The tale of Odysseus’s travels and travails has become one of the enduring classics of the Western tradition as well as an endearing symbol of the achievements of the ancient Greeks. Using at least two different primary source selections from ancient Greece in the Classics of Western Thought book, i.e. found in Chapters 1-13, please discuss how the themes and events of The Odyssey reflect and highlight the spirit of ancient Greek society as well as relate to experiences and themes of our modern world. Your discussion should reference some relevant aspects of Greek customary beliefs, social forms, and or material traits as developed in class and in the readings. For example, if you decide to include in your essay the theme of justice, you need to demonstrate and explain how this theme is addressed in The Odyssey and compare it to how other ancient Greek writers dealt with this theme of justice in two other readings from ancient Greece in the CWT book, again found in Chapters 1-13. Be sure to identify and discuss specific examples from the source material to support your analysis. Please note that, while you are required to make use of two other readings from the CWT book, the heart of your essay should provide a clear indication about what can be learned about ancient Greek society and about our own world from reading The Essential Odyssey. As you prepare your essay, be sure to use the grading rubric, which can be found on Blackboard, as a guide to completing this assignment to standard.


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