Greek Epics XXXIII: Odyssey Book 8, or I Have a Song to Sing-O!

Posted byTriumvir ClioPosted inGreek Epics, The Greeks

The Phaiakians play some games and sing some songs and still don’t know Odysseus’s name. 

Discussion Prompts
  1. AP Credit: Compare and contrast Athena’s actions as they relate to Telemakhos and Odysseus.
  2. What do you think happens in the rest of the first song, the one about the fight between Achilles and Odysseus?
  3. AP Credit: Discuss the gender dynamics in the song about Ares and Aphrodite.
  4. Where do you think Nausikaa has been this whole time? How do you think she’s feeling? How would you tell this story from her perspective?
  5. Why do you think it takes so long for Alkinoös to ask for his guest’s name? What do you think would have happened if Demodokos had sung different songs, ones that weren’t about Troy?
  6. Would you want to live in Phaiakia? Why or why not?

Published by Triumvir Clio

I have a BA in History and Classical Civilization from Loyola University Chicago and an MPH from Western Michigan University. I've been a geometry teacher, a religion teacher, a writing tutor. I'm a writer, a knitter, a dancer, a singer, an actor. And, yes, for fun I like to reread everything that was assigned while getting my classics degree.

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