The Odyssey

The Odyssey was probably written in the 700s B.C. and was originally an oral work. It was translated from Greek in the 1500's. Beginning in the 6th Century B.C.. The Odyssey' was recited annually in a Greek festival. It was also recited in a number of different readings to royalty throughout the year, each poet telling it in a slightly different way. This accounts for the various translations of The Odysey.

The Odyssey begins with an invocation to the muses (goddesses of inspiration for literature and art). "Sing in me, O Muses, and through me tell the story of that man skilled in all ways of contending. . .'

This is the story of Odysseus, wise and noble King of Ithaca, who reluctantly sails with his army to take part in the rescue of Helen after she is kidnapped by Prince Paris.

In his abrupt departure. Odysseus leaves behind a pregnant wife, Penelope, with instructions that if he should not return, she should remarry, so that his newborn son may be brought up properly. She reluctantly agrees.

After ten years of bloody war, the Achean heroes are finally free to sail for home. When The Odyssey begins an additional decade has passed since the other chieftains of Odysseus' army have returned without their leader. In the absence of Odysseus, noblemen from throughout the world learn of Penelope's lost husband, and flock to the city of Ithaca to win her hand. The suitors are a greedy lot. and they are interested mainly in the wealth and the power that goes along with her station in life.

She, ever faithful to Odysseus, finds many beguiling ways to avoid the hands of these suitors as they remain at her palace, determined to stay until she chooses one of them for her husband. They waste the resources of her palace, eating her food. drinking her wine, and taking liberties with the women at the palace. She is powerless to evict them, but Telemachus, the son of Odysseus and Penelope, has grown while his father is away, and he is determined to locate his father.

Meanwhile. during these ten lost years. Odysseus has wandered throughout the world. forbidden to return home by Poseidon. Lord of the Seas. He survives a number of events and disasters by using his wit and intelligence. However, all of his ships and men have been lost. This story details his journey through the oceans of this world, until finally, with the aid of the King of the Phaecians, Odysseus is able to return to Ithaca. Assisted by Athena, Odysseus is able to punish the suitors, and reestablish himself as King of Ithaca. Reunited with his wife and son, and with the intervention of the gods and goddesses, Odysseus is able to thwart a civil war while reclaiming his place as the king.

About the Author

There are many thoughts on who Homer actually was. Some scholars believe that he was a blind man who lived in Greece around 700 B.C. Others believe that Homer was actually an embodiment of several different men, all of whom collaborated on the two epic poems entitled The Iliad and The Odyssey. We may never know who Homer truly was. Seven different city-states in Greece each claimed the honor of being Homer's birthplace, but if Homer ever did exist, he probably lived in Chios. The dialect used in The Odyssey .is that of Asian Ionian Greek. which was common in the area of Chios at the time this epic was written.

Common thought is that The 11iad was written approximately 750 B.C. and The Odyssey some 3() years later. around 720 B.C. Most likely, the epic poem was composed during this time, and then written out centuries later. If this is true then Homer wrote about a very dit'ferent time than the one in which he lived. During 720 B.C.. Greece consisted of scattered. independent city-states. This poem appears to chronicle the 'Golden Age" of Greece. In The Odyssey Homer describes an aristocratic society. This is first seen on the island of Ithaca, when after Odysseus departs. the society of the island becomes chaotic. Penelope, Odysseus' wife, is alone and frightened, and Telemachus is too young to assume leadership. Combined with the arrival of the suitors, the small society is thrown into turmoil, and only the return of Odysseus or the interference of the gods can return the society to normal.

During the Homeric Age, there were very few people who could read and write, and so stories were passed down orally. This is the reason that nearly all writing was put into the form of poetry. Rhyme is easier to remember. Sometimes these stories were read in the form of plays. These plays were performed in a Greek theater, and the actors wore masks and high platform shoes. which forced them to move around very slowly. The theater had no scenery, was out in the open air, and had no actresses- only actors. There were only two types of plays: tragedies and comedies. One of the favorite tragedies was about the Trojan War. which is the first topic that Homer wrote about. The challenge presented to poets was to tell an old story in a new and exciting way which Homer does most effectively.

We have, over the last 3,000 years, only possessed about 6 to 10 great epics. Two of these are by Homer. Aristotle once said that the epic ranked second only to tragedy, and many people still agree.