Is Odysseus a Faithful Husband?
My students often blush at the irony of the image of Odysseus’ marriage bed for Odysseus himself hardly deserves the appellation “faithful” – but is there more to it than meets the eye?
odysseus
What Should We Do with the Violence in the Iliad?
It is not hard to sympathize with Simone Weil’s famous claim that “the true hero . . . of the Iliad is force.” The Prologue announces the action of the poem to be Achilles’s “wrath” and its repercussions, which include myriad d’algea—a “myriad of pains”—heaped on the heroes. And there are, indeed, a myriad of
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On Home and Glory: Musings on Daily Life and Divine Destiny
This spring, Brian Phillips triggered my midlife crisis. At the Rocky Mountain Regional Conference, he gave a talk in which he made a casual statement that led to a poignant discovery. “In the Iliad, Achilles seeks glory, while in the Odyssey, Odysseus desires home,” he announced. Nothing new there. “But really,” he continued, “They were
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“Here I am, and I am as you see me”: Why Odysseus Is a Robust Christ Figure and Why It Matters
As classical Christian educators, we know why our students should read Homer. But that doesn’t tell us what exactly they should take away from these profound myths, these stories both classical and pagan. What caveats, frameworks, and hermeneutical habits should we model for them? In particular, how should they be guided in assessing the character
Dulce Domum: The Longing for Home in Literature (and Our Hearts)
“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” – C.S. Lewis
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What The Gospel of Mark and The Odyssey Tell Us About Cultural Engagement
The question of how Christians should engage culture is one which garners diverse opinions from people of faith. Many argue that we should participate in our culture. Sometimes, this means conceding to whatever has been deemed fashionable by society. Then there are those who do not see the value of engaging with culture, echoing Tertullian’s
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What I’m Reading: The Odyssey – Book 5
When book five begins we find ourselves in the same place where book one began: Olympus, where the gods are in session. And, as in book one, we listen as Athena pleads Odysseus’ case. “Father Zeus . . . “ she says, “be one whose thought is schooled in justice.” And justice, she claims, demands
What I’m Reading: The Odyssey – Book 4
When last we rode with “thoughtful” Telemachus, he and Peisistratos, Nestor’s son, were on their way to the home of “glorious” Menelaus and Helen (she for whom his father was fighting when he went missing). As book four begins – and we come to the end of the portion of the Odyssey typically known as