Book XV opens with Athene heading to Telemachos and urging him that the time has come to travel homeward and stop enjoying the hospitality of his host. She warns him of danger and urges him to travel at night and stay away from the islands. Upon landing his men are to immediately head into the city, while he is to spend the night with the swineherd. Before Telemachos leaves, he is ladened with fine gifts to take home, including fine cloth from Helen for his eventual wife to wear. While Telemachos was addressing his host a bird flies overhead. Not just any bird, an eagle with a great white goose in its talons. Helen tells how the immortals have placed the symbolism in her heart to mean that Odysseus will come home and take revenge upon the suitors. As Telemachos is boarding his ship a stranger stumbles upon his presence, Theoklymenos. He describes himself as a fugitive that is fleeing from killing a man, he is a prophet that plays his part at the end of this book. While Telemachos is speeding through the night to Ithaka, Odysseus and Eumaios are continuing their storytelling. When Telemachos lands in Ithaka at the end of this book another bird flies by. A falcon this time, flies by tearing the feathers from a pigeon to drift and land between Telemachos and his ship. Here Theoklymenos tells him: ''Telemachos, not without a god's will did this bird fly past you on the right, for I knew when I saw it that it was a portent. No other family shall be kinglier than yours in this country of Ithaka, but you shall have lordly power forever.'' | From earlier in Telemachos journey. Artist: Henry Howard (1769-1847) Dated: 1646 This image comes from the Project Gutenberg archives. This is an image that has come from a book or document for which the American copyright has expired and this image is in the public domain in the United States and possibly other countries. [This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net] Source: Wikimedia Commons |
Book XVI opens with Odysseus observing the arrival of a young man, the dog who attacked him upon arrival is greeting this stranger warmly. Eumaios and Telemachos welcome each other lovingly, Telemachos referring to Eumaios has his father while Eumasios is weeping at his return. He asks Eumaios who this stranger is, referring to Odysseus, whom still looks like a common beggar. Although, even if Odysseus was in his full glory Telemachos would not have recognized him because he was too young when Odysseus set off to fight in the Trojan War. Telemachos sends Eumaios off to personally deliver a secret message to his mother, leaving the stranger and himself alone to talk and learn each others story. Telemachos is afraid to have the stranger come to the city, he fears the suitors will not take to him kindly. During the exchange Athene appears to Odyssues and motions for him to join her outside. At this point, she returns him to a glorious strong, stately warrior, so that he may plan an attack on the suitors with Telemachos. I hadn't realized, or perhaps I missed the fact that the vast majority of the suitors actually do not hail from Ithaka. Telemachos informs Odysseus that 52 men have come from Doylichion, 24 from Same, and Zakynthos sent 20 while only 12 are from Ithaka. This breaks down to just over 10%, for some reason I was working on the assumption that the vast majority came from Ithaka. Was anyone else surprised by this? | Image from the Pictorial Atlas of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey Thirty-six plates, containing 225 illustrations from works of ancient art, with descriptive text, and an epitome of the contents of each book, for the use of schools and students of literature and art by R. Engelmann and W.C.F. Anderson. Published 1892 by H. Grevel in London Accessed from OpenLibrary.org Work in the public domain because its copyright has expired in countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 70 years. |
Telemachos has to take Odysseus word, that he is his father. He does not believe him, for he has no way to prove such a claim. In a short time he accepts that he is indeed his father and they plot his arrival into the city as a beggar so that he may observe the situation without recognition.
The suitors that had gone off to murder Telemachos prior to his return to Ithaka have returned to the city. Some clearly think it is best to intercept him on his way into the city. However, the one that is thought to be the wisest counsels against such a plan.
The suitors that had gone off to murder Telemachos prior to his return to Ithaka have returned to the city. Some clearly think it is best to intercept him on his way into the city. However, the one that is thought to be the wisest counsels against such a plan.
'Dear friends, I for my part would not be willing to murder |
Penelope shows some backbone and confronts the suitors as they enter back into the house of Odysseus to enjoy yet another feast. 'Now you eat up his house without payment, pay court to his wedded wife, try to murder his son, and do me great indignity. (Book XVI: Lines 431-432) If nothing else, she has been stuborn by all the mens account for having refused to take another man in the ten years since the end of the war.
The book closes with the swineherd Eumaios returning to find the haggard beggar and Telemachos. Telemachos asks for an account of the suitors.
Do you find yourself looking into the sky for eagles and hawks as a sign of things to come? The only noteworthy bird activity I have seen in the past few weeks is a crow with a full slice of bread fly into the bare tree limbs. He appeared to be trying to hoard the piece, but his greediness did not serve him well, as the bread broke into multiple pieces.
The book closes with the swineherd Eumaios returning to find the haggard beggar and Telemachos. Telemachos asks for an account of the suitors.
Do you find yourself looking into the sky for eagles and hawks as a sign of things to come? The only noteworthy bird activity I have seen in the past few weeks is a crow with a full slice of bread fly into the bare tree limbs. He appeared to be trying to hoard the piece, but his greediness did not serve him well, as the bread broke into multiple pieces.
Previous Postings: Update XIII-XIV; Update Books XI-XII; Update Books IX-X; Update Books VII-VIII; Update Books V-VI; Update Books III-IV; Update Books I and II; Background; Sign-Up/Schedule
Quotes from: The Odyssey of Homer, Translated and with an Introduction by Richmond Lattimore
ISBN: 978-0-06-124418-6; Publisher: Harper Perennial Modern Classics (2007)
[Notice: Original posting 2014-04-05 at Plethora of Books Blog: http://bookchallenges.weebly.com]
Tags: Odyssey, Read-Alongs
Quotes from: The Odyssey of Homer, Translated and with an Introduction by Richmond Lattimore
ISBN: 978-0-06-124418-6; Publisher: Harper Perennial Modern Classics (2007)
[Notice: Original posting 2014-04-05 at Plethora of Books Blog: http://bookchallenges.weebly.com]
Tags: Odyssey, Read-Alongs