1. Returns HUM 2051: Civilization I Fall 2010 Dr. Perdigao September 10-13, 2010

2. Narrative Strands Book XIII—“Ithaca at Last” Ithaca now unfamiliar: “Man of misery, whose land have I lit on now? / What are they here—violent, savage, lawless? / or friendly to strangers, god-fearing men?” (360) Punishment to Phaeacians Athena: “We’re both old hands at the arts of intrigue” (362) “Clearly I might have died the same ignoble death / as Agamemnon, bled white in my own house too, / if you had never revealed this to me now, / goddess, point by point. / Come, weave us a scheme so I can pay them back!” (364) Eumaeus Eurycleia

3. Narrative Strands “What good can come of grief?” (328) House in ruins: Order Meeting with Achilles, offered choice between short, glorious life or long life—here switches opinion (340, 553) The whole warrior code that informed The Iliad is called into question Odysseus: Agamemnon—underworld, parallels Caution about reentry, subtlety, cunning Difference between murder and survival Telling of story: Demodocus, Odysseus, Sirens

4. Dualisms, Dichotomies Order/disorder Courtesy/discourtesy (who respects strangers: gods: humans—all rites, rituals between worlds) Restraint/rage Civilized/barbaric Father/son Odysseus/Agamemnon

5. Patterns and Parallels Agamemnon/Odysseus parallel: Elpenor (rites to bodies); suitors (no propriety in house) Agamemnon appears at end to praise Penelope’s loyalty in a revision of that story and shift from tragedy: comedy (ends with physical union, marriage) Final symbol—bed—pillar at center of house; olive tree (Greek culture, that center) Book XXIV—deus ex machina: Athena appears, resolves all conflict, example of gods’ intervention that we did not see in The Iliad (visible here); now a call for peace

6. Deus ex Endings Telemachus as version of father—parallel to Orestes (454, L117; 455, 144). Odysseus shakes head, sign that Telemachus is able to perform like father, assertion Telemachus is almost grown “Purify” house, purging and cleansing Poem ends with sexual reunion—common pattern—establishment of order at home (western literary tradition) Retelling of entire Odyssey (story within the story) (481, L355) Last book—“Peace”—reunion with father, impossibility for Priam