The Odyssey

The Odyssey is one of two ancient Greek mythology poems attributed to Homer the Greek poet. It is the sequel to the Iliad of Homer which centers on the story of the battle at, and fall of, Troy. The Odyssey portrays the story of Greek hero Odysseus’ journey home after the fall of Troy. Depending on who has translated the poem, he will either be referred to as Ulysses, as he is known in Roman mythology, or as Odysseus if translated from Greek mythology.

The Adventures of Odysseus

It takes Odysseus ten years to reach Ithaca after the Trojan War. During the journey home Odysseus experiences many grim adventures, trials and challenges. He finds himself in situations where, his men are held captive by a tribe that makes you forget where you are going and only want to stay with them, he comes upon Cyclops’s that eat his men, he is held hostage as a lover to a goddess and many other misfortunes fall upon him.

The Art of War

In his absence, his wife Penelope and son Telemachus have to put up with a group of unruly suitors who are competing for Penelope’s hand in marriage. These suitors come each day to eat and drink away Odysseus’ abundance and wealth. All the while Penelope must find a way to postpone the time when she will have to agree to marry one of these suitors. Telemachus who can no longer bear this dishonor, decides to go in search of his father and end this unpleasant state of affairs.

For the Tropic of Freedom Books Finders Keepers:
There is a lot of discussion on loyalty in this story. While the wives of the other Kings and Generals that fought at Troy demonstrate varying degrees of loyalty and disloyalty to their husbands, Penelope, and various other members of Odysseus’s household, demonstrate total and complete loyalty to Odysseus. It is not just the wives, but servants, sons and many other characters in the story who demonstrate their loyalty and disloyalty to their husbands and masters.

Penelope is a fantastic example of someone who shows complete love and loyalty no matter what the circumstances or how difficult they are, even when she hasn’t heard from Odysseus in 10 years and doesn’t know whether he is dead or alive, still she never wavers in her loyalty.

Why does Penelope show such love and loyalty to Odysseus?

Don’t assume it’s just because she loves him. There is an important ingredient which contributes to love they share. It is this same ingredient that contributes to what the other Kings and Generals discover and experience upon their return home from Troy.

It is also this same ingredient which contributes to extent of love and loyalty we allow into our lives.

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