Notes on Book One of Homer's Odyssey: The God's Debate & Athena Inspires Telemachus

Invocation to the Muse

• The book begins with an invocation to the Muse, asking for the story of Odysseus to be sung.
• Odysseus, a Greek hero of the Trojan War, is held captive by the nymph Calypso on her island for 7 years.

Council of the Gods

• A council of deities convenes on Mount Olympus, led by Zeus.
• Athena, goddess of wisdom and daughter of Zeus, brings up Odysseus's plight.
• Chaos in Ithaca due to Odysseus's absence:
  • Penelope, Odysseus's wife, is besieged by suitors.
  • Telemachus, Odysseus's son, is just a boy.

Zeus’s Reflection

• Zeus recounts the story of Aegisthus, who ignored divine warnings and met his fate by seducing Agamemnon's wife and killing him.
• Zeus comments on human tendency to blame the gods for their misfortunes while ignoring their own foolishness.

Athena’s Intervention

• Athena, disguised as Mentes, visits Ithaca.
• Observes suitors feasting at Odysseus’s expense.
• Informs Telemachus that Odysseus is alive and captive, instilling hope and courage.
• Advises Telemachus to:
  • Confront the suitors publicly.
  • Visit Pylos and Sparta to gather news about his father.
  • Assert his reputation in Greece.

The Suitors and Penelope

• Suitors Antinous and Eurymachus deny wrongdoing, blame Penelope for indecision.
• Penelope delays remarriage by promising to choose a suitor when she finishes weaving a shroud for Laertes, Odysseus’s father.
• Secretly unweaves her work every night to delay completion.
• Her deception is exposed by maidservants; suitors demand completion.

Conclusion

• Athena returns to Olympus.
• Telemachus realizes the visitor was a goddess in disguise.
• Gains confidence and resolution to face the situation at home.

Significance

• The book sets the stage for the epic adventures that follow in the Odyssey.