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Books XV – XVI Summary
Athena finds Telemakhos in Lakedaimon and urges him to return home
She also warns him of the looming ambush An eagle flies off with a goose in its
clutches Odysseus asks about his parents, Eumaios
then relates his life story Telemakhos lands, having safely avoided
the ambush Telemakhos goes off on his own to meet
Eumaios
Books XVII – XVIII Summary
Telemakhos goes back to the palaceOdysseus heads into town and gets
abused by MelanthiosOdysseus meets the suitorsOdysseus fights Iros– Odysseus wups him good– Odysseus sees firsthand the loose morals of
the handmaidens– Odysseus taunts Eurymakhos
The Players
Eumaios – the swineherd (good)Melanthios – the goatherd (bad)Argos – the dog (good)Eurymakhos – a suitor (bad)Antinoos – head suitor (bad)Melantho – a slut (bad)Iros – a beggar (bad)Laertes – Odysseus’ father (sad)
What does Odysseus see at his palace?No xenia– His abuse by Melanthios– Antinoos doesn’t give him bread and
hits him with
a stool– The staged
bum-fight– The slutty
handmaidens
Melantho taunts Odysseus
Odysseus tells the maids to go to Penelope and perform their household duties
Melantho replies: “ . . . Look out or someone better may get up and give you a good knocking about the ears to send you out all bloody.”
Odysseus warns Eurymakhos
Eurymakhos mocks Odysseus and offers him a job as his servant
Odysseus replies: “Just let Odysseus return, those doors wide as they are, you’d find too narrow to suit you on your sudden journey out.”
Eurymakhos’s reply: “Bundle of rags and lice!”
How Not to Be Seen
Odysseus manages to not be seen– Athena’s disguise serves him well–Who knows?
How does Odysseus almost give himself away?– His Arnold-like physique– “You slut.”– His taunting of Eurymakhos
The father and the son
Underscores the importance of blood relations
Telemakhos goes along
with OdysseusYouthful fearProves to be true
son to his father
The father and the son
The symbolic depiction of Odysseus as a bird of prey fits with his persona: while not a cold-blooded killer, Odysseus acts swiftly and with keen foresight.
Telemakhos has completed his mini-odyssey, growing up from a powerless boy at the beginning of the poem to an independent young man ready to fight alongside his father
Pericles and Alcibiades“Even when danger comes I think you’ll
find courage in me….”
“Microsoft is to those that hate it, much like Alcibiades was to the Athenians: ‘They love, and hate, and cannot do without him’” - Aristophanes
The Violence
The Suitors want to kill TelemakhosTelemakhos wants to kill the suitorsOdysseus wants to kill everybodyWhy?
- might makes right
- who’s gonna stop me?
- it’s my job to protect my home
- destiny
What eventually happens?Odysseus
(with Telemakhos) does in fact kill everyone
The suitors: violence has been foreshadowed in bloody omens
What eventually happens?
Odysseus (with Telemakhos) does in fact kill everyone
Melanthios: “chopped with swords to cut his nose and ears off, pulled off his genitals to feed the dogs and raging hacked his hands and feet away.”
What eventually happens?Odysseus (with
Telemakhos) does in fact kill everyone
The handmaidens: “in turn each woman thrust her head into a noose and swung…their feet danced for a little, but not long.” (after they have to clean up the slaughter in the Great Hall)
Is this excessive?
At what point do the victors have to say “Enough”?
The Melian DialogueThebes and Corinth on what to do with
AthensSparta’s judgement on the punishment for
AthensThe same theme is expressed in Greek
Tragedy -- when the gods declare “Enough!” Court system is used to decide punishments.