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Greek Gods And Goddesses In Homer's Odyssey

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In the epic poem The Odyssey, Homer portrays Greek gods and goddesses as possessing human qualities and faults. Through their actions and emotions, Homer emphasizes the detrimental effects of lust, envy, wrath, and greed in ancient Grecian society. He also never fails to remind readers of the importance of respect for holy figures because of their powerful abilities to create chaos and wonder". Homer wants to prove that gods and humans share a variety of traits, and the only difference is that god don’t allow these flaws negatively to impact their society. To help further his argument, we can compare Greek gods and goddesses to that of Christianity. These almighty figures are the world’s greatest thing because they never harm humans, they don’t desire sexual needs from mortals, and they don’t expect endless gifts and sacrifices. According to the Christian bible, one of the most despicable acts a person can indulge in is adultery and lust, but when analyzing the poem, we can see that many Greek gods and goddesses partake in this shameful behavior. The eagerness of lust that Greek gods and goddesses experience humanizes them, making them closer to …show more content…

The first time we see people make a sacrifice is when Telemachus arrives at Pylos: “The ship pulled into Pylos, Neleus’ storied citadel, / where the people lined the beaches,/ sacrificing sleek black bulls to Poseidon” (3.4-6). This proves that gods are developing some sort of character, and unfortunately, they are becoming greedy. This human trait causes many people to become careless and dangerous when they don’t get what they desire, and in this case, it’s Poseidon the god of the sea. Next, Odysseus arrives at the Kingdom of the dead seeking direction from the blind prophet. After a few encounters with ghosts and loved ones, he finally meets the prophet who tells

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