Analysis Of George Lloyd s The Iliad And The Odyssey

Composer George Lloyd once stated that â€Å"The ancient Greeks have a knack of wrapping truths in myths.† These myths, ranging from the stories of the gods themselves to epic poems like Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey, teach the ancient Greeks lessons on different morals and how to live. Lessons of loyalty to loved ones, humans cause extra suffering to themselves, and sacrificing for an end goal can be found within The Odyssey. Loyalty to loved ones is heavily stressed as a lesson within The Odyssey. While Odysseus was lost at sea while trying to get home from the Trojan War, he is given multiple temptations to prevent him from returning to his family in Ithaca. As Odysseus is kept on the island of Ogygia by the nymph Calypso, her temptations are revealed as Hermes appears to command her to release him: â€Å"And I welcomed him warmly, cherished him, even vowed/to make the man immortal, ageless, all his days†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (5.151-152). Despite being offered immortali ty if he stays, he declines as Odysseus only had returning to his family back in Ithaca on his mind. Odysseus runs into more enticement after landing in Phaeacia after leaving Calypso and being brought to the castle by Nausicaa, the princess of the nation. Her father, Alcinous, begins to offer his daughter to tempt him into staying: â€Å"I’d give you a house/and great wealth—if you chose to stay, that is† (7.359-7.360). While Odysseus is dealing with temptations away from home, his wife Penelope has her own plans for dealing with the