Books 1 & 2
FFW (5 min; 10 sentences): What are your thoughts on the opening of the story? Do you think it makes sense to introduce the gods and Telemachus before we meet Odysseus? WHY?
Overview
Book 1:
The story begins with the gods on Olympus. Athena is pleading with her father, Zeus, to allow a mortal king named Odysseus to return home after many years trapped on an island with the goddess Calypso. We find out that most of the gods don’t have a problem with Odysseus, except for Poseidon the god of the sea. Apparently Odysseus and his army got into some trouble with a Cyclops son of Poseidon during the early days of their journey home from the war in Troy. All the other heroes of the Trojan War returned home shortly after the war ended, but Odysseus and his men were cursed by Poseidon and have yet to return home to Ithaca. Athena speaks with Zeus and he agrees that Odysseus will soon leave Calypso’s island and make the last part of their journey home.
Athena travels down to Ithaca and disguises herself as an old acquaintance of Odysseus. She visits Odysseus’ home and meets his son, Telemachus. In the years that Odysseus has been gone, men have come into the palace and began courting his wife. The suitors have become a huge problem, for both Odysseus’ wife Penelope and for Telemachus, as they are slowing ruining them by eating them out of house and home. Athena advises Telemachus to go seek answers about his father abroad, in Sparta and Pylos. We briefly see Odysseus' wife Penelope when she comes down to stop the local bard singing about her husband. Telemachus sends her back to her rooms.
Book 2:
Telemachus calls the local group of councilors together and makes the argument that they should intervene and stop the suitors courting his mother. He has some supporters but not enough and his argument is called out by a couple of the suitors who are present – Eurymachus and Anchialus. Apparently, the suitors believe they have been treated unfairly by both Telemachus and Penelope (Penelope played some trick with them over a burial shroud for the still-living Laertes and they are salty over it). When his first argument fails, Telemachus asks to be allowed to sail a ship with a contingent of men out to find out news of Odysseus. He reasons that whatever the news, it would benefit everyone to know and even goes so far as to promise that if he discovers Odysseus is dead, he will hand his mother over to whatever suitor wins her. Telemachus gets the backing of one of the few advisors Odysseus left behind when he left to fight in Troy, Mentor. Telemachus gets permission to leave and begins to make plans for the journey. Athena appears to him again, using Mentor’s form, and encourages him to leave as soon as possible. Athena then goes about the city, gaining volunteers for the journey in Mentor’s disguise.
Telemachus returns to the palace, and, with the help of his nanny Eurycleia, he contrives to leave on the journey without his mother knowing. The book ends with Telemachus and his crew setting out.
Context/References:
Laertes is Odysseus’ father, who has basically retired from his role as the king during the last few years because of his grief over Odysseus. He lives on a farm near to the palace. He was famous in his own right because he took part in Jason's quest to gain the Golden Fleece (which we'll be reading in April).
Odysseus and most of the younger generation of rulers throughout Greece went away to fight a war in Troy about twenty years ago. The war was fought because a prince of Troy, Paris, seduced and abducted Helen, the wife of the high king’s brother, Menelaus. Helen was renowned for her beauty and prior to her marriage most of the younger generation of the ruling class of Greece courted her. During this process, Odysseus suggested that all Helen’s suitors swear an oath to defend her and her future husband’s honour, in order to stop any rejected suitors going to war over her. This backfired. Most of the famous names associated with Troy swore this pact, including Odysseus himself as a sign of good faith, despite his own engagement to Penelope. A notable exception to this pact is Achilles – he was too young and never was a contender for Helen’s hand in marriage.
The Trojan war itself lasted ten years. It has been nine years since it ended and a lot of people believe Odysseus is dead, because he’s yet to return home. We'll read more about the war itself later in the year, when we start The Iliad.
Reflection: main takeaways from today's lesson?
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