Arguably one of the most important books ever written is
The Odyssey by Homer. It give us so much information about Greek culture, society, and religion. Heck, it even gives us a glance of how to treat guests who randomly come to your home. However, one of the most important aspects is the narrative itself. It tells the story of a lost king trying to come home, a young boy entering manhood and finding his identity, and a lonely wife and mother who wants her family back and nothing else. It is a story about fate, destiny, and faults. All of these aspects drove me to ask myself some questions and tackle interesting topics found in this almost three thousand year old epic poem. Take a look!
The suitors are all the young men of Ithaca who think Odysseus is dead and are now asking for Penelope’s hand in marriage. They constantly ask for her, and she always resists. Even though she resists, they decide to stay and eat all of the family’s food. Penelope and her servants (some of whom are lovers with the suitors) are forced to serve them due to the ancient practice of Xenia, where the host of the house must serve the guests under any circumstances. Hundreds of cattle and bulls are slaughtered to be served to the suitors. They are led by Antinous and Eurymachus. The suitors also plan to kill Telemachus, in order to get rid of any opposition to their plans of marrying Penelope.
Odysseus has escaped from the Cyclopes, whose name is Polyphemus. He tells the giant that his name is “nobody”. This leads Odysseus and his crew to success. However, when they are about to leave, Odysseus cannot bear to think that he will not be recognized by the other cyclopes as the man who blinded Polyphemus. So, he announces his name as Odysseus, with pride and arrogance. Unfortunately for him, Polyphemus is the son of Poseidon. The Cyclopes wails in fury, asking Poseidon to take revenge on Odysseus for blinding him. Because he knows his assailant’s name, he can tell his father exactly who is responsible for hurting the son of a deity. This reflects Odysseus’ hubris, and therefore, he must pay the price by wandering for ten more years.
When Odysseus come home, and disguises himself as a beggar. There, he secretly reveals his identity to his son, the swineherd, the cowherd, and (accidentally) his nurse. They reveal to him who has been loyal and who has not. They devise a plan to kill all of the suitors and the unfaithful servants. Then, the servants lock the doors from the outside, so that no one can escape. When Odysseus reveals his identity to the suitors, he instantly kills all of them with the help of Telemachus, the servants, and Athena. This explains a lot about Odysseus’s character. He is very careful about who to trust. He cunningly sneaks his way into the same room with the suitors without them noticing anything unusual. He is more prone to wait and make a plan, and when the moment is right, release that plan to its highest degree, and achieve success. He values time, where it allows him to create the most effective of plans.
The story of Odysseus has been passed down for thousands of years. The reason why his stories are legendary is because the readers can relate to Odysseus. Even though they do not live in a world where cyclopes eat them, or sirens lure men to death, but they problems that are just as scary. However, it is his solution to every problem that makes him a hero among many. After seeing his own men get eaten alive, Odysseus immediately begins to think about how he will get himself out of his life-threatening issue. He plans with his comrades to create a clever trick that will work in their favor. It is this immediate reaction to make a plan that shows all of the readers, that Odysseus will never give up, until he has reached his goal. In the graphic novel, there are only two frames that separate the Cyclopes’ trap and Odysseus thinking.
In my opinion, Odysseus and Telemachus had every right to kill the suitors. First, they have been rude, disrespectful, and dishonorable to Penelope and the rest of the royal family of Ithaca. For around ten years, they have ate Odysseus’ cattle, slept with his servants, and ruined the palace. They have misused their role as a guest, and therefore must be killed in order to repay for their horrible crimes. Also, there is no other alternative. If they remain alive, it is quite possible that they would have revolted against Odysseus, outnumbering them and having the upper hand. The same result would occur with banishment, imprisonment (they cannot fit in the same prison), or torture. Therefore, they must be killed or they will still serve as a threat to Odysseus and his family.
The idea of hospitality plays an important role in the Odyssey. The Greek term for hospitality, Xenia, where a host must take care if any wandering stranger (or else suffer the wrath of Zeus). In return, the guest must not exceed his rights, and be grateful of the host with respect and honor. First, the suitors are the guests in the house of Odysseus. Even though Penelope has to take them in, they are disruptive, rude, and hostile. Due to this, they break the law of Xenia, and therefore are punished by Odysseus. Also, when Odysseus enters the cave of the Cyclopes, he immediately eats the cheese and milk belonging to Polyphemus, while the Giant was away. When he returned, because the crew did not ask for permission, but immediately ate his food, he raged against them and even cursing Odysseus later. This leads Odysseus to endure many sufferings, and is the only one to survive the trip back home (therefore, paying for being a disrespectful guest).
“Achilles- But since you are among the living, tell me of my son. Did he prove himself in the war, uphold the line of Peleus?
Odysseus - Never fear, prince. Young Neptolemus joined us at Troy and proved himself both in counsel and in battle. When we waited in the wooden horse, he alone moved not a muscle, never grew pale or showed the whites of his eyes, but gripped his spear and silently implored me to open the door and command the attack.”
(pg. 133)
Odysseus has gone to the underworld, as instructed by Circe, to find the wise seer Tiresias. While he is there, he sees many people that he knew, including Anticleia (his mother), Elpenor (one of the members of his crew), Agamemnon (the leader of the Greek armies at Troy), and Achilles (the greatest warrior of the Greek army). Achilles asks Odysseus about his son, Neptolemus, and Odysseus replies. I chose this except because it talks about the issue of genetic honor.
When Achilles asks if Neptolemus upheld “the line of Peleus”, Achilles is concerned about his son’s reputation as the son of Achilles and the grandson of Peleus (both were great warriors). He wants his son to revered as a great warrior, as his father and grandfather were. Odysseus replies that Neptolemus was ready for the siege without showing any sign of fear (just as Achilles was in the Trojan War).
This excerpt describes the importance of family honor, and how the son must carry the reputation of the father. Many Greek men are called as the son of [their father], in order to add grace to their appearance as a warrior or hero. All put together, the reputation of someone must be carried down the generations in order to maintain honor and glory for the family for the years to come.
