In-Class Sketches for Books 7, 8, and 24

In class we were told to draw what we thought was one of the most important events from Book 24, so I chose the very last part where Athena tells Odysseus to stop fighting, or else to fear Zeus's wrath.  As you can see, my drawing abilities are beyond compare.  And yes, Odysseus's neck was really that long.

We also had to draw important scenes from Book 7 and 8, so I chose the scenes where Odysseus hugs Arete's knees and asks her and her husband to help him on his journey home. For Book 8, I chose the part when Odysseus throws a discus farther than anyone else at Phaiacia.  Again, my prowess in drawing is displayed.  I was aiming for the clothing to look like togas, but instead it looks like they are all wearing sack dresses.  

The Odyssey - Book 23 Notes

• The nurse went upstairs to tell Penelope that Odysseus had finally returned home. and had killed all of the suitors.
• When the nurse told Penelope that her husband had finally returned home, Penelope didn't believe her.
• When the nurse finally convinced her that the suitors had been killed, Penelope hugged the nurse and asked her how Odysseus had done it.  
• The nurse said that she didn't know how he had done it- she didn't see and didn't ask.
• Penelope, however, still didn't believe that her husband was home, and said that it was one of the gods who had killed the suitors. 
• The nurse tried to convince Penelope again, but she still doubted what the nurse told her. 
• Penelope decided to go to the hall to talk to Telemachus and to see the bodies of the suitors.
• When Penelope entered the hall, she sat down across from Odysseus, wondering if she should question her husband, or kiss his head and hands.  Penelope decided to say nothing.
• There was silence for a long time, until Telemachus became angry at his mother for not welcoming Odysseus home.
• Even after this, Penelope still doubted that the man in front of her was Odysseus.  She said that if he was her husband, then they would both know, because they share secrets that only the know about.
• Odysseus and Telemachus decided to turn to other maters, like covering up the death of the suitors in a way so that all of their friends would not want to avenge their deaths.
• Odysseus came up with a plan which would make all of the people in the town think that Penelope had finally chosen one of the suitors to marry.  This way, no rumors could be spread about the death of the suitors.
• Odysseus was given a bath, and sat down facing Penelope again. Odysseus told the nurse to make him a bed somewhere else, seeing as Penelope refused to talk to him.
• Penelope decided to test Odysseus, to see if he really was her husband.  She told the nurse to move the bed that Odysseus had made himself into the hallway so that he could sleep on that. 
• This made Odysseus very angry.  He asked who moved his bed, and then described how he had built it, using a live olive tree as one of the bedposts.
• When Penelope heard this, she knew that her husband had finally returned home.  She asked Odysseus not to be mad at her and told Odysseus that there had been so many impostors pretending to be him, that couldn't be sure it was actually her husband until he could tell her about the bed that Odysseus had made himself.  
• Odysseus told Penelope about the task he had to complete now that he was home, given to him by the prophet Teirsias in the underworld.
• At last it was time to go to bed, and Odysseus told Penelope all about his travels and adventures. 
• At the end of his tale, Odysseus and Penelope fell asleep.
• The next morning, Odysseus rose and set out to fin his father, Leartes, to tell him that he was home.

The Odyssey - Book 22 Notes

• Odysseus took aim at Antinoos, who was drinking from a goblet and not thinking of bloodshed.
• Odysseus let the arrow fly, and it went into Antinoos's neck.
• All of the other men were angered by Antinoos's death, and looked around for weapons, but there were none in the hall. 
• When Odysseus told the remaining suitors that he was Odysseus, Eurymachus tried to make Antinoos take all of the blame.  Odysseus didn't buy his tale, and said that even if Eurymachus gave Odysseus all the land he owned an more, Odysseus was still going to kill all of the suitors as a payment for what they have done.
• Seeing that Odysseus was still going to kill all of them, Eurymachus decided to fight Odysseus instead.
• Eurymachus ran at Odysseus with his dagger, but while he was in mid-jump, Odysseus shot him down.
• Next Amphinomos tried to run for the door, but Telemachus killed him with his spear.
• Telemachus said to his father that he would go get weapons, shields, and helmets for them, and ran off.
• Melanthios suggested to the other suitors that Odysseus and Telemachus put the extra weapons in the storehouse.  He offered to go get weapons for the suitors and then ran off.
• Odysseus saw the suitors arming themselves, and realised that Melanthios was sneaking into the storehouse.  Telemachus ordered Eumaios and the driver to stop Melanthios from taking weapons.  
• Eumaios saw Melanthios sneaking off to get more weapons, and asked Odysseus what he should do with Melanthios, once he is captured.
• Odysseus told Eumaios to let him live, but top tie his hands and feet together and then tie him to the beams of the roof.
• The swineherd and the driver found Melanthios in the storehouse, and did just as Odysseus had told them to do, and then went back to the hall.
• Athena then came to the hall in the shape of Mentor.  Athena berated Odysseus, telling him that he was not as brave of wise as he was at Troy.  Athena then flew up to the rafters in the shape of a swallow.
• Agelaos came up with a plan to throw spears at Odysseus in volleys and see if any of the spears hit him.  
• The suitors threw their first volley, but Athena made all of the spears miss.
• Odysseus organized a counter attack, and took down two of the suitors.  The swineherd and the drover each took out a suitor as well.
• The suitors volleyed again, and this time Athena made only most of them miss.  One spear grazed the wrist of Telemachus, and another grazed the shoulder of Eumaios.
• Another counter attack by Odysseus left five suitors dead.
• The fighting continued, and more suitors dropped dead. 
• Athena put her aegis-cape in front of Odysseus and his men, and sent the remainder of the suitors run in fear.
• One man, Leiodes ran up to Odysseus, asking him to spare his life as he was only the diviner.  However, Odysseus did not spare him, and put Agelaos's sword through Leiodes's throat.
• Another man, the minstrel, had escaped death, and decided to put himself at the mercy of Odysseus. 
• The minstrel ran up to Odysseus and hugged his knees, asking to be spared.  Telemachus, who was near by, convinced him to spare the minstrel, and asked that Medon be spared too, if he was not already dead. 
• Medon ran up to Telemachus, begging to be spared. Odysseus spared him, and told Medon and the minstrel to wait outside, away from the fight.
• Odysseus checked every part of the hall, making sure that no one was hiding from him, and then asked Telemachus to get the nurse who had first recognized Odysseus, and her into the hall.
• When the nurse saw the dead suitors, she was overjoyed.  Odysseus asked her to name which of the maids in the house had been faithful to Odysseus while he was away, and which had not.  
• Odysseus asked the nurse to bring the unfaithful maids into the hall. 
• Odysseus ordered the maids to pick up all of the dead bodies of the suitors and bring them into the courtyard.  When they were done with that, Odysseus made all of them clean all of the blood up with sponges.  
• The women were then herded outside into the space in between the house and the walls, so that they couldn't escape.  
• Telemachus suggested that the women did not deserve a quick death, so they were all hung in a row.
• Melanthios was brought out from the storehouse, and then his nose, ears, hands, and feet were all cut off and then fed to the dogs. 
• When the hall was finally clean, Odysseus sent the nurse to go get the rest of the women and bring them to the hall.  When they saw him, they were happy to see him finally home.

The Odyssey - Book 21 Notes

• Penelope came up with a plan to choose which suitor to marry.  She would take twelve axes that were shaped like "P"s, and a bow of Odysseus's.  Whoever could shoot an arrow through the axes could have her hand in marriage.  However, the bow was so stiff, that no man could easily bend it, except for Odysseus.
• Penelope retrieved the bow from the storage room, and then approached the men with her deal.  
• Telemachus decided to try first, just for fun, and couldn't pull the string of the bow back.
• Antinoos ordered all of the other suitors to try to shoot the arrow, but one by one, said that they didn't have the strength to pull back the string.  
• Then suitors tried to warm and grease the bow, but that still didn't help.
• As the suitors were trying to shoot the arrow, Odysseus pulled aside Eumaios and Philoitios (the drover), and asked them if they would defend Odysseus if he returned.  After they both replied that, yes, they would, Odysseus revealed his real self to the two servants.  
• Odysseus then asked Eumaios to bring him the bow and the quiver, as the suitors wouldn't let him get it himself.
• Eumaios agreed, and the three returned to the hall.
• When they retruned, Eurymachus was trying to use the bow, but with no success.
• Antinoos suggested that they put the bow down until tomorrow, when they would try again.  
• When the suitors had washed their hands and had a drink of wine, Odysseus asked for a try with the bow.
• Antinoos said no at first, but Penelope let him have a turn anyway.  Eurymachus protested that he didn't want everyone hearing that none of the suitors were able to bend the bow, when a beggar could, but Penelope still insisted that everyone who wanted a try was given one.
• Telemachus said that, since he was the man of the house, he give the bow to the "beggar", and that she go back to her rooms.
• Penelope went back to her room and fell asleep.
• While Odysseus was getting ready, Eumaios went to the nanny, and said that Telemachus had asked that all of the women return to their rooms, and didn't open the doors, no matter what they heard.
• Odysseus handled the bow so well, that all of the suitors began to worry.  At this time, Zeus sent a thunderclap down over Odysseus's palace.  
• Then, Odysseus easily put an arrow on the string, pulled the string back, and shot the arrow through the ax heads, all while sitting down.
• Odysseus turned to Telemachus  and gave him a sign that he had been waiting for.
• Telemachus grabbed the remaining sword in the hall, and stood next to his father, facing the suitors.

The Odyssey - Book 20 Characters

Ctesippos: one of the suitors, threw a stool at Odysseus, but he dodged
Agelaos Damastorides: another suitor, urged Telemachus to get his mother to choose one of the suitors to marry

The Odyssey - Book 20 Notes

• Odysseus went to sleep that night thinking of his revenge and how he would face all of the suitors with just himself and Telemachus on his side.
• Athena assured Odysseus that he had a god on his side, so he can't lose.  After his talk with Athena, Odysseus fell asleep. 
• The next morning Penelope woke up crying and wishing she was dead.
• When the sun rose, Odysseus woke up and heard her voice.  Odysseus prayed for the gods to send him a sign.
• Zeus heard his prayer, and a thunderclap  was heard at Odysseus's palace.
• When Telemachus woke up, he asked his nanny if Odysseus had been cared for over the night.  The nanny replied that he had. 
• The nanny then called for the other maids to prepare the hall for another night of feasting.
• The swineherd came to Odysseus's house with his three best pigs for that night.  
• Philoitios joined the two, and asked who the new stranger (Odysseus) was.  He welcomed Odysseus to Ithaca, and wished him luck in his life.
• Odysseus sensed that Philoitios was a smart man, so Odysseus promised him that he would be here the day that his master returned.
• While they were talking, the suitors were discussing their plan to murder Telemachus.  
• Amphinomos saw an eagle fly by with a dove in its claws, and predicted to the others that the plan would not work, and that they should scrap the idea.  
• The men decided to turn their thoughts instead to their dinner.  
• Telemachus made sure that Odysseus had a comfortable spot, and warned everyone else not to be rude to him unless they wanted a fight.  
• Athena, however, wanted Odysseus to be mad and provoked by the suitors, so she made the men say mean things to Odysseus.  One man, Ctesippos, threw a stool at Odysseus, but he dodged it.
• Agelaos Damastorides urged Telemachus to talk to his mother and tell her to get married, seeing as there was little chance that Odysseus was coming home.  
• Telemachus swore that he wasn't trying to delay Penelope's marriage to one of the suitors.
• As the suitors were laughing at what Telemachus said, the seer that Telemachus had brought home from Pylos saw into the men's future.  The seer saw the men with tears running down from their eyes, and their blood all over the walls and the table.
• The seer called out to the men, warning them of this, but the suitors just made fun of Theoclymenos, and called him blind.
• Theoclemonos declared that he had a good pair of eyes and a sane mind, and warned the suitors one last time of their impending death.  After he had said this, he walked out of Odysseus's palace.
• While the men were eating their meal, Penelope was sitting outside of the door, listening to everything that they said.  She decided to get out Odysseus's bow and prepare a contest for the suitors.

The Odyssey - Book 19 Characters

Eurycleia: the nanny that raised Odysseus and was the first person (besides Telemachus) to recognize him as the Prince