Hu•bris /ˈ(h)yo͞obris/ noun: excessive pride or self-confidence. Arrogance is believed to be the most serious of the seven deadly sins. Some say it was original sin that led to all the others. A word with such repugnant synonyms as arrogance, conceit, haughtiness, pomposity and selfishness was seen as one of the worst possible sins in Greek culture. They believed that regardless of one's social status, those who exhibited it were destined to fall into damnation. Yet some Greek heroes seemed to exude arrogance in the form of confidence or cockiness. There was a fine line between the two that they should never have crossed. One hero in particular exhibited this sin in more ways than one. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus displays the sinful trait of arrogance, in the form of cockiness when speaking to Polythemus, his crew members, his wife, and his son. The first time Odysseus shows arrogance is at the very beginning of his journey. Ulysses and his crew decide to visit Polythemus' island simply out of curiosity. They find themselves in a difficult situation inside the cave as Polythemus will not let them escape. Odysseus is sharp and cunning when he hatches a plot to blind Polythemus and escape under the belly of the flock of sheep brought in and out of the cave every day. After escaping, Odysseus cannot resist the temptation to pump himself up, so he explains how, after his men emerge from the cave, he angrily shouts at Polythemus: "I would not listen to them in my spirit of glory, / but I would let my anger blazes and you cry: / 'Cyclops, / if ever a mortal asks you / how you were shamed and blinded, tell him / that Ulysses, city robber, has taken you the eye: / son of Laertes, whose home is in Ithaca!'” (500-505, 769) ).In a fit of arrogance and anger, Odysseus revealed his identity… in the middle of the card.. .he certainly has the right to take the lives of all these men. However, through arrogance Odysseus feels righteous and powerful, enough to simply slaughter the suitors only moments after boasting. The sin of arrogance is one of the most wicked sins and rightly so. This ends up costing Odysseus twenty years at sea, all because he told Polythemus his name. Arrogance caused Odysseus' crew to have unwarranted faith in him even when Odysseus stood by and watched as six men were devoured. Sin caused Odysseus to lie to his wife just to get her emotions out and feel better about himself. Odysseus used arrogance to feel superior enough to bring death on suitors when it is usually the gods who carry out such an act. Over the course of his long and treacherous odyssey, Odysseus displays the corrupt trait of arrogance, in the form of cockiness when speaking to key characters on his expedition home..