the odyssey book13. preparing for departure alkinoos calls the men together to gather gifts for...

The OdysseyBook13

Preparing for Departure

• Alkinoos calls the men together to gather gifts for Odysseus, filling the ship with treasures, food and drink.

Last Requests

• Offer Sacrifices• Grant peace from the gods• Faith and fidelity from Penelope

Wishes

• Success and prosperity (king)• Long life and joy (queen)

Odysseus Sleeps• Homeric (epic) Simile- is a detailed comparison in

the form of a simile that is many lines in length

*form "like a ____ when it ______.“

“Odysseus there fell asleep, gentle/ the sweetest kind of sleep with no awakening, most like/ death; while the ship as in a field four stallions drawing/ a chariot all break together at the stroke of the whiplash/ and lifting high their feet lightly beat out their path, so/ the stern of the ship would lift and the creaming wave behind her boiled…”

Homer’s Description

Odysseus-man with a mind like the gods-endured suffering and pain

Phorkys

• Harbor leading to Ithaca• One entrance for mortals, one for gods• Phaeacians beach the ship, carry the sleeping

Odysseus and all his treasures, and leave him on the shore.

Poseidon’s fury

• Never took away Odyseeus’ homecoming• Odysseus returns better than if he had come

straight from Troy• Zeus agreed that he would suffer• Own people disgraced him and used their gift

unrightfully• Cannot expect honor if disrespected by

mortals

Requests

• Destroy the ship• Put a mountain on top of Phaeacia

Response

• Zeus allows him to turn the ship to stone in view of the Phaeacians but does not allow harm to the people of the island.

• *Recall Alkinoos’ then irrelevant story about Poseidon’s vengeance against the Phaeacians.

Phaeacians

• Sacrifice 12 bulls• Abandon Xenia, the host-guest relationship

Ithaca

• Athene enshrouds Odysseus in a mist• Disguises herself as a herdsman• Reveals Ithaca

Odysseus Lies

• Exiled from Crete for the death of a man who tried to plunder his goods

• Desired to sail to Pylos but the wind changed• Abandoned by his company

Transformation

• Athene transforms to a beautiful woman• Criticizes Odysseus“You wretch, so devious, never weary of tricks…

even in your own country…deceiving (with) thievish tales.”

More Criticism

• Smart and resourceful, yet he doesn’t recognize Athene

• Claim to have helped him all along• But now he must endure grief in silence

IS THIS A JOKE???

• Where was Athene when the Cicones attacked him men, rulers the size of mountains feasted on his people, Scylla snatched 6 men, the ship was struck with lightning and he sailed for weeks among severe tempests…

Athene sent him to the Phaeacians!

Explaining the Absence

• Could not defy Poseidon, her father’s brother

• Scatters the mist• Devises a plan

Odysseus Accepts

• Fears he may perish like Agamemnon• Assures him of the Achians memory”You will not be forgotten at this time when the two of

us go to work.”

Athene:• withers flesh, dulls hair and eyes and dresses in rags• Advises him to seek out he swineherd where he can

ask his questions

Sparta

• Athene departs for Sparta to retrieve Telemachas

• Odysseus wonders why his son had to suffer• Athene refrains from revealing the suitors’

intent

• A tap of the wand transforms Odysseus into an ancient old man in rags.