250weekOdyssey

Homer's Odyssey retold tweet-by-tweet to fill the long days between @JACTGreek summer schools!

[250weekOdyssey @50weekOdyssey]

If you always planned/wanted to read Homer's Odyssey, haven't quite got round to it yet, and spend lots of time on Twitter...

the first 16 books (out of 24) are summarised in 500 tweets below

[250weekOdyssey @50weekOdyssey]

If you always planned/wanted to read Homer's Odyssey, haven't quite got round to it yet, and spend lots of time on Twitter...

the first 16 books (out of 24) are summarised in 500 tweets below

[250weekOdyssey @50weekOdyssey]

Time to revive things after a sojourn…

[250weekOdyssey @50weekOdyssey]

17.31-40
Eurycleia was first by far to see him arrive. She rushed to him, weeping for joy, & the other maids gathered to embrace him. Pen came from her room, looking like Artemis or Aphrodite. She threw her arms around him, kissed his head & his fine eyes, & sobbed as she spoke:

[250weekOdyssey @50weekOdyssey]

17.16-30
Od replied: ‘Fine by me, friend. Better for me to beg in town anyway; I’m too old to stay here in the farmyard obeying orders! This man will lead me there, but let me warm up by the fire first – it’s a cold morning!’ Off went Tel. He quickly came to the palace.

[250weekOdyssey @50weekOdyssey]

17.1-15
When dawn broke Tel got ready to go to the city. He spoke to Eum: ‘I must go to the palace – my mother won't stop weeping until she sees me. Take the old beggar to the town – he’ll have to rely on strangers for help. I’m afraid I can’t support everyone myself.’

[250weekOdyssey @50weekOdyssey]

Into the final third...

[250weekOdyssey @50weekOdyssey]

16.460-481
Tel: ‘Eumaeus, what’s the news from town? Are the suitors back, or still lying in ambush for me?’ Eum: ‘I didn’t hang around to ask, but came back here at once. But I did see a ship putting into the harbour, full of armed men.’ Tel smiled. They dined, and went to bed.

[250weekOdyssey @50weekOdyssey]

16.448-459
Pen went upstairs and cried herself to sleep, weeping for Od. That evening Eumaeus returned to his hut to find Od and Tel cooking a pig for supper. Ath had once again disguised Od as a beggar, in foul clothes, so Eum wouldn’t recognise him and go to tell Pen.

[250weekOdyssey @50weekOdyssey]

16.434-447
Eurymachus:‘Don’t worry! While I’m alive no-one will harm Tel– I'll kill anyone who tries.For I remember how Od fed me meat & wine, when I sat on his lap as a boy. Tel’s the dearest to me of all men– he’s safe with us.’But even as he spoke he was plotting Tel’s murder

[250weekOdyssey @50weekOdyssey]

16.426-433
While he was pirating with the Taphians he angered all the Ithacans and they came here, baying for his blood. But Od kept them away and protected him. Are you now going to ignore that past act of kindness, and kill his son, woo his wife and destroy his home?’

[250weekOdyssey @50weekOdyssey]

16.418-425
‘Antinous, you deceitful swine! They call you the best man of your generation in Ithaca in wisdom & words.But you can’t be! Why do you plan death for Tel, ignoring suppliant ties, which Zeus protects? Your father came here as a suppliant once, running scared of the mob

[250weekOdyssey @50weekOdyssey]

16.406-417
They agreed & went inside. Pen decided to confront the arrogant suitors: for she discovered the mortal risk Tel was in, hearing their plan from the herald Medon. She went to the hall with her maids, holding a veil in front of her face, & addressed Antinous directly:

[250weekOdyssey @50weekOdyssey]

16.393-405
The suitors were silent. Then Amphinomus, Pen’s favourite, since he spoke intelligently, said: ‘I’d rather not kill Tel: it's a terrible thing to kill a man of royal blood. Let’s consult the gods: if it’s Zeus’ will, I’ll do the deed myself; if not, you must stop!’

[250weekOdyssey @50weekOdyssey]

16.386-392
The palace will revert to his mother & will go to whomever she marries. If you don’t like this plan, but want him to live & keep his inheritance, let’s not stay here eating up his money, but let’s go home & woo Pen by sending gifts. She’ll marry whoever sends most.’

[250weekOdyssey @50weekOdyssey]

16.376-385
He’ll be furious, and will tell everyone how we tried to kill him. They’ll be whipped up and will drive us out of our homes, making us exiles. No – let’s catch him first, away from the city, either in the fields or in the road. Then we’ll divide his money between us.

[250weekOdyssey @50weekOdyssey]

16.363-375
Antinous spoke: ‘The gods have let him escape from doom! We waited for him day & night, lying in ambush & patrolling the seas, but some spirit must have guided him past us. Let’s plot his death now – no esacpe for him this time! Our plans won’t work if he’s still alive

[250weekOdyssey @50weekOdyssey]

16.355-362
‘No need for that,’ said Amphinomus, ‘they’re here now. A god must have told them, or perhaps they saw Tel’s ship but couldn’t catch it.’ They went to help the ship dock & unload, then gathered in an assembly, just by themselves, not allowing anyone else to join them

[250weekOdyssey @50weekOdyssey]

16.343-354
They trooped out of the hall into the yard. Eurymachus spoke: ‘That arrogant boy managed to complete his journey! We all supposed he’d fail. Let’s send a boat to fetch our ship which was waiting for his return.’ But at that precise moment they saw this ship arriving.

[250weekOdyssey @50weekOdyssey]

16.333-342
This herald bumped into Eumaeus as he was delivering exactly the same message to Pen. ‘Queen, your dear son has returned' declared the herald. Eum said his words quietly to Pen, then departed back to his pigs. The suitors were angry and upset when they heard the news.

[250weekOdyssey @50weekOdyssey]

16.321-332
At that moment the ship which had brought Tel from Pylos was coming into Ithaca’s harbour. The crew hauled the black vessel up onto the sand & unloaded their cargo. They sent a herald to the palace to explain that Tel was in the fields, so that Pen wouldn’t be alarmed.