Odyssey

            Odysseus is the protagonist of the story "The Odyssey.
             Odysseus shows many different Homeric qualities, which help him to survive his dangerous and amazing adventures and return home to his family in Ithaca. .
             The very first and most important quality shown in Odysseus is his intellect. He uses this in the beginning of the story when his men and himself are fighting to defeat Troy. Instead of being slaughtered, Odysseus thought up an idea to build a massive Trojan horse and have one of his men offer it to the soldiers of Troy as a gift. The soldiers of Troy would have no idea that Odysseus would be waiting inside the horse with his men until the soldiers of Troy were asleep. Then they made their move. Troy was defeated and the men were free to return home to Ithaca. "Now, how on earth could I forget Odysseus? Great Odysseus who excels all men in wisdom, excels in offerings too he gives the immortal gods who rule the vaulting skies?" The down side to this was that Odysseus did not feel the need to thank Poseidon the God of the seas for helping in the offering of the horse so Poseidon cursed Odysseus to sail the waters for many years to come. .
             Throughout his many adventures along his way home, Odysseus shows his intellect as well as courage when trying to fight off the Cyclops. Poseidon's waters left Odysseus and his men on the island of the Cyclops, where they entered his cave unaware of his massive size or cannibalistic nature. They welcomed themselves to his cheese and milk, for he was a sheepherder and awaited his return. As he returned to his cave, the huge Cyclops closed the opening to his cave with an enormous boulder then he began to devour the men by two's for dinner and breakfast. The next day Odysseus awaited his return back to the cave and put him to sleep with his wine. "Courage-no panic, no one hang back now!" They made a stake and drove it into the Cyclops's eye making him jump up in hysterics, opening his cave door.