How much humor has there been so far? Isn’t epic Serious Business? What does laughter mean in epic? Has Telemachus come of age yet? What does a Greek child do to become an adult? How are different social classes portrayed? What is The Plan? What are its pitfalls? Is Odysseus a good person? Ὀδύσσεια 17 time to get the plan moving Odysseus sent to town to beg Telemachus goes home Ὀδύσσεια 17 Eurycleia greets Telemachus Penelope greets Telemachus T: I brought a stranger home. Ὀδύσσεια 17 the second assembly Spear in hand, Telemachus strode on through the hall and out, and a pair of sleek hounds went trotting at his heels. And Athena lavished a marvelous splendor on the prince so the people all gazed in wonder as he came forward. χάρις — charis — grace The swaggering suitors clustered, milling round him, welcome words on their lips, and murder in their hearts. Piræus: what about the stuff? Ὀδύσσεια 17 The Stranger goes home with Telemachus Penelope debriefs Telemachus “I will tell you the whole true story now.” “The lord of the warcry, Menelaus, asked at once what pressing need had brought me to lovely Lacedæmon.” Odysseus is alive but trapped Calypso will not let him leave Ὀδύσσεια 17 The Stranger prophesies “I swear Odysseus is on native soil, here and now! Poised or on the prowl, learning of these rank crimes he’s sowing seeds of ruin for all your suitors. So clear, so true, that bird-sign I saw…” Ὀδύσσεια 17 meanwhile the suitors… And so the three confided in the halls while all the suitors, before Odysseus’ palace, amused themselves with discus and long throwing spears, out on the leveled grounds, free and easy as always, full of swagger. Remember the Panathenaic games? Who else threw the discus and spears? Ὀδύσσεια 17 Eumæus and the begger go to town fountain of Ithacus, altar to nymphs Melanthius, son of Dolius: goatherd “Look! one scum nosing another scum along, dirt finds dirt by the will of god —it never fails! Wretched pig-boy, where do you take your filthy swine, this sickening beggar who licks the pots at feasts?” kicks Odysseus in the hip Hierarchy of Herdsmen βουκόλος (Sun) cowherd Philœtius ποιμήν (Cyclops) shepherd (Athena) αἰπόλος Melanthius goatherd cattle sacrificing & sheep & fat goats βοῦς ἱερεύοντες καὶ ὄϊς καὶ πῑονας́ αἶγας 17.535 Ὀδύσσεια 17 Now, as they talked on, a dog that lay there lifted up his muzzle, pricked his ears… It was Argos, long-enduring Odysseus’ dog he trained as a puppy once, but little joy he got since all too soon he shipped to sacred Troy. Infested with ticks, half-dead from neglect, here lay the hound, old Argos. But the dark shadow of death closed down on Argos’ eyes the instant he saw Odysseus, twenty years away. Ὀδύσσεια 17 Xenia? And now Athena came to the side of Laertes’ royal son and urged him, “Go now, gather crusts from all the suitors, test them, so we can tell the innocent from the guilty.” But not even so would Athena save one man from death. Melanthius “Listen to me, you lords who court our noble queen — I’ll tell you about the stranger. I’ve seen him before. I know for a fact the swineherd led him in…” Ὀδύσσεια 17 Your highness, swineherd—why drag this to town? Haven’t we got our share of vagabonds to deal with, disgusting beggars who lick the feasters’ plates? Isn’t it quite enough, these swarming crowds consuming your master’s bounty— must you invite this rascal in the bargain? Telemachus tries to end the quarrel Ὀδύσσεια 17 “Give me a morsel, friend. You’re hardly the worst Achaean here, it seems. The noblest one, in fact. You look like a king to me! So you should give a bigger crust than the rest and I will sing your praises all across the earth. I too once lived in a lofty house that men admired; rolling in wealth, I’d often give to a vagabond like myself, whoever he was, whatever need had brought him to my door.” “But Zeus ruined it all—god’s will, no doubt— when he shipped me off with a roving band of pirates…” Ὀδύσσεια 17 Antinoüs refuses Stranger, blames other suitors for feeding him: it’s easy to be generous with other people’s stuff “What a brazen, shameless beggar! Scrounging food from each man in turn, and look at their handouts, reckless, never a qualm, no holding back, not when making free with the next man’s goods— each one’s got plenty here.” Ὀδύσσεια 17 Antinoüs throws footstool at Odysseus hits him in the back, right shoulder …steady as a rock, unstaggered by Antinous’ blow—just shook his head, silent, his mind churning with thoughts of bloody work. Odysseus curses Antinoüs Was Antinoüs justified or over the line? Ὀδύσσεια 17 «μαῖ’, ἐχθροὶ μὲν πάντες, ἐπεὶ κακὰ μηχανόωνται· Ἀντίνοος δὲ μάλιστα μελαίνῃ κηρὶ ἔοικε.» “Dear old woman,” alert Penelope replied, “they’re all hateful, plotting their vicious plots. But Antinoüs is the worst of all —he’s black death itself.” Ὀδύσσεια 17 “My queen,” you answered, Eumaeus, loyal swineherd, “if only the lords would hold their peace a moment! Such stories he tells—he’d charm you to your depths. Three nights, three days I kept him in my shelter; I was the first the fellow stumbled onto, fleeing from some ship. But not even so could he bring his tale of troubles to an end. You know how you can stare at a bard in wonder— trained by the gods to sing and hold men spellbound— how you can long to sit there, listening, all your life when the man begins to sing.” individual books vary in length book 6: 331 lines book 4: 847 lines mean: 504 lines groups of four deviate far less from mean Lines Dev Lines Dev 1–4 2222 204 3979 -58 5–8 1757 -261 9–12 2233 215 4244 207 13–16 2011 -7 17–20 2032 14 3887 -150 21–24 1855 -163 Mean/AveDev 2018 144 4037 138 11 lines/min. = 1980 lines in 3 hours Odyssey = 3 days × 6 hours per day Ὀδύσσεια 17 “My queen,” you answered, Eumaeus, loyal swineherd, “if only the lords would hold their peace a moment! Such stories he tells—he’d charm you to your depths. Three nights, three days I kept him in my shelter; I was the first the fellow stumbled onto, fleeing from some ship. But not even so could he bring his tale of troubles to an end. You know how you can stare at a bard in wonder— trained by the gods to sing and hold men spellbound— how you can long to sit there, listening, all your life when the man begins to sing.” Ὀδύσσεια 17 introducing the beggar to Penelope “I’ll tell her the whole truth and nothing but, Icarius’ daughter, your wise queen Penelope. I know all about that man… it’s been my lot to suffer what he’s suffered.” but he defers until night to talk in private Ὀδύσσεια 18 Now along came this tramp, this public nuisance who used to scrounge a living round the streets of Ithaca— notorious for his belly, a ravenous, bottomless pit for food and drink, but he had no pith, no brawn, despite the looming hulk that met your eyes. Arnæus was his name, so his worthy mother called him at birth, but all the young men called him Irus for short because he’d hustle messages at any beck and call. Ὀδύσσεια 18 “Out of your mind? What damage have I done you? What have I said? I don’t grudge you anything, not if the next man up and gives you plenty. This doorsill is big enough for the both of us — you’ve got no call to grudge me what’s not yours. You’re another vagrant, just like me, I’d say, and it lies with the gods to make us rich or poor. So, keep your fists to yourself, don’t press your luck, don’t rile me, or old as I am, I’ll bloody your lip, splatter your chest and buy myself some peace and quiet for tomorrow.” Ὀδύσσεια 18 “Look who’s talking!” the beggar rumbled in anger. “How this pot-bellied pig runs off at the mouth —” “I’ll batter the tramp with both fists, crack every tooth from his jaws, I’ll litter the ground with teeth like a rogue sow’s, punished for rooting corn! Belt up —so the lords can see us fight it out.” Ὀδύσσεια 18 “Friends, nothing like this has come our way before— what sport some god has brought the palace now! The stranger and Irus, look, they’d battle it out together, fists flying. Come, let’s pit them against each other—fast!” All leapt from their seats with whoops of laughter, clustering round the pair of ragged beggars there as Eupithes’ son Antinous planned the contest.” They all cheered, but Odysseus, foxy veteran, plotted on… makes suitors swear not to help Irus Ὀδύσσεια 18 fewer rags, more handsome Odysseus belted up, roping his rags around his loins, baring his big rippling thighs—his boxer’s broad shoulders, his massive chest and burly arms on full display as Athena stood beside him, fleshing out the limbs of the great commander… Despite their swagger, the suitors were amazed… Ὀδύσσεια 18 BUMFIGHT!!!! Irus hits Odysseus in the right shoulder Odysseus breaks Irus’ jaw ἀτὰρ μνηστῆρες ἀγαυοὶ χεῖρας ἀνασχόμενοι γέλῳ ἔκθανον but the noble suitors holding up their hands died from laughter Odysseus props up Irus against the wall to scare off pigs and dogs Ὀδύσσεια 18 Amphinomus gives Odysseus a sausage Odysseus gives Amphinomus a warning “Of all that breathes and crawls across the earth, our mother earth breeds nothing feebler than a man.” Odysseus is coming “I say he’s right at hand —and may some power save you…” Even then Athena had bound him fast to death at the hands of Prince Telemachus and his spear.