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Should Men Be Allowed To Eat In The Odyssey

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Everyone has been hungry at some point in time. Hunger can drive people to do anything takes to eat even if it has consequences. Odysseus men in The Odyssey have not had food in three months. Odysseus’ men should eat the cattle that belonged to Helios, the sun god, because of the following: they were starving, the first mate said drowning was preferable to starving, and the men believe they could give a sacrifice to Helios when they got home. The men had depleted their food supply. The men had things to eat, but it wasn't enough to keep them full. The men had not ate much for three months which made it easier to disobey Helios and eat his cattle at any moment. Hunger had set the men on the path to eat the cattle even with the possible …show more content…

This prophecy was part of a speech Eurylochus gave to Odysseus’ men which drive them even more. Eurylochus had told them that if they were to die it would be better on a full stomach. This turned the men toward eating the cattle even with consequences. Nevertheless, the thing that really tipped them over the edge was their belief of sacrifice once they got home. Eurylochus made the men believe that there were no troubles in eating the cattle if they sacrificed once they got home. If Eurylochus told them different, the men could have held back for at least a little longer. When the men thought they could sacrifice to not be punished, they believed everything should be fine. Eurylochus had persuaded them to take the wrong path and eat the cattle thus killing them for disobeying Helios. On the other hand, Eurylochus had a very good point against waiting to leave for food. The men there had a good reason to eat. They didn't have much food and they were only eating little things like bird and fish. They were starving and there was no doubt about it. When someone has very little to eat for a long period of time they will begin to starve, and it is hard to overcome hunger. Although, if they held off from eating the cattle just a little longer then all the men could have stayed

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