This week we’re taking a closer look at how women and gender are depicted in some famous stories from Homer. What kinds of virtues seem to be valued in these stories? What’s your feel for the problems or advantages they experience as women in their society?

Please try to include a question in your response. I’ll try to address at least some of these questions during the class meeting.

For this week, the reading that I found most intriguing was "Agamemnon's Insult" from Iliad by Homer. Many angles from the passage caught my attention in regard to the portrayal mortal woman and Goddesses held with the male characters: Achilles and Agamemnon and with the Greek God Apollo. Initially, the passage demonstrates in detail the punishment Greeks underwent as a result to Agamemnon's decision for the kidnapping of the daughter of Chryses. The story indicates how Apollo created a fatal epidemic disease and "for nine days the missiles of the god ranged through the army". I believe Homer's intention was to indicate the consequence of an individual's immoral action.

The outcome of one's action, can cause catastrophe to rest of society. The passage also emphasizes the manner in which Agamemnon and Achilles view their hostages (women) as recompensations for warriors. The hostages are repeatedly labeled as "prizes" in the passage.

When both male characters refuse to back to down from one another, Athene steps in as a mediator, sent by the Goddess Hera, and intervenes the conflict. Athene engages with Achilles and ultimately persuades him not to kill Agamemnon and "stop [his] anger".

In this section of the passage, I can conclude that the female Goddess introduces rationality in between conflict and chaos where men act upon their ego. In such way, this can personify women goddesses with wisdom. During this setting, I also believe Homer illustrates the significance of physical beauty of a woman and how it can influence and cause men to have foolish judgement. After all, the beginning of the Trojan War was due to the abduction of the beautiful Helen, Agamemnon's sister-in-law. The beauty of women has a major association with the conflict between Agamemnon and Achilles. I can conclude that Homer is signifying the extreme length a woman's beauty can cause a decrease in a man's judgement. This conclusion justifies Pomeroy's reading where it states "women, free or slave were valued for their beauty". I would like to find out more about Athene. As a mediator, it is mentioned Athene "in her heart she loved them alike and cared for them". My question is how can she care for both for males when they are fighting over slave women? Why did Apollo only intervene when one his priest's daughter was enslaved and not intervene for the rest of the enslaved women that had no saying?

In Agamemnon's Insult, the passage that stood out most was Agamemnon’s refusal to return Chryses’ daughter, even after ransom was offered. His pride and disrespect angered Apollo, who sent a plague on the Greeks. This shows how one leader’s arrogance could bring disaster on an entire army. Homer seems to stress the dangers of pride and the importance of honoring both people and gods. Agamemnon’s insult damaged unity, while Apollo’s punishment reflected the Greek belief that divine power shaped human events. This reveals how religion and leadership were deeply connected in their society.This document also highlights how much honor and reputation mattered in ancient Greece. Leaders were expected to act with respect or face shame and consequences. It also shows the tension between personal pride and the needs of the community which is typically found amongst Greek myths. This connects to other readings that emphasize respect, loyalty, and divine influence in Greek culture. I would like to know if Homer was showing how fate and the gods ultimately dictate human life or warning leaders against arrogance?

One moment that stood out from the passage was Agamemnon's insult when he claimed to prefer Chryses daughter over his wife, Clytemnestra. This showed Agamemnon's arrogance, viewing women as only being valuable for their beauty, skill or usefulness. I believe Homer was trying to communicate that Agamemnon turned his authority into arrogance by letting his pride blind him. Instead of protecting his people, he put his own ego first which led to Apollo to bring disaster to the Greek Army. This passage shows us that ancient Greek society put a heavy emphasis on honor, status, and the gods approval. This shows us how these values can be manipulated and can reduce women's worth in particular. When compared to other passages such as the Odyssey there is a clear contrast in how women are represented. Figures such as Penelope and Nausicaa are portrayed as intelligence and loyalty, suggesting women could hold power through wisdom.

The moment that stood out to me was when Nausicaa’s maids ran away from Odysseus, but she stayed calm and showed courage, helped by Athena. I think the author wanted to highlight both the cultural value of hospitality and the role of the gods in guiding human behavior. This tells us that in ancient Greek society, respect, bravery, and proper treatment of strangers were very important. It connects to our other readings that emphasize honor and hospitality, showing how reputation was built through kindness and respect. What I would like to know more about is how unusual Nausicaa’s bravery was for women at the time—was it meant to stand out as extraordinary, or was it an ideal quality expected of women in epic stories?

The document I decided to read is named "Homer: The Artifice of Penelope". The detail that stood out to me most in this document was the part where the maid named Melantho was very inconsiderate in having an affair with one of the suitors that was supposed to be there to win Penelope over and with her insults towards Odysseus when he showed up in disguise. I think the author was trying to communicate the affect that Odysseus going to the Trojan war had on Penelope. Penelope was grieving her husband and did not want to look for another one despite the fact that people were pressuring her to find a new husband. I also believe that the author was trying to communicate the love that both Penelope and Odysseus had for one another in the sense that they both had their own battles once Odysseus was sent into battle and once they have reunited it was as if a spark never left. It also shows the loyalty Penelope had towards her husband, despite not knowing whether he was dead or alive she still stayed loyal to him and did not want any other man.

In my opinion, I believe the document is telling us that this time period was a difficult one to face; not only for the men going into the Trojan War . The men would leave their families but also their wives and families to go to war, it was very uncertain on both ends whether it's if they will return to their homes and families or win the war. Aside from the family and martial aspect of the time period it was also the way people pressure Penelope to move on which comes to show how persistent they can be and how it relates to other documents when it comes to the points of gods and how war is often handled in more than one view. What I would like to find out is, if Odysseus never came back from the war and Penelope did not want to re-marry what would happen? Would the suitors continue to try? Would they force her to remarry despite her making is clear that she does not want to?

What resonated with me most in this reading was Penelope’s clever technique of weaving by day and unweaving by night to resist the suitors and be loyal to Odysseus. I’m thinking that the author is demonstrating that while male-dominated societies were oppressive, Penelope has some cleverness and patience in order to protect herself, her household, and even her future. This is indicative of the world in which women’s ability to carry power in Homeric Greece is through ties to domesticity and reputation, but those domestic spaces are still cunning spaces. This is in line with other readings where women of antiquity are depicted as powerless in their public roles, but can manipulate their world through subtle power (acting as gatekeepers), consecrated speech, or by manipulating social norms. I would think more about how marriage customs actually worked in reality, where women were actually expected to receive gifts and to be formally proposed to, like Penelope suggests. 

The passage that interests me is the Nausicaa and the stranger. When Odysseus first meets Nausicaa, he appears flirtatious, praising her beauty. However, this may have been a strategy to gain her assistance in a new and unfamiliar place. I think the author was also trying to highlight the nature of men during that era, showing how Odysseus, despite having a wife at home, still seeks the attention of other women like Nausicaa. The text also describes how Nausicaa was being told to marry, directly or indirectly. This reflects the different ways men and women were treated at the time. For example, Nausicaa’s father tells her that her future husband will provide her with a wagon and whatever she desires, showing that women were expected to depend on men. This document supports other readings from the same period that portray men as superior to women. One part I would like to know is why Nausicaa advised Odysseus to approach her mother instead of her father.

Odysseus's contrast of Nausicaa to a growing palm tree he once saw got my attention the most since it showed his respect for her and how carefully he chose his words for her trust. Even from someone who is needy and in need, I believe the author was trying to convey the importance of caring and respect. According to this passage, people in that era and location believed that strangers and travelers were protected by the gods, and therefore it was their responsibility to help them. The fact that Nausicaa was concerned about rumors if she had been seen with Odysseus also shows the value of honor and reputation in the community.The way women like Nausicaa balanced their own desires with the standards of society is something I'd like to know more about.

To begin with, one detail that really stood out to me was when I read that even in ancient times some people were not sure if the Greeks really won the Trojan War or if it even happened the way the stories say. I always thought the Greeks just believed the story without question, so this was surprising. It showed me that even long ago people wondered if these legends were true or not.

On the other hand, I think the author was trying to show that the story of the Trojan War wasn’t just one simple version. There were lots of different poems, plays, and artworks that told it in different ways. The author wanted to communicate that the Trojan War was more like a tradition that kept changing depending on who was telling it. This tells us that during the time these stories were popular, people cared a lot about heroes, the gods, and lessons about honor and power. But it also tells us they were starting to think more critically, asking questions about whether the events were real or just myths. The stories were important for identity and culture, but not everyone believed them exactly as told.

Also, this connects to other readings because Homer, in the Iliad and the Odyssey, only tells parts of the war, not the whole thing. Later authors and even artists filled in the missing pieces or added new ideas. Sometimes they supported Homer’s version, but other times they contradicted it by showing different scenes. That makes me think the Trojan War was always flexible, like a story people could adapt to their own needs. Something I would like to learn more about is how these stories changed when the Romans used them, especially in the Aeneid. I also want to know more about how art, like vase paintings, showed parts of the war that Homer didn’t write down. And I think it would be cool to learn more about the archaeology of Troy and how much of the story might have really happened.

The moment of Agamemnon's angry avowal of his preference for Chryses' daughter over his wife, Clytemnestra, is notably powerful. He states that she is superior in form, stature, mind, and handiwork, thus indicating the importance attached to physical and personal qualities of women during that era. This proclamation signifies the objectification of women and the competitive nature of masculine honor in Greek society. Homer illustrates the complex working of personal will, personal honor, and divine will. Agamemnon refuses to return Chryses' daughter, although the priest comes with a ransom. This brings wrath from Apollo, which takes the form of a plague on the Greeks. This sequence points to hubris and the imminent belief in the interference of God in the affairs of men. We treat the text as a society where personal honor is of utmost importance and the shower with divine favor. The attitude towards women, as evident from Agamemnon's behavior, is judged according to the beauty and utility they could serve. Added to that is the narrative in which the Greeks lived in a strongly believed conviction in the interest of the gods in the earthly events, thus reflecting the specific theocentric perspective dominant within ancient Greek culture. The text signifies one societal value that conceives presence of personal honor and divine favor in the highest beliefs. Viewing women, through Agamemnon's very actions, gives indications of their treatment in terms of the perceived value in beauty and usefulness. All this is additionally coupled by the text in which the deep conviction of Greeks with regard to the gods' intervention in worldly events actually reflects somewhat a theocentric perspective characteristic of the ancient Greek culture. The Iliad remains as a cultural object that will teach us about the values, socio-political structures, and the religious beliefs of ancient Greece. It can speak to us of the status of women, the honor of manhood, and the arbitrary whims of the divine, all of which appeared to be the operating norms for that society. The above themes inspire reflections about the historical transformation of gender roles and the lasting influence of mythology on contemporary cultural narratives.

The part that really caught my attention was when Nausicaa sees Odysseus for the first time.

He is shipwrecked, dirty and looks dangerous and everyone else runs away but she stands her ground and helps him. I liked this moment because she is young and still shows calm and strength when everyone else panics.

I think the author wanted to show that real courage can be quiet. Nausicaa does not fight or shout but she makes a brave choice to show kindness. It shows that in their culture, helping strangers was a sign of real character and honor.

This tells me that in that time and place, people believed kindness could build respect and trust. It makes me think about how different this is from Agamemnon in the Iliad who breaks respect by taking Briseis from Achilles. When respect is lost things fall apart.

It makes me wonder if women like Nausicaa had more influence in these stories than people usually think.

Did they help shape what kind of person a hero became?