ll able to build a ship and set out again for Ithaka, buthe becomes shipwrecked by Poseidon and swims to Skheria, where Nausikaa, KingAlkinoos daughter, finds him. Homer seems to purposely intrigue us by having othercharacters describe Odysseus, He had no rivals, your father, at the tricks of war.described Nestor rather early in the story.If all of the graphically horrid events and warrior descriptions do not help toclassify Odysseus as a troublemaker, I do not know what would! In extensive recounts ofthe story, his killings are graphically described in a vulgar fashion adding to histroublesome image Did he dream of death? Homer askes later on when Odysseus killsAntinoos. How could he?. Antinoos nostrils spurt blood and in his death throes hekicks over his table, knocking his meat and bread to the ground to soak in dusty blood. It is indeed a graphic description and it exemplifies Odysseus pain-inducing image.Even with such stories, however, it is indeed very suitable to label Odysseus as an epichero. He is in fact a legendary figure with more than the usual amount of brains andmuscle. Sometimes throughout the stories it appears almost as though he is asuperhuman. At the end of the story, with only his inexperienced son and two farm landsto help, he kills more than one hundred of Penelopes suitors. He is able to do it becausehe has the help of the goddess Athena. He embodies the ideals Homeric Greeks aspiredto: manly valor, loyalty, piety, and intelligence. Piety means being respectful of the gods,acknowledging their control of fate and evidently, consciously knowing you need theirhelp. Odysseus intelligence is a mix of keen observation, instinct, and street smarts. Heis extremely cautious. Also, Odysseus is good at disguises and at concealing his feelings. As is necessary for his line of work, Odysseus is a very fast and inventive liar. In theserespects, his random lack of integrity put him in sharp contrast with Aeneas ...
