WORD LISTS

"The Odyssey," Vocabulary from Books 21-24

Fri Jan 20 14:35:58 EST 2017
By Ms. Bogard (OH)
An odyssey now refers to any long wandering and eventful journey. But despite including encounters with an angry god, a one-eyed monster, and a man-changing witch, the ancient Greek poet Homer was not focused on a hero going out to seek adventures, but on a man trying to reunite with his family. In his lyrical translation of the epic poem, Robert Fitzgerald brings the 8th century BC story of "The Odyssey" home to a modern audience.Here are links to our lists for the book: Books 1-7, Books 8-13, Books 14-18, Books 19-24
brazen
And now a second time Melantho’s voice rang brazen in Odysseus’ ears
wry
Dear guest, no foreign man so sympathetic ever came to my house, no guest more likeable, so wry and humble are the things you say.
impervious
Before them a great boar lay hid in undergrowth, in a green thicket proof against the wind or sun’s blaze, fine soever the needling sunlight, impervious too to any rain, so dense that cover was, heaped up with fallen leaves.
anguish
Then joy and anguish seized her heart; her eyes filled up with tears; her throat closed, and she whispered, with hand held out to touch his chin: “Oh yes! You are Odysseus!
chide
And out of the night sky Athena came to him; out of the nearby dark in body like a woman; came and stood over his head to chide him: “Why so wakeful, most forlorn of men? Here is your home, there lies your lady; and your son is here, as fine as one could wish a son to be.”
vigil
Now you, too, go to sleep. This all night vigil wearies the flesh.
loiter
You others go fetch water from the spring; no loitering; come straight back.
tether
My own feelings keep going round and round upon this tether: can I desert the boy by moving, herds and all, to another country, a new life among strangers?
reproach
as long as hope remained in you to see Odysseus, that great gifted man, again, you could not be reproached for obstinacy, tying the suitors down here
commandeer
My lords, hear me: suitors indeed, you commandeered this house to feast and drink in, day and night, my husband being long gone, long out of mind.
plunder
he, Antmoos, destined to be the first of all to savor blood from a biting arrow at his throat, a shaft drawn by the fingers of Odysseus whom he had mocked and plundered, leading on the rest, his boon companions.
prospect
Suppose this exile put his back into it and drew the great bow of Odysseus—could he then take me home to be his bride? You know he does not imagine that! No one need let that prospect weigh upon his dinner! How very, very improbable it seems.
contempt
Contempt was all you had for the gods who rule wide heaven, contempt for what men say of you hereafter.
glower
Odysseus glowered under his black brows and said: “Not for the whole treasure of your fathers, all you enjoy, lands, flocks, or any gold put up by others, would I hold my hand. There will be killing till the score is paid.
gird
Odysseus, when he saw his adversaries girded and capped and long spears in their hands shaken at him, felt his knees go slack, his heart sink, for the fight was turning grim.
superficial
Amphi'medon’s point bloodied Telemakhos’ wrist, a superficial wound, and Ktesippos’ long spear passing over Eumaios’ shield grazed his shoulder, hurtled on and fell.
scruples
I had no part in what they did: my part was visionary—reading the smoke of sacrifice. Scruples go unrewarded if I die.
throes
Think of a catch that fishermen haul in to a halfmoon bay in a fine-meshed net from the white-caps of the sea: how all are poured out on the sand, in throes for the salt sea, twitching their cold lives away in Helios’ fiery air: so lay the suitors heaped on one another.
vanquish
To glory over slain men is no piety. Destiny and the gods’ will vanquished these, and their own hardness.
venerable
They would have boarded ship that night and fled except for one man’s wisdom—venerable Nestor, proven counselor in the past.
squalor
But I might add—don’t take offense—your own appearance could be tidier. Old age yes—but why the squalor, and rags to boot?
bewail
His mother at his bier never bewailed him, nor did I, his father, nor did his admirable wife, Penelope, who should have closed her husband’s eyes in death and cried aloud upon him as he lay.
swoon
Odysseus held him swooning until he got his breath back and his spirit and spoke again
query
At this point, querying Zeus, Athena said: “O Father of us all and king of kings, enlighten me. What is your secret will?
arbiter
Both parties later swore to terms of peace set by their arbiter, Athena, daughter of Zeus who bears the stormcloud as a shield—though still she kept the form and voice of Mentor.

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