The Odyssey Theme of Justice

Justice is ruthless in the Odyssey. Death is served easily for many transgressions, from inhospitality to poor manners to disrespecting the gods. Actually, because the gods were supposed to uphold standards in daily life such as hospitality, violating those rules was itself an offence against the gods. Once it comes to meting out punishment for such offenses, Homer’s characters pull very few punches.

1. What kind of justice system do the gods follow? What kinds of transgressions are punishable by death?
2. Wait a minute, is there a system at all? If the gods are subject to the same whims, grudges, desires, and pettiness as the mortals, isn’t "justice" (and especially "divine justice") as inconstant and illogical as basic emotion?
3. Why does Athene want all the suitors to die – even the sort-of-cute-and-fuzzy ones? Is this "justice" according to the Odyssey?
4. How are chance events like Elpenor’s death justified?
5. Is justice in the ancient Greek system a cover for personal vengeance? Is it fair? Are there any instances of more civil methods of punishment and reconciliation? What about the ending?

Poseidon is unjustified in hounding Odysseus across the seas because his son Polyphemos deserved the blinding that the hero gave him.

Poseidon is justified in hounding Odysseus across the seas because although Polyphemos deserved the blinding he got, Odysseus’s hubris offended the gods and earned him Poseidon’s enmity.