5. Explore the Treatment of Trickery and Deceit in Mythology.

In Ancient Greek mythology, trickery and deceit are recurring, important themes. This is not only
because they make for a good story, but also because they play off the fears and anxieties of the
Greeks. Examples of trickery can be seen throughout much of myth, though arguably, its
common use and popularity was started by Homer when he created Odysseus, a character who,
in many ways, shows how trickery and deceit can be heroic and an alternative to violence.
Odysseus can be seen carrying out many acts of trickery in the two epics and many off-shoots
following. However, his most famous and renowned one is that of the Trojan Horse in the Iliad
(and Aeneid). This is because the Trojan Horse,1 the epitome of deceit, is compared directly
against the strength of arms of the Argives in their attack on Ilium. The fact that, after nine years
where the Greeks have failed to breach the citadel, Odysseus’s plan leads to the downfall of Troy
in only a matter of days shows how deceit has overcome brutal martial prowess. Therefore, this
immediately puts Odysseus, both as a character and as a deceiver, as a heroic character at the
forefront of Greek myth. This is seen again in many books in the Odyssey, but most famously in
Book 9, with the Cyclops. In giving him a false name, and tricking Polyphemus into drinking
himself into unconsciousness, Odysseus escapes with his life and many sheep. 2 He then reverts
to the arrogant and prideful hero of more traditional stories, when he calls out and tells
Polyphemus his name. This arrogance nearly gets all the crew killed by flying rocks, but
ultimately leads to all their deaths as Polyphemus prays to his father for Odysseus’ death, again
demonstrating that heroism and arrogance are often worse than deceit. 3
Another way that deceit can be seen to be a quality, is the story of Prometheus tricking Zeus over
what sacrifice humans should make. In wrapping the meat of an animal in fur, and the bones in
fat, Prometheus tricks Zeus into demanding that the bones and fat be given as a sacrifice, rather
than the meat of the animal. Whilst this infuriates Zeus and is, in part, responsible for him
chaining Prometheus to the rock, this myth is usually looked upon in a positive light as it shows
how deceit, when used correctly, can be used to improve a bad situation. However, there is a
dichotomy in that Prometheus is also often shown to be a weak and dislikeable character. Whilst
he is seen as heroic in this case, his general character is a dislikeable one and this is mostly due
to his deceptive tendencies. Whilst in this particular myth, he is seen in a positive light, in others
such as his involvement in the Titanomachy, whereby he avoided direct confrontation with the
gods, trickery is portrayed in a negative light, shown as cowardly and weak. 4 However, generally
when a mortal uses trickery to outwit a more powerful opponent it is seen in a positive light.
By far the most commonly recurring use of trickery and deception is that of Olympia. Because
gods are inherently immortal, the use of physical attack is made redundant. As such, trickery is
hugely prevalent in Olympia. An obvious example of this is in Virgil’s Aeneid, in which Juno and
Venus trick and lie their way throughout the book. The most obvious proof of this being the death
of Dido,5 as a result of the actions of the Gods.6 However, the Gods often trick and deceive for
good reasons. For example, Hermes provides Odysseus with Moli in order to deceive Circe.
Furthermore, Athene aids Odysseus by shrouding him in Book 6, and making him look more
attractive at the same time. She also makes him look like a beggar, allowing him to take on this
1
Wheeler, E., 1988. Stratagem and the Vocabulary of Military Trickery . 1st ed.
London: Brill.
2
Pierce, J., 2009. Leaders and the Leadership Process . 1st ed. Clemson:
3
H. E. Wheeler, "The Psychological Case against the Fairy Tale," The Elementary School
Journal 29, no. 10 (Jun., 1929): 754-755.
4
Beall, E., 1991. Hesiod's Prometheus and Development in Myth. 1st ed.
Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvanisa Press
5
Ross, D., 2008. Virgils Aeneid : A readers guide. 1st ed. Hong Kong: Blackwell.
6
Smith, R., 2005. The Primacy of Vision in Virgil's Aeneid. 1st ed. Austin: University
of Texas Press
guise to allow him to infiltrate his palace, securing his return home. Overall, the Gods create
neither a positive or negative reflection of deception and trickery in myth as they are far too
varied in their use of it for a blanket answer.
Trickery can also come across as hugely negative. One of the most obvious examples of this is
its use in the murder of major characters, principally the death of Herakles. The centaur Nessos
deceived the wife of Herakles into giving him a shirt covered in the blood of a centaur. She was
told that it would make Herakles love her unconditionally. However, this was a ruse, and it was
coated in a poison, killing Herakles, and proving that even the mightiest of heroes are vulnerable
to deception and lies.7 This theme is repeated in the murders of Medea, foremost amongst these
being the murder of Glauce, deceiving her and tricking her children in to offer her a cursed
diadem. The brutality of Glauce’s death call into question the integrity of Medea and her
excessive use of force. In general, when deception is used by a mortal in order to aid the murder
of another mortal, it is looked upon negatively.
Furthermore, some characters and myths are an active warning as to the consequences of the
dangers of trickery. The clear example of this being that of the myth of Sisyphus. After he tricked
the Gods into allowing him eternal life, he is then punished by being forced to carry a boulder up
a hill for eternity. The message of this myth is that even though through deceit an individual’s
goals may be reached, ultimately, the use of deceit will have repercussions, 8 and lead to a worse
situation than was originally the case. This myth is a warning over the dangers of unchecked
deception. As such, it is understandable that deception was looked upon as a negative trait that
should not be emulated.9
In conclusion, deception is seen in many guises, and in myth, it is a hugely grey area. Overall the
context of the character is the deciding feature.

7
Stafford, E., 2013. Herakles: Gods and Heroes of the Ancient Wold. 1st ed.
Abingdon: Routledge
8
Townsend, D., 1972. Myth and Meaning. 2nd ed. Michigan: Michigan State
University Press.

9
Tyrell, W., 1991. Athenian Myths and Institutions. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford
University Press
Bibliography

Books
Beall, E., 1991. Hesiod's Prometheus and Development in Myth. 1st ed.
Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvanisa Press

Pierce, J., 2009. Leaders and the Leadership Process. 1st ed. Clemson:

Ross, D., 2008. Virgils Aeneid : A readers guide. 1st ed. Hong Kong:
Blackwell

Smith, R., 2005. The Primacy of Vision in Virgil's Aeneid. 1st ed. Austin:
University of Texas Press

Stafford, E., 2013. Herakles: Gods and Heroes of the Ancient Wold. 1st ed.
Abingdon: Routledge
Townsend, D., 1972. Myth and Meaning. 2nd ed. Michigan: Michigan State
University Press.

Tyrell, W., 1991. Athenian Myths and Institutions. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford
University Press

Wheeler, E., 1988. Stratagem and the Vocabulary of Military Trickery . 1st ed.
London: Brill.

Wheeler, H., "The Psychological Case against the Fairy Tale," The Elementary School Journal
29, no. 10 (Jun., 1929): 754-755.
If a hero uses it, it is an extension of wisdom and outsmarting their foe, whereas for a monster or
enemy, it is often portrayed as cowardly and weak. Deception is neither inherently heroic nor
weak, but becomes so in the context of its use. Furthermore, it adds a second dimension to
conflict, allowing for it to not always come down to a test of strength but also a test of intellect. In
myth, trickery and deceit are hugely influential traits, though they are neither respected nor
frowned upon individually, rather they exaggerate the qualities of the respective character.