In Homer's poem entitled "The Odyssey" the protagonist, Ulysses, suffers a sentence of twenty years of suffering condoned by the Greek god Poseidon following the death of one of his beloved Cyclops. Throughout the intriguing epic, Odysseus encounters every obstacle, from being trapped on an island to tempting compromises such as the gift of immortality in an attempt to return home. Ancient Greek themes in mythologies emphasized a noble hero which Homer was able to portray in this epic poem. Homer was able to realize many Greek moral principles commonly used in mythologies which gave the audience the perspective of the ideal man in the perspective of the Greeks. Along with Odysseus, many supporting roles such as Athena and Telemachus all display the concepts of heroism, humility, and resistance to arrogance, Greek themes that are constantly emphasized and brought up differently by each character. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay An example of Odysseus' heroism evolving throughout the poem is when Odysseus expresses his discontent and hatred for disrespectful suitors. In this case, Odysseus is seen more as the stereotypical image of a hero as he swoops in to save his wife Penelope. However, if he had still been an arrogant character like the beginning of the poem, he would have been killed instantly by the suitors if he showed that he had finally made his homecoming. Instead she disguises herself with Athena's help to fight off the suitors. Athena plays an important role in Odysseus' journey home as she guides him to make better choices and also warns him of potential dangers on his way, this pattern is very evident in the epic poem. However, with his guidance Odysseus is able to symbolize a Homeric hero as he resists the fight when:Melanthius, crossed their path,/grazing his goats with the help of a pair of herdsmen, choosing his flocks to prepare the suitors' meal. as soon as he saw them there, he broke out in a wave of brutal and disgusting insults that made Odysseus' blood boil. - he sneered - 'one scum making way for another scum, Dirt finds filth by God's will - never fails! Miserable pig, where do you take your filthy pig, this disgusting beggar who licks pots at banquets? After hearing all this said by a petty suitor, it took a lot for Odysseus not to punish him since he is the king after all. Odysseus also has loyalty built into his heroic code, so when Melanthius was mocking Eumaeus he was tricked into confronting him himself. Ignoring his power, he allowed Melanthius to kick him after scorning him and Eumaeus, who is Odysseus' trusted friend whom he met when he returned to Ithaca. Therefore, Odysseus becomes heroic and not arrogant when he overcomes his temptations to discipline his subject to properly reestablish his position at home. A second example of Odysseus evolving throughout the epic as a hero is when he humbly resists the temptations of the mermaid. Odysseus grows wiser during his journey through the island of the sirens as he evolves into a more mature character by challenging the seductive sirens. Although it was one of the greatest temptations, his desire to return home was ultimately overpowering his other desire. Odysseus even prepared to resist when he was warned by Athena to: The loud, stirring song of the Sirens will pierce him, lying there in their meadow, around them piles of rotting corpses, shreds of withered skin on their bones... He ran straight beyond that coast! Soften some beeswax And plug your shipmates ears so no one.