Odysseus was the great hero from the writer Homer’s epic, the Odyssey, and on his journey back to his homeland, his ship was destroyed by the almighty Zeus. What did the cultural hero do exactly that entice the wrath of the God, enough that he would destroy his ship during his triumphant return?
During his triumphant return from the Battle of Troy, he was warned by the Goddess Circe that he must not harm Helios’ cattle no matter the circumstances. His crew still ate the cattle despite the warning which prompted Helios to ask for Zeus’ assistance to destroy Odysseus’ ship.
In the Greek writer Homer’s epic, Odysseus was portrayed as an incredible man who was praised for his skillfulness and wisdom which helped overtake the city of Troy. Unfortunately, he angered the Gods which delayed his journey home as they destroyed his ship.
Who Was Odysseus?
Odysseus, son of Laertes and Anticleia, was the hero depicted in Homer’s epic, the Odyssey, and has since become one of the most frequently used figures for Western Literature. In later traditions, he would be considered to be the son of Sisyphus, the brother of Salmoneus, instead.
He was portrayed by Homer to be a resourceful man who had outstanding wisdom, endurance, and courage which helped him overcome many difficult situations that would happen in his life. In the Illiad, another poem by Homer, Odysseus was the best man to cope with the Greeks’ many crises.
Not only did he play a large part in the reconciliation of Agamemnon and Achilles, which turned the tide of the Trojan War, but he was a skilled fighter as well, displayed numerous times across both epics written by Homer.
The famous Trojan Horse, the strategy used by the Spartans to ultimately win the Trojan War after 10 long years, was the brainchild of Odysseus as he wanted to end the war. This strategy allowed the Spartans to infiltrate Troy and capture it, enabling their victory.
The reason why he wanted the end the war was because his wife, Penelope, had given birth to his son, Telemachus, and he wanted nothing else other than to return to them. Unfortunately, a string of events would then happen which delayed his return after 19 years of absence.
When he did return, he had to prove his identity to reclaim his birthright as King of Ithaca. After passing every trial thrown at him by his wife, Queen Penelope, he finally reclaimed his throne, and there ends the heroic journey of the King of Ithaca, Odysseus.
Why Was His Ship Destroyed By Zeus?
Odysseus was supposed to have smooth sailing all the way back to Ithaca as he received many blessings from numerous Gods for his efforts in the Trojan War. Unfortunately, mistakes made by his crew caused Zeus to destroy his ship, delaying his return to his homeland.
When Odysseus was returning from the Trojan War after orchestrating its win, he met with the Goddess, Circe. The Goddess turned Odysseus’ crew into swine by feeding them her wine and cheese, as her true nature was that of a witch’s.
Hermes helped Odysseus get his crew back by giving him moly, a drug that could resist the Goddess’ magic. After Circe saw Odysseus’ resistance to her powerful magic, she fell in love with him and released his men from her spell.
For a year, Odysseus and his crew would stay on Circe’s island where he feasted and drank like a king. Eventually, his men had to convince him to leave but not before the Goddess gave Odysseus a warning for his long journey home.
She warned that Odysseus would encounter the sacred cattle of Helios and that he would have to endure the urge to eat the cattle lest he wanted to delay his journey. Though Odysseus was asleep in his cabin during this encounter, his men defied his orders and made the mistake.
When Helios found out that his precious cattle had been butchered and eaten by Odysseus’ men, he was furious. He went to the King of the Gods, Zeus, and threatened that he would bring the sun to the underworld unless justice was given to him.
In order to fulfill Helios’ demands, Zeus struck Odysseus’ ship with a lightning bolt, killing everyone in a thunderstorm saved for Odysseus himself. After that, he found himself ashore on the island of Ogygia.
Was Zeus Angry At The Mortal, Odysseus?
Many believed that Zeus struck Odysseus’ ship in anger due to the crimes of his crew while on his journey home to Ithaca. The God had a tendency to show his wrath but he was never the God that was angry at Odysseus.
When Odysseus’ men blinded Polyphemus, the son of Poseidon, he was the God of the Sea himself that was mad at Odysseus for allowing it to happen. Zeus knew of this but decided to stand aside as it was of small matter to the King of the Gods.
After that, when Odysseus’ men slaughtered and feasted on the sacred cattle of Helios, the God of the Sun demanded justice from his father. Helios threatened that he would bring the sun into the underworld, never to be seen on earth again, unless Odysseus’ men were punished.
This prompted Zeus to enact justice as it was his duty to do so. He struck Odysseus’ ship and kill all his men during a thunderstorm but spared Odysseus as he had nothing to do with his men’s mistake.
He spared the mortal and was never angry at all despite the belief that Zeus struck Odysseus’ ship with his wrath. Odysseus was a hero to the Greeks and Zeus would never punish a man of such aptitude lest he did something disrespectful to the God.
Conclusion
Zeus destroyed Odysseus’ ship to fulfill Helios’ demands as the mortal’s men had slaughtered and eaten his sacred cattle. Helios would have brought the sun into the underworld, away from earth, had Zeus not stuck Odysseus’s ship with his powerful lightning.
Odysseus was nothing but a hero to the Greeks and Zeus admired such strength. He was innocent of the crimes of his men so Zeus spared him the punishment of death, though his act had delayed the hero’s journey home significantly.
Eventually, after many hardships, Odysseus reclaimed his throne and went down in history as the legendary King of Ithaca.
