Throughout the epic, Odysseus is portrayed by his friends and colleagues as a magnificent man, a divine figure. But, during the travels of the Odyssey, Ulysses' true character emerges. Heroes are no exception to human nature; all people tend to act differently in public than in private. A commonly accepted definition of a hero is: "a man of great courage or skill, admired for his courageous deeds and noble qualities." Odysseus did not display the noble characteristics of a hero by behaving cowardly, barbaric, selfish and greedy in certain situations; such qualities do not deserve such a title. To be a hero, you must have a noble and courageous purpose. As the Odyssey progresses, it is revealed that Odysseus is not a hero due to his dastardly deeds. Homer uses the character of Odysseus to represent a false morality that undermines the concept of his heroism. One of the main reasons why Odysseus is not a hero is because he manipulated the truth and achieved his victories through lies. Achilles, the hero of the Iliad, explains his thoughts on the subject: "I hate that man as Death's Door itself / Who says one thing but hides another in his heart" (Knox, 37). Bernard Knox, who wrote the introduction to the Odyssey, explains how Odysseus prides himself on his ability to hide and manipulate the truth. Bernard also says, “He will willingly use deception to achieve victory” (Knox, 38). A hero is an honorable man with a noble purpose and heart, but Odysseus has neither. The main characteristics of a hero are that they can perform heroic deeds, while maintaining their nobility. If we sacrifice truth for progress, we will be no better than the monsters we fight. Lying and cheating to get results is wrong and usually has negative consequences. Another reason... half the paper... he didn't struggle with morality. As Odysseus kills the suitors, he explains how he hates that they have drained his fortune and wooed his wife. “'You dogs! You never imagined I would return from Troy - so sure that you bled my house, raped my servant - wooed my wife behind my back while I was still alive!” (Homer, 22,36-39). The very interesting thing about this sentence is that the first thing he accused the suitors of was that of having consumed his assets. This sentence is also very important because the last crime he accused them of was courting his wife. This line shows that Odysseus cares more about his wealth than his family. No hero should care so much about their personal possessions. Based on the fact that Odysseus cares more about himself and that he has no moral code, I strongly believe that he should not be given the title of hero.