GOING HOME
The Phaiakian ship which is to take Odysseus home, with its 52 oarsmen, sounds very like either
a penteconter or a prototype of a Viking ship. Here's what Homer says:
"They bent to their rowing, and with their oars tossed up the sea spray,
and upon the eyes of Odysseus there fell a sleep, gentle,
the sweetest kind of sleep with no awakening, most like
death; while the ship, as in a field four stallions drawing
a chariot all break together at the stoke of the whiplash,
and lifting high their feet lightly beat out their path, so
the stern of this ship would lift and the creaming wave behind her
boiled amain in the thunderous crash of the sea. She ran on
very steady and never wavering; even the falcon,
that hawk that flies lightest of winged creatures, could not have paced her,
so lightly did she run on her way and cut through the sea's waves.
We have to admit that we are now a long way off from Corfu, the generally accepted island from
which he set out for his homeward journey. But when we look at some of the wording in the
text, it seems very strange that Corfu, which is only 70 miles from his own home island (Ithaca)
in the Mediterranean, would be described in the way that the land of the Phaiakians is. First,
because it is not called an island, and then because Odysseus admires their balanced ships and
their harbours, the meeting places of the heroes themselves, and the long lofty walls that were
joined with palisades. That sounds to me very much like the northern saga background with
Valhalla and so on:
"The Phaiakian men are expert beyond all others for driving a fast ship on the
open sea."
That's what the Odyssey says -- how true that is of the Scandinavians.
Then the ruler calls a council, and Odysseus says:
"I have come a long way from a distant land."
He could not then be speaking to the islanders of Corfu, less than 70 miles from his home island.
And the ruler assures him that they are going to bring Odysseus back to his country and his
house...
"Even if this may be much further away than Euboia,
which these of our people who have seen it say is the farthest
away of all."
I don't really think that another part of Greece, which can be seen on a map of Greece today, an
island 30 miles east of Athens and 150 miles in a straight line from Corfu, would be described as
the furthest away of all and that they have no idea where his island is, and that they will take him
back to it, even if it is much further away than Euboia.
How can that make sense, when the
island we're speaking of is nowhere near as far away as Euboia, and is actually only 70 miles
farther down the coast from Corfu? And how could the ruler of Corfu not know the famous Odysseus, king
of another island so close by?
Commentators seem generally to assume that Odysseus slept overnight on board this
homecoming ship, and that it was a short journey. But if that's the case, why do we have escorts
carrying "all the food" and the wine on board for him at the start of the voyage, and setting up
linen for his bed, with a coverlet? Did hardy Odysseus need a coverlet over the linen on his bed
in midsummer in the Mediterranean? But further north he would. And why all that food just for
an overnight trip?
Eventually they reach a bay on the island of Ithaca, with Odysseus asleep in the stern of the
vessel, and they put him gently ashore with his treasure.
Well, we now have Odysseus back home, asleep on a beach on his own island, ten years after he
set out from Troy. I've given a brief outline where he might have gone if he'd stayed in the
Mediterranean -- that's the standard view. And I've suggested what I think happened. I think you
may have enough information now to decide for yourself "Where Did Odysseus Go?"
"They bent to their rowing, and with their oars tossed up the sea spray,
and upon the eyes of Odysseus there fell a sleep, gentle,
the sweetest kind of sleep with no awakening, most like
death; while the ship, as in a field four stallions drawing
a chariot all break together at the stoke of the whiplash,
and lifting high their feet lightly beat out their path, so
the stern of this ship would lift and the creaming wave behind her
boiled amain in the thunderous crash of the sea. She ran on
very steady and never wavering; even the falcon,
that hawk that flies lightest of winged creatures, could not have paced her,
so lightly did she run on her way and cut through the sea's waves.
We have to admit that we are now a long way off from Corfu, the generally accepted island from which he set out for his homeward journey. But when we look at some of the wording in the text, it seems very strange that Corfu, which is only 70 miles from his own home island (Ithaca) in the Mediterranean, would be described in the way that the land of the Phaiakians is. First, because it is not called an island, and then because Odysseus admires their balanced ships and their harbours, the meeting places of the heroes themselves, and the long lofty walls that were joined with palisades. That sounds to me very much like the northern saga background with Valhalla and so on:"The Phaiakian men are expert beyond all others for driving a fast ship on the open sea."
That's what the Odyssey says -- how true that is of the Scandinavians.Then the ruler calls a council, and Odysseus says:
"I have come a long way from a distant land."
He could not then be speaking to the islanders of Corfu, less than 70 miles from his home island.
And the ruler assures him that they are going to bring Odysseus back to his country and his
house...
"Even if this may be much further away than Euboia,
which these of our people who have seen it say is the farthest
away of all."
I don't really think that another part of Greece, which can be seen on a map of Greece today, an
island 30 miles east of Athens and 150 miles in a straight line from Corfu, would be described as
the furthest away of all and that they have no idea where his island is, and that they will take him
back to it, even if it is much further away than Euboia.
How can that make sense, when the
island we're speaking of is nowhere near as far away as Euboia, and is actually only 70 miles
farther down the coast from Corfu? And how could the ruler of Corfu not know the famous Odysseus, king
of another island so close by?
Commentators seem generally to assume that Odysseus slept overnight on board this
homecoming ship, and that it was a short journey. But if that's the case, why do we have escorts
carrying "all the food" and the wine on board for him at the start of the voyage, and setting up
linen for his bed, with a coverlet? Did hardy Odysseus need a coverlet over the linen on his bed
in midsummer in the Mediterranean? But further north he would. And why all that food just for
an overnight trip?
Eventually they reach a bay on the island of Ithaca, with Odysseus asleep in the stern of the
vessel, and they put him gently ashore with his treasure.
Well, we now have Odysseus back home, asleep on a beach on his own island, ten years after he
set out from Troy. I've given a brief outline where he might have gone if he'd stayed in the
Mediterranean -- that's the standard view. And I've suggested what I think happened. I think you
may have enough information now to decide for yourself "Where Did Odysseus Go?"
