The Ancient World (HUM 124 - UNC Asheville)/Texts/Odyssey/Book 6

Summary of book 6

Book 6 begins with Odysseus slumbering in Phaeacia after the events of book 5. While Odysseus is sleeping Athena goes to Nausicaä, the daughter of the ruler of Phaeacia, Alcinoüs. When Athena talks to Nausicaä she takes the appearance of the daughter of Dymas. Talking to Nausicaä, Athena tells her to go to the pools to wash her clothes so that she will be ready for her wedding. Nausicaä asks her father to prepare the wagon for her and then goes to the pools with her waiting-women. After cleaning the clothes Nausicaä and her waiting-women eat and begin to play on the shore while the clothes dry. Odysseus is then woken up by the noise they are making and goes to meet them. The waiting-women run away from Odysseus but Nausicaä does not. Odysseus takes this opportunity to complement her and explain how he ended up in Phaeacia. Odysseus asks her for help and Nausicaä gives him more than he asks for and allows him to bathe and anoint himself. At this point Athena makes him more attractive to Nausicaä and is described as "like the gods who hold open the sky" (pg.205 Emily Wilson translation). After he is clean Nausicaä tells Odysseus to go to her father's palace and see her mother. Nausicaä tells him that if her mother likes him he has hope to return to his native land. The group then begins to head back to the town and Odysseus prays to Athena that he will be welcomed by the Phaeacians.

Characters

Odysseus- The protagonist of the Odyssey. A cunning and courageous warrior. He is a favorite of Athena. and an enemy of Poseidon.

Athena- Daughter of Zeus. The Goddess of wisdom, battle and womanly arts. She assists Odysseus with divine powers.

Nausithous- Previous King of the Phaeacians

Hades - God of the Underworld

King Alcinous - Nausiciaa's father, the current King, a Person with God given wisdom

Nausicaa- Princess of the Phaeacians and the daughter of Kind Alcinous and Queen Arete.

Nausiciaa's family slaves - Made all preparations for travel and washed the clothes. Then they ate and played with Princess Nausiciaa.

Queen Arete - Nausiciaa's mother spins sea purpled yarn. She is intelligent and influential.

Ancient worldview

• The gods frequently interacted with and sometimes meddled in the lives of the mortals in The Odyssey. An example of this occurred when Athena took the form of a mortal when talking to Nausicaä. (pg.197-198 Emily Wilson translation) Athena pretended to be a human by disguising herself as Nausicaa's best friend. Athena used guilt saying "Oh Nausicaa! So lazy! But your mother should have taught you! Your clothes are lying there in dirty heaps" (pg. 198 Emily Wilson translation)
• There are also examples of gender expectations in The Odyssey. Athena made Odysseus more physically attractive so that Nausiciaa would take him back to her father to get a boat. "Athena poured attractiveness across his head and shoulders." (pg. 204 Emily Wilson translation) "Before he looked so poor and unrefined; now he is like a god that lives in heaven." (pg. 205 Emily Wilson translation) Athena, herself a goddess, when entering Nausiciaa's bedroom as saw her sleeping, "as lovely as a goddess." (pg. 197 Emily Wilson) This leads one to believe that to be beautiful is to be godlike. Even the slaves that were sleeping outside Nausicaa's bedroom door are described to be "two charming girls with all the Graces' gifts." (pg. 197 Emily Wilson translation)
• There are societal expectations that make it unseemly for a women to be seen in public with other men before her wedding. Nausicaä tells Odysseus to go to the town but will not stay with him for fear of what other would say. (pg.205-206 Emily Wilson translation) "So they will shame me. I myself would blame a girl who got too intimate with men before her marriage, and who went against her loving parents' rules." (pg. 206 Emily Wilson translation) Odysseus decided that it would be best to keep his distance when talking with Nausiciaa. "He wondered, should he touch her knees, or keep some distance and use charming words...At last he thought it best to keep some distance and use words to beg her. The girl might be alarmed at being touched." (pg. 201-202 Emily Wilson translation)
• A stranger in the land can go and talk to the royalty. Ex. Odysseus is sent to Alcinoüs' palace. (pg.206-207 Emily Wilson translation) Nausiciaa told Odysseus to go to the palace to get help to get back home. Nausiciaa told Odysseus to "embrace my mother's knees to supplicate." (pg. 207 Emily Wilson translation)