Notes to Homer's Odyssey 1-4.

Notes to Book I.

We begin the Odyssey with the prologue where the poet calls upon the Muses and gives a description of his topic. Of course, as with the Iliad, there is much he leaves out -- for example, the whole situation with the suitors. The central theme is basically how Odysseus, the hero of many wiles, struggled mightily to get home. The poem opens, like the Iliad, toward the end of the adventure. Odysseus has been wandering ten years, and it has been twenty years since he left Ithaka. He is trapped on an island with the goddess Kalypso = (Miss Hider), crying for his home. The main narrative opens with a council of the gods, who are all present save Poseidon, who has been bitterly opposed to Odysseus because he blinded his son Polyphemus. We have questioned the morality of the gods in the Iliad, and note here how Zeus opens up the session by mentioning the crime of Aegisthus, who was warned by Hermes not to seduce Agamemnon's wife, but did so anyway. And humans blame the gods for their misfortunes! This speech shows how in fact the Odyssey will be more of a morality play, as the evil and the good both get their rewards. It will even have a happy, peaceful end. The mention of Orestes, Agamemnon's son who avenged him, is apt, for he is the same age as Odysseus' son Telemachus, and yet Telemachus is clearly being humiliated watching the suitors of Penelope ruining his estate. The question is then -- can Telemachus grow up to be like his father Odysseus? Athena then asks Zeus why he is so angry (odusao) at him (= Odysseus). Zeus says he is not angry, but he respects his brother Poseidon. But now that he is away, and the gods are otherwise united in agreeing to bring Odysseus home, Zeus declares that the time for his homecoming is at hand. But this really does not happen until book 5, when we have duplication of this conference. Rather Athena (who is often the special patron of young men) goes down to Telemachus. Hermes in book 5 will be again sent to Kalypso, as if this hadn't already happened in book 1. It is rather as if two different acts that took place at the same time were separated into two books. Athene's mission is to get the discouraged Telemachus moving and out in the world achieving heroic status and ready to receive and help his soon-to-return father.

So Athene comes down to the palace in the disguise of one of Odysseus' old friends. Telemachus is sitting sullenly in the middle of the suitors (whereas he should be keeping his distance), and is ashamed to see a guest kept waiting at the door. The hospitable treatment of strangers will be one of the indices of how well run and civilized a place is, and the fact that the stranger has been kept waiting shows the breakdown of order on Ithaka in the absence of its true master. But Telemachus does his best, and gives the stranger food and drink before questioning him. Athene replies in a lying speech, hinting that Odysseus will soon come. She is sounding Telemachus out, and soon the total discouragement of Telemachus is revealed. Even though Odysseus has been praised, Telemachus says he knows that he is Odysseus' son only by hearsay. Clearly he has much learning to do about his father. But instead Telemachus rather wishes that he had been the son of a man who was present, growing old in prosperity. Athene then questions him further, asking what sort of feast is being held. Feasting again is an elaborate social ritual, with definite kinds of feasts for different occasions. The fact that Athene cannot tell what kind of feasting this is indicates again the breakdown of social order and norms on Ithaka. Telemachus in reply explains the situation, and again his impotence and conviction that Odysseus is dead is evident. Athena again tries to stir Telemachus up by describing his father and the wonderful respect he was held in. Note that this description of Odysseus does show him as something of an unsavory figure, looking for poison for arrows, poisoned arrows being thought particularly horrible and detested by the gods. Then Athena (of course, still disguised) advises Telemachus to call an assembly, order the suitors to leave, and ask for a ship to go in search of his father. Then she points out that Telemachus is no longer a boy, and it is about time he started doing heroic deeds. Hasn't he heard of Orestes? By mentioning how much he is like his father, Athene has been trying to build confidence in him. And Telemachus tries to show gratitude by giving a good guest-gift, Athene cannot accept, but instead gives him something else -- a omen, showing that she was a god in disguise, undoubtedly Athene the companion of his father, who now will stand by his side. Notice that as Athene leaves she puts a new spirit in him, a new dream of his father. Again, as some suggest, a boy learns manhood by learning about his father. Maybe.

Now Penelope comes down. She is covered with a veil and crying. The veil is almost the physical symbol of her grief that has been a defense for her for so many years -- it is a frozen mental posture that stands between her and the world. The singer is singing, of course, of Troy, and she bids him stop, but Telemachus, trying to assert his new authority and independence, tells his mother to go upstairs and tend to her knitting, so to speak. Meanwhile the suitors have been noisily partying, and you can imagine their wolf-whistles as each declares how much he wants to go to bed with Penelope, right in front of her son! This is part of Homer's strategy of showing how insolent and vicious the suitors are, to justify Odysseus later wholesale slaughter of them. Now Telemachus tries to speak out against the suitors, and is much less successful. When Antinoos, who is the most violent of the suitors, swears that Telemachus will never be king, instead of stoutly disagreeing with him, Telemachus agrees that, yes, there are many on the island who could be king -- all he wants to do is manage is own property. Then we see Eurymackhos, who is the second head suitor -- he is just as evil, but he is also a deceptive hypocrite, who tries to comfort Telemachus while plotting to destroy his home. Telemachus, showing a bit of Odyssean intelligence, does not tell Eurymakhos the full story about the visitor, how it was really Athene. Then Telemachos goes to bed, and notice that his old nurse, Eurykleia, tucks him in. The boy's got a bit of growing up to do, some apron-string breaking. He needs to take a trip, a quest, which will be a kind of initiation ritual for Telemachus, corresponding to the first time the youth of the tribe leaves the safe borders of a tribe and goes out into the world to encounter dangers and then return home and man.

Notes to Book II.

Book 2 details Telemachus' failed attempt to conduct a town meeting and his acquisition of a ship. When the morning of the next day comes, Telemachus in fact does summon the town assembly for the first time since Odysseus has left twenty years ago. The old men of Ithaka show their support for Telemachus. Telemachus makes his plea for the suitors to leave, but ends up throwing down the herald's staff down in frustration, just like Achilles did in book I of the Iliad. Again, one of the marks of the proper Homeric hero is the ability to hold his own in the councils of peoples, captains and kings, and here Telemachus fails. Antinoos is ready with a quick insult, but he also gives tribute to Penelope by describing her long delaying trick of weaving the death-cloak of Laertes by day and unweaving it by night. Clearly it is her wiles that have held the house together so long, that and the faithful household. Telemachus again weakly replies that he does not have the right to demand his mother get married, and again repeats the request that the suitors get their dinner somewhere else. And now his speech gets an omen, eagles sent by Zeus who fight, omens of the coming conflict. Old Halitherses interprets the omen and predicts the destruction of the suitors. The impiety and insolence of the suitors is shown in Eurymakhos' mockery and threats in respect to the omen. Then Telemachus makes his second request for a ship. The real Mentor, one of the old, respected Ithakans, speaks in favor of Telemachus' pleas, but he is only answered by the mockery and threats of the suitors and the assembly breaks up in confusion, just as did the first assembly in the Iliad. And like Achilles, Telemachus goes alone to the side of the sea to pray to Athene, who appears in the disguise of Mentor and tells him that he will get his ship, but he must now go and make preparations. Notice on his hints about how success will follow Odysseus' true son. And it will -- Athene never helps losers -- except to destroy them.

Telemachus, fired up, goes back to the palace, and this time does not let the oily Eurymakhos offer friendship. He will not be sucked in again to be a part of the suitors. He goes to Eurykleia and asserts his authority by telling her to prepare the supplies and to keep it all quiet from Penelope. He is breaking some apron strings. Meanwhile Athene/Mentor is rounding up a ship and crew, and, when that is ready, she makes the suitors sleepy so they go home. She then leads Telemachus to the ship, a mortal escorted by a goddess, and now Telemachus can begin his Most Excellent Adventure.

Notes on Book III.

Books 3 and 4 show the beginnings of Telemachus' education into acting the role of an epic hero. Since Telemachus has grown up without Odysseus, he does not know really what a well-ordered house is like. At Pylos and Sparta he will find out, and learn how to speak and act in heroic company and gain honor and fame. It is fitting that Telemachus first comes to Pylos and Nestor, who is the ultimate repository of epic manners and lore. It is also fitting that, when Telemachus arrives, Nestor is sacrificing to Poseidon, who is holding his father back. At Pylos Telemachus will learn the correct behavior in respect to gods and men that is so lacking at Ithaka. Further, by seeing all these great heroes who praise his father, he will get a taste of what it can mean to have a good name. Further, his father will become more real to him, and thus prepare him for Odysseus' return. But Telemachus has some catching up to do. Notice how he tells Mentor/Athene how he does not know how to address Nestor. Again, a proper hero must know how to speak as well as act.

Nestor, of course, gives them proper hospitality when they arrive, and only after they have feasted does he ask Telemachus who he is. Athene is helping him learn, for he give Nestor a proper address -- "Nestor, Pride of the Acheans, Neleus' son...." (page 37) Nestor tells him what he knows of Odysseus, including a story, somewhat at odds with the main story, of how it was the wrath of Athene that was responsible for the scattering of the Greek fleet. This is the general story, but since Athene is the special patron of Odysseus, it is an awkward fact. The lesson of this story is that the rage of the gods cannot be bought off quickly, so naturally Odysseus must be patient. Notice how Nestor, in describing the returns of various Greek Heroes and the death of Agamemnon, also mentions Orestes, and "how good it is for a man to leave a son behind him "(page 41). And Nestor complements him, wanting Telemachus to ask further details of how Agamemnon was murdered and avenged. Telemachus shows he is still dispirited, for when Nestor mentions the hope of Odysseus' return, Telemachus says not even the gods could bring it about -- with Athene there listening. She (disguised as Mentor) points out that the gods can do anything, and then gives some details of Agamemnon's fate that make Telemachus allow Nestor to tell the rest of the story, which includes how Orestes avenged his father, and right quickly too. This is a lesson to Telemachus.

Evening is coming, and they make the final sacrifice and prepare to go to bed. Then Athene/Mentor gives Telemachus and Nestor one more sign -- she flies off like a bird again, and Nestor happily interprets the omen, saying that clearly Telemachus has the old favor of Athene that his father had, and thus things will go well for Telemachus. This is clearly part of Telemachus' winning of reputation, for the patronage of Athene, acknowledged by a great king, is not to be despised. And this is to be underscored the next day by a special sacrifice to Athene. Again, Nestor is teaching Telemachus how to win and keep the favor of the gods. Notice the elaborate description of the sacrifice. Then, as a sign of Telemachus' new status, Nestor's youngest daughter gives him a bath. It is notable that at several places either Telemachus or Odysseus are given baths when they are about to set out on a new stage of their journey. So Telemachus and Peisistratos, Nestor's son, head out for Sparta. This chariot trip also is symbolic of male initiation. Because a man had to use his strength and skill to manage a team of horses without power steering, the ability to drive a chariot was a sign of manhood. We have several Greek legends (for example that of Hippolytus and Phaethon) where the young man's wreck of a chariot is linked to his inability either to equal his father or mature properly.

Book 4.

At Sparta there is a double wedding feast going on. Again, this is proper feasting, vs. the disordered affair at Ithaka. While all things seem bright and sunlit, there are ominous overtones. Notice that the son of Menelaus is not a true son by Helen, for she and Menelaus have had no children since she went off with Paris. Why? Does this hint that there is a certain sterility to their marriage? One must read between the lines to fully understand the relationship of these two. The importance of epic manners is again underlined by the rebuke one of Menelaus' bonehead retainers gets when he suggests the possibility of sending the unexpected guests elsewhere. At Menelaus' command they are given lavish hospitality, and Telemachus is amazed at the godlike splendor. But riches are not everything, as Menelaus soon shows. Menelaus would give much of his wealth (but not all? ) if he had not lost so many friends. Notice the endless grief. I suspect there is a bit of Menelaus still at Troy. Then Helen appears and immediately notes the similarity of Telemachus to Odysseus. Note how wonderfully Menelaus describes his admiration and love for Odysseus. At same time, all these events still hurt, as all the men break down in tears over memories of loved ones lost in the Trojan war. This is a strange moment, for here stands Helen, the one who caused it. Thus it is not surprising that she suddenly puts drugs in their wine. These drugs indicate the artificiality of the situation. The evil of Helen is still not dead, She has done what cannot be, in some sense, forgiven. Menelaus has her back, near goddess that she is, but at what cost? Helen, after the drugs, further tries to defend herself by telling how, toward the end of the Trojan war, she aided Odysseus making a spying expedition into Troy. She claims that she was longing for Greece. But then notice how Menelaus can't help but mention the episode with the Trojan horse, how Helen, (now married to a second Trojan -- why didn't she come back after Paris was killed by Philoctetes?) tried to lure the Greeks out of the Trojan horse by imitating the voices of the Greek leaders' wives. It is clear that Menelaus knows that, at some level, Helen still is at Troy, and really likes having been the object of so much attention and grief. This is a temptation Penelope must avoid. A potential fight is brewing but Telemachus avoids it by saying that it is time to go to bed.

The next day Menelaus asks Telemachus his business, and then tells him about his own voyages, and what he has learned about Odysseus. Homer rarely does any major scene without some minor scene as a doublet of it, and here Menelaus' story of his wanderings (seven years) resemble those of Odysseus. He, as Odysseus is trapped on the island of Kirke and Kalypso, is trapped on the island of Paros in the Egyptian delta. Just as goddess Kirke sends Odysseus to the seer Teiresias, so Menelaus must have a terrifying encounter with Proteus, the old man of the sea, who, like Teiresias, will tell him how to get home. Proteus also tells Menelaus the status of Odysseus, that he is still alive, but trapped with Kalypso. Proteus also tells of the death of Agamemnon, and note here Agamemnon is ambushed during a homecoming party. Again, this is another reason for Odysseus to be careful, and in fact Odysseus will reverse the process, for he will ambush the suitors at their party. This tells Telemachus as Odysseus may still be alive, and that a hero can return even after long wandering, like Menelaus did.

Finally, just as Teiresias will prophecy to Odysseus his final reconciliation with Poseidon and soft death in old age, Proteus also tells Menelaus' fate. He will go to the island of the Blest (which is like the land where Utnapistim ends up).It is a beautiful island with permanently good weather -- Hawaii without the tourists or typhoons. He will get this because he is married to Helen, daughter of Zeus. But notice that this is exactly what Odysseus has now. He is living on a beautiful island with an immortal goddess, and he has the choice of staying there and becoming immortal -- and he gives it up. Odysseus gives up the 'heaven' so to speak that Menelaus is promised. The point of all this is to stress that, in Homer's view, such situations were not for human beings. We are part of the world of struggle and change and life, where we can make a name for ourselves. We are not built to be yoked in that way with the gods. The gods can make light of human tragedy, just as Helen, in some way, does not despair over the events of the Trojan war. But Menelaus, who, while brave, always has a certain conventional, passive quality, does not have the courage of Odysseus to challenge common notions of good fortune. He is trapped with Helen as Odysseus is with Kalypso. But Odysseus, after a few years with Kalypso, realizes he was better off home. But Menelaus does not have the courage or insight to give up Helen. Finally, notice at the end Menelaus promising great gifts to Telemachus, which will be the physical symbol of his new honor and status.

Now the scene shifts to the suitors who are amazed that Telemachus actually did get a boat and got away. They notice, but do not see the significance, of the fact that he was being helped by a god. Instead, again showing why the suitors must die, they plot the death of Telemachus by ambushing him as he returns. Penelope soon learns of the plot, deepening her distress. This plot is a sign that matters are coming to a crisis point at Ithaka. Something is going to have to be resolved soon. The pressure on Penelope, of course, now that her son is threatened, is intense, especially when she learns that Telemachus went away without even telling her. She fears he will be lost, like Odysseus. In her desperation she directly prays to Athene. Then, as the suitors carry out their plot to launch a ship to ambush Telemachus, Athene sends a dream to the weary Penelope in the form of her sister, who tells Penelope not to worry, that Telemachus is protected by Athene. This scene points to the powerlessness and futility of the suitors actions' while even now Telemachus has the protection of Athene. Note that the dream cannot tell about Odysseus -- because in part Penelope knows nothing about his fate. The books ends on a cliffhanger, as the ship of the evil suitors sets out.

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