I am liking The Odyssey more and more as I read further. It is becoming easier to understand, probably because I am getting used to the style of writing. For Books 2 and 3 I have a couple questions:
1.What is the difference between a god and an immortal god? Homer uses both terms multiple times, is it just for poetic reasons, or is there an actual difference?
2. Why does everyone assume Ulysses is dead? I mean, he has been gone for a long time, but wouldn't you still want to have hope that he is alive? I would keep hoping he will come back because it would be a sense of security for me.
3. I have noticed that some of the names end with the same suffix. For example, Telemachus and Eurymachus. Is there a specific meaning to the suffix?
4. Up until Minvera flys away as an eagle, does Telemachus know it is Minerva?
5. What is a tambour frame? I think it is a loom or something similar, but I'm not sure.
I have noticed that Homer uses the same phrases a lot. Some of these include: "Now when the child or morning, rosy-fingered Dawn" and "each had drunk as much as he was minded". I really like the first phrase, it is beautifully written. The last line in Book 3 sounds as if it should belong in Book 4, the paragraph before had already closed the book nicely, and this line hangs it off the edge too much.
It's awesome that you read actively and form questions! Maybe we will discuss some of them in class... I think I know some of them, but no guarantees on them being correct!
ReplyDelete1)I believe they are the same thing, as all gods were thought to be immortal
2) This is just my opinion, but maybe they got tired of being disappointed year after year when he didn't return, so it was easier to just kill the hope instead of letting the pain linger.
3)I think that is just the Greek language... but I could be wrong.
That's good you enjoy the writing style! I wonder if people really spoke that formally in the past?
Great work to "edit" - even classics aren't perfect!