There is one last thread – Odysseus has yet to be accepted by his father, Laertes, living in the country like a poor peasant. As always, Odysseus observes, tests out and deceives before telling his father who he is; the shock nearly kills the broken-down old man. As with Penelope, though, the habitual distance between himself and those to whom he tells ‘Cretan tales’ is disturbed by his emotions –
Him when Ulysses saw consum’d with age,
And all the ensigns on him that the rage
Of grief presented, he brake out in tears;
. . . his mind
Had much contention, if to yield to kind,
Make straight way to his father, kiss, embrace,
Tell his return . . .
but he keeps to his plan to tell how he entertained Odysseus, years ago. Laertes presumes his son dead:
This a cloud of grief
Cast over all the forces of his life.
With both his hands the burning dust he swept
Up from the earth, which on his head he heap’d,
And fetch’d a sigh, as in it life were broke.
The effect on Odysseus of his father’s distress is physical; he drops his pretence and reveals himself. As with Penelope, the declaration is too sudden a turn to be believed – Laertes needs physical proof and identification. Odysseus shows him the scar, the mark of his boyhood hunting trip with his grandfather, and reminisces about the planting of the trees which Laertes gave him, now full-grown. Laertes is rejuvenated, metaphorically and actually, and takes his place as a hero among his people. The Odyssey ends with the three generations of heroes reunited, facing the suitors’ vengeful kin, before Athene intervenes to end the the killing. Laertes tells Telemachus to be worthy of his lineage; Telemachus, now a proven warrior, replies with vigour:
The old king sprung for joy to hear his spirit,
And said: ‘O lov’d immortals, what a day
Do your clear bounties to my life display!
I joy, past measure, to behold my son
And [grandson] close in such contention
Of virtues martial.’
The household is complete.
Jan Parker
The Open University
Glossary of unfamiliar words
abode (verb) – foretell
abodes (noun) – omens
accited – summoned
aesture – swelling tide
affected – beloved
apaid – satisfied
approve – prove, try
areeds – advises
arew – in a row
artires – ligaments [arteries]
bace – run
bedfere – bed companion
beeves – cows
besogne – base fellow, commoner
bever – evening meal
bewray – display
blanch – whiten, make to look good
blore – blast
bracks – broken, torn parts
bray – chew up
cantles – portions
carquenet/carcanet – necklace
cast – pair [of eagles]
cates – delicacies
champain – level country
conceit – concept, idea, impression
cope – covering
cote – outstrip
curets – cuirass
curious – careful, painstaking
currie – quarry
disperple – sprinkle
dite – winnow
diversory – wayside inn
dorp – village
doubt – redoubt, barrier
dubbed – smeared
emprese – enterprise
err – wander
error – wandering
expiscating – enquiring into
fautour – guardian
fell’ffs – outer-parts of wheel
fere – mate, companion
fil’d – defiled
flaw – wave, roller
flea – flay
froes – women
frontless – shameless
froofe – augur handle
giggots – quarter joints
gull (verb) – to swallow
hoice – hoist
humorous – damp
illation – deduction
immane – huge, cruel
inform – animate
insecution – pursuit
intended – attended
lien – lain
luster – cave, den, hide
mall – beat
mate – oppose
maund – basket
mere – pure, whole
muse – animal run
nave – central part of wheel
neat – oxen
or . . . or . . . – either . . . or . . .
owes – owns
paise – weight, balance
penia – poverty
perse – pierce
pile – weapon tip
plain – complain
poitril – breast-piece
port – impressive demeanour
prease – press
procinct – preparation
proin – prune
proller – vagabond
proof – trial, attempt
prove – try, attempt
quaint – neat
queach – thicket
quite – put a stop to
race – raze, destroy
ranch’d – wrenched
rate – weight, valuation
reduce – lead back
reflect – turn back
rock – distaff and wool
rub – blockage
saker – falcon
say – assay, sample
scoles – scales
sere(s) – talon(s)
sewer – server
she – showy appearance
shent – disgraceful
skall – scale
sod (verb) – past tense of seethe
sort – lot, number
stale – stem
state – prince or royal entry
stitches – furrows
strake – metal rim
strooted – swelled
surcuidrie/surquedy – overweening pride
taint – thrust
tappish – seek cover
thrumbs – tufts
tyring – tearing at
ure – use
utter passage – passage out, exit
wan (noun) – wand/winnower
yare – quick, ready
yote – soak
cope – covering
cote – outstrip
curets – cuirass
curious – careful, painstaking
currie – quarry
disperple – sprinkle
dite – winnow
diversory – wayside inn
dorp – village
doubt – redoubt, barrier
dubbed – smeared
emprese – enterprise
err – wander
error – wandering
expiscating – enquiring into
fautour – guardian
fell’ffs – outer-parts of wheel
fere – mate, companion
fil’d – defiled
flaw – wave, roller
flea – flay
froes
– women
frontless – shameless
froofe – augur handle
giggots – quarter joints
gull (verb) – to swallow
hoice – hoist
humorous – damp
illation – deduction
immane – huge, cruel
inform – animate
insecution – pursuit
intended – attended
lien – lain
luster – cave, den, hide
mall – beat
mate – oppose
maund – basket
mere – pure, whole
muse – animal run
nave – central part of wheel
neat – oxen
nephew – grandson
or . . . or . . . – either . . . or . . .
owes – owns
paise – weight, balance
penia – poverty
perse – pierce
pile – weapon tip
plain – complain
poitril – breast-piece
port – impressive demeanour
prease – press
procinct – preparation
proin – prune
proller – vagabond
proof – trial, attempt
prove – try, attempt
quaint – neat
queach – thicket
quite – put a stop to
race – raze, destroy
ranch’d – wrenched
rate – weight, valuation
reduce – lead back
reflect – turn back
rock – distaff and wool
rub – blockage
saker – falcon
say – assay, sample
scoles – scales
sere(s) – talon(s)
sewer – server
she – showy appearance
shent – disgraceful
skall – scale
sod (verb) – past tense of seethe
sort – lot, number
stale – stem
state – prince or royal entry
stitches – furrows
strake – metal rim
strooted – swelled
surcuidrie/surquedy
overweening pride
taint – thrust
tappish – seek cover
thrumbs – tufts
tyring – tearing at
ure – use
utter passage – passage out, exit
wan (noun) – wand/winnower
yare – quick, ready
yote – soak
Glossary of names
Latinised Gods’ Names
Athena, Minerva – Pallas Athene
Diana – Artemis
Dis – Pluto, Hades
Jove, Jupiter – Zeus
Juno – Hera
Mars – Ares
Neptune – Poseidon
Venus – Aphrodite
Vulcan – Hephaestus
Proper Names, Patronymics, Alternative Forms of Men and Gods
Achaia – Greece
Achive – Greek
Aeacides – Achilles, grandson of Aeacus
Ajaces – Ajax the Greater and Ajax the Lesser
Alexander – Paris
Anchisiades – Aeneas, son of Anchises
Arcesiades’ seed – Odysseus/Ulysses, son of Laertes son of Arcesius
Argicides – Hermes/Mercury, slayer of Argus
Atrides – Agamemnon and Menelaus, sons of Atreus
Boreas – North-west wind
Ceston – Aphrodite’s/Venus’ enchanted girdle
Cynthia – Artemis/Diana
Cyprides – Aphrodite/Venus
Dardan – Trojan
Dardanides – Priam
Deucalides – Idomeneus, son of Deucalion
Dis – Pluto, god of the underworld
Ephaistus – Hephaestus/Vulcan
Erebus – region of the underworld
Erectheus –
Eris – Strife
Eristhius, Erecthius, Erectheus – Erechtheus, founder of Athens
Erinnys – Fury
Eurus – East wind
Hymen – god of marriage
Iaons – Ionians/Athenians
Icarius’ seed – Penelope
Ilion/Ilians – Troy, Trojans
Ilithyae/Lucina/Eileithyia
goddess of labour and childbirth
Ithacus – Odysseus/Ulysses
Jove’s divine son – Hercules
Jove’s seed – various(!) including Athene/Minerva, Prayers, Aphrodite/Venus, Ares/Mars, Apollo, Artemis/Diana, Hebe
Lacedaemon – Sparta
Laertiades/Laertes’ son Odysseus/Ulysses
Laomedon’s son – Priam
Latona – Leto, mother of Apollo and Artemis/Diana
Lotophagi – Lotus eaters
Lucina/Eileithyia – goddess of labour and childbirth,
Maid – Athene/Minerva
Menoetiades/Menoetius’ son Patroclus
Mulciber – Hephaestus/Vulcan
Neleides – Nestor, son of Neleus
Nereus’ seed – Thetis
Nestorides – Pisistratus, son of Nestor
Notus – South wind
Oïleus – Iliad Bk 9: Trojan killed by Agamemnon. Elsewhere: father of Ajax Oïliades
Oïliades – Ajax the Lesser, son of Oïleus
Pallas – Athene/Minerva
Panthaedes/Panthoedes/Panthus’ son – Polydamas
Parcas – Fates
Pelias – Achilles’ spear
Pelides – Achilles, son of Peleus
Pergamus – Troy citadel
Phoebe – Artemis
Phoebus – Apollo, the sun
Pluto/Dis – god of the underworld
Priamides – Hector, son of Priam
Saturnia – Hera/Juno, daughter of Saturn
Saturnides – Zeus/Jove/Jupiter, son of Saturn
Smintheus – Apollo
Stygian – of the Styx, river of the underworld
Telemachus’ father – Odysseus/Ulysses
Telamonius – Ajax, son of Telamon, Ajax the Greater
Tellus – the Earth
Thaumantia – Iris, rainbow-messenger goddess
Thetis’ son – Achilles
Tritonia – Athene/Minerva
Tydides/Tydeus’ son – Diomedes
Tyndaris – Helen
Venus’ son – Aeneas
Zephyr – West wind
The Iliad
Book 1
The Argument
Apollo’s priest to th’ Argive fleet doth bring
Gifts for his daughter prisoner to the king;
For which her tender’d freedom he entreats.
But, being dismiss’d with contumelious threats,
At Phoebus’ hands, by vengeful prayer, he seeks
To have a plague inflicted on the Greeks.
Which had, Achilles doth a council cite,
Embold’ning Chalcas, in the king’s despite,
To tell the truth why they were punish’d so:
From hence their fierce and deadly strife did grow,
For wrong in which Aeacides so raves,
That goddess Thetis, from her throne of waves
Ascending heaven, of Jove assistance won,
To plague the Greeks by absence of
her son;
And make the general himself repent,
To wrong so much his army’s ornament.
This found by Juno, she with Jove contends;
Till Vulcan, with heaven’s cup, the quarrel ends.
Another Argument
Alpha the prayer of Chryses sings:
The army’s plague: the strife of kings.
Book 1
Achilles’ baneful wrath – resound, O goddess – that impos’d
Infinite sorrows on the Greeks, and many brave souls loos’d
From breasts heroic; sent them far, to that invisible cave
That no light comforts; and their limbs to dogs and vultures gave:
To all which Jove’s will gave effect; from whom first strife begun
Betwixt Atrides, king of men, and Thetis’ godlike son.
What god gave Eris their command, and op’d that fighting vein?
Jove’s and Latona’s son: who, fir’d against the king of men
For contumely shown his priest, infectious sickness sent
To plague the army, and to death by troops the soldiers went –
Occasion’d thus: Chryses, the priest, came to the fleet to buy
For presents of unvalu’d price, his daughter’s liberty:
The golden sceptre and the crown of Phoebus in his hands,
Proposing; and made suit to all, but most to the commands
Of both th’ Atrides, who most rul’d. ‘Great Atreus’ sons,’ said he,
‘And all ye well-greav’d Greeks, the gods, whose habitations be
In heavenly houses, grace your powers with Priam’s razed town,
And grant ye happy conduct home: to win which wish’d renown
Of Jove, by honouring his son (far-shooting Phoebus), deign
For these fit presents to dissolve the ransomable chain
Of my lov’d daughter’s servitude.’ The Greeks entirely gave
Glad acclamations, for sign that their desires would have