Man of Iron

Odysseus had been ready to pass by the island of Helios, but Eurylochos, no longer trusting the man, argued against the decision. He said, "You are a hard man, Odysseus. Your force is greater, your limbs never wear out. You must be made all of iron, when you will not let your companions, worn with hard work and wanting sleep, set foot on this land, where if we did, on the seagirt island we could once more make ready a greedy dinner..."

He accused Odysseus of being made of iron. In this case, iron doesn't hold the positive meaning used to describe Priam of Troy. This man of iron had no compassion for his weaker companions. Was this true? No - Odysseus was truly concerned about the men. He had tried to avoid danger. When they were confined to the island, he still kept reminding them to stay out of trouble. But Eurylochos' hunger pains soon outweighed any remaining trust he had in Odysseus. His rebellion brought death to all the men, leaving Odysseus mourning for them. Would a man of iron weep for his friends?

I certainly don't think we could accuse Eurylochos of having any iron will. He reminds me of Esau - that birthright seemed good until his stomach started grumbling. Eurylochos worried more about his hunger than the command of the gods. Really, Eurylochos isn't better than Odysseus. He should have focused on his own fears and priorities before attacking Odysseus.

P.S. I commented on jasmne's post.