Telemacheia, books 1-4Ancient critics noted that the first four books of the epic have a story in their themselves.

Telemachus develops from a timid youth, who can scarcely hold his own among the suitors, to a worthy and self-reliant young man, a force for the suitors to reckon with.

Athena, as Mentes/Mentor, makes this happen.

Key moments in the education include: •Athena’s instruction at Ithaca•Nestor’s instruction at Pylos

and Peisistratus’ friendship •Menelaus and Helen hosting at Sparta•Odysseus’s own instruction (Od. 16 ff.)

above OGCMA0729NOTOdysseus_Ottinger (a work owned by BYU-MOA)

Hyginus Fab.95 says that Odysseus did not want to go to Troy, because he knew Halitherses’ oracle (Od. 2.155f) that he would not return for 20 years... and without companions. Feigning madness, he yoked an ox with a horse and began to plow the sandy seashore. Palamedes, suspecting the ruse, used baby Telemachus for a test, which Odysseus failed. Saving Telemachus, Odysseus revealed himself.

ΝΟΣΤΟΙ (νοστός) = “returns” or “The Returns” (a sub-class of ancient epic poetryEpic bards set themselves the task of telling how the Achaeans and other Greeks got home from Troy at the end of the War.

Agamemnon, Orestes’ revenge, Menelaus’ homecoming, Ajax (the lesser, or “Locrian”), Odysseus and so forth...

Each hero’s return is worth an epic telling.

Homer’s Odyssey is a representative of this class of poems, but worked up with Homeric grandeur.

Phemius’s song in Od. 1.300 Why this detail in Odysseus’ home?

OGCMA0287Cassandra_Solomon

OGCMA0000NOTAjaxMinor_Serrur

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A. Athena comes to visit Telemachus.

B. Athena asks Zeus why he hates Odysseus.

C. Zeus speaks to the Olympians about Aegisthus and Orestes.

D. Zeus sends Hermes with a message for mortals.

What is the first action in Homer’s Odyssey, the very first thing that happens within the narrative (after the invocation of the Muses)?

i>clicker quiz

A. Athena comes to visit Telemachus.

B. Athena asks Zeus why he hates Odysseus.

C. Zeus speaks to the Olympians about Aegisthus and Orestes.

D. Zeus sends Hermes with a message for mortals.

What is the first action in Homer’s Odyssey, the very first thing that happens within the narrative (after the invocation of the Muses)?

“His mind was full of Lord Aegisthus, slain by renowned Orestes, the child ofAgamemnon; with him in mind Zeus began to speak to the Deathless Ones…”

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A. They want to marry Odysseus’ oldest daughter

B. They are buddies of Telemachus and they are fellowshipping him while his dad’s away.

C. They believe Odysseus is dead and they want to marry Penelope.

D. None of these is true

Why are there many suitors hanging around Odysseus’ place?

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A. They want to marry Odysseus’ oldest daughter

B. They are buddies of Telemachus and they are fellowshipping him while his dad’s away.

C. They believe Odysseus is dead and they want to marry Penelope.

D. None of these is true

Why are there many suitors hanging around Odysseus’ place?

The suitors have been thronging the home of Odysseus more and more in recent months, like vultures at road kill. (My simile.)

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A. Agamemnon’s cousin and claimant to the throne of Argos.

B. Clytemnestra’s chief “suitor”.

C. An Argive killed by Orestes.

D. An Argive captain in the Trojan War who fought valiantly thee.

E. None of these is true

Who is this Aegisthus that’s mentioned so often in the Odyssey?

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A. Agamemnon’s cousin and claimant to the throne of Argos.

B. Clytemnestra’s chief “suitor”.

C. An Argive killed by Orestes.

D. An Argive captain in the Trojan War who fought valiantly thee.

E. None of these is true

Who is Aegisthus?

Aegisthus and Clytemnestra participated in the murder of Agamemnon upon his return from Troy. Later, Orestes (and Electra) exacted divinely appointed vengeance and killed them both.

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A. Telemachus to MentesB. Telemachus to MentorC. Telemachus to AntinousD. Telemachus to Penelope

Who only could have said this and to whom? “The great island chieftains .. have all come to woo my mother, and they are devouring my inheritance. And although the thought of marriage is hateful to her, she dare not refuse outright and make and end of it.”

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A. Telemachus to MentesB. Telemachus to MentorC. Telemachus to AntinousD. Telemachus to Penelope

Tricky, but not a trick! In Odyssey 2.401 Athena disguises herself as “Mentor”; but, in Odyssey 1, where he’s setting forth the problem, Telemachus thinks he is talking to Mentes.

Who only could have said this and to whom? “The great island chieftains .. have all come to woo my mother, and they are devouring my inheritance. And although the thought of marriage is hateful to her, she dare not refuse outright and make and end of it.”

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Odysseus speaks toA. The princess NausicaaB. The goddess AthenaC. The “stern god of the sea”

(i.e. Poseidon)D. TelemachusE. None of these

At the end of Book 5, Odysseus survives a shipwreck and pulls himself to safety on the island of Scheria. Before he decides on a course of action he speaks the following words: “Alas, what will happen to me now? What will become of me after all? … I am almost at my last gasp.” To whom does Odysseus speak at this point?

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Odysseus speaks toA. The princess NausicaaB. The goddess AthenaC. The “stern god of the sea”

(i.e. Poseidon)D. TelemachusE. None of theseTricky, but not a trick, technically! Odysseus speaks “to his ardent soul” (his megathumos)

At the end of Book 5, Odysseus survives a shipwreck and pulls himself to safety on the island of Scheria. Before he decides on a course of action he speaks the following words: “Alas, what will happen to me now? What will become of me after all? … I am almost at my last gasp.” To whom does Odysseus speak at this point?

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A. OdysseusB. TelemachusC. MenelausD. PenelopeE. Helen

A simile in Od. 4.791 ff. likens a particular person to a lion. “As a lion ringed by a band of hunters is filled with bewilderment and fear as they close their cunning circle round him, in such bewilderment lay [this person] until welcome sleep came suddenly.” Whom does Homer liken here to this lion?

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A. OdysseusB. TelemachusC. MenelausD. PenelopeE. Helen

Homeric similes often compare moments of domestic life to moments in the wild, as here (hunted lion to besieged mistress).

A simile in Od. 4.791 ff. likens a particular person to a lion. “As a lion ringed by a band of hunters is filled with bewilderment and fear as they close their cunning circle round him, in such bewilderment lay [this person] until welcome sleep came suddenly.” Whom does Homer liken here to this lion?

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A. Nausicaa provides refreshing baths at her father’s thermal complex.

B. Queen Arete provides a sumptuous meal of sacrificial meats.

C. Helen of Troy spikes the winebowl with a special drug.

D. Athena shows her true identity to the assembled heroes.

In Menelaus’ palace in Sparta, Telemachus enjoys hospitality offered by the most gracious hostess ever to have occupied Menelaus’ palace. This same hostess does something to “dispell all grief and anger and banish remembrance of every trouble.” What does she do? And who is she?

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A. Nausicaa provides refreshing baths at her father’s thermal complex.

B. Queen Arete provides a sumptuous meal of sacrificial meats.

C. Helen of Troy spikes the winebowl with a special drug. … VERY WEIRD.

D. Athena shows her true identity to the assembled heroes.

In Menelaus’ palace in Sparta, Telemachus enjoys hospitality offered by the most gracious hostess ever to have occupied Menelaus’ palace. This same hostess does something to “dispell all grief and anger and banish remembrance of every trouble.” What does she do? And who is she?

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Which of Telemachus’ hosts informs the boy about Aegisthus’ behavior?

A. MentesB. MentorC. Agamemnon’s shadeD. NestorE. Peisistratus

Some host tells Telemachus the tawdry tale of Aegisthus’ involvement with Clytemnestra, starting in this way:

“… If [only] Menelaus returning from Troy had found Aegisthus alive in those halls. … We were still encamped at Troy, still fighting out many a contest, when Aegisthus, sheltered deep in the Argive plain that pastures horses, had begun already with his cajolings to tempt Agamemnon’s wife. And at first Clytemnestra would not consent to the deed of shame.”

i>clicker quiz

Which of Telemachus’ hosts informs the boy about Aegisthus’ behavior?

A. MentesB. MentorC. Agamemnon’s shadeD. Nestor : see Od. 4.250 ff.E. Peisistratus

Some host tells Telemachus the tawdry tale of Aegisthus’ involvement with Clytemnestra, starting in this way:

“… If [only] Menelaus returning from Troy had found Aegisthus alive in those halls. … We were still encamped at Troy, still fighting out many a contest, when Aegisthus, sheltered deep in the Argive plain that pastures horses, had begun already with his cajolings to tempt Agamemnon’s wife. And at first Clytemnestra would not consent to the deed of shame.”

i>c q

A. An unwritten code concerning the ritualized friendship between guests and hosts

B. An Amazon warrior, played by Lucy Loveless in a late TV series

C. a term that characterizes the misbehavior of the suitors, of Polyphemus, and of Paris in Menelaus’ house

Who, or what, is XENIA?

i>c q

A. An unwritten code concerning the ritualized friendship between guests and hosts. From Grk ξένος “stranger” comes ξενία “the rights of a guest, hospitality, friendly entertainment or reception”

B. An Amazon warrior, played by Lucy Loveless in a late TV series

C. a term that characterizes the misbehavior of the suitors, of Polyphemus, and of Paris in Menelaus’ house

Who, or what, is XENIA?

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A. AreteB. NausicaaC. HelenD. PenelopeE. Clytemnestra

At one point in Od.4, a certain woman descends a staircase and Homer likens her to the goddess Artemis. Who is it?

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A. AreteB. NausicaaC. Helen Od. 4.120f. D. PenelopeE. Clytemnestra

Think about it.

At one point in Od.4, a certain woman descends a staircase and Homer likens her to the goddess Artemis. Who is it?

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Which mortal woman is compared in a dramatic epic simile to a cornered lion in Od. 4?

A. AreteB. NausicaaC. HelenD. PenelopeE. Clytemnestra

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Which mortal woman is compared to a cornered lion in a dramatic epic simile in Od. 4?

A. AreteB. NausicaaC. HelenD. Penelope Od. 4. 800 ff.E. Clytemnestra

Highly provocative. Don’t you agree?

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A. Aias (or Ajax)B. Agamemnon C. OdysseusD. MenelausE. Philoctetes

Which of the Greeks returned home via Egypt and met there the “old man of the sea” Proteus?

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A. Aias (or Ajax)B. Agamemnon C. OdysseusD. MenelausE. Philoctetes

Menelaus disguises himself in seal skins and wrestles with the Protean god before wresting from him the info needed to return home safely.

Which of the Greeks returned home via Egypt and met there the “old man of the sea” Proteus?

Helps for studying the OdysseyThis Powerpoint lecture-note set, and subsequent sets

Some Study Questions for Homer’s Odyssey

Listing of Names of Importance

The timeline called 40 Days of the Odyssey

Mythological in the Odyssey: the gods and their functionsZeus and his ponderings on Aegisthus...

Hermes was sent to advise Aegisthus.

Athena takes the lead...

Zeus and xenia underpin it all.

Helen likened to Artemis on arrival (4.122)

Poseidon’s ticked off from the start (i.e. see the proem).

ΧΕΝΙΑ (χενία) = guest/host relations

The ready measuring-stick in the epic.

“...then [the boy] saw Athene. He made straight for the outer porch, inwardly vexed that a guest should stand at the door so long; he came up to her, clasped her right hand and took the bronze spear while his words came in rapid flight: ‘Greeting, friend; you shall be made welcome here; afterwards, when you have had your meal, you shall tell us what service you require.’” Shewring trans, Odyssey 1.120 ff.

There are positive and negative exempla.

Excerpt from J.L. David, “The Loves of Paris and HelenOGCMA0834ParisAndHelen_David

Correspondence: Odyssey and Oresteia

• Odysseus• Penelope• Antinous, Eurymachus,

and their ilk*• Telemachus• Etc?

• Agamemnon• Clytemnestra• Aegisthus

• Orestes• Etc?

* Penelope’s demeanor in the face of multiple suitors makes her that many timesbetter than Clytemnestra. Penelope’s challenge is of epic proportions.