and on the journey he shall have neither gods nor men to help him.
Zeus, in the assembly of the gods, Odyssey, V,30
Nothing says Christmas like Greek epic poetry, eh? While Mary and Joseph are making their journey toward Bethlehem, I have decided for the time being to slip away from the throng of pilgrims making their way to the manger and join the company of another traveler - Odysseus. It has come to the attention of Zeus that the time has arrived for the last of the heroes of the Trojan conflict to come home. The god's announcement tells us at once much we will come to discover about Odysseus: that he is the self-reliant hero, having neither divine nor human help. Well, perhaps that might be a poetic stretch. After all, those who follow the ancient stories soon come to realize that there are few as favoured by Athene as is Odysseus. Yet the declaration by Zeus tells us of Odysseus unique virtue among the Achaean warriors. Odysseus is supremely "resourceful"; he is able to make the most of any situation, to use his wits and skills to their maximum capacity. The adjectives which Homer uses to describe him are he essence of this kind of virtue, and we will meet them as we read along.
Now we have seen Odysseus previously on this blog, but in a different setting. Dante placed him somewhere in the bowels of the Inferno (I'll find the post later). He was placed there for the falsehoods of the Trojan war, but we will assume that he has now atoned for his sins, and will now at last come home to his kingdom and his family. So pick up a glass of eggnog and follow his voyage "over the wine dark sea".
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