Pride

As I read through the Odyssey, I began to notice that the only times the characters, such as Menelaus, cry out to the gods are when they encounter a life threatening situation. I think the cause of this can be tied back to a major fault that has been present since the fall of man: pride. These mighty kings cause themselves so much agony by not constantly seeking after the will of the gods. Instead, these characters set off to do things on their own, which soon delivers them into the hands of danger. They then cry out to the mighty, merciful gods to save them. No wonder the gods are always irritated with these mortals. They have accepted this misconception that they have the power to control things, such as the sea that only the gods can control. I love how applicable this struggle with pride is to humanity as a whole. The fact that this piece of literature still applies to the current state of man gives credit to its place in the foundation of Western civilization. 

P.S. I commented on Collin Suttle's post.