Experience Tumblr Like Never Before
Okay so I’ve seen a lot of people being like “oh Eurylochus is not a hypocrite bc he didn’t intentionally sacrifice the crew with Circe like Odysseus did with Scylla”
And while yes it is not the same, uh…….. here’s the problem from my perspective and why I still totally think he’s a hypocrite.
He was the one who had those men under his command. Odysseus gave him a mission and for that mission, Eurylochus was in charge of those guys. Then he LOSES (yes it is his fault, he was responsible for those men) the men to Circe and then runs back to Odysseus and immediately is trying to leave. He in a way is actively choosing to ABANDON those men without even TRYING to attempt a plan to save them. Like he doesn’t even think about it.
Yes Odysseus and the Scylla situation are messed up and it is not the same as Eurylochus and the Circe situation, but sorry guys this man is absolutely still a hypocrite. For his own self preservation he was about to abandon a bunch of men HE LOST to a supposed evil. The only difference is that Ody did it deliberately while Eurylochus’ incompetence caused it.
And here’s the thing, we can argue that Odysseus bc of the Scylla situation is more of a monster than Eury. I’m not even saying the mutiny is not justified. IT ABSOLUTELY WAS. The crew absolutely should have mutinied and Eury was right to challenge Ody.
However, these characters are complex and like yeah, Ody is a monster and a conniving schemer, but he is ultimately just a man trying to get home. And Eury is a fool and a hypocrite that would abandon his men for his mistakes but he is also just a tired man who is starving and suffering.
I just realized something so sad:
If Eurylochus died instead of Polites they legit would have made it home by the Ocean Saga. You can’t tell me Polites would have opened the wind bag.
Hell he probably would tell Ody to sleep and he’d look after it and the two would take turns until they got to Ithaca.
Okie look, I’m not a huge fan of Eurylochus, I’ll keep it a buck fifty. I think the man is a hypocrite and a fool.
That being said, OH MYGOD this man really tug at my heartstrings man. This saga especially I felt so bad for him???! Him genuinely sounding so tired in Mutiny and so regretful in Scylla and so broken and defeated in Thunder Bringer.
Just… Jorge and the team did such a good job of writing these characters man. That is how you know a piece of media is well done; you see a bunch of debates from many people about the characters and their motivations and each side makes very valid points. It’s just so good!
Thunder Bringer is such an interesting twist on the trolley problem. Wherein instead of you making the choice of saving one person or many, it’s suddenly yourself or them. And I’ll be honest, I don’t think there are many people on this Earth that would choose to let themselves die for others (especially under the context that the situation they are in is because of the others anyway but yeah).
okie so I’ve noticed a lot of discourse in regards to the thunder saga and Odysseus. It’s interesting to see how everyone is seemingly split on him. Some say his crew were fools and Eury is a hypocrite while some say Odysseus is a snake and that it is harder to sympathize with him.
Personally I’m slightly more leaning towards the former, but I genuinely want to hear y’all’s thoughts!