Odysseus and the Art of Lying

Odysseus vs. Achilles: Who is the GOAT?

What the names “Odysseus” and “Achilles” mean is fascinating. It reveals the terrifying reality of what a Greek hero is.

• Achilles can be read as ἄχος (grief) + λαός (fighting men) = grief of the fighting men.

• We are told that Odysseus is given the name by his grandfather from ὀδύσσομαι (to hate) = Mr. Hatred.

• The non-ionic pronunciation from which we get Ulysses sounds like οὐλή (scar) which is of course the defining physical feature by which Odysseus is identified. (These are all “folk” etymologies)

The Greek hero is a man of pain and suffering. They cause enormous pain to their rivals: Achilles to Hector and Agamemnon; Odysseus to the Trojans, suitors, and cyclops. But they also cause enormous pain to their friends: Achilles to the Achaeans; Odysseus to his family and the Phaeacians. Lastly, they cause enormous pain to themselves: both lives are riddled with suffering.

While both heroes are men of pain and suffering they are also clearly different. Wily Odysseus is a different archetype than godlike Achilles. So who is the greater hero? That’s what I try to answer in this video essay filmed in Ithaca.