122 - Odyssey 1: Society on the Brink

Something is very wrong in the opening scenes of the Odyssey. The master of the house is gone. His wife is besieged. His son is powerless. And the men eating him out of house and home are waiting for the right moment to strike. Welcome to Part 1 (of 6!) of our new series, where we cover Homer's great epic. Part 1 covers Books 1 to 4, the monsters haven't arrived yet — but the groundwork for everything is laid here. What does it take to reestablish order once it has fallen? What kind of man can do it? Follow Telemachus as he learns to speak, to threaten, and to travel among serious men, and meet the figures who shape his fate: Athena, Penelope, Nestor, Menelaus, Helen, and the doomed suitors led by Antinous. As Christopher Nolan's film approaches, it's a perfect time to dust off a copy of Homer's Odyssey, and follow along this epic story in our 6-part retelling.Timestamps:0:00 Why the Odyssey begins with Odysseus's absence1:08 Introducing the show1:25 Book One: Athena visits Ithaca4:05 Telemachus welcomes the stranger7:33 The poem's opening lines and Odysseus's epithets10:06 Odysseus and the wrath of Poseidon11:43 The Council of the Gods13:58 Athena's plan to help Telemachus17:20 Athena's instructions: call an assembly19:08 The story of Orestes and Telemachus's zeal22:08 Penelope's first appearance27:00 Telemachus finds his courage29:25 Book Two: The Assembly begins31:56 Antinous defends the suitors35:59 The omen of the eagles37:55 Telemachus's plan revealed40:16 Athena returns as Mentor45:15 Telemachus sets sail for Pylos46:48 Book Three: Arrival at Pylos52:41 The story of Agamemnon and Aegisthus1:02:17 Book Four: Arrival in Sparta1:05:28 Helen's grand entrance1:11:41 Helen's magic drug1:19:50 Menelaus and Proteus, the shapeshifting sea god1:27:08 Menelaus's fate: the Elysian Fields1:32:09 The suitors plot to kill Telemachus1:33:23 Closing thoughtsCallouts:Special thanks to Dr. Richard Johnson for his longtime support of the show. You are Caesar and Odysseus's Top Guy!In tribute to the life and aspirations of Savitha Shanmugasundaram, a University of Texas at Austin honors student who died tragically in the March 1 mass shooting, her parents have established the Savitha Shan Endowed Scholarship at UT Austin. The fund is intended to extend Savitha’s legacy by supporting the educational journeys of future UT Austin students. Please consider donating if you can.