Examples Of Ambition In The Odyssey

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In the epic poem “The Odyssey” by Homer the main character, Odysseus exemplifies a Greek basileus as seen by his ambition, persuasion, and skill.
The first example of Odysseus showing Greek basileus like traits is when he showed ambition. A Greek basileus must be ambitious to be a great leader because it influences his followers to keep on pursuing the end goal. The first example of his ambition is shown in the epic poem when “Vowing to slaughter my best heifer for them before she calved…..as for Teiresias, I swore to sacrifice a black lamb, handsomest of all our flock… “(Book 11, Page 760). Odysseus agrees to take the life of a sheep in order for him to get back home, in Ithaca. This quote is important because it shows har far Odysseus will go to achieve his goal. He states that he would go as far as taking a life so he can get home which shows his ambition. To conclude, Odysseus from “The Odyssey” is a great example of a Greek basileus as seen by his ambition.
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A Greek basileus must be persuasive in order to be a good leader because they have to be able to change the minds of his people or others when necessary. This is seen in “The Odyssey” when Odysseus states “‘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, everybody calls me nohbdy’”(Book 9, Page 750). Odysseus makes the cyclops give him a present before revealing his name so he can get something out of it. This quote is important because it shows how Odysseus can manipulate people into doing tasks, which a Greek basileus must be able to do. He manipulated the cyclops to get what he wanted which shows his persuasive side as a leader. To conclude, Odysseus is a prime example of a Greek basileus as seen by his