The Odyssey Book 1: A Detailed Analysis

Welcome to our first deep dive into the text of the Odyssey. Today we'll be looking at the opening of the story as we explore book one, the first of 24 books of the poem that makes up the Odyssey. Through this we'll be delving into the events, themes, and characters that show up and laying the groundwork for further analysis as the story progresses. Keep in mind that this is meant to be an introductory analysis and there's always plenty more to discuss. To accompany this analysis I've also released the audio recording of this book, which you can listen to in advance. If you'd like to read the text, the translation I'll be referring to and reading from is by E.V. Ryu, though you can essentially read any translation you prefer and get the same general sense. I would caution, however, reading any translation that starts with "E" and ends with "V" is a good idea, as it's easy to get lost in the context of the text. it's too old as sometimes the language can be a bit of a barrier I found this version to be a fine balance between capturing the essence of Homer's poetry and general readability for a modern audience so without further ado let's jump into our analysis of book one of Homer's Odyssey we begin as we must with Homer's invocation to the muse where he asks tell me muse the story of that resourceful man Homer invokes the muse calling her to tell the story through him now there were nine muses each interested in a different artistic genre and though Homer does not name her here he is certainly referring to Calliope the muse of epic poetry an invocation was a firmly established convention of the genre and has its roots deep within the practice of the oral tradition it serves a number of functions firstly it makes the recitation seem divinely blessed placing the bard in an elevated position so that it is really the muse speaking through him so you better not criticize it secondly it's a good way of starting the recitation especially if it isn't the first night of storytelling or if you're starting at a new point in the tale it allows you essentially to give the context of what you're about to tell to the audience within the overall story much like modern television recaps at the beginning of a show finally it also wakes the audience up and grabs their attention so much so that you could slip in a second invocation at any point during the night if you felt your listeners interest waning therefore it's likely that a full rendition of the Odyssey over many nights would have contained many separate invocations but once it was set down in writing it only made sense to keep the first one so what does Homer tell us in this particular invocation well just as the Iliad's invocation begins with the key theme the rage of Achilles here Homer gives us two key concepts the resourceful crafty complicated character of Odysseus and his long tortuous journey to get back home safely this is perfectly encapsulated in the Greek epithet polythropus used for Odysseus here it means in essence much turned which can equally apply to Odysseus' cunning mind and also his wanderings it's fascinating how Homer can get so much out of a single word in the first line of this poem finally before he gets into the story proper Homer gives us what feels like a pretty massive spoiler all of Odysseus' men die they go against divine orders and eat Hyperion's cattle which seals their fate now this kind of spoiler might seem unusual to a modern audience since we prefer our linear stories with at least a pretense of suspense but that's really not the case in epic we all know Odysseus is getting home we know he's gonna suffer we know he's gonna come back alone so this isn't really a huge revelation it is however an interesting episode to linger on why focus on this particular moment of the many to choose from well it does introduce a key theme that we will be discussing shortly the idea of transgressions breaking divine laws and customs and the consequences of those actions in some ways the Odyssey is a story of crime and punishment with apologies to Dostoevsky and we'll keep an eye on how this theme develops as we go after the invocation Homer takes a little time to establish the point at which the story begins as mentioned in my introductory piece the Odyssey does not follow a linear structure and these events take place in the tenth year of Odysseus' wanderings Homer tells us that every other surviving Greek has a history of crime and punishment but that that history is based on the fact that Homer was born and raised on the Greek island of Troy and that that history has come back from Troy except for Odysseus who is stuck on Calypso's island unfortunately for us that is where he will stay until we finally meet him in book five now a second very important theme that runs throughout the story has immediately come up here the idea of Gnostos homecoming and the fate of the Greeks after Troy the Odyssey is not just the tale of one man's homecoming instead Homer manages to interweave the tales of almost all the Greeks who have been exiled by the Greeks in one way or another and the fact that all these others have returned home but Odysseus has not is a great source of pain both for him and for his loved ones which they will openly talk about in this book Homer slips in some more important information too that this is the year that Odysseus is fated to return home which solidifies our understanding that the outcome is inevitable Poseidon is the one that has stopped his return so far Poseidon is away visiting the mythical Ethiopians and there is an opportunity for events to be set in motion so Homer has arranged the pieces on the board and the whole story is about to burst into action it just requires someone to kick it all off and that will fall to Athena a familiar scene in Homeric epic is the sort of gathering we like to call councils or assemblies be it of important mortals or gods the Iliad being concerned with war and generals and decisions is full of them the Odyssey less so but we do begin with one here Homer drops us into an assembled meeting of the gods where Zeus is holding court and remember Poseidon is noticeably absent while we might expect the attention to turn to Odysseus from the outset instead Zeus begins by ruminating on an unlikely character Aegisthus this was a rival of Agamemnon who had an affair with his wife Clytemnestra while her husband was away at Troy and conspired with her to murder Agamemnon upon his return in retribution Agamemnon's son Orestes killed Aegisthus as well as his own mother while it is surprising that we should begin with this bloody tale it all forms part of the larger theme of Nostos the homecoming of the Greeks and in particular the king of kings Agamemnon himself this is one of the major themes of the story since he's dead he can't really feature in the action much more although he does make an interesting cameo a lot later in the story furthermore Zeus uses this example of Aegisthus as a means of educating us the audience on the nature of fate he declares what a lamentable thing it is that men should blame the gods when it is their own transgressions that bring them suffering that was not their destiny there's a lot to unpack about this story here so let's begin by discussing Zeus's role in these stories while we used to the more philandering and procreative version of Zeus in mythology Homer's Zeus is much more reserved and kingly in the Iliad in particular he tries to remain neutral in the contests of gods and men he acts as an arbiter and upholder of fate here Zeus tells us that fate is not completely determinative instead mortals can make things worse for themselves and they have their own rules especially by ignoring the laws and warnings of the gods as Aegisthus did in this case in this way we are reminded of the transgressions of Odysseus's crew that Homer mentions in his invocation as a reminder of the dire outcomes of ignoring the commands of the gods it's worth remembering this complaint that Zeus makes as we will see many many characters blame the gods for their various disasters as the story progresses with Zeus's opening remarks finished Athena senses the opportunity to make her move she addresses her father with not one not two but three separate titles father of ours son of Kronos king of kings all of which show how important he is but also how talented Athena is at flattery now is an apt moment to introduce the concept of epithets these are words or phrases that accompany the name of a character which is a classic convention in epic poetry they will often highlight a particular feature of a character to demonstrate their importance or give additional characteristics that change our way of seeing them here Athena is described as the goddess of the flashing eyes and she will often be referred to as bright-eyed Athena this gives a unique layer of meaning and imagery to her and we will discuss some of the more interesting of these epithets when they arise Athena's address to Zeus is subtle but also direct she is here to plead Odysseus case as her heart is rung for him this is an immediate indication that Odysseus is her favorite, her champion if you like, and Athena will remain his greatest source of help throughout the poem. Her description here is full of ornamental language, describing in poetic detail Calypso's island and even her parentage. This is another typical feature of epic poetry, which stems from the oral tradition, where the bard would elaborate as he saw fit on any place, item or person mentioned. To us, it might not seem pertinent to go into such detail, but the language is beautiful nonetheless. Athena's sharp intelligence comes to the fore when she cleverly goads Zeus into taking her side, noting how deferent and pious Odysseus has been to the gods, and suggesting that Zeus was to blame for his imprisonment. Zeus immediately refutes this, noting that Odysseus is not only the wisest man alive, but has also been the most generous in his offerings to the immortals. Zeus rightly places the responsibility on Poseidon. Remember he just complained about getting blamed for things that weren't his fault? And now he tells us more about why Poseidon is so angry. As any ancient Greek audience would know going into this story, Odysseus blinded Polyphemus, the Cyclops, who just so happened to be the son of Poseidon. And now he is hounded by Poseidon, the sustainer of the earth, who only stops short of killing him because of the designs of fate. Zeus is quick to remind us of this fate. It is determined that Odysseus will reach home, and he says in no uncertain terms, Poseidon will relent. Zeus then announces that the assembled gods will work together to see him home, and Athena immediately takes the lead in planning out the details. Homer now uses the combination of Athena's advocacy and Zeus' consent to set in motion the key events that will see Odysseus come home. It's the spark that sets off all the subsequent action in the story. The plan is this. Hermes will visit Calypso, the nymph of the plated tresses, and inform her of their unalterable decision, while Athena goes to Ithaca to begin Telemachus' story. It's the second part of the plan that will be the focus of books one to four, and by the time we reach book five, the gods will still be in council, and Hermes won't have even left yet. The Second Part of the Plan As Athena leaves, we are treated to another classic staple of epic poetry - a typist scene. These were familiar story moments that could be repeated and modified for a range of situations, such as getting dressed for battle or addressing an assembly. Here we see Athena put on her sandals, pick up her spear, and descend to Ithaca. It's a beautiful moment that foreshadows the serious consequences of her visit. Upon arriving, she quickly takes on the appearance of Mentes, an old friend of Odysseus. Now, disguises are a specialty of Athena. She has a lot of fun in this story, popping up from time to time as different characters. It is also another recurring theme we will revisit, where appearance plays a vital part in how characters are treated. Maddeningly, in book one, Athena appears in the guise of Mentes, but in book two, she becomes Mentor - two completely different people. So, what's the situation like in book one? Well, we heard from Athena that a number of suitors are living there, trying to marry his wife, Penelope, and we are immediately introduced to them as Athena arrives. Homer is very deliberate in his presentation and characterisation of these suitors, to establish that they are not behaving properly. When we first see them, they are sitting in front of the door, playing games and being served food and wine that has all come from Odysseus' house. Even the animal hides they are sitting on have come from his own animals, which they have taken and slaughtered for their benefit. More importantly, they do not notice Athena and leave her waiting, which as we will come to see, is a sign of very poor behaviour. Among the suitors, however, is Telemachus, dreaming of his father coming home and driving out the suitors. He quickly spots Mentes, who of course is Athena, and rushes to meet her. Telemachus, ashamed that a stranger should be kept standing at the gates. He then follows a very specific set of actions to greet Mentes, make him welcome and bring him inside, which will be the main subject of our attention today, for this is Homer showing us Xenia, the practice of guest friendship, which underpins so much of the story. To understand why this was so important, we are going to explore this convention in much greater detail. In a nutshell, Xenia was a social contract that governed how people should act when a stranger turned up at your door. It often comes as a surprise to modern audiences that the burden was on a host to look after their guest, even if they were a stranger. Their responsibilities included welcoming their guest, providing food and drink, comfort and shelter, and even giving them gifts on their departure. It was equally important not to question the identity or motives of the guest before they let them in. Instead, they would have to wait until after their guest was looked after to do so. The development of this custom speaks to the nature of society and travel in ancient Greece, especially in the Archaic period. Since there were so many Greek settlements spread out across the mainland and the Aegean, visiting another place would likely involve significant travel by land and by sea. These voyages would likely leave a traveler tired. Since you were just as likely to be a guest as a host, it made sense that everyone practiced the custom equally. We often refer to this as "guest friendship," as the implication is that the process would form a lifelong bond that would benefit both parties. We know that Xenia was important to the Greeks, as it shows up in many stories, not just the Odyssey. Many tales would warn those who turned away a guest that it could be a god in disguise, leading to terrible retribution. In Roman times, Ovid turned this into the tale of Baucis and Philemon. Even in the Iliad, in the midst of battle, Xenia takes center stage. Glaucus, a Trojan, and Diomedes, the Greek hero, come face to face across the battlefield. Soon, however, they realize that their grandfathers had been guest friends. And not wanting to break this tradition, they make peace and even exchange gifts right there on the battlefield, which is a testament to the enduring strength of this bond. Now it may seem that this was perhaps just for kings and the wealthy, but Homer goes to great length in the Odyssey to show us that Xenia can be practiced by anyone, no matter how lowly. We will see later in the tale when the simple peasant Eumaeus takes a beggar into his hut and treats him with kindness and hospitality. Despite having very little himself, he gives the poor man food and shelter, reminding us all that Zeus himself upholds the practice. And it's a good thing he does that too, because that beggar just happens to be his master Odysseus in disguise. We will see Xenia time and time again throughout the story, and the way in which each character engages with it tells us how we ought to think about them. So let's look at how Xenia plays out when Telemachus meets Athena, keeping in mind that, since this is the first time we will see it, it's the model on which we can judge all future events. Telemachus approaches his guests as quickly as possible, so that they would not be left waiting any longer. He then grasps her hand, takes her spear, and gives her a friendly greeting. Importantly, he says, "You can tell us what has brought you here when you have had some food." Through this, Homer reminds us that Xenia should be unconditional. Your duties are to every guest, and you should see to them before quizzing them about who they are or why they have come. Following this, he takes Athena inside and makes her comfortable with a nice chair to sit on in a location away from the rowdy suitors for fear of offending her. The servants then come and provide water to wash their hands, food to eat, and wine to drink. These are all the things a traveller would love after a long journey. Only after all of this has been provided does Telemachus venture to make conversation. He first draws attention to the suitors' behaviour, which is a clear contrast to the proper form of Xenia we have just seen. They, as guests in Odysseus's palace, continue to eat and drink and dance without a care for the person who has just arrived. Telemachus then makes a big deal about his father's absence, almost as if he is deliberately trying to draw out news from Mentes. Finally, however, Telemachus begins to ask his guest a series of questions. Now, when you read these questions, it may seem odd to you since he rattles off seven separate questions before letting her respond. It may seem rude to us, but it is a natural part of the style of epic poetry, and it's a neat example of the difference between a written and a spoken text. Whereas you can use punctuation and line breaks in written works to show who is saying what at any time, it's much harder to have short, sharp interchanges in epic poetry. Instead, speakers tend to say all they want to in one large block, and the bard gives us a little phrase to tell us when they have finished speaking. In this way, a series of questions like this one gets asked all at once. and the reply will likewise contain all the responses. These types of questions will come up many times throughout the work, and it's a key part of developing the guest friendship that's integral to the story. Athena, disguised as Mentes of course, gives a detailed cover story that demonstrates her skill with subtlety and guile. She of course tells us that she is Mentes, an old friend of Odysseus, and she is visiting the island from the mainland. She does also bring up Laertes, Odysseus' father, who is still living a bleak and miserable life on a small farm far away, where we will not see him until book 24, the final part of the story. It's yet again a sad reminder of the desperate state that all of Odysseus' family find themselves in. Finally, Athena gets to her main point. She plants the idea in Telemachus' mind that Odysseus is alive and coming home soon. She even goes as far as to give a prophecy, which she swears will come true, providing a nice moment of dramatic irony for the audience. It also reminds us that both Homer and Zeus have already confirmed to us that Odysseus' return is sealed by fate. After a little more back and forth, Athena then questions Telemachus about the suitors and their actions, noting that a decent man would be disgusted at the sight of such disgraceful behavior. Telemachus agrees with this assessment, and then gives us a full summary of the situation, if you hadn't picked up on all the details already. The suitors are made up of all the noblemen and chieftains from Ithaca and its neighbors, who wish to marry Penelope. For her part, she is unable to choose one or reject them all, knowing that choosing either would mean giving up hopes of Odysseus returning. Furthermore, any man who married Penelope would then become king of Ithaca, and Telemachus, would be disinherited from his chance to succeed his father. If she would have sent them away, however, one of them would likely try to take her and the kingship by force. So, she has kept the stalemate in place all this time, but by doing so, it has diminished the resources of Odysseus' household, as all the suitors have taken up residence there and helped themselves to his livestock and supplies. Homer tells us that Athena is truly moved by Telemachus' speech. She is not putting it on or playing the part. She does truly pity the young man. It's a subtle connection between Telemachus and Odysseus, who now both have Athena's pity and her favor. We will see Telemachus' growth into a man like Odysseus reflected many times throughout this opening part of the story, these first four books which we often refer to as the Telemachy. Athena then ventures into another part of her cover story, a nice example of a common homeostasis. a nice example of a common homeostasis. digression, where the bard inserts little episodes and backstories to give more color to his description of a person or a place. Eventually, Athena gives Telemachus the advice she told the other gods that she would deliver to the young man. Athena's plan is twofold. First, Telemachus should call all the suitors to an assembly in the morning and demand that they leave his house. This reaffirms Athena's drive to have Telemachus assert his control over the household, now that he is nearly fully matured. Following this, he should set sail to Pylos and then to Sparta to seek news of his father's fate. In Pylos, he will find Nestor, oldest and wisest of the Greeks, and in Sparta, Menelaus, who is the latest of the Greeks to return home and therefore should have the most up-to-date knowledge. This will allow him either to learn that Odysseus is alive or give up and move on. Athena still thinks that Telemachus is a good man, but he is not. Her thinking of Zeus' words from earlier tells Telemachus to be like Orestes, linking together the nostos of all the surviving Greeks once more. At the conclusion of their conversation, Athena says that she has to leave, but Telemachus insists on continuing his hospitality by providing a bath and a gift to take with her. The gift in particular is an important part of the practice of Xenia, as it acts as a reminder of their sealed friendship in the future. Athena, of course, cannot take a gift with her, so she cleverly puts it off until her return journey, before suddenly vanishing like a bird through a hole in the roof, which comes as quite a shock to all of us. Telemachus feels changed from the experience, now bolder and more confident, and is aware that he had, in fact, been speaking to a god. This is no usual feat for a character. It is another sign that Telemachus is developing into a heroic figure like his father. Few characters in epic poetry can recognize the gods when they take mortal form, but cunning Odysseus often can. In this way, we see Telemachus once again taking up his father's mantle. The action returns to the banquet, and we soon catch a glimpse of Penelope. She emerges from her bedroom, drawn out by the song which the bard Phemius is singing. We first see her flanked by attendants, suggesting her importance and status, before she enters the hall and bursts into tears. She begs the bard to choose another song, as he had been singing about the fate of the Greeks after Troy, clearly a touchy subject for her. We will see characters weep many times in the Odyssey, as it is so often concerned with grief and emotion. Both Telemachus and Odysseus will in turn shed tears in similar situations to this, showing the strong connection between all three. However, at this moment, Telemachus, emboldened by his recent experience, steps in and rebukes his mother harshly, sending her back to her quarters to work on the loom and supervise the servants. He brims with confidence as he tells her that he is the one making decisions, for "I am master in this house." Penelope defers to her son and returns to her chamber, where Athena puts her to sleep. Now, this moment may seem out of character if we take the events at face value. However, both Penelope and Telemachus are much craftier than you might think. Firstly, Penelope immediately bursts into tears as soon as she is near the suitors, perhaps making her less appealing to them. Likewise, Telemachus sends her away to display his newfound confidence to the suitors, but also to save his mother from having to interact with them and thus extend the stalemate. Homer himself tells us that Telemachus' words are sensible, and therefore this course of action was a good one. Between them, they model the same cunning that we see in Odysseus, and so avoid the lecherous advances of the suitors for another evening. When Penelope retires to bed, the suitors erupt in noise, each making prayers that they could sleep with her. Telemachus continues his dominant tone by chastising them for their insolent behaviour. Once again, they have been poor guests. He then goes on to tell them that he will be calling the assembly that Athena recommended in the morning, before finishing with a threat. Sure, they can eat and party all they like, destroying his household and supplies, but he prays that "Zeus will bring a day of reckoning, when in this house I will destroy you and not make restitution." The suitors are naturally taken aback by this sudden change in tone, and we hear from two of the main members in reply. Antinous, the de facto leader of the suitors, rightly notes that Telemachus must have been granted his newfound courage by the gods. Eurymachus, another important suitor, then asks about Mentes, the guest who showed up. He repeats many of the questions that Telemachus asked of Athena, but complains that she left so quickly that they couldn't ask them. Homer here draws attention to the fact that the suitors were so caught up in their own revelry that they neglected the guest until she was gone. This reflects badly on them and serves to remind us once more that they do not care for the practice of Xenia. Knowing that it was really Athena, nevertheless gives the same cover story that she had told him. Satisfied, they all return to their drinking and dancing. The book comes to an end with Telemachus heading to bed, accompanied by the maid Eurycleia. She is an important character in the later parts of the story, as she is a faithful and loyal servant who has been an ever-present member of the household. Once Laertes' servant, she is looked after Odysseus and now Telemachus in turn. We finish off with another type scene, describing how she puts away his clothes and closes the door to his room. The tone is very calm and soporific, and the action draws to a close just as the day ends. In epic poetry, it was very common for a book to begin with dawn or end with nightfall, and the action rises and falls in much the same way throughout. This scene is also a good reminder that the Odyssey has a much more domestic setting than its counterpart, the Iliad, whereas the latter was filled with battle and destruction. This scene is also a good reminder that the Odyssey has a much more domestic setting than its counterpart, the Iliad, whereas the latter was filled with battles, camps, and war councils, much of the action on Ithaca is in the palace, in huts and chambers, where we see more of the day-to-day lives of ordinary people. It's a unique insight into how life might have been in Homer's time, and we will continue to keep an eye out for these domestic themes as we go. Now that we've come to the end of the book, let's look back over some of the key themes and ideas that have appeared so far. The role of the gods. We've seen how active the gods are in the events of the story. Athena is deeply involved with Odysseus and his family. family, and actively helps them out at many opportunities. Poseidon, on the other hand, is deliberately keeping Odysseus from home, and Calypso, while not an Olympian, is still a divine being meddling in affairs. Zeus generally likes to keep out of things, but is always there to uphold the course of fate. Whether helping or hindering, the gods are central to driving the action that takes place throughout the story. Xenia We have already discussed how central Xenia is in this book, and we will continue to see it throughout the work. Telemachus' greeting of Athena is the centrepiece of the action here, and Homer goes to great lengths to show us how it should be done. At the same time, the suitors are presented as the antithesis of the heroic Telemachus. They break the divine laws, they disrespect their host, and they revel in luxury. Justice and Responsibility Zeus puts the idea of transgressions into our mind early on, and we are treated soon after to an egregious example of these. The suitors' behaviour is calculated to provide ample reason for the swift and brutal ending they will be served up later in the story. Since they have gone against the gods themselves, any retribution against them will be divinely sanctioned. The Oral Tradition We've seen a number of elements that are typical of epic poetry, owing to its development from an oral genre. These include the opening invocation, type scenes, and epithets, as well as the way dialogue is structured. It's also worth noting that Homer includes Phemius, a talented bard, in this book, and he is always full of praise for these types of characters. Character Development Finally, we get a lot of useful information about many of our main characters in this opening story. For Odysseus, while he does not yet appear, we learn that he is favoured by the majority of the gods, but has earned the anger of Poseidon by injuring his son Polyphemus. We also know that he is resourceful and clever, and that he will be returning home very soon. As the focus is very much on Telemachus in these first few books, we get to know him quite well. He is introduced to us as a young man, still unsure about his position in everything. But with Athena's help, we will see him grow into a man more like his father. Just like Odysseus, he obeys the laws of the gods and is supported by Athena. While we only get a brief look at Penelope, we learn that she has been loyal to her husband, and still mourns his absence. Just as we see parallels between Telemachus and his father, we will likewise see them between Penelope and her husband. She shows equal cunning in holding off the suitors, and Odysseus weeps just as much for her when we meet him in the book. 5. Despite being an immortal goddess, Athena is genuinely moved by the plight of Odysseus and his family. While she does not actively do anything at this point, she presents their case to the gods and provides the impetus for all the action to take place. She will continue to guide Telemachus on his quest, as she will likewise do for Odysseus once the action returns to him. We are introduced to the suitors as an unruly, raucous bunch who have no concerns for good behaviour or social custom. They have taken advantage of the hospitality of Odysseus' household, and in their arrogance they have transgressed so deeply that their eventual extinction will be justified. They are generally dismissive of Telemachus and rude towards Penelope. So, that brings us to the end of our analysis for Book 1 of the Odyssey. Until next time, take care. Thank you for watching. Please subscribe to our channel. See you in the next video. Bye!