Discussion questions – The Odyssey, Book 1: What is Olympus? Who meets there

1. What is Olympus? Who meets there?

Olympus is a greec mount which was one of the most important locations in ancient Greek mythology, the formal home of all the gods. These gods were called the Twelve Olympians. They were Zeus (god of the sky), Hera (wife of Zeus and goddess of marriage), Poseidon (god of the sea), Athena (goddess of reason), Apollo (god of music), Artemis (goddess of the hunt), Hestia (goddess of the hearth), Demeter (goddess of the harvest), Hermes (god of commerce), Aphrodite (goddess of love), Ares (god of war), and Hephaestus (god of the forge).  The Mount Olympus of Greek mythology is portrayed a bit differently than the mountain one would see today.  At its highest peak, the Olympus reaches nearly 1,000 feet above sea level and is steep, foreboding, and difficult to climb.  In Greek Mythology Mount Olympus was an ideal paradise where the weather was always perfect and the gods could enjoy their feasts of divine nectar and ambrosia.  In most of the stories where Mount Olympus is mentioned, Zeus and the other Olympians lived in palaces within the gorges that are prevalent on the mountain. It is here where the lives of the gods and goddesses fell into a rhythm similar to he way mortals lived.They slept, ate, socialized, and ruled from the mountaintop. Some stories indicate that each of the gods and goddesses had their own palaces. Other accounts indicate that they all lived in a central palace.

What type of system of morality does Zeus invoke?

The morality of Zeus referred to most often is that of the guardian of hospitality. Also justice was very much concern of Zeus, even if he is portrayed in Iliad. As the sovereign of gods, Zeus resembles human sovereign who safeguard and administer the themistes – the traditions and usages of justice. It makes sense, that Zeus in view of sovereignty should have an interest in justice. Zeus goals , among which vindicating Achilles and destroying troy were congruent with justice. The general morality was the dominion of Gods over humans with their irreversibility of Fate and good versus evil .

Who is Telemachus? How old is he?

Just an infant when his father left for Troy, Telemachus is still maturing when the Odyssey begins. He is wholly devoted to his mother and to maintaining his father’s estate, but he does not know how to protect them from the suitors. When Telemachus reached manhood, he visited Pylos and Sparta in search of his wandering father. On his return, he found that Odysseus had reached home before him. Then father and son slew the suitors who had gathered around Penelope. According to later tradition, Telemachus married Circe (or Calypso) after Odysseus’ death. He believes in the support of the gods, especially Athena; and he believes in this great man, his father, whom he has known only as a legend. Telemachus rarely wavers. At the showdown with the suitors in the great hall, he is shrewd enough to get his mother out of the line of fire and mature enough to be a real help to Odysseus.

Why does Athena mention Orestes to Telelmachus?

Athena reminds to Telelmachus about glories history of Orestes. She tells him No matter how far out of the world you live, you will have heard of Agamemnon and the bad end he came to at the hands of Aegisthus- and a fearful reckoning did Aegisthus presently pay. See what a good thing it is for a man to leave a son behind him to do as Orestes did, who killed false Aegisthus the murderer of his noble father. You too, then- for you are a tall, smart-looking fellow- show your mettle and make yourself a name in story.”. This way she is comparing two young men and inspires Telelmachus not to give up. Also Telelmachus finds out from Athene  that meanwhile Aegisthus here at home plotted his evil deed. For seven years after he had killed Agamemnon he ruled in Mycene, and the people were obedient under him, but in the eighth year Orestes came back from Athens to be his bane, and killed the murderer of his father. Then he celebrated the funeral rites of his mother and of false Aegisthus by a banquet to the people of Argos, and  on that very day Menelaus came home, with as much treasure as his ships could carry.

Who is Odysseus and what has happened to him?

From Homer’s epic poetry Odysseus is depicted as smart, strong, attractive, brave, beloved by the gods hero of the Ancient Greece, king of Ithaca. He spends 10 years trying to get back home to Ithaca after the Greeks win the Trojan War. By the way we even can call the Odyssey is a sequel to Homer’s Iliad, a poem about the decade-long Trojan War. The extraordinary length of Odysseus’ return trip, which should take a matter of weeks, is due to his many antagonists, including the god Poseidon, the many mythical creatures he encounters, and Odysseus’ often greedy and lazy crewmen.

What is happening to Penelope during Odysseus’ absence?

While Odysseus was fighting far away in Troyland, his baby son grew to be a big boy. And when years passed and Odysseus did not return, the boy, Telemachus, grew to be a man.Telemachus loved his beautiful mother, She was loyal and devoted, and she knew how to put a man to the test. Her proposal to test the wooers with the bow of Odysseus gave Odysseus the advantage that he needed. Penelope, but his heart always longed for the hero father whom he could only dimly remember. As time went on, he longed more and more, for evil things came to pass in the kingdom of Odysseus.  For three years, Penelope has put off choosing a husband among the suitors by saying that she must first finish weaving a shroud for Laertes. Each day she weaves and each night she unravels her day’s work. Thus she delays for three years until a treacherous maid spills the beans.

Why is Poseidon angry?

In both the Iliad and the Odyssey it isn’t overtly clear as to how Poseidon’s grudge against Odysseus originated. One of the strongest theories about how it began is because Poseidon is said to have favored the Trojans during the Trojan War, and since Odysseus was the hero that turned the tide in that war in favor of the Greeks, Poseidon wasn’t happy. Almost immediately though, they’re shipwrecked on the magical island where the Cyclops, or one-eyed giant, Polyphemus, Poseidon’s son, lives. Odessey kills him .  This is why Poseidon can punish Odysseus, but it’s also why the other Olympian gods, the major Greek gods who are said to reside on Mount Olympus, prevent Poseidon from killing Odysseus. To exact this ultimate punishment would be to suggest that only partiality matters and that no public rules, norms, values, or laws exist.