Greek literature

During the time of homing pigeon, Greek literature was concentrated in laws and rituals cargonfully presented through the stimulate plots of adventure and drama. This charge, a accountteller could prevent the gain to of his auditory sense by relating a fantastic episode to the allday occurrences of an oikos and grant the reader both the extraordinary and the familiar. The Odyssey is an host of these episodes whose cloaked intentions were to represent a pellucid theme in Ithacan market-gardening. Each story presented in the Odyssey allows the reader to further represent the true state of Ithaca and how it compargons in civility to other husbandrys, on the basis of laws, rituals and complaisant conduct.A passage of particular interest is found in Book IX, lines 105-141. It is when Odysseus sits in the palace of the Phaiakians and recalls his encounter with the culture of the genus Cyclopes. The transp bent purpose of this recount is to give the audience a nonher adve nture, a new mind which will keep their attention. Yet his move around to the land of the Cyclopes has a big(p) purpose. It allows the audience to consider a nonher culture with much different civil standards than their aver oikos (which in m either ways is comparable to Ithaca).The Cycloptic culture is that of great indolence and barbarism. Its inhabitants atomic number 18 extremely sluggish and live remove the livelihood provided to them by Zeus. The Cyclopes neither make do with their hands no plant anything, solely all grow for them with give away seed-planting, without cultivation, wheat and barley and also grapevines, which yield for them advancee of strength, and it is Zeus rain that waters it for them (Book IX. ll. 108-111). They do no resign part in any of the fodder making process, so it isnt even as though Zeus is helping them out, he is fair doing it for them this shows how lethargic these creatures truly are.The culture of the Cycloptic civilization has a striking similarity to the posture in Ithaca. Although during Odysseus reign of Ithacas, we are lead to believe that it is a great city with hard working citizens, this is not the typesetters case all the time. While Odysseus is gone, the situation Telemachos must face reflects an environ manpowert with a similar social conduct.The suitors that ingest come to court Penelope have all oer returnn the oikos. All of Ithacas goods and services are at their disposal, of which they did not work or digest for in any manner. The suitors heralds poured water over their hands for them to wash with, and the serving maids brought them scratch line heaped up in baskets, and the young men filled the mixing bowls with booze for their drinking (Book I. ll. 44-149). Just as the Cyclopes relied on the gods, the suitors did not earn any of their food, but rather they relied on the (one-sided) cordial reception of the Ithacans.The political order of the Cyclopes is a very sketchy, undefined o ne. There is no central government and it is as though they are in constant disceptation in order to maintain their survival. They do not necessarily look out for each other, but rather have their receive personal goal to take care of themselves and their families by any kernel necessary. These people have no institutions, no meetings for council and each one is the law for his own wives and children and cares nothing about the others (Book IX. ll. 110-115).Again, this is similar to the way the suitors treat the situation they are stage in. Each man is out for himself, to win Penelopes hand in marriage. Telemachos is fully aware(predicate) of this fact and tells the assembly of their misconduct. For my mother, against her will, is beset by suitors, own sons to the men who are the great hereabouts. These shrink from making the journey to the manse of her father Ikarios, so that he expertness take bride gifts for his daughter and bestow her on the one he wished, who came as hi s best-loved rather all their days, they come and loaf in our house and sacrifice our kine and our sheep and our fat goats and make a pass feast of it and drink the bright wine recklessly (Book II. ll. 50-58).Telemachos tells of how the suitors have no take note for Penelope or the oikos and how they do not care about whether or not the food will run out. They are only out for themselves. In fact, they did not even go to Penelopes fathers home to turn over gift because they are too lazy and selfish. They is no order in the oikos, it just an unruly chaos in which every man is out to get the disdainful prize for the lowest price possible.Homer has a very ingenious ardour of story telling, in which he compares and contrasts Ithaca with the civilizations Odysseus encounters during his umpteen years away. Each of these civilization is a reflection of what Ithaca is, was, or could be. In the case of the land of the Cyclopes, Odysseus has a glimpse of what is exit back home witho ut even cosmos there. Because Odysseus goes through these journeys, he is able to break understand his own country, and gain a new appreciation for the social rituals which are common during his reign in Ithaca.