4.13.16

Read: Book 10 pg. 234 to the end.

We discussed: imagery of Odyssey as "father" to his crew as he provides them food; connections between Circe and Calypso through character description (weaving, singing, "nymphs with lovely braids," temptresses, feminine wiles, etc.; metaphor of men as pigs (greed/temptation); impact of Odysseus and his crew staying on Circe's Island for a year.

Summarize: Book 11--use the note-taking guide we used for books 6-8 to take notes on the following Book 11 > > > > > > > > > > >
 * With Circe’s help, the men sail off to reach the Ocean River and essentially the path into Hades: flows in a circle around the entire earth. From its stream all the Rivers and Clouds draw their waters. The underworld Styx, and the river Eridanos of Hyperborea, and Nile of Aithiopia drew their waters directly from the stream. Other rivers obtained their water from it through subterranean aquifers.
 * In Book 10 Circe instructs Odysseus to: enter the Underworld, offer libations of milk, honey, wine, water, and barley to all the dead. He must promise the dead that he’ll slaughter a heifer upon his return to Ithaca, and to Tiresias alone, he should slaughter a black ram. Then, in the moment he must slaughter an ewe and a black ram and pray to the gods. The dead will surge towards him and try to come near the sacrificial blood, but Odysseus and his men should keep them away until Tiresias arrives and Odysseus can question him about journey home to Ithaca.
 * Odysseus does all this, and waits for Tiresias. Before he comes we see Elpenor again, who asks for them to return and give him a proper burial.
 * Tiresias approaches, drinks some of the blood, and then tells Odysseus that he will make it home, but that because he blinded Polyphemus, Poseiodon will make it hard for him to return. He says that Odysseus has the power to keep his crew alive if he can curb their wild desires (and his own) as they approach the (Thri-nay-sha) Thrinacia Island, that houses the cattle of Helios (Apollo’s cattle). If they harm the cattle of the sun, the men will all die, and though Odysseus will escape, his journey will not be an easy one: “And even if you escape, you’ll come home late and come home a broken man—all shipmates lost, alone in a stranger’s ship…” (11.129).
 * He describes the situation at home, and foretells that Odysseus will return and kill the suitors, but after that, when he sees the sign, he will travel again to make an offering to Poseidon in a far-off land.
 * Lastly he says, you will die an old man, far from the sea and with peace finally around him.
 * He also sees his mother, Anticleia who died of grief waiting for his return from the Trojan War. She tells him of Ithaca and what’s going on there, specifically of his father, Laertes, who never goes to town and lives alone off in the hills on a farm. She also tells him that Penelope has been loyal, and that Telemachus is a good son.
 * After his mother, Odysseus sees a long line of the dead wives of famous men, each drinking a bit of blood so that he or she can speak to him. For each he tells their story.
 * Odysseus pauses, ready to be done telling the tale to the Phaeacians, and Queen Arete and King Alcinous heap praise upon him for his deeds and storytelling ability. Alcinous says he must wait until the morning to leave so he can gather gifts for him to take. Until then, he asks Odysseus to continue his tale and tell of heroes he saw in the Underworld.
 * Odysseus continues, telling of meeting Agamemnon, Achilles, Patroclus, Ajax, and the other famous men of the Trojan War.
 * Lastly he sees famous men of old being punished in Hades: Tantalus (grapes/water), Sisphyus (rock, gravity)
 * Finally the hordes of dead are too much for Odysseus and he rushes back to his ship, and he and his men sail away from the Underworld.

Discussion: The Underworld vs. Hell --all people go the Underworld--three sections within that represent different kinds of justice (Tartarus="hell" and divine punishment, Elysium="heaven" and divine reward, Hades=middle road where most souls went for eternity, neither good or bad).

HW: Add and complete Circe's Island (Stop 7) and the Underworld (Stop 8) to your maps. Complete notes based on summary for Book 11.