matters.
Thus, the necessary qualifications for a bacillus were with regard to this social and political system. The premier determinant was a bacillus skill in warfare. Because archaic Greek cities were in constant battle over territory and control of power, a bacillus ability to defend territory from outs ide assault or resolve civil dispute within the poles was of great importance. Along with his martial expertise, however, a bacillus also had to be fair administrator, and a generous suppliant to his people.
Therefore, the extent to which Odysseus and Agamemnon, the bailey in the Odyssey and Agamemnon respectively, are virtuous characters is in reference to their capability, or lack of it, as rulers. While Odysseus emerges as a generally good ruler, Agamemnon exemplifies the opposite in his shortcomings as an archaic bacillus. Leadership always carries with it the dependence of followers, but also the risks of disappointment and possible disaster. In Homers Odyssey, Odysseus certainly faces misfortune associated with these risks in his attempts to return home with his men after their triumphant efforts in the Trojan War.
From these disasters, however, Odysseus actions and their implications offer insight into his personality and the values that he embodies. As an appropriate hero should, Odysseus displays bravery, intelligence, astuteness and competency as well as the diplomatic skills, familiarity with his male subjects, discipline, and compassion that make him an appropriate ruler of Ithaka. Nevertheless, Odysseus is not without his faults. A lack of trust and excessive pride tend to supersede his intellectual ability and land him in many of the misfortune situations he encounters. And it is this varying amount of positive and negative attributes in Odysseus that keep him on the edge of being an entirely model leader. In his first appearance in the Odyssey, Odysseus exhibits both his determination to return home to Ithaka and the strategic mastery in achieving such ends.
Having been marooned on Calypsos island for seven years, enticed and provided for by the sea nymph, he nevertheless has spent his days sitting on the rocky shore his own heart groaning, with eyes wet scanning the bare horizon of the sea. (Odyssey, Bk. V, 164 - 166) Therefore, when Odysseus is presented with the opportunity to leave in Book 5, he takes it without a moments hesitation. The catch, however, is that leaving Kalypsos means giving up the opportunity to stand guard this house, and be immortal. (215 - 216) Even so, Odysseus is not swayed by this enticement. However, he cunningly perceives the delicate situation of dealing with Kalypsos feelings and accordingly, he utilizes eloquent flattery to rectify the situation and remain in the goddess favor.
My lady goddess, here is no cause for angerPenelopewould seems a shade before your Thus, the image of Odysseus as a driven but insightful hero is aptly illustrated. However, as the story progresses, it becomes readily apparent in the retelling of his adventures to the Phaiakians in Books 9 through 12, that this careful dynamic has been accomplished gradually through the tribulations Odysseus has faced on his trek back from Troy. In Book 9, Odysseus displays his shrewdness but also the consequences of his overzealous pride in his recounting of the episode on the Kyklopes island. When Odysseus and his men become trapped by the Kyklops Polyphemos, Odysseus cleverly tells him that My name is Nohbdy: mother, father, and friends, everyone calls me Nohbdy. (Bk.
IX, 396 - 397) So, when Polyphemos is stabbed in the eye by Odysseus and his men, he renounces assistance from his friends by stating that Nohbdy's tricked me, Nohbdy's ruined me! (l. 444), leading his companions to believe that no man has hurt him. However, once the ruler and his men reach their ships and set sail, Odysseus take s the opportunity to taunt Polyphemos by declaring, if ever mortal man inquire how you were put to shame tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye. (551 - 553) The result of Odysseus boast, however, has further repercussions: Polyphemos implores his father Poseidon to never allow Odysseus to return home. Thus, not only does his excessive pride degrade his character, but the inability to let his ingenious actions go unrecognized dooms Odysseus and his crew to an extended and more perilous journey home -- courtesy of Poseidon. To his credit, Odysseus learns from this encounter and upon arrival on the island of the Phaiakians, he chooses not to openly boast of his journeys. Before this time, however, he learns another lesson on the island of Aiolos.
When Odysseus and his crew depart from Aiolia Island in Book 10, Aiolos gives Odysseus a mighty bag, bottling storm winds rouse or calm at will (Bk. X, 22 - 24) that would aid his ships in their return to Ithaka. However, trusting no one but himself, Odysseus withholds this information from his troops, hides the bag under the ship deck, and sets sail for home. Nevertheless, curious about the bags contents and voicing their assumption that Odysseus is hoarding gifts for himself, the crew decides to open the bag while their leader is asleep. It never fails.
Hes [Odysseus] welcome everywhere How about ourselves his shipmates nigh home we are with empty hands. And who has gifts from Aiolos? He has. I say we ought to crack that bag. (Bk.
X, 43 - 49) The consequence of their a ction's is the ships, within sight of Ithaka, are blow off course back to Aiolia where Aiolos banishes them from his island maintaining that Your voyages cursed by heaven! (l. 85) The fault though can not be placed solely on the crew. While it is their greed that causes the setback, it is spawned from Odysseus belief that only he can handle matters. And by placing his crews aptitude so far below his own, he alienates himself while breeding unrest among his men which in the end comes full circle to reflect poorly upon his leadership ability. Nevertheless, Odysseus redeems himself in the encounter of Book 12, with Skylla and Kharybdis. Forced to sail directly between Skylla, the man-eating serpent with six heads, and Kharybdis, the ship-drowning whirlpool, Odysseus is presented with a difficult decision: Should he sail closer to Skylla or Kharybdis? He chooses to face Skylla, which reflects his ability to apply astute rationale under great pressure.
If they had gone near Kharybdis, all the men would mostly likely have drowned. But because they were going toward Skylla, it was almost a certainty that six of the men on the ship would be killed. So Odysseus realizes that it would be better to risk this peril than risk the death of everyone on board. Furthermore, his choice to withhold the risks from his crew is not a reflection of his distrust but of the awareness that they would have dropped their oasis panic, (Bk. XII, 289 - 290) and all been sucked into the whirlpool.
Thus, even though it appears at first deceitful on Odysseus part, his actions are for the good of the majority of his men, not for his own gain. And the difficult decision to sacrifice a few to save the rest demonstrates his more laudable qualities of bravery, intelligence and leadership. This sequence of adventures and perils that Odysseus faces in Books 9 through 12 parallels his transformation as a leader. So, by the time he finally leaves Kalypsos Island in Book 6, and returns to Ithaka in Book 13, Odysseus is not only able to utilize the lessons learned from his mistakes to reassert his power, but also to display his...
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Research essay sample on Odysseus And His Men Homers Odyssey
