Ascend - The Great Books Podcast

Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Adam Minihan discuss Book Twelve of the Odyssey: The Cattle of the Sun.

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From our guide:

68.      What happens in book twelve?

Odysseus and his men return the island of Circe and bury their comrade, Elpenor, who had spoken to Odysseus from the underworld (12.10). Circe tells Odyssey—and Odysseus alone—what trials await him on his journey (12.36). First, he and his men will sail by the Sirens and their irresistible song of temptation (12.44). Next, Odysseus will have to choose between sailing through the path of unavoidable “Clashing Rocks” (12.66) or sail through a strait with two monsters. On one side, there is the six-headed horror named Scylla that will pluck men off the ship (12.94) and on the other side the whirlpool monster named Charybdis that will swallow the entire ship (12.115). Lastly, they will come to the island of the where the sun god’s cattle graze (12.137) and must not under any circumstances harm the cattle (12.148). If they can do this, they will return home, but if not, then the best that could happen is Odysseus returns home alone “all shipmates lost… a broken man” (12.153).

Odysseus tells his men about the Sirens (12.172) and Charybdis (12.239) but not Scylla (12.242). After escaping the Sirens, his men are navigating past Charybdis when Scylla snatches six of Odysseus men off his ship (12.269). Odysseus and his men land on the island of the sun god’s cattle, and Odysseus has his men swear an oath they will not harm the animals (12.328). The men, however, become stranded on the island due to unfavorable wind and begin to starve (12.350). Odysseus’ men elect to eat the sacred cattle (12.386), and, as they finally leave the island, Zeus strikes the ship with a lightning bolt (12.447). All perish save Odysseus who, clinging to debris, is swept back to Charybdis and must hang onto a fig tree to avoid being swallowed (12.466). The book ends with Odysseus drifting until he lands on the island of Calypso (12.485).

69.      Who are the Sirens?

The sirens are “female creatures who had the power of drawing men to destruction by their song.”[1] Though Homer does not describe them, they were generally “represented as half-woman and half-bird”—but “in time they came increasingly to be shown as beautiful women.”[2] Odysseus follows Circe’s advice (12.53) by stuffing beeswax in the ears of his men (12.189). It is notable that Circe intuits that Odysseus will want to experience the song of the Sirens (12.55). He follows her advice and has his men tie him to the mast in order that he may hear the Sirens but not jump overboard (12.194). The episode speaks to what Odysseus’ spirit (thumos) is willing to endure for the sake of knowledge. Note the Siren’s song itself sings of being able to grant Odysseus wisdom and make him a “wiser man” (12.200).

One may also question whether Odysseus enduring the song of the Sirens prepared him at all to decline Calypso’s offer of immortality or the marriage to Nausicaa. Moreover, the episode shows a level of trust between Odysseus and his men—a trust that is arguably fracturing after the Cyclops incident and one that will be largely broken following Scylla and Charybdis. Later myths have the Sirens drowning themselves due to Odysseus’ escape.[3] The Sirens will later come to represent music, including the music of spheres as presented by Plato.[4]

70.      Who are Scylla and Charybdis?

Circe warns Odysseus of the creature Scylla who she calls “a grisly monster” with “six long swaying necks” who lives on the cliffside (12.94). In some myths, Scylla was originally a beautiful woman who was turned into the grotesque monster.[5] Other myths are more specific, stating that Scylla was a beautiful sea-nymph loved by the sea-god Glaucus.[6] When Glaucus failed to attract Scylla, he turned to Circe to make him a love potion to use on Scylla; however, Circe attempted to seduce Glaucus, but Glaucus would not give up his love for Scylla.[7] Enraged at the rejection, Circe created a poison and used it on the unexpecting Scylla turning her into a hideous monster with serpentine necks and dog-like faces.[8] Thus, it is notable that Circe calls Scylla an “immortal devastation, terrible, savage, [and] wild,” if Scylla is indeed a product of Circe’s own act of cruelty and malice (12.128). Moreover, Circe speaks of Scylla’s mother: “she spawned her to scourge mankind, she can stop the monster’s attack” (12.134). One may question whether this is a reference to a distinct origin myth or a statement of irony given Circe is the mother of Scylla in monstrous form.

 Charybdis is the daughter of Poseidon and Gaia who, being under the water, sucks the ocean down through a whirlpool three times a day.[9] She is opposite of Scylla in the Straits of Messina.[10] Odysseus follows Circe’s advice that it is better to lose men to Scylla than his entire ship to Charybdis (12.120). Though Odysseus does push back on a way to fight Scylla (12.123), he ultimately does not tell his men about the danger of Scylla (12.167). Notably, he does show up on deck prepared to fight Scylla (12.241), but it is to no avail.

We may note how personal Homer portrays the deaths of the sailors to Scylla. Those plucked by the monster cry out Odysseus’ name (12.269) and fling their arms toward him (12.278). Odysseus tells his audience: “Of all the pitiful things I’ve had to witness… this wrenched my heart the most” (12.282). We may question whether Odysseus tells his audience this story with such a personal veneer to better justify his decision to not inform his men, e.g., he really did care for them. The narrative arguably fractures the last bond of trust Odysseus has with his men. Notice Odysseus’ reference to the incident with the Cyclops where he states, “my presence of mind and tactics saved us all” (12.230). His revisionist history avoids that he himself put them in that situation and then caused Poseidon’s curse to fall upon them; moreover, note that in both incidents—Cyclops and Scylla—Odysseus loses six men.

[1] Companion, 525.

[2] Companion, 526.

[3] Companion, 525.

[4] Companion, 526, citing the myth of Er at the end of the Republic.

[5] Companion, 515.

[6] Hamilton, 314.

[7] Hamilton, 314.

[8] Hamilton, 315.

[9] Companion, 140.

[10] Companion, 140.

Dr. Frank Grabowski and Thomas Lackey return to discuss Book Eleven of the Odyssey with Dcn. Garlick.

Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more resources.

From the guide:

60.      What happens in book eleven?

Odysseus and his men sail to the edge of the world into the endless darkness and the house of death (11.21). Following the ritual Circe prescribed, Odysseus fills a trench with blood, and the shades of the dead came out to meet him (11.40). Odysseus first speaks to Elpenor, his comrade who fell off the roof of Circe’s house and lays unburied back on Circe’s island (11.57). Odysseus then sees his mother, who he did not know was dead, but first speaks to Tiresias, “the famous Theban prophet” (11.100). Tiresias warns Odysseus he will come upon the cattle of the sun god, Helios, and he is not to harm them (11.123). Moreover, if Odysseus does make it home to Ithaca, he will have to leave his home again and go on a penitential journey to appease Poseidon (11.139).

 Odysseus then speaks to his mother about what is happening in Ithaca (11.173). He then sees “a grand array of women,” famous women from antiquity, sent by Persephone, the queen of the underworld, to drink the blood and speak with him (11.258). Odysseus then speaks to Agamemnon (11.457); and then to Achilles (11.530); and then he tries to speak with Ajax, but Ajax refuses, “blazing with anger” at Odysseus (11.620). Odysseus then sees several figures from mythology and speaks to the hero Heracles (or Hercules) who compares his exploits to that of Odysseus (11.690). The book ends with the shades of the dead overwhelming Odysseus, and he and is men running back to the ship in terror (11.723).

61.      What is notable about Odysseus’ discussion with Elpenor?

After Odysseus fills his trench with blood, the shades of the dead come out of Erebus—the “darkness” (11.41).[1] The first to speak to Odysseus is Elpenor, his comrade who died on Circe’s island (11.57). Notably, Elpenor does not have to drink the blood to speak to Odysseus (11.66). Though some interpret this scene as Odysseus not knowing that Elpenor had died, it seems clear that Odysseus and his men intentionally left Elpenor unburied (11.60); thus, Homer offers the juxtaposition of Odysseus hurrying to the house of the dead for his own sake while neglecting the rites of a dead comrade. Elpenor’s plight is reminiscent of Patroclus’ in the Iliad, where it seems he needs the rituals to find rest in the afterlife; moreover, it may be that Elpenor’s state of having a body unburied and his capacity to speak without drinking the blood are connected. Lastly, it should be noted he asks for his oar to be planted atop his tomb (11.86).

[1] Erebus (darkness) was one of the four original primordial deities to come forth from Chaos. The others were Gaia (Earth), Eros (Love), and Nyx (Night). See Companion, 139.

Dcn. Garlick flies solo to explore the depths of BOOK TEN of the Odyssey: The Bewitching Queen of Aeaea.

Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more resources.

From the guide:

53.      What happens in book ten? 

Odysseus and his men come to the floating island of King Aeolus[1] who Zeus had made the “master of all the winds” (10.24). After hosting them for a month, King Aeolus stuffed all the winds into a bag, except a favorable west wind, and gave it to Odysseus (10.29). Leaving the island, they sailed for nine days until they came so close to Ithaca they could see men “tending fires” on the shore (10.34). Odysseus’ men, however, open the bag of winds, causing a maelstrom, blowing them all the way back to King Aeolus’ island (10.66). The king rejects them as cursed by the gods (10.79), and Odysseus and his fleet sail to the island of the Laestrygonians (10.89). There, Odysseus’ entire fleet, save his own ship, is lost in a surprise attack by the man-eating inhabitants of the island (10.132).

Odysseus’ lone ship comes upon a new island, and Odysseus’ men find a hall and hear a woman singing inside (10.242). The woman is Circe, a goddess, who welcomes all the men to a feast and then changes them into pigs (10.253). Eurylochus, the only one to not go into the hall, runs back and tells Odysseus (10.269). Odysseus sets off to the hall, but along the way runs into Hermes, the messenger god, who tells him how to overcome Circe’s spells (10.305). Odysseus obeys, and Circe is made to swear an oath she will not harm Odysseus (10.380). Odysseus’ men are restored, younger and more handsome (10.436). They remain guests of Circe’s house for a year until Odysseus’ men remind him of his journey home (10.520). The book ends with Circe telling Odysseus he must travel to the house of death and speak to the prophet Tiresias (10.540).

54.      What is the relationship between Odysseus and his men after the Cyclops affair?

The narrative of King Aeolus and the bag of winds reveals the lack of trust festering between Odysseus and his men. Note that Odysseus will not trust the ship to any of his crew (10.37), and the crew assumes Odysseus is withholding treasure from them (10.40). Moreover, after the loss of the fleet in the Laestrygonian cove, the spiritedness of the crew, their thumos, is broken. When Odysseus orders his men to scout the hall on what we know to be Circe’s island (10.170), the “message broke their spirits” and they weep (10.217). We see this particularly with Eurylochus, who, when reporting back to Odysseus that Circe has turned the men to pigs, pleads with Odysseus to abandon the men and leave the island (10.289). It worth noting that Odysseus himself was tempted to allow his spirit to break, as after the incident with the winds he had to overcome the temptation of suicide (10.55).

Later, when Odysseus has made a truce with Circe, Eurylochus has a “mutinous outburst” in which he states that Odysseus is to blame for the men eaten by the Cyclops (10.480). It makes explicit the tension throughout book ten. Odysseus is inclined to kill the man but is tempered by his men (10.483). The antagonisms between Odysseus and his remaining crew will continue as a predominant theme throughout the end of Odysseus’ recounting of his story in book twelve.

[1] King Aeolus was “a mortal, king of the floating island of Aeolia and friend of the gods, to whom Zeus gave the custodianship of the winds.” In later mythology, “he was thought of as the god of the winds.” Companion, 14.

Dcn. Garlick and Adam Minihan discuss BOOK NINE of the Odyssey: Odysseus and the Cyclops. Odysseus finally gives his name and starts to tell his story.

Book Nine is one of the most important books in the Odyssey.

Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information.

From the guide:

48.      What happens in book nine?

The guest of good King Alcinous finally declares, “I am Odysseus” (9.21), and he begins to tell his story (9.33). After Troy, Odysseus and the ships under his command raided a city on the island of Ismarus (9.44) where, the next morning, he lost men to a counterattack by the islanders (8.69). Next, Zeus hit Odysseus’ fleet with a storm, a “demonic gale” (9.76), and then, when free of the storm, his fleet was again taken off course by a rip-tide (9.89) that brought them to the land of the “Lotus-eaters” (9.94). Having saved his crew, Odysseus and his men come to a lush, uninhabited island (9.129), and across the strait see an island with signs of habitation (9.185). Odysseus and his men go to the island only to end up trapped in a cave with a cyclops (9.271). Though they plead for protection as guests under Zeus, Homer tells us: the cyclops grabbed two men, beat them against the ground “their brains gushed out all over, soaked the floor—and ripp[ed] them limb from limb to fix his meal” (9.324). He washes down the human flesh with raw milk (9.334).

Odysseus and his men cannot escape the cave due to the enormous stone blocking the entrance, and they cannot kill the cyclops in his sleep for the same reason—they would be trapped in the cave. In the morning, the cyclops bolts down two more men (9.348) and leaves to tend his herds. Odysseus concocts a plan to escape (9.370). Upon his return, the cyclops devours two more of Odysseus’ men, and Odysseus offers the cyclops a strong wine to wash down the “banquet of human flesh” (9.389). The cyclops asks Odysseus’ his name, and Odysseus tells him his name is “Nobody” (9.410). With the cyclops drunk, Odysseus and his men ram a stake into the cyclops’ eye blinding him (9.428). Odysseus and his men escape the cave, but Odysseus tells the cyclops his name (9.560). The book ends with the cyclops asking his father, Poseidon, to curse Odysseus’ journey home and to “let him find a world of pain at home” (9.595).

This week Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Mr. Eli Stone, formerly of the TU Great Books Honors College and now teaching at a classical school, discuss Book VIII of the Odyssey: A Day for Songs and Contests.

We have a 50+ page guide to the Odyssey.

Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for more resources.

From the guide:

42.      What happens in book eight?

King Alcinous and Odysseus go to the meeting grounds, as Athena whips up the curiosity of the islanders to come and see the stranger who “looks like a deathless god” (8.16). King Alcinous, still not knowing the identity of his guest, calls for the Phaeacians to prepare a ship to take the stranger home (8.39), and he calls for a feast, a “hero’s welcome” (8.49). As they feast, the bard sings the ballad of “The Strife between Odysseus and Achilles,” a tale from Troy, and Odysseus quietly weeps—unnoticed by all save King Alcinous (8.111). King Alcinous then calls for games, and the young men gather to race, wrestle, box, and throw a discus (8.140). A man named “Broadsea” goads Odysseus into competing, and Odysseus, in his anger, throws a heavy discus farther than any of them (8.116). As a good host, King Alcinous deescalates the situation (8.267), and calls for the Phaeacians to dance (8.284).

The bard returns and sings of the story of Aphrodite’s adultery against Hephaestus (8.301). King Alcinous calls for parting gifts for Odysseus, and Broadsea gives the King of Ithaca a bronze sword in amends for his disrespect (8.441). Another feast is held, and Odysseus asks the bard to sing of the wooden horse at Troy (8.552). Odysseus again weeps quietly (8.586), and King Alcinous again notices (8.599). The book ends with the King finally asking Odysseus to reveal his name and his homeland (8.618).[1]

 43.      Why does Homer include the myth of Aphrodite’s adultery?

Homer dedicates over one hundred lines of poetry to tell the story of “The Love of Ares and Aphrodite Crowned with Flowers” (8.301). First, one may note a shift in the mythology, as Hephaestus was married to a Grace in the Iliad and is now married to Aphrodite in the Odyssey. A myth about adultery in the Odyssey recalls several narratives: the story of Clytemnestra, (Agamemnon’s wife), the narrative of Odysseus with Calypso, and the suitors pursuing Penelope.

In a subtle manner, Homer is likely presenting Hephaestus as Odysseus. Notice that that Odysseus mentions his legs are in poor shape, and he cannot race against the Phaeacians (8.260). Odysseus’ poor legs are analogous to the crippled legs of Hephaestus; moreover, Hephaestus is compared to Ares who has “racer’s legs,” like the Phaeacians (8.352). Homer describes Hephaestus overcoming Ares as the “slow outstrips the swift” (8.372) and “the cripple wins by craft” (8.375). If one takes Aphrodite to be Penelope, the myth is a warning to Odysseus that he will overcome the suitors not by swiftness but by craft. Similarly, one could read Aphrodite as Nausicaa and Ares as the Phaeacians; thus, we return to a narrative of Nausicaa being a temptation for Odysseus—but a temptation he could indulge if done by wit and craft. The myth presents certain analogues to Odysseus’ present situation but seems to fall short of presenting a full allegory.

[1] Thank you to Mr. Eli Stone who joined us on the podcast to discuss Book 8.

This week Dcn. Garlick and Mr. Eli Stone discuss Book Seven of the Odyssey: Phaeacia’s Halls and Gardens.

Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more resources.

FROM THE GUIDE:

36.      What happens in book seven?

Athena hides Odysseus in a mist and leads him, in the guise of a child, toward the palace (7.17). She reiterates the advice of Nausicaa by telling Odysseus to go to Queen Arete (7.61). Odysseus enters the magnificent palace and throws his arms around the queen’s knees, as Athena withdraws her mist (7.168). Odysseus pleads for mercy and then falls into the ashes underneath the hearth (7.182). All are silent until the old man Echeneus cries out for his king to welcome the stranger (7.185), and King Alcinous, spurred by his subject, welcomes Odysseus with food and drink (7.199). Without asking Odysseus’ name or where he is from, the king convenes the evening and calls for an assembly in the morning to help the stranger return home (7.221).

Queen Arete takes Odysseus to his lodgings and is the first to question him about his name and homeland—and where he received his clothes (7.272). Odysseus gives a long answer that finally lands at stating that his clothes are from Nausicaa (7.340). King Alcinous reassures Odysseus that he’ll provide a passage home—but also states he could stay and marry Nausicaa (7.353). Odysseus reiterates his desire to return home (7.379), and the book ends with Odysseus finally finding rest in the house of King Alcinous (7.394).

37.      What is to be made of King Alcinous’ offer to Odysseus to marry Nausicaa?

Most notable in book seven is King Alcinous offering Nausicaa in marriage to Odysseus (7.358). The temptation of Nausicaa becomes explicit (Question 33). Note that both King Alcinous and Queen Arete are descendants of Poseidon (7.65), and that the gods come to the island openly due to the people being their “close kin” (7.241).[1] In addition to its divine favor, the island enjoys advanced technology, as the dogs outside King Alcinous’ palace are automatons made by Hephaestus (7.106). The island is, in many ways, a utopia. Odysseus is being asked to restart his life amongst almost perfect mortal happiness. He would be grafted into a family of Poseidon’s mortal descendants (which bears a certain irony given Poseidon’s current wrath) and be married to a beautiful, clever princess, a young Penelope. The offer of King Alcinous is the more natural temptation than that of Calypso, because it is an offer that aligns with the nature of man and his desire for happiness.

Notably, Odysseus never seems to acknowledge the offer, but simply expresses his gratitude again for the king’s willingness to take him home (7.379). To what degree the king’s offer has affected Odysseus is a question to keep in mind throughout the rest of the Odyssey.

[1] Odyssey, 498, 508.

Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Adam Minihan are joined by Eli Stone, formerly of the TU Great Books Honors College and now with Holy Family Classical School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to discuss BOOK SIX of the Odyssey: The Princess and the Stranger.

Check us out at thegreatbookspodcast.com.

From the guide:

32.      What happens in book six?

Athena inspires Nausicaa, the daughter of King Alcinous, to go with her handmaids to the river and wash clothes (6.20). Her father grants her permission, and she takes a wagon of clothes to be washed (6.75). As she waits for the clothes to dry, she and her handmaids have a picnic out by the river (6.107). With a little influence from Athena, Odysseus awakes to the sound of the girls playing with a ball (6.130). Odysseus emerges naked, covering himself with a “leafy branch” (6.140)—“a terrible sight, all crusted, caked with brine” (6.151). All the women scatter save Nausicaa in whom Athena has planted courage (6.153). Odysseus tells the princess of his plight (6.163), and she welcomes him as a stranger sent from Zeus (6.227). To avoid scandal, Nausicaa instructs Odysseus on how to enter the city alone, find the queen, and grasp her knees (6.313). The books ends with Nausicaa leaving Odysseus in a sacred grove, and Odysseus praying to Athena (6.352).[1]

33.      Is Nausicaa another temptation for Odysseus, like Calypso?

The desire of Nausicaa to be married is a predominate theme in book six and seven. We see Athena state her marriage is “not far off” (6.30); we see Nausicaa be too shy to express her desire for marriage to her father (6.74), but her father sees through his daughter’s coyness and confirms his supports her, i.e., “I won’t deny you anything” (6.77); and we see Nausicaa, after seeing Odysseus glorified by Athena, say: “if only a man like that were called my husband” (6.270). Moreover, the princess is “still a virgin, unwed” (6.121) and compared to the virgin-goddess Artemis (6.113, 165). Her intuition and political savvy are displayed in the narrative of avoiding scandal and how to seek mercy from the queen (6.313). She is arguably presented as a young Penelope: beautiful and clever. The concern is that whereas Calypso represented an unnatural temptation (Question 29), Nausicaa will represent a very natural one for Odysseus.

One may note that naked Odysseus emerging to speak to the young girls is presented in predatory language, e.g., “as a mountain lion exultant in his power…” hungry and stalking sheep (6.143). The opening predatory metaphor seemingly stands in contrast with Odysseus’ restraint to not run and hug the knees of Nausicaa (6.161). The main principle of his opening speech to Nausicaa is presented in his earlier internal dialogue of whether the island inhabitants are savages or civilized persons (6.132). Guest-friendship is the sign and standard for civilization (6.133). Odysseus arguably mentions Artemis (6.165), Apollo’s altar in Delos (6.178), the custom of grasping by the knees (6.185), and the need for he, as a stranger, to be welcomed (6.193) to see if she is civilized. Moreover, it also reveals that Odysseus—the strange man emerging from the bushes—is civilized himself.[2] If guest-friendship is the standard for civilization (6.133), then it is one Nausicaa responds to well in both speech and practice (6.227).

Those who see Nausicaa as a temptation, point to Odysseus’ flattery of her: “I have never laid eyes on anyone like you” (6.175). As with most Odyssean rhetoric, one may debate to what degree this statement reflects his interior disposition as opposed to simply a statement intended to cause an effect in his listener. The dialogue between Odysseus and Nausicaa has him comparing her to a god, but later she believes he looks like a god (6.269). Moreover, Nausicaa subtlety tells Odysseus that she thinks he’s handsome and available for marriage (6.303). There is much in book six to suggest that marriage to Nausicaa will be the next major temptation of Odysseus.

[1] Thank you to Mr. Eli Stone who joined us on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast to discuss and lead us through books six and seven.

[2] On the podcast, Mr. Eli Stone submitted the theory that Odysseus mentions Artemis explicitly to imply that he is safe and will not harm Nausicaa. In addition to being one of the virgin-goddesses, Artemis punished men severely for even seeing her naked much less touching her. As such, by Odysseys comparing Nausicaa to Artemis, he’s communicating that he, as a rational man, would never dare to touch her.

Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Adam Minihan are joined by Evan Amato of Rewire the West to discuss Book Five of Odyssey: Odysseus escapes Calypso's Island.

Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for a written guide to the Odyssey.

A couple questions from the guide:

28.      What happens in book five?

King Odysseus is trapped on Calypso’s island. Zeus, at Athena’s pleading, agrees to two proposals: first, Odysseus may leave the captivity of Calypso; and second, Athena may help Telemachus escape the trap set by the suitors (5.24). Hermes, the messenger god, goes and tells Calypso that it is Zeus’ will that Odysseus be set free upon a make-shift raft, and Calypso, though upset, acquiesces to the will of Zeus (5.125, 176).[1] She tells Odysseus he may leave, and he has her promise she is not plotting some new harm against him (5.202). After four days of working on the raft, Odysseus sets sail on the fifth with gifts and provisions from Calypso (5.288).

Poseidon, who is returning from Ethiopia, sees Odysseus has left the island and, “it made his fury boil even more” (5.313). Poseidon sends a storm to sink Odysseus (5.321). As he’s being battered by the waves, a goddess of the sea, Ino, pities Odysseus, and tells him to strip off his clothes, tie her scarf around his waist, and swim for land (5.377). Poseidon smashes the raft to pieces (5.403), and Odysseus, with the help of Athena, makes it to the shore (5.471). The book ends with Odysseus falling asleep beneath two olive trees (5.544).[2]

29.      Why does Odysseus refuse Calypso’s offer of immortality?

Calypso tells Hermes that she has offered immortality to Odysseus (5.151), and again makes the offer after Odysseus knows he’s free to leave the island (5.230). How can Odysseus refuse immortality? How can a mortal man refuse an immortal life with a beautiful goddess? A subtle clue is found in the opening of book five. It does not repeat the typical line of Dawn and her rosy fingers but instead invokes Dawn’s lover, Tithonus (5.01).[3] It is said that Dawn (Eos) asked Zeus to make her mortal lover, Tithonus, immortal, and Zeus agreed—but Zeus did not grant Tithonus immortal youth. Thus, Tithonus, immortal, continued to age until he “became an old shriveled creature little more than a voice.”[4] Tithonus attempts to graft onto human nature something that is unnatural to it: immortality. As Dr. Patrick Deneen observes: “Tithonus accepts what is unacceptable for mortals to attain, but which is nevertheless clearly tempting to normal mortal desires.”[5]

One aspect of the unnaturalness of immortality in man is the necessity for the possibility of death to achieve glory (kleos). It is in facing death that man achieves renown. Without death, what is man? Furthermore, observe how those who are without death, the immortal gods, are presented: imploded personalities, obsessive, petty, and narcissistic. The sinews between man, death, and glory are one to observe, as the story of Odysseus continues to develop.

Similarly to Tithonus, we should observe Homer references the goddess Ino who was “a mortal woman once” (5.367). Ino, the sister of Semele, was driven mad by Hera, and she jumped into the sea with her son in her arms. She was transformed by Zeus into the sea goddess Learchos and her son the sea god Palaemon.[6] Here, we may observe on a preliminary level, that Ino’s transformation to the divine is tethered to two things unnatural to man: madness and suicide. Moreover, it is unclear that Ino made any intentional decision to become divine.

If we accept the premise that immortality is unnatural to man, Odysseus is then right in rejecting Calypso’s offer, but we are still left to discern how Odysseus can reject what is so tempting to mortals. Knowing what one ought to do and doing it are distinct. Homer presents this as a mystery to unravel, as we are introduced to Odysseus years after he’s left Troy. We are not told yet what experiences he underwent prior to being captive on Calypso’s island that may have helped form him to withstand such a temptation.[7]

Notes:

[1] Hermes presumably tells Calypso of Zeus’ will that Odysseus be sent away on a make-shift raft (5.27), because Calypso does so (5.176) without Homer recording any explicit line to that effect from Hermes.

[2] Thank you to Evan of Rewire the West who joined us to discuss book five.

[3] Deneen, 44-45.

[4] Companion, 572-73l Deneen, 44-45.

[5] Deneen, 44.

[6] Companion, 314, 208.

[7] Deneen, 41-45.

This week Adam Minihan returns to discuss Book Four of the Odyssey with Father Bonaventure, OP - a Dominican Friar of the Province of St. Joseph.

The out our website for a 50+ page guide to the Odyssey.

23.      What happens in book four?

Telemachus arrives in Sparta to find King Menelaus hosting a “double-wedding feast;” as Menelaus’ daughter is marrying the son of Achilles, and Menelaus’ son is marrying a girl from Sparta (4.04). Telemachus and Nestor’s son, Pisistratus, are received warmly (4.68). Though a gracious host, Menelaus still mourns for his brother, Agamemnon (4.103), and for all the men lost in the Trojan war, especially Odysseus (4.120). Menelaus and Helen recognize Telemachus by his likeness to his father (4.131, 158).

The next day, Menelaus tells Telemachus of his journey home from Troy (4.391). He and his men were stuck on the island of Pharos (4.396). After wrestling Proteus, the Old Man of the Sea, he is told he failed to offer sacrifices to the deathless gods before leaving Troy (4.530); and now for penance, he must return to Egypt and make a “splendid sacrifice” (4.535). Menelaus asks about the fate of his comrades, and Proteus tells him the stories of little Ajax, Agamemnon, and Odysseus—the last of which is held captive by the sea nymph Calypso (4.627). Menelaus did as the Old Man of the Sea said, and he then returned home to Sparta (4.657). 

The narrative shifts to Queen Penelope in Ithaca (4.703). The suitors, led by Antinous, discover Telemachus has taken a ship to Pylos (4.711), and they elect to send out their own ship to ambush him (4.753). Penelope is told Telemachus is gone and that the suitors plan to murder him (4.784). Eurycleia, the old nurse, tells Penelope she helped Telemachus prepare for his departure, and advises the queen to pray to Athena (4.836). Penelope prays to Athena, and Athena sends a phantom of Penelope’s sister to reassure the queen Telemachus is safe (4.930). The book ends with the suitors setting sail to ambush Telemachus (4.947).

24.      What do we observe about the character of Menelaus?

Notice that Menelaus agrees to welcome Telemachus and Pisistratus by first recalling all the hospitality he received on his journey home (4.38). He displays a certain gratitude and dare we say humility in passing on what he has received. A similar disposition is found in his piety of not wanting to be compared to Zeus (4.87). The pious but somber Menelaus declares: “So I rule all this wealth with no great joy,” as he recalls the death of his brother, Agamemnon (4.103). Moreover, he seems to lament the entire Trojan war, stating he would have rather stayed home with the wealth he had and the friends he lost at Troy—note, however, the implications of this statement regarding his wife, Helen (4.108).

Check out the rest of the guide at thegreatbookspodcast.com.

Dcn. Harrison Garlick, Dr. Frank Grabowski, and Mr. Thomas Lackey discuss Book Three of the Odyssey: KING NESTOR REMEMBERS.

The lovable old man from the Iliad returns to help set Telemachus on his way.

• More on Telemachus' coming of age story
• What power comes to rest on Telemachus?
• How did Great Ajax die?! (ignobly...)
• What caused the Achaeans to suffer the wrath of Athena?

Check out Dcn. Garlick's 50+ page guide to the Odyssey.

What happens in book three?

Telemachus arrives in Pylos to find King Nestor sacrificing eighty-one bulls to Poseidon and hosting a feast for forty-five hundred people (3.06). Athena, under the guise of Mentor, encourages Telemachus to speak to Nestor (3.16). Telemachus and Athena are welcomed warmly by Nestor’s son (3.40), and, after their meal, Nestor asks them who they are (3.77). Telemachus asks Nestor for news of his father, Odysseus (3.91), and Nestor recalls the “living hell” of Troy (3.113). Nestor tells Telemachus of the disaster that was the Achaean army returning home from Troy (3.147). Telemachus tells Nestor of the plight of the suitors (3.228), and Nestor tells Telemachus of Athena’s favor for his father, Odysseus—as Athena sits there in the guise of Mentor (3.247). Telemachus asks Nestor to tell the story of how Agamemnon died (3.282), and Nestor tells of how Agamemnon was betrayed by his wife and murdered (3.345).

As the conversation turned to returning to Nestor’s halls, Athena, disguised as Mentor, transformed into an eagle and flew away (3.415). Nestor explains to Telemachus what favor he must have with the goddess (3.420) and prepares a splendid sacrifice to Athena in her honor (3.429). He has the heifer’s horns sheathed in gold (3.488), and Athena returns pleased with this sacrifice (3.485). The book ends with them obeying Athena’s orders by preparing a chariot to take Telemachus to Menelaus in Sparta (3.335).

Join us as we read the Odyssey in this YEAR OF HOMER.