Odysseus: the man and the myth

A good essay or research paper should have the thesis statement (the purpose of the paper) within the first two paragraphs; I normally encouraged my students to produce their thesis by the first paragraph so the reader (me) could see in what direction the paper would go.  I also offered an alternative:  use the 2nd paragraph, and use the 1st paragraph as an "introduction" to set the background.

I also insisted that the topic sentence (opening sentence idea) of each paragraph be relevant to the rest of the ideas presented, as well as a conclusion paragraph that summarizes the material presented.
I've put them in italics to show emphasis on how-what-why they are significant to the main idea of that paragraph.  As a topic, I chose the story of one man's fame and the price he paid for it:

the classic Greek myth of Odysseus (Ulysses):

Odysseus: The man and the myth

The men sat at their benches, stretching and straining their muscles to pull the oars.  The sail was still and no wind blowing—which was another ominous sign of potential danger.  Their captain stood at the bow of the small wooden ship, looking ahead for signs of land—and the possibilities of supplies and rest for his weary crew.  They had spent 10 years as fighting men on a distant shore, and now they were eager to return to their homes, their families, and safety.  Yet, each member of the crew knew that his life and safety was as much measured by the potential of a horrible death because of his captain and the incredible risks he took for fame and glory—and the cost of their lives.  Although future generations would consider the saga of these men as a made-up story, they did not know this—nor did the adventures and risks they would face be of any comfort in their minds.

    Greek myths celebrated the lives of heroes and their adventures.  In particular, the legacy of the man known as Odysseus (Ulysses), king of Ithaca, has become one of the most famous.  The tragedies and victories that came to him were a direct response of two factors:  his clever, cunning wit, and his proud, arrogant boasting.  Odysseus endured many hardships that brought death to his comrades, sorrow to his home, and misery to his life.  However, his life story, surviving by luck in some instances and with the help of the gods in others, has become a classic of endurance and patience.  In return for his actions, Odysseus was tormented by 10 additional years of wandering, facing death and grief from monsters, enchanting sorceresses and goddesses, and a stormy raging ocean.

    Odysseus’s crafty mind and quick thinking were both an asset and a penalty that he paid through his actions.  The theft of Menelaus’s wife, Helen, by the Trojan prince, Paris, brought together the ships and men that had pledged loyalty to each other, including Odysseus's status as King of Ithaca.  Reluctant to leave his newborn son, Telemachus, and his loving wife, Penelope, Odysseus faked madness in order to remain home, pretending to plow the seashore and sew salt as seeds for crops.  However, his trick was revealed, and he was forced to join the others.  At Troy, the two armies fought for 10 years with much bloodshed without either side showing victory.  Odysseus’s plan to leave a huge wooden horse as a token of withdrawal was the deciding factor.  The Trojans brought the gift inside their city walls, and while the inhabitants slept, Greek soldiers slipped out from a hidden compartment and opened the gates to their waiting comrades.  The destruction of Troy burned for days, and Odysseus was recognized as a victorious military planner.   However, his glory was soon to be lost on the open seas as the ships set sail for their Greek homelands.  During the destruction of the city, Odysseus had destroyed a sacred temple of Poseidon, god of the sea.  From the words of a priestess, the warning curse was issued that the crime would not be forgotten. 

    His foolish bravery nearly cost him his life at the hands (and appetite) of the Cyclops Polyphemus, who kept Odysseus and his party of men hostage in a cave.  Once again, Odysseus's need to display his wit and intelligence would be a costly gesture.  Caught in the act of stealing the giant’s flock of sheep and foods, Odysseus boldly assumed that the name of Zeus would be his protection.  Instead, he saw his men torn apart and eaten raw, and was assured that he would share their fate.  By luck, the Greeks were able to lure the Cyclops into a drunken sleep by filling him with wine—a new tasty treat.  Odysseus put his wits to work, and his men used a sharpened pole to blind the monster.  They managed to escape by hanging on beneath the bellies of the sheep flock when the Cyclops reluctantly let the animals out to graze.  However, Odysseus was not content to immediately flee: he took time from the safety of his ship to taunt the blind Cyclops by revealing his real name, only to have the giant heave huge boulders from a cliff above and barely miss crushing the surviving sailors.  Polyphemus’s agony was heard by his father, Poseidon, who would ensure that his son’s tormentor did not see home for years to come. 

    The Greeks then landed on another island, inhabited by a sorceress-goddess named Circe, famous for turning men into animals.  The crew was turned into pigs, but the messenger god, Hermes, saved Odysseus.  Bewitched by the comforts and pleasures of Circe, Odysseus and his men lost another year away from their families.  Although he was warned by her of other dangers, his men would not obey his commands and unleashed a bag containing the Four Winds, thereby blowing them off course while they were within sight of Ithaca.  Perhaps Odysseus was too well known for his tricks, or perhaps his sailors thought he was hiding another secret from them as he had the Trojans.

    Odysseus also risked his life several times by challenging and confronting supernatural beings.  First, he allowed himself to hear the song of the Sirens, who were known for calling men to their death on the rocks that framed their island.  Although he was safely tied and unable to move, the message that he heard whispered were the thoughts and messages from his wife and son, and the words nearly drove him insane with grief.  He further endangered his ship and men by being forced to chose between two hideous monsters, the six deadly heads of Scylla or the whirlpool of Charybdis.  He also traveled to the land of the Dead in the Underworld, seeing his fallen friends and mother, who told him how he had caused her death when the years had slipped by and he had not returned. 

    Temptation was always a problem for Ulysses, as well as his family.  Although he found himself in the arms of beautiful women, his wife remained loyal to him, even as suitors laid claim to his property and kingship.  His son was forced to endure the taunts of older, stronger men who insisted that the missing Odysseus was dead, and Queen Penelope herself turned to trickery to gain time in hopes that her missing, lost husband would return.  Her efforts were in vain when a servant girl revealed how Penelope unraveled a tapestry each night that she was weaving.  When Odysseus finally did reach his home, he found himself hiding as a beggar, unable to reveal himself until he could believe that his wife’s heart was still honest and true.  It was perhaps more a reflection of his character than hers. 

But the story of the unfortunate wandering Greek hero did have a happy ending:  Odysseus drove out the rival suitors, Penelope proved herself faithful, and Telemachus finally met the father he had not known.  It still should be recognized that for all his sharp ways and clever thoughts, the brave Odysseus was unable to find his way home with his sailors until they had lost their lives and he had spent 20 years of his own.  His name lives on as a symbol of arrogance, loss, and sacrifice in the face of vanity, risk, and pride.

(c) MDLOP8 1997

How to write a modern Greek myth

 Plugging my own skillset here because a state university wants to know if I am qualified to teach writing. Well then: aside from my 25 years in doing it, how about a sample? Maybe from--a different time period? But yes, I am sure I can teach Critical Thinking for Writing in any subject. Like this:

Every man and woman faces major challenges in life.  They are part of a continuing cycle: love, security, courage, the ability to communicate, and confidence.  In “A Modern Woman,” an offer is made to a lady to show how she has faced those demands.  However, the summons for her presence and a set of encounters that follow has come from the gods and goddesses of ancient Greece, who will decide her fate. 

The unexpected offer as well as outcome is far greater than anything she has ever known or considered:  if she wins, immortality is granted.  If she loses…she may face death.  Her results indicate how each one of us can decide our own future when our own challenges occur.  The way we view ourselves and how we have prepared our own values are our greatest gifts that we either use or discard.

Short answer/essay response:
Why are each of the answers given by the novice accepted by each of the challenging gods and goddesses? How and why are they convinced? How does she use her answers to them?  Describe her comments: what impression is she presenting?  Be descriptive: how does she speak? How are her answers received? Who adds to the importance, and why does it help make a difference? 

Who really appears to be in control of Olympus and why does this make the lesson of the story that much more empowering?  Why and how is this different than other stories of adventure? Finally--and optional: if you think this story reminds you of someone--anyone--even you--why? How? What difference has your story brought regarding Character, Wisdom, or Encouragement in YOUR life?

(I wrote this story to express admiration for someone. 

Yes. This is an original story.)

A Modern Woman for the 21st Century

          The gods and goddesses were surprised at the news.  A new arrival was to be heralded on sacred Mt. Olympus.  All were interested to meet the newcomer and prepare their tests of measure and worth.  Hera, queen of the gods, enlisted several of the others to be sure that they understood the challenge.  A new goddess had not been selected to sit on a throne on Mt. Olympus for many thousands of years, long after the glorious days of Socrates and Solon, of Athens in her splendor and Sparta in fighting majesty, had long passed to dust.
          Zeus himself was pleased:  another goddess might mean another female to pursue, a womanly figure to entertain his eye and desires.  And then a conch shell blew.  It was Poseidon, god of the Sea, calling all together to hear the reading of the Scroll of Immortality.  Hermes, the Messenger, stepped forward into the Circle of Light and held aloft the scroll and the names inscribed upon it.  Before him sat brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles; all gods and goddesses of Universal magnitude and authority.
          There was Ares, defiant god of War; Aphrodite, goddess of Love and pleasure; Apollo, keeper of the Chariot of the Sun; stern Hades, ruler of the Underworld and the riches of the earth; Athena, goddess of Wisdom, bearing her shield with the image of the Medusa’s head, and an owl perched on her shoulder.  And watching carefully over the others, Queen Hera.  She wanted to ensure that the novice goddess-to-be was worthy of a sip of ambrosia, nectar of the gods, and the immortal life that would follow.  All were directed to bring their full energies to bear upon the initiate during her test.  Zeus threw a thunderbolt earthward, announcing to the mortals below that the trial had begun.
          Up stepped Apollo, brandishing the reins to the horses that drew his chariot.  For a full day, he raced across the sky, pulling the Sun behind him.  And when the day had passed, he returned and addressed the others.  “I have let the strength and brightness of the Sun fall upon her,” he said.  “I have not been able to diminish her presence.  She radiates a greater light from within than the Sun itself.  She has passed my test.”
          Next came Ares, carrying his sword and shield of battle.  “I can handle this woman, who would dare call herself a goddess,” he swore.  “Come forward, if you dare, and face a true warrior!”  The gathering became a field of combat, the sounds of armor and weapons clashing.  Finally, Ares lowered his sword and said sullenly, “She knows the arts of fighting.  I accept her as an equal.”  The novice brought her own sword to bear, and swung at Ares.  A new battle followed, with the initiate taking the role of aggressor.  Athena stepped in and brought the fight to a halt.  “It seems, brother, that she has issued her own challenge.  Do you accept her answer?”  Ares gave her a dark, baleful stare in reply as he wiped the blood from fresh wounds, but a stern look from Hera, his mother, silenced his thoughts.
          “She has met me on the arena of battle.  I declare her to be a warrior of strength and courage,” he admitted to the others.  The initiate spoke up:  “Take up arms not against such as me.  I have faced greater fights and stronger opponents and won, and do not take lightly the thought of being oppressed by the foolishness of anyone.”  Zeus smiled at the boldness of the answer and a murmur of approval was heard through the gathering.  Hercules spoke up, giving his favor.  “I would gladly take this one along on an adventure if she is willing!”  Hebe, bearer of ambrosia and wife of Hercules, crossed her arms softly and stared at her husband, and he quickly added, “Of course, it would be for the glory and praise to be reckoned for such a noble one as she!”
          “I am next,” said Hesta, keeper of hearth and home.  “Come show me, little one, what you know of the comforts of a place for dwelling and rest, a shrine for body and soul.”  The novice replied, “Behold my own abode:  I have guided and built it with my own energy and vitality to be a welcome and warm beacon for all who would become my friend and family.  Come feel the security, the beauty, of that which I have forged with my hands and heart, and the serenity that brings company to my door.”  Hesta gazed down at the sight of the home and smiled.  “I should have easily recognized the lady and owner of such property before me.”
         “My test is far more difficult,” said a voice that floated with the sighs of heroes and gods hanging on her words.  Aphrodite came down off her throne to the silent gaze of all others.  The gods who were present had all longed for her in their hearts.  She had been promised to Hephaestus the lame, forger of metals, but her affections were not for him.  Among mortals, only Adonis had truly won her over, and his death had wounded her deeply.  “What do you know of love, of giving yourself to another, my friend?  Have you ever shared heart and soul without reserve, and longed for a warm embrace?” she asked.
          Her words did not come aloud; they burned across the distance and were only heard between the two women.  The look that carried the answer held the stories of lovers come and gone, of marriage and a lifetime’s dream cast aside, of loneliness and empty arms; and hope, for happiness yet to come.  The goddess of Love knew the heart that gave the answer, for she had helped craft the emotions that were found there.  “I have known your response before it was asked by me,” she said softly.  “You have my approval and trust forever.”
          “My turn,” cried Hermes, god of words and thoughts.  “And what do you know of the versatility of the mind, of speech; the nimbleness of an idea well spoken?  Can you outwit me, the master of liars and thieves?  Are you clever enough to charm your way out of the snare of a god?”  The initiate looked back at him.  “I know enough,” she replied, “to know that my thoughts and words can travel to the ends of the earth, and men and women find me most entertaining.  Would you deny that I favor you highly amongst those who reside on this sacred mountain?  I find the idea of a well-turned phrase most pleasing to my ear.  I trust that a good conversation is a cup well sipped from.  Is not the gift of speech, and a timely thought best offered in the company of those who can appreciate it to the fullest?”  Hermes bowed gracefully and tipped his winged hat in admiration.  “I salute your eloquence and imagination!”
          And then Zeus, Hera, and Poseidon stood. Only Hades stayed behind, for he knew he was losing a soul to safeguard at the door of the Underworld.  Poseidon spoke first:  “I see within this child, the depths and mysteries to the ocean deep that I rule.  I give to those who ask, the answers to the illusions of the seas that I keep hidden from the eyes of men and women.  Guard my secrets carefully; you have earned my respect.”
       It was then Zeus’s time to address the gathering.  “My brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, we have been cast aside by those who once worshipped us. But the old ways are not forgotten by those who remain faithful to those times long passed by.  I now call this test to its completion, and bid the bearers of ambrosia to bring the sacred cup forward to be sipped by our newest member.  I give her the safeguard of Athena, for wisdom and merit.”
           Athena bowed graciously to her father and stood beside her charge.  “Let the artisans begin work on a throne for our new companion,” she declared.  I find her worthy to be known as the goddess of Perseverance, of Determination, and Endurance, for she has met our challenges most strongly with those qualities.  I call upon those mortals below to grace her name with dignity and respect.  And I bid them to call upon her by her name when she was a mortal, for now she has become one of us.  For I, Athena, will take this one’s fame to the far corners of the world.”
          Finally, Hera spoke.  “I have championed your invitation to sit amongst us, to be rewarded for your vigilance and commitment.  I need not ask for approval; by my request for your presence, you have already been accepted.  I give both blessing and approval to your words, Athena.  Herald the new goddess on Olympus and welcome her by my order and her new name as a goddess:  We knew her when she was called “******” at birth."

(c) MDLOP8 1992

The patrons of arts and sciences: the nine Muses of Greek mythology

 

The Nine Muses were minor goddesses of Greek mythology, who were closely linked to the arts and sciences. They guided and inspired mortals in their creation of literature, music, drama and other artistic and scientific ventures. The Muses rarely featured in any major myths of their own, but they were often invoked and remained among the most important of the Greek pantheon of deities.

Analytically The Nine Muses Are:

1. Clio: The Muse Clio discovered history and guitar. History was named Clio in the ancient years, because it refers to “kleos” the Greek word for the heroic acts. Clio was always represented with a clarion in the right arm and a book in the left hand.

2. Euterpe: Muse Euterpe discovered several musical instruments, courses and dialectic. She was always depicted holding a flute, while many instruments were always around her.

3. Thalia: Muse Thalia was the protector of comedy; she discovered comedy, geometry, architectural science and agriculture. She was also protector of Symposiums. She was always depicted holding a theatrical – comedy mask.

4. Melpomene: Opposite from Thalia, Muse Melpomene was the protector of Tragedy; she invented tragedy, rhetoric speech and Melos. She was depicted holding a tragedy mask and usually bearing a bat.

5. Terpsichore: Terpsichore was the protector of dance; she invented dances, the harp and education. She was called Terpsichore because she was enjoying and having fun with dancing ( “Terpo” in Greek refers to be amused). She was depicted wearing laurels on her head, holding a harp and dancing.

6. Erato: Muse Erato was the protector of Love and Love Poetry – as well as wedding. Her name comes from the Greek word “Eros” that refers to the feeling of falling in love. She was depicted holding a lyre and love arrows and bows.

7. Polymnia: Muse Polymnia was the protector of the divine hymns and mimic art; she invented geometry and grammar. She was depicted looking up to the Sky, holding a lyre.

8. Ourania: Muse Ourania was the protector of the celestial objects and stars; she invented astronomy. She was always depicted bearing stars, a celestial sphere and a bow compass.

9. Calliope: Muse Calliope was the superior Muse. She was accompanying kings and princes in order to impose justice and serenity. She was the protector of heroic poems and rhetoric art. According to the myth, Homer asks from Calliope to inspire him while writing Iliad and Odyssey, and, thus, Calliope is depicted holding laurels in one hand and the two Homeric poems in the other hand.

The Nine Muses have been inspiring artists since the antiquity and there countless paintings, drawings, designs, poems and statues dedicated to them. All artists of the Renaissance acknowledged their importance in artistic creation,  dedicating their works to the Muses.

Today, the most famous depiction of the Muses in sculpture is in Greece, in Corfu; the Empress Sissi of Austria had their statues made for her, in order to ornament the garden of her retreat house in Corfu, the famous Achilleion.