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Spoiler Warning: Book update post on this page contain spoilers, but I try to keep my final books thoughts on the review page spoiler free.

Odyssey RAL - Update Book I and II

2/19/2014

2 Comments

 
Picture
Helios, Titan god of the sun
(above)
Artist: Hendrik Goltzius (1558–1617)

This work is in the public domain in the United States, and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years or less.
Source: Wikimedia Commons

(right)
Artist:Polyphemos Painter (circa 660 BC)
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Attribution: Napoleon Vier from nl

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Lucky for Odysseus the other gods see him in a favorable light and wish to stand against Poseidon and help him have the homecoming he deserves. What amazes me is that Odysseus has at this point been away for approximately twenty-years. Ten years in the battle at Troy and has wandering the seas for another ten-years, yet his wife, Penelope, still believes him to be alive. This seems to hold true for the villagers as well, as they have held no proper burial for Odysseus, yet suitors are running amok in his home.
Update time for the Odyssey read-along. I have seen a few post from participants for Book I and II, so I will post for these as well and add a linkity link spot so everyone can stay connected.

Book One starts with a muse telling us about how this great and powerful Odysseus has sacked Troy and struggled for a homecoming for himself and his companions.
Even so he could not save his companions, hard through
he strove to; they were destroyed by their own wild recklessness,
fools, who devoured the oxen of Helios, the Sun God,
and he took away the day of their homecoming....(Book 1: Line 6-9)
How could Odysseus, a powerful and strong leader lose all of his men yet survive himself? The muse tells us, how a great leader cannot save his men from their own stupidity, eating the oxen of Helios, the Titan god of the sun, does not bode well. 

While Odysseus has escaped the wrath of Helios, he is not without his own troubles. He has greatly offended Poseidon, ruler of the sea, by blinding Polyphemos. Polyphemos is said to be the Cyclops son of Poseidon, and ruler over all Cyclopes. Poseidon is able to keep Odysseus wandering the sea away from his homeland.

Picture
Odysseus and his men blinding the cyclops Polyphemus
My child, what sort of word escaped your teeth barrier?
How could I forget Odysseus the godlike, he who
is beyond all other men in mind, and who beyond others
has given sacrifice to the gods, who hold wide heaven?
(Book 1: Line 64-67)

When Odysseus left for Troy, he had a new infant son, Telemachos. This son has now grown and is trying (failing) to keep his father's estate intact. As Odysseus has not returned home, nor has he been given a hero's burial his good name is being trodden upon. Many of the village men wish to take Penelope as their wife and obtain Odysseus' great wealth. They spend night and day about the estate eating and drinking whatever they can pilfer instead of minding their own homes. Book One closes with Athene, disguised as Mentes (Mentor) a neighboring islands merchant friend of Odysseus', convincing Telemachos that he must set out on a final quest to seek information regarding his father. Telemachos understands that this is the gods speaking to him and he must not refuse this mission.

In Book Two we see Telemachos gaining confidence from the boost Athene gave him. He decides it is high time to address the men of Ithaka and tell them to stop squalling away his riches in the absence of their King Odysseus.
Picture
Penelope,
Laertes and Telemachus

This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in countries with a copyright term of life of author plus 70 years.
Source: Wikimedia Commons

'Surely now Telemachos is devising our murder.
(Book II: Line 325)

'Here me now, men of Ithaka, and the word I give you. (Book II: Line 25)
....
rather, all their days, they come and loiter in our house (Book II: Line 55)
and sacrifice our oxen and our sheep and our fat goats
and make a holiday feast of it and drink the bright wine
recklessly. Most of our substance is wasted. We have no man here
...
I would defend myself if the power were in me. No longer (Book II: Line 62)
are the things endurable that have been done, and beyond all decency
my house has been destroyed. Even you must be scandalized
...
But if you decide it is more profitable and better (Book II: Line 141)
to go on, eating up one man's livelihood, without payment,
then spoil my house. I will cry out to the gods everlasting
in the hope the Zeus might somehow grant a reversal of fortunes.
Then you may perish in this house with no payment given.'
One would think the king's son scolding the men of Ithaka would have gained the household some reprieve from the suitors. However, they didn't appear to fear his words or his threat of unleashing the wrath of Zeus upon them for disrespecting the king.  Upon his return home from his day out and meeting with the disguised Athene he was met with them skinning goats in the courtyard.

Mentor (Athene) has told Telemachos what preparations he must finish to set-out on the journey. Athene has promised to find him the fastest ship and the best crew to take on this journey. He asks his nurse, Eurykleia, to finalize a few things and bids her to not tell his mother right away what he has left to do. She fears for his departure, believing he needs to stay and guard his possessions and his life.

Athene helped the suitors into a deep sleep so that Telemachos and his companions could leave unseen. Once the ship was stocked with all the provisions Athena went aboard first and took a place at the stern and willed a strong wind to aid them in their journey.

Commentary

Is the fact that everyone believed Odysseus to still be alive because no Rumor has been sent from Zeus? This is the only reason I can conclude as to why hope is still given that he lives and did not perish at some point over the last twenty years. Did I miss another clue?

These suitors sound like house-guest from hell, poor Penelope.  How could you fathom wanting to take one of these men as your husband when they have shown no respect for your household. This isn't even just another man's domain, but the king's estate and they feel at free will to abuse it.
No wonder Athena was so disgusted by their behavior. Seemingly the stories of how the other warriors meet their demise by wrongdoings was not enough to deter these men either.

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[Notice: Original posting 2014-02-19 at Plethora of Books Blog: http://bookchallenges.weebly.com]

Tags: Odyssey; Read-Alongs

2 Comments
Carola link
2/21/2014 07:25:28 am

I really enjoyed your update! I've finished reading up until book 4. I think (without spoilers) what you're saying about Zeus not sending rumours about Odysseus might be true. Besides that, as far as I'm aware Odysseus and his men have not been seen since Troy, so there aren't any mortals to spread rumours. All information has to come from the Gods.

Reply
Cleo @ Classical Carousel link
2/22/2014 05:06:39 am

Great summary!

I got the feeling that the suitors were all noblemen who wanted to take advantage of the situation, but the actual people of Ithaka did not agree with their behaviour. I think kings aligned themselves with the gods, (ie. one parent often was a god) but otherwise, I'm not quite sure how noblemen got to be "noble". Through bloodlines, perhaps ….?? Could they be designated by the king? Note to self to find out.

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