Episode 321: The Journey Begins (Plus Blind Ranking Philosophers)

What It Covers

Very Bad Wizards launches a twelve-part series on Homer's Odyssey using Emily Wilson's translation, beginning with Books 1-2 covering Telemachus's coming-of-age story and the suitors infesting Odysseus's household on Ithaca.

Key Questions Answered

• •Translation Choice: Emily Wilson's Odyssey translation uses iambic pentameter and matches the original Greek line count exactly, creating accessible plain English that reflects how ancient Greeks heard it—conversational rather than artificially archaic like older translations that add unnecessary poetic flourishes.
• •Xenia Hospitality Code: Greek xenia requires hosts to offer food and shelter before asking guests their identity, creating sacred bonds between families across generations. Zeus himself enforces these codes, making violations like Paris stealing Helen from Menelaus both personal betrayal and cosmic offense.
• •Telemachus's Arrested Development: At twenty years old, Telemachus lacks combat training and male role models, trapped in liminal space between childhood and adulthood. His inconsistency—sometimes assertive, sometimes crying—reflects genuine struggle of fatherless youth attempting leadership without preparation or guidance from mentors.
• •Penelope's Weaving Strategy: Penelope delays choosing a suitor by weaving Laertes's funeral shroud daily then unweaving nightly for three years until a slave exposes her. This stalling tactic keeps Ithaca in suspended animation, preventing both closure and progress while maintaining hope for Odysseus's return.
• •Suitor Dynamics: One hundred seven suitors from multiple islands consume Odysseus's wealth for four years, violating hospitality codes while Ithacans passively watch. Their overconfidence stems from betting Odysseus died, risking their lives for potential kingship rather than simple malice—a calculated gamble against justice.