(2022, December 8). She is a complicated woman with a wry sense . An error occurred trying to load this video. If that is so, then it seems that Penelope has deep ties to the theme of solar-like disappearance and re-emergence that is so prominent in the, Finally, Penelopes mythic background may have its own links with the festival of Apollo. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. What are two epithets for Odysseus? In one tradition, known only from commentators writing in late antiquity, the infant Penelope was thrown into the sea by either her own parents or by Nauplius, a neighboring king. Chapter 17. Zurich: Artemis, 1994. () Penelope's spirit is one of concentration" (108). And though Penelope is presented as a faithful wife, women in The Odyssey, such as Calypso, are often fearsome and predatory, their wiles typically enhanced by their stunning beauty. . Eros, Night, Darkness, Brightness, Day, Cyclopes, Hecatoncheires, Titans. [23], When Penelope was of marriageable age, many suitors came to seek her hand. Penelope had several epithets, especially in Homers Odyssey. Poseidon in the Odyssey Traits & Myth | Who is the Son of Poseidon? Penelope has featured in literary retellings of the Odysseus myth as well, such as Nikos Kazantzakis The Odyssey: A Modern Sequel (1938), Eyvind Johnsons Return to Ithaca (1946), and Glyn Iliffes Adventures of Odysseus series (20082017). Pherecydes, FHG 1 F 90 (cited in the scholia on Homers Odyssey 15.16). 24 CE): Penelope and her family are mentioned a few times in Book 10 of the Geography, a late first-century BCE geographical treatise and an important source for many local Greek myths, institutions, and religious practices from antiquity. Penelope is an elegant Greek name that means "weaver." Its origin is traced back to Homer's epic poem "The Odyssey," a staple of Greek mythology that reached immense fame across the world. Minerva Removes the Doubts of Penelope by Theodoor van Thulden, after Francesco Primaticcio (16321633). Many unmarried men started to suspect that Odysseus had died in the war or on the way back from the war, so . First, she claimed that she could not remarry until she had woven a burial shroud for her father-in-law Laertes. She wrongly reassures the suitors that once she finishes weaving a gift for Odysseuss father, she will choose someone to marry her, Young men, my suitors, let me finish my weaving, before I marryevery day she wove on the great loom but every night by torchlight she unwove it. (II. They can be broadly split into things said about Penelope and things that Penelope herself says. But she is central to the Odyssey, which remains the most important source for her myth. Updated 1 minute 7 seconds ago|3/3/2023 12:21:01 AM. In what appears to have been a well-known tradition, Odysseus had no sooner returned to Ithaca than he was forced to leave again on another odyssey, this time to do penance for blinding Poseidons son Polyphemus. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. . As far as the text of the Odyssey shows, Penelope's love for Odysseus is genuine. Women are important to the plot and overall theme of the Odyssey. 17.45 steady Telemachus. At the beginning of Homers Odyssey, Odysseus has been absent from Ithaca for twenty years. The story of the Trojan War is one of the foundational myths of Western culture. Search for an answer or ask Weegy. The repeated use of a word or phrase for the same person, place, or object. In both myths, then, there is a first part in which a daughter is separated from her reluctant father and taken away by her new husband, and a second part in which the husband has to compete for her with his bow against a challenger or challengers. Achilles. Hausmann, Christoph. Tools of Characterization Character Analysis Epithets. The Odyssey, written by Homer, tells the story of Odysseus after the Trojan War. . 180 CE): Penelope and several myths about her are mentioned in the Description of Greece, a second-century CE travelogue and, like Strabos Geography, an important source for local myths and customs. His longing for the reunion with them, which would allow him to regain his identity, is what motivates him to deny Kalypsos offer. The relationship between Penelope and Odysseus is extremely important to the story. B. Tauris, 2008. Penelope says this about Odysseus to the man she has not yet recognized as Odysseus when he is sitting inside his own home. Penelope is in a very dangerous situation when the suitors begin invading her house and asking and then demanding her hand in marriage. Though Penelope often spends many nights weeping over the absence of her husband, it seems as if she never loses faith in her husband, and she truly believes that he will return to her and punish the suitors that have taken over their. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012. In other versions, Penelope only slept with one of the suitors. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. 17.16 subtle Odysseus. swift-footed ; godlike ; shepherd of the people ; son of Peleus ; leader of men. However, Penelope is not a pasteboard figure. When the suitors begin invading her house and asking, then demanding, her hand in marriage, Penelope knows she must handle them herself. Many readers admire Odysseys heroic qualities, ignoring the fact Odyssey also had weaknesses. The etymology of the name Penelope (Greek , translit. On Penelope in ancient art, see Christoph Hausmann, Penelope, in Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae (Zurich: Artemis, 1994), 7:29195. An epithet is a characterizing device used by the author; Homer chooses the one that fits the length and rhythm he needs in the poetic line. In fact Penelope's narration takes place during a crucial moment in the plot: the audience is Odysseus himself. Pherecydes, FHG 1 F 88 (cited in the scholia on Apollonius of Rhodes Argonautica 1.101ff). Because of this, she was renamed Penelope. In Penelopes narrative, Helen runs away from Menelaus with Paris, a Trojan prince, inciting the Trojan War and causing Odysseus to leave Ithaca. Unrivaled Mac notes apps for fuss-free note-taking, 6 Actionable Tips for Improving Your Websites SEO, Copyright 2023 | WordPress Theme by MH Themes. Her cares make her somewhat flighty and excitable, however. Throughout all this time, her suitors remain at her house, eating and drinking and generally proving to be a very costly problem. 4 West. In Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus is repeatedly referred to as "many-minded," Penelope as "prudent," and Telemachus as "sound-minded." Perseus Digital Library. Penelope, in the Odyssey, is recognized as the quintessential faithful wife. In this paper we analyse Oedipus' appearance during Odysseus' tale in book 11 of Homer's Odyssey in order to outline and test a methodology for appreciating the poetic and thematic implications of moments when 'extraneous' narratives or traditions appear in the Homeric poems. In all of this she stayed strong and independent, and despite the pressure of the suitors she stayed loyal to Odysseus, even when she didnt even know if he was alive or not. She is a virtuous wife, and is faithful to her husband and protects his household (or oikos, as the Greeks would have it). Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you What are examples of epithets in the Odyssey? [29], As the suitors grew increasingly persistent, Penelope devised crafty ways to delay them. The couple lived together in Odysseus small island kingdom of Ithaca, where they had a son named Telemachus. Patroclus. 139) Penelope is not only extraordinarily clever, but she is also a caring and loyal mother. However, as a . In the seventeenth year of his absence, the young men of Odysseus kingdom108 of them in total, according to Homer[26]flocked to his palace to seek Penelopes hand in marriage. He always used this phrase to describe Dawn, and the way she would cast light upon the world. It is an attempt at reading the "Odyssey" from Penelope's point of view, which is grounded in the fact that the structure of the "Odyssey" points to such a perspective. The most important of these emphasized her virtue and cunning, including (ammn, blameless), (pinyt, prudent), (perphrn, wise, sage), and (echphrn, sensible, discreet). How Does Penelope Use Epithets In The Odyssey, All throughout history, the stories of heroes and their extraordinary accomplishes have been told in various different ways. A major point includes The Trojan War because it focuses in on Odysseus journey to bring Helen back home by devising a plan to destroy warriors in the city. Penelope is cast aside and dominated by her son and conforms to the patriarchal values, despite plotting schemes against some of the men. Robert S. P. Beekes, Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden: Brill, 2009), 1186; Pierre Chantraine, Dictionnaire tymologique de la langue grecque (Paris: Klincksieck, 1974), 3:897; cf. 3 What is an epithet in the Odyssey Book 9? Penelope, in the Odyssey, is recognized as the quintessential faithful wife. John Tzetzes on Lycophrons Alexandra 792. Also, she could have asked any question, but she knew this was the one thing that would get Odysseus all worked up to find out the truth. Penelope was a beautiful princess from Sparta, best known for marrying the hero Odysseus. Penelope. In Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae, vol. Penelope. > Godlike, wise, goodly, noble, divine, Zeus-born, glorious, great-hearted, hapless, enduring, 'of many wiles', 'son of Laertes', 'sacker of cities', 'of many devices', renowned, cunning, resour. Most people think of a hero as a strong, superior, good-looking person that could never make a mistake. While the readers could focus on the triumphs and accomplishments of Odysseus, Odysseus has done wrongs. The couple lived together in Odysseus' small island kingdom of Ithaca, where they had a son named Telemachus. He later discovers that his mother, Antikleia, has passed away, due to mourning him, however, his father still lives. "The Odyssey" (Gr: "Odysseia") is the second of the two epic poems attributed to the ancient Greek poet Homer (the first being "The Iliad" ), and usually considered the second extant work of Western literature. Rather, she gives voice to the themes that are constituent of her own mythic persona, some of them even signaled by her very name. Like The Odyssey itself, it is a . She also wished to protect the inheritance of her son Telemachus, who was just entering adulthood. [10], Penelope had multiple siblings, though their names and even their number vary across different sources. 1.30 the Sea-lord (Poseidon) 1.33 the father of men and gods (Zeus) 1.34 handsome Aegisthus. He showed great bravery by going up against Hector in battle, but the epithets applied to him in The Iliad refer to him as dear to Zeus, great-hearted, and simply gentle. When Telegonus discovered his mistake, he buried Odysseus and mourned his death. With his true identity revealed, Odysseus and Telemachus proceeded to slaughter all the suitors.[32]. Odysseus is a warrior in the Trojan War, and the Odyssey covers his return home after many long years. An epithet is a descriptive term or qualifier that identifies an attribute. Odysseus doesnt simply utter his name; rather, he attaches to it an epithet, or short, descriptive title (raider of cities), his immediate paternal ancestry (Laertess son), and a reference to his homeland (who makes his home in Ithaca) ( 9 . However, in a story called The Odyssey, a connection to real life reveals imperfections to be common in heroes. However, Penelope is not a pasteboard figure. When Odysseus finally did make it back to Ithaca, he killed the suitors and was at last reunited with his beloved wife. Shes most upset about Odysseuss failure to return home: Shes perpetually crying and expressing her grief. This worked for a while, but eventually Penelope was betrayed by Melantho, one of her handmaids and a lover of the suitor Eurymachus.[30]. This repetition of what come to be stock phrases create a. She does very little but lie in bed and weep. Eustathius on Homers Odyssey 1.344; scholia on Homers Odyssey 4.797 (citing Didymus). Without his father, Odysseus would not have the courage he possesses. During their conversation, Penelope told the disguised Odysseus that she planned to give the suitors one final test: she would marry whoever could string Odysseus old bow and shoot an arrow through twelve axe rings. The rays of light from each sunrise looked similar to fingers of pink and red. Penelope is the wife of Odysseus in the Odyssey by Homer. Penelope, his wife, is greatly affected; as many greedy suitors disrespect her and move into their home to try and win her hand in marriage. Her kleos is identified through the epithets associated with her, namely her virtue, noble thoughts, excellence, constancy, and clever schemes. Penelope was the famous queen of Ithaca in Greek mythology, for Penelope was the wife of the Greek hero Odysseus. On top of all of that she had suitors demanding her attention. Felson, Nancy. Cite Book and line number Character Epithet - Book and line # _____ _____ Odysseus: -"the man of twists and turns" (I.1) -"Great Odysseus" (I.228) -"King Odysseus" (I.456) -"godlike man" (II.261) -"Odysseus of Ithaca" (II . Despite those great hero traits Odysseus embodies, he demonstrates great weaknesses humans have in commonpride, irresponsibility toward his crews, and revengeful heart, these flaws ultimately brought demise and trouble to his men and himself, which constantly reminds the audience that Homer represents Odysseus as another human, rather than a hero. Cf. The use of epithets in the poem allow, 1) The choice of words alludes to the fact that Penelope, even though she spent twenty years mourning and wishing for her husband, is still able to think and use her mind in an extraordinary way. Ten of those years were spent fighting the Trojan Warthe trick of the Trojan Horse, which led to a Greek victory, was his ideabut nobody had heard from him since. Telegony (fragments); Hyginus, Fabulae 127. It is a tag or nickname that can be used on its own or together with the real name. She tells her suitors that she will not be ready to marry until she has finished weaving a burial shroud for Odysseus' father, Laertes. For example, The Odyssey's writing has a lot of repetitions and formu Once again, Odysseus was absent from Ithaca for many years, though he eventually returned. - Facts & Symbol, Psychological Research & Experimental Design, All Teacher Certification Test Prep Courses, Foundational Concepts of World History: Tutoring Solution, Major Belief Systems of the World: Tutoring Solution, Early Civilization of World History: Tutoring Solution, Ancient Civilizations in the Near East: Tutoring Solution, Early Chinese Civilization: Tutoring Solution, Early Indian Civilization: Tutoring Solution, History of the Alphabet: From Cuneiform to Greek Writing, Bronze Age Greece: Schliemann's Quest for Troy, From Mycenae's Collapse to Greek Colonization, Ancient Greek Architecture: Dorian, Ionic & Corinthian, The Birth of Philosophy: The Presocratics, Ionic Order of Greek Architecture: Definition & Example Buildings, Penelope in the Odyssey: Quotes & Weaving, Ares, the Greek God of War: Facts & Mythology, Hellenism and the Athenian Achievement: Tutoring Solution, The Rise of the Roman Republic: Tutoring Solution, History of the Fall of Rome: Tutoring Solution, The Rise of Christianity: Tutoring Solution, The Eastern Mediterranean: Tutoring Solution, Introduction to the Dark Ages: Tutoring Solution, The Medieval Warm Period: Tutoring Solution, History of Asia (1000-1300 CE): Tutoring Solution, Pre-European Civilizations in North America: Tutoring Solution, Eurasia and the Great Dynastic Empires: Tutoring Solution, The Age of Exploration: Tutoring Solution, The Reformation Across Europe: Tutoring Solution, The Enlightenment & World Revolutions: Tutoring Solution, Between the World Wars: Tutoring Solution, Post War Europe, Asia, Middle East, and Africa: Tutoring Solution, Latin America Since 1900: Tutoring Solution, Formation of New Empires and Political Systems, The Development of Major Political Entities, Decolonization & Nationalist Movements (1890-1900), History 106: The Civil War and Reconstruction, AP European History: Homework Help Resource, High School US History: Homework Help Resource, High School US History: Tutoring Solution, Roman God Pluto of the Underworld: Facts & Overview, Working Scholars Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. Scholia on Homers Odyssey 4.797; Eusthathius on Homers Odyssey 1.343. So she spoke, and the golden-throned Eos came at once. Additionally, he has direct control over his mother despite the fact that she is older. A. T. Murray. While Odysseus is gone, Penelope remains faithful to him. Others have argued that Penelopes name came from the Greek word pnelops, which is a kind of duck. Her lie gives Odysseus a crucial advantage in the physical fight against the suitors as he comes back to a city and household where Penelope. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus a prominent Greek epic hero is on a quest to return back to his home in Ithaca; to his wife Penelope, and his son Telemachus. In the Odyssey, she has several brothers (though Homer never specified their names or how many there were) and a sister named Iphthime;[11] according to Strabo, she had two brothers named Alyzeus and Leucadius;[12] according to Apollodorus, she had five brothers named Thoas, Damasippus, Imeusimus, Aletes, and Perilaus, but no sisters. 1121 likes. Richardson, Nicholas J. Familiar Homeric Epithet examples include phrases like rosy fingered dawn and wine dark sea, white-armed Hera, and Odysseus the great teller of tales.. Different aspects of such culture and history may have influenced the works and creativity of Homer as well. The two key locations on Ithaca are the palace of Odysseus and the hut of the swineherd Eumaeus. The poem is an exultation of man over the glory of the gods because despite mans limitations his achievements are obtained through the combination of his intelligence, fortitude and skills not supernatural powers. Back in Sparta, Penelopes cousin Helen had left her husband Menelaus for the Trojan prince Paris. Accessed on 2 Mar. Penelope Daughter of Icarius This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. She uses cunning to avoid remarriage, because she still believes that Odysseus will come home, and moreover, she still loves him. After all, mythology is storytelling at its finest. Her intelligence and wisdom are evidenced through the various schemes that she concocts to prevent remarriage, including weaving and unweaving a shroud, conducting an archery contest, and asking a trick question. In the early years of Odysseus' absence, Penelope delays her suitors by arguing that Odysseus will soon return and then by creating an enormous piece of needlework in her chambers. Penelope By Avi Kapach Last updated on Dec 8, 2022 Overview Penelope was a beautiful princess from Sparta, best known for marrying the hero Odysseus. [6] Her mother was either a Naiad named Periboea,[7] Ortilochus daughter Dorodoche,[8] Eurypylus daughter Asterodia,[9] or Lygaeus daughter Polycasta. The Odyssey ends when Odysseus proves his identity to all who are surrounding, slaughters the suitors, and reconquered his kingdom of Ithaca. During this time, suitors came from far and wide to seek Penelopes hand in marriage, but she remained unwaveringly loyal to her husband (at least in the familiar tradition). 103-104, 112-113) Penelopes actions are strategic and well calculated. Telemachus, Penelope and Odysseus' son, is finally able to get to know his father and all of them live happy lives. When Penelope first reunites with Odysseus, she does not recognize him and tries to find out about him. British Museum, London. 15201527). to establish order in world; represent civilization (olympians) vs nature (titans), assert eternal power of Olympians. After the wedding, Odysseus brought Penelope to his modest island kingdom of Ithaca. Famous for her beauty as well as her intelligence and faithfulness, Penelope was often seen as the model wife in the ancient world. She dies shortly after, and the manner of her death is significant: . When Odysseus fails to return home promptly from the ten-year Trojan War, 108 other suitors try to win Penelope's hand in marriage. Were building the worlds most authoritative, online mythology resource, with engaging, accessible content that is both educational and compelling to read. Accepting Kalypsos offer would forsake Penelope, while also abandoning Telemachos, and Laertes. In this passage it is clear that Odysseus still loves and cares for his beloved Penelope. She worries that Odysseus prefers Helen to her. In Homers The Odyssey, Penelope is a good match for Odysseus because she is clever, and she shows that cleverness when she stalls the suitors by weaving the burial shroud, when she devises the contest with, Unlike Odysseus Penelope is confined by the gender roles of her time and cannot use physical strength against the suitors or even direct verbal rejection, instead Penelope resorts to her emotional resilience and wit in order to challenge the suitors. 17.624 the patient man (Odysseus) 17.667 the canny prince (Telemachus) The two are able to continue their marriage happily. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. , , , . In the odysseus, penelope was viewed as innocent and naive.after penelope handed the odysseus's arrow to emmaus for the suitor to try and win the challenge, Telemachus comment about her mother has no respect for her as if she was unimportant and naive. Later in the poem, Penelope sets up an archery contest that she knows only Odysseus would be able to win. 1.1 the man of twists and turns (Odysseus) 1.16-17 Calypso, the bewitching nymph. Homer, The Odyssey. Pausanias, Description of Greece 3.12.2, 3.13.6. In Homer's Odyssey she is pictured as a chaste and faithful wife. Odysseus says this to Penelope about the archery contest, speaking of course about himself. . At the moment, both possibilities are open, though the solar theme implicit in the scene presages, at least for the external audience, the outcome of the coming trial. Penelope may have good mythological reasons for assuming the role of a solar consort to Odysseus: it is not an. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Without family, Odysseus life is incomplete and his identity is lost. She continues this pattern for three full years before one of her maids reveals her secret. Being a woman in ancient Greece, she does not have the ability to force the suitors to leave her house, and neither does Telemachus. Even when she was mourning Odysseus, she was able to raise and love Telemakhos. Menelaus assembled an army of all the greatest kings and heroes of Greece, and Odysseus was forced to join. Watch Penelope greet Odysseus in an excerpt of the reunion scene in Homer's Odyssey See all videos for this article She undergoes many years of hardship, but eventually she finds happiness again. Penelope Holding the Bow of Odysseus by Robert Hartley Cromek after Henry Fuseli (1806). This shows us two ways Penelope is like her husband: first, she's a skilled deceiver, and second, she's proud of it. The epithets used throughout the poem show how Penelope's strength and cleverness that allow her to manipulate the suitors and avoid marriage. Mythopedia. What is an epithet? Hall, Edith. While Penelope speaks of disappearance and loss, her diction and the context of her prayer hint that there is a possibility of re-emergence and return. Melantho has been sleeping with one of the suitors and has been abusing Odysseus-the-beggar. Penelope, in Greek mythology, a daughter of Icarius of Sparta and the nymph Periboea and wife of the hero Odysseus. Soon they had a son named Telemachus. She was saved, however, by ducks, which in Greek are called pnelopes. Theopompus of Chios, FHG 1 F 114 (cited in John Tzetzes on Lycophrons Alexandra 806); Servius on Virgils Aeneid 2.44. Penelope has no epithets that begin with polu. Pnelpeia) has been disputed since antiquity. I feel like its a lifeline. "The storm-tossed great Odysseus" is a very appropriate epithet since it describes Odysseus' long journey on the sea towards home. Free shipping for many products! One important element of all Homeric works is the inclusion of epithets, which are repeated phrases used to describe characters. A characteristic of Homer's style is the use of epithets, as in "rosy-fingered" Dawn or "swift-footed" Achilles.Epithets are used because of the constraints of the dactylic hexameter (i.e., it is convenient to have a stockpile of metrically fitting phrases to add to a name) and because of the oral transmission of the poems; they are mnemonic aids to the singer and the audience alike. So she came up with a clever test: she told her servants to bring Odysseus bed outside to the main hall so that he could sleep there. She is 'the bright of women,' but her constant epithets are 'exceeding wise,' and 'self-controlled'; a word which conveys a sort of power . This is the moment when Penelope finally admits to Odysseus that she recognizes them and they manage to restart their lives together. Two of the world's oldest poems, Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, take it as their inspiration. Also called the Homeric epithet, fixed epithets are commonly used in epic poetry. Penelope's scheme is eventually revealed by her traitorous maidservant Melantho, who developed a carnal relationship with one of the suitors. He then took Penelope and Telemachus with him to his mothers island of Aeaea. Most notably, Margaret Atwoods The Penelopiad (2005) tells the story of Homers Odyssey from Penelopes point of view. The use of similar adjectives is another . This means that Penelope must continue to allow them to abuse the hospitality that was expected at that time, and all she can do is try to outsmart the suitors until her husband comes home. Illustration of a plate by Jean-Auguste Barre showing Odysseus and his dog Argus. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. She asks a servant to move the bed that she and Odysseus once shared, but Odysseus interrupts and says that moving the bed will be impossible, because one of its legs is a living olive tree. . Answer (1 of 5): Well, this is a question for Google/Wikipedia/reading the poem if ever I saw one..! These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. To further ensure that Penelope does not get in the way of the killing of the maids, Odysseus made sure that all the women were locked securely into the womens quarter, including Penelope. In his Introduction to Robert Fagles' translation of The Odyssey, Bernard Knox describes The Odyssey as "an epic with a thoroughly domestic base. Eurycleia in The Odyssey by Homer | Who is Eurycleia? Book 1. Penelope is one of the most important characters in the Odyssey. She is mortal after all and you, you never age or dieNevertheless I long-I pine, all my days-to travel home and see the dawn of my return (Book V, lines 239-243). The suitors did not make things easy on Penelope. All Rights Reserved. Her husband, disguised as a beggar, has returned and is in the crowd, but Penelope seems to recognize him only gradually. What are examples of epithets? For Penelope, weaving becomes a form of resistance: every day, she weaves the shroud, and every night she undoes her weaving. Telemachus leaves home to search for his father without telling his mother, which distresses her greatly. 0F The Odyssey is 'epic' in (at least) two senses: Grand scale A narrative poem in the genre of 'epic' BUT NOT in the modern sense a 'national' epic 'Epic' (epos in Greek) Can be almost synonymous with 'myth' - any story told It can also mean a specic genre of poetry - any . Odysseus is aware of all that a goddess could offer, Penelope has a very complex and interesting character. "Of all creatures that breathe and move upon the earth, nothing is bred that is weaker than man.". They had one son, Telemachus. Spiritual Growth and Coming of Age The first four books of The Odyssey, known as Telemacheia, follow Odysseus' son Telemachus. "The Odyssey" is a narrative poem written by Homer (around 800 and 600 BCE) to show the numerous adventures and experiences Odysseus goes through. The same themes turn out to be not only appropriate for the festival of Apollo, but essential to it, so that both Penelope and Odysseus seem inseparable from the festival, not in the sense that there could never be an, http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:hul.ebook:CHS_Levaniouk.Eve_of_the_Festival.2011, 1.