Greek Legacy

Essay 1

Syed Sarfaraz Akhtar 201202044

Comparison between Achilles and Odysseus

Odysseus and Achilles were both Greek heroes under king Agamemnon in the two epic poems composed by Homer who is believed to be a Greek poet somewhere between 8th century BC. He speaks about them as the best heroes who came to fight in the Trojan war. In the Odyssey, we see how Odysseus reunites with his family after overcoming a number of hurdles across a long span of time of ten years. Illiad covers only a few weeks in the final year of the war, theIlliad mentions or alludes to many of the Greek legends about the siege; the earlier events, such as the gathering of warriors of the siege, the cause of the war, and related concerns tend to appear in the beginning. Achilles was the best fighter of the Greeks besieging Troy. He is portrayed a god­like man born for war. One of the myths surrounding him is that his mother Thetis, in an attempt to protect her infant, used to dip him in the river Styx. The infernal waters indeed rendered Achilles' skin impervious to the likes of any mere Trojan arrow. But Thetis forgot that she was holding him by the heel during the dipping process, so that part was unprotected. The rage of Achilles is his defining characteristic in the Illiad. It reaches its pinnacle upon the death of his lover and cousin Patroclus. An example of this would be when he showed no mercy upon Hector. He also killed Lycaon who was the other son of Priam, even though Lycon begged for mercy. [Hom.II 21.34­135] Odysseus was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and a hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. He is most famous for the ten eventful years he took to return home after the decade­long Trojan War. One of the most defining characters of Achilles is probably is arrogance and pride. Achilles believes that he is above all mortals since he is the son of the Greek Goddess of Sea, Thetis. The character portrays no fear and only craves glory in battlefield which he seems destined for. He is a clever and brave warrior who is hard to control .Violence is shown to be Achilles' native element. He shows no pity for his foes. Odysseus is the Greek king of Ithaca. After winning the Trojan war, Odysseus and his men make their voyage back home and encounter several obstacles and all of his men die. Homer portrayed Odysseus as a man of outstanding wisdom and shrewdness,

eloquence, courage and endurance. He plays a leading part in achieving reconciliation between Agamemnon and Achilles. Odysseus's bravery and fighting skills are repeatedly demonstrated . Odysseus's wanderings and the recovery of his house and kingdom are the central theme of Odyssey. The Trojan horse was a smart move initiated by Odysseus which won them the Trojan war. The Greeks used this trick to enter the city of Troy and win the war. after a fruitless 10­year siege, the Greeks constructed a huge wooden horse, and hid a select force of men inside. The Greeks pretended to sail away, and the Trojans pulled the horse into their city as a victory trophy. That night the Greek force crept out of the horse and opened the gates for the rest of the Greek army, which had sailed back under cover of night. The Greeks entered and destroyed the city of Troy, decisively ending the war. Also, Odysseus was very curious to the extent that he got into trouble a number of time such as in case of the cyclops [HomOd. 9.380­412] and the song of the sirens.[Hom.Od.12.170­200] These two books illustrate the difference between the characters of Achilles and Odysseus. Odysseus shows calm and composure and easily wins trust of people. Both Odysseus and Achilles seek glory. When comparing Odysseus and Achilles , we find a number of similarities and differences. Both of them were brave Greek warriors who fought in the Trojan war seeking glory. Where Odysseus was just a common man, Achilles was a God among men. His wrath knew no bounds as illustrated in the Illiad. Odysseus on the other hand was cunning and could defeat his enemies or escape danger merely using his intellect. We could say that the fact that Achilles knew his fate beforehand makes him capable of less emotions as he had only glory in mind. On the other hand Odysseus did not know what was coming for him and took matters into his own hands as they came. He is a man of family and portrays a number of emotions such as grief, love, hate, anger and regret. In conclusion, both Achilles and Odysseus were great in the own ways. Both of them attained glory even though Achilles regretted it afterwards[Hom.Od. 11.485­505] . Odysseus on the other­hand had a very adventurous and according to me is the better of the two.

Bibliography Homer , The Iliad ­ Translation by Ian Johnston, of Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, BC, Canada.

Homer , The Odyssey ­ Translation by Ian Johnston, of Vancouver Island University, Nanaimo, BC, Canada.