Book 6–9: The Odyssey

October 22, 2020

8:10 AM — 9:30 AM

Notes

• WENT OVER THE ODYSSEY BOOK 1 lines 325–361
• Telemachus is asserting his dominance (Kratos)
• Speech: mythos (public speaking)
• Astute: pepnumenos
• “Menos has been breathed into him”
• Watched a scene from YouTube “ Play It, Sam”
• Professor said Django Unchained is similar to the Odyssey ending
• Eupeithes: persuasive
• Klepto: steal
• In the ancient world, women had to stay pure so they know who their baby daddy is
• Reference to Gold Digger by Kanye West and Jamie Foxx
• Went over book 4 lines 587–619

What comparisons can you make between Penelope, Calypso, and Nausikaa? Do you recognize their character-type in other works of film and literature?

Penelope is faithful as well as devious. For the past 20 years, she has been expecting her husband’s return, during which time she invented several tactics to postpone marrying one of her many suitors. Penelope appears to be weaving a burial shroud for the old father of Odysseus in one such trick, claiming that when the shroud is completed, she will pick a suitor. Penelope undoes part of the shroud at night, but the loop never stops. Calypso is articulate and knowledgeable. When Zeus tells Calypso to free Odysseus, she complains about the double norm of the gods that encourages male deities to take human lovers but punishes goddesses who do the same. The speech by Calypso draws our attention to the identical double norm which occurs in the poem’s mortal universe. Neither the author nor most of the characters of the poem condemn Odysseus for sleeping with Calypso and Circe, but Penelope is frequently blamed, although she has little to no power to evict them, for allowing the suitors to stay in her home. Nausikaa is as welcoming as her father. She advises Athena to go to the river to wash her clothes so that the many men trying to attract her would look more ravishing to her. Nausicaa was assisting Odysseus by sending him directions to the castle and asking him to reach his mother.

October 24, 2020

8:30 AM — 9:30 AM

Book 6

Athena travels to a Phaeacian city while Odysseus rests, where Princess Nausicaa, daughter of King Alcinous, lies asleep. Disguised as a princess’ age child, Athena criticizes her because of her bad clothing condition and proposes they go to the shore to wash them. The King sends her a carriage and a team of mules in the morning, the Queen packs her lunch and some olive oil for bathing, and she heads to the beach where Odysseus sleeps with her maids. They wash their hair, bathe themselves, and oil themselves. They play sports in the sun while waiting for their clothes to dry. By the concept of Athena, the frolicking girls awaken Odysseus. At first, he’s a little anxious, then he heads out for them, covering himself with leaves. At the sight of a nude man, all the girls except Nausicaa ran screaming. At a respectable distance, Odysseus sits, compliments her elegance, and asks for her support. The princess replies that Odysseus may have been destined for suffering by Zeus, but decides to take him to town since it is common for outsiders and beggars to be friendly. Odysseus bathes himself in oils and garments, and he makes Athena very lovely. The girls are shocked at the transformation; they have food and drink for him. Nausicaa asks Odysseus to come to the city with her, but he is asked to reach the city alone at second thought, to refrain from making rumors to the people of the town. Odysseus could change into a grove near her father’s estate on the road to the capital, she says, and wait for the girls to enter the city. Then he was going into the palace to find the king, the queen, and ask for forgiveness from the queen. If she is telling, Odysseus prays in the grove for the safety of Athena. But she was too fearful that Poseidon would come undisguised to Odysseus. She hears his prayers.

October 25, 2020

8:30 AM — 9:30 AM

Book 7

Athena covers him with a protective mist as Odysseus heads into the city. She leads him, dressed as a little child, to the castle. She urges Odysseus to be brave and encourages him to gain the sympathy of Queen Arete, for in the kingdom her decision carries a great deal of weight. Odysseus marvels at the fertile realm of Alcinous and his spacious household. He goes into the palace, where many people feast, and places his arms around the legs of Arete. The mist around him dissipates at that moment. He blesses her family and begs her to go home safely. Odysseus sits down next to him with Alcinous, Odysseus eats and drinks, and they all lift their glasses of wine to Zeus. Alcinous advises the lords that tomorrow they will convene to sacrifice to the gods and plan a ride home for the stranger. He wonders if the visitor may be a god; the behavior of the gods has changed; they used to come undisguised to mortals. Odysseus replies that, in spite of his sorrow, he is still mortal, weighted down with mortal suffering, and hates that he must eat: hunger eases his memory. Everything he wants is to see his house and family again and to die peacefully. He asks to be transported house. Arete notes that Odysseus is wearing clothing from her household when the servants clean away the dishes, and wonders suspiciously about them. Odysseus then gives her a more complete version of his story: he explains his capture on the island of Calypso, his escape and difficult journey, and his meeting with Nausicaa, how she gave him clothes and led him to the castle. He argues that not following the princess into the city was his idea. Alcinous needs a man like Odysseus to be able to live in Phaeacia and marry Nausicaa. He tells Odysseus to arrange for a ship to bring him home the next morning.

October 26, 2020

12:30 PM — 1:30 PM

Book 8

In the morning, Athena summons people to the gathering grounds under the guise of Alcinous. Alcinous advises his people to carry a ship down to the sea as everybody comes and to select a crew of fifty-two men to transport Odysseus home; everyone else, he suggests, is expected to assemble and celebrate. The Bard Demodocus sings about the war between Odysseus and Achilles after everybody eats and drinks. Odysseus moves the album to tears. While under his cloak, Odysseus covers his crying, Alcinous sees the tears and advises the visitors to move on to sporting competitions. Everybody heads to the meeting grounds, where they are trained to contend with the best and most skilled men. Wrestling, diving, and discus-throwing are followed by a footrace. Laodamas invites Odysseus to join the competition, but, citing his long-suffering and fatigue, Odysseus refuses. Another winner, Broadsea, taunts Odysseus, saying that he must not be proficient in sports. Odysseus is upset by this, and he agrees to participate in the games. Athena disguisedly commends him and lures him on and Odysseus boasts of the fact that he beats everybody in a crowd, everybody, including the king since Odysseus is the host of Odysseus. Alcinous agrees that the indignation of Odysseus is fair, reminding him that the Phaeacians do not dominate at all games, but are masters of racing and sailing, as well as feasting, and reminding his court dancers to start dancing. The bard tells Ares and Aphrodite’s tales meanwhile. The goddess of love, Aphrodite, was disbelieving with Ares, a God of war, to her husband the goldsmith, Hephaestus. When Hephaestus learned about the unfaithfulness of Helios, the sun god, he made a fine chain of gold that slipped around the pole of the bed for Aphrodite. As Ares and Aphrodite went together to bed, the almost invisible chains trapped each other in their bodies. He pretended to go for a ride. When Hephaestus found them, he yelled in anguish and chuckled at his odd vision all the gods assembled at his home. The gods chuckled when he insulted the great warrior king. The gods chuckled. Only Poseidon will persuade Hephaestus to release Ares. Alcinous’s best dancers perform after the story ends, and Odysseus is astonished at their ability. Alcinous calls upon his kingdom’s twelve peers to collect fine parting presents for Odysseus. Broadsea offers a lovely sword to Odysseus to apologize for his taunts, and the apology is graciously embraced by Odysseus. Odysseus is given a trunk of fine clothing by Queen Arete, and he is given a bath by the maids. He refers to Nausicaa, who reminds him teasingly that he owes his destiny to her. Then, at the table, he joins Alcinous. The bard Demodocus explains how Troy was secretly entered by a wooden horse full of Achaean soldiers, and how the Achaeans burst from the horse and defeated the Trojans; the bard cites the specific bravery of Odysseus and Menelaus. Odysseus calls for the story to be heard. Just Alcinous hears his tears, and the bard begs him to stop singing. He begs Odysseus to reveal his identity and to justify his tears at last.

October 27, 2020

8:10 AM — 9:30 AM

OD.8.62 The herald came near, leading the trusty singer,

OD.8.63 whom the muse loved exceedingly but gave both good and bad.

OD.8.64 She’d deprived him of his eyes, but given him sweet song.

OD.8.65 Pontonous placed a silver-studded chair for him

OD.8.66 in the midst of the diners, and propped it against a tall pillar.

OD.8.67 A herald hung a clear-toned lyre on a peg

OD.8.68 above his head and showed him how to take it

OD.8.69 with his hands. He placed a basket and fine table beside him,

OD.8.70 and a goblet of wine to drink when his heart bid him.

OD.8.71 They threw their hands on the good things laid ready before them.

OD.8.72 Then after they’d dispatched desire for food and drink,

OD.8.73 the muse inspired the singer to sing the famous deeds of men,

OD.8.74 from a song whose fame had then reached wide heaven,

OD.8.75 the quarrel of Odysseus and Peleides Achilles,

OD.8.76 how they’d once argued, at a bountiful feast for the gods,

OD.8.77 with vehement words, and lord of men Agamemnon

OD.8.78 in his mind was glad that the best of the Achaeans were arguing,

OD.8.79 for Phoebus Apollo had told him so in prophecy

OD.8.80 in sacred Pytho, when he’d stepped over the stone threshold

OD.8.81 to ask the oracle. For at that time the start of misery was rolling,

OD.8.82 toward Danaans and Trojans, on account of great Zeus’ will.

OD.8.83 This the far-famed singer sang, but Odysseus

OD.8.84 grasped the great purple cloak with his well-knit hands,

OD.8.85 pulled it over his head, and hid his handsome face, for he was ashamed

OD.8.86 to shed tears from under his eyebrows in front of the Phaeacians.

OD.8.87 Indeed, each time the divine singer stopped singing,

OD.8.88 Odysseus took the cloak from his head, wiped his tears,

OD.8.89 grasped a goblet with two handles, and made libation to the gods.

OD.8.90 But each time he began again, and the best of the Phaeacians

OD.8.91 spurred him on to sing since they enjoyed his stories,

OD.8.92 Odysseus immediately covered his head and cried.

OD.8.93 He went unnoticed there by all the others, shedding tears,

OD.8.94 and Alcinous alone noticed him and understood.

OD.8.95 He sat near him and he heard him moaning deeply,

OD.8.96 then said at once to the oar-loving Phaeacians:

OD.8.97 “Hear me, Phaeacian leaders and commanders,

OD.8.98 we’ve already satisfied our hearts with an equal meal

OD.8.99 and the lyre that goes with a bounteous feast.

OD.8.100 Let’s go out now and make a try at all the games,

OD.8.101 so the stranger can tell his loved ones,

OD.8.102 on his return home, how much we surpass others

OD.8.103 in boxing, wrestling, jumping, and running.

OD.8.104 So saying, he led, and they followed with him.

OD.8.105 A herald hung Demodocus’ clear-toned lyre on a peg,

OD.8.106 then took his hand and led him from the hall.

1. What are the topics and themes that this passage is discussing?
2. I think this passage is showing us how a leader can still be vulnerable and have feelings towards the loss of his fellow warriors. We see the Iliad and the Odyssey connecting here as Odysseus still feels the losses that we saw in the Iliad.
3. Topics/themes: what is a hero supposed to look like? is it okay for men to cry? why is it a universal expectation that strong men do not cry?
4. This passage shows us how Odysseus is still affected by the events that occurred in the Iliad and the Odyssey
5. How does this passage fit into the rest of the Odyssey (or Iliad) in terms of theme and plot?
6. We see the longing for Odysseus to truly go back home
7. Odysseus losing his comrades and we see the effect of the battles that we witnessed take place in the Iliad. Though honor and glory was great and the main parts of the Iliad we see the horrible effects of losing the men that it has on the other comrades, in this case, Odysseus
8. Music seems to really evoke emotion in the Odyssey. We saw it first with Penelope and her asking for the music to stop and we now see the feelings music evokes for Odysseus — both have experienced feelings of grief when hearing the music which is also to note
9. What, specifically, do these passages reveal about “the man” Odysseus, who is the subject of the work? e.g., his character, his experiences, his role in his own story?
10. This passage reveals that Odysseus the emotional side of Odysseus that we do not typically see. The music played evokes sadness within him as he mourns those he has lost to the violence of battle. this is one of the few times we see him be truly emotionally vulnerable as opposed to his typical diplomatic leadership position that we see in the Iliad.

Book 9

Odysseus names himself and, after leaving Troy, continues sharing the tale of his long journeys. He and his men sacked the city of the Cicones at the beginning of the voyage and took away many spoils; Odysseus tried to flee, but his men chose to linger and loot and feast. The Cicones, meanwhile, called their neighbors for backup, and many Achaeans were killed by the expanded army before the others fled. Zeus put out a storm, and the men slept for two days, and then the ships were sent in the opposite direction by the north wind. The ships entered the land of the Lotus Eaters after nine days. There, the crewmen who ate the lotus fruit lost all desire to return and all home memories, only preferring to linger and eat lotus. Odysseus, however, ordered them to return to the vessels, bound them to the masts, and told the rest of the men to set sail. Then they entered the land of the Cyclops. There are no rules, no councils, no fisheries, no ships or merchants for the one-eyed Cyclops. Odysseus went to explore the continent with the crew of his ship, while the other men were waiting on a nearby island. They saw a wide cave with flocks of sheep and goats in the yard when the men reached the shore: the house of a giant. Odysseus left the rest of his crew on the shore and went to the cave with twelve friends, bringing a bottle of very strong wine with him. The giant was not at ease, and the crew was looking at his flocks, cheeses, and milk pots. The men tried to grab what they could and flee back to the ships, but Odysseus demanded that they wait to get the giant’s presents. The Cyclops came home in the evening, covered the cave door with a giant boulder, milked his sheep and goats, and lit a fire. He immediately saw the men and violently asked them who they were. Odysseus answered that they were Achaeans who had missed their way home, and encouraged the Cyclops, whose name was Polyphemus, to follow the tradition, honor the gods’ laws, and generously receive them. Polyphemus scoffed at the threats of Odysseus and said that his kind was not afraid of Zeus or any other deity. He quickly beat two dead men to the ground and ate them gruesomely. Odysseus tried to destroy Polyphemus then and there, but knew that he and his men would have no way out of the cave if he killed Polyphemus because only the giant could roll back the immense boulder that barred the entrance. And they lay there in horror in the cave all night. Polyphemus lit a fire at midnight, milked his sheep, and ate two other men for breakfast. Then he left for the day, closing the cave door behind him with a giant boulder. Odysseus, meanwhile, was plotting vengeance. He took the club of Polyphemus and his men filed it down to a stage and sang at the end of it. Polyphemus returned at dusk, milked his sheep and goats, and had dinner with two more men. Polyphemus was given his good wine by Odysseus and Polyphemus drank three cups. Odysseus mentioned that his own name was Nobody when the giant got intoxicated. Polyphemus promised to eat him last in exchange for the wine and fell unconscious, vomiting the human flesh. Odysseus and four other guys, seeing their opportunity, fired up the sharpened club and used it to gouge out the eye of the Cyclops. In pain, Polyphemus yelled, and other Cyclops ran up to his cave and asked who hurt him. ‘Nobody,’ the Cyclops screamed, but they backed away. Odysseus was happy that his trick was successful. Then, Odysseus had their exit planned. In groups of three, he grouped the rams in the cave and lashed a man to each middle ram’s belly; he lashed himself to the remaining old ram’s belly. At dawn, the men even fled when Polyphemus let the rams out of the cave. Odysseus, once in the cave, untied himself and his men and all of them rushed to the boat. Odysseus screamed back to Polyphemus as they were on the lake that Zeus had sentenced him for his sins. The enraged Polyphemus, in retaliation, smashed the top of a cliff and hurled it in the direction of the ship, so that the ship was pushed back to shore by a tide. When they were again at a safe distance, Odysseus shouted back again to say that it was he, Odysseus, who, if anyone might inquire, blinded the Cyclops. Polyphemus recalled that a prophet had once warned him that someone named Odysseus would blind him and called Poseidon, his aunt, to exact vengeance: he wished that Odysseus would never come home, or that he would come home alone and after much pain. Another rock was hurled by the Cyclops, and the ensuing wave drove the ship back to the island where the rest of the crew sat waiting. The stolen sheep were split up by Odysseus, but the old ram was killed in Zeus’s name. The offering, however, did not please God. The men worked, and at dawn, they left.

To what extent does Odysseus exhibit the qualities of a good leader in his adventures coming home from Troy?

Odysseus had already developed his status as a leader when he left for Troy. His role in the war was vital to the success of the Greeks. It was he who portrayed as an old beggar, infiltrating the enemy. As Menelaus tells Telemachus in Book 4, it was the mythical ruse of the Trojan horse of Odysseus that led to Troy’s defeat. Odysseus is definitely rising in his travels in knowledge and judgment. His self-control is admirable when grappling with the insults of the suitors and compares, for example, with his earlier overwhelming desire in Book 9 to reveal his name to the Cyclops. However, in other cases, he is reluctant to understand. His trouble managing his men is the most prominent case. Odysseus tries to take the plunder carefully after the victory over the Cicones and leave easily. His men tend to live, resulting in a failure at the hands of reinforcements. Odysseus’s challenges make his development more believable and more convincing as a character because it is not easy or absolute.