Zeus' Role in The Odyssey and His Influence on Ancient Greek Culture David Himes College

Gods and goddesses played significant roles within the literature in the everyday lives of the ancient Greeks. Homer's The Odyssey was certainly no different. Divine figures appear throughout the epic, interacting with characters on both physical (in person) and mental (in dream) levels. The gods also have frequent interactions with one another, in Homer’s tale. One god who appears periodically within The Odyssey is Zeus, but his importance is immeasurable. Zeus is the “father of the gods,” and is considered the most feared by mortals too. He is the god of the sky, thunder, lightning, and more importantly, he is the patron god of xenia. Xenia plays an enormous role in the epic and in the lives of the ancient Greeks. Zeus also provides some much-needed guidance to his fellow gods (who love to act without thinking), and to the ancient Greeks in the epic. These characteristics make Zeus’ role in The Odyssey the most important of all the divine figures to appear and demonstrate the influence he had on the lives of the ancient Greeks.

The first essential characteristic of Zeus is that his status as the leader of the Gods adds to his power. The strength that he has amassed is what strikes terror in the hearts of the ancient Greeks...