The Odyssey

The Adventure-laden Story of a Man, his Wife, their Boy,

and 108 Suitors

Technical Details

►Dates—1100 B.C. events/750 B.C. authorship

►Differing worlds►Historicity►Oral poem—stock phrases—Hesiod►Epic poem—dactylic hexameter—

media res

Background

►Iliad—local quarrel—epic war►Mt Ida—Paris—Beauty contest►Helen—Menelaus—Sparta►Clytemnestra—Agamemnon—Mycenae

—Knossos/Minoan culture►Achaeans—Heroes fight because

they’re heroic

Achaeans

►Agamemnon/Menelaus►Achilles/Patroclus►Nestor►Two Ajaxes►Odysseus (Ulysses)►Diomedes

Trojans

►Priam—Hecabe (Hecuba)►Paris (Alexandros)►Hector--Andromache►Cassandra►Polyxena►Aeneas

Theme of Iliad

►Doomed Struggles►Acceptance or rejection of heroic

values►Why are we here?►At what price women?

The Homeric gods

► Zeus (Jupiter)—primus inter pares► Hera (Juno)—sister shrew► Athena (Minerva)/Apollo► Ares (Mars)► Poseidon (Neptune)► Aphrodite (Venus)► Councils of gods► Ageless/immortal► More powerful► Gods in Man’s Image► Homer criticized and humanized

Odyssey--Structure

►Three parts►Bks I-IV—Telemachia►Bks V-XII—Adventures of Odysseus►Bks XIII-XXIV—Homecoming►Punctuated by Councils of the gods in

Bks I and V

Geography

►Real places►Sicily►Gibraltar►North Africa►River of Oceanos

Unique/Typical Odyssey

►Rostoi—Homecoming►Odysseus the cunning—not your

typical hero►The Wily Lad (Loki)—the man of many

turns (polytropos)►The triumph of the human will►Arrival-Reception—Feasting--Names

Telemachus

► Will he mature/survive?► Manners► Orestes—Telemachus--Agamemnon—Odysseus► Pyrrhus—Telemachus--Achilles—Odysseus► Throne/wealth/theories of kingship► Peisistratus and Nestor—dull old yakker—normality► Menelaus and Helen—grand party—reconciliation—

resentment and anxiety—Helen (witch) calls herself dog-faced

Telemachus—The overshadowing power of women► Childhood (women)—adolescence/independence—

adulthood (women)► Penelope► Athena► Helen► Arete► Circe► Nausicaa► Calypso

Telemachus

►His odyssey ►His homecoming►Book in microcosm►Torturing maidservants

Odysseus

►Aristea►Etymology—Odussomoi—anger►Four fake biographies—All his stories

lies?►Women—Calypso/Circe/Nausicaa—all

are superior to Penelope►Suspicious—clever►Concerned with living not survival►Noble Odysseus, ignoble crew who

fear death

Odysseus

►Intellectual curiosity not physical greed

►Ruthless pitiless adventurer►Overcoming great odds►In Ithaca—disguise, recognition►Should I stay or should I go?►Loyalty/disloyalty—servants►Lying scene with Athena►Timing►Reunion

Penelope

►Matriliny/patriliny►Shroud►Clytemnestra/Helen►Telemachus/Penelope►108 Suitors—all noble►Likeminded with Odysseus►Bride-price?

More Penelope

►Adultery► Frigidity/tease► Loyalty and cunning►Disdain and death►Recognition—when does it occur?►Bed/Fireplace/Bow contest—double headed

in trench or raised floor/handles with notches

►Sleep/beauty►Dreams/foreshadowing

General Themes

►Wealth, gifts and servants►Strangers►Suitors—Antinous (anti-thought)—

Eurymachos (good war)—immature, blame others, hubris

►Assemblies►Bards/poets►Phaeicians►Set-up of palace in Ithaca►The last chapter?

Morality

►Values►Code not discussion►Honor►Contests and trophies►Gifts and giving►No business or trade

Women

►Bedmates►Naturally inferior►Faithful►Incidental not focus

Homer’s Underworld

►Hades►Achilles►Mom►Teiresias►Ajax

What Ifs?

►Odysseus►Death in Troy►Death at sea►Death upon arrival►Crime and punishment

What Ifs?

►Penelope►Marriage to suitors►Dalliance and courtship►Seduction by foreigner►Seduction by god►Disdain and cunning tricks►Bride of death

Chiastic Structure

►Civilization vs savagery►Government►Cultivation►Houses and hospitality►Aiolos and Phaeicians►Circe and Calypso

Chiastic Structure—First half--Death

►1. Kikones—plunder►2. Lotus-eaters—forget home►3. Cyclops—big mouths►4. Aiolos—crew’s lack of self-control►5. Laestrygonians—cannibals►6. Circe—magic charms►7. Hades—Death and Burial

Chiastic Structure—2nd Half--Resurrection

►7. Hades—Death and burial►8. Sirens—magic charms►9. Scylla—cannibals►10. Helios’ kine—Crew’s lack of self-

control►11. Charybdis—big mouth►12. Calypso—forget home►13. Phaeicians—gifts instead of

plunder

Conclusions

►Appearance vs reality►Marriage and family►Where have you been?►The marriage of like-minds►There are some things worth waiting

for►There are some things worth fighting

for►There are no new stories