Odysseus restraint or fury
Sophrosyne or Atasthalia During the battle with the suitors, Odysseus appears to be in a blind rage as he is brutally taking his vengeance upon them. ... It appears as though he is acting with very little restraint and is indulging in his desire for revenge. However, by sparing the lyre player during the heat of battle, Odysseus demonstrates that he is guided more by the values of sophrosyne than atasthalia. This absolute command of his actions that he displays marks the evolution of Odysseus’s character from the beginning of the Odyssey. During the battle, however, Leodes grabs the knees of Odysseus in supplication, yet Odysseus slaughters this supplicant regardless of his proclamation of innocence, saying: “’If you claim to be the diviner among these people,/ many a time you must have prayed in my palace, asking/ that the completion of my sweet homecoming be far off/ from me, that my dear wife would go off with you, and bear you/ children.