Odysseus, the hero of Homer’s Odyssey, is a quintessential figure of the Greco-Roman (Western) literary canon.

In one of most famous adventures, Odysseus tells the Cyclops Polyphemus that his name is “Outis,” meaning “Nobody” – a clever word play on the name Odysseus and a trick that prevents the other Cyclopes from coming to Polyphemus’ aid when Odysseus blinds him.

This cunning ruse epitomizes the Western heroic ideal: intelligence, deceit, and individual resourcefulness triumph over brute force. In the chaotic, capricious cosmos of Greek myth – where many gods act out of whim and offer little moral guidance – survival and success depend on personal wit and strength.

Odysseus is celebrated for metis (cunning intelligence) and self-reliance. He even temporarily effaces his identity (becoming “nobody”) to achieve his goals, highlighting a theme of the individual hero defining himself by his actions rather than by birth or divine lineage.

Notably, after escaping the Cyclops, Odysseus asserts his true name out of pride, which leads to Poseidon’s wrath. This moment underscores a key tension in Western narratives: the hero’s personal glory (kleos) and identity are hard-won, but excessive pride (hubris) can bring punishment. Overall, the Western canon – exemplified by Odysseus – emphasizes the individual who uses reason, curiosity, and initiative (even trickery) to navigate a dangerous world and carve out his own destiny.

Moses, the hero-prophet of the Middle Eastern (Biblical) canon, provides a stark contrast. His very name is tied to family and lineage: Moses is often linked to the Egyptian word msy or mose, meaning “child (of)”or '“born (of).” Egyptian names of this type are ordinarily theophoric — Thutmose means “born of Thoth,” Ramose “born of Ra” — so the form all but demands a divine name attached to it. Strikingly, the name as it comes to us is incomplete: Moses is “born of” — but born of whom?

The Exodus account gives a partial answer, since Pharaoh’s daughter adopts the infant and “he became her son,” naming him Moses to memorialize how he was drawn from the water. The book of Moses supplies the missing element.

When the Lord appears to him, He addresses him directly and repeatedly as “Moses, my son” (Moses 1:6, 7, 40), and Moses, confronting Satan, answers with the same claim: “I am a son of God, in the similitude of his Only Begotten” (Moses 1:13). What his Egyptian name leaves blank, revelation fills in.

Moses is not merely born of the river or of Pharaoh’s household — he is the son of God, and that sonship is precisely what he wields when he is tested. Thus Moses’ identity from the start is defined in relational terms, and his whole mission is compressed into the meaning of his name.

This reflects the Eastern (Hebraic) heroic ideal: one’s role is defined by covenant connection to a higher authority and community. Moses is chosen by God to lead His people; he does not seek heroism for personal renown. Biblical tradition emphasizes his humility and obedience — “Now Moses was a very humble man, more so than any man on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3).

Rather than relying on personal cunning, Moses repeatedly submits to God's will and law. He is an instrument of divine power (parting the Red Sea, delivering the Ten Commandments) rather than a crafty adventurer.

The Eastern canon, through Moses, highlights faith, covenant lineage and identity through God, and duty to God: the hero’s strength comes from recognizing one’s divinely decreed covenant identity, being a loyal child and servant of the divine. The hero’s mission is communal (saving an entire people) rather than individual. The meaning of Moses as “child of” thus symbolizes how Eastern ideology prizes covenant belonging and filial relationship — to God and to community — over self-assertion.

These two name meanings – “Nobody” and “Son” – poignantly illustrate foundational differences between Western and Eastern civilizational ideologies:

In the West, epitomized by Greek culture, the hero often stands out as a distinct individual.

Odysseus’s adoption of the name “Nobody” is ironic: by pretending to be no one, he actually secures his personal survival and later fame. It suggests that identity is self-made; a person can even shed or conceal it in pursuit of goals.

Western literature frequently celebrates personal agency, cleverness, and the pursuit of glory. The Greco-Roman worldview saw the world as unpredictable and frequently unjust, requiring heroes to rely on human ingenuity and courage to thrive.

This fosters an ideological emphasis on free inquiry and human reason – the legacy of “Athens.” As one scholar summarized, Athens (symbol of Greek thought) embodies “the life of free inquiry”.

Odysseus, as a man of many twists and tricks, personifies this mindset: problems are to be solved by rational strategy, experience, and personal grit, even if it means defying gods or social norms.

The Western canon’s hero is ultimately an individual, sometimes against the world – even when “nobody,” he relies on himself to shape his fate.

In the Eastern (particularly ancient Hebrew/Abrahamic) tradition, the hero is defined by relationship to God and people.

Moses’s name meaning “son” reflects that his identity is rooted in being a child of someone – metaphorically a child of God and leader of God’s children (Israel).

Eastern ideology places value on humble obedience to divine law over personal glory. The legacy of “Jerusalem” (Hebraic thought) is “the life of humble obedience to God’s law”. Moses embodies this by repeatedly heeding God’s commands and by viewing himself as a servant rather than a self-made hero.

His successes – the plagues on Egypt, the parting of the sea, bringing down the Ten Commandments – are explicitly acts of God, not clever tricks of Moses. The Eastern hero’s strength comes from faith and covenant: Moses’ authority comes from being a chosen “son” (inheritor of God’s promise to the patriarchs) and he leads a community (the Israelites) toward a collective goal (the Promised Land).

This underscores Eastern values of collectivism, tradition, and divine purpose. One does not seek to be “nobody” special; one aspires to be a worthy child of God, upholding responsibilities handed down by higher authority.

The contrast between Odysseus and Moses – “Nobody” versus “Son” – has far-reaching implications in literature and culture.

Western literary canon (from Greek epics to modern novels) often features protagonists who, like Odysseus, must find or assert their identity through trials, sometimes in defiance of gods or society. The idea of the lone adventurer or self-made individual is a recurring Western trope. This aligns with Western civilizational ideology that has often stressed individual rights, personal destiny, and secular inquiry – echoing Odysseus’s mix of skepticism and courage in facing a world of many gods and uncertainties.

In contrast, Middle Eastern and later Islamic and Christian narratives (inspired by the Hebrew Bible) often emphasize prophets, saints, or leaders who are defined by their service to God. Like Moses, these figures usually derive authority from divine calling and stress moral obedience over personal cunning. The Eastern canon’s stories impart communal ethics and faith. Heroes are frequently lawgivers or spiritual guides (Moses, Muhammad, etc.), reinforcing the value of being part of a faith family or divine lineage rather than an isolated hero. The very notion of “children of Israel” or “children of God” as a people shows how deeply the “son/child” identity (belonging to a greater father or cause) pervades Eastern ideology.

Odysseus’s claim to be “Nobody” highlights the Western ideal of the autonomous individual – one who can discard titles and rely on wit to overcome fate.

Moses’s name as “Son” underscores the Eastern ideal of belonging and submission to a higher will.

These foundational differences in their name meanings symbolize a broader split in worldview: the West’s focus on individual identity through self-determination versus the East’s focus on identity through connection – whether as a child of God, a member of a people, or a servant of a divine plan.

Both can be heroic, but they heroize different virtues.

Odysseus personifies human ingenuity and self-reliance, setting the stage for Western secular humanism and inquiry.

Moses personifies faith and filial duty, laying the foundation for Eastern (and Abrahamic) ideals of piety, law, and communal destiny.

Despite their differences, each canon uses its hero’s name and story as a metaphor for what that culture values at its core – whether it’s the clever “nobody” who must make a name for himself, or the humble “son” who fulfills a name given by the Divine.

—Taylor Halverson, Ph.D.
Learn Deeply. Live Meaningfully. Spread Light and Goodness!

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