The Odyssey: Difference between revisions
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{{DISPLAYTITLE:''The Odyssey''}} | |||
[[Image:Chagall-odyssey.jpg|thumb|The Odyssey, by Chagall]] [[Homer]]’s <i>Odyssey</i> is a ''nostos'', or an [[Epic Poetry | epic]] of return, and asks if one can come home again, especially after years of bloody war. In fact, an odyssey is now meant generally as a long journey home, much like [[Odysseus]]’ after the fall of Troy. The <i>Odyssey</i> attempts to remake order after the chaos of war. Odysseus, a young man when [[Agamemnon]] and [[Menelaos]] recruited him for the campaign against Ilium, is now a middle-aged survivor and veteran of that war who must be smarter than the champion [[Achilles]] and the leader Agamemnon in order to return home and set his lands in order. War almost seems easy in the light of Odysseus’ journey — at least in war, he knew his enemies. Enemies during peacetime wear many masks; Odyssey must do the same if he is to survive. Odyssey has emenies that can't be be humanly fought; the gods, but Athena helps him to get home safely. | [[Image:Chagall-odyssey.jpg|thumb|The Odyssey, by Chagall]] [[Homer]]’s <i>Odyssey</i> is a ''nostos'', or an [[Epic Poetry | epic]] of return, and asks if one can come home again, especially after years of bloody war. In fact, an odyssey is now meant generally as a long journey home, much like [[Odysseus]]’ after the fall of Troy. The <i>Odyssey</i> attempts to remake order after the chaos of war. Odysseus, a young man when [[Agamemnon]] and [[Menelaos]] recruited him for the campaign against Ilium, is now a middle-aged survivor and veteran of that war who must be smarter than the champion [[Achilles]] and the leader Agamemnon in order to return home and set his lands in order. War almost seems easy in the light of Odysseus’ journey — at least in war, he knew his enemies. Enemies during peacetime wear many masks; Odyssey must do the same if he is to survive. Odyssey has emenies that can't be be humanly fought; the gods, but Athena helps him to get home safely. | ||
== Summary == | == Summary == | ||
The ''Odyssey''’s action is spread over twenty-four books, set in medias res that generally occur half before Odysseus returns home, and half after. Throughout his journey, Odysseus faces numerous challenges that center around the deceits of the gods, the indulgences of men, and the | The ''Odyssey''’s action is spread over twenty-four books, set in medias res that generally occur half before Odysseus returns home, and half after. Throughout his journey, Odysseus faces numerous challenges that center around the deceits of the gods, the indulgences of men, and the cross-cultural desire to return home. Short summaries and resources for all of the books of Homer’s [[Epic Poetry | epic poem]] the ''Odyssey'' are below. Students new to the ''Odyssey'' might want to begin with {{harvtxt|Skidmore|1997}}. | ||
{{div col|colwidth=10em}} | |||
* [[The Odyssey Summary:Book 1|Book 1]] | |||
* [[The Odyssey Summary:Book 2|Book 2]] | |||
* [[The Odyssey Summary:Book 3|Book 3]] | |||
* [[The Odyssey Summary:Book 4|Book 4]] | |||
* [[The Odyssey Summary:Book 5|Book 5]] | |||
* [[The Odyssey Summary:Book 6|Book 6]] | |||
* [[The Odyssey Summary:Book 7|Book 7]] | |||
* [[The Odyssey Summary:Book 8|Book 8]] | |||
* [[The Odyssey Summary:Book 9|Book 9]] | |||
* [[The Odyssey Summary:Book 10|Book 10]] | |||
* [[The Odyssey Summary:Book 11|Book 11]] | |||
* [[The Odyssey Summary:Book 12|Book 12]] | |||
* [[The Odyssey Summary:Book 13|Book 13]] | |||
* [[The Odyssey Summary:Book 14|Book 14]] | |||
* [[The Odyssey Summary:Book 15|Book 15]] | |||
* [[The Odyssey Summary:Book 16|Book 16]] | |||
* [[The Odyssey Summary:Book 17|Book 17]] | |||
* [[The Odyssey Summary:Book 18|Book 18]] | |||
* [[The Odyssey Summary:Book 19|Book 19]] | |||
* [[The Odyssey Summary:Book 20|Book 20]] | |||
* [[The Odyssey Summary:Book 21|Book 21]] | |||
* [[The Odyssey Summary:Book 22|Book 22]] | |||
* [[The Odyssey Summary:Book 23|Book 23]] | |||
* [[The Odyssey Summary:Book 24|Book 24]] | |||
{{div col end}} | |||
== Themes == | |||
* ''[[/Xenia/]]'' — An ancient tradition lies behind the traveler’s welcome in Greece — and it is a tradition that was fundamentally religious before it became a part of social custom.{{sfn|Lucas|2013}} | |||
== Comparisons == | == Comparisons == | ||
| Line 11: | Line 42: | ||
* [[Athena and Telemakhos]] | * [[Athena and Telemakhos]] | ||
* [[Muses]] | * [[Muses]] | ||
* [[Hermes | * [[Hermes]] | ||
== List of Characters == | == List of Characters == | ||
==Human Beings== | {{div col|colwidth=20em}} | ||
===The Various Races=== | |||
*[[The Achaeans]] | |||
*[[The Gods]] | |||
*[[The Cicones]] | |||
*[[The Phaecians]] | |||
*[[The Lotus-eaters]] | |||
*[[The Laestrygonians]] | |||
*[[The Cyclopes]] | |||
===Human Beings=== | |||
* [[Telemakhos]] | * [[Telemakhos]] | ||
* [[Odysseus]] | * [[Odysseus]] | ||
| Line 20: | Line 61: | ||
* [[Nestor]] | * [[Nestor]] | ||
* [[Helen]] | * [[Helen]] | ||
===Suitors=== | |||
== | |||
*[[Antinous]] | *[[Antinous]] | ||
*[[Eurymechus]] | *[[Eurymechus]] | ||
*[[Amphinomus]] | *[[Amphinomus]] | ||
==The Women | ===The Women=== | ||
* [[Circe]] | * [[Circe]] | ||
* [[Clytemnestra]] | * [[Clytemnestra]] | ||
| Line 31: | Line 71: | ||
* [[Helen]] | * [[Helen]] | ||
* [[Penelope]] | * [[Penelope]] | ||
===The Supernatural Beings=== | |||
== The Supernatural Beings | |||
* [[Athena]] | * [[Athena]] | ||
* [[Circe]] | * [[Circe]] | ||
| Line 39: | Line 78: | ||
* [[Poseiden]] | * [[Poseiden]] | ||
* [[Zeus]] | * [[Zeus]] | ||
* [[Hermes]] | |||
{{div col end}} | |||
== ''The Odyssey'' in History == | == ''The Odyssey'' in History == | ||
== Afterlife == | == Afterlife == | ||
* [[Greek mythology]] | * [[Greek mythology]] | ||
* [[Hades]] | * [[Hades]] | ||
* [[Greek Afterlife vs. Christian Afterlife]] | |||
== | == Additional Resources == | ||
* [[ | * [[/Questions for Consideration/]] | ||
==Citations== | |||
{{reflist}} | |||
== Works Cited == | == Works Cited == | ||
Also see the [[/Bibliography|bibliography]]. For secondary works on specific books, also see the individual book pages above. | |||
{{refbegin|indent=yes}} | |||
* {{cite web |url=https://grlucas.net/grl/Xenia:_A_Religious_Duty |title=''Xenia'': A Religious Duty |last=Lucas |first=Gerald R. |date={{date|2013-12-29|MDY}} |website=G. R. Lucas |publisher= |access-date={{date|2021-08-01}} }} | |||
* {{cite web |url=http://www.mythweb.com/odyssey/index.html |title=Odysseus |last=Skidmore |first=Joel |date={{date|1997}} |website=MythWeb |publisher= |access-date={{date|2021-08-01}} }} | |||
{{refend}} | |||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Odyssey, The}} | |||
[[Category:Epic]] | |||
[[Category:BCE]] | |||
[[Category: | [[Category:Classical]] | ||
[[Category:Literary]] | |||
Latest revision as of 18:21, 3 August 2021
Homer’s Odyssey is a nostos, or an epic of return, and asks if one can come home again, especially after years of bloody war. In fact, an odyssey is now meant generally as a long journey home, much like Odysseus’ after the fall of Troy. The Odyssey attempts to remake order after the chaos of war. Odysseus, a young man when Agamemnon and Menelaos recruited him for the campaign against Ilium, is now a middle-aged survivor and veteran of that war who must be smarter than the champion Achilles and the leader Agamemnon in order to return home and set his lands in order. War almost seems easy in the light of Odysseus’ journey — at least in war, he knew his enemies. Enemies during peacetime wear many masks; Odyssey must do the same if he is to survive. Odyssey has emenies that can't be be humanly fought; the gods, but Athena helps him to get home safely.
Summary
The Odyssey’s action is spread over twenty-four books, set in medias res that generally occur half before Odysseus returns home, and half after. Throughout his journey, Odysseus faces numerous challenges that center around the deceits of the gods, the indulgences of men, and the cross-cultural desire to return home. Short summaries and resources for all of the books of Homer’s epic poem the Odyssey are below. Students new to the Odyssey might want to begin with Skidmore (1997).
Themes
- Xenia — An ancient tradition lies behind the traveler’s welcome in Greece — and it is a tradition that was fundamentally religious before it became a part of social custom.[1]
Comparisons
Gods and Mortals
List of Characters
The Various Races
Human Beings
Suitors
The Women
The Supernatural Beings
The Odyssey in History
Afterlife
Additional Resources
Citations
Works Cited
Also see the bibliography. For secondary works on specific books, also see the individual book pages above.
- Lucas, Gerald R. (December 29, 2013). "Xenia: A Religious Duty". G. R. Lucas. Retrieved 1 August 2021.
- Skidmore, Joel (1997). "Odysseus". MythWeb. Retrieved 1 August 2021.