CLASS 130 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Odysseus, Situation Two, Melantho
Document Summary
Odysseus about to be sent on his way partakes in alkinoos" palace. Demodokoos sings about the trojan war; odysseus cries and hides his face. Provoked, odysseus takes part in the discus throwing competition. Demodokoos is a blind singer, sings of that adultery to bring amusement. Zeus gave hephaestus as wife his daughter aphrodite. One day, hephaestus caught them in a cleverly woven golden net and called all gods to witness his wife"s infidelity. By modern standards: if zeus is the father of both, then they are half siblings. By ancient standards: she is beautiful and he is not. Why do the gods laugh as a group? (297-305) Laughing at aphrodite for getting caught (because she"s ruining her marriage) Release of tension (it happens to all of us, let"s not take this seriously) Superiority: "haha we all do it but we"re not stupid enough to get caught" So he spoke, and gods gathered at the house with the bronze floor.
