A sampling of comments on Odyssey Rhapsody 8
2017.05.18 / updated 2018.10.08 | By Gregory Nagy Odysseus encounters the blind singer Demodokos, who performs three songs that reveal hidden truths about the hero of the Odyssey. Read more
Homer commentary
A sampling of comments on Odyssey Rhapsody 7
2017.05.11 / updated 2018.10.08 | By Gregory Nagy Following the instructions of Nausicaa, Odysseus approaches the palace of her father Alkinoos (latinized as Alcinous), king of the Phaeacians. This palace and the adjacent garden of Alkinoos are not only enchanting but even enchanted, as will be argued in the comments for Rhapsody 7 here. And, as we will see later in the comments for Rhapsody 13, the garden of Alkinoos… Read more
A sampling of comments on Odyssey Rhapsody 5
2017.04.13 / updated 2018.10.07 | By Gregory Nagy The rhapsody starts with the releasing of Odysseus by one goddess and ends with the mystical saving of his life by a second goddess, who is Leukotheā, the White Goddess. The beautiful Leukotheā saves Odysseus by undoing her hair and giving him as a life-saver the veil that had held her curls in place. As for the first goddess, who is Calypso,… Read more
A sampling of comments on Odyssey Rhapsody 4
2017.04.06 / updated 2018.10.06 | By Gregory Nagy With the continued aid of the goddess Athena, young Telemachus now becomes an ideal guest for his new hosts, Menelaos together with Helen. The identity of Helen as a goddess becomes more evident now that she is back in Sparta. This divine identity will point to the future immortalization of the hero Menelaos by virtue of his winning back Helen as his… Read more
A sampling of comments on Odyssey Rhapsody 3
2017.03.30 / updated 2018.10.06 | By Gregory Nagy Aided by the goddess Athena, young Telemachus becomes an ideal guest for his host, the elderly Nestor. Telemachus dearly needs the diplomatic skills of Athena, since Nestor is a prime devotee of the god Poseidon, who is not only a major rival of the goddess but also a relentless antagonist of Odysseus. Nestor’s stories about the travels of the Achaeans as they… Read more
A sampling of comments on Odyssey Rhapsody 2
2017.03.09 / updated 2018.10.06 | By Gregory Nagy The mentoring of Telemachus by Athena continues. First the goddess was Méntēs. Now she will become Méntōr to the young hero. Through the mentorship of the goddess, Telemachus modulates into mental connectivity: he will no longer be disconnected from the epic legacy of his father. As he boards the ship that will take him to Pylos, he is ready to connect with… Read more