The Odyssey

I’ve been reading Homer’s The Odyssey. I have but 50 pages to go now, so/and of course I recommend this book, the second of all works of Western literature (The Iliad is the first). I’ve also bought The Iliad and expect to read this before Christmas too. I’ve posted a few quotes from the book below; because I know that some readers dislike reading long quotes in italics, I’ve decided not to italize the quotes. I have, however, used italics to emphasize parts of the text, instead of using bold as a normally do (this convention is, I believe, standard practice when you don’t italize quotes in full). Hopefully, it should not be a problem separating the quotes from my comments:

i) “As bride for his beloved son, the gallant Megapenthes, he [Menelaus] was bringing Alector’s daughter from Sparta. A slave had borne this son to Menelaus, for the gods had given no other child to Helen after Hermione, that lovely girl with golden Aphrodite’s beauty.” (book IV, 9-14)

a) The sentences just before these describe how Menelaus was sending his daugther off to the son of Achilles to marry him, because he’d promised that long ago (presumably he’d promised Achilles, so neither the bride nor the groom had any say in this) in Troy. Notice that Menelaus arranges the marriages of both his daughter and son, without even asking the daughter (and presumably without asking the son, even if we don’t know for certain about that). b) Did you just notice the name of Helen’s daughter? If you’ve read Harry Potter, you probably did.

…

ii) “‘Alas!’ I [Odysseus] exclaimed. ‘All-seeing Zeus has indeed proved himself a relentless foe to the House of Atreus from the beginning, working his will through women’s crooked ways. It was for Helen‘s sake that so many of us met our deaths, and it was Clytaemnestra who hatched the plot against her absent lord.’
‘Yes,’ replied Agamemnon. ‘Never be too trustful even of your wife, nor show her all that is in your mind. Reveal a little of your plans to her, but keep the rest to yourself. [...] Women, I tell you, are no longer to be trusted.’” (book 11, 435->)

To be fair, Agamemnon’s wife had him killed, and the conversation takes place in Hades, where Odysseus is talking to his undead soul. But on the other hand, to Homer statements like these were apparently what you’d expect to hear from a great greek king (and, you’d not expect anyone in the audience to openly disagree with statements such as these).

iii) “‘Telemachus,’ Menelaus of the war-cry replied, ‘ I will not keep you here long if you wish to get back. I disapprove of any host who is either too kind or not kind enough. There should be moderation in all things, and it is equally offensive to speed a guest who would like to stay and to detain one who is anxious to leave.’” (book 15, 67-73)

Compare with Aristotle: [...] “Similarly, there are excess and deficiency and a mean in the case of actions. But it is in the field of actions and feelings that virtue operates; and in them excess and deficiency are failings, whereas the mean is praised and recognized as a success: and these are both marks of virtue. Virtue, then, is a mean condition, inasmuch as it aims at hitting the mean.” (book II, 1106b9-1107a1) and: “This much, then, is clear: in all our conduct it is the mean that is to be commended. But one should incline sometimes towards excess and sometimes towards deficiency, because in this way we shall most easily hit upon the mean, that is, the right course.” (book II, 1109b15-26). Aristotle’s book is written ~500 years later.

iv) “‘Like you’, said the noble Theoclymenus, ‘I have left my country. I killed a man of my own blood, and the plains of Argos are full of his brothers and kinsmen, who form the most powerful family in the land. It was to avoid death and dark fate at their hands that I ran away. It is my destiny to be a wanderer on the face of the earth. Please take me on board – I seek sanctuary with you – don’t let them kill me – I think they are on my track.’
‘I shall certainly not bar you from my good ship, if you wish to sail with us,’ said the thoughtful [sic!] Telemachus. ‘Come along then; and in Ithaca you shall be welcome to such hospitality as we can offer.’” (book 15, 271->)

The ‘thoughtful’ Telemachus not only does not have any reservations about inviting a self-confessed murderer onboard the ship, he actually promises to grant the guy hospitality when they reach Ithaca. The word ‘thoughtful’ sounds downright insane here, but there’s of course an explanation: Epithets such as these (‘thoughtful’, ‘resourceful’, ‘sensible’ ect.) are used and repeated all the time in this story due to the fact that this is oral poetry, and to quote from the introduction by Peter Jones: these epithets describe innate qualities, rather as we should not hesitate to talk of a ‘fast car’ even when it was parked.’ Note that Telemachus is one of the heroes of this story: What does this tell us about the ethics of Ancient Greece?

v) “I [a female slave who's planning to flee from her owners with the aid of some traders willing to sell her back to her family] will bring away some gold with me – all I can lay my hands on. And there’s something else I would gladly [my emphasis] give you in payment for my passage. I am nurse there in the house to my noble master’s child – a clever little chap, who trots along at my side when we go out. I’m quite ready to bring him on board with me, and he’d fetch you a fortune in any foreign port where you sold him.” (Book 15, 447->)

Slavetrade. Not the only time this subject is mentioned. Even if the woman is a slave herself, she would ‘gladly’ kidnap a child and sell it as a slave to pay for her own freedom. If it wasn’t for the fact that it’s somewhat difficult to emphasize 100 % with people figuring in a story such as this thus maintaining a certain mental distance from the injustices described, and if it was not for the fact that it’s completely normal to ‘adjust’ your moral compass a bit while reading a story such as this – it would make you completely furious. Even the heroes (or is it rather: ‘The heroes in particular…’) are a bunch of scumbags if you start to think about it and apply a modern ethical framework to evaluate their actions.

vi) “Athene now appeared before Odysseus, Laertes’ son, [who's disguised as a beggar] and urged him to go round collecting scraps from the Suitors and so learn to distinguish the good from the bad, though this did not mean that in the end she was to save a single one from destruction [my emphasis].” (book 17, 360-365)

Notice how the (later) Christian value of forgiveness really shines through here? (/waving my sarcasm sign) I guess nobody was supposed to ask the question: ‘If it didn’t make any difference one way or the other, then what’s the point of distinguishing at all?’ The god(s) work in mysterious ways indeed…

vii) “The great goddess [Athene] then endowed her with immortal gifts to make the Achaeans marvel at her beauty. First she cleansed her fair cheeks with a divine ointment used by Aphrodite when she puts on her lovely crown to join the Graces in their charming dance. Then she made her taller and fuller in appearance, and her skin whiter than newly sawn ivory.” (Book 18, 190-196)

Notice how the ancient beauty ideals diverge from ours. Skin whiter than newly sawn ivory is supposed to make you more beautiful? Seriously? (yes, I know why ‘paleness’ was considered an attractive trait back then signaling high status, there’s no need to lecture me on these things in the comments…)