Homer, Odyssey

LLT 180Spring MMXIII

Homer’s World

Epic Pötry• Predates literacy (“illiterate” = misnomer)• Mesopotamians and Egyptians became literate

early• Greece largely non-literate until ca. 750 BC• Epic poetry = poetry for non-literate by the non-

literate• Requires a good “beat” so people can remember

it• Dactylic hexameter – so called from finger• “Made from scratch” every time – lots of

improvisation• Heavy on the repetition – grates on the ears of

the literate• Necessary for retaining the characters, plot, etc.• About the only type of entertainment back in the

day• Greeks supposedly learned how to write because

of Homer

Hömer (ca. 750 BC)• Name given to the “author” of the Iliad and the Odyssey.

• One person? Two? Multiple? Male? Female? Blind?• Who cares?• Iliad: pöm about what happened when Achilles

got mad• Odyssey: pöm about Odysseus getting home to

Penelope• His pötry was regarded as historically correct• His pötry was regarded as Greece’s greatest

cultural work• His pötry conveyed ETHICAL LEADERSHIP• His pötry conveyed COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT• His pötry conveyed CULTURAL COMPETENCE

Homeric Code• An exercise in acquiring CULTURAL

COMPETENCE • Similarly depressing Weltanschauung, as we

will see• Major concern was demonstrating arete (virtue)• All arete was lost if you let somebody mess with

you• If you died with your arete intact, you got kleos

(fame)• Basically, arete and kleos were the purpose of

existence• Not too different from Gilgamesh’s desire to get

fame• Quest for arete and kleos caused Trojan War• Helen, oath of Tyndareus, Judgment of Paris,

wrath of Achilles• Achilles = best of the Achaeans and greatest

Greek ever• Odysseus = scofflaw trying to get back to

Penelope

The Five Minute Iliad• Not about Trojan War, but weeks in 10th year of

Trojan War• Achilles and Agamemnon have their hissy fit• Achilles angered by blow to his arete• Achilles and Patroclus disengage from the Greek

army• Greeks basically get womped by Trojans for 14

books• Patroclus pulls his Armor of Achilles stunt• Gets killed by Hector – Achilles left with a

dilemma• Life without kleos or die young with kleos?• Achilles’ choice, Trojan Horse, nostoi = sequels• Agamemnon comes home, killed by

Clytemnestra• Odysseus tries for 10 years to come home to

Penelope• Remains faithful to Penelope the entire time

The Five Minute Odyssey• Penelope is keeping the suitors at bay with her

weaving• Telemachus is being a whiny young pup• Telemachus has a talk with MENTOR• Telemachus seeks COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT• Odysseus and Cyclops = arete, kleos (and what

else?)• Odysseus weeping on Calypso’s Island• Calypso sends him home to the Phaeacians on

Skheria• Nausicaa, Alkinoos, Arete = tells his story• Home on Ithaka, lies and investigates• Encounters Argos and Telemachus• Archery Contest for Penelope’s hand• The Final Contest

Katabatic preliminaries• Circe sends Odysseus to go see Tiresias for

directions• Sail past the Pillars of Heracles (liminal

experience)• Right turn and then another right turn• Elpenor = archetype of the Dead Dude (like

Enkidu)• Kills two sheeps and pours blood into the trench• Greek Weltanschauung is almost as dismal as

Sumerian• Tiresias = gives directions• Anticleia = teaches him about the body and soul• Agamemnon = relationship advice• Achilles = the worth of arete and kleos• Heracles = life just isn’t fair!

Greek Underworld Topography• River Styx, boatman Charon, • Other rivers: Acheron, Cocytus, Lethe,

Pyriphlegethon• Judges: Minos, Rhadamanthus, Aeacus• Monsters: Gorgon, Empousa, doggy Cerberus• Elysian Fields: gotta have good connections• Tartarus: gotta be an exceptionally bad sinner• Ixion: tried to rape Hera, ring of fire• Tantalus: fed kid to gods, tantalized• Tityus: tried to rape Leto, gutter eagle• Sisyphus: cheated death, rolling stone• Danaids: killed husbands, fill bathtub

Anticleia’s remarks'Then I tried to find some way of embracing my mother's ghost. Thrice I sprang towards her and tried to clasp her in my arms, but each time she flitted from my embrace as it were a dream or phantom…

''My son,' she answered, 'most ill-fated of all mankind, it is not Persephone that is beguiling you, but all people are like this when they are dead. The sinews no longer hold the flesh and bones together; these perish in the fierceness of consuming fire as soon as life has left the body, and the soul flits away as though it were a dream. Now, however, go back to the light of day as soon as you can, and note all these things that you may tell them to your wife hereafter.'

Agamemnon’s remarks''Be sure, therefore,' continued Agamemnon, 'and not be too friendly even with your own wife. Do not tell her all that you know perfectly well yourself. Tell her a part only, and keep your own counsel about the rest. Not that your wife, Odysseus, is likely to murder you, for Penelope is a very admirable woman, and has an excellent nature…

Furthermore I say -- and lay my saying to your heart -- do not tell people when you are bringing your ship to Ithaca, but steal a march upon them, for after all this there is no trusting women.

Achilles’s remarks'Odysseus, noble son of Laertes, what deed of daring will you undertake next, that you venture down to the house of Hades among us silly dead, who are but the ghosts of them that can labour no more?' 'And I said, 'Achilles, son of Peleus, foremost champion of the Achaeans, I came to consult Teiresias...As for you, Achilles, no one was ever yet so fortunate as you have been, nor ever will be, for you were adored by all us Argives as long as you were alive, and now that you are here you are a great prince among the dead. Do not, therefore, take it so much to heart even if you are dead.' ''Say not a word,' he answered, 'in death's favour; I would rather be a paid servant in a poor man's house and be above ground than king of kings among the dead.

Heracles’s remarksHercules knew me at once when he saw me, and spoke piteously, saying, my poor Odysseus, noble son of Laertes, are you too leading the same sorry kind of life that I did when I was above ground? I was son of Zeus, but I went through an infinity of suffering, for I became bondsman to one who was far beneath me -- a low fellow who set me all manner of labors. He once sent me here to fetch the hell-hound -- for he did not think he could find anything harder for me than this…

…And I should have seen still other of them that are gone before, whom I would fain have seen -- Theseus and Pirithous glorious children of the gods, but so many thousands of ghosts came round me and uttered such appalling cries, that I was panic stricken lest Persephone should send up from the house of Hades the head of that awful monster Gorgon

Rest of the story• Odysseus makes it back to Ithaka• Assisted by Athena• Visits his palace disguised as a beggar• Beats up one of the suitors• Hooks up with Telemachus and swineherd

Eumaios• Recognized by his old dog Argos• Penelope announces the contest for her hand• String Odysseus’s bow and shoot arrow through

12 axe heads• All the suitors produce is a big epic fail• Beggar tries; Telemachus and Eumaios join in the

slaughter• War of wits between Penelope and Odysseus

PUBLIC AFFAIRS• Iliad was basically an ETHICAL LEADERSHIP

text• Arete and kleos are all-important• Odyssey subverts these values• Odysseus = UNETHICAL LEADERSHIP• Odysseus focused on CULTURAL COMPETENCE • Learned something at nearly every stop on his

trip• Telemachus more COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT• Follows Mentor’s advice, grows up, helps his Dad• Penelope most COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT• Kept all of Ithaka together for 19 years• But did she practice ETHICAL LEADERSHIP?