Set-up

The books that all of you are diligently reading and presenting take place in a short period of time, some 48 hours. The concept of xenia as a tool to judge the quality and future of a character is fully realized. Loyal servant are always good xenos. To not be a good xenos is to not respect the gods and your masters, so you are disloyal. All these books present evidence that the suitors and bad servants should be punished.

Keep in mind the servants - Melantho, Melantios, Euryklea, Eumaeus. They are opposites of each other - the bad and the good. Their fates are tied directly to their actions - a universal lesson for all of us.

The actions of the suitors also lead to their destruction. The battle is a model of intelligence, skill, courage, loyalty, and divine intervention.

Background

Most of the books you are reading take place in Odysseus' palace on Ithaka. He removes his disguise in Book XV to reveal his true identity to Telemachos, but no one else knows who he is. Again, birds, thunder and lightening tend to be symbolic. Look for Antinoos, Eurymakhos, Eumaeus, Melantho, Mealnthios, Eurykleia, and Philotios and how they act towards Odysseus.

Reading

When you are reading for this assessment, try to do a couple of things. Take a piece of paper and make notes - talk to the text. Make a list of the characters from the reading. Keep a chronology of events, and then connect the events to symbolism, xenia, loyalty, or simply story and plot elements. You might read quickly the first time and then make careful notes at the second reading, or do everything at once.

While reading, see if the story elements connect to past events or foreshadow future events. Try to predict what is going to happen.

I encourage the use of quotes - sometimes the author's words are the best. However, do not overuse this technique.

Odyssey XV - XXI

Each person will be assigned a book and they will read the book independently. They will write a brief summary of the book noting examples of symbolism, xenia, loyalty. Bird imagery is important and note the actions of the characters towards Ulysses/Odysseus and each other. The summary will be single space and no longer than a page.

Individual groups will then form to create a PowerPoint to teach the book. Compare notes as to your observations and come to a consensus as to how to present. I expect an easy to read,visually appealing presentation. Images that relate to your Book are expected.

I am available as a consultant - for a modest fee

Summaries will be handed in before the groups meet and will be graded for content and grammar. PowerPoint can be presented by one person or all. PowerPoint will be graded for content and presentation.

Books XII -XIV Going to Ithaka

The early and difficult part of Odysseus's journey is coming to an end. Book XII is full of adventure. They return to bury Elpenor, sail by the Sirens (the men put beeswax in their ears and tie Odysseus to the mast), lose six men to Skylla, skirt Charybdis, and end on Helios's island. The men disobey Odysseus for the last time, eat the holy cattle, and then die at sea; Odysseus survives and lands on Kalypso's island (where he stays for 7 years). Two ideas are reinforced in this book. One is that Odysseus is a man of the mind, so eager to learn that he must hear the Siren's song. The other idea is that Odysseus's men die because they do not listen to him. He does not fail as a leader/hero, his men fail to follow his leadership and they die.

Book XIII is a transition from the journey to the homecoming. Odysseus gets lots and lots of gifts and a ship home. It also features a reversal of the xenia idea because the Phaiakians are punished for being good xenos. However, this might simply be an extension of the idea that the gods are capricious - even when you do what is asked they get you. Please note the familiar lines about the nature of the islands natives: " Alas, 'he exclaimed, ' among what manner of people am I fallen? Are they savage and uncivilized or hospitable and humane?" He does not even know that he is home. Also note that Minerva/Athena helps by changing his appearance to that of an old man. She does this because he is in danger as a result of the suitors.

The theme of xenia is joined with that of loyalty in Book XIV. We meet "O swineherd Eumaeus," the loyal swineherd and slave of Ulysses/Odysseus. The book cements Eumaeus as a good xenos and slave, and a person whom Odysseus can trust to help with the suitors.

Out Sick

Schema: From memory, create and complete the order of events, In Media Res and Chronologically up through Book XI. Do this on your computers, print it, and then someone should volunteer to put them in alpha order.

Lesson: Read Book XII and write a summary of the events (one page or less). Then complete the Chronology listing the new events. You will work alone on this reading and be absolutely quiet. I want you to try to read and connect to the text on your own. Do not give up. You can do it!

If you have time, you may take advantage of my weak condition to spruce up your Myth PowerPoint presentations.

Homework: We will have a reading check for Book XII, with the complete Chronology through Book XII on Wednesday.

Circe - Kirke Book X

Book X is Odysseus’ visit to Kirke/Circe. She is the opposite of Kalypso – Circe begins as a bad xenos and ends as a good xenos (Kalypso ends as a bad xenos). She begins by turning Odysseus’ men into pig (maybe this is where we get the idea that all men are pigs). Hermes helps Odysseus protect himself and he outwits Circe. Odysseus and Circe become lovers. This is the continuation of the issue of seductive women preventing Odysseus from completing his homecoming. He stays for a year and then Circe gives him advice on how to get home – he must visit Hades and speak with Teiresias. Before they leave, Eleanor falls off Circe’s roof and dies.

Go to Hades

Homework: Read Book XI and visit Tiresias in Hades.

In addition to the reading, please identify two Greek heroes I've discussed at length and how they reflect nostos and kleos (based on their description in Hades). Also, look for the comments of one of these heroes and what the comments say about Homer's image of nostos, kleos and Odysseus.

Write a response (paragraph) on what Homer is telling us about kleos and nostos. Which is most important and cite the text to prove your point.

Polyphemus

Schema: The Dreaded Chronology - as we read the Odyssey, we will continue to add events to the chronology and as they appear in the text, in medias res.

In medias res: Telemachus, Phaiakians, Calypso

Chronology: Troy, Kikones, Lotos Eaters, Cyclopes (Polyphemus)

Please note the number of times in the epic Homer points out how Odysseus's' men disobey him and how this leads to their deaths. The first example is with the Kikones. This explains why our hero has lost all his men.

The other reason he loses all his men is that Odysseus makes a mistake and reveals himself to Polyphemus, who curses him and causes all his travelling woes. He turns Neptune/Poseidon against Odysseus.

Also note how how Polyphemus is punished for his bad xenia. He is a host, stranger, foreigner. The final point is how crafty Odysseus is in out witting the Cyclopes.

Books 1-8, xenia, nostos, kleos

Telemachos and Mentor



Schema: several of the SAT questions of the day had to do with tense agreement. One technique you need to think about developing is a plan for attacking questions. Look for obvious and typical: subject-verb agreement and pronoun antecedent agreement.

A lot of ground has been covered. We are looking at the concept of xenia as a theme in the Odyssey. Xenia is the Greek ideal of hospitality, the guest-host relationship. There are five persons, types, or xenos: guest, host, stranger, foreigner, friend. Every situation features a guest and host and they are either one or two the other xenos, as well.

Remember that the Odyssey is an epic of nostos (homecoming, peace) while the Iliad is an epic of kleos (name, reputation, war). Achilles is a hero of violence and body, a hero of kleos. Odysseus (Ulysses) is a hero of both nostos and kleos. Homer makes this clear when Odysseus announces himself to Alkinoos and his court.

Some notes on the text: Books 1-4 are the Telemachy, about Telemachus and his mother, Penelope. He goes on a quest to find his father and experiences the archetypes of loss of innocence, initiation and water. We see Penelope as similar to Ulysses in her cunning ploy with the tapestry. We meet our hero, Odysseus, in Book V. He is a captive of Kalypso but is set free at the request of Zeus (via Mercury/Hermes). Neptune sees him on the open ocean and makes trouble for him (he hates Odysseus) He washes up on the land of the Phaiakians, meets Nausikaa in Book VI, King Alkinoos and Queen Arête in Book VII, and they have games and a banquet in book VIII (where we see Homer as Demodokos, the blind poet).