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Odysseus should have checked out How to Return Home from War for Dummies. Step One: Do not mess with the son of a god. Actually, no need to read on...
The Odyssey 71775 Views
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Description:
On his ten-year journey home from the Trojan War, Odysseus runs into everything from sirens to sea monsters to seductresses. Such is life when you anger the sea god Poseidon while trying to sail home (pro tip: not a smart move). Thank the gods for Athena. And don’t even get us started on what he finds when he finally makes it back to Ithaca.
Transcript
- 00:04
The Odyssey, a la Shmoop: The Long, Long, Long Way Home
- 00:11
Back in ancient Greece . . . . . . people believed there was a god in charge
- 00:14
of just about everything. Love . . .
- 00:16
...Death... . . . weather . . .
- 00:19
...iphones... . . . you name it, the Greeks had a god for
Full Transcript
- 00:23
it. With so much on their plates . . .
- 00:25
. . . you wouldn't think they would have time for anything else but taking care of business.
- 00:30
. . . . . but they sure found time to mess with
- 00:33
Odysseus and his efforts to get back home. So, if it was Odysseus' destiny to return
- 00:37
to Ithaka . . .
- 00:38
. . . why did the gods make it so difficult for him?
- 00:41
Well, it might have had something to do with the "necessary evil of suffering."
- 00:48
According to Greek mythology, pain is the mortal curse of being human.
- 00:52
Odysseus' physical pain, loneliness and emotional anguish . . .
- 00:56
. . . might have been the gods' way of fulfilling that curse...
- 01:00
Or...maybe it was all a test. The gods couldn't let Odysseus be welcomed
- 01:04
back home as a hero . . . . . . without testing his courage . . .
- 01:07
. . . and perseverance. And isn't overcoming mind-blowing obstacles
- 01:19
. . . . . . part of the whole super-hero gig in
- 01:21
the first place? Could be...
- 01:25
... but maybe it was simpler than that. Let's not forget . . .
- 01:27
. . . that Odysseus did do a few things to tick off the gods.
- 01:30
And poking out the eye of somebody's kid . . . . . . isn't exactly the way to get on anybody's
- 01:34
good side. Gods may not be human . . .
- 01:39
. . . but getting a little revenge . . . . . . may have been something they had in
- 01:43
common with us mortals. So, okay, the gods proved a few points while
- 01:47
they messed with our hero. They were bigger and stronger . . .
- 01:50
. . . and a whole lot more powerful. But they did let him get back home eventually.
- 01:55
The question is: why go through all that effort to try and slow him down?
- 02:00
Was it that "mortal curse" thing?
- 02:01
A test of courage?
- 02:03
Or an act of revenge?
- 02:04
Hmm... maybe they were just bored out of their minds. Their lives do last an eternity after
- 02:09
all...
- 02:10
Shmoop amongst yourselves.
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