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The Odyssey of Homer PDF

443 Pages·2013·1.71 MB·English
by  Homer
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The Odyssey of Homer Translated with an introduction by Richmond Lattimore To Royal Nemiah Contents Introduction Book I Invocation and part summary—council of the gods—Athene visits Telemachos in Ithaka and urges him to go in search of his father—the suitors feast in the house of Telemachos. Book II Assembly on Ithaka—Telemachos publicly requests the suitors to go home— secret departure of Telemachos and Athene. Book III Athene and Telemachos arrive in Pylos—entertainment by Nestor and his family —Telemachos and Peisistratos leave for Sparta. Book IV Arrival at Sparta—entertainment by Menelaos and Helen—the wanderings of Menelaos—report that Odysseus is on Kalypso's island—at Ithaka the suitors learn of Telemachos' departure and lay an ambush for him. Book V Council of the gods—Hermes tells Kalypso to let Odysseus go—he sails on a raft but is wrecked by Poseidon—he swims ashore on Scheria. Book VI Odysseus encounters Nausikaa, the princess of the Phaiakians, and is accepted as a guest. Book VII Reception of Odysseus by Alkinoös and Arete. Book VIII Odysseus at the games of the Phaiakians—he is asked to tell his name and his story. Book IX The wanderings of Odysseus—the raid on the Kikonians—the Lotus-Eaters—the adventure with Polyphemos the Cyclops. Book X The wanderings of Odysseus—Aiolos and the bag of winds—Odysseus blown back to sea after sighting Ithaka—the adventure with the Laistrygones—Circe's island—the men transformed and restored. Book XI The wanderings of Odysseus—voyage to the land of the dead—interviews —Elpenor—Teiresias—Antikleia—the heroines—interlude in Scheria —interviews—the heroes—return to Circe. Book XII The wanderings of Odysseus—the Sirens—Skylla and Charybdis—the cattle of Helios—loss of the last ship and all the companions—Odysseus rescued by Kalypso—end of his story to the Phaiakians. Book XIII Return of Odysseus to Ithaka—he is landed, alone—strange return of the Phaiakian ship—Athene comes to Odysseus and advises him. Book XIV Odysseus received by Eumaios—he tells Eumaios the (false) story of his life. Book XV Telemachos, urged by Athene, leaves Sparta—from Pylos, he sails for home— Odysseus still with Eumaios—life story of Eumaios—Telemachos eludes the ambush and reaches Ithaka. Book XVI Telemachos visits Eumaios—Odysseus reveals himself to Telemachos— Penelope and the suitors learn that Telemachos has returned—night at the house of Eumaios. Book XVII Return of Telemachos to his house—Odysseus, disguised as a beggar, goes to the house with Eumaios—Odysseus begs from the suitors. Book XVIII Fight between Odysseus and Iros—Penelope appears briefly before the suitors —after disorderly incidents the suitors go home. Book XIX Interview by night between Odysseus and Penelope—Odysseus almost betrayed by his scar—the story of the scar—plan for the test of the bow. Book XX Next morning all the principals gather in the house. Book XXI The test of the bow—the suitors fail—Odysseus succeeds. Book XXII The killing of the suitors—punishment of the faithless maids and thrall. Book XXIII Recognition of Odysseus by Penelope—reunion—Odysseus goes to Laertes' farm. Book XXIV The heroes of Troy learn the story from the ghosts of the suitors—Odysseus reveals himself to Laertes—burial of the suitors by their relatives, who plan revenge—final combat between Odysseus and his party and the relatives of the suitors—peace imposed by Athene. Glossary About the Author Praise Credits Copyright About the Publisher INTRODUCTION THE OUTLINE OF THE ODYSSEY The Odyssey as we have it is an epic of over twelve thousand lines. It has been divided, like the Iliad and probably at the same time, into twenty-four books. Book number and line number are the standard terms of reference. The contents can be, very broadly, divided as follows: The Telemachy or Adventures of Telemachos, i-iv The Homecoming of Odysseus, v-viii and xiii.1-187 The Great Wanderings, ix-xii Odysseus on Ithaka, xiii.187-xxiv.548. We can also distinguish a Proem, Book i.1-10, and an End of the Odyssey, all of Book xxiv. This division is for convenience; it is arbitrary and not water-tight, but gives us terms to work with.1 I begin by summarizing the bare facts of the story. Odysseus spent ten years fighting at Troy, and another ten years getting home. During this time, none of his family knew what had happened to him, and he lost all his ships, all his men, and the spoils from Troy. After ten years, or in the tenth year, he was set down in his own country, alone and secretly, though with a new set of possessions, by the Phaiakians of Scheria, who were the last people he visited on his wanderings. When he took ship for Troy, Odysseus left behind his wife, Penelope, and his infant son, Telemachos. A few years before his return, the young bachelors of Odysseus’ kingdom, Ithaka and the surrounding islands, began paying court to Penelope (ii.89-90). She was accomplished and clever, still beautiful, an heiress and presumably a widow; but she clung to the hope that Odysseus might come back, and held them off, without ever saying positively that she would never marry again. The suitors made themselves at home as uninvited guests in the palace of Odysseus. Shortly before the return of Odysseus, Telemachos visited the mainland in search of news about his father. He heard from Menelaos that Odysseus was alive but detained without means of return on the island of Kalypso (iv.555-560). Telemachos returned to Ithaka. The suitors set an ambush, meaning to murder him, but he eluded them and reached Ithaka just after his father arrived. The voyage of Telemachos, the arrival of Odysseus, and the recognition and reunion of father and son, were all supervised by Athene. Father and son plotted the destruction of the suitors. Odysseus entered his own house unrecognized, mingled with the suitors and talked with Penelope. He and Telemachos contrived to catch them unarmed and with the help of two loyal serving men (and of course Athene) they slaughtered all 108 suitors. Penelope knew nothing of the plot; Odysseus revealed himself to her after the fighting was over. The relatives of the dead suitors attacked the heroes on the farm of Laertes, father of Odysseus, and a battle began, but it was ended by Zeus and Athene, who patched up a hasty reconciliation. THE TELEMACHY The Odyssey, like the Iliad, begins in the tenth year of the story's chief action, with events nearing their climax and final solution. We begin with a very rapid location of Odysseus in place, time, and stage in his career, but then (via the councils of the gods concerning his immediate fate) pass to Telemachos, with Athene's visit which sends him off on his journey. It is only after Telemachos has begun his visit in Sparta, and heard from Menelaos that his father is alive, and after the suitors have set their trap, that we return directly to Odysseus himself. We then follow Odysseus for the rest of the Odyssey. The poet now tells us of Odysseus' journey to Scheria and his sojourn there; and he makes Odysseus himself recount to the Phaiakians his previous wanderings (The Great Wanderings). They then convey him to Ithaka, and with his homecoming the tale of the wanderings of Odysseus joins on to the tale of Odysseus on Ithaka. Thus in two respects the narrative order of the poem disagrees with the chronological order of the story. The early and chief wanderings of Odysseus are told by throwback narrative toward the middle of the poem; and the wanderings of Telemachos come first. The joins or transitions from theme to theme are noteworthy. After the poet has located Odysseus in time and space, the gods consider the question. Athene urges the homecoming of Odysseus. Zeus proclaims that Athene shall have her way; Odysseus may now start for home. Athene answers (i.81-95)

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