Dent Odyssey

Trojan War

1200 BCE

This war broke out between the Greeks and the people of Troy after Paris, the Trojan prince, kidnapped Helen, the wife of Menelaus of Sparta. This is also the war that featured the famous Trojan Horse in which the Greeks ambushed the city of Troy to ultimately win the war.

Aeolus - Bag of Wind

1200 BCE

Odysseus and his men sail from the land of the Cyclops to the home of Aeolus. Being an ally, Aeolus gives Odysseus a bag of winds that will guide he and his men to Ithaca. His men think that it is a bag of gold and open the bag, releasing all of the wind. This wind causes a storm that carries Odysseus and his men back to Aeolia. They ask Aeolus to help them again but, the furious god refuses boldly.

Circe

1200 BCE

Circe, the goddess of magic, is yet another god or goddess that tries to prevent Odysseus form returning to Ithaca. She does this by casting a spell on Odysseus’ men, that causes them to turn into pigs. Odysseus, however resists her magic and Circe bathes him, feeds him and even tried to lure him into her bed. Her overwhelming hospitality keeps Odysseus tied down for a year, which causes him to lose sight of the mission. Odysseus’ men however, remind him of the mission and they depart from Circe

Circe - Analysis

1200 BCE

Odysseus learns that kindness is not always genuine as Circe had truly vile reasons for hers. We also learn that Odysseus is not as untouchable mentally as we all thought before. We learn that his crew can also recognize situations and get him out of trouble. The theme of this section is that kindness can sometimes be the greatest weapon.

Sirens

1200 BCE

Odysseus returns Aeaea where he spends one last night with Circe. She warns him that his voyage home will be dangerous and they first have to pass through the island of the Sirens, Dangerous creatures who lure and kill victims with their beautiful voice. As instructed by Circe, Odysseus has his men put beeswax in their ears to negate the sound of the sirens and he has them tie him to the mast, so that he doesn’t climb overboard to the sound. Odysseus begs his men to free him but, they don’t.

Sirens - Analysis

1200 BCE

We learn in this section that Circe can be very good and effective help as she helps guide Odysseus and his men through the island of the Sirens. We also learn that Odysseus’ men are very loyal and disciplined as they don’t let him go even as he begs and pleads with them. Circe shows her helpfulness and plays a huge role in Odysseus returning to Ithaca. A lesson learned in this section is though you may be great alone, having a brave and loyal crew and be a huge asset.

Scylla and Charybdis

1200 BCE

Scylla is a six-headed monster who swallows one sailor for each head and Charybdis is a whirlpool that threatens to swallow an entire ship. Circe instructs Odysseus on how to navigate through these parts as well but, She does warn him that he will lose six of his men due to Scylla. He knows this but does not inform his men as he would not want them to worry or think about it. Odysseus sails along the cliff of Scylla’s lair to make it past.

Scylla and Charybdis - Analysis

1200 BCE

This section is one of fearlessness and sacrifice. Some of Odysseus’ loyal men are lost in his section but, their deaths were not in vain. Odysseus learns that being a great leader is recognizing what is good for the greater-good of the group. He learns that sacrifice is the hardest thing that a leader will have to go through.

Aeolus - Bag of Wind - Analysis

1200 BCE

Odysseus learns to inform his crew of his personal endeavors because, they could think the wrong things. We also learn that Odysseus’ men are quite greedy as they not only open the bag but, they tear it open. One lesson learned in this section is to not let greed take control of your common sense because it could lead to terrible events. This adds to the theme of the Odyssey because, sometimes being a leader means controlling egos and making smart decisions for your crew.

Suitors/Home

1200 BCE

Penelope, wife of Odysseus, has suitors perform a test to decide who will marry her as she thinks Odysseus is dead. She gets Odysseus’ bow and arrow out of a storeroom and the test is that whoever can string the bow and shoot it through a line of twelve arrows will become her new husband. All of the suitors try but, one by one they fail. When Odysseus returns, Eurymachus has the bow and he also fails which leaves him with a great sense of disgrace. Odysseus shoots the arrow effortlessly through.

Suitors/Home - Analysis

1200 BCE

In this section, this is more grounded less intense plot as there is no fighting or outrageous adventures. This can be shown to prove that sometimes events of equal importance don’t always have equal substance. This also shows a little of Odysseus’ arrogance to walk right in and claim what’s his. This adds to the theme of patience because, Penelope was patient and was rewarded for her patience.

Aeolus - Bag of Wind - Analysis

1200 BCE

In this section Odysseus and his men learn the valuable lesson of being responsible. They learn that if one is not responsible, there could be no second chance or chance to redeem yourself. We learn that sometimes Odysseus doesn’t have full control of his men and that they can be greedy. This adds a theme of not being careless or selfish because, it could hurt or hinder the whole group.

Helios’ Cattle - Analysis

1200 BCE

In this section, we see how being defiant and just downright disrespectful can cost you your life. They were warned clearly to not mess with Helios’ cattle. They however ignored this direction and it resulted in a tragic end to a great journey. We learn that Odysseus’ defiance was always tested but, in this case, it cost him his life.

Lotus-Eaters

1200 BCE

The Lotus-Eaters were the unlucky bunch of Odysseus’ men to have eaten the fruit of the Lotus. This toxic fruit caused whoever ate them to lose all thoughts and recollection of home causing them to want to stay in the land of the Lotus. Through this part of his journey, Odysseus learns to never take mysterious items and foods from strangers because it could lead to catastrophic results.

Helios’ Cattle

1200 BCE

Helios, god of the sun, had seven herds of oxen and seven flocks of sheep. This cattle were very well kept, they had curved horns and were very fat. It was known to everyone that any harm caused to these animals would result in the wrath of the titans being brought upon you. Odysseus and his men however, still roasted and ate these cattle over a 7 day span. The wrath of Helios was brought upon them and they died at sea due to it.

Cyclops

Nov 15, 1200

The Story of the Cyclops begins when he kidnaps Odysseus and his men. He holds he and his men captive in his cave. This is until Odysseus outsmarts the Cyclops by getting him drunk off of liquor and uses him to open the cave door and for he and his men to escape. Odysseus shows his tremendous resourcefulness and leadership in this portion of his journey.