In the epic poem, The Odyssey, Homer writes about a brave hero by the name of Odysseus, who was

punished by the god Poseidon. Throughout his work of art, Homer integrates several morals that are still relevant today; morals that if followed, could turn an average Joe into a successful man. Just a few of the most significant morals presented in the Odyssey would be: Brains over brawn , When there s a will, there s a way , and Slow and steady wins the race. These timeless morals are what have kept the writing, The Odyssey, so remarkably famous and sought after since it was first written. Brains over brawn is a moral that is seen throughout the entire epic. When reviewing the Odyssey, one particular scene really attracts your attention as an example of this moral. During Odysseus journey home to Ithaca, he faces various challenges on several different islands. One of the first challenges he was posed to face, was to escape the den of a horrendous Cyclops named Polyphemus. Most men would have failed at this task, but Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, used a bit of wisdom to aid him. With the Cyclops respectively larger than our hero, Odysseus devised a strategy to render his opponent; he and his men waited attentively as the one eyed beast eventually fell asleep. When both Odysseus and his crew felt certain it was safe, they made their move. Lead heroically by their king, the congregation of soldiers managed to stab Polyphemus in his single eye. With the savage monster blinded, the combatants escaped from Polyphemus cave and to freedom. Blinding the Cyclops is certainly not one of the first approaches most men would have collaborated in that situation. Even at a huge disadvantage, Odysseus maintained composure and utilized his brains to defeat an extremely brawny Cyclops.

Sayings such as: Never give up , You can do anything you put your mind to , and When there s a will, there s a way , are all great representations of morals within The Odyssey. All three morals are presented numerous times within the storyline, although, the most prime example of the morals would be the epic as a whole. To start off the epic poem, Homer tells of how a great king gets punished by the god Poseidon. Poseidon, after observing Odysseus bravery early in the Trojan War, first helped Odysseus and his men prevail victorious over the Spartans; but when Odysseus neglected to thank the god for his generous deed, Poseidon condemned the king of Ithaca to never return to his kingdom. From there on, Odysseus spent years trying to return home. After an extensive journey lasting a little over 10 years, our hero established the feat of returning to Ithaca. Told otherwise by the god Poseidon himself, the Trojan king never gave up, and ultimately achieved his destination. Following Odysseus debark on his home land, the last moral is introduced during a monumental point in Ithacan history. Since the end of the Trojan War, the townspeople anxiously awaited their king. One by one, all the other soldiers returned to Ithaca, and not one brought word of Odysseus. As the years went by, rumors of his death became more believable. Word of the rumors got around quite fast and suitors started moving to Ithaca. Penelope, Odysseus wife, was getting harassed by the suitors, who had planned to seize the palace. Upon arrival to Ithaca, Odysseus sought out to find Eumaeus, a trusted shepherd. Before he reached the shepherds hut, Athena, daughter of Zeus and god of wisdom, cast a disguise on the hero to protect his identity. When he finally tracked down and convinced the shepherd who he was, the king was informed that his long lost son, Telemachus, had sent to inquire for him. Relived to finally reach his kingdom, Odysseus decided to remain with Eumaeus in his hut and anticipate

his son s appearance. Telemachus soon emerged from the treacherous sea to reunite with his father, who had to prove himself Odysseus; soon after sharing stories of their journeys, father and son debuted plans to rid the suitors of Ithaca and regain control of the kingdom. Several drudging days of immensely tedious planning went by before the two heroes felt certain they were ready. In the end, Penelope figures out her husband s identity, and promises the townspeople that she will marry the man that can complete a challenge only possible by Odysseus. Odysseus then conquers the challenge and kills off all the suitors to reclaim his kingdom. Slow and steady wins the race , is one of the big morals of The Odyssey, and is best expressed during this segment of the epic. The King of Ithaca is not your average man, but instead a patient hero that doesn t rush into situations. Odysseus showed patience as he took his time, went slow and steady, and carefully planned out what he was going to do once he entered his palace, as opposed to rushing in and announcing his return, which would have gotten him murdered by the suitors. Reading The Odyssey, which was written in 800 BCE and passed down by oral tradition before that, then comparing the numerous morals that the poem portrays to the morals followed present day is stunning. Almost three millenniums, or 3000 years, between now and then, and all of the morals from then are still relevant today. Brains over brawn , If there s a will, there s a way , and Slow and steady wins the race are just a few of the many morals from the epic poem that still exist. How many more years will go by that share the same morals so carefully incorporated in The Odyssey, as our generation does now?