Our technology has exceeded our humanity..

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity"
Albert Einstein

Einstein wrote this quote more than 60 years ago, and it is kind of funny that he already tought that our technology has exceeded our humanity. I wonder what he would say if he saw our world now..

Identification

'I am Odysseus, son of Laertes, known to the world for every of craft - my fame has reached the skies. Sunny Ithaca is my home.'

The Odyssey, Book 9


Odysseus finally know who he is, he recognizes his identity and decides to fight to accomplish his nostos

Beauty

Why, even a deathless god who came upon that place would gaze in wonder, heart entranced with pleasure. Hermes the guide, the mighty giant killer, stood there, spellbound...But one he'd had his fill marveling at it all he briskly entered the deep vaulted cavern.

The Odyssey, Book 5

Transition

"So great Odysseus buried himself in leaves and Athena showered sleep upon his eyes ... sleep in a swift wave delivering him from all his pains and labours, blessed sleep that sealed his eyes at last."

(Book V, Line 543-547)

Dream in the epic is very important because it represets transitions in the hero's journey. We see how Odyseeus arrives to the "real world" after all of the effort to get out of the mythological world. He rests and the next day when he wakes up he will be in a more civilized realm without all the unhuman magic surrounded him. This is very important because it means he is a step closer to the ultimate civilized place, that is his beloved Ithaca.

"Stop, old man!" Eurymachus, Polybus' son, rose up to take him on. "Go home and babble your omens to your children-

save them from some catastrophe coming soon. I'm a better hand than you at reading portents. Flocks of bird go fluttering under the sun's rays, not all are fraught with meaning. Odysseus? He's dead now, far from home-

would to god that you'd died with him too. We'd have escaped your droning prophecies then and the way you've loosed the dogs of this boy's anger-

your eyes peeled for a house-gift he might give you.

Here's my prophecy, bound to come to pass.

If you, you old codger, wise as the ages,

talk him around, incite the boy to riot,

he'll be the first to suffer, let me tell you.

And you, old man, we'll clap some fine on you

you'll weep to pay, a fine to crush your spirit!"

(Book II, line 198-215)

This is a perfect example of the behavior of the suitors, they are everything except heroic. They take all the goods from the king's house and they also are not civilized. When the old man is warning them with a prophecy that he got from the Gods, the suitors simply ignored what he had to say and treat him badly. An old man in the classical world is viewed as full of wisdom and more if he is a prophet. We see not only that the suitors are unjustce (no Dike), they also don't respect their elders resulting in chaos. I consider them as hubris as well, because they are mocking the prophecies that ultimately comes from the gods, so if they mock the gods they think they are supperior to them.

From Boy to Man

" And Athena lavished a marvelous splendor on the prince so the people all gazed in wonder as he came forward, the elders making way as he took his father's seat"

(Book II, line 12-14)

For me this part of the epic is very important because is when the boy is showing signs that he is going to become the man that we are all expecting to see. Telemachus needs to take action against the suitors but he still does not know how. I think the conversation with Athena is a Catalyst for him to understand that the next step is leaving Ithaca in order to become a man and come back again as a hero and inherit the Kleos from his father. When he takes his father's seat in the council of Ithaca and he is the one who calls the meating, we can say that he is taking charge as the prince and future king. We can also say that although he does try he is not ready yet because after he explains his concerns to the council he starts to cry, letting us know in a way that he is not ready yet and that he needs to undergo the rite of passage.

Forge Your Own Destiny

"Let no lack of a pilot at the helm concern you, no, just step your mast and spread your white sail wide."

-Circe, Book 10, The Odyssey

Imminent Destruction

"Of all that breathes and crawls across the earth,
our mother earth breeds nothing feebler than a man.
So long as the gods grant him power, spring in his knees,
he thinks he will never suffer affliction down the years.
But then, when the happy gods bring on the long hard times,
bear them he must, against his will, and steel his heart.
Our lives, our mood and mind as we pass across the earth,
turn as the days turn . . ."

This quote is a reference to what has happened to Odysseus. He feels himself to be completely under the power of the gods every whim, a feeling particularly common in the Greek psyche. It also shows a difference between how he accepts the burden and struggles through, hoping for better times, where many people would give up and wallow in their self pity and emotion, something that Odysseus rarely allows himself to do.
The quote is also a foreshadowing of what will happen to the suitors. They have a false sense of power, that will soon be torn from them, damning them to suffering and being forgotten.
It emphasizes also the power that the gods have. i feel that the childish emotional behaviour of the gods was a key part of why people were so god-fearing. They were not purely rational logical beings and so they have to tread carefully, apeasing the gods at every step along the way.

reference to what happened to odysseus
foreshadowing of what will happen to the suitors

Beauty

“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.”
-Audrey Hepburn

Beauty, its nothing we've known, its a state of mind, a state of being. Beauty does in truth lie within the beholder. Beauty can be both harmful and harmless but if we look into the deeper meaning the way Audrey Hepburn put it doesn't matter what the person looks like its how they use it and that's beauty.

Biding his time

"Wild reckless taunts- and just as he passed Odysseus the idiot lurched out with a heel and kicked his hip but he couldn't knock the begger off the path he stood his ground so staunchly. Odysseus was otrn should he wheel with his staff and beat thte scoundrel senseless, or houst him up by the midriff, split his skull on the rocks? he steeled himself instead, his mind in full control."
book 17. line 255-260

In order for Odysseus to controll the element of surprise he must hold himself back and take whatever punishment he recieves. For if he were to lash out at the goatherd he would have to face the suitors and they would surly not stand for a lowly begger killing a servent who provided them their meat. Now is not the time for himself to confront the suitors and reveal himself so he must hold his ground. However he still has his pride and does not allow himself to show any sign that the goatherds harsh taunts and attack had any affect on him.

PEACE!

"Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will live as one." -John Lennon

We all are dreamers, but we don't have to just dream for peace. Of course world peace is hard to achieve but everyone can make a difference and a little goes along way. When I think of myself i don't know what I'm doing in my society to help achieve this I cant start with the world but I can start within my city. I need to start something as we all do. It has almost been 30 years of the death of John Lennon and its sad to know he didn't achieve his pursuit of peace but the thought of it will be persevered and together we will work for it.

The path of suffering

Athene: I will tell you all the troubles you are ... destined to suffer in your well-wrought house; but you must, of necessity, endure all, and tell no one out of all the men and the women that you have come back from your wanderings, but you must endure much grief in silence, standing and facing men in their violence.

The message is to undergo suffering because it cant be avoided. Odysseus will just be delaying time until he can deliver some serious payback!

starvation

Eurylochos, in Odysseus’s tale: Listen to what I say, my ... companions, though you are suffering evils. All deaths are detestable for wretched mortals, but hunger is the sorriest way to die and encounter fate. Come then, let us cut out the best of Helios’ cattle, and sacrifice them to the immortals who hold wide heaven, and if we ever come back to Ithaka, land of our fathers, presently we will build a rich temple to the Sun God Helios Hyperion, and store it with dedications, many and good. But if, in anger over his high-horned cattle, he wishes to wreck our ship, and the rest of the gods stand by him, I would far rather gulp the waves and lose my life in them once for all, than be pinched to death on this desolate island.

Eurylochos considers starvation the worst death of all and prefers to commit a crime against the gods than suffer this fate. Which until now hasnt been mentioned, however because food is so important to the Greeks it isnt surprising

Justice

"It is true that the young men with their ... black ship are lying in wait for him to kill him before he reaches his country; but I think this will not happen, but that sooner the earth will cover some one of those suitors, who now are eating away your substance."
-Athena

Athene reminds us that the suitors deserve death not only for violating the laws of hospitality, but for plotting to kill Telemachus and to marry Penelope.

Athene: Hold back, men of Ithaka, from the wearisome fighting, ... so that most soon, and without blood, you can settle everything.

Athene maintains that justice doesn’t always need to end with fighting, which i belive is a good motto for Greek culture. However fighting often brings glory

They did bad things

Odysseus: Keep your joy in your heart, old dame; stop, ... do not raise up the cry. It is not piety to glory so over slain men. These were destroyed by the doom of the gods and their own hard actions...

Odysseus reminds Eurykleia that the suitors were not killed for personal pleasure, therefore, they should not rejoice at the fallen men.

Question of Justice

Odysseus: O son of Polytherses, lover of mockery, never speak ... loud and all at random in your recklessness. Rather leave all speech to the gods, since they are far stronger than you are. Here is your guest gift, in exchange for that hoof you formerly gave to godlike Odysseus, as he went about through the palace.

I think it is justice that Ktesippos receives death for throwing a cow’s foot at a beggar any ideas?

Gods rule all

Zeus: For his sake Poseidon, shaker of the earth, although ... he does not kill Odysseus, yet drives him back from the land of his fathers. But come, let all of us who are here work out his homecoming and see to it that he returns. Poseidon shall put away his anger; for all alone and against the will of the other immortal gods united he can accomplish nothing.


The way that Poseidon works under Zeus’ force is an example of fate and free will combined. While he must eventually allow Odysseus to go home, he gets to choose how long it takes and how much the man will suffer in the process. Similarly, Odysseus is going to suffer and eventually go home, but his actions along the way are a matter of choice. The question then is whether, with the end point decided, the path to get there matters at all.

Destiny!

Zeus: Oh for shame, how the mortals put the blame ... on us gods, for they say evils come from us, but it is they, rather, who by their own recklessness win sorrow beyond what is given...

Zeus suggests that man does have some control over his own destiny, but does the Odyssey argue for this? hmm who knowsss

home

'here is the beautiful place- who could mistake it?here is Odysseus' hall: no hall like this!''
-Book 17

- Display of the glory and richness of odysseus home .

Kingdom of the dead

"Shades of famous heroes, men who died in the old days and ghosts of even older age i longed to see" -Odysseus

Odysseus is finally coming to terms with death. He can now go home. I think of of my favourite books is book eleven because it shows how fearless Odysseus is and how he talks to his mother, that specifically was so sad. Also i think it was ironic how he talks to all the greatest hero's and the last hero he talks to is Heracles the greatest of them all, it sets him back on foot to finally finished his nastos.

warnings

''Son of Laertes and the gods of old,Odysseus, master of land ways and sea ways,dissemble to your son no longer now.the time has come: tell him how you together will bring doom on the suitors in the town.'' -Book 16

- explaning a warning to the suitors .

Homecoming

"Eurymachos, there is no more hope of my father’s ... homecoming. I believe no messages any more, even should there be one, nor pay attention to any prophecy, those times my mother calls some diviner into the house and asks him questions."
-Telemachus


Telemachus is finally growing into a adult and even though his father still isn't home he understands that Odysseus is on his nastos but he doesn't want the suitors to know. He is trying to keep his mother safe so he doesn't tell them the news Athena tells him. This shows us another them of lies and deceit.

hospitality

'There is your dinner friend, the pork of the slaves.Our fat shoats are eaten by the suitors,cold-heated men, who never spare a thought for how they stand in the sight of Zeus. The godsliving in bliss are fond of no wrongdoing,but honor discipline and right behavior.'" - book 14

Eumaius complains about the suitors who have destroyed the estate and he longs for the return of Odysseus, and shares his meat with odysseus. the suitors have been taking to much for granted .

The nature of things

Pleasant it is... to gaze from shore upon another's great tribulation:.... to percieve what what ills you are free from yourself is pleasent. Pleasent is it to behold great encounters of warfare arrayed over the plains, with no part of yours in the peril... O blind intelligences! In what gloom of life, that pain be removed away out of the body, and that the mind, kept away from care and fear, enjoy a feeling of delight!

On the nature of things
Loeb pp. 145