The Odyssey from Within

These pages explore work, dependence, domestic life, memory and the narrative resources of the Odyssey, while keeping the poem connected with the world and traditions in which it was made and received.

The Passing of Time in the OdysseyTwenty years of absence, a few weeks of action, memory, ageing and homecoming. Sex in the OdysseyDesire, beds, marriage, power, and reputation in Homer’s poem. Women in the OdysseyWomen’s roles in Odysseus’ homecoming, Samuel Butler’s hypothesis, and a comparative count of characters. The Economy of DebtReciprocity, compensation, retribution and violence in the Iliad and the Odyssey. Does It Help to Know the Future?Prophecies, signs, dreams and decisions before a future that cannot always be avoided. Who Worked in Odysseus’ World?The table, the flocks, domestic work, dependence, and the limits of what Homer allows us to know. Penelope and the Weaving of the OdysseyPenelope’s loom, time, recognition and the work of narrative in the poem. Beauty as a Path to RuinHow beauty, desire, power and violence enter Homeric and later Trojan stories. Before the Page, the VoiceOrality, writing, Linear B and the fixing of Homeric poetry. When Nobody Signed AnythingSpeech, memory, writing and social life before signed documents. The Bronze PastWhat the Bronze Age contributes to reading Homer’s world.