2nd+Ajax+Bk+14



The Odyssey Book XIV 

Summary: Book 14 is mostly about hospitality, trust, and giving. Odysseus "plays" as a humble beggar testing his swineherd Eumaeus. Eumaeus shows his hospitaity by giving Oddysseyus a bed/meal. Eumaeus also tells Odysseus of the suitors, and how they keep eating and ruining Odysseus' fortune. A major theme coming out is that the beggars/poor are tests of hospitality/giving from the gods. Eventually, Odysseyus stops testing Eumaeus and goes to bed under a warm blanket given to him by Eumaeus, showing that Eumaeus is willing to give up his bed for a nobody, a very hospitable thing to do. Another theme of this book is sacrifice, because Eumaeus gives up his suckling piglets as food for Odysseus, clothes Odysseus, and gives him shelter. This was very gracious because not many swineherds would give their bed, sucklings, and house to a poor beggar because the he might lie for more food and stay. In return, Odysseus (in disguise) tells Eamaeus that Odysseus is returning, and goes to sleep. The theme of Helpfullness of the gods/goddesses is seen when Athena disguises Odysseus so that he can find a swineherd loyal to him, and move about without commotion of his return. The last theme of this book is prophecy, because Odysseus (in disquise) prophecises his return to Ithaca to his loyal swineherd Eumaeus.

** Vocabulary: ** Swineherd: A person who looks after pigs Vagabond: A wandering person Concubine: A lesser wife Prowess: Valor in combat, courage Spoils: Treasure Pretext: Something put forward to conceal a true purpose Misgivings: Feelings of doubt

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Hospitality: the friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers.


 * Who was Eumaeus? Eumaeus was Odysseus's swineherd and friend before he left for the Trojan War. His father, Ktesios son of Ormenos, was king of an island called Syria. When he was a young child one of a group of Phoenician sailors seduced his nurse, a Phoenician slave, who agreed to bring the child among other treasures in exchange for their help in her escape. The nurse was killed by Artermis on the journey by sea, but the sailors continued to Ithaca where Odysseus' father Laertes bought him as a slave. Thereafter he was brought up with Odysseus and his sister Ctimene and was treated by Anticleia, their mother, almost as Ctimene's equal. **

[|Where did Odysseus say he went as a man of Crete in his fabled tale? First he went to Troy to partake in the war. Then he set home for Crete but the Wind (zeus) carried him south to the nile. He then went with a Phoenician to Phoenicia. He then set sail to Libya to help the Phoenician with his cargo, but the Phoenician wanted to enslave him, so the gods sent a storm that destroyed the ship, and Odysseus drifted to Theosprotia, and the Theosprotians were to bring him home, but they tried to enslave him as well, so the gods freed him and he abandoned ship, which landed him in Ithaca.]