Before modern times, Homer, a blind poet, wrote an epic poem called the Odyssey. The Odyssey is the sequel to another epic by Homer, called the Iliad. These two poems cover the story of Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and his twenty years away from home. The Iliad is the bloody, yet compelling, tale of the Trojan War. The Trojan War lasts ten horrifying years. The Odyssey covers Odysseus's difficult journey back home to Ithaca, which, unfortunately, takes ten more years. He battles a Cyclops, several storms, which take the lives of a few of his crew members, and the wrath of gods and goddesses. His crew perishes by the time Odysseus reaches Ithaca to reclaim his title of King. The success of his journey has led several to argue whether or not Odysseus is an epic hero. An epic hero is someone who does not possess supernatural powers, embodies the goals and virtues of an entire nation or culture, is faithful to family, country, and gods and goddesses, is brave, intelligent, and physically strong. Odysseus proves he is an epic hero throughout the Odyssey, and especially shows his intelligence, lack of super powers, and extreme bravery. .
Throughout this epic, Odysseus reacts quickly to difficult situations, fully demonstrating his acute intelligence. For example, at the Cyclops" cave, Odysseus wines and dines the Cyclops. When asked his name, he replies:.
Cyclops.
You ask my honorable name? Remember.
The gift you promised me and I shall tell you.
My name is Nohbdy: mother, father, and friends,.
Everyone calls me Nohbdy (903).
The reason of the fake name is explained further on in the section. After Odysseus and his men blind the Cyclops, he belts out numerous roars in pain. A few other Cyclopes come to his aide. They ask him what's wrong and who tricked him. The great Polyphemus cries out, "Nohbdy, Nohbdy's tricked me. Nohbdy's ruined me!" (905). The other Cyclopes walk off because they believe nothing is wrong, that nobody did Polyphemus any harm.