Is Odysseus considered a hero or not?

THE STUDY CLUB. ODYSSEUS AS A HERO. Homer's Odyssey is one of the greatest of the world's hero tales. ... declares Odysseus no hero at all. This misunderstanding of characte is due, of ... the ancient world everyone outside a small pledged group was considered an enemy. read more

I have never thought of Odysseus as a hero in the modern sense. He is nothing like what modern (late 20th and early 21st century which is, it can be argued, postmodern) sensibilities require in a hero. For every instance of his wiliness or feats of strength there are several of venality, vice, cruelty, or selfishness. read more