•  Odyssey 02  •

About rhapsody 02 of the Odyssey

At dawn of the next day, Telemachus calls the heralds and gathers the Ithacan assembly, the first since Odysseus had left. He sits in his father's seat and is joined by two swift white dogs.
An elder named Aegyptius speaks first. He had four sons, but only two are still at home. Eurynomus was one of the suitors, and Antiphus had been eaten by the Cyclops. He asks who has called the meeting and why, and whether the army had returned.
Telemachus explains that he has called the assembly because the suitors of his mother are in his house, wasting his property. He fears they will soon destroy him as well. He said this was allowed to happen because Odysseus was gone. He feels the people should be ashamed for accepting this and adds that if they wanted to let everything be destroyed, they would face the wrath of the gods. As he spoke, he stirs the pity of the crowd, thraws down his sceptre in anger, and weeps.
Then Antinous speaks, blaming Penelope. He claims she has postponed the marriage by tricking them for three years with her weaving. By day, she wove, and by night, she unraveled her work, pretending to make a shroud for Laertes until she was finally exposed. He argued that as long as she played these tricks, they would keep wasting Telemachus’ wealth.
Telemachus responds that he can not force his mother out of the house. He fears her curse and the judgment of others. He then urges the suitors to leave; otherwise, he would call on the gods, and Zeus would punish them.

At that moment, an omen appeared: two eagles, symbols of Zeus, flew into the assembly and fought fiercely. The seer Halitherses then speaks, telling the people to stop the suitors and reminding them that he had predicted long ago that Odysseus would return in the twentieth year, which was now approaching, bringing destruction with him. However, Eurymachus mocks the prophecy. He argues that birds fly everywhere and not all sightings are trustworthy. He advises Telemachus to send Penelope back to her father to marry again, claiming the suitors would wait as long as needed.

Telemachus then proposes a different plan. He requests a ship and companions to travel to Pylos and Sparta to find news of his father. Would he discover that Odysseus was alive, he would wait for him. If he learned that he had died, he would honor him with a tomb and arrange a marriage for his mother.

Next, Mentor speaks, praising Odysseus and scolding the people for putting up with the suitors. But Leocritus responds sharply, even threatening Odysseus would he return. He adds that Mentor might prepare the journey, which he thinks is unlikely to happen.

The assembly is then dismissed. Telemachus goes to the seashore to pray to Athena. She appears to him in the form of Mentor and offers encouragement, promising her help. Telemachus goes back home and asks Eurycleia to prepare supplies for the journey, making her swear not to tell Penelope. Meanwhile, Athena, disguised as Telemachus, moves through the city, prepares a ship, and gathers a crew. She puts the suitors into a deep sleep, and the ship sets sail at night with a favorable wind towards Pylos.

 

Homer

Though Homer doesn’t need an introduction, in case you’d like to refresh your knowledge about his life and work, you can read enough in published books, or online by consulting websites like: the Center for Hellenic Studies of Harvard University (using their search field), Encyclopaedia Britannica, the "Living Poets" website, even Wikipedia, Biography.com, or elsewhere.

 

About the audiobook / videobook

The recording contains the unabridged Ancient Greek text of the first rhapsody.
This recitation is trying to find a balance between dramatisation and metrical correctness. I’ve avoided excess on both sides: not to render it as mechanically rhythmic as it usually happens in educational context on all levels and, not over-dramatise it, as is often the case in live performances in larger venues. I hope this is a proper approach for this medium.

After purchase of the audiobook you will be able to download the mp3 file.

The videobook comes in a .zip file, containing the recording of the unabridged Greek text with optional subtitles in English (.mp4 + .srt files). Simultaneously with the narration the Greek text is highlighted and the relevant subtitles shown (if you so choose). Other languages or formats available on request

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You can listen to a short sample in the following video.