"What I want and all my days I pine for is to go back to my house and see my day of homecoming. And if some god batters me far out on the wine-blue water, I will endure it, keeping a stubborn spirit inside me, for already I have suffered much and done much hard work on the waves and in the fighting. So let this adventure follow." -Homer (Odysseus speaking)
Home
The Odyssey is a story of returning Home. Through hardships, trials, storms, giant sea monsters, cyclops, and the ever-present rage of a goddess who hates you, the sound, sight, smell, and ultimately, memory of home draws Odysseus to his final destination. It is the wandering life, the life of ceaseless longing for the rest at home that pushes Odysseus through the depressing circumstances and the troubles of adventure that ought to discourage him. He is essentially, the ultimate pilgrim, returning to his homeland, for rest, renewal, and closure.
Suffering
A large portion of the story focuses on the necessity of suffering in life. For the Odyssey, the good life is not free from trials but one that is filled with pain and suffering until the end. In fact, textually speaking, suffering is mentioned so many times in the Odyssey that it is mentioned in nearly every saga, every adventure, and every trial that Odysseus goes on. The key to the good life is enduring suffering with Home in mind.
Original Sin
Original sin is the concept of enduring punishment for the sin originally committed. While this is not a centerpiece of the story, Odysseus is suffering because of the sins of Agamemnon. The sacrificing of Iphigenia is the ultimate sin that is causing Odysseus' problems. Just as the sins of Adam causes the suffering we experience today, the sins of Agamemnon (you could actually connect this to Paris and Helen) causes the suffering that Odysseus experiences in his day.
The After-life
There is an interesting point in the story where Odysseus goes to Hades to visit his father. He sees the utter desolation of Hades, how it is an all-consuming death for the shades, and how the life of even Achilles, the best of men, is dreadful. Achilles says something notable concluding that it is better to be a slave on earth than a king in Hades. This after-life experience paints a wretched picture of death, unveiling the existential, even nihilistic worldview of the Greeks, and how that is an option.
The Story Within A Story
The entire tale is a story within a story. There is the foreground of Telemachus and the suitors, and the background of Odysseus and his journeys. Interestingly this entire story is an oral poem, passed from generation to generation, noting the interesting paradox of telling a story of a story within a story, and the importance of stories in the life of man.
Coming Of Age
When does Telemachus make the leap from boyhood to manhood? That, truly, is the question. I believe it is the moment that he realizes his father is there. Here's my evidence:
"Telemachos is but lately come of age," (Lattimore, Pg. 332)
This is the only time he is directly said to have "come of age". All the other circumstances he is encouraged to do so, or it is hinted at, but this is the first time it is directly said.
A Cool Way To Look At The Odyssey
The Odyssey is the classic adventure story, and it is, in my opinion, a great metaphor for all of the human struggle we go through in life to return home--the place where we belong. Sometimes the Sirens are tempting us to commit the sin that leads to death, sometimes we're imprisoned by the depression of a Cyclops and all those around us are seemingly dying, sometimes we're in the underworld, tempted by the existential thoughts of vanity and meaninglessness, sometimes we're on the open sea getting attacked and thrown around by Charbidis. Ultimately, we're all trying to get home to where we belong.
Christianity
Applied to the Christian's or Philosopher's life, the Odyssey is the great metaphor, by which the Christian or Philosopher journeys through life to his true Homeland, Heaven. Our life is filled with suffering and calamity, but our Hope of returning Home is our ever-present motivation to Persevere in our own Odyssey. It is the Philosopher plagued by his ever-changing views on the world, and moods of how the world works, and it is the Christian plagued by his ever-changing temptations and trials throughout life.
The ultimate destination is Home, the New Jerusalem, where the trials will cease, the pain will stop, and the tears will never be. That is true Homecoming for the Christian, and as Richard Baxter put it in his book, it is The Saints Everlasting Rest.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Frequently bought together
This item: The Odyssey of Homer
$10.48
Get it as soon as Wednesday, Apr 23
In Stock
+
$15.76
Get it as soon as Wednesday, Apr 23
In Stock
+
$14.00
Get it as soon as Wednesday, Apr 23
In Stock
Total price: $00
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
More items to explore
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
About the author
So excited to read it
It arrived in perfect conditions. Sadly it doesn’t include a map like other editions
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2013
- Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2017
Top reviews from other countries
-
AltertumswissenschaftlerReviewed in Germany on January 24, 2022
Lattimores Übersetzung gilt als die Beste in Englisch
- EthanReviewed in Canada on January 13, 2025
Great Book: The Odyssey of Homer; R. Lattimore.
- NishaReviewed in India on January 10, 2024
Great feel in hand, good paper and perfect size, not too small not too big. Font is good, not small!
- John SheldonReviewed in the United Kingdom on September 24, 2009
Homer's Odyssey Lives On
