Odysseus

Texts,  Word Study

Connections: merimna, the Argo, Jason, and More

“The Argo,” Konstantinos Volanakis (1837–1907), [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons Classical Inquiries has published an article by Gregory Nagy asking, “What is on Homer’s mind?” In that posting, Nagy argues that “all humans have on their minds both the ship Argo and the hero Odysseus.” A key word for Nagy’s argument is merimna, which he defines as a ‘care, concern, a troubled thought’, or even ‘a song that is on one’s mind’. We are happy to… Read more

Book Club

Book Club | October 2015: Cretan Lies

Our next Book Club selections explore the Cretan Lies of Odysseus. Our readings are: Odyssey books 13, 14, and 19, with particular focus on these passages: Athena 13.250–370 Eumaios 14.185–530 Penelope 19.163–348 Olga Levaniouk: Eve of the Festival, Chapter 1 ‘Beginning of the Dialogue: Setting up the Third Cretan Lie’ Classical Inquiries post by Gregory Nagy: A Cretan Odyssey, Part I We will meet for a live conversation via Google+… Read more

Topic for Discussion

A Most Dangerous Sea and the Beauteous Scarf

~ A guest post by Bill Moulton ~ Below is one of the pivotal scenes in Odysseus’ long journey home. He is near drowning on a storm-tossed sea. [It was as though the South, North, East, and West winds were all playing battledore and shuttlecock with it at once.] When he was in this plight, sweet-stepping Ino daughter of Kadmos, also called Leukothea, saw him. She had formerly been a… Read more

Reading Homer

Homeric Greek | Odyssey 1.44–62: Athena, Odysseus, and longing for home

We are pleased to share the latest video in the series on reading Homeric epic. In this episode Gregory Nagy (Harvard), Leonard Muellner (Brandeis), and Douglas Frame (CHS) read, translate, and discuss Odyssey 1.44–62 in an accessible and informal way. Specific topics of discussion include: the phrase γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη (sometimes translated as “grey-eyed Athena”) the mind of Odysseus and the heart of Athena associations between Kalypso and death the cosmic… Read more

Visiting Scholars

Open House | The Children of Odysseus, with Joel Christensen

We were pleased to welcome Professor Joel Christensen (University of Texas, San Antonio) who returned for our first 2015 Open House discussion, when we discussed the children of Odysseus, and multiformity in myth. To prepare for the discussion, participants might like to follow these links to posts in Sententiae Antiquae: Odysseus’ Children: Fourteen and Counting! The Sons of Odysseus, Part 1: Evidence from Hesiod, Eustathius and Dionysus of Halicarnassos The… Read more