The Wanderings of Odysseus
The Wanderings of Odysseus.
Odysseus is known as the cleverest man in The Iliad, displaying a god like tact for being a cunning and intelligent leader, his craftiness carries over in Homer’s second epic poem, The Odyssey. In the very first line of the poem, Homer describes Odysseus as of the “man of many ways” (1.1). In The Odyssey, Odysseus speaks of a number of journeys or wanderings he embarked on during his return to Ithaca. These wanderings are exceptional examples of his “many ways” which allow him to get out of a variety of predicaments but also illustrate some of Odysseus’ flaws. His encounter with the Lotus-Eaters, Polyphemus, and Circe all serve to paint an exceptional picture of the character of Odysseus.
During his stay in the land of the Lotus-Eaters, the son of Laertes displays the characteristics of a good leader. He allows his men to enter the mainland, retrieve water, and come back to the ships to eat, before he sends some men out to scout the land. This shows that Odysseus truly cares for his men because he makes sure that they are nourished and refreshed before he asks them to perform a mission. However, once they go out on their scouting mission they meet the Lotus-Eaters who give them the intoxicating lotus fruit to eat. Odysseus sees that this is extremely detrimental to their journey home, since the men now lack the desire to go back to Ithaca; instead, they rather stay and eat the fruit. He must forcefully drag the men back to the ships and tie them up so they don’t escape. This is evidence that Odysseus is a responsible leader, who is willing to put the greater good, in this case, returning home, over the temporary pleasures like eating the lotus fruit.
After the episode at the land of the Lotus-Eaters, Odysseus and his men travel to the land of the Cyclopes, where an example of Odysseus’ cunning is shown, as well as one of his flaws. While in the land of the Cyclopes, he and his men are captured by the Cyclopes, Polyphemus. While trapped in Polyphemus’ cave, Odysseus refrains from slaying the Cyclopes