The Odyssey, Homer, Book V, Lines 24-46.
Translated by Samuel Butler on classics.mit.edu
This online edition was prepared by Matthew Willett
Intro:
The excerpt from the passage that I chose comes from Homers “The Odyssey” in Book V from lines 24-46. The setting begins with all of the Gods on Mount Olympus, having a meeting that is supposed to decide the fate of Odysseus (Ulysses in modern translation), and whether he should be saved from exile on the island of Ogygia, where the nymph Calypso has kept him for 7 years as her lover. The goddess Athena had sent him there in hopes that it would help him to return home and take care of the suitors who were trying to suit Odysseus’ wife Penelope upon him not returning home from war. In addition Zeus adds that Athena is able to protect and guide Telemachus (Odysseus’ son) home safely from his journey, implying that Athena should’ve been prepared to do the same for Odysseus. Zeus then asks his son Hermes (“Mercury” in modern translation) who is the messenger of gods, to go tell Calypso of their decision to send Odysseus on his adventure home. I like this excerpt a lot because it shows how the gods come together for council to decide human’s fates and how they can be fair or not depending on the situation. I think that it fits well into “The Odyssey” because it shows how humans are controlled by the gods and how they are put into almost every situation in life depending on what the gods choose. Odysseus wouldn’t be trapped on the island if it wasn’t for the gods and also tricked into staying there by Calypso, who is a nymph and can use her beauty to retain him.
Quote from Book V, Lines 24-46, translated by Samuel Butler:
"What, my dear, are you talking about?" replied her father, "did you not send him there yourself, because you thought it would help Ulysses to get home and punish the suitors? Besides, you are perfectly able to protect Telemachus, and to see him safely home again, while the suitors have to come hurry-skurrying back without having killed him."
When he had thus spoken, he said to his son Mercury, "Mercury, you are our messenger, go therefore and tell Calypso we have decreed that poor Ulysses is to return home. He is to be convoyed neither by gods nor men, but after a perilous voyage of twenty days upon a raft he is to reach fertile Scheria, the land of the Phaeacians, who are near of kin to the gods, and will honour him as though he were one of ourselves. They will send him in a ship to his own country, and will give him more bronze and gold and raiment than he would have brought back from Troy, as if he had had all his prize money and had got home without disaster. This is how we have settled that he shall return to his country and his friends."
The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Odysseus (Greek Mythology)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/425301/Odysseus>.
Butler, Samuel. "The Internet Classics Archive | The Odyssey by Homer." The Internet Classics Archive | The Odyssey by Homer. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. <http://classics.mit.edu/Homer/odyssey.5.v.html>.
The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Telemachus (Greek Mythological Character)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/585916/Telemachus>.
Forlag, Maicar, and Carlos Parada. "Phaeacians - Greek Mythology Link." Phaeacians - Greek Mythology Link. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. <http://www.maicar.com/GML/Phaeacians.html>.
Black, John. "The Mythic Scheria and the Legendary Phaeacians." Ancient Origins. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. <http://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/mythic-scheria-and-legendary-phaeacians-001034>.
"The Odyssey Book V." The Odyssey Book V. Web. 23 Sept. 2014. <http://www.greekmythology.com/Books/Odyssey/O_Book_V/o_book_v.html>.
Lawall, Sarah N. The Norton Anthology of Western Literature. 8th ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2006. Print.
