The Odyssey Book 14 Presentation

Book 14

Lines 142-152

Lines 142-152

This passage is one of the most important in the chapter. Throughout the Odyssey it is commonly seen that Odysseus has a tendency to lash out in egotistical ways. This is usually to taunt, or gain value to his name. This would have been a golden opportunity for Odysseus to say some, irrational, half-thought comment about the true nature of his identity (a great example of this is the taunting of Polyphemus in book 9), yet he does not. Furthermore this display of self control comes up again, and again as Odysseus speaks to others about himself from a third person perspective. This passage shows the personal development of Odysseus, when he used to be egotistical when his name is mentioned, this does not appear true in book 14.

Book 14

Lines 37-44

Lines 37-44

We are introduced to the suitors in book one. They are a crowd of incompetent, inconsiderate men who try to woo Odysseus’ wife into marrying them. The purpose of this passage is to give Odysseus and the reader somebody to compare the suitors to. It is a rich juxtaposition of those who miss Odysseus and those who do not. The Swineherd mourns Odysseus as a loss, the suitors celebrate Odysseus as a loss.

SON OF HYLACIDES (ODYSSEUS)

ODYSSEUS

This is the person Odysseus lies and says he is. He is from Crete and his father is Hylacides. When Hylacides died, Odysseus’ brothers took the property and left little for Odysseus, but he was gifted with courage from Athena and Ares. He took this courage into battle at the Trojan War where he was a great hero. After the war, he returned to his home on Crete, but had a strange impulse to go to Egypt. He then leaves his family and takes a ship and crew to Egypt where disaster strikes. His men wreaked havoc on the Egyptians and brought war. Everyone on the ship except Odysseus died, and he survived because he begged the King for forgiveness. Odysseus stayed in Egypt for seven years, until a man came and convinced him to come to Phoenicia. They stayed there a year, then left again for Libya to do some trading. While at sea, Zeus sent a storm and destroyed the ship. Fortunately, Odysseus grabbed the ship’s mast and floated all the way to Thesprotia. He was told from the King that the real Odysseus, the great hero at Troy from Ithaca, had been there. The Thesprotians then gave Odysseus a ship to sail home to Crete, but the crew members tied him up and sailed to Ithaca. The men got off the ship and explored Ithaca, and while they were gone Odysseus escaped and hid. He then wandered to the house and found Eumaeus.

EUMAEUS

He is a slave who takes care of the pigs at Odysseus’ house on Ithaca. He is also referred to as the swineherd. He is very caring and protective of the pigs, he is the person who finds and welcomes Odysseus (who is disguised as a beggar). Eumaeus misses and grieves Odysseus (his old master) wanting him to come home but thinking he is dead. Odysseus tries to tell him he will come home in the coming days, but Eumaeus hears fake stories all the time and does not believe him. He then asks Odysseus about where he is from and his life story, to which Odysseus makes up a lie about how he is from Crete and fought with the real Odysseus and Menelaus during the Trojan War and was a great hero. He continues the made up story accounting every event until he washed up on Ithaca. Eumaeus sympathizes with his suffering and shows Xenia. Eumaeus also is portrayed many times throughout book 14 to be extremely loyal to his pigs, master (Odysseus), Penelope, and Telemachus.

EUMAEUS

Odysseus was trying to convince Eumaeus that Odysseus is still alive

CONTEXT

The 8 year old boy was adamant that he was not eating his vegetables at dinner.

SENTENCE

Odysseus was telling a fabricated story to Eumaeus to explain who he allegedly is

CONTEXT

In most of today's world, women have the same rights as men with the exception of some foreign countries where women are still kept as concubines for men.

SENTENCE

"Odysseus" was explaining that he knows Odysseus is still alive as he saw him at the battle of Troy (still part of his fabricated story).

CONTEXT

Jeremy wants to be driven to school but he is being constrained by his mom and has to take the bus.

SENTENCE

CONTEXT

Odysseus’ false story was that he was sold into slavery by somebody who he depicts as a “avaricious man”

Some people are so desperate and avaricious for food that they consume too much and they make themselves sick.

SENTENCE

depicting the ax used to butcher the pig for Odysseus to eat

CONTEXT

The student used his brain and was keen during the test.

SENTENCE

Answer

Answer

Homer characterized Eumaeus as “mourning the loss of an absent master”. Moreover, Eumaeus is characterized as extremely loyal to Odysseus. He was close enough to Odysseus to think of him as a brother.

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Answer

Answer

What is particularly unusual about the words that Homer chooses to use in lines 166 and 360 is that he commonly refers to Eumaeus in the second person. “You answered him, swineherd Eumaeus”(14.166). “Eumaeus, you relied”(14.360). It is almost as if Eumaeus was present for the retelling of this story. Like the narrator is speaking directly to him.

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Answer

Answer

Eumaeus contrasts with the suitors in his ability to mourn the loss of Odysseus. The suitors do not care for Odysseus. They do the metaphorical equivalent of spitting in his face. They eat his food and use his wealth, and diminish his name. Eumaeus views the malice of the suitors and this provokes a deep hatred within him.

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Answer

Answer

Lines 508-534 exhibit the concept of xenia in Ancient Greece so well because it shows the extra mile that people will go to not displease the gods. Eumaeus allowed the stranger to eat, sleep, and borrow clothes. It shows the nuance of Xenia: are the people showing compassion and generosity out of the goodness of their being, in hopes of reward from the gods, or fear of the gods?

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