CC110 Investigating Ancient GreeceCC110 Investigating Ancient GreeceMyth and the Fighting Male (Clarke) Myth and the Fighting Male (Clarke) Lecture 5: Odysseus among the deadLecture 5: Odysseus among the dead

Tomorrow’s Circus lectureTomorrow’s Circus lecture

Dr Mark Stansbury on “How to write Dr Mark Stansbury on “How to write an essay”an essay”

1.Nostos1.Nostos – the journey – the journey home home

1. Nestor and Mentor1. Nestor and Mentor

**men- men- “mind, advice” “mind, advice” Men-torMen-tor “the one who gives advice, “the one who gives advice,

advisor”advisor”

**nos-, nes- nos-, nes- “wisdom, journey home”“wisdom, journey home”

Nes-tor Nes-tor “the wise one who gets “the wise one who gets home”home”

2. Cunning in the house of 2. Cunning in the house of KirkeKirke

3. Gilgamesh, the hero of 3. Gilgamesh, the hero of Mesopotamian epicMesopotamian epic

3. What Gilgamesh learns3. What Gilgamesh learns““But you, you toiled away, and what did you achieve?But you, you toiled away, and what did you achieve?You exhaust yourself with endless toil,You exhaust yourself with endless toil,You fill your sinews with sorrow,You fill your sinews with sorrow,Bringing forward the end of your days.Bringing forward the end of your days.Man is snapped off like a reed in a canebrake!Man is snapped off like a reed in a canebrake!The handsome young man, the pretty young woman –The handsome young man, the pretty young woman –All too soon death abducts them!All too soon death abducts them!No-one at all sees death,No-one at all sees death,No-one at all sees the face of death,No-one at all sees the face of death,No-one at all hears the voice of death,No-one at all hears the voice of death,Death so savage, who hacks man down.Death so savage, who hacks man down.Ever do we build our households,Ever do we build our households,Ever do we make our nests,Ever do we make our nests,Ever do brothers divide their inheritance,Ever do brothers divide their inheritance,Ever do quarrels arise in the land.Ever do quarrels arise in the land.Ever the river has risen and brought us the flood, Ever the river has risen and brought us the flood, The mayfly floating on the water.The mayfly floating on the water.On the face of the sun its countenance gazes,On the face of the sun its countenance gazes,Then all of a sudden nothing is there!”Then all of a sudden nothing is there!”

4. What Odysseus must do4. What Odysseus must do

- Kirke, fulfil the promise you made me, to give me passage home.- Kirke, fulfil the promise you made me, to give me passage home.- First you must complete another journey, and go to the house ofFirst you must complete another journey, and go to the house ofHades and awesome Persephone, to consult the ghost of Teiresias, Hades and awesome Persephone, to consult the ghost of Teiresias, the blind prophet, whose thoughts are still undamaged; though he is the blind prophet, whose thoughts are still undamaged; though he is dead, Persesphone has granted him the ability to breathe in thought, dead, Persesphone has granted him the ability to breathe in thought, though the others are mere shadows that flit around. though the others are mere shadows that flit around.

5. What is this land of 5. What is this land of Hades?Hades?

6. Two story-patterns 6. Two story-patterns combinedcombined

(a) calling up the dead from the (a) calling up the dead from the grave (necromancy)grave (necromancy)

(b) going down to the Underworld(b) going down to the Underworld ((katabasiskatabasis))

8. From Aeschylus’ play 8. From Aeschylus’ play PersiansPersians

My lady queen, revered by the Persians,My lady queen, revered by the Persians, You send libations to the chambers below the You send libations to the chambers below the

earth,earth, And we with hymns will askAnd we with hymns will ask The escorts of the deadThe escorts of the dead To be benevolent beneath the earth.To be benevolent beneath the earth. You, pure gods of the underworld,You, pure gods of the underworld, Earth and Hermes and the king of those below,Earth and Hermes and the king of those below, Send up the shade from below into the light. Send up the shade from below into the light. For if he knows any further cure for our problems,For if he knows any further cure for our problems, He alone of men could tell how to bring it to pass.He alone of men could tell how to bring it to pass.

9. The 9. The katabasis katabasis of Heraclesof Heracles Once, they say, the gate-wrecking, unconquerable son of thunder-Once, they say, the gate-wrecking, unconquerable son of thunder-

flashing Zeus went down to the house of slender-ankled flashing Zeus went down to the house of slender-ankled Persephone to fetch up to the light from Hades the jagged-toothed Persephone to fetch up to the light from Hades the jagged-toothed dog, son of unapproachable Echidna. There he perceived the dog, son of unapproachable Echidna. There he perceived the shades of wretched mortals by the waters of Kokytos shades of wretched mortals by the waters of Kokytos [‘Lamentation’, a river], like the leaves buffeted by the wind over [‘Lamentation’, a river], like the leaves buffeted by the wind over

the bright sheep-grazed headlands of Ida.the bright sheep-grazed headlands of Ida.

10. Journey through 10. Journey through darknessdarkness

Now the ship came to the furthest extent of Now the ship came to the furthest extent of Ocean’s deep stream. There is the land and Ocean’s deep stream. There is the land and city of the Kimmerian people, covered in city of the Kimmerian people, covered in mist and cloud. The shining sun never looks mist and cloud. The shining sun never looks down on these men with his rays, neither down on these men with his rays, neither when he turns up to the starry sky nor when when he turns up to the starry sky nor when he turns again from sky to earth, but grim he turns again from sky to earth, but grim night stretches always over these poor night stretches always over these poor mortals. When we arrived there we beached mortals. When we arrived there we beached the ship…the ship…

11. Why does Elpenor die?11. Why does Elpenor die? There was one called Elpenor, the youngest of them, not There was one called Elpenor, the youngest of them, not

over-brave in battle nor well equipped with brains. He had over-brave in battle nor well equipped with brains. He had drunk too much, and, looking for fresh air, had left the rest of drunk too much, and, looking for fresh air, had left the rest of my companions and gone to lie down on top of Kirke’s great my companions and gone to lie down on top of Kirke’s great house. When he heard the hum and clatter of the men house. When he heard the hum and clatter of the men stirring, he leapt up suddenly and it quite escaped his mind stirring, he leapt up suddenly and it quite escaped his mind to go back down by the long ladder.to go back down by the long ladder.

12. The mystical journey of the 12. The mystical journey of the shamanshaman

13. Blood for the ghosts13. Blood for the ghosts

I cut the throats of the sheep at the trench, I cut the throats of the sheep at the trench, and the black-clouding blood flowed. And the and the black-clouding blood flowed. And the ghosts of the dead corpses gathered out of ghosts of the dead corpses gathered out of the gloom, young women and young men the gloom, young women and young men and exhausted elders, and soft young girls and exhausted elders, and soft young girls with hearts full of new pain; and many men with hearts full of new pain; and many men pierced with bronze-tipped spears, men pierced with bronze-tipped spears, men famed in war with their bloody armour on famed in war with their bloody armour on them; in a crowd they flitted back and forth them; in a crowd they flitted back and forth around the trench, with appalling shrieking: around the trench, with appalling shrieking: and pale fear seized meand pale fear seized me. .

14-15. What is revealed?14-15. What is revealed? Teiresias: “Teiresias: ““You ask about your joyful return “You ask about your joyful return

(nostos), glorious Odysseus: but a god will make (nostos), glorious Odysseus: but a god will make it difficult for you. For I do not think that the it difficult for you. For I do not think that the Earthshaker [Poseidon] will stop, since he has put Earthshaker [Poseidon] will stop, since he has put resentment in his heard, enraged because you resentment in his heard, enraged because you blinded his dear son…Even if you yourself escape blinded his dear son…Even if you yourself escape [from the island of the Sun-god], you will come [from the island of the Sun-god], you will come home late and luckless, all companions lost, and home late and luckless, all companions lost, and on an alien ship; and you will find troubles in your on an alien ship; and you will find troubles in your house – overweening men consuming your house – overweening men consuming your livelihood and wooing your godlike wife and livelihood and wooing your godlike wife and giving her gifts. But you will take vengeance on giving her gifts. But you will take vengeance on them for their violence when you comethem for their violence when you come…” …”

16. Family and loved ones16. Family and loved ones “…“…it was longing for you, glorious it was longing for you, glorious

Odysseus, for your wisdom and your Odysseus, for your wisdom and your gentle-hearted ways, which took sweet gentle-hearted ways, which took sweet life from me”life from me”

17. Agamemnon’s 17. Agamemnon’s nostosnostos: a : a warningwarning

18. Wisdom from 18. Wisdom from AgamemnonAgamemnon

““So for sure there is nothing worse or more So for sure there is nothing worse or more shameless than a woman who can cast shameless than a woman who can cast around such deeds in her thoughts – the way around such deeds in her thoughts – the way she plotted an outrageous act, contriving the she plotted an outrageous act, contriving the killing of her own wedded husband.”killing of her own wedded husband.”

““But for you, Odysseus, there will be no But for you, Odysseus, there will be no murder from a woman: for the daughter of murder from a woman: for the daughter of Ikarios, sound-minded Penelope, is too wise Ikarios, sound-minded Penelope, is too wise for that…But I will tell you another thing, and for that…But I will tell you another thing, and cast it around in your thoughts: when you cast it around in your thoughts: when you bring your ship in to your dear native land, bring your ship in to your dear native land, do it in secret, not openly: for women should do it in secret, not openly: for women should never be trusted.”never be trusted.”

19. The heroic triangle19. The heroic triangle

20. 20. Kleos aphthitonKleos aphthiton: imperishable fame: imperishable fame

““Speak not to me of death, glorious Odysseus! I had rather live on Speak not to me of death, glorious Odysseus! I had rather live on earth and be a hired labourer for another man, for a small farmer earth and be a hired labourer for another man, for a small farmer without much livelihood, than be lord over all these dead without much livelihood, than be lord over all these dead

corpses.”corpses.”

21. The quarrel over the 21. The quarrel over the armourarmour

21…And what it led to21…And what it led to

21. Was it all worth it?21. Was it all worth it?

““Aias, son of blameless Telamon, Aias, son of blameless Telamon, even after death could you not forget even after death could you not forget about me for your anger over that about me for your anger over that accursed armour? The gods set this as accursed armour? The gods set this as a punishment upon the Argives – such a punishment upon the Argives – such a tower of strength you were, and you a tower of strength you were, and you were lost to us…”were lost to us…”

So I spoke, but he answered nothing, So I spoke, but he answered nothing, and went away into the darkness with and went away into the darkness with the other ghosts of the dead corpses.the other ghosts of the dead corpses.

22. The 22. The nostos nostos fulfilled (bks 13-fulfilled (bks 13-24)24)

Floating imagesFloating images ““You must then set off, taking with you a well-You must then set off, taking with you a well-

balanced oar, and travel until you reach a people balanced oar, and travel until you reach a people who do not know the sea…When another traveler who do not know the sea…When another traveler meets you and speaks of the winnowing-fan held meets you and speaks of the winnowing-fan held on your noble shoulders, then you should fix your on your noble shoulders, then you should fix your well-balanced oar in the ground and make an well-balanced oar in the ground and make an offering to lord Poseidon…”offering to lord Poseidon…” (11.120ff.) (11.120ff.)

““When this hooker gets to port I’m goin’ to put an When this hooker gets to port I’m goin’ to put an oar on my shoulder and I’m goin’ to start walkin’ oar on my shoulder and I’m goin’ to start walkin’ away from saltwater. I’m goin’ to keep right on away from saltwater. I’m goin’ to keep right on walkin’ till some hairylegger says to me, ‘What’s walkin’ till some hairylegger says to me, ‘What’s that funny stick you have on your shoulder, that funny stick you have on your shoulder, matey?’ an’ right there I’m goin’ to settle down and matey?’ an’ right there I’m goin’ to settle down and dig potaters.”dig potaters.”

Next lecture: rebirth and Next lecture: rebirth and renewal (books 5-12 as a renewal (books 5-12 as a

metaphor)metaphor)