When we meet Odysseus

BOOK 5

The gods meet again and it is decided that Calypso is to let Odysseus go home, and the messenger Hermes is given the task of delivering the news. We find Calypso at her loom, again proper hospitality is shown here, she gave Hermes ambrosia and red nectar to eat and drink. She is none to happy about the message Hermes delivers, but she will obey. Then we find Odysseus he is on the beach, homesick and crying in despair, he is at a low point. Calypso informs Odysseus that she is going to let him go home, he builds a raft, and she provides other provisions for him. When the raft is done he sets out, things were going well for the first seventeen days. Then Poseidon sees him, and he makes it rough for Odysseus causing him to almost drown in the sight of dry land. But make to dry land he does and sleeps under an olive tree.

Whew, it was pretty intense for Odysseus before he made it to dry ground, but you know he had to make it, the story can not end with him drowning at sea. A good storyteller could have lots of fun with book 5, especially at the end.

Spring Has Come to The Northwest

The last two weekends I have been out walking in West Seattle and south from South center, here are some pictures; first Lincoln Park and West Seattle.There some neat older homes in the West Seattle neighborhoodSouth of Southcenter I found a little gem called the I love this time of the year

The trip to Sparta

Notes on Book 4
BOOK 4
Telemachus and Pisistratus reach Sparta and enter the Palace of Menelaus; again it was very important at that time to show proper hospitably to strangers. When Eteoneus asks Menelaus if he should put up Telemachus and Pisistratus or send them away, Menelaus gets very upset with his servant. By all means he was to take care of the horses and set a supper before them. Telemachus was in awe of the palace of Menelaus, he compared it to the palace of Olympian Zeus. Eventually Menelaus starts talking about Odysseus, and then Helen comes in they both tell of Odysseus exploits. Helen tells about the time he dressed himself up as a beggar, with wounds and bruises to spy out the city of Troy. He killed many Trojans and gathered much information on that trip. Menelaus then tells about the time when they were inside the horse, Helen comes up calls out the Argive chiefs by name and mimics their wives. Then Anticlus was about to answer
Odysseus held his hands over Anticlus mouth so he could not. The suitors don’t have a chance. Meanwhile at Ithaca the suitors plot Telemachus death.

The Trip to Pylos

BOOK 3
Book three starts out with Telemachus and his shipmates reaching the city of Pylos. The people of Pylos were on the seashore offering sacrifices to Poseidon, Telemachus and Athene, in the form of Mentor, make their way to Nestor. They are made welcome by one of Nestor’s sons, receiving and welcoming strangers it very important in this culture, after eating Telemachus asks Nestor about his father. Nestor tells of the hardships the Achaeans suffered while besieging the city of Troy. The loss of their best warriors, Patroclus, Achilles and says to tell the whole story would take five or six years. He speaks well of Odysseus, saying they always agreed on matters in camp and at the council and they did their best to advise the Argives. Nestor tells of his voyage back to Pylos, and about the return of Menelaus, his trip took quite a bit longer. When Telemachus and Athene were headed back to their ship Nestor was offended. He said no son of his good friend Odysseus would spent the night on the deck of a ship when he had ample cloaks and rugs for him to sleep on.
The next day Nestor has a heifer brought in for a sacrifice, invites Telemachus’ crew and they feast. Afterward provision is made for the trip to Sparta, when all is ready Telemachus and Pisistratus start on their journey.

Telemachus Departs for Pylos & Sparta

BOOK 2
The assembly gathers and Teleamachus speaks, several others speak as well Mentor and Aegyptius. The suitors will hear none of it; they justify their actions and vow to keep with what they are doing. Two eagles fly over the town and by some that is scene as an omen, and it’s not good for the suitors;however, the suitors pay no heed. The assembly breaks up and Telemachus and the suitors go back to the house of Odysseus. The suitors start to party and Telemachus prepares for the voyage to Pylos and Sparta. After everything has been arranged the ship puts out to sea.
(My comments)
Penelope must have been stunning beautiful woman, and she was smart also, for these guys to be hanging around as long as they have. One can see how these guys are breaking social rules of conduct here by wearing out their welcome, and one day they will pay the price for it. One can not notice how important treating strangers was, Telemachus with Athena, and when Telemachus went to Pylos.
In book one Homer is setting the stage for the story, and there are several contrasts and similarities here. While Clytemnestra was unfaithful, Penelope remains faithful to Odysseus by longing for his return, and by the way she treats the suitors. The weaving episode for instance, she leads the suitors on, then weaving by day and tearing out by night almost four years pass. Telemachus is some ways similar to Orestes; he plays a part in the suitor’s demise. The situation at home in Ithaca is getting very desperate and drives home to point the Odysseus needs to get home soon.

The Odyssey

Here are notes I made while reading The Odyssey, the Samuel Butler translation
NOTES ON THE ODYSSEY

BOOK 1
Book one begins with a short history of the travels of Odysseus, the fate of his comrades, and his present situation, held prisoner by the goddess Calypso. The gods, except Poseidon, meet and talk about Odysseus and decide he should return to Ithaca. Athena goes to Ithaca to meet with Telemachus. They talk of his father and the present situation; the suitors are eating him out of house and home on the pretext of courting his mother Penelope. The suitors have been behaving shamelessly, they just won’t take “no” for an answer. Telemachus, with Athena’s suggestions, calls a meeting of the people of Ithaca, and decides to sail to Pylos and Sparta too here if there is any news of his father.

The funeral of Hector

BOOK 24
Achilles is suffering from depression over the death of Patroclus, so much so he could not sleep. He decides to drag Hector’s body behind his chariot; three times he did this around the tomb of Patroclus. When he is done, Achilles leaves the body of Hector on the ground face down. The gods assembled look down from heaven and take notice of this and pity Hector, expect for Hera, Athena and Poseidon. Zeus speaks and tells Iris to go to King Priam, where she finds Priam, his sons, daughters and daughters in-law weeping and mourning Hector, and tells him to go and ransom Hector’s body. He is to have no fear in doing this, Achilles will not harm him, and taking a trusted honored servant he departs for the Greek ships.
Hermes meets Priam and his servant on the plain before Troy in the form of a young man and escorts them pass the gate and to the gate of Achilles tent. He opens the gate for Priam then departs for Olympus, giving advice on meeting with Achilles. Priam and Achilles meet, Achilles admires Priam’s courage for coming to the ships and to the one that killed so many of his sons.
After the ransom paid and Hector’s body is loaded on the wagon, they sit down to eat. Later on during the night, Hermes tells Priam to leave the ships lest Agamemnon find him there and take him captive. They make their way back to Troy, people from the city come out to mourn Hector until Priam speaks, telling to let him take the body home they then can have their fill of weeping. Andromache, Hecuba and Helen lead in the sad lament, and then the people go out and gather wood for nine days. On the tenth day they take Hector’s body to the pyre and on the eleventh day Hector’s body is burned and his ashes buried. Hector the tamer of horses