Settings of the Odyssey Flashcards
Ilion
Also known as Troy, The beginning point of our journey, but NOT Odysseus’s homeland
Ithaka
Odysseus spends the entire book trying to get back to here, his homeland.
Ismaros of the Kikones
The first place that Odysseus stops after leaving Troy. Odysseus and his men murder, rape, and pillage the bative Kinones. Rather than leaving after finishing their raid, they choose to stay longer than necessary. Turns out to be a fatal mistake. The horseback army of the Kikones arrives “like the blades of spring”. Phalanx warfare allows Odysseus and most of his men to escape alive.
Land of the Lotus Eaters
The next stop for Odysseus and his men following Ismaros of the Kikones. A land of some sort of drug that causes relatively instant addiction. Likely made up for the purpose of this story and represent the first supernatural obstacle or temptation of Odysseus and his men. Odysseus avoids this temptation by just getting away from it. The Lotus Eaters themselves meant no harm, just offered an addictive plant.
Land of Kyklopes - Home of Polyphemos
Stop following the Land of the Lotus Eaters. Odysseus has lot a shipful of men up to this point with only 12 of the 13 original ships remaining. Kyklops are uncivilized. Odysseus lands here because of his curiosity as to who lives here, “curiosity killed the cat”. Stay after entering the gave, does not just take the goats and the cheese as his men suggest. Kyklops breaks xenia with his first words, asking what Odysseus is doing there. Becomes increasingly apparent that the Kyklops does not follow xenia or the gods. Odysseus reminds him of xenia and Zeus’s avenging of the “unoffending guest” because he is nerous. Kyklops Polyphemos is a great example of hubris as he feels that he is stonger than the gods. He believes they exist, but does not believe in their ability. Delusions of grandeur living in defeat following the battle between the giants and the gods in older times.
Land Of Kyklopes Continued
Kyklops asks the location of Odysseus’s ship, to which Odysseus replies that it was destroyed. He is know fool and won’t damn his men on the shore like that. Kyklops picks Odysseus’s men up “like squirming puppies”. Shows sheer size and power of the giant as well as the vulnerability of Odysseus and his men. Cannot defeat this perosn physically, so Odysseus must outsmart him. Odysseus gives the Kyklops alcohol to make him dumber and less alert and is able to convice the Kyklops that his name is Nohbdy. Odysseus anticipated the Kyklops calling for help so this name choice is clever. Odysseus and his men use a carved hand spike heated in a fire to gouged out the eye of Polyphemos, making him blind. Could not kill him when he was sleeping because they would never be able to move the boulder to get out of the cave. Hide from the Kyklops by clinging to the bottom of his sheep as he has to let them out of the cave the next morning. They are able to escape the cave this way. Load the sheep on their ships as their way of taking their own xenia, resources, and adding insult to injury.
Odysseus’s Lapse in Judgement
Odysseus yells back at the Kyklops from the sea twice. The first time is okay as he credits Zeus, the god over xenia, for the beating that he and his men were able to give the Kyklops. A boulder is thrown in their direction that nearly beaches them. When Odysseus goes to yell out again, his men try to stop him, but Odysseus does not listen. Yells a second time to the Kyklops to tell him his name, “Odysseus beat you”. Basically like giving a mobster your home address, schedule, and name and inviting them into your home. Even though it is just Odysseus that says this, the whole crew will go down as punishment is collective. Poor leadership decision will doom the whole ship.
Polyphemos’s Prayer
Prays to Poseidon against Odysseus. Prays that Odysseus never make it home to Ithaka, but if he is destined to, “let him lose all companions and return under strange sail to bitter days at home”. If Odysseus had only listened to his men, Polyphemos would not have known his name and Odysseus and his remaining men likely would have made it home, and not twenty years later either.
Aiolia Island-Land of King Aiolos
King Aiolos hosts Odysseus and his men for a month to tell the still-fresh story of the Trojan War. Odysseus, at the time of accepting the offer, has only been away from home for a month. King Aiolos is so impressed and pleased by the story that he gives Odysseus a bag of winds made out of bull hide. After leavin here, Odysseus makes it as close to the shores of Ithaka as to see men making fires only to have his men open the bag of winds out of curiosity and greed as to what it is. A failure of leadership on Odysseus’s part for not telling them this by this point. The journey is elongated as they are blown all the way back to Aiolia Island. They ask for the kings help again, only to be rejected as King Aiolos now finds that they must be cursed by the gods. A lesson to Odysseus, who falls alseep allowing the opening of the bag of winds, to “finish strong”.
Lamos of Laistrygonians
A rather foreboding and ominous bay is the first sign that something is really amiss. Odysseus and his men make landfall to eat and rest. Odysseus anchors his own ship closest to escape, possessing his own feelings of foreboding. Odysseus’s men split up to scout the island, only to run into the flesh-eating, cannibalistic Laistrygonians. They come after Odysseus and the rest of his men in droves and Odysseus must slash the anchor cable for his ship to get away from the man-eaters. Shows desparation. Loses 11 of 12 ships, so, he’s only got one ship left.
Aiaia Island- Kirke’s Island
Home of the goddess Kirke.Odysseus and his men feel cursed at this point as they have encountered nothing but uncivilized peoples since the Kyklops. His men do not break off into small groups, crying, and very traumatized. Stumble upon Kirke’s home where mountain lions and wolves are behaving like docile house pets. A giant “elephant in the room” but stay because they hear the pretty voice of and see the beautiful Kirke. Kirke turns Odysseus’s men into pigs after luring them in with false xenia. Saying “men are pigs” applies here. Eurylokos is the only one to escape and flees back to Odysseus suggesting that they leave. Beginning of conflict between Odysseus and Eurylokos as Odysseus feels responsible for his men and wants to go back and save them. Odysseus meets Hermes along the way and Hermes gives him a “molu” plant to keep him from falling under Kirke’s spell.
Aiaia Island Continued
When Kirke attempts to turn Odysseus, he pulls his sword to her throat. She, weirdly, asks him to bed. Before he consents to do so, he makes her swear an oath to the gods that she will not use any more magic to his harm. The two go to bed. Later, at supper, Odysseus refuses to eat claiming that he cannot because he is still not at ease with the safety of his men. Kirke turns them back into men, but more handsome, younger, and more muscular than before to make up for turning them in the first place. Odysseus and his men stay for a year before Odysseus tells Kirke he is going to leave. Kirke says okay, but, you have to go see Teiresias of Thebes in the Land of the Dead. Odysseus thinks that this is a death sentence, so he weeps, He is frustrated and wants to go home, but he will not disobey a direct order from a god. Teiresias is a blind prophet with unique understanding of the male and female perspective (because of a snake kicking incident). Elpenor, youngest of Odysseus’s men, dies at Aiaia Island by falling off Kirke’s roof in a drunk stupor and breaking his neck. PSA kids, don’t be young, drunk, and stupid.
Land of the Dead
Odysseus pours sweet milk and honey, sweet wine, and clear water into a votive pit, finishing up by scattering barley around the pit. Dead must be attracted to this because they are the pleasures of life and they haven’t been able to enjoy these in some time. Slashes the throat of the handsomest black lamb and ewe and allows the blood to run down into the pit. Blood is sacrificed because blood maintains life. Spirit must be contained in blood itself just like alcohol. Drink too much and become different, bleed too much and die.
Appearance of the Dead
- Elpneor, the youngest of Odysseus’s men that died on Aiaia in a drunken stupor, speaks to Odysseus from the Land of the Dead first. Doesn’t need to drink blood to talk to Odysseus, while the rest do. Maybe because he is freshly dead or maybe because he is not yet buried. Asks that Odysseus remember him and weep for him. He asks that his body be burned and monument be assembled with his armor, and marked with the oar that he used to row alongside Odysseus’s men in his lifetime. This is what he wants to be remembered for. Shows very human fear of being forgotten, thus some time of funeral ceremony in all cultures. Don’t bury the bodies and the gods will be upset. Apollo will let his plague arrows rain down.
- Teiresias of Thebes, the blind prophet Odysseus was supposed to seek out, appears next. He has to drink the blood of the ram and ewe before telling Odysseus of the prophecy, “Do not eat the cattle of Helios or all your companions will die”. The rest of the Odyssey is spelled out here. To apologize for the men that you will kill back home if this prophecy comes to pass, you, Odysseus, must walk until you find people that have never seen the sea and you will know the spot when they ask “what winnowing fan is that on your shoulder?” Sacrific extends Poseidon’s realm and gives him converts so makes up for blinding his son.
- Antiklea appears next and must taste the blood before speaking. She is Odysseus mother. Odysseus asks her how she dies to which she replies that she died of a broken heart because she missed Odysseus. One more example of how great Odysseus is.
Appearances of the Dead, Second Half
- All the women then appear to Odysseus. Drawn out story of all the notable women that slept with gods and fathered demi-gods builds suspense for the tales of the warriors he encountered because this is a glory culture. (Back to the present here)Entices Alkinoos and the Phaiakians to ask for more. A technique of a good storyteller. (End Present)
- Agamemnon appears next. Tells Odysseus of the story of how his wife, Klytaimnestra, plotted with Aigisthos to kill him and were successful. Warns Odysseus to never trust all his secrets to women and be careful of what information he shares at all because “the day of faithful wives is gone forever”. Even suggests Odysseus arrive to Ithaka in secret.
- Akhilleus appears last. Odysseus calls him the “strongest of all among the Akhaians”. “You’ve got all the glory Akhilleus so be proud”. Akhilleus is very unhappy with death and would rather be alive as a poor farmer’s farm hand. Akhilleus inquires after his son Neoptolemos and his father Peleus. Odysseus tells him of his son’s glories including his lack of fear and leaving the battle of Troy without a scar. He also tells of his ability to out-debate anyone but Odysseus. This makes Odysseus very proud and he “goes off striding the field of asphodel” “glorying” in what Odysseus told him of his son. Very happy and proud of the news of his glorious son.
