Homer

A very good friend of mine and I had been having discussions about Homer’s Odysseus, the inspiration for my blog and Ulysses of James Joyce since many days. The discussions were quite lengthy and interesting, and being Professor of English Literature, I was very passionate about discussing these two well known works with my friend who was incidentally an engineer, but loved reading classics and wished to read these two epics. These lovely discussions sparked off my interest in taking a second look at these two epics and I present here for those interested, some information about Homer’s Odysseus. It would of course be best to read the epic itself!

Odysseus (Greek) or Ulysses (Latin) was the Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in the Epic Cycle. Odysseus is renowned for his guile and resourcefulness, and is most famous for the ten eventful years he took to return home after the ten-year Trojan War. Perhaps Odysseus' most famous contribution to the Greek war effort was devising the strategem of the Trojan Horse, which allowed the Greek army to sneak into Troy under cover of darkness. It was built by Epeius and filled with Greek warriors, led by Odysseus. 

 In The Odyssey, Odysseus incurs Poseidon's wrath by being on the winning side of the Battle of Troy and not giving the proper thanks to the god, Poseidon, for the victory. He levied a curse on him to never return home, and Odysseus wandered the Mediterranean Sea for years as he was kept at sea by storms and winds and various stumbling blocks.  They visited the lethargic Lotus-Eaters and were captured by the Cyclops Polyphemus, only escaping by blinding him with a wooden stake. While they were escaping, however, Odysseus foolishly told Polyphemus his identity, and Polyphemus told his father, Poseidon, who had blinded him. They stayed with Aeolus, the master of the winds; he gave Odysseus a leather bag containing all the winds, except the west wind, a gift that should have ensured a safe return home. However, the sailors foolishly opened the bag while Odysseus slept, thinking that it contained gold. All of the winds flew out and the resulting storm drove the ships back the way they had come, just as Ithaca came into sight.

Odysseus escapes and is shipwrecked and befriended by the Phaeacians. After telling them his story, the Phaeacians led by King Alcinous agree to help Odysseus get home. They deliver him at night, while he is fast asleep, to a hidden harbor on Ithaca. Athena disguises Odysseus as a wandering beggar in order to learn how things stand in his household. Odysseus then returns to his own house, still pretending to be a beggar. He experiences the suitors' rowdy behavior and plans their death. He meets Penelope his wife and tests her intentions. 

The next day, Penelope maneuvers the suitors into competing for her hand with an archery competition using Odysseus' bow. The man who can string the bow and shoot it through a dozen axe heads would win. Odysseus takes part in the competition. No man could even string the bow until Odysseus, still disguised as a homeless person, strung the bow before the eyes of the stunned suitors. As the courtyard was sealed to keep the suitors from escaping, Odysseus revealed his identity and slew all the suitors who had been pillaging his land as well as the servants that had aided them. Now at last, Odysseus identifies himself to Penelope. She still does not recognize him, until she brings up a subject that only Odysseus would know about.

 Sersi, meanwhile, had borne him a son too named Telegonus. Wishing to meet his father, Telegonus left Aeaea and ended up landing at Ithaca without realizing it. Raiding the land for provisions, he was met by Odysseus in combat and killed him without knowing he was his father. Odysseus ended up dying from a spear tipped in the venom of a stingray that actually fulfilled the  prediction of Odysseus  death coming from the sea.  The adventures of the Trojan War and Odysseus' adventures at sea are retold in the classic The Iliad and the Odyssey (respectively).