Today’s aim: How does the episode of "The Land of the Dead" further our understanding of
Odysseus as the epic hero?
In today’s in person class, we started off discussing our own family’s and culture’s traditions of remembering and honoring the dead. I have never personally experienced the death of someone close in my family, and thus do not know how funerals are carried out. However, I assumed that the procedures would be similar to “regular” funerals in Western cultures, with a solemn ceremony and a wake. My classmate, Chanikan, told us that her family’s tradition is to hold a sort of open-casket service, where the departed is laid in a coffin in the main room of the home where anyone can come to pay respects. After several days, it is taken to be cremated in the temple. Our teacher, Ms. Peterson said that in her family’s culture, funerals are more of a celebration of the person’s life, rather than a mourning of their death.
After this opening discussion we learned about Greek beliefs when it comes to death and the afterlife. They believed that after death the soul went on a journey to the Underworld, which was located deep under the Earth and was governed by Hades, the lord of the dead, and his wife Persephone. Their soul would receive judgment, and pass on to one of three realms similar to heaven (Elysium), hell (Tartarus), and a limbo-like state where the souls were doomed to wander forever without any thought or destination.
We then learned about how the Greeks honored the dead, and the rituals performed. The bare necessity was a proper burial, as the “omission of burial rites was seen as an insult to human dignity”. The soul of an unburied body would be sent to the aforementioned limbo state, being trapped between the afterlife and the world of the living. The existence of the departed soul also depended on it being remembered and revered long after its death, and not properly honoring the dead was seen as impious and could be punished.
After learning about and discussing the Greek culture in relation to the dead, we read the “Land of the Dead” chapter of the Odyssey. When we finished reading, we discussed several questions relating to the chapter and the beliefs associated with the afterlife.
1) As Odysseus prepares to meet the dead he says, “Then I addressed the blurred and breathless dead, / vowing to slaughter my best heifer (cow) for them…” (line 555-556). What can be inferred about ancient Greek beliefs concerning death and the afterlife from these lines?
We inferred that respecting the dead is extremely important to the Greeks, as they are willing to sacrifice their best cattle to them. It would be disrespectful of Odysseus to not offer some sort of offering to the dead when passing through their realm.
2) Discuss Elpenor's request to Odysseus (lines 598-608).
What details does he want Odysseus to remember about his burial?
How does this reflect the Greek ritual of death?
The details that Elpenor wanted Odysseus to remember about his burial are that he wasn’t actually properly buried, and that it is Odysseus’ fault for abandoning him. He requests a proper burial via cremation, and a monument to him so as he won’t be forgotten. This reflects the Greek ritual of death as it shows us that the dishonored and forgotten dead are in fact left to wander, and that their last request in this state is only a proper funeral. Disrespecting the dead would lead to the punishing of the dead, as they were deemed unworthy of experiencing a fulfilling afterlife.
3) How does Odysseus react to seeing Elpenor (Lines 580-585)?
How does he react to Anticlea (his mother) (Lines 614-619)?
What characteristics of Odysseus do we see displayed in this scene?
We came to the conclusion that Odysseus reaction, which physically was gently weeping at the sight of his former friend and his mother, was one of solemn respect and understanding for how long their journey had been. The characteristics being shown here are that of compassion, respect, and composure, and this event had given Odysseus more determination to carry on with his journey.
4) Although not a god, Tiresias has been endowed with the power of prophecy. Consider the following advice Tiresias gives to Odysseus regarding the remainder of his journey home: “One narrow strait may take you through his blows: denial of yourself, restraint of your shipmates.”
What leadership advice is Tiresias giving to Odysseus?
In addition, what instructions does Tiresias give Odysseus in order to quell Poseidon’s rage?
The leadership advice that Tiresias gave to Odysseus was that Odysseus should be more humble, but control his crew more. They had had disasters before, such as the release of the bag of winds which blew them back to where they first sailed from. In addition to this, the instructions that Tiresias gave to quell the rage of Poseidon are to respect the gods more, and to go to a place where he can perform a sacrifice to the god of seas.
After discussing these questions we moved on to a different topic, with that being the chapter of the Sirens. We started the discussion with us defining in our own words what flattery is, and the discussion of 3 morals of Aesop’s Fable. I stated that flattery is when someone tries to warm up to you before revealing that they wanted something from you, with Chanikan agreeing and saying that the words carried no weight and their only purpose was to make you more likely to heed the other party’s requests.
We then read the chapter titled “The Sirens”, and discussed questions about Odysseus’ character in this chapter, along with events and the effect of the Sirens on him and his crew.
Why does Odysseus address his men “sore at heart”?
Odysseus addressed his men sore at heart because he knew that this section of their trip could end it, and that any mistakes could lead to his crew dying. He also was sore at heart because he was putting himself in danger just to listen to the Siren’s Song.
Why does Odysseus decide to tell his men about Circe’s forecast?
What does Odysseus reveal about his character by sharing this information with his men?
Circe insists that Odysseus “alone should listen to their song.” He directs his crew to “tie me up…lashed to the mast, and if I shout and beg to be untied, take more turns of the rope to muffle me.” What leadership qualities does Odysseus demonstrate here?
What character traits are revealed in Odysseus’ desire to hear the Sirens’ song? “I carved a massive cake of beeswax into bits / and rolled them in my hands until they softened … Going forward / I carried the wax down the line, and laid it / thick on their ears..”
Consider this action along with their successful escape and assess the leadership qualities revealed by Odysseus.
We came to the conclusion that Odysseus told his men about Circe’s forecasted because he trusted them, and because he hadn’t been transparent enough with them before. This shows that Odysseus is a very honest man, and is willing to properly lead his crew and keep them informed. When he requests that he be tied up and muffled, and that he alone should hear the song of the Sirens, he shows that he both believes himself to be the strongest one in the crew, and that he is willing to risk his own life for his own men. His desire to hear the song proves how determined he is to complete a goal once he has one, all while keeping his crew out of conflicts that aren’t theirs. He takes all the measures he can to protect the crew before beginning this test of his strength and willpower. This action along with their successful escape shows that Odysseus is very intelligent, courageous, and strong, as he is able to outsmart dangerous creatures made specifically to lure men in. The leadership qualities demonstrated here are that he is putting the wellbeing of his crew before any of his desires.
Shortly after discussing this question, our class for the day ended. In the next class, we covered the tale of Scylla and Charybdis.
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