Have you read the book "The Odyssey" by Homer?

[MC Pee pants]

Originally Posted by Katalepsy
The term you're lookin for is modern Greek, although it has changed since, but it's still considered to be modern.

No, sorry I think the term I was looking for and just found myself was Helenistic. The Helenistic period was that period that we think of as ancient greace, but really Homer lived in the Helenic period, which was before the Helenistic period and the thing that separated them was something that i can't remember right now.

 

[SilentRealm]

I saw the movie with armand assante (not sure how you spell his name but you get the drift) just a few weeks ago, it was on TV. It was a pretty cool movie, but some parts of it I'm still reciting with my room mate as our own personal joke. It had that real yobboish flavour (you'll have to be australian to understand that one...Penelope!!...I've won!!!).

 

[weenur]

Read it entirely some 20 years ago, and started rereading it last year, but didn't get through it. Somedays, er, most days, I think adulthood is overrated. No time for simple pleasures anymore.

Saw the movie last week, too. Not bad, but not how I had envisioned it. It would be cool if someone(with a budget) took it and had Sean Bean reprise his role as Odysseus.

 

[Androz]

I've read it, and i saw an old movie

 

[SilentRealm]

It would be cool if someone(with a budget) took it and had Sean Bean reprise his role as Odysseus.

*sighs*..oh yes that would be wonderful

 

[jaimek]

Had to read both the Illiad and the Odyssey in school.

 

[iishrak]

The Odyssey cannot be trusted! It's just a handbook for sophistry!

Can someone please explain to me why Odysseus killing the suitors is a heroic deed, but Polyphemus killing 4 of Odysseus' men a grave crime which justified his blinding by that scoundrel Odysseus?

It's not like the suitors committed that bad of a crime. Heck, Odysseus invaded Polyphemus' home and started pillaging all the wealth from it, overstayed his welcome, and then hatched a sinister plot to escape retribution from his host.

 

[soundgarden]

The Odyssey cannot be trusted! It's just a handbook for sophistry!

Can someone please explain to me why Odysseus killing the suitors is a heroic deed, but Polyphemus killing 4 of Odysseus' men a grave crime which justified his blinding by that scoundrel Odysseus?

It's not like the suitors committed that bad of a crime. Heck, Odysseus invaded Polyphemus' home and started pillaging all the wealth from it, overstayed his welcome, and then hatched a sinister plot to escape retribution from his host.

Very, very, good point.

Remember this is in the reference to the Greeks. To the Greeks Odysseus was one of the greatest men alive. His schemes allowed them to take Troy.

Take another example; Achilles. To the Greeks, especially his Myrmidons, he had no equal. However, the Trojans saw him as an unreasonable man with dangerous pride, and worst of all he was the greatest fighter of the time. The Greeks saw the death of Hector as one of Achilles greatest moments. His Myrmidons cheered as he dragged Hectors body around the city. To them that was honorable. However, to the Trojans that act was the most disrespectful act to the city and Priam. I think Hector was a much more honorable man then any on the Greek side.

Poseidon saw what Odysseus did to his son and punished him by delaying his journey home. Poseidon did not see Odyssues as an honorable man, though most of the other gods did.

When Odysseus returns home he slays the suitors. To him, and the reader, that was the honorable thing to do. However, i firmly believe that leaving his country to his servant, Mentor, and his wife and son to engage in a 10 year war was far more dishonorable. Those suitors were trying to win Penelopea's hand so the country can have a ruling king.

Homer does a great job by making us sympathise with the Greeks.


(On a side note; in Star Wars Gerorge Lucas, like Homer, did a great job by making us side with the faction that was actually evil. If you pay attention to the goals of Darth Vader and realize the status of the galaxy after the fall of the empire, you will see that the Rebels have only succeeded in creating hundreds of small independent governments. Those governments will now fight to expand thier empire. Their imperialistic ways(how ironic) will now cause more suffering.)

(ok ill end my ranting now)

 

[SilentRealm]

Well I thought it was rather hypocritical how he had slept with all those goddesses, then when he got home he was scrutinizing his wife to make sure she had been faithful all those years he was gone. bloody men.

 

[Divine_Tragedy]

But he was forced to sleep with the godesses. So that makes it different, right? lol

 

[soundgarden]

But he was forced to sleep with the godesses. So that makes it different, right? lol

And Homer made it sound as if Odysseus did it only to please the godesses. He would do his part and lay on Calypso's beach the rest of the day. Same routine for 7 years.

And remeber in ancient Greek an "active" woman was low class while and active male was ok.(not that different from current society eh?)