March 1, 2021
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I[2] might have made it safely home, that time, |
Notes & Comentary
- ↑ From Homer (1990, Book X).
- ↑ Still early in his narrative, Odysseus still has not reconciled his own well being with that of his crew. This is a constant struggle for him throughout the next four books.
- ↑ To prolong the narrative and also give tantalizing glimpses of Odysseus’ goal, Homer shows Ithaca within reach, but something thwarts his attempt. Here it seems to be random—a current—but elsewhere it could be a malevolent force, like Poseidon (Hexter 1993, p. 126).
- ↑ Odysseus has left the reality of the Mediterranean and has entered a magical realm of folklore (Heubeck & Hoekstra 1990, pp. 17–18).
- ↑ The exact nature of the Lotos remains unknown, though it seems to be the poppy from which opium is derived. Opium, however, is smoked after the seeds are refined, and Odysseus states below that those who ate this honeyed plant feel its effects. Likely, this is a magical plant with no actual analog. It’s symbolic importance is significant as it represents “the insecurity of human existence poised precariously between the spheres of empirical reality and mythical unreality” (Heubeck & Hoekstra 1990, p. 18). Like Persephone who ate the pomegranate, the Lotos is a mythological food that transports those who eat it into a mystical realm or into the kingdom of the dead.
- ↑ While not always acting imprudently, Odysseus’ crew are characterized at the beginning of the epic as “children and fools,” which I take to mean they are simple folks in need of much guidance to make the right decisions because of their parochialism or lack of judgment. Odysseus struggles as a leader battling external forces and often internal ones as well—the suitors also make questionable decision. Here, acting as characterized, his men likely unthinkingly accepted the Lotos and got high.
That said, they might not be at total fault, as Xenia would make them less suspicious of hosts and accept what they had to offer not considering the mystical properties of the plant (Heubeck & Hoekstra 1990, p. 18). However, I wouldn’t let them off the that easily, as they likely missed observing the apparent effects of the drug on the locals, just as they will miss the clue of Circe’s power in her tamed menagerie in the next book. - ↑ Established by Odysseus here explicitly, anything that makes one lose hope of home is the antagonist in the Odyssey. The lotos becomes a strong symbol of temptation in the epic, one that echoes through Odysseus’ narrative in books 9–12 especially.
- ↑ It would be interesting to have Homer mention these men again. Since they have tasted the Lotos, they are likely lost to reality, or addicted, and will never be the same. It may be moot, however, as all of Odysseus’ men will soon be dead.
- ↑ Odysseus’ encounter with the Lotos-Eaters marks a turning point, where he enters another world of folklore and legend, but instead of being trapped there, Odysseus is able to reverse his course and return home eventually (Heubeck & Hoekstra 1990, p. 18). Books nine through twelve have him wandering in this land.
Works Cited
- Heubeck, Alfred; Hoekstra, Arie (1990). A Commentary on Homer’s Odyssey. II, Books IX–XVI. Oxford: Claredon Press.
- Hexter, Ralph (1993). A Guide to the Odyssey. New York: Vintage.
- Homer (1990). The Odyssey. Translated by Fitzgerald, Robert. New York: Vintage.
