Once he drank the blood of the slaughtered animals, he told odysseus that his journey home would be full of trouble. The men will reach home, said tiresias, if they leave the cattle of the sun unharmed. Odysseus had angered poseidon by blinding poseidons son, the cyclops polyphemus. To reach the entrance to the underworld, odysseus and his men had to go to the farthest, sunless realm of the deepflowing ocean. Odysseus attracts dead, tiresias reveals, meets other famous dead i. Then we hauled the sheep aboard, and embarked ourselves, weeping, shedding huge tears. The odyssey and the heros journey by gregory smith on prezi. Tiresias appears, says poseidon punishing them for polyphemuss eye v. Find a summary of this and each chapter of the odyssey. Ghosts out of erebus on reaching the shore, we dragged the vessel down to the glittering sea, and set up mast and sail in our black ship. Tiresias, the blind prophet who had accompanied us to troy, was the soul i had to talk to. The next morning, odysseus rouses his men for the imminent departure.
Among the ancient authors who mention him are sophocles, euripides, pindar, and ovid. Usually, when mythic heroes undertake the dangerous voyage to the underworld, its for the. What is the prophecy that tiresias gives to odysseus. In it, odysseus tells his king alcinous all about his fantastic and unusual trip to the underworld in which he did just that. What is the importance of odysseuss bed in homers odyssey. Circe told odysseus that before he could leave, he must visit the land of the dead and hear a prophecy from tiresias.
Tiresias in the odyssey study guides and book summaries. Ulysses arrives at the island of aeolus, who gives him prosperous. The odyssey books 912 summary and analysis gradesaver. Odysseus follows circes instructions, digging a trench at the site prescribed and pouring libations of milk, honey, mellow wine, and pure water.
Several stormtossed days later, they landed on the island of the lotuseaters. Odysseus and his men sailed into the night to reach the ocean rivers bounds where they would perform the proper sacrifice and ritual. About the odyssey the odyssey summary character list glossary themes quotes and analysis books 14 books 58 books 912 books 16 books 1720 books 2124 symbols, allegory and motifs metaphors and similes irony imagery the fractal structure of epics literary elements related links essay questions quiz 1 quiz 2 quiz 3 quiz 4 citations. Juno and jove were playfully arguing about whether love was better for men or women. Homer, odyssey book 11 theoi classical texts library. See important quotations explained odysseus travels to the river of ocean in the land of the cimmerians. Homers epic poem the odyssey tells the story of odysseus, greek hero of the trojan war, and his adventures at sea during his travel home. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Book 11 by god, id rather slave on earth for another man. As a hermaphrodite, tiresias identifies with both parties.
Now, in book 10 of homers the odyssey, he begins with his stay with aeolus, the wind king dear to the gods. The book 12 questions learn with flashcards, games, and more for free. Tiresias meets odysseus when odysseus journeys to the underworld in book 11. Odysseus goes to the river of ocean and makes sacrifices, as circe told him to do, so as to attract the attention of the souls. The old man was the expert on the subject because hed been born a man, but when hed one day hit mating snakes with a stick, he was transformed into a woman. Odysseus travels to land of the dead, near cimmerians ii. At their first stop, they plundered the locals stuff. Tiresias a theban prophet who inhabits the underworld. What is the role of the blind prophet tiresias in odysseus. Odysseus travels with his men to the river of ocean in the land of the cimmerians to perform the necessary tasks outlined by circe to reach the land of the dead.
In book 11 of the odyssey, tiresias tells odysseus in the kingdom of the dead that odysseus will have a difficult trip home. Odysseus and his crew travel to the read the poem aloud, as it was originally conveyed. As the other answerer said, tiresias appears in various ancient narratives, such as oedipus the king, or mythology specifically dedicated to stories about tiresias and his life. Book 11 odysseus travels to the underworld and makes the offerings according to circes instructions. Tiresias observes a rather pathetic sexual encounter between a typist and a clerk and reminds us that he once foretold this encounter. The prophecy will help him prepare for the dangers that await him at home on ithaca. Home english literature classic books the odyssey book x. Chapter summary for homers the odyssey, book 11 summary. The odyssey by homer book 11 summary and analysis youtube. King of pylos and a former warrior in the trojan war. Tiresias participated fully in seven generations in thebes, beginning as advisor to cadmus himself. First elpenor spoke, requesting cremation and burial.
Finally, tiresias appeared and told odysseus that he could make it home alive but. He gave me warnings about my journey home and told me what i must do to ensure a happy death when my time came. Tiresias, the prophet, says, a god will make it hard for youi know. What difficulty does tiresias predict for odysseuss. He was the son of the shepherd everes and the nymph chariclo.
He pours his libations and offers sacrifices designed to attract dead souls and eventually is able to reach and speak with the young crewman who. Tiresias, in greek mythology, a blind theban seer, the son of one of athenas favourites, the nymph chariclo. Tiresias is a renowned prophet, and at the time of odysseus, hes already dead. By the time homers audience encounters odyssey 23, odysseus has revealed his identity to his son. Summary and analysis book 11 the visit to the dead. Course heros video study guide provides indepth summary and analysis of book 11 of homers epic poem the odyssey. Anticles, from whom he learns the state of his family. Staying with aeolus odysseus and his crew stayed with aeolus for an entire month. Odysseus reveals another flaw in book 10 that compounds his hubrispoor judgment. Then teiresias, who predicted the homeward voyage, the battle with the suitors, and a strange journey to men who know no sea. Murray 1 but when we had come down to the ship and to the sea, first of all we drew the ship down to the bright sea, and set the mast and sail in the black ship, and took the sheep and put them aboard, and ourselves. Circe told odysseus to travel to the land of the dead to speak to the prophet tiresias. Tiresias as a character appears in some lost parts of hesiod, and other later ancient works, such as sophocles oedipus tyrann. In book 11 of homers the odyssey, odysseus continues to share the story of his difficult journey with alkinoos and the phaiakians.
The first soul to appear to him is the soul of the crew member who they had lost. Chapter summary for homers the odyssey, book 10 summary. The shades of the dead shades ghosts gather to drink the blood gross and then talk to odysseus. In the odyssey, tiresias inhabits the underworld and can communicate with others who live in hades. Book 1 book 2 book 3 book 4 book 5 book 6 book 7 book 8 book 9 book 10 book 11 book 12 book book 14 book 15 book 16 book 17 book 18 book 19 book 20 book 21 book 22 book 23 book 24 themes all themes fate, the gods, and free will piety, customs, and justice cunning, disguise, and selfrestraint memory and grief glory and honor. He created a famous legal code and as a result was made one of the three judges of the dead in the underworld. Holt literature textbook 9th grade unit 11 the odyssey. Circes warnings prove to be a foreshadowing of the true events.
There is a distinct possibility that the author of the odyssey knew at least some version of the telegony story the thesprotian episode and telegonus unusual spear in the telegony may have been based on tiresias prophecy in odyssey book 11. Homer, odyssey, book 11, the nekuia the book of the dead plato, republic, the myth of er, which concludes book 10. Jove believed that it had to be better for women, and juno disagreed, so they called on tiresias. Odysseus and men perform rites and sacrifices to summon dead iii. A blind theban prophet, in addition to making a brief appearance as a mentor in homers odyssey, he is also present in the works of many ancient philosophers such as sophocles, euripides, pindar and ovid. First dead to show is man who broke neck, asks to be properly buried iv. This quality has led some scholars to conclude that homer wrote the odyssey at a later time of his life, when he showed less interest in struggles at arms and was more receptive to a storyline that focused on the fortunes and misadventures of. Circe tells odysseus that before continuing on his journey, he needs to hear a prophecy from tiresias, the greatest fortuneteller in all of greece.