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  • The Return — movie review

    (I’m rethinking the content of my website and it looks rather bare right now. I’ll continue with my reading blog of ancient literature, but will try to add other things. Today, I’m posting a movie review related to the Odyssey. Spellings of Greek names are from Barry Powell’s translation the…

  • The Odyssey, Book V (lines 132-220)

    – Odysseus leaves Kalypso Kalypso tells Hermes, “I will gladly give him [Odysseus] counsel, and I will conceal nothing [a play on her name, which means ‘concealer’] so that he might arrive unscathed at the land of his fathers (132-35). This seems directly counter to the decree of Zeus (see…

  • The Odyssey, Book V (lines 1-130)

    – Odysseus leaves Kalypso (I’m going into more detail here with some of Powell’s notes) The narrative returns to the council of the gods on Mt. Olympus, so the action in Book 5 takes place at the same time as Books 1-4, according to Powell. Shifting timelines and parallel narratives…

  • The Odyssey, Book IV

    Telemachos in Sparta Powell summarizes Books 3 & 4, in which Telemachos rebukes the suitors for their profligate ways. They are infuriated, but he takes supplies from the palace stores and escapes by night, sailing to Pylos. There he meets with Nestor, but he has no news about Odysseus, so…

  • The Odyssey, Book I

    Telemachos in Ithaca Continuing my review of ancient literature, I move now to the Odyssey. I’m reading a modern translation by Barry Powell of the “essential books,” which isn’t in verse, but is very clean and forceful, maintaining the rhythms of the Greek — so reviews say, I only know…

  • The Iliad, Book XXIV-XXV

    Tues. Oct.1 The ransom of Hector’s body, and the end of Achilles’ anger. The gods intervene again, as Zeus sends Thetis to instruct her son to receive Priam, and sends Iris to persuade Priam to go to Achilles and beg for the return of his son’s body. Achilles is the…

  • The Iliad, Book XXIII

    Fri. Sept. 27 The funeral games for Patroclus. The shade of Patroclus appears to Achilles in a dream and demands proper funeral rites – the same rites he denied to Hector. These rites and funeral games provide a glimpse into Homeric culture, as they reaffirm the bonds between warrior and…

  • The Iliad, Book XXII

    Wed. Sept. 25 The death of Hector. With the Trojan army safe within the walls, Hector determines to face Achilles. Then, as almost certain death approaches, he has second thoughts and runs for his life. This is a very human moment, and makes his ultimate heroism even more poignant. He…

  • The Iliad, Book XXI

    Friday. Sept. 13 (re-ordered) Achilles pursues Trojans on the battlefield down into the Scamander River, even contesting with the god of the river to claim them. Achilles asks for divine aid, arguing that his descent from Zeus is greater than the lineage of the river god. Ancestry determines status and…

  • The Iliad, Book XX

    Friday, Sept. 13 Achilles returns to battle, giving the advantage to the Greeks. Zeus allows the gods to help either side, to even the odds perhaps, but the Greeks are still winning. Apollo encourages the Trojan hero Aeneas to face Achilles, and they have a conversation. Achilles questions what has…