The Importance of Strategy in The Odyssey

The emphasis on strategy over strength in The Odyssey is prevalent throughout books 1-12, and becomes a defining characteristic of Odysseus. Ancient Greek culture places value on thinking through actions, and Odysseus enforces this when he creates plans to get out of multiple life or death situations. Odysseus has great strength and prowess, but what sets him apart from other soldiers is his cunning. It presents the idea that our mind is a tool, a weapon to take on the world. The Odyssey puts precedence on strategy over strength because of its value and recession in Greek culture, its ability to give information to the reader, and its role in bringing Odysseus home.

Homer portrays strategy because of the importance of the mind in Greek culture. In the first line of the epic Odysseus is called “the man of twists and turns” which sets the theme for the entire book and the many challenges faced. It allows the reader to learn about the hero and characterize Odysseus from the opening lines. When Odysseus travels down to Hades, he sees Achilles, a great warrior who is widely known to have achieved Kleos, and learns a valuable lesson. Achilles send the message that “I’d rather slave on earth for another man- / some dirt-poor tenant farmer who scrapes to keep alive- / then rule down here over all the breathless dead”. Odysseus is being told that Kleos, the virtue sought after most in a Greek hero’s life, isn’t as valuable to life as it seems. Achilles wants nothing more than to be on Earth instead of with Hades and the “breathless dead.” Odysseus realizes that a life that burns bright and fast isn’t as rewarding in the end, and what matters is the strategy of survival, living a long life with the people you love around you. “Not a man in the world is more blest” than Achilles, and still he is wishing he could see the light of day. Homer is clearly addressing the social values of Greek culture and criticizing them for their excessive value placed on titles and reputation, trying to open the minds of the general Greek population. In book 8 Demodocus goes on to tell the story of Hephaestus and Aphrodite. When the Smith forged concealed chains to trap the pair the next time he was gone, it left them immobile and Hephaestus with many gods watching and laughing about how “limping Hephaestus conquers War… the quickest of all the gods who rule Olympus”. Hephaestus was a crippled god who outwitted the mighty god of war. While Ares was physically superior Hephaestus had a far stronger weapon, his mind. Just like the chains, Hephaestus’ power was understated and no one anticipated the move, especially from a crippled god. This tale being told is significant and many ties can be seen between Odysseus and the god of fire. The mind is the greatest weapon because it is only shown through action, and Homer intends to emphasize this through books 1-12.

Strategic tactics from Odysseus allow the reader to see opportunities that only Odysseus can see. For example, during the Trojan War, Odysseus was seen “scarring his body with mortifying strokes, / throwing filthy rags on his back like any slave, / he slipped into the enemy’s city, roaming its streets”. He is portrayed as a versatile leader with a unique skill set, willing to sacrifice his image and be seen “scarring his body” to finish his mission, to end the Trojan War. This shows how Odysseus incorporates deception and stealth into his plans, that he knows strength isn’t his only tool. This is also prevalent in Odysseus’ clash with the cyclops, where he gets the cyclops drunk and tricks him with his words. The cyclops, already intoxicated from Odysseus’ offerings of strong wine, asks who Odysseus is. Odysseus then replies and says “Nobody - thats my name. Nobody- / so my mother and father call me, all my friends’”. This shows how odysseus analyzes people’s characteristics and uses their faults against them. Odysseus drugging the cyclops and taking advantage of his impaired judgement and reasoning allows Odysseus and his men to scrape by the dangerous implications of their voyage. If not for Odysseus the challenge of escaping alive would become impossible. These are instances where brute strength from a crew of Greek warriors just wouldn’t suffice, and when dealing with supernatural forces Odysseus knows that he is just a mortal being. He brilliantly pieces together plans that lead himself through the perils of the open sea. In his encounter with the sirens Odysseus is met with another challenge. Circe warns Odysseus of their attractive nature, and knows Odysseus will give in to his hubris and try to listen. She gives him a plan to listen and survive, another trial he pursues. Odysseus tells his men “you must bind me with tight chafing ropes… and if I plead, commanding you to set me free, / then lash me faster'. Odysseusi s able to bypass the deadly consequences of his hubris with this clever plan, a somewhat recurring characteristic of the warrior. The sirens have ended many homeward journeys short, yet Odysseus gets to hear “all that comes to pass on the fertile earth”. Odysseus is experiencing another benefit of a wise mind with the sirens and fulfills his desires without negative repercussions. He can smooth over mistakes and continue roaming the seas with persistence and endurance.

Without Odysseus’ cunning and wit, the journey home to Ithaca may have never been completed. Odysseus’ first encounter with Circe draws attention to this. Odysseus is an experienced man who has seen many women like Circe, a supernatural temptress with powers over men. Odysseus enters Circe’s palace and isn’t affected by the witch’s drugs, with some assistance from Hermes, who gives him moly. Circe replies and says “I’m wonderstruck - you drank my drugs, you’re not bewitched! / Never has any other man withstood my potion”. Circe is in awe of Odysseus, and realizes that she is in the presence of a great hero. The fact that Odysseus is the only man to look for supernatural help from the gods shows his resourcefulness and how effective this strategy is. Odysseus is the one man that was clever enough to notice a trap, and in result he is the one who has to save his crew. Odysseus uses strategy with his words as well as his actions. When Calypso has Odysseus “trapped” on her island he is forced to leave and continue on his journey. Instead of leaving in a way that would anger the nymph he flatters her and tells her how his wife “falls far short of her, / her beauty, her stature”. Part of strategy is having a strong moral compass and knowing what is right. Odysseus may be seduced to linger, but he has an iron will and knows he has to get his job completed. He knows what is best for him, and uses this vision of his family in Ithaca to fuel his expedition home. The way he leaves is tentative and precise, allowing Calypso to remain content while keeping his wishes a priority. Odysseus is threading the needle with his conversation using dialogue skills to get what he wants in a non-invasive way. Odysseus has multiple examples of cunning in books 1-12, but his wife is also skilled in deception. As Odysseus makes his way home Penelope is weaving a shroud by day and unweaving it by night. A promise to wed after the shroud is done creates excitement and anticipation among the suitors. The suitors “despite their pride and passion they believed her” as they have to go along with any tribulations to get to Penelope’s hand in marriage. Penelope uses this ploy to buy time for her husband to arrive and take back Ithaca, while delaying any advances by the suitors with this promise. It shows how a woman can have an important role in keeping the throne and manipulate people to achieve her goals. This tactic is a game, and “requires a keen ability to use words to convey meaning indirectly,” while also developing layers of dialogue that need “a sensitive awareness of what has been said despite what has been said”. The indirect nature of dodging attempts at marriage with complex procedures of evasion allow Penelope to give Odysseus one extra night for the next several years.

The place it has in Greek culture, the ability to develop context, and the importance in bringing odysseus home all show how vital strategy is in The Odyssey. Strategy is very influential in Odysseus’ journey home, from talks with new people to battles with ferocious monsters. It is both a weapon and a tool, making a strong mind essential for Odysseus’ long journey. The recurring reliance on strategy for success recognizes the value of cunning and it’s repetition shows the importance Homer is trying to emphasize. It is what separates a good leader from a great leader, what allows Odysseus to make mistakes and recover so well.