Odyssey, Book 8 Notes

Banquet in the house of Alcinous; the games


Major concepts:

• Alcinous's response to Odysseus's request for help
• Preparation of the black ship
• Song / storytelling of the bard; games; feasting; dance
• Demodocus, the bard
• Demodocus's song / effect on Odysseus
• Challenge of the Broadsea / Odysseus's response
• Gifts for Odysseus

Study Guide Questions:

1. Describe the activities that King Alcinous arranges to entertain Odysseus.
2. Who is Demodocos?
3. Why might his blindness be significant?
4. How is King Alcinous helping Odysseus to get home?
5. Who is Odysseus quarreling with in the first song?
6. What is Odysseus's reaction whenever Demodocos sings about the Trojan War?
7. How does Odysseus respond to the challenge of Broadsea?
8. Which qualities of Odysseus shine through in this episode of athletic competition?
9. How does Odysseus win the respect of the young Phaeacians?
10. What does Alcinous ask Odysseus at the end of book 8?

Page 79.
Vocabulary: none.

• "...the child of morning, rosy-fingered Dawn..." --> epithet
• "...while Athena took the form of one of Alcinous' servants..." --> Athena dons yet another disguise
• "...he looks like an immortal god...." --> simile
• "...for Athena had beautified him about the head and shoulders, making him look taller and stouter..." --> Athena improves Odysseus's appearance again, just like she did with Nausicaa -- now Odysseus has looks and authority

Page 80.
Vocabulary: chieftains

• "Let us draw a ship into the sea--one that has never yet made a voyage--and man her with two and fifty of our smartest young sailors...." --> Odysseus's ship would have carried 60+ men; again, Alcinous is boasting about the Phaeacians
• "...we will have Demodocus to sing to us...." --> Demodocus's name is of Greek origin, meaning 'welcomed by the people'
• "...famous bard Demodocus, whom the muse had dearly loved, but to whom she had given both good and evil, for though she had endowed him with a divine gift of song, she had robbed him of his eyesight...." --> physical blindness could suggest mental or spiritual insight (to a Greek)
• "...the muse inspired Demodocus to sing the feats of heroes, and more especially a matter that was then in the mouths of all men, to wit, the quarrel between Odysseus and Achilles..." --> this side-story does serve a purpose: it refers possibly to the time in the Trojan War after the death of Hector and Odysseus's confrontation with Achilles -- this story asks the question: will cunning (Odysseus) or force (Achilles) win the war? Agamemnon would have been happy with the two leaders fighting because it was prophecied that "Troy would fall when the best of Greeks came into conflict"

Page 81.
Vocabulary: none.

• "...let us then proceed to the athletic sports..." --> not only was there a banquet, there also were games
• "Acroneos, Ocylaus, Elatreus, Nauteus..." --> weird names? weird for a reason -- they all have to do with (take a guess) sailing / the sea
• "...nor is he at all old..." --> actually, by this point, Odysseus would have been in his early-mid forties
• "Your return home will not be long delayed, for the ship is already drawn into the water, adn the crew is found...." --> this reassures Odysseus that no matter how (well or bad) he does in the contests, he will still have a way home

Page 82.
Vocabulary: reviled

• "I have been through infinite trouble, and am come among you now as a suppliant..." --> says Odysseus: leave me alone
• "I gather, then, that you are unskilled...you are one of those grasping traders..." --> people like Odysseus would have gained wealth through raiding other lands, like pirates; independently wealthy people (like the Phaeacians) would have found this to be primitive and unrefined
• "No god would make a finer looking fellow than you are, but you are a fool...." --> says Odysseus: you've messed with the wrong guy
• "Athena, in the form of a man, came and marked the place where it had fallen...." --> Athena appears before Odysseus makes a fool of himself by angering the Phaeacians; remember, he is still a guest and must "keep a low profile"
• "If anyone wants to have a bout with me let him come on, for I am exceedingly angry...." --> Odysseus challenges them

Page 83.
Vocabulary: intrigue, defiled

• Philoctetes inherited a bow from Heracles -- the bow never missed -- so of course he could outshoot Odysseus
• "...when we Achaeans were before Troy and in practice...." --> BIG hint at who he is -- is Odysseus ready to tell yet?
• "...for Apollo was angry with him and killed him because he challenged him as an archer..." --> jealousy of the gods -- anthropomorphism
• "Sir, we have had much pleasure in hearing all that you have told us, from which I understand that you are willing to show your prowess..." --> Alcinous acknowledges Odysseus's authority and stature
• "...singularly fleet of foot and are excellent sailors..." --> what?! good at sailing?!!! I never knew.
• "...the bard began to sing of the loves of Ares and Aphrodite..." --> this story tells about how the gods enjoy and condone adultery -- this is the only time mentioned in the Odyssey where the gods are not "morally sound"

Page 84.
Vocabulary: festooned, loth, vestibule

• "...and festooned the bed-posts all over with chains like cobwebs..." --> not because the trap looked like a spiderweb, but because it was invisible like a spiderweb (simile, by the way)
• "Father Zeus...and all you other blessed gods who live for ever..." --> he calls on Zeus for help, but Poseidon comes instead
• "See how limping Hephaestus, lame as he is, has caught Ares who is the fleetest god in heaven; and now Ares will be cast in heavy damages...." --> does brawn always win over brain?

Page 85.
Vocabulary: raiment

• "...if Ares goes away without paying his damages, I will pay you myself...." --> a better compromise: that way, if Ares cuts out without paying, Hephaestus will still get his retribution
• "...Ares to Thrace...Aphrodite to Cyprus and Paphos...." --> these are two totally different directions
• "I was astonished as I saw them...." --> just as much as the Phaeacians enjoy boasting, they also enjoy receiving praise -- Odysseus praises them again
• "...let us give him such proof of our hospitality as he may reasonably expect..." --> here, Alcinous tells the elders what they must give up to provide to Odysseus

Page 86.
Vocabulary: amiss, raiment

• "He was very glad of a warm bath..." --> this would have been a typical bathing scene in Greek times

Page 87.
Vocabulary: freighting

• "Nausicaa, daughter of great Alcinous..." --> Odysseus offers his blessings
• "Demodocus, there is no one in the world whom I admire more than you...." --> the ultimate praise for a performer / singer would be to praise the accuracy of his story
• this is yet another hint at who Odysseus is
• "the Trojans themselves had drawn the horse into their fortress..." --> the Trojans want to do one of three things with the horse: (1) destroy it immediately; (2) launch it off of a cliff; or (3) keep it as a souvenir / offering to the gods [they end up keeping it, causing the fall of Troy and ending the war]

Page 88.
Vocabulary: piteously

• "...how Odysseus went raging like Ares along with Menelaus to the house of Deiphobus...." --> Deiphobus is important because he was one of the Trojan leaders after Hector's death
• "He wept as a woman weeps...even so piteously did Odysseus weep..." --> Homeric simile describing Odysseus's sorrow / weeping for the story
• "...let Demodocus cease his song, for there are those present [ahem, Odysseus] who do not seem to like it...." --> only Alcinous notices Odysseus weeping like a baby
• "...it will be more polite in you to give me a plain answer...." --> does Alcinous suspect, at this point, that Odysseus has been hiding something?
• "Still I do remember hearing my father say that Poseidon was angry with us for being too easy-going in the matter of giving people escorts...." --> yet another prophecy: is this one about helping Odysseus? will their ship be wrecked after helping him home?

Page 89.
Vocabulary: none.

• "And now, tell me and tell me true...." --> Alcinous asks who Odysseus is
• Question: If the Phaeacians are so distant and isolated from all other areas -- would they have even heard of Odysseus? obviously, with bards like Demodocus, the answer would be yes, though they probably couldn't have related much to his sorrow and wouldn't understand why he would cry when the bard sang about Troy and the Achaeans

Book 8 divides into three main sections, each with a song:

1. Odysseus and Achilles's argument (Odysseus weeps at this)
2. Aphrodite and Ares (no weeping)
3. Troy / the Trojan Horse (Odysseus weeps at this one too)

Bibliography

Background Notes on The Iliad, The Trojan War, and Achilles

Say what?! How do you pronounce all these crazy Greek names?!??

People (or in this case, gods and goddesses) become rulers (generally) one of three ways: appointment, usurption, or heir to the throne. According to Greek myth, all life descended from two beings: Gaia (the earth) and Uranus (the sky). From these two beings descended the twelve Titans, a group of gods and goddesses. Uranus didn't care much for his children so he imprisoned them in Tartarus (the Greek version of the underworld). One of his children finally overthrew him and imprisoned him; his name was Cronus.

Cronus married Rhea, another Titan but soon learned from his parents that his father's curse would fall upon him as well: one of his sons would overthrow him. In desperation, Cronus swallowed each of his children as they were born. Rhea finally wrapped a stone in a blanket after giving birth to Zeus and in this way, Zeus grew up and overthrew his father Cronus. He released all of his brothers and sisters, the Olympians, who later ruled the Greek heavens called Mount Olympus.

Although married to Hera, Zeus had many extra-marital relationships. In one myth, Zeus and his brother Poseidon both wanted to begin a physical relationship with a sea goddess named Thetis, but the other gods warned that a son born from Thetis would become greater than his father. Keeping in mind his unstable family history and thus heeding this warning, Zeus avoided Thetis and married her to a mortal, Peleus. source

No one wants 'rain on their wedding day.' So Zeus arranged for a wondrous ceremony, inviting everyone except Eris, the goddess of discontentment. Unwilling to forget Zeus's slight in leaving her out of the festivities, Eris rolled a golden apple among the guests with an inscription: for the fairest. Hera, (Zeus's wife and sister), Aphrodite, (Zeus's daughter and sometime lover), and Athena (Zeus's daughter) each desired the prize. Like any man wise enough to foresee the trouble this could bring, Zeus refused to get involved in the argument and appointed Paris, a mortal, to choose the winner of the golden apple. source

And like any woman who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted, each goddess resorted to bribing the human with wondrous gifts: Athena offered success in war and notoriety; Hera offered power and riches; and Aphrodite offered him the most beautiful woman on Earth. Needless to say, Paris chose Aphrodite and ultimately caused the downfall of one of the world's most powerful cities, Troy. The only problem: Helen was the most beautiful woman on Earth at the time. And she was also already married. source

Helen was married to Menalaus, king of Sparta, and brother to Agamemnon, king of Mycenae. Paris visited Menalaus with his cousin, Aeneas, and unsuspecting of Paris's plan, Menalaus welcomed the guests. Leaving for a funeral, Menalaus left Helen under the care of Paris for several days. During this time, Aphrodite caused Helen to fall in love with Paris and the two sailed off for Troy. Speculation about whether Helen was a willing participant still exists today. Nevertheless, she infamously became known as "the face which launched a thousand ships" and the cause of the Trojan War. source

Only desiring the best warriors and leaders, Menalaus and his brother Agamemnon sought out Odysseus, king of Ithaca and known for his prowess and cunning, and Achilles, known for his godly strength. Odysseus knew this war would last a very long time and only cause him trouble, so he avoided being recruited by acting like a madman. The ploy didn't fool the leaders and Odysseus joined the war effort to return Helen to Sparta. Achilles, donning the magical armour crafted by the god Hephaestus, willingly joined the war effort. Before leaving, Thetis, his mother, warned Achilles not to kill the son of Apollo, or else he would die by Apollo's hand. Achilles later does not heed his mother's warning. source

On their arrival at Troy, the Greeks sought a peaceful end to the problem and asked for Helen's return. The Trojans refused, thus starting the war which lasted ten long years. source

The Iliad takes place during the ninth year of the Trojan War. Over the years, the Greeks conquered many neighboring cities and took women as 'war prizes.' Agamemnon took Chryseis, the daughter of a Trojan priest of Apollo, and Achilles took Briseis. Ignoring the requests of her father, Agamemnon refused to give up his war prize. Chryseis's father appealed to Apollo for help, and the god struck the Greeks with a powerful plague, wiping out hundreds of men. Finally, a soothsayer revealed the cause of the plague, and Agamemnon reluctantly surrendered his war prize in exchange for Achilles's instead. This action caused Achilles to withdraw from the war effort and pray to his mother for help. Thetis asked for help from Zeus, and the god agreed to curse the Greeks for their actions against Achilles. Achilles's withdrawal from the war efforts devasted the men both physically and mentally. The Greeks had few successes. source

Seeing success on the Trojan side, Hector, a Trojan prince, offered sacrifices to Athena in thanks for her support but Athena refused the gifts, still sore about Paris choosing Aphrodite over her. source

Nestor, another Achian, finally tried to persuade Agamemnon to apologize to Achilles. The king agreed to return the war prize and also offered gold and riches; however, Achilles still would not accept. Agamemnon seriously considered abandoning the war and going home. A devastating day nearly ended everything when Agamemnon, Odysseus, and Diomedes, three strong Achian leaders, were severely wounded during a battle. Patroclus, a companion of Achilles, finally had enough. He approached Achilles and begged him to rejoin the war efforts. Achilles still refused, but allowed his companion to wear his golden armor and fight in his absence. source

The sight of the man they thought was Achilles renewed the Achians' spirits. Patroclus fought in Achilles absence and greatly helped the war effort. However, Apollo struck and stunned him and Hector took his life. Hector also took Achilles's golden armor off of Patroclus and wore it like a war prize. Angered and taking Athena's advice, Achilles scaled a wall on the battlefield and shouted three times; the sun shining against his body made him look like a god and spooked the Trojans, ending the battle for the day. In grief over his lost friend, Achilles rejoined the war effort, destined to kill Hector in single combat. source

Meanwhile, the gods and goddesses, involved in the war, began turning on each other. source

Achilles and Hector finally met on the battlefield. Hector said if Achilles should die, he would release his body and allow for a proper burial, asking that Achilles do the same. Achilles refused and fought the Trojan soldier, killing him. Achilles stripped the armor from Hector and drug his body from behind his chariot around the walls of Troy. Finally, he mourned the loss of his dear friend Patroclus for twelve days. source

Meanwhile, Priam, king of Troy, snuck into the Achian camp and begged for the release of his son, Hector's body. Heeding the requests of the gods, Achilles released the body and allowed Priam and Troy twelve days to mourn the loss of their leader. source

Toward the end of the war, Achilles suffered his fatal wound from Paris. Guided by the archer god Apollo, Paris shot an arrow and hit Achilles in the only spot not covered by the armor, his heel. The Achians built a great funeral pyre to honor their fallen hero, and his golden armor went to Odysseus. source

It was Odysseus who devised the plan to build the great horse and offer it as a war prize to the Trojans. Odysseus and a select group of men would hide inside the horse and the rest would sail away in their ships, hiding behind a nearby island. The plan worked. Although soothsayers tried to warn the Trojans otherwise, the foolish ones dragged the wooden horse inside the city gates and celebrated their assumed victory. Odysseus and his men descended from the horse in the middle of the night and took the city by surprise. By early morning, Troy fell. Finally, the ten-year war came to an end. source

Odyssey Notes, Trojan War

• War started over jealousy
• Greek gods were having a wedding party, but Eris, goddess of strife (displeasure), wasn’t invited
• Eris thought: I’ll show them
• She sends a golden apple rolling into party with a label: “to the fairest”
• Everyone thinks it belongs to them
• Three goddesses fight over the apple: Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite
• They want Zeus to decide who’s the fairest; he won’t
• Zeus sends Hermes to find a human to decide
• The goddesses try to bribe Paris, the man
• Athena offers: success in everything; best in war, best athlete, best artist
• Hera offers: power – the most powerful man on earth
• Aphrodite offers: the most beautiful woman on earth
• Paris chooses Aphrodite
• Problem is: the most beautiful woman is Helen
• Helen is married
• Paris thought: oh well – finds Helen (a Greek), and takes her back to Troy
• Helen’s husband = not happy, wants to start war
• Thus, the Trojan War begins
• Odysseus didn’t want to go to war
• O pretended to be crazy
• His plan didn’t work; had to go fight
• War lasted 10 years
• Troy was heavily armed; had walls around city
• O came up with plan: pretend to surrender
• Built giant horse as “gift” to people of Troy
• Other Greek ships sailed away
• Trojans thought Greeks went home
• Trojans took giant horse into city and celebrated
• Greeks came out of horse at night and sacked the city
• Greeks won the war
• Poseidon was originally on the Greeks’ side, but O made him mad – he had too much pride