Odysseus is a heroic man, a godlike human being, gifted with great courage and strength. He receives commemoration for his bold adventures and favor by the gods. Conversely, Odysseus the man is showered with faults similar to any individual. Throughout The Odyssey readers gain knowledge of Ody...

The concept of heroism, and how it must be applied to Greek epic, has acquired an ambiguous status, as it has become infiltrated with modern-day conceptions of heroism that are perhaps less misogynistic than the ancient. While strong women are present in ancient texts, they would not have been eleva...