Generosity In The Odyssey

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Odysseus from The Odyssey by Homer is extremely worthy of being referred to as a Basileus. He has the generosity, persuasion skills, and the skill level that is commonly seen in a Basileus. Generosity is a trait that is seen as good in the general population, but is especially good in leaders. “A basileus cannot afford not to appear generous” (Pomeroy, Burstein, Penlan and Roberts paragraph 10” Generosity is essential for developing a large following. Leaders who are not seen as generous or who give out unequal rewards quickly lose their following and eventually their power. For instance, Odysseus himself shows his generosity when he says “and for six days my trusty companions feasted and I gave them many animal victims…” (Homer book 14,

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