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Theme Of Gluttony In The Odyssey

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"Gluttony kills more than the sword." -George Herbert. “Gluttony: over-indulgence and over-consumption of food, drink, or wealth items to the point of extravagance or waste”(Dictionary.com). Homer uses food to show hospitality in ancient Greek culture, however, food is also used to represent temptation. (I need a hook) This George Herbert quote is taken literally, as all of Odysseus's men did not return home after their battle, due to the temptation of food. Odysseus is able to show his heroic traits through resisting this temptation of food, while he also showed is natural human traits when he gives in to gluttony, making Odysseus a token hero in ancient Greece. The repeated motif of gluttony and its consequences points to a strong ethical principal among the ancient Greeks. In many instances, such as Odysseus's encounter with the Cyclopes, the Island of the Lotus Eaters, The Cattle of the Sun, and the suitors behavior in the palace, characters in The Odyssey are confronted with …show more content…

While odysseus is away, the suitors stay at his home and try to win over his wife Penelope, they give themselves completely to gluttony. They have a nightly feast, and consume everything in the palace. “A carver lifted cuts of each roast meat to put on trenchers / before the two. He gave them cups of gold, / and these, the steward as he went his rounds / filled and filled again” (175-178). They are consumed by temptation and laziness, and spend all of their time giving into desire. The continue to take and they feel that is what they deserve. This indulgence causes the suitors to be seen as the “evil” characters in the Odyssey, and are later butchered by Odysseus, showing once again that gluttony leads to punishment. The suitors indulgence for everything in sight causes them to be seen as the most immoral characters in the odyssey, they main enemy of the

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