Odyssey qoutes Flashcards
Tell me, why do you weep and grieve so sorely when you hear the fate of the Argives, hear the fall of Troy? That is the gods’ work, spinning threads of death through the lives of mortal men, and all to make a song for those to come…”
Speaker & Book: Alcinous, Book 8
Analysis: Alcinous questions Odysseus about his grief, offering insight into the Greek view that even tragedies are fated, becoming stories for future generations.
“Alcinous, majesty, shining among your island people, what a fine thing it is to listen to such a bard as we have here – the man sings like a god. The crown of life, I’d say.”
Speaker & Book: Odysseus, Book 9
Analysis: Odysseus praises the bard, emphasizing the value of bards in perpetuating stories, creating a self-referential layer in The Odyssey.
“Come, each of us add a sumptuous tripod, add a cauldron! Then recover our costs with levies on the people: it’s hard to afford such a bounty man by man.”
Speaker & Book: Alcinous, Book 13
Analysis: Alcinous discusses the mundane aspects of government, revealing the economic intricacies behind the lavish gifts, showcasing the practicalities of Greek society.
“[Not] even a darting hawk, the quickest thing on wings, could keep [the ship’s] pace as on she ran, cutting the swells at top speed, bearing a man endowed with the gods’ own wisdom, one who had suffered twenty years of torment, sick at heart, cleaving his way through wars of men and pounding waves at sea but now he slept in peace, the memory of his struggles laid to rest.”
Speaker & Book: Homer, Book 13
Analysis: Describes the ship carrying Odysseus, highlighting his wisdom acquired through suffering and the theme of finding peace after enduring hardships.
“[In] silence you must bear a world of pain, subject yourself to the cruel abuse of men.”
Speaker & Book: Athena, Book 13
Analysis: Athena instructs Odysseus to endure suffering silently, reinforcing the theme of the necessity of enduring hardships before achieving vindication.
“[There’s] no way to hide the belly’s hungers – what a curse, what mischief it brews in all our lives! Just for hunger we rig and ride our long benched ships on the barren salt sea, speeding death to enemies.”
Speaker & Book: Odysseus, Book 17
Analysis: Odysseus laments the consequences of hunger, possibly alluding to the Trojan War and the lives lost in pursuit of base instincts.
