In my reading so far of the Odyssey I am amazed at how much seems to be covered in so few pages. The richness behind the meaning of the words and how much of a story they weave. Book II left us with Telemachos sailing out under the cover of darkness in one final quest for information regarding Odysseus' fate. As Telemachos approaches the island of Pylos the crew witnesses the beginning of a ritualistic festival for Poseidon. The beach is lined with groups preparing black bulls to be sacrificed in honor of Poseidon. The disguised Athene councils the young Telemachos to seek Nestor out for information. So come now, go straight up to Nestor, breaker of horses, Telemachos is lost, he does not know how to properly approach his elder. Mentor (Athene) assures him he will know by following what is in his heart. Nestor's men happily great Telemachos and Mentor welcoming them to the feast and ask that they too break wine in prayer to Poseidon. Athene was rather pleased that Nestor handed her the golden goblet first to make her prayer to Poseidon. Once the travelers have been fed Nestor inquiries into what brings them to his land, Telemachos' makes his plea. | Artist: Meleager Painter Date: between circa 400 and circa 380 BC Photographer: © Marie-Lan Nguyen / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY 2.5 |
For we have been told about all the other men who once fought |
Telemachos is distraught and tells Nestor of the suitors, wishing that the gods would give him the strength his father had so he could take revenge upon them. Nestor agrees by replying, "If only gray-eyed Athene would deign to love you, as in those days she used so to take care of glorious Odysseus in the Trojan country, where we Achaians suffered miseries; for I never saw the gods showing such open affection as Pallas Athene, the way she stood beside him, openly". (Book III: Lines 218-222) Telemachos responds in a way not befitting for someone that is wishing for the gods to shine upon them. He says this level of praise from the gods would never happen to him, not even if the gods willed it. This sends Athene blood pressure up a notch as she scolds him 'Telemachos, what sort of word escaped your teeth's barrier? Lightly a god, if he wishes, can save a man, even from far off.' (Book III: Lines 230-231)
Nestor continues on with a story about Menelaos' homecoming turmoil. He warns Telemachos not to stay away from his home long or the suitors will divide up his riches, but he encourages him to seek out Menelaos first, as he was most recently come home. Now that bedtime has come and the story telling must wrap-up Nestor offers his guest to stay in the palace. Here is the part I don't fully understand the meaning behind, Athene tells Telemachos to stay back and for Nestor to outfit him with horses, chariots and one of his sons and she will stay back and sleep by the ship. However, she leaves the scene not as her human male form, Mentor, but flies off in the likeness of a vulture. So why did she decide it was worthy to show her hand here as Athene? It did reap a reward, as Nestor immediately prayed to her and offered up a sacrifice. Thus, the following morning a festival was held in honor of Athene and the finest yearling cow was offered up with gold gilded horns.
Date: before 1881 Artist: Giacomo Brogi (1822–1881) This work is in the public domain in the United States, and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years or less. Source: Wikimedia Commons Date: 18th century Artist: William Hamilton (1751–1801) This work is in the public domain in the United States, and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years or less. Source: Wikimedia Commons | Book IV begins with Telemachos and Nestor's son on the journey to meet Menelaus. What better time to arrive, but during a wedding feast, do they do anything but feast? Never suggest that a stranger should be sent away because you are unable to entertain them. 'Eteoneus, son of Boëthoös, you were never Once again the feasting must take place first before the story continues. The story encountered here is a bit harder to follow. Menelaus is Helen's husband, the one that was kidnapped and sparked the start of the Trojan War. We don't get a clear understanding of events, Helen tells a story one way and Menelaus will in a patronizing way tell it with a different twist. In any case, Helen recognizes Telemachos as only someone that can be the son of Odysseus, he bears to close of a resemblance. As the men start grieving over lost ones Helen finds it necessary to drug them so they may forget all their sorrows. I'm not sure why she felt she needed to do this, maybe as a descendent of Zeus' Helen felt crying men to be weak? As the storytelling continues, we learn that Menelaus would willingly give up a third of his wealth to have the lives back of men lost during the battle. This is a rather remarkable offering. Menelaus recounts how he did not properly and fully pay tribute (hecatombs) to the gods and was held up in his journey until he could properly pay his respect. It took a bit of help from Eidothea, daughter of Proteus, the Old Man of the Sea to play a bit of trickery to learn what exactly was required to earn grace from the god holding him back. Not only did this trickery allow Menelaus to find his way home it gave him information on Odysseus. That was Odysseus son of Laertes, who makes his home in Remember back to the end of Book II, when Telemachos snuck off under the cover of darkness. We learn in this Book that all is not well back home now that his journey is discovered. The suitors have decided that the best course of action is to ambush and kill Telemachos on his journey home. Penelope is completely overcome when she learns he has left and is told of the suitors wishing to murder him, taking her son from her. Athene chooses to come to Penelope in a dream disguised as her sister to try and calm her fears, but will not answer of Odysseus' fate. Again, I wonder why at this juncture Athene did not truly ease Penelope's fears. |
Any thoughts on the purple stained robe? Was it only because they are royalty? I don't know if I should have been reading more or less into this. Did they cry tears of purple, or was the robe already purple?
He spoke, and stirred in the other the longing to weep for his father, Now too I was remembering things about Odysseus |
My thoughts are that he needed to experience a rite of passage, Telemachos is young and has not grown up under the tutelage of a father to guide him. He has no courage to stand up for himself, nor does he seem to fully appreciate the sacrifices one must make to the gods and their power. He, as with the suitors, grew up not knowing Odysseus and what he stood for or meant to the people of Ithaka. The suitors are all children of men that went off with Odysseus, they too have grown up without a father and lost touch with the customs since the elder men are scarce in the village.
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Tags: Odyssey; Read-Alongs