2nd+Anthena's+Princes+Bk+17

Athena's Princes: Book XVII​

Key Characters:
 * Menelaus
 * Eumaeus
 * Athena
 * Odysseus
 * Zeus
 * Telemachus
 * Mentor
 * Antiphus and Halitherses (friends of Odysseus)[[image:http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Mythology/Images/AntinousOd.gif width="385" height="411" align="right" caption="Antinous, the suitor, attacks Odysseus"]]
 * Penelope
 * Peiraeus (messenger)
 * Nestor
 * Helen
 * Apollo
 * Theoclymenus (godlike oracle)
 * Philomeleides (wrestler)
 * Medon (herald)
 * Ithacus Neritus Poyctor ( builders of carved fountain at the outskirts of Ithaca)
 * Melanthius (goatherd)
 * Eurymachus
 * Phemius
 * Argos(Odysseus's faithful dog)
 * Cronos (father of Zeus)
 * Dmetor (king of Cypres)
 * Eurynome (housewife)

Vocabulary > **augur**: one of a group of ancient Roman officials charged with observing and interpreting omens for guidance in public affairs. > **cornices**: any prominent, continuous, horizontally projecting feature surmounting a wall or other construction, or dividing it horizontally for compositional purposes. > **jibes**: to shift from one side to the other when running before the wind, as a fore-and-aft sail or its boom. > **tumult**: violent and noisy commotion or disturbance of a crowd or mob; uproar
 * **Cordially**: courteous and gracious; friendly; warm

​ Summary ​  Argos It turns out Argos is not just the name of Odysseus' dog, but it is also a city. It is located six mile from Mycenae, founded by Phoroneus and named after his son. Argos is the second oldest city in Greece. It was of such significance, that Homer called all the Peloponnesians, Argians. Around 600 B.C. the tyrant Pheidon, who introduced weights and measures in Peloponnese and according to Aristotle he invented coinage, the use of coin money, Argos reached its highest power. They were able warriors, but they still cultivated the arts, produceing masterpieces, reachingtheir highest piunt culturally.
 * Telemachus and Odysseus (disquised as a beggar) converse at Eumaeus’s hut.
 * Telemachus returns to his father's palace for the first time since his arrival back in Ithaca.
 * He tells Penelope that he has recieved little/no news of his father's whereabouts (even though he had just spoken with him at Eumaeus's hut).
 * Telemachus tells Theoclymenus and Piraeus not to bring Menelaus' gifts to Telemachus into the palace; he fears the suitors will kill him and then steal the gifts.
 * Theoclymenus, a servent, assures Penelope that Odysseus will return and kill the suitors.
 * Odysseus and Eumaeus start walking towards Odysseus's palace.
 * Odysseus sees his old dog and companion Argos lying in a pile of dung. Argos tried to get up, but he was too week. Odysseus could not help but shed a tear. Eumaeus tells him, " 'He is indeed the dog of one who died / far from his own dear land. If you could see / this hound with all the grace and strength that he / once had- when lord Odysseus left for Troy- / you'd be astonished by his force and speed' " (XVII, 347). This Eumaeus says after Odysseus asks why the dog was lying in dung, even though he looked like he was once strong and capable, as he once was 19 years before. Argos finally lays down and dies peacefully.
 * After entering the palace, the suitors insult Odysseus (even though they give him food anyway).
 * Antinous insults Odysseus and throws a stool at him, striking him in the right shoulder. Odysseus simply shakes his head at this, unhurt. He starts concocting a grand scheme in his mind.
 * Penelope wants the beggar to be brought to her after she hears of the assault.
 * Penelope then tells Eumaeus that if Odysseus were to return, " 'he'd put quick end to their brutalities' " (XVIII, 357). She is reffering to the suitors.
 * Immediatley after she says this, Telemachus sneezes. The sneeze was so loud that it could be heard all throughout the palace. Penelope then tells Eumaeus that her son's sneeze was a sign that Odysseus would come back and kill the suitors.
 * Odysseus tells Eumaeus to inform Penelope to wait in her room until dark so the suitors would not become suspicious of a beggar going to Penelope's room.
 * Eumaeus then leaves, and the suitors continue dining, drinking, and dancing into the night.

Ancient Greek Games In book XVII the suitors are throwing discuses and tossed javelins as a sport. It is an ancient myth that the first Javelin thrower was Hercules, the son of Zeus. The normal javelin was first made of olive wood, and weighted around 400 grams. A javelin was around 2.3 meters in length. A participant in the sport was judged on two things. The first was accuracy. The contestant had to throw a javelin at a target, while riding a horse. The second was distance, which judged on how far the javelin went.

In discus throwing only distance matters. The discs were made of bronze and iron, and are much heavier then today’s discs.

Themes
 * 1. Hospitality:** Eumaeus lets Odysseus, disguised as a begger, into his house for three days and nights. Telemachus lets the begger (Odysseus) into his house, gives him food, and lets him go around and beg from the suitors.
 * 2. The Importance of Prophecy:** Theocclymenus tells Penelope about the bird he saw in the sky and interprets it as a sign of Odysseus being at Ithica. This gives Penelope hope that Odysseus is still alive.