The Odysseys Purpose

The epic The Odyssey is by Homer. Homer wrote many myths and fables. The Odyssey is about
how men or soldiers were stranded on an island or some place. They were starving to death. The
Sun God had cows down on that island. The cows to him were something to look at, something
to treasure. Something to not just fill the time or to just sit and watch, but something to enjoy. He
told the people[soldiers] on the little island not to eat those cows. The Soldiers ate the cows.
When they left the island they were struck by the mad gods. None of the soldiers lived, for they
were tossed in the sea and the Gods made sure they would not make it back. The men all fell into
the sea; they were carried about in the water round the ship, looking like so many sea-gulls, but the god
presently deprived them of all chance of getting home again.(The Odyssey) The Odyssey teaches many
moral lessons, teaches self-control and had many hidden themes to help us much more understand this
story.
Its investable. Self control is something we all have to live with. In Homers story The Odyssey
thats something the men who are on the island dont have they were acting on an impulse. They were
hungry and disobeyed the sun god. For that they suffered the terrible wrath. Mercury son jove told the
sun god what the men on the earth had been doing to the sun gods cows. The sun god was raged at the
lack of control the men had. The moral of this is that these men suffered for the lack of self-control that
they had. How they suffered because they acted on impulse, its teaching us that we have to obey to be
rewarded the men could have held out on what they had left and then be rewarded by there god they
have in ancient Greece. Thats just one of the hidden themes.
Loyalty is another hidden theme in the odyssey. These men were un-loyal to their gods. They disobeyed
the gods and they were punished for their actions. They ate the cows there god told them not to eat but yet
they ate them. For seven days the men hurdled in the best cows and left the others alone. The sun god saw
it as an act of sin and an act of dis loyalty. Therefore the sun god punished them. We can see this in our
everyday life. The fact that we do wrong each and everyday.
Vengeance is another big theme. whereon he flew into a great rage, and said to the immortals, 'Father
Jove, and all you other gods who live in everlasting bliss, I must have vengeance on the crew of Ulysses'
ship: they have had the insolence to kill my cows, which were the one thing I loved to look upon, whether
I was going up heaven or down again. If they do not square accounts with me about my cows, I will go
down to Hades and shine there among the dead. The sun god sought out vengeance for what the men
did to the cows. He destroys the men. In the Odyssey vengeance destroys the sun god. He is consumed
with anger. With rage. Anger and rage and vengeance all destroy people which is a consent theme in this
book. A theme which destroys people.

In conclusion this story is filled with different types of themes. Its filled with hidden messages. The
Odyssey is a good moral lesson because it shows you what will happen if you disobey. If you put yourself
first bad things will most likely happen. You will find things in this story that may confuse you and thats
ok as long as you find the thing that it is trying to tell you.

Works Cited Page

"Major Theme in the Odyssey." Cliff Notes. N.p., n.d. Web.
"Hidden Themes from Homer's Odyssey." Layers of Meaning in the Odyssey. Brian Lower, n.d.
Web. 08 Jan. 2015.
They Odyssey expert Kristina Fogelson, n.d web.08 Jan. 2015