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What happens in Books 17 & 18 of The Odyssey?
In Book 17, Telemachus returns to the palace where he tells Penelope what he learned about Odysseus. Meanwhile, in Book 18, Odysseus and Eumaeus are goaded by Penelope’s suitors. Athena assists Odysseus and Penelope by granting Odysseus strength and Penelope extra beauty, as well as planting the idea in Penelope’s mind to have the suitors shower her with gifts. Odysseus gets into a fight with Eurymachus that almost breaks out into a riot before Telemachus stops it.
Read our Summary & Analysis of Book 17 & 18 of The Odyssey. (3-minute read)
What key characters are developed in Books 17 & 18 of The Odyssey?
Antinous, though this is not the first time he has been introduced, proves himself to be particularly loathsome in Book 17. Even the other suitors are uneasy about the abuse he levels at the beggar, who is really Odysseus in disguise.
Read our Character List descriptions for The Odyssey. (4-minute read)
What famous quotes from The Odyssey appear in Books 17 & 18?
In this famous scene from Book 17, Argos recognizes his master despite the fact that Odysseus is in disguise and hasn’t been home for twenty long years:
But the moment he sensed Odysseus standing by
he thumped his tail, nuzzling low, and his ears dropped,
though he had no strength to drag himself an inch
toward his master.
Read the complete quote from Chapter 17 and a full explanation of it. (2-minute read)
In Book 18, Odysseus says the following lines to the suitor Amphinomus, describing his loss of fortune in life. Though it’s a cover story to help him maintain his disguise, it contains pieces of truth as well:
Of all that breathes and crawls across the earth,
our mother earth breeds nothing feebler than a man.
So long as the gods grant him power, spring in his knees,
he thinks he will never suffer affliction down the years.
But then, when the happy gods bring on the long hard times,
bear them he must, against his will, and steel his heart.
Our lives, our mood and mind as we pass across the earth,
turn as the days turn . . .
Read the complete quote from Chapter 18 and a full explanation of it. (2-minute read)
What key themes from The Odyssey are developed in Books 17 & 18?
This section develops the idea of Divine Justice, one of the text’s key themes, being inevitable; even Amphinomus, who is by all accounts a decent man, will die.
