Odysseus The Wisest

During the times of The Odyssey the gods were the most powerful beings, it was very important to respect the gods but what happens when somebody doesn't? Taking the advice of those with a higher power is an important thing to do. They are the wisest, this can be seen when Athena gives Odysseus advice, when the men visit the island of the sun god, and when men who disobey the gods suffer.
The wisest and one of the most respected gods is Athena, the goddess of wisdom. During Odysseus’s adventures, Athena confronts characters multiple times as she tries to help them with their challenges. One example is how Odysseus is the wisest of the Ancient Greek heroes because his divine guardian is Athena the goddess of wisdom (898). Because Odysseus has …show more content…
Odysseus was known to have a bit of a temper. He ended up losing it right after the men blinded the cyclops and escaped, Odysseus shouted some things that were very disrespectful. What he said angered Poseidon, so Poseidon had Zeus put a curse on him, “grant that Odysseus raider of the cities never sees home again” (908). If Odysseus had not angered the gods, he could have made it home to Ithaca sooner. Another example is when the men get the bag of wind from Aeolus, they are told by Odysseus not to open it. But when he falls asleep and they come into sight of Ithaca the men disobey the god and Odysseus by opening the bag, thus causing them to lose sight of their beloved homeland they had been searching for. If the men had not opened the bag they would have made it there. The final example is at the end of The Odyssey, this has to do with Penelope's suitors. Odysseus was a higher power than the suitors so by trying to marry Penelope they were disrespecting him. When Odysseus returned to Ithaca he saw how disrespectful the men were and killed them all. “So these now fell upon the suitors in that hall, turning, turning to strike and strike again, while torn men moaned at death” (940). The men were so disrespectful that Odysseus even had help from Athena and Zeus. Both gods sent a signal to the men and aided Odysseus in some way, “Zeus thundered overhead one loud crack for

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