Traits the Greeks Admired
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THE GREEKS ADMIRE MANY CHARACTERISTICS IN THE CHARACTERS AND HEROES OF THEIR MYTHOLOGY SUCH AS, ACHILLES, AGAMEMNON, ODYSSEUS, AND THE GODS AND GODDESSES OF MOUNT OLYMPUS. SOME OF THE TRAITS THEY ADMIRE ARE SIMILAR TO THOSE WE VALUE, AND OTHERS DIFFER GREATLY. THE ANCIENT GREEKS REVERED PEOPLE HAD WARRIORLIKENESS AND ATHLETIC ABILITY, WHO WERE CLEVER, AND THOSE WHO WERE BEAUTIFUL.
WARRIORLIKE AND ATHLETIC PEOPLE WERE GREATLY ADMIRED BY THE ANCIENT GREEKS. THE GREAT WARRIORS WERE A FAVORITE TOPIC OF THE MYTHS. THE GREEKS WOULDNT HAVE GONE TO WAR IF NOT FOR ACHILLES, THE GREATEST WARRIOR IN THE WORLD. THEY SENT THEIR CLEVEREST MAN, ODYSSEUS, TO GO RECRUIT HIM; IF THEY DIDNT VALUE HIS WARIORLIKENESS AND ATHLETIC ABILITY, THEY WOULDNT HAVE SPENT SO MUCH ENERGY LOOKING FOR HIM. THE GREEKS GAVE THE MOST WELL MADE ARMOR IN THE WORLD THAT THE GOD HEPHAESTUS HAD CREATED FOR ACHILLES, TO ODYSSEUS BECAUSE HE WAS A GOOD WARRIOR AND THE TROJANS WERE MORE SCARED OF HIM THAN ANYBODY ELSE IN THE GREEK ARMY. IN ANOTHER SITUATION, ODYSSEUS FELT VERY INSULTED WHEN A YOUNG PHEAECIAN SAID THAT HES PROBABLY “WEAKLING ASHAMED OF HIS ATHLETIC ABILITY”, AFTER ODYSSEUS DECLINED HIS INVITATION TO THROW THE DISCUS. MANY OF THE MOST ADMIRED CHARACTERS IN GREEK MYTHS WERE WARRIORLIKE; THEREFORE IT MUST BE REVERED AMONG THE GREEKS.
JUST LIKE ATHLETIC ABILITY AND WARRIORLIKENESS,
THE GREEKS ADMIRED CLEVERNESS AMONG THEIR MYTHICAL CHARACTERS. THE GREEKS NEEDED ACHILLES TO FIGHT FOR THEM IN THE WAR THEY NEEDED SOMEBODY WHO COULD FIND HIM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND ODYSSEUS WAS CHOSEN FOR THE TASK. ONCE HE FOUND OUT WHERE ACHILLES WAS HE REALIZED THAT HE WAS DISGUISED AS WOMAN, ODYSSEUS WENT TO THE PALACE AND IN THE ROOM IN WHICH THE WOMEN WERE, HE PLACED TWO BASKETS. IN ONE THERE WERE THINGS THAT ALL WOMEN LIKE SUCH AS JEWELS AND FINE CLOTH; IN THE OTHER THERE WAS VERY WELL MADE ARMOR. ALL OF THE WOMEN ADMIRED THE THINGS IN THE FIRST BASKET EXCEPT FOR ONE WHO WAS LOOKING AT THE ARMOR. THEN ODYSSEUS CALLED A FALSE PIRATE ATTACK; THE WOMAN WHO WAS LOOKING AT THE ARMOR TORE OFF HER CLOTHES AND GOT INTO THE ARMOR IN THE BASKET TO GO FIGHT THE PIRATES. THIS WOMAN WAS ACHILLES. MOST PEOPLE WOULDNT HAVE THOUGHT TO DO THIS; MANY GREEKS LOVE ODYSSEUS FOR THIS ACT. ODYSSEUS WAS ALSO LOVED FOR COMING UP WITH THE IDEA OF THE TROJAN HORSE, WHICH GOT THE GREEKS INTO TROY TO DEFEAT THEM. IN ANOTHER INSTANCE, ZEUS IS ASKED BY PERSEPHONE AND APHRODITE, WHO BOTH ARE IN LOVE WITH ADONIS, TO JUDGE WHO ADONIS WOULD LIVE WITH. PERSEPHONE AND APHRODITE ARE BOTH THE DAUGHTERS IF ZEUS, AND HE DOESNT WANT EITHER TO BE MAD AT HIM SO HE ASKS THE WISEST MUSE CALLIOPE TO DECIDE WHO ADONIS WAS TO LIVE WITH. CALLIOPE CAME UP WITH A VERY WISE DECISION AND BECAUSE OF THIS VERDICT AND OTHERS SHE WAS KNOWN AS THE MOST RESPECTABLE OF THE MUSES. IT IS CLEAR FROM THE NUMBER OF EXAMPLES IN WHICH CLEVERNESS IS