STORY 0:00 – 1:04:45
At the same time as Athena is in Ithaka – “mentoring” Telemachus – Odysseus washes ashore the land of the Phaeacians: badly beat up, half-starved, and totally naked. And his only hope of receiving the xenia that he needs, is to somehow find a way to supplicate a feisty young teenage princess named Nausicaa. The episode is dominated by the brilliant and delightful wordplay between Odysseus and Nausicaa. And as the episode concludes, Odysseus is invited to consider a rather tempting offer of marriage.
POST-STORY COMMENTARY: ODYSSEUS’ GREAT WANDERINGS STORY 1:04:45 – 1:30:39
I dive deep into the Great Wanderings tale that Odysseus tells to the Phaeacian court. First, I explain Homer’s artistic decision to have his character Odysseus narrate the entire Great Wanderings, as a four-hour, first-person flashback. And then I turn my attention to Odysseus, and discuss his multiple motivations in telling his Great Wanderings tale to the Phaeacian audience. Finally, I review competing theories about the “veracity” of Odysseus’ Great Wanderings story, including the possibility that Odysseus – the master of lies – simply made the entire thing up.
RELATED IMAGES
I struggle to find details – title of work, name of artist, date – for some images. If you can help, please forward information to me. Thanks. Jeff
-
- Athena intervenes in Nausicaa’s Ball Game
-
- Odysseus shocks Nausicaa on laundry day
-
- One SERIOUSLY IMPOSING Nausicaa
-
- Odysseus and Nausicaa, Jean Alfred Marioton, 1888
-
- Ulysses and Nausicaa, by Michele Desubleo, 1602-1676 (she looks old enough to be his mum!)
-
- Nausicaa, by William Mcgregor Paxton, 1869-1941
-
- Nausicaa stands her ground
