The Odyssey Retold (by a Classicist): Part 1

Something is very wrong in the opening scenes of the Odyssey. The master of the house is gone. His wife is besieged. His son is powerless. And the men eating him out of house and home are waiting for the right moment to strike. Welcome to Part 1 (of 6!) of our new series, where we cover Homer's great epic. Part 1 covers Books 1 to 4, the monsters haven't arrived yet — but the groundwork for everything is laid here. What does it take to reestablish order once it has fallen? What kind of man can do it? Follow Telemachus as he learns to speak, to threaten, and to travel among serious men, and meet the figures who shape his fate: Athena, Penelope, Nestor, Menelaus, Helen, and the doomed suitors led by Antinous. As Christopher Nolan's film approaches, it's a perfect time to dust off a copy of Homer's Odyssey, and follow along this epic story in our 6-part retelling. Timestamps: 0:00 Why the Odyssey begins with Odysseus's absence 1:08 Introducing the show 1:25 Book One: Athena visits Ithaca 4:05 Telemachus welcomes the stranger 7:33 The poem's opening lines and Odysseus's epithets 10:06 Odysseus and the wrath of Poseidon 11:43 The Council of the Gods 13:58 Athena's plan to help Telemachus 17:20 Athena's instructions: call an assembly 19:08 The story of Orestes and Telemachus's zeal 22:08 Penelope's first appearance 27:00 Telemachus finds his courage 29:25 Book Two: The Assembly begins 31:56 Antinous defends the suitors 35:59 The omen of the eagles 37:55 Telemachus's plan revealed 40:16 Athena returns as Mentor 45:15 Telemachus sets sail for Pylos 46:48 Book Three: Arrival at Pylos 52:41 The story of Agamemnon and Aegisthus 1:02:17 Book Four: Arrival in Sparta 1:05:28 Helen's grand entrance 1:11:41 Helen's magic drug 1:19:50 Menelaus and Proteus, the shapeshifting sea god 1:27:08 Menelaus's fate: the Elysian Fields 1:32:09 The suitors plot to kill Telemachus 1:33:23 Closing thoughts Callouts: Special thanks to Dr. Richard Johnson for his longtime support of the show. You are Caesar and Odysseus's Top Guy! In tribute to the life and aspirations of Savitha Shanmugasundaram, a University of Texas at Austin honors student who died tragically in the March 1 mass shooting, her parents have established the Savitha Shan Endowed Scholarship at UT Austin. The fund is intended to extend Savitha’s legacy by supporting the educational journeys of future UT Austin students. Please consider donating if you can. https://news.mccombs.utexas.edu/news/... 🎙️ About Cost of Glory My name is Alex Petkas and it is my mission to bring the wisdom of Plutarch — historian, philosopher, literary artist — to modern audiences. With his words, Plutarch painted some of the most dramatic and well-remembered scenes in Western culture. And as a coach and confidant to some of the richest and most powerful men in the Roman Empire, he cared most about helping his readers lead, succeed, and flourish. That’s what I want for you too. At Cost of Glory, I present highlights and actionable insights from other great books and figures I encounter in my research, such as Xenophon, Plato, Caesar, Homer, and many more. I hope you join us on our mission, as we explore what it takes to achieve glory. Subscribe to this channel to get notified about the next episodes in this series: ‪@costofglory‬ Twitter / X: @costofglory https://x.com/costofglory Produced by: Infinite Media