Category Archives: Greek Epics

The Phaiakians play some games and sing some songs and still don’t know Odysseus’s name.  Discussion Prompts AP Credit: Compare and contrast Athena’s actions as they relate to Telemakhos and Odysseus. What do you think happens in the rest of the first song, the one about the fight between Achilles and Odysseus? AP Credit: DiscussContinue reading “Greek Epics XXXIII: Odyssey Book 8, or I Have a Song to Sing-O!”

Odysseus meets the Phaiakians. He’s getting closer to home, but we still have a long way to go before he gets there. Discussion Prompts What do you think about the utopia that Phaiakia is supposed to represent? Do you think Athena’s actions are necessary? Why or why not? Who is really in charge: Alkinoös orContinue reading “Greek Epics XXXII: Odyssey Book 7, or Meet the Phaiakians”

Meet the Phaiakhians. And their princess Nausikaa. And watch Nausikaa meet Odysseus. Discussion Prompts The poet describes Nausikaa as being like Artemis. Then Odysseus calls her Artemis. Is Odysseus being sincere? What do you like to do to celebrate laundry day? What would be wrong with Nausikaa bringing Odysseus home? Why does Nausikaa tell OdysseusContinue reading “Greek Epics XXXI: Odyssey Book 6, or The Princess and the Frog”

We finally join Odysseus as he tries to get home from Troy. Discussion Prompts How consensual do you think the relationship between Kalypso and Odysseus is? Why? Why is death in battle preferable to death at sea? AP Credit: Liminality. Discuss. How legitimate is Kalypso’s complaint about the double-standard when it comes to immortals sleepingContinue reading “Greek Epics XXX: Odyssey Book 5, or It Turns Out the Odyssey Really IS About Odysseus”

Despite what the title would have you believe, the Telemachy takes up a decent part of the Odyssey. In this episode, Telemakhos continues his own journey in search of news of his father. Discussion Prompts AP Credit: Compare/Contrast the feast at Pylos with the feast at Sparta. What do you think about Menelaos? How doesContinue reading “Greek Epics XXIX: Odyssey Book 4, or Something is Rotten in the State of Sparta”

Telemakhos meets Nestor, and the old man regales him with tales of the Trojan War and its aftermath. Discussion Prompts Why does Odysseus choose to stay with Agamemnon? Why does Nestor tell Telemakhos about Orestes? AP Credit: Discuss guest-host relationships as shown in Book 3. Why does Athena bother saying that she’s returning to theContinue reading “Greek Epics XXVIII: Odyssey Book 3, or Nestor Tells Stories”

Telemakhos takes Athena’s advice, and Penelope tries to control her own life in Book 2 of the Odyssey. Discussion Prompts Why do you think Aigyptios opens the assembly even though Telemakhos is the one who called for it? What is wrong with Antinoös’s ultimatum? Why do you think Penelope has allowed the suitors to plunderContinue reading “Greek Epics XXVII: Odyssey Book 2, or Don’t Mess With a Clever Woman”

In this episode, we start reading the second of the great Homeric epics, the story of Odysseus’s journey home from Troy. Discussion Prompts AP Credit: Discuss the instances of liminality in this book. AP Credit: Compare/contrast the character of Telemakhos with the characters of the suitors. What does this book tell us about fate, theContinue reading “Greek Epics XXVI: Odyssey Book 1, or The Gods Get the Action Started”

We have reached the concluding book of the I. It’s time to say farewell to Achilles, Patroklos, Hektor, and the rest. Discussion Prompts What do you think about Achilles in this book? Why? Has your view of him changed over the course of the epic? Why or why not? Who do you think is theContinue reading “Greek Epics XXV: Iliad Book 24, or A Farewell to Arms”

The Ancient Greeks knew how to throw a funeral! Before we get to the discussion prompts, I did promise to share the song from whence I derived the subtitle of this episode. For those of you to whom this is new, enjoy! And for those of you who already know the song, enjoy singing along!Continue reading “Greek Epics XXIV: Iliad Book 23, or That’s Your Funeral (If Your Name is Patroklos)”