The Odyssey by Homer

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When The Odyssey was first written by Homer, everything in it was believed to be true. But, 700 B.C.E. was a time of uncertainty and it was thought that the gods and creatures were real, that Odysseus’ trip was amazing and that he was a living hero, rather than just a made up story and character. Clearly, Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, is not believable today because of the mythical creatures, many unlikely events occur, and the gods interact with the mortals. Obviously, The Odyssey is not a credible story because there are mythical creatures involved. On Odysseus’ journey, he encountered an unfriendly cyclops named Polyphemus. “Cyclops, if any man on the face of the Earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed you so, say Odysseus … he gouged out your eye” (Homer Ⅸ 558-561). In Greek and Roman mythology, cyclops are giants with one eye, they are far from being real. Along with the cyclops, there are many other mythical creatures, such as: the Sirens, women who lure men to their island with their voices, only to devour them, Calypso, a nymph who keeps Odysseus on her island for seven years, and the Lotus Eaters, natives who give Odysseus and his men an addictive plant called the Lotus plant. This Lotus plant was so powerful that anyone who eats one will never want to leave the land of the Lotus Eaters. “Any crewman who ate the lotus, the honey-sweet fruit, lost all desire to send a message back, much less return” (Homer Ⅸ 106-107). Also, the two monsters, Scylla, a six headed monster who eats six of Odysseus’ men, and Charybdis, a sea monster that creates giant whirlpools. Without a doubt, all of these mythical creatures are not factual, so, The Odyssey is not believable. Undeniably, The Odyssey is an inconceivable story becaus... ... middle of paper ... ...eated by Poseidon, nor any other god, just nature. Just about every event in the The Odyssey is influenced or has to do with the gods, without them, there wouldn't even be a story to tell. Of course, The Odyssey is not reasonable because immortals and mortals interact with each other. Therefore, The Odyssey is not a plausible story because there are mythical creatures, there are many improbable occurrences, and the gods interact with the mortals. With these components, it helps further justify that it is not a feasible story. When The Odyssey was created, it was over a long period of time. It was told to groups as a story which was added onto and passed on, until Homer finally wrote it down. Then, back in 700 B.C.E., it was most likely told as a true story, but now, with better knowledge of the world and our surroundings, we can conclude that it is not at all true.

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