1 / 17

The Odyssey Bks. 13-14

The Odyssey Bks. 13-14. Xenia Lies and Deception Xenophobia The Importance of the Sea Tie-ins with 5 th Century Greece. Xenia or “What Can Strangers Do For You”. Xenia – one of, if not the, most important rules of the Homeric world Greeks expected to follow its rules

franciscosavage
Download Presentation

The Odyssey Bks. 13-14

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Odyssey Bks. 13-14 Xenia Lies and Deception Xenophobia The Importance of the Sea Tie-ins with 5th Century Greece

  2. Xenia or “What Can Strangers Do For You” • Xenia – one of, if not the, most important rules of the Homeric world • Greeks expected to follow its rules - wine and dine - bath and clothes - questions after dinner

  3. Xenia in Action • Alkinoos to Odysseus • “gold in various shaping of adornment…let each man add his tripod” etc. • A Ship and Crew • Xenia had many physical forms • Xenia even when known to be wrong • Pg. 235: Alkinoos’ father predicted the destruction of the ship, yet Odysseus taken in anyway

  4. Xenia in Action II • Eumaios to Odysseus - Proper manner of xenia? • Does Odysseus act properly? - “polutropos” again • Zeus again, as guardian of all wayfarers, strangers, and guests • Pg. 261 “Zeus grants us this and that, or else refrains from granting, as he wills; all things are in his power”

  5. Hesiod Works & Days 1-10 • “Muses of Pieria who give glory through song, come hither, tell of Zeus your father and chant his praise. Through him all mortal men are famed or unfamed, sung or unsung alike, and easily he brings the strong man low; easily he humbles the proud and raises the obscure, and easily he straightens the crooked and blasts the proud, Zeus who thunders aloft and has his dwelling most high.”

  6. Odysseus Liarus • Fact: Odysseus lies • Is everyone else doing it? • If so, why? • Fact: Odysseus lies A LOT • “I’m from Krete.” (common motif) – Aeneas • “Nobody.” • “I’ve been to Egypt.” • “No, I didn’t eat the moly.” • Question: Is who you are really important? • Gods + disguises + feelings = xenia

  7. Lies versus Deception • Is there a difference between lying and deceiving? Who Lies: Odysseus, Penelope, Athena Who Deceives: Odysseus, Penelope, Athena, Eurykleia, Kirke

  8. Xenophobia • xenos = “stranger” + phobos = “fear” • People • Phaiakians represent turning point in Greek thought • no more Mr. Nice Guy (pg. 235) • why does Zeus allow the destruction of the Phaiakians’ ship? • Is the harmony of the gods more important than xenia?

  9. The Importance of the Sea • Almost all of Bk. 13 involves water - Phaiakian ship w/ Odysseus - Anger of Poseidon - Telemachus is still across the sea - the cove of Phorkys • Greeks have a special relationship to the sea • CYA Summer 2005: class on Paros

  10. The Importance of the Sea II • Mastery of the sea VERY important • Lack of winds gets Agamemnon killed • Sea god angry, you don’t get home • Menelaus to Egypt, Ajax on the rocks, Aiolus totally blows • Mastery of the sea STILL very important to Athenians and modern Greeks

  11. 3,355 Greek-owned cargo ships 171,600,000 metric tons 18.3% of all world shipping 48% of all EU shipping 50,949 sq. miles (with 2000 islands) roughly the size of Alabama population of 10.6 million (or that of Michigan) .002% of the world’s population AS OF JUNE 2003

  12. The Sea in the 5th Century • Battle of Salamis • Greeks messed up them Persians real good • Athens gets an empire • Supreme fleet allows expansion, trade, and political influence all over the Aegean • Athens and Sparta bound to tie (at first) • Athens can’t blockade Sparta, Sparta can’t blockade Athens • Athens can go anywhere at any time • Thessaly, Sicily, Crete, Africa, Asia Minor

  13. The Athenian Empire

  14. The Major Players

  15. The Battles (Quick View)

  16. Xenia in the 5th Century • The unity of the Persian Wars is gone • Sparta has gone even more isolationist • Athens has a multi-national empire • - “might makes right” • - Zeus’ answer to Poseidon (pg. 234): • “But if some mortal captain, overcome by his • own pride of strength, cuts or defies you, • are you not always free to take reprisal? • Act as your wrath requires and as you will.”

More Related