• Odysseus’s nostos and the Odyssey’s nostoi: rivalry within the epic cycle

    Author(s):
    Elton Barker (see profile) , Joel Christensen
    Date:
    2016
    Group(s):
    Ancient Greece & Rome
    Subject(s):
    Classical literature, Greek literature
    Item Type:
    Article
    Tag(s):
    epic, Classical Greek literature
    Permanent URL:
    http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/M6P03G
    Abstract:
    In this article we explore some of the ways in which our Odyssey engages with other epic homecoming (nostoi) traditions and how they help prepare for and glorify Odysseus’s return home. The process of telling nostoi tales in Ithaca, Pylos and Sparta dramatizes for the audience the selection and presentation of homecoming narratives, whose metapoetic potential is clear – nostos signifies both a homecoming and a song about homecoming. Since this process is in part a contemplation of which Odysseus is needed in this narrative, emphasis lies on how his story compares to possible versions both of nostoi narratives and of different Odysseys. In turn, part of this process reveals how both storytellers and audience members participate in a selection of different aspects to create the Odysseus they want. We focus in particular on how Telemachus negotiates these other nostoi, not always successfully, but always with a view to learning about the role he is to play in this epic. These other nostoi narratives are not only put at the service of the Odyssey to anticipate the content and structure of the monumental tale to come, as we will argue; they also help demonstrate what is at stake in narrating and experiencing nostos.
    Metadata:
    xml
    Published as:
    Journal article     Show details
    Pub. Date:
    2016
    Journal:
    Philologia Antiqua
    Volume:
    7
    Page Range:
    85 - 110
    Status:
    Published
    Last Updated:
    7 years ago
    License:
    All Rights Reserved
    Share this:

    Downloads

    Item Name: pdf barkerchristensen_2016_nostos.pdf
      Download View in browser
    Activity: Downloads: 389

    Back to Deposits