10a. Odysseus (Ulysses)

10a
Odysseus (Ulysses)
Overview
When the Trojan War ended, the victorious Greeks needed to return from
the coast of Asia Minor to their homes around the Greek world. These
returns, known in Greek as “nostoi,” were important enough within early
Greek mythology to be narrated in an epic poem dedicated to the topic
(called the Nostoi—this poem has not survived, although we do have a
prose summary of its contents). Many of the returns of the Greek leaders
are disastrous, involving shipwreck, death, or expulsion from their homes
when they eventually arrive. Several of the heroes (such as Diomedes,
Idomeneus, and Philoctetes) end up leaving Greece and settling ultimately
in Italy. These myths seem to reflect the foundation of Greek colonies in the
archaic period. It is unsurprising, perhaps, that these journeys involve
danger. Sea travel was an inherently dangerous and yet essential method of
mobility for the Greeks and Romans living in the Aegean.
Short summaries of some of the major Return narratives are
found in Morford, Lenardon, and Sham 2018, 523–24.
The Story of Odysseus (Ulysses)
Overview
The most extensive and well known of the “nostoi” in Greek mythology is
that of Odysseus (known in Latin as Ulysses), as told in the long epic poem
the Odyssey. This poem is in the same dialect as the Iliad, and both texts
were considered in antiquity to be by Homer. Odysseus’ journey home is a
fantastic one, involving romance and many elements of folktale. We see
many of the same motifs in the Odyssey narrative as in other nostoi myths,
such as shipwreck and adventure, but on a much greater scale.
Odysseus must endure many hardships and adventures before he returns

home, but he is determined to return to his wife, Penelope, and his
son, Telemachus. He wanders a full ten years after the Trojan War.
Odysseus is aided by Athena, but he has also angered some gods.
Poseidon in particular is hostile to Odysseus and often causes him to suffer
and to be taken off course.
At his home in Ithaca, Penelope’s suitors, who think Odysseus is dead, try to
convince his wife to marry one of them. She remains faithful, but the suitors
nonetheless waste away his property with their feasting and celebrations.
His son, Telemachus, once he has reached adolescence, goes in search of
his father.
Fragment of a mid-fifth-century BCE terracotta sculpture depicting Odysseusand Penelope.
Ulysses and Penelope, ca. 450 BCE, terracotta sculpture, Musée du Louvre, Paris,
https://library.artstor.org/asset/LESSING_ART_10311441926.
Parts of the Odyssey

The narrative of Homer’s Odyssey (divided into twenty-four
books corresponding to the letters of the Greek alphabet, as is the Iliad) can
be summarized as follows:
Books 1–4
Telemachus goes to the mainland in search of news of his father. He visits
noble, old Nestor, King of Pylos as well as King Menelaus and Helen in
Sparta.
Books 5–8
The gods decide that it is time for Odysseus to go
home. Zeus sends Hermes to tell the nymph Calypso, who has harboured
Odysseus on her island as her lover, to let him go. He has at this point
already completed many of his adventures, but we hear about these only
later. She has offered immortality to Odysseus and a life of pleasure with
her, but he longs to return home to his wife. He sails off,
but Poseidon destroys his raft, and he lands on Scheria, the island of
the Phaeacians. There, Nausicaa, the daughter of the king, falls in love with
him and takes him to her father and mother, Alcinous and Arete.
Books 9–13
At a great feast held by Alcinous in Odysseus’ honour, Odysseus recounts
all of his adventures up until this point. The Phaeacians, greatly impressed
by his stories, load him with rich gifts and return him to Ithaca. Poseidon
punishes them on their return by turning their ship to stone.
Books 14–24
Odysseus is taken in by his trusted swineherd Eumaeus and is soon
reunited with his son, Telemachus. Odysseus is in disguise at first, but he
eventually reveals his true identity. He plans to go to the palace disguised
as a beggar, where he tests the fidelity of Penelope and plots against the
suitors. He eventually reveals himself to Penelope, kills the suitors, and
reunites with his wife and his family.
Ulysses Recognized by Eurycleia, a mid-nineteenth-century painting by Gustave Clarence Rodolphe
Boulanger.
Gustave Clarence Rodolphe Boulanger, Ulysses Recognized by Eurycleia, 1849, oil on canvas, 147 ×
114 cm, École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts,
Paris, https://library.artstor.org/asset/ARTSTOR_103_41822003851118.
Watch: The Odyssey Summarised—

Context, Themes and Importance
Watch a summary of the context and themes of
the Odyssey in this video from the World History

Encyclopedia.
The Odyssey Summarised - Context, Themes and Im…
Im…
World History Encyclopedia. "The Odyssey Summarised—Context,

Themes and Importance." [Video.] YouTube. 17:20. (2022 May,
2022). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSna4tLyq-A.
Check Your Understanding

1. Odysseus is helped by__________ and punished
by__________.
a) Hera, Athena
b) Athena, Poseidon
c) Poseidon, Aphrodite
d) Hades, Hermes
2. The narrative of Homer’s Odyssey is divided

into
a) twenty books
b) twenty-two books
c) twenty-four books
d) twenty-six books
3. At the end of his journey, Odysseus is
supported by__________.
a) Calypso
b) King Menelaus
c) Eumaeus
d) Poseidon

10a. Odysseus (Ulysses)

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

10a. Odysseus (Ulysses)

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

10a. Odysseus (Ulysses)

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

10a

The Story of Odysseus (Ulysses)

Odysseus must endure many hardships and adventures before he returns

Parts of the Odyssey

Watch: The Odyssey Summarised—

Watch a summary of the context and themes of

the Odyssey in this video from the World History

World History Encyclopedia. "The Odyssey Summarised—Context,

Check Your Understanding

2. The narrative of Homer’s Odyssey is divided

3. At the end of his journey, Odysseus is

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.