As Odysseus begins his tale, he explains to the Phaeacians, “Six whole days we rowed, six nights, nonstop” (Homer, 233: 88). By starting his heroic tale with this statement, Odysseus is trying to prove to the Phaeacians that he has determination and bravery. Odysseus then continues his tale by saying, “I alone anc

‘Put your backs in the oars-now row or die!’

“But while they killed them off in the harbor depths

and shouted rapid orders at my shipmates:

at the ropes that moored my blue-prowed ship of war

fighting over the corpse of proud Achilles!

Whenever he greets someone, he always makes sure to make it sound like he is a great man. Heroes are out to help others; they are not out to sacrifice everything and everybody in order for self-satisfaction. Odysseus doesn’t seem to have his men’s lives or health in mind, only his own. The fact that he does not care about his men’s survival is proven when he takes his ship with the few men who can row him off the island while he just spits out commands to them. He knows his fate and he knows there is no way that he is going to be injured as long as he still has men fighting on the land of Laestrygonian. When six of his crew members are killed, he shows absolutely no remorse for their death. He is just excited that he has overcome the obstacle and he is closer to returning home. He cannot wait to return home so he can kill the suitors and receive all the rewards, and power that he believes he deserves. For example in book V Homer states, “Nevertheless I long - I pine, all my days - to travel home and see the dawn of my return” (Homer 159: 242 243). All Odysseus wants is to return to Ithaca and to regain his power, and he will sacrifice anything to get there. Throughout the story of his voyage to the Laestrygonian land he portrays himself as a hero so that the Phaeacians will respect him. He wants to gain the admiration and appreciation of the Phaeacians through this story. He needs them to think highly of him so that they will help him in his journey back home.

A hero’s funeral then, my glory spread by comrades -

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