"Books often emerged through the epitome of culture, forming from the depths of ancient eras, to the technological civilization in a modern world," a novelist once said. Most writers formulate their stories about their civilization, without that later in time, it would appear again in history. In the epic The Odyssey, the author Homer, explains a journey of a heroic adventurer, Odysseus, who travels through parts of the world to return home to his family from war. Along the way, Homer mentions many ideas and customs that represented critical segments of life of a Greek in 800 BCE. Jealousy, hospitality, and humor were all elements of not only the ancient Greeks" society, but also of our modern world of war and daily customs.
Homer created an epic that displayed the culture of his time period, discussing various moods and attitudes like jealousy and vengeance, which were very obvious characteristics at the time. For example, Athena, Odysseus" protector, stands up and says, "It is Poseidon who is so implacable towards him on account of the Cyclops whom Odysseus blinded. Poseidon has kept Odysseus in exile" (Homer 27). In The Odyssey, one of the antagonists, Poseidon, ruler of the sea, kept Odysseus suffering throughout his trip home by sending storms to wreck his ship. Poseidon wanted to seek revenge on the honorable Odysseus for blinding his son, so he made his voyage complicated. And for that reason, he didn't return home for twenty years. Odysseus got further off course when he had reached Aeolia. He was even in sight of Ithaca, his homeland, but his crew thought Odysseus had deceived or betrayed them. "What a captain we have, welcomed wherever he goes and popular in every port. Back he comes from Troy with splendid hauls of plunder though we have gone every bit as far come home with empty hands" (Homer 156). Odysseus" crew was envious of the many treasures he received, and consequently they tore the gift that Aelous had given Odysseus.
