One Of The Homer’s Major Ancient Greek Epic Poems

Epic stories and poems have been passed down through generations. Some are written down in book form, some are oral accounts, and some are even transmitted in the form of songs. A heroic epic is a type of poem that is described as “a heroic narrative about the past that comprises an integrated picture of the life of a people and represents the harmonious unity of a certain heroic world and its epic heroes”. These epics always have a hero that is a figure of heroic stature.

This hero must perform feats that require great skill, spirit, and courage. Heroic epics also always have supernatural forces or beings such as Gods, angels, or demons that are introduced and play an active part in the hero’s actions. The settings of these poems are extensive, and can include land, oceans, the planet, and even the entire universe. Epic poems are written in a formal manner, and they often use exaggeration.

The Odyssey is one of Homer’s major ancient Greek epic poems.

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It follows Odysseus as he goes on his ten year quest back to his home in Ithaca. The Odyssey is a heroic epic, because it is a long poem about a hero and his journey, it is a narrative about the past, and it represents a heroic world.

To be considered a heroic epic, a poem must have a hero. In The Odyssey, Odysseus is the obvious hero. An epic hero is overwhelmed with hardships, often beyond that which a normal man could withstand, and they always persevere in the face of adversity.

Odysseus demonstrates heroic, god-like qualities throughout The Odyssey. Such as having a goal that is foremost in his mind, facing obstacles and defeating them, and ultimately saving the ones that he loves. “Could I forget that kingly man Odysseus? There is no mortal half so wise; no mortal gave so much to the lords of the open sky'. Although Odysseus wasn’t perfect, Greek heroism didn’t mean perfection it meant that you had an extraordinary attribute or ability.

Lots of obstacles got in Odysseus's way on his journey back to Ithaca. The ways that he overcame these obstacles proves that he is a hero. When him and his men came face to face with a cyclops he was able to outsmart the beast by telling it that his name is nobody. “Nobody- that’s my name. Nobody- so my mother and father call me, all my friends”. This proves that he is intelligent, and a quick thinker, which are both qualities of a hero. He then worked with his men to blind the cyclops, and escape the cave. “Straight forward they sprinted, lifting it, and rammed it deep in his crater eye”. His ideas and actions saved his men from possible death.

Another requirement poems need to have to be considered a heroic epic is supernatural forces, or gods that guide the hero throughout the poem, and play an active role in his actions. Gods Athena, Poseidon, Calypso and Circe all play an active role in Odysseus’s decisions throughout The Odyssey. Athena takes a special interest in Odysseus, and helps guide him on his journey home. 'But all the gods pitied him except Poseidon; he remained relentlessly angry with godlike Odysseus, until his return to his own country'. Poseidon created a lot of the obstacles that Odysseus had to overcome on his journey home. He constantly delayed Odysseus by creating storms at sea, and monsters for Odysseus to fight.

Heroic epics must also have an extensive setting that covers all parts of the world. On Odysseus’s quest back home he ran into a lot of storms that pushed him off course, and forced him into lands that he should not have entered. Because of this he traveled far across land, seas, and even into the underworld on his quest back to Ithaca.

The last requirement for a poem to be considered a heroic epic is for the author to use formal manner, and exaggeration. “We’re glad to say we’re men of Atrides Agamemnon, whose fame is the proudest thing on earth these days…”. The Odyssey is written in a formal manner, and hyperboles are used throughout the poem to exaggerate the powers of the gods, and the length of Odysseus’s voyage. The Odyssey satisfies all of the requirements to be considered a heroic epic. Not only is it a heroic epic, it is one of the earliest and most prominent heroic epics of all time.