Temptations In The Odyssey

Throughout The Odyssey, an epic written by Homer, the characters are faced with many temptations, ranging from lust to hunger, greed, and more. In the time of the Greeks this was as relevant a topic as it is today. People are constantly surrounded and prodded by temptation, sometimes without thought of consequence or morals. Throughout the Epic, Odysseus succumbs primarily to lust and sleeps with many different woman, nymphs, and other mythical beings. His men give in to the temptation of greed, learning very harshly the aftermath. Their journey teaches us the importance of resisting temptation in order to maintain good values. Henceforth, we musn’t let temptation determine our morals.

To begin, it is imperative to realize that if we let temptation

He lets his morals go just to get what he wants and that ultimately cannot have any real benefits. The first example is after Odysseus’ men betrayed him on Helios’s island and surrendered to the temptation of their greed and hunger, Zeus in his wrath says “restitution or penalty they shall pay -- and pay in full --- or I go down forever to light the dead men in the underworld” (Homer 222). This demonstrates how the men allowed temptation to overrule judgement and made them indifferent to the consequences of their actions. In doing so they let there morals and judgment be overruled by temptations. While being indifferent to the consequences of their actions they take on more risk and the possibility to fall to more temptations. This weakness that is reflected in all humans is a constant strain on progression throughout our lives and the lives in humanities future. The way temptation can shape our view and taint our morals is a true fault that can lead to a weaker more impure society with more corruption and distrust. Furthermore Odysseus himself faced many temptations himself, lust being a