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3 - Romance

The Odyssey and the myth of Joseph (Gen. 37, 39–47); Autolykos and Jacob

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 February 2011

Bruce Louden
Affiliation:
University of Texas, El Paso
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Summary

Most of the different subgenres of myth the Odyssey employs are subordinated under the broader rubric of “the return of Odysseus.” Odysseus' return, his voyages from Troy to Ithaka, and vanquishing the suitors constitutes the organizing framework of the entire epic (much as the strife between Akhilleus and Agamemnon provides the larger framework within which the Iliad incorporates other different types of myth), from Book 1 to Book 24. Even theoxeny, in this respect, is subordinated under “the return of Odysseus” because the destruction of the suitors is presented as necessary to the hero regaining control of his home. The Odyssey has a specific term for a hero's return from Troy, nostos. But the Odyssey does not use nostos to denote a type of myth, but merely to designate the act of a return. The Odyssey uses nostos not only of Odysseus' return, but also those of Nestor, Agamemnon, and Aias, narratives that employ radically different motifs, and which are, in fact, different genres of myth than that which the Odyssey uses for Odysseus' return. The other nostoi do not help construct a context for interpreting Odysseus' return, except by serving as foils (Menelaus' nostos is a partial exception, containing several motifs in common with Odysseus' own return). Instead, the Odyssey figures Odysseus' nostos within the well-defined conventions of another kind of traditional narrative, romance.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

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  • Romance
  • Bruce Louden, University of Texas, El Paso
  • Book: Homer's <I>Odyssey</I> and the Near East
  • Online publication: 04 February 2011
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511779794.004
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  • Romance
  • Bruce Louden, University of Texas, El Paso
  • Book: Homer's <I>Odyssey</I> and the Near East
  • Online publication: 04 February 2011
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511779794.004
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Romance
  • Bruce Louden, University of Texas, El Paso
  • Book: Homer's <I>Odyssey</I> and the Near East
  • Online publication: 04 February 2011
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511779794.004
Available formats
×