Like Greeks at the Gates of Troy

Odysseus is one of my heroes. He was a mighty warrior and a brave leader, but he was most famous among the Greeks for being their smartest warrior. Odysseus was the epitome of arete, the Greek honor code of excellence (of the same ilk as chivalry to the knights of late medieval Europe or bushido to the samurai of the Shogunate era) because he embodied not just the coarser aspects of warrior excellence but also the quieter virtues such as intelligence, self-restraint, creativity, loyalty, and wisdom.

It was Odysseus who came up with the idea of the Trojan Horse. It was he alone who lived to hear the siren’s song. And it was he defeated the cyclops through clever trickery, rather than strength at arms like Heracles would’ve.

So when I came to the grounds of the Orlando Civic Center, I’m not exactly sure why, but my thoughts went to Odysseus. I felt, I dunno, maybe a sense of deja vu for what he must’ve felt, camped with the Greek armies at the gates of Troy. He didn’t want to be there, but he went for loyalty to his people. Ithaca, his home, wasn’t a huge or powerful kingdom. But it was respected and it did its part in the war against Troy. (There’s my little island, Ithaca, in the picture on the right.) He knew through portents that it would be a long journey and a long time returning. And he served with excellence and intelligence. That’s my goal.

Cheers,

-kev