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.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
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.
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.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
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
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
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