Firstly, Odysseus is a hero for his perseverance and courage, committed to his goal of returning to his dwelling and family. He demonstrates this by refusing to stop his journey after many hardships. For instance, after he sees his fellow shipmates, who are his brothers at sea, even friends, their brains being destroyed, as Odysseus watches: “[A cyclops] beat their brains out, spattering the floor. / Then he dismembered them and made his meal” (Homer 9.194-195). Even when cornered by the cyclops Polythemus, the cave-dwelling monster, he refuses to give up on escape. Or, when he loses eleven out of twelve ships to cannibals, he does not lose heart (Homer 10). Even worse, his remaining men are turned into hogs; he pushes forward anyway, refusing to despair (Homer 10). Finally, when Odysseus’ final ship is turned to detritus, when his final man is massacred by Zeus, when he, on any account, could be expected to give in… he stands tall. Odysseus, the hero, rules above all. Likewise, Odysseus is rooted in heroism because of his devotion to his wife in Ithaca, Penelope. This devotion is very important in Greek culture, so the testing of his dedication is an almost necessary obstacle that must be overcome to be considered heroic in that culture. One example of this is how he refuses to let his heart consent to Calypso when he is with her, saying, “But in my heart I never gave consent” (Homer 9.23). This signifies that Odysseus is not only brave and selfless, but that his heart is as strong as his mind, another lionhearted trait. He proves this through both peaceful times and tumultuous ones. Another example is Circe, the pulchritudinous goddess of magic, whom Odysseus also never gives in to. He lives with Circe for a year because he wants her to turn his men back into humans, as they are turned by her into hogs (Homer 10). This is also honorable, as he has further proven his point that, unlike virtually all others in this position, Odysseus never abandons his fidelity to his wife, whom he has not seen for much of his mortal coil–for it has been multiple decades! Odysseus, on a third-priority basis, deserves the hero’s share of paradise for his outstanding commitment to his shipmates, whom he fights next to in the war against Troy in The Iliad. This is heroic because having humility and humbleness is key to any hero’s personality, especially one as prideful as Odysseus. This trait balances out his personality significantly. Case in point, while he is with Circe, Odysseus’ men are made into hogs, as aforementioned. To solve this and turn his men back to human form, as aforementioned, Odysseus has to spend a year with Circe (Homer 10). This type of sacrifice is not one that most would make, further exemplifying his heroic character. A second example of this is when Odysseus is in the cave, trapped by the Cyclops. He states that “[m]y heart beat high now at the chance of action,” suggesting that Odysseus wants to fight the Cyclops, or trick him, rather than bribe him with his own men (Homer 9.203). Instead of bartering Odysseus’ life for his shipmates, which is his best bet for survival, he refuses to abandon his shipmates, and only several are eaten before they escape. This self-sacrificing nature, coupled with his bravery, resilience, and loyalty, makes for the true, well-rounded hero figure that is Odysseus. The Odyssey is an ancient oral story from Greece, dating to around 800 BC, often attributed to Homer of Ionia. It was first written down in full much later, however, around the year 300 BC. It is unknown if there are any earlier copies in writing. The story takes place in ancient Troy, after the end of the infamous ten-year Trojan War, and the waters and land that stretch the distance between the city of Troy, conquered by Odysseus, and Ithaca. Odysseus, the main character, plots successfully to beat the Trojans in the prequel, The Iliad. He now aspires to return to his home empire of Ithaca after being gone for many years. Odysseus is the king of Ithaca, or was, at least, when he left for the war. During the tale, titled The Odyssey, Odysseus makes the long, confounding, and divinely malfated journey home. Throughout, Odysseus faces many tests and misfortunes, all of which he navigates beautifully, if not without loss. Many say Odysseus is a hero, and this paper will support that notion.1 Odysseus is a hero because of his courage to persevere through tribulative times, how he held his allegiance to his wife and to the Kingdom of Ithaca while abroad, and, finally, his unwillingness to let his men die needlessly, even if it could improve his position.

You make some clever points, but they unfortunately miss the mark. 1. You mention his sacking of Ismarus for plunder. This does not disqualifying of heroism. This is because it was the standard duty of a hero from that era, hardly a moral failure. Additionally, his men needed the supplies so that Odysseus could ensure their loyalty. Finally, the casualties resulted only from his men disobeying orders. Instead of leaving, they got drunk on the beach. 2. Odysseus did not just wander in for curiosity. His men were tired and hungry. They wanted food. They expected Polyphemus to fear the gods, but he did not honor Xenia. Likewise, Odysseus, through his heroic ingenuity, saved his men from the clutches of this same Cyclops! 3. Your point about "staying with Circe and Calypso" is fraudulent. First, Odysseus was never a willing captive of Calypso. And second, he was only with Circe for a year so that she would turn his men from pigs back into humans. Sticking with a witch for a year to get your men back? Sounds more heroic and self-sacrificing than some "clever survivor." 4. Saying Odysseus kills the maids is an atrocious point. First of all, the maids committed treason and aggravated disrespect! Second, the maids assisted in a plot to kill Telemachus, Odysseus' son. Imagine if your people wanted to kill your son... Is it so disqualifying of being a hero? Finally, even if these points were airtight, Odysseus could STILL be considered a hero. This is because heroes still make mistakes, and they are allowed to. Mistakes don't equal "not a hero."

First of all, in ancient Ithaca, survival WAS what made you a hero, especially when the gods, of all things, were against you. Second, Odysseus' heroism is defined by his ability to survive when others cannot! There is a reason he is distinguished from his failing men. Third, the crew did not die by Odysseus' hand. First, they threatened rebellion if he did not land where Helios' cows graze. Then, his men, despite Odysseus' clear warnings, killed the cows. That was on them. Imagine being a ship captain, and your own crew forces you to land somewhere you don't want to. Then, on top of that, they disobey your orders and die as you told them they would. That is suicide, not a character flaw on your part. Finally, you say, "I'm not sure how to argue back." This is the language of those who know they are wrong. Not having even the conviction to argue further, nor the willpower to research it, is clear evidence that your argument is weak. Finally, you mention your "gut," which is about as good a source for evidence as saying that you know the Moon exists because you saw a reflection of a green goat in a silver spoon.

I can imagine it. In Odysseus' case, he survives because of cleverness, while still advising his men to their last breath. They didn't listen. Heroic wisdom was the reason he survived, not the betrayal of his men. Your continued admission of a lack of knowledge is an additional destruction of your ethos, while I have mentioned numerous sections of real historical text.

First, Odysseus did not get off scot-free; he suffered intensely! Imagine watching your friends get killed for years straight and being raped for 7 years straight! Second, Odysseus also uses wisdom, discipline, and self-control to save himself, not just charisma. Finally, Odysseus saved the entire society of Ithaca.

You mention the phrase "a man of many turns" and attempt to equate it with Odysseus not being a hero. To this, I would say that the original Greek word "polytropos" was the highest civic virtue possible, exactly what you would want in a hero. You see, the word's meaning is "adaptability and intelligence," and by "A man of many turns," it means Odysseus was versatile, adaptable, and mentally resilient. This is to say that it means Odysseus could turn any bad situation favorable, as we see many times repeated in the Odyssey. Furthermore, your overall idea, while it could be argued better, is this: Odysseus should not be considered a hero because he did not uphold Western, Judeo-Christian values. However, in the context of his time period, Greek heroism meant being excellent in many things, not being saintly. Think of it this way: if the Odyssey called Odysseus a "man of virtues" in the Christian moral sense, he would have been eaten by the Cyclops in chapter one, and we would all agree that Odysseus was indeed not a hero.

Interesting. You have now conceded every major point that I have brought up against you, yet you refuse to concede that he was a hero. Why? You claim that surviving a "hard trip" does not prove someone is a hero. This is true. However, this is a clear and present straw man argument. You have taken the many great points I have made and summed them up by claiming they were all just trying to prove that he survived a "hard trip," while ignoring all of the actual arguments I made. Furthermore, you reduce Odysseus' cosmic battle for human identity down to a mere "hard trip." A shameful reduction. Why do you ignore his intense suffering? His overcoming of difficulty and protecting his men to their last breath? Odysseus is a hero because he survived with the gods against him, distinguishing him from non-heroes. Through all this time, he is raped every day for years on end, and yet still returns to his wife to take back Ithaca and restore order to his family and his country. Finally, as this is my last point, I say this: unless my opponent provides substantial evidence debunking my points, rather than conceding to nearly all of them, it is clear who won the debate. Odysseus WAS a hero.