Odyssey Book 13 (1)

8/3/2019 Odyssey Book 13 (1)

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Odyssey Book 13Odyssey Book 13

There’s No Place Like Home!There’s No Place Like Home!

8/3/2019 Odyssey Book 13 (1)


Previously in Homer’s Odyssey…Previously in Homer’s Odyssey…

• Odysseus had just finished telling his tales

to King Alcinoos and Queen Arete after

the war and insisted that he not have to

retell adventures with Calypso.

8/3/2019 Odyssey Book 13 (1)


Gifts to OdysseusGifts to Odysseus

• Everyone is in awe of his stories.

• King Alcinoos assures Odysseus that he isin good hands and he and his men give

Odysseus gifts. (These gift are given thenext morning) – Gold, bronze, a great cauldron, a great basin,

well-made clothes, and many other gifts.

– King Alcinoos praises Odysseus whichconvinces the men to give gifts (“It is hard for a single man to give freely for nothing.”)

8/3/2019 Odyssey Book 13 (1)


A Day of Preparation A Day of Preparation

• Alcinoos packs the ship with all the gifts so asnot to hinder the rowers

• An ox is sacrificed and everyone eats, butOdysseus can’t wait to start on the voyage.

• He asks to begin (requesting a libation) and asksfor them to pray that his journey is safe and thathe returns to a home that is faithful – Return to “my wife at home blameless”

– What about Odysseus? Calypso? Circe?• Alcinoos agrees and requests that wine be

poured so everyone can pray to Zeus.(Pontinoos is the server/herald)

http://www.philipresheph.com/demodokos/odyssey/od23.htm

8/3/2019 Odyssey Book 13 (1)




8/3/2019 Odyssey Book 13 (1)


Odysseus and AreteOdysseus and Arete

• Odysseus holds out his wine and thanks Arete by toasting to her happiness andlong life

• Arete sends Odysseus with escorts andgifts to his homeward bound ship – A well-washed mantle and tunic, a stout

chest, bread, and red wine.

• Odysseus is met with a soft blanket so thathe may sleep during the long journey

















8/3/2019 Odyssey Book 13 (1)


Homeward Bound!Homeward Bound!

• Odysseus sleeps for the entire journey

• The Phaeacians do not want to wake him

so they take him and all of his stuff and

leave him to sleep on Ithaca

– The harbor of Phorcys

• Smooth waters, an olive tree, and a shadowy

cavern sacred to the Naiades

• The Phaeacians sail toward home.


















8/3/2019 Odyssey Book 13 (1)





8/3/2019 Odyssey Book 13 (1)




8/3/2019 Odyssey Book 13 (1)


Poseidon’s WrathPoseidon’s Wrath• Poseidon was outraged that the gods had allowed Odysseus to

return home so easily• He complains to Zeus (his brother) and speaks of his

embarrassment at the fact that mortals are no longer under hiswrath or consequences

• Poseidon requests that the Phaeacians are punished for always offering safe transport to their visitors.

• Zeus allows Poseidon to turn the Phaeacian ship into stoneonce they are in viewing distance of Scheria. This fulfills aprophecy.

• Poseidon also wishes to turn surround Scheria with mountains.• Wise Alcinoos knows about the prophecy and prepares a large

sacrifice to Poseidon in hopes that he will change his mindabout the mountains.
























8/3/2019 Odyssey Book 13 (1)


Why is this Unusual?Why is this Unusual?

• For the first time in both books, we seeZeus, the commander of hospitality, allowfor a group of people who went far beyond

their duty to help a visitor to be punished.• Why?

• No matter how good your people are, if

you insult a god, you’re in trouble!• Zeus fulfilled his role as a brother and god

first before he considers the mortals.

















8/3/2019 Odyssey Book 13 (1)




8/3/2019 Odyssey Book 13 (1)




8/3/2019 Odyssey Book 13 (1)


Odysseus Wakes Up…Odysseus Wakes Up…

• And doesn’t recognize where he is

because Athene spread mist everywhere

– She does this so that no one recognizes him

—this gives her time to give him the plan

• Odysseus thinks that the Phaeacians have

dropped him off somewhere

– He is angry with them and hopes that Zeuspunishes them for their lack of hospitality
















8/3/2019 Odyssey Book 13 (1)


Athene Saves the Day (Again) Athene Saves the Day (Again)

• Athene comes to Odysseus dressed as a

feeder of sheep & Odysseus begs to know

where he has landed

• Athene explains to Odysseus that he is in

Ithaca. Here we get an idea of his

homeland:

– Poor for horses, producers of food and wine,

good for goats and cows, rainy, lots of forest
















8/3/2019 Odyssey Book 13 (1)




8/3/2019 Odyssey Book 13 (1)


Odysseus Tells a LieOdysseus Tells a Lie

• Cunning Odysseus decides to lie to the“sheep feeder”

• He tells a story of how he had to flee

because he killed the son of Idomeneus,Ortilochos who was a strong, swift manwho wanted Odysseus’ gold from the war.

• He says that after other journeys, he andhis men landed on Ithaca and that his menleft him “grieving in his heart”
















8/3/2019 Odyssey Book 13 (1)


Athene is Pleased with Cunning Athene is Pleased with Cunning

OdysseusOdysseus

• Athene, a clever immortal, is pleased with

her cunning mortal. She praises

Odysseus for his extemporaneous

speaking

• She then reveals herself and tells

Odysseus of the suitors inhabiting his

home















8/3/2019 Odyssey Book 13 (1)


Odysseus Gets RiskyOdysseus Gets Risky

• After Athene reveals herself to him, Odysseus doubts that Athene is really who she says she is. He is angry at allthe troubles he has been through and gives Athene a“Where were you then?” speech

• Odysseus doubts he is in Ithaca – Athene is truly devoted to Odysseus. Even in his

anger she views him favorably: “And so I cannot forsake you when

you are wretched, because you are polite, ready-minded, and of steadfast though.

• Athene reveals Ithaca to Odysseus and explains her

absences. She didn’t want to upset Poseidon.





















8/3/2019 Odyssey Book 13 (1)




8/3/2019 Odyssey Book 13 (1)


The PlanThe Plan

• Athene reveals the cave to Odysseus whorejoices in seeing the Naiades.

• They hide Odysseus’ gifts from the Phaeacians

in a nook and cover it with a rock.• “They both sat down at the base of the holy olivetree and talked about destruction for thepresumptuous suitors.”

• Athene tells of Penelope’s loyalty• Odysseus is glad that his fate is not like that of

Agamemnon



















8/3/2019 Odyssey Book 13 (1)


The Plan…The Plan…

• Odysseus realizes that with Athene he will beable to conquer the suitors. Athene, in all her war glory, gets a little graphic: – “Some the suitors who devour your livelihood shall

splatter the immense ground with their blood andbrains.”

• Athene instructs Odysseus to go to his swineshepherd and ask him of all things. – Meanwhile, Athene plans to go to Sparta to tell Telemachos to come home – She tells Odysseus that his son went to find him and Odysseus wonders why

Athene does not tell him that his father is alive. Athene explains that it is tohelp Telemachos gain glory (oh, the pains of growing up!)





















8/3/2019 Odyssey Book 13 (1)


Odysseus’ “Transformation”Odysseus’ “Transformation”

• Athene assures Odysseus of his son’s

safety

• Turns Odysseus into an ugly old man

– She shriveled his flesh, ruined his blond hair,

marred his eyes, and dressed him as a

vagabond













8/3/2019 Odyssey Book 13 (1)


And they part… And they part…

• “When they had made this plan, the two of

them parted.

• And she went to godly Lacedemon after

the child of Odysseus.”










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Odyssey Book 13 (1)