Odysseus Enters his House(Books 17-20)

Odysseus Enters his House (Books 17-20)          

            -Book 17

1. Telemachos goes into town to show and tell Penelopia he is home safe. Before he leaves, he tells the swineherd to bring the beggar into town for “food”. Odysseus says he will be into town in a while because the morning is sol cold and he has little in the way of warming clothing.

2. Telemachos can think of little but the coming fight as he travels to town. Eurycleia sees him first and drops what she is doing to run to him and hug and kiss him in joy. Penelopia comes down and is overjoyed to see her son safe, alive, and at home. She asks what news he has found, after gently scolding him. He tells her they will speak about it later.

3. He tells her to go bathe and make a sacrifice to Zeus so that a great reckoning may come for the suitors. Telemachos says he himself must go see about a companion who came with him to Ithaca. The suitors crowd around him saying nice things, but have jealousy, hatred, and evil plots in their hearts. He ignores them and goes to Mentor, Antiphos, and Halitherses in town. These are true and loyal friends of Odysseus.

4. Periaos tells Telemachos to send a servant to get the gifts from his home. Telemachos says that he will once the suitors are gone otherwise they might kill him to get the gifts and he would rather Periaos have the goods if he dies. He does take Theoclymenos home though and makes him feel welcome.

5. Penelopia demands to know what Telemachos has learned in his travels, and so he tells her he learned nothing from the other Kings because they knew nothing. The only glimmer of knowledge he divined from the Kings was from Menelaos, who knew he had last been seen as prisoner on Calypso’s Island.

6. Theoclymenos tells her about the omen he interpreted which said Odysseus is already home and plotting revenge. Penelopia says she hopes his words are true, but doesn’t take too much stock in them. Medon, a servant, comes and gets the men and they kill some animals for supper.

7. Odysseus and the swineherd make their way into town and Odysseus ask Eumaios for a walking stick to lean on. They came across an extremely rude shepherd who criticized the swineherd and beggar. Odysseus almost killed him, but restrained himself. Eumaios asks the gods to take vengeance on him. Melanthios then goes back to Odysseus’s home and consorts with the suitors.

8. The two arrive at Odysseus’s home and he sees Argos, an old, dirty dog who wags his tail at the sound of Odysseus’s voice. He sheds a tear for the now neglected dog who was once his favorite. The dog dies, happy for having seen his master once more.

9. Telemachos invites both Eumaios and the beggar in and tells the beggar, Odysseus, to feel free to beg from everyone. Odysseus does this and whoever gives him food is found to be good, and whoever scorns him is bad. Telemachos scolds the men who don’t want to, won’t, or are angry with the beggar. Antinoos and Odysseus get into a bit of a fight.

10. Penelopia sees this and instructs Eumaios to fetch him for her. Odysseus says he wants to wait until the evil suitors are resting because they might get angry with him. So Eumaios delivers the message then takes his leaves after eating supper at Telemachos’s insisttance.

            -Important/New Characters By Familial Relations:

                        Servants

                                    Argos

                                    Medon

                                    Melanthios; a wicked servant on the side of the suitors

            -List of Themes:

                        -Jealousy Spawns Evil

            

            -Book 18

1. Arnaios, or Iros, was a beggar in the town of Odysseus. He tells Odysseus to get lost because he’s already begging here and the suitors won’t give him any. Odysseus tells him to not be so rude, but then Antinoos calls for them to fight for their amusement and the prize of a fat animal to eat. Odysseus agrees and tucks up his rags and trembling, Iros does the same. Antinoos threatens to have him seerly beaten if the old man should win against Iros.

2. Odysseus, being strangly merciful, only strikes him once in the jaw. Unfortunatley for Iros, this breaks his jaw. Odysseus warns a good suitor Amphinomos, to leave for Odysseus will soon return to fall the suitors. He takes heed, but Athena makes him stay in the house.

3. Penelopia had a notion, courtesy o’ Athena, to go among the suitors and show herself. First, Athena puts her to sleep and makes her fairer than ever with a shower of ambrosia. She goes down with the excuse of scolding Telemachos for letting the beggars be treated so poorly. Then tells the men, in a rather coy way, that none of them have offered her gifts or the like, as is proper. They all scramble to find her gifts after she says this. Then quickly, she went back to her quarters.

4. As she is leaving Odysseus talks to the maids, to root out the loyal and non-loyal ones. They are putting out torches and he approaches them. Melantho, a maid, tells him to get lost because he is hanging around people far above his servant. Odysseus threatens them and they all scurry away.

5. Eurymachos calls to the beggar (Odysseus) he will make a place for him working, but then says he can’t because the beggar knows nothing but vice and has no proper skills. Odysseus answers rather insubordinately and it angers Eurymachos, who calls him out as putting on airs, then tries to hit him with a stool, but misses and hits Amphinomos. Telemachos walks in and tells them all to get lost for the night. They comply.

-Important/New Characters By Familial Relations:

                        Servants

                                    Melantho; bad servant

            -List of Themes

                        -Wit over Strength; Ody to Ant, Ody to Eurymachos

            -Book 19

1. Odysseus and Telemachos endeavor to move all of the weapons into the store-room, as Athena instructed him to do. Telemachos tells his nanny, the loyal Eurycleia, to shut allthe woman up in their rooms. The excuse to be given to anyone if they notice the missing weapons is that the smoke has spoiled them, and if pressed, that bare steel is very tempting. She tells him to take command of his house, in a nice way.

2. Athena lit a bright light for them to see while working. Once this was done, Odysseus told Telemachos to go lie down, for he was going to go to the maids and Penelopia to test them.

3. Melantho once again spoke rudely to Odysseus and he replied that she would get what’s coming to her because she knew he was supposed to be there to speak with her mistress. Then Penelopia herself scolded the girl, then sends her away, and called for a chair for the beggar to be brought. Queen Penelopia asks him about his past and his home, but her gives an excuse and asks her about herself.

4. She tells him how much she misses and longs for her husband and how they all must wait until she finishes a death shroud for Laertes because he is old. Penelopia tells him how she unravels it at night and works by day, but then the maids let the secret be known so soon she must marry. Odysseus, at her insistence, tells her his made up story and name, Aithon. She cried with sadness at his unfortunate tale.

5. Penelopia questions him to make sure he is truthful, then cries when she finds out he is. She declares him an honored guest and friend. Odysseus tells her to stop crying, for he is sad for her but conceals it. He tells her her husband will be home soon. She has him bathed and tucked into a fleecy bed, then in the morning he is to sit with Telemachos, regardless of what the suitors may say.

6. The nurse then sets out to bathe the suitor, but recognizes an old scar from hunting on Odysseus and names him out loud. Athena detracts Penelopia while Odysseus shushes Eurcleia. She agrees to not say a word, especially to Penelopia.

7. Penelopia snaps out of it and tells him of a dream she had where she is watching geese then an eagle swoops down and kills them all. The beggar tells her it means that Odysseus will kill the suitors, echoing previous interpretations. She still isn’t really buying it. Penelopia told Odysseus (still fully disguised) that she was going to end her unhappiness by telling the suitors whoever can shoot an arrow through twelve axeheads will win her hand. The beggar promises Odysseus will be present for the contest. She still doesn’t buy it and retires for the night.

-Important/New Characters By Familial Relations:

                        -Servants

                                    -Melantho

  -List of Themes

                        -Loyalty; Pen ot Ody

                        -Gods Power; Ath to Ody/Pen

                        -Hospitality; Pen to Beggar

            

-Book 20

1. Odysseus tries to go to sleep, but has got a lot on their mind. Namely, he is very excited to kill the pretenders. He spies some of the maids sneaking out to go “consort” with the suitors. He is furious at their betrayal of their mistress. Athena goes to him and tells him she is behind him so not to worry because she is an immortal god and none of the suitors or even fifty battalions of men could defeat them.

2. Penelopia was, once again, crying in her bedroom. She called and prayed to Artemis for deliverance with an arrow aka death. She then has another dream about Odysseus coming home and avenging the wreckage the suitors have created.

3. Odysseus, gets a small case of cold feet and asks Zeus for a sign. Zeus sends a thunderclap down and Odysseus knows his prayer has been heard. An old miller woman hears this and hopes it is an omen for the death of the suitors for they have worked her to the bone.

4. Telemachos rose and inquired after his mother’s treatment of the beggar. He commands the maids to sweep, clean, and tidy up the great hall.

5. Eumaios approaches Odysseus and asks after his care. The reply is not favorable for the suitors. A cowherd, Philoitios, comes and greets Odysseus favorably, politely, and nicely. He also expresses his disgust at the suitors behavior. The beggar asks them both if they would fight on behalf of their master if he were to return home. They both eagerly say yes and praise him. Thus Odysseus knows to spare him (the swineherd too) and that he is a good servant and man.

6. Meanwhile, the suitors drop what they are doing for breakfast. Telemachos seats the beggar next to him and serves him like a fellow prince, much to the consternation of the pretenders, especially Antinoos. Then Athena makes the suitors tease Odysseus to work him into a rage. One of the men throws something at Odysseus, but he ducks, and Telemachos comes to his defense. After that scuffle is over, they go back to talking about who will marry Penelope. Telemachos refuses their request to reason with her and they laugh. A lot. Slightly prodded by Athena to laugh more than decent.

7. Theoclymenos has a vision of the hall dripping red with blood and announces it. The suitors dismiss it and laugh in his face. Telemachos attempts to ignore their stupidity by the knowledge that soon they will all die.

-Important/New Characters By Familial Relations:

                        -Servants

                                    -Philoitios

            -List of Themes

                        -Loyalty; Phil to Ody

                        -Worship of Gods (lack of); Theo’s vision’s reception by the suitors