ODYSSEUS’ SKILL AND INTELLIGENCE – A REFLECTION OF ANCIENT GREEK CULTURE (Book Review Sample)

ODYSSEUS’ SKILL AND INTELLIGENCE – A REFLECTION OF ANCIENT GREEK CULTURE Name Institution Date Ancient Greek is renowned as an intellectual firmament, a hotbed for both scientific and philosophical moguls whose names are still prominent in the annals of academia. Intellectualism was engrained in Greek thought and culture. One of the characters in the Homer’s Odyssey that affirms this characterization is Odysseus. As the main protagonist of the Odyssey, Odysseus is the father of Prince Telemachus and the husband of Queen Penelope. Odysseus is a combination of a self-made and self-assured person, a man of outstanding wisdom and shrewdness, eloquent per excellence, courageous, resourcefulness, and with unrivaled endurance/fortitude. His intelligence and skill are grounded in his aptitude to anticipate consequences and control his actions accordingly among others, as he quests to return home. He is the true embodiment of the standards and mores of ancient Greek culture predicated in intellectualism and knowledge; one who is willing to pay a price for knowledge.[Silvia Montiglio. From Villain to Hero: Odysseus in Ancient Thought. (Michigan: The University of Michigan Press, 2011), 152.] [Ibid, 154.] In book 21 of the Odyssey, Penelope announces a contest of shooting an arrow through a line of twelve axes, which Odysseus easily wins after privately signaling Telemachus to back off. His victory against the suitors demonstrates his wealth of knowledge and skill. Homer writes, “Pushing back his rags, he revealed the great scar”. In this case, Odysseus reveals his identity to Eumaeus and Philoetius so that they can help him join the contest. This is a demonstration of Odysseus wisdom. After this revelation, he comes up with a signal that will aid him in the contest. Odysseus says, “Here’s our signal. When all the rest in there, our lordly friends are dead against having the bow and quiver, good Eumaeus, carry the weapon down the hall and put it in my hands.” In fact, during the contest, Odysseus goes on to tease Antinous but with an intent to compelling Antinous to disparage him before the suitors. This was an intellectual move that Odysseus orchestrated and very well calculated so that when Eumaeus places the bow in his hands, the others may not refute because he has prepared them psychologically to want him try.[Homer. The Odyssey. Translated by Robert Eagles. (New York: Penguin Classics, 1996), 248.] [Ibid, 258-262.] Odysseus is acting as if he would certainly fail the contest, yet at the back of his mind, he knew that he was Odysseus the great warrior of all time. In fact, he cleverly goes on to say, “For the moment, give me the polished bow now, won’t you? So to amuse you all, I can try my hand, my strength”. Yet, he knew that he was not going to amuse them but win the contest. In other words, all his action before he holds that bow in his hand seemed comical but cleverly calculated. In fact, her actions prompted the suitors to mock him. Homer writes, “I wish him luck, some cocksure lord chimed in, as good as his luck in bending back that weapon. So they mocked, but Odysseus, mastermind in action, once he’d handled the great bow and scanned every inch”. Of course, back in his mind, he knew this was his bow and he knew that he was a man on a mission, to come back to his family and to prove to his wife that indeed he was the one. Yet, every step of his actions portrays a lot of intellectualism and wisdom.[Homer. The Odyssey. Translated by Robert Eagles. (New York: Penguin Classics, 1996), 316.] [Ibid, 450-454.] Odysseus undoubtedly develops his wisdom and judgment throughout his adventures in the Odyssey. In book 21 for instance, he displays excellent self-control in handling the insults from the suitors, which is a demonstration of intellectualism, which contrasts with, for instance, his earlier, uncontrollable need to tell the Cyclops his name in Book 9. He is also a fast thinker, just as thinking was one of the core features of ancient Greek thinkers. Odysseus' fast thinking gets him out of some difficult circumstances, such as when he escapes from the Cyclops' cave in Book 9 or when he has his minstrel play a wedding melody in Book 23 to cover up his killing of the suitors. In book 21, he does not immediately respond to the abuse he receives from the suitors while posing as a beggar. Instead, he puts up with it until the traps he has laid and the allies he has won place him in a position from which he can effectively strike back. Additionally, he is an effective public speaker who can easily persuade or sway his audience; a demonstration of both skill, knowledge, and intellectualism that was characteristic of the ancien...