Reading Diary A - Homer's Odyssey

A fine, fine read is The Odyssey by Homer. As long as you don't get too attached to any characters- because there is a 70% chance they will die in the next story- then this reading is perfect. I read part of the Iliad for my extra reading unit last week and loved it, so I've decided to read all of The Odyssey for my week three readings.

It is a tale of hardship after hardship, accompanied by some misfortune with a hint of pride. In the first half of the reading, Odysseus and his crew visit and defeat a cyclops as well as a magical goddess, who originally wanted to harm them but later became an ally.

One of the most interesting stories was The Moly Defeats Circe. Circe is the magical goddess who tries to harm Odysseus in the same way she has already harmed half of her crew. With the help of Hermes, Odysseus is able to outwit her and get his crew transformed back from pigs into humans.

One thing that stands out to me in this story is the grief that Odysseus and his crew feels at the loss of one another. I think I read these stories and get so accustomed to death being integral to these stories, that I forget the characters in them must have time to mourn. They were a family, and they grieve the loss of a family member. Their grief is so inspiring, in fact, that it changed the heart of the one who caused it: "... and even the goddess was moved to pity."

Circe realizing Odysseus's greatness.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Another story that I didn't quite understand, but found entertaining nonetheless, was The Death of Elpenor. He got so drunk that he decided to climb on top of the roof and passed out; he then woke up at hearing some noise, forgot that ladders existed, and fell of the roof to his death. There really is no significance to this, I just thought it ridiculous, and appreciate that it was included!