当年宙斯三兄弟抽签均分势力范围，宙斯抽得了天空，哈迪斯抽中冥界， 波塞冬就成了一切大海和湖泊的君主。有这么一个人，他刺瞎了Polyphemus的眼睛。万万没想到，Polyphemus是波塞冬的儿子，波塞冬对他进行了报复，激起的海浪把他折磨的死去活来。

A sea broke over him with such terrific fury that the raft reeled again, and he was carried overboard a long way off. He let go of the helm, and the force of the hurricane was so great that it broke the mass half way up, and both sail and yard went over into the sea.

In spite of all this however, he did not lose sight of his raft, but swam as fast as he could towards it, got hold of it, and climbed on board again so as to escape drowning.

连宙斯的女儿雅典娜都看不过去他经历的苦难，对他暗中相助。为了得到回家的指引，他求见过冥王哈迪斯。 从女妖锡西手下救出同伴，还获得了她的帮助；与一天三次吐水的Charybdis和Scylla擦肩而过，应该是他离死神最近的一次了，这个Scylla 长什么样子呢？十二只脚，六个粗脖子，你可以看图感受一下他当时的处境：

荷马是这样为我们讲述的：

Then we entered the Straits in great for of mind, for on the one hand was Scylla, and on the other hand Charybdis kept sucking up the salt water. As she vomited it up, it was like the water in a cauldron when it is boiling over upon a great fire, and the spray reached the top of the rocks on either side. When she began to suck again, we could see the water all inside whirling round and round, and it made a deafening sound as it broke against the rocks. We could see the bottom of the whirlpool all black with sand and mud, and the men were at their wits ends for fear. While we were taken up with this, and were expecting each moment to be our last, Scylla pounced down suddenly upon us and snatched up my six best men.

可是，就这样，他还是活了过来。

Calypso将他囚禁多年依然没有改变他回家的意志。Calypso 能让他永葆青春，并告诉他前方困难重重，想借此留下他还说：我可以毫不过分的夸赞我自己，无论身段还是体态都比她（他的妻子）好，因为一个凡间女人的样貌，是怎么也 比不上一位不朽的神的。但是他说了这样一句话：

I am quite aware that my wife perhaps is noting like so tall or so beautiful as yourself. She is only a woman, where as you are immortal. Nevertheless, I want to get home, and can think of nothing else. If some god wrecks me when I am on the sea, I will bear it and make the best of it. 

对百般苦难泰然处之，真英雄也！他就是我们今天的主角，奥德赛。

奥德赛并不万能，他能度过这么多艰险，离不开人们的指引和帮助。孔子有言：君子敬而无失，与人恭而有礼，四海之内皆兄弟也。奥德赛做到了。这样一个叱咤风云的人物，并不盛气凌人，相反，正是他恭而有礼的态度，让他回到了故土。

在经历上述苦难之后，他终于到了回家的最后一站：Phaeacian。

在这个城邦中，他一言一行都格外谨慎。他在问路时所用的语言都格外谦和。“My dear, will you be so kind as to show me the house of king Alcinous? I am an unfortunate foreigner in distress and do not know one in your town and country.”注意他在这里对自己的描述。 一个战胜特洛伊的英雄不过是个foreigner，对于这个城的人，他无关紧要。

这令我想起来明朝的将军蓝玉。洪武二十四年，蓝玉总七万兵马，定西番，平灭月鲁帖木儿之叛。功成还师，蓝玉被加衔为“太子太傅”。闻此，他怏怏不乐，说：“我的功劳难到不能当太师吗！” 他这句话终于为自己引来了杀身之祸。

这是两个战胜将军的对比。其人生格局高下立判。

堂堂Ithaca的国王，在请求他人时的姿态是这样的（如图）：

荷马是这样为我们描述的：Then he laid his hands upon the knees of the queen. 虽然此前雅典娜交代说，First find the queen. 可是他在拜托女王时，也顾及到了在场的其他人：

"Queen Arete, daughter of great Rhexenor, in my distress, I humbly pray you, as also your husband and these your guests to help me home to my own country as soon as possible"

如此一来谁也不会被得罪了。

我们古代历史上的哲学家朱熹说：存天理，灭人欲。以此来达到圣人的境地。但是后来王守仁打破了他的这一理念——他悟出来，“天理就是人欲”。圣人也有自己的需求。这在奥德赛说的话语中也有所体现：

Nevertheless, let me sup in spite of sorrow, for an empty stomach is a very important thing, and thrust it on man's notice no matter how dire is his distress. I am in great trouble, yet it insist that I shall eat and drink, bids me lay aside all memory of my sorrows and dwell only on the due replenishing of itself. 

不论他再怎么是英雄人物，仍然会被饥饿所折磨。而他并不掩盖自己这一简单的需求，直接表明，我虽然特别伤心，但是我还是要吃东西。承认自己的人欲，他也从来没有把自己看作是什么圣人，不过是凡人之一。

除了谦卑之外，他很顾及别人的感受。当Arete责怪自己的女儿没有直接把奥德赛带回家时，奥德赛说这不怪她，是他自己ashamed and afraid。

最后还有一个细节值得注意。奥德赛的儿子Telemachus第一次见到Menelaus的宫廷之后非把自己的感受说出来： Everything is so splendid that it is like seeing the place of Olympian Jove. I am lost in admiration!  但是在奥德赛见到Alcinous 美丽的宫殿时，他只是伫立良久观赏一番足以：So here Ulysses stood for a while and looked about him, but when he had looked long enough he crossed the threshold and went within the precincts of the house. 王者不辩，辩则少威焉。智者讷言，讷则惑敌焉。勇者无语，语则怯行焉。

孔子有云“知者不惑，仁者不忧，勇者不惧。”这些，亦是奥德赛穿过千古散发出的光。