Expressive Paper 1
Aesun Kim
John Lovas
Ewrit 1C (H) - Expressive Paper 1
April 29, 2004
Homer's Odyssey Diner
Whether it's the succulent sheep of the Sun god on the island of Thrinacia or the honey-sweet fruit of the Lotus-eaters, Homer's The Odyssey has a wide selection of Mediterranean cuisines that will make any weary traveler's mouth water -- despite the steep costs at hand.
In Homer's The Odyssey, the negative portrayal of food is evident in the way it tempts characters beyond their self-control and humanity. From the suitors in Odysseus' palace in Ithaca to the Laestrygonian land of man-eaters, the necessity of food can be considered a leading factor that delayed Odysseus' return home from Troy. Aside from the hospitality aspect of satisfying a guest's hunger before all else, all other depictions of food in this epic tale are due to the lack of discipline of the crewmen or the lack of humanity of the creatures abroad.
Entrée Cost
Sweet-honey lotus. 3 dazed crewmen
Upon reaching the land of the Lotus-eaters, Odysseus sends two crewmen and a runner to inspect the neighboring area. Unfortunately, the three crewmen fall victim to the lotus and "[lose] all desire to send a message back, much less return, their only wish to linger there with the Lotus-eaters, grazing on lotus, all memory of the journey home dissolved forever." (9. 106-110) Odysseus, the great, competent leader had to haul all three men back to continue their voyage home. Despite Odysseus being an esteemed leader, the deficiency of willpower in the crewmen will continue to impede his trip in further instances.
Entrée Cost
Dry cheeses, young lamb, fresh suckling, burly sheep, goats, and rams. 4 crewmen
Once Odysseus and his men reach the Cyclops's shore, the first thing that they can’t get their eyes off of are the big flocks of sheep and goats. Upon further search of his den their taste buds began tingling at the sight of
"the large flat racks loaded with drying cheeses, the folds crowded with young lambs and kids, split into three groups -- here the spring-born, here mid-yearlings, here the fresh sucklings off to the side -- each sort was penned apart. And all his vessels, pails and hammered buckets he used for milking, were brimming full with whey." (9. 245-251)
The crewmen who lack a degree of integrity insisted that they flee with the goods on their swift ship. But righteous Odysseus refuses and instead awaits the return of Cyclops in hopes to receive a proper, warm welcoming as his guest. The son of Poseidon, Cyclops, however had no intention of keeping the visitors as his guests. Rather, he
"lunged out with his hands...toward my men and snatching two at once, rapping them on the ground he knocked them dead like pups -- their brains gushed out all over, soaked the floor -- and ripping them limb from limb to fix his meal he bolted them down like a mountain-lion, left no scrap, devoured entrails, flesh and bones, marrow and all!" (9. 324-330)
Driven by the temptations of delicacies, Homer displays the two kinds of people in the face of need. One would be the disloyal crewmen who would blindly reach for things not of their own and then the other would be the great Odysseus who, without a second thought nor a hesitation to question himself, would choose the honorable path. The wild beast, Cyclops, who is also driven by the temptation of food reflects the lack of humanity and civility in his edible indulgences. Fortunately, wily Odysseus devised their escape off the island of Cyclops only to encounter the Queen of Laestrogonia.
Entrée Cost
Nothing but a "barbarous welcome." 1 crewmen, rest of the squadron
Stepping foot on the Laestrygonian land, Odysseus and his crew were in search for a warm welcoming of food and shelter only to stumble upon swarming, uncivil man-eaters who were after them as meals. Without any chance of hospitality, the team was forced to flee. However, of the whole squadron only Odysseus' ship safely made it out. Here too, the wild creatures who overindulge in their foods are uncivil, unkind, and in many ways are similar to the characters of the crewmen, the suitors, as well as the rest of the creatures abroad for they all only worry about their own food and their own share of the pie. If they cannot get what they desire, they will take measures against it, which in this case the man-eaters have taken down nearly all of Odysseus’ men at sea.
Entrée Cost
Potion (cheese, barley, and pale honey mulled in Pramnian wine) a night with Circe
followed by a feast the following day. paid for my Odysseus
Odysseus' remaining ship finds refuge on the Aeaean island, home of Circe the nymph, who lures the first group of crewmen with her potion containing "wicked drugs / to wipe from their memories any thought of home." (10. 259-260) Then, with a twitch of her wand Circe transforms the men into pigs. Upon the guidance of the gods, Odysseus comes to the rescue of his comrades by spending the night with Circe in return for the normal-being of his shipmates, lodging, and most importantly, food.
Entrée Cost
Herds of cattle, rich and wooly sheep, seven herds of oxen of Helio. remaining crew
Once they crew sets sail again, Odysseus tells his crew about the warning sent by the gods to not harm the livestock of the Sun god, Helios of the island, Thrinacia.
"Leave the beasts unharmed, your mind set on home, and you all may still reach Ithaca -- bent with hardship, true -- but harm them in any way, and I can see it now: your ship destroyed, your men destroyed as well!" (12. 148-151)
Although Odysseus required everyone to swear an oath, once the supplies on the ship began to shrink and when hunting proved fruitless, the shipmates felt it was better to die satiated than to die of hunger. The crewmen did not have enough self-control and were blinded by their intense hunger that they give in to disloyalty. Eurylochus, the instigator, prepared the plan to slaughter the herds of Helio to feast on the following six days. As warned, Zeus sent out deadly weather patterns that killed the whole crew but Odysseus who was left to float the next nine days till he reached the island of Ogygia.
Entrée Cost
Livestock and wines of the King of Ithaca. 94 lives of suitors
Similarly, the endless binging and indulging of the suitors at Odysseus’s palace adds yet another negative outlook on food. The suitors who have comfortably made themselves at home in a place where they are unquestionably unwelcome are slaughtered soon after Odysseus returns. In fact, just as they are about to dine in their own exploits, they are speared by the great Odysseus and his bow.
The horrific, man-eating creatures, the crewmen, as well as the suitors all have a commonality that they are either maliciously uncivil or bound to be disloyal in order to satisfy their needs. As for the suitors, they fall into both categories -- possibly even more so than the crewmen who are unfaithful to Odysseus’ commands. The suitors who indulge in the riches (that do not belong to them) and who wine and dine all day in the palace of Ithaca, are the ones plotting the death of Odysseus’ only son, Telemachus. And this is of course, in addition to the wedding they long to be a part in with Odysseus’ devoted wife, Penelope. Without a clue to how their days are numbered, the suitors continue their daily routines and spend hours feasting and drinking. The excessive, binge eating by all these destructive characters reflect how easily they submit to temptations around them.
Whether it’s the inhumane creatures of foreign lands, the suitors, or the crewmen under the command of Odysseus, the negative portrayal of dining gives a contrast to the “good dining” that takes place as a custom of hospitality. Nonetheless, the savage creatures only wish to satisfy their appetite; the crewmen only wish to satisfy their hunger even if it means disobeying their leader and their ethics; and the suitors wish to satisfy their already stuffed stomachs (as if exploiting the King’s palace was not enough). At sea, the cost of provisions and lodgings came with grave costs. Likewise, the suitors paid for their meals and unforgivable treachery with their own lives as well. Food, which is always placed at a higher precedence over all other matters in hospitality, has also been the cause of downfall by many of the characters in this tale.
Works Cited
Homer, The Odyssey. Tr. by Robert Fagles. Intro and notes by Bernard Knox. New York: Viking, 1996.
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