In the Odyssey the ancient Greeks had a sense of exploration, independence and love life. They were skilled and wise men and women. They are depicted as brave and adventurous heroes and warriors. Under all those beautiful features illustrated in the Odyssey, under that shell it depicted, the ancient Greeks had many fears. They feared the sea, the Cyclopes, they were afraid of scandals, death and people with different cultures. The ancient Greeks had all these fears because it turns out they fear anything that could take their life. Life is an important matter to the ancient Greeks, they love and value their life and would do anything to protect it. Although for the ancient Greeks anything that could cause death was terrifying, the scariest thing was the interference of the gods. The Greeks had many fears. The fear that seems perplexed is that of the sea. You might think that, being geographically surrounded by the sea, they have learned to cope and master the skills of the sea. They didn't; in the Odyssey it is shown that the ancient Greeks feared the ocean. They feared the violence the ocean might bring upon them. They thought the ocean was a never-ending death trap. Laodamas, son of King Phoenicia, explained that “there is nothing worse than the sea, I always say, for crushing a man, the strongest man in the world”. (Odyssey. P. 195). He could have seen what the sea had done to Ulysses. Odysseus, the greatest hero of the Odyssey, was defeated and sabotaged by the ocean. If the sea had done this to him, it could have killed an ordinary person in Odysseus' position. The ancient Greeks recognized the destruction the ocean could bring upon them. This is why the sea was considered one of the scariest things. The reason why… in the center of the card… is a big problem for the ancient Greeks because Poseidon controls the sea and can cause destruction and death. In conclusion, the Greeks were very afraid, but they were more afraid for the gods. The Greeks feared the sea for its ability to take life. And life turns out to be one of the greatest assets for the Greeks. The ancient Greeks feared the gods because they too had the ability to take life. The gods were fearsome and powerful immortals who were inconsiderate towards the small and puny Greeks. For example, Poseidon, a reckless god, devastated Odysseus and caused him to wander into the sea. He had no mercy on him; he just wanted to torture him for not sacrificing himself in his name. Calypso, as beautiful and fascinating as she was, her obsession made her become an invasive goddess. Athena, as cunning as she was in helping Odysseus find his way home, was also a scheming god.