Michelle Cruz- The Odyssey

Greek values, though old and ancient, are still used today as the foundation to every life lesson. In the tale, “The Odyssey,” retold by Homer, discipline, respect, and motivation were everyday cultural norms. These values were found in many of the short stories in the book. Today, our world faces similar situations that include the use of these same traits. Although it was a long time ago, these qualities still have a connection to our society today.
No matter what you do, there’ll always be consequences to your actions. Discipline is one of the values that the men in the Odyssey lacked. In the story of “ The Bag of Winds,” Aeolus, the Wind Kind, gave Odysseus a bag filled with all the stormy winds that would be on there way towards their destination of Ithaca. He kept it under the deck of the boat, ordering the men to not open the bag. The men became curious and suspicious that he was hiding some sort of treasure for himself and devised a plan to open it and take what was in it. When Odysseus fell asleep, the men opened the bag and released all the vicious winds out, blowing them away from Ithaca. Because they were not disciplined enough to follow directions, they had to pay for the consequences of their actions and years were added unto their journey back home.
Even back in Greek times, respect is still considered as a huge thing. It’s how you show people your admiration towards them. In the Odyssey, the homecoming of Odysseus was supposed to be a great and joyful reunion, but came out to be the total opposite. He came to Ithaca masked as an old beggar and found his kingdom being taken over and filled with such disrespect by the suitors. He witnessed them disrespect his son, wife, and home and became deeply filled with anger. When he finally revealed himself to the suitors, Telemuchus, Odysseus’ son, killed one of the men, and at the moment they knew that all their years of disrespecting the most important factors in Odysseus’ life, would end and that they would have to pay the ultimate price.
Motivation is what kept Odysseus alive in his journey. Though he cheated on his wife with other women, he never forgot his main reason to come back home to his wife and son. Even when he was stuck on the island of Calypso, her flawless young beauty couldn’t even stop him from his desire to go home. He stayed on her island for seven years, but even with the decision to stay with her forever, he still chose his wife over her. He knew what his responsibility was and it kept him sane and brought him back home.
Odysseus’ journey was a long and unimaginable experience. He managed to escape through deadly traps and by having respect, discipline and being responsible, he finally arrived back home to Ithaca. The influence of Greek culture on modern western society can be found in everyday situations. Even if this legend had occurred millions of years ago, Odysseus’ epic tale still has relevance in today’s modern world.