Culture and Society

Culture and Society

The culture in The Odyssey was defined by the individuals who lived in the cities. They based their society upon the guidance and wisdom of their leaders and kings who permit them to do whatever they want, no laws. In our society the people determine laws with guidance from our government, if the individuals do not obey and follow the laws they are punished. The individuals in The Odyssey promoted the idea of "an eye for an eye," for revenge. Our society, we leave the justice system up to the authorities, we do not leave punishing others in our own hands.

Authority is a great value for the people in The Odyssey, and it was wealth which determined automatic authority. Odysseus was very wealthy which made him very popular. In our society we accumulate wealth with power. In Ithaca, there was no organized government, instead the individuals made all the decisions or by majority consensus. The ancient Greeks had an optimistic view on life, which gave each and every person a certain status. Odysseus, being a great warrior, brought much authority on his behalf. To get what people wanted they generally had to willingly fight and gain that authority. These obsessions pushed men towards doing wrong. An example would be the suitors' pressure on Penelope to marry even though Odysseus had not been formally announced. If some other man took Penelope as his wife his wealth status would be associated with Penelope's family. It seems that in The Odyssey people value competition while most of our people today value cooperation. In today's society wealth and education help define how much authority you have.

Many of the Ancient Greeks valued faithfulness, people who possess this virtue are viewed with much respect than those who do not. The four most significant examples are Penelope, Eumaios, Philotois, and Argos. Penelope stayed faithful to Odysseus the whole time even though she was tempted to sleep with other men; she kept hope that her husband was still alive and would return home someday. Strength was also very well wanted; it determined a man's place in the real world. In our society it seems that we have less faithfulness then what we should have, in TV shows and movies today they show a lot of cheating and lack of loyalty. It is one of the largest topics in our media; I think that our faithfulness and loyalty should be just as strong and valued like in The Odyssey.

Religious beliefs was one of the most important aspects of the ancient Greeks, it was very well defined and strict. The Greeks believed they were watched over by Zeus and other Olympian Gods, they decided their future. They believed that sacrifice gave them a better will to the gods. This is why Telemachus, Odysseus and many others made sacrifices to the gods. The Greeks also prayed to the gods so they could fulfill their wishes." Life" after death was also believed with