Legend has it that while the brave Odysseus was off fighting the Trojan War, his wife Penelope stayed home, fending off suitors, waiting faithfully for her warrior husband to return home. Odysseus eventually returned to Greece and became a great king.Few, however, are familiar with the sordid details of this story.Odysseus did not earn his commission in the Greek army; his father was a famous general, and although Odysseus performed poorly in training, he was elevated through the ranks as a legacy.While in Troy, Odysseus spent very little time fighting; in fact, he was captured very shortly after arriving, and so was unable to help the Greek cause as he sat in jail.Upon returning home to Penelope, Odysseus dumped his adoring wife in order to remarry a young, beautiful, rich heiress who he felt could do much more to further his career.
For the next several years, Odysseus relentlessly used the story of his participation in the Trojan War to solicit prestigious appointments with the aristocracy throughout the land.
In order to ascend to the throne, he clung to those in power while ridiculing a much more talented rival who was beloved by all of the people. However, the powers that be sided with the deceitful Odysseus, and declared to the public that the rival was too "inexperienced" to be king, and so coronated Odysseus.Thereafter, the glory of Greece crumbled, as the inept Odysseus provoked other nations, and implemented inscription to fight many failed wars. The natural resources of the country were plundered by those who had helped Odysseus rise to power, and the wealth of the country was squandered to the point of bankruptcy.
Comments are closed for this post.
