Homer, an Olden Day Sexist

In my opinion Homer was an old fashioned sexist. He demonstrates this through The Odyssey when he frequently writes things that signify how women are judged and fail to be appreciated. My first demonstration of Homer being an old fashioned sexist is through Odysseus. Odysseus is on his way back to Ithaca where his wife Penelope has been faithfully waiting for 20 years for his return. During Penelope’s devastating years when she long for Odysseus, he has been fooling around with other women. In this quote Homer writes of Odysseus’ encounter with the temptress Circe; “Straightaway she began to swear the oath that I required—never, she’d never do me harm—and when she’d finished, then, at last, I mounted Circe’s gorgeous bed…”(245). This quote shows how undervalued Penelope is by Odysseus. This is one of the many times in the novel where Odysseus is only thinking about himself and not respecting his wife of more than twenty years. Odysseus has another encounter with a beautiful nymph, Calypso. Despite the fact Odysseus is on a voyage home to be with his wife and son, “as soon as he can”, he chooses to have sex with this immortal. Homer writes, “Even as he spoke the sun set and the darkness swept the earth. And now, withdrawing into the cavern’s deep recesses, long in each other’s arms they lost themselves in love.”(159). Calypso is just another woman used as a sexual toy and is not recognized for her own achievements but because of her beauty. This instance really indicates how Odysseus treats his wife Penelope and Calypso with such disrespect which leads me to believe Homer was sexist.
Not only does Homer write about Odysseus’s unfaithfulness, he writes about how women are used as servants without any recognition. While Odysseus is in the land of the Phaeacia’s he is warmly welcomed by all of the people and there are frequent quotes of women doing work just because of his arrival. Homer demonstrates this by simply stating, “A maid brought water soon in a graceful golden pitcher and over a silver basin tipped it out so the guest might rinse his hands, then pulled a gleaming table to his side. A staid housekeeper brought on bread to serve him, appetizers aplenty too, lavish with her bounty.”(185).This is just one of the hundreds of times Homer describes women working for men. Another time when women are being used for their help is when suitors come crowding Odysseus’s wife Penelope. They surround the kingdom trying to please Penelope in order to get her wealth and kingdom, not because they are infatuated by her as a person. Homer illustrates the women in the novel as not remembered for their accomplishments but used for wealth and physical desires.