Humility expoases a true hero like Odysseus

Penelope offers Odysseus the beggar a bed to sleep in but he declines saying he is use to the floor and prefers to sleep on it, he reluctantly lets Eurycleia the servant wash his feet. Washing feet is considered a very humble thing to do. In christian and other practices it is a sign of respect and humbling. Eurycleia discovers a scar Odysseus received ibn his foot during a hunting accident with his grandfather Autolycus. She gets up and embraces Odysseus who shushes her to maintain his secret. Penelope's wisdom keeps her distracted and unaware as Athena maintains the plan Odysseus has come up with. One notices that the humble good Greek was able to recognise Odysseus in the same manner as his three legged dog recognised him leaped to his feet greeted him and died peacefully and happy. In the case of the servant it is the humble respectful action that helps expose the real Odysseus and hero. The pomp of the others like the suitors keeps them from not seeing the hero in front of them, like a light sent into the darkness that is not recognised. The dog might have been old and crippled but unlike the healthy suitors w3as faithful to what was good and his master thus choosing to die only after seeing said master. The dog represents the faithful Greek crippled by the events of history still virtuous and loved even as the paradigm dies and becomes reborn as a new exemplar of virtue through Odysseus new paradigm of the true hero and virtuous person.