I began making a few notes to myself at 1:25 pm. I finished two pages of such notes by 1:15 pm. Overall the notes are fairly straight-forward and merit retyping into this page. In this form they are more amenable to review, and I will want to review many of these notes as part of my efforts to engage in serious learning. There is no need to scan these two pages in to this web site, since they offer nothing beyond what I am now typing.

A few comments on The Odyssey:

1. The poem had a lyrical sound and tone to it. I enjoyed reading many of the sections aloud. It was easy to transport myself back to a time when the story was told and retold as part of an oral tradition. And this was with an Englsish translation from the original Greek. I will look for other translations by Allen Mandelbaum.
2. Although the story seemed to drag a bit when Odysseus was retelling his adventures, the last section after he arrived in Ithica built to a suspenseful climax - worthy of the modern novel - yet this was written about 600 BC. It is one of the oldest stories we have and yet it measures well against modern standards.
3. The role of the gods is quite sophisticated. Each god has a partaicular sphere of influence, although Athena and Zeus have major roles. It must have taken a long time for the Greeks to develop this family of gods. Can I find out more about this? How does this compare with other religions at this time?
4. I learned a new word, "hetacomb", which referes to the sacrifice of 100 animals (oxen, sheep) to the gods. I doubt I will find much use for this!
5. There is a very strong social code throughout the story that indicates that a host first welcomes a visitor (stranger or friend) with an opportunity to freshen up and eat before discussing the reason for the visit.
6. There is also a very strong tradition of gift giving!
7. While there is a clear social code that champions honor and fidelity, it also accepts slavery and the exchange of women as "booty".
8. There is no overt sense of nationalism. Each small region has its leader - likely a warrior that has been successful in battle. Yet the regions generally seem to be at peace with each other, and band together to rescue Helen from Troy.

Much of what we now value about Greek culture occurred after the time of Homer, but you can see the seeds of a strong ethical foundation.

What next?

I would like to go back and pursue a couple of the web sites that provide information about other early stories. I would also like to do a little more reading about early Greek history. That would seem to be a fair agenda for the next couple of days. Then I will decide what to do (read) next.