nixpix5 Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 (edited) When I was in college I minored in classical studies but it has been that long since I read the Odyssey. While reading a section from Story of the World to the kids it said that the reason Odysseus was blown off course was due to Poseidon being angry about not being thanked along with the other Gods for defeating the Trojans. It may have been a while and I could be remembering it wrong but I thought it was Athena who was originally upset because some of Odysseus' men looted her temple. I thought Poseidon ' s wrath didn't begin until his son, Polyphemus the Cyclopes, had his eye damaged by Odysseus. Am I remembering this wrong? I know some of you well read mamas (and dads!) out there have read it recently. Please help jog my memory. Thank you! Edited June 13, 2017 by nixpix5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fralala Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 That's how I remember it, too, but like you, the last time I read it was in college. I didn't remember that SOTW said that-- I do remember reading my kids the excerpt from SOTW that was about the episode between Odysseus and Polyphemus. Do you have the revised edition? In any case, I'm bumping this with my little-help-at-all comment so that someone else might see and better recall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawyer&Mom Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 According to Wikipedia, Poseidon punished Odysseus for blinding Polyphemus. Which is also what I remember from the graphic novel... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nixpix5 Posted June 13, 2017 Author Share Posted June 13, 2017 Thank you! Didn't think to wiki it haha. I have the revised edition and on page 145 it says he was blown off course because they forgot to thank Poseidon. Which right away I thought "no, that is completely inaccurate" but because it had been so long I didn't know if I was remembering that correctly. I have found a number of other minor errors throughout but being a Greek Classical Studies lover this one nagged at me. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 DH says there was temple looting, but it wasn't Odysseus's men. I thought there were lots of reasons for it taking so long to get home - eating the sun god's cattle, blinding the Cyclops, clingy women, etc. But, it has been a few years since we both read it in its entirety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 (edited) I thought there were lots of reasons for it taking so long to get home - eating the sun god's cattle, blinding the Cyclops, clingy women, etc. :laugh: lol... Is that anything like stopping for sight-seeing, car troubles, having to stop the car to deal with seat-kickers and backseat fighting, etc.? (modern-day reasons it takes so long to get home ;) ) AND I'm still missing your Medusa avatar, RootAnn, as cute as the snoozing puppy is. :) Edited June 14, 2017 by Lori D. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ausmumof3 Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 I remember what you do. I think possibly it's easiest to present the story in a short format for young kids in that way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nixpix5 Posted June 14, 2017 Author Share Posted June 14, 2017 DH says there was temple looting, but it wasn't Odysseus's men. I thought there were lots of reasons for it taking so long to get home - eating the sun god's cattle, blinding the Cyclops, clingy women, etc. But, it has been a few years since we both read it in its entirety. Your DH was right. I went back through my college essays haha. It was driving me crazy and my copy of the Odyssey was packed away in storage but my packratness kept my college work in the filing cabinet. The Greeks looted the temples and Ajax violated Cassandra on Athena's statue (probably good to leave that out of SOTW!) Agammemnon prayed to the gods while Menelaus ran and Odyssey first ran but then came back to pray but apparently it was too late. This lead to Agammemnon making it back home first and everyone else taking a long time. You were right in remembering, and I knew that there was many reasons why it took Odysseus so long but it was the initial description of him being blown off course that didn't make sense to me. Along the way he kept bumping into many detours (Poseidon ' s anger over his son, the wind being let out of the bag when he was near Ithaca and blowing back, etc etc.) Such a frustrating story. Thanks everyone. I know in the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter at all as my kids are small but it was one of those things bugging the heck out me. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted June 14, 2017 Share Posted June 14, 2017 Is that anything like stopping for sight-seeing, car troubles, having to stop the car to deal with seat-kickers and backseat fighting, etc.? (modern-day reasons it takes so long to get home ;) ) AND I'm still missing your Medusa avatar, RootAnn, as cute as the snoozing puppy is. :) Perhaps the long car trips I've been on with my family & FIL during the last week influenced my answer. Stopping for a picture by the roadside Troop Memorial, slowing down for the three severe thunderstorms we drove through, those emergency rest stops (because rain pouring down makes everyone very aware of their bladders), and the necessary almost-home stop for ice cream since no one will have energy to actually make food after 10 hours in the car. I'd forgotten about the bag of wind! DD#2's Medusa cyclops seems very appropriate for this thread . . . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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