1. Read The odyssey book 1 2 3. We will have a quiz Monday.
2. Write 1 page answering the following question. What do you think of Telemachus? What are some of his problems? Be specific from the book. Bring this in hard copy to turn in Monday.
3. Post a reply to the blog mentioning one specific example of how The gods are mentioned in the text, and what it means in context. Example- Penelope prays to Apollo to strike the suitors. Apollo is the god of archery so she is essentially hoping they all get hit by arrows.
The Son of Nestor, Pisistratus, prays to Poseidon, Lord of the Sea, to help him and Telemachus have a safe trip back home in their rapid black ship:
ReplyDelete"...Hear me, Sea-Lord, you who embrace the earth-don't deny our wishes, bring our prayers to pass!...grant Telemachus and myself safe passage home, the mission accomplished that sped up us here in our rapid black ship". Pg. 109, Line 62, 67
Pallas Athena and Telemachus prayed to Poseidon: "Hear me, Sea-lord, you who embraces the earth-don't deny our wishes, bring our prayers to pass!"
ReplyDelete"And last, Poseidon, grant Telemachus and myself safe passage home, the mission accomplished that sped us here in our rapid black ship."
First even the Gods pray to one another when in need of a favor. In this case Pallas Athena is aware that it was Poseidon's anger at the murder of his son the cyclops which caused so many to lose their lives on the return from Troy, and has caused Odysseus to be held captive by Atlas' daughter. By praying to Poseidon, she hopes to finally appease his anger, save Odysseus and have a save passage back to his homeland. As the God of the Seas, she knows that she needs his blessings on both counts, which is why Telemachus repeats the same prayer.
When Telemachus addressed the suitors in his fathers palace he said " But I'll cry out to the everlasting gods in hopes that Zeus will pay you back with a vengeance all of you destroyed in my house while I go scot free myself." Telemachus said this because he wanted the suitors to know how serious he was about his threats. To call upon Zeus for punishment on someone is calling for the ultimate punishment. Zeus is the King of Gods the judge for all punishments.
ReplyDeleteFrom the Book three when King Nestor is relating the story to Telemachus he said
ReplyDelete"That night we barely slept, seething with hard feelings against our own comrades, for Zeus was brooding over us, poised to seal our doom…."
Zeus is the god of sky and thunder, so we can think they were facing a storm or thunderstorm
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ReplyDeleteP. 101, L. 293-300 - When Telemachus prays to Pallas Athena: "Dear God, hear me! Yesterday you came to my house, you told me to ship out on the misty sea and learn if father, gone so long, is ever coming home... Look how my countrymen- the suitors most of all, the pernicious bullies- foil each move I make." - He's praying to Athena because he is troubled over the fact that he must leave his country in search for his father, meanwhile the men of his land and his mothers suitor plot against each of his plans. To either go in search of his father or stay and claim his birthright and become king.
ReplyDeletepg. 94, line 34-35 - Aegyptius said : "May Zeus speed him on a happy end, whatever his heart desires!". Aegyptius was praying to Zeus, to provide anything Telemachus needs till his demise. Aegyptius knew that Zeus is the most powerful and because Zeus can grant anything a mans heart desires.
ReplyDeleteP. 78, Line 41 - 52 "Look at Aegisthus now... above and beyond his share he stole Atrides' wife, he murdered the warlord coming home from Troy though he knew it meant his own total ruin. Far in advance we told him so ourselves, dispatching the guide, the giant-killer Hermes. 'Don't murder the man,' he said, 'don't court his wife. Beware, revenge will come from Orestes, Agamemnon's son, that day he comes of age and longs for his native land.' So Hermes warned, with all the good will in the world, but would Aegisthus' hardened heart give way? Now he pays the price-- all at a single stroke." Zeus explained to his fellow Gods that mortal men always blame the Gods for their miseries although they are the ones who put themselves in certain situations. In this specific example he speaks of Aegisthus and how even though he knew what his wrong doings would lead him to, he did them anyway, even though the God's tried to warn him what his actions would lead to through Hermes, the messenger God, way before he chose to do them.
ReplyDeleteAthena prays to Poseidon to have safe and fast trip with Telemacus ( (Page 109 Line 66) " And last, Poseidon, grant Telemachus and myself passage home, the mission accomplished that sped us here in our rapid black ship." Poseidon is god of the sea and ocean. Telemacus and Athena have trip by ship so she prays that no dangerous happen during the journey.
ReplyDeleteP. 108, line 62-69 "Hear me, sea lord, you who embrace the earth- don't deny our wishes, bring our prayers to pass!" Athena was praying to Poseidon, the God that ruled the sea. This is because she wishes that Telemachus will have a safe journey home.
ReplyDeleteIn the middle of page 95, "Fear the gods wrath before they wheel in outrage and make these crimes recoil on your heads." "I beg you by Olympian Zeus, by Themis too, who sets assemblies free and calls us into session-stop my friends." Be scared and respect the gods before they get really angry and start destroying things. I beg Zeus the leader of the gods and Themis the god of gatherings and joining just stop.
ReplyDeletePage 79 second Paragraph "Father, son of Cronus, our high and might king, surely he goes down to a death he earned in full! Let them all die so, all who do such things". Athena knows what Odysseus did was wrong so goes to her father Zeus to tell him the news and hope that with his godly powers takes vengeance on Odysseus
ReplyDeletePage 97 Telemachus tells the people during the meeting that me hopes Zeus destroys everyone that is destroying his palace and his goods. After he says this during the meeting two eagles come soaring down. It is known that Zeus often presents him self as a animal and a eagle is one of his most common forms. The eagles prove to the people that Zeus is present and hes listening to everything that Telemachus is saying.
ReplyDelete"I beg you my Olymipan Zues, by Themis too, who sets assemblies free and call us into session- stop my friends! Leave me alone to pine away in anguish." In context Telemachus is trying to talk to the Gods in front of hundreds of people as witness and try to convince them to let go of the curse he has put on their family.
ReplyDeletePage 98. "But I'll cry out to the everlasting gods in hopes that Zeus will pay you back with a vengeance- all of you destroyed in my house while I go scot-free myself" . Telemachus tells everybody at the assembly that he will pray to Zeus hoping they will be condemned by him because of their actions right after he is done, Zeus actually sends a sign which is two eagles.
ReplyDelete