Question 1: Should Homer be considered an early feminist or an old-fashioned sexist?

I believe that homer should be considered an early feminist because of the way he portrays the goddesses in his writing.  Throughout history, women didn't have many rights until the 1900's, so Homers vision of the women in his writings was a revolutionary and unique way of thinking.  A good example of this is the goddess Artemis defies Hera and the gods in the Trojan War.  She keeps pushing Apollo to kill more Achaeans even though Hera forbids the Trojans winning.  Women certainly weren't as defiant in the days of ancient Greece, so it seems weird that she would be portrayed as having enough confidence to stand up for herself.  Another goddess that screams "feminist" is, of course, Athena.  She is the goddess of bravery, strength, wisdom, and combat.  In other words, the total opposite of a woman in those days.  Woman weren't always strong, wise, and violent, they cooked and cleaned all day.  This shows how Homer stands up for the power of women, and gives them a tougher, stronger look.

Women aren't usually aggressive or violent, but Homer decided that they could be as well with the goddess Hera.  Hera is a jealous, stubborn, hateful goddess, who does anything it takes to win, like taking out Artemis when she helped the Trojans.  Women were supposed to be humble housewives, not rough and tough go-getters.  Homer shows how women, too, can show their strength and fight for their beliefs by making them goddesses, people to worship and fear as powerful as kings.  By making almighty goddesses, Homer evens the playing field for the ladies and maybe takes men down a peg. But it's not just goddesses Homer wrote about, he created a nymph named Calypso as well.  She holds Odysseus as a love hostage on her island and refuses to give him up to the gods.  Once again, it was surprising for a woman to deny a man in ancient times, but it was a trait that Homer gave her.  This hints at Homer's idea that women are equal to men and shared the same rights to opinions.  By making women into idols of worship and even fearing them, he shows his beliefs that women have equal power and rights as men, which thus clarifies his position as an early feminist.