Life Lessons from Homer's Odyssey: Part Two

Welcome back to It's a Classical Life. If you popped by last week then you know that this week I am sharing Part Two of Life Lessons from Homer's Odyssey. You can read Part One here if you missed it. Dear Paula at Vince Review sent me a message saying she appreciated the homey tips I included. Funny, when I wrote the article I considered them life lessons, but I suppose they did relate a lot to homemaking as well! I guess in my mind, life and home go hand in hand. If one area isn't working, then it's likely that the other area won't be either. Anyway, let's move on to the next 8 lessons from Homer's The Odyssey. 

 9. Be self-sufficient

"...in the ancient world, the survival of any household depends on its ability to feed itself. Anyone who threatens the economic self-sufficiency of a family is, in the long term, threatening its very survival." (Introduction; Peter Jones). 

This quote is still so pertinent today! We can even replace "household" with "country" these days. If we've learnt anything from the last few years it is how important it is to be prepared for the unexpected. Food is a basic requirement in all of our lives. If we are able to be prepared so that we can still feed our family, then we know our survival is in good hands. I've written quite a few articles on being prepared; if you're interested you can find them here. In the Odyssey, being self-sufficient didn't just rely on having a stocked pantry (although that was certainly one aspect of it). It meant having a working garden, including animals that provided milk, cheese and protein. It also referred to the skills that people knew - being able to work the loom, knit, garden, cook, fight, hunt and more were all a big part of self-sufficiency. Nowadays, self-sufficiency looks different to everyone. I believe it to be an important life lesson, and work in a number of ways for our household to be self-sufficient; including garden, livestock (for us that means egg-laying chickens), skills that both my husband and I enjoy learning, and encouraging the children to participate in all of these things. We are by no-means "self-sufficient" but we're in it for the long haul and look forward to adding to what we already have and know. 

10. Be prepared for a long journey

As the world opens up again, people are travelling and moving about once more. If you are a camper, an overseas traveller or a grey nomad, then it's important that you are prepared for the journey ahead. Each time that Odysseus set off an another leg of his journey, he prepared himself - often through the kindness of strangers. This included food, water, wine (naturally), means of transport and even weapons for defense. If you are a regular traveller, please share some useful tips on how you like to be prepared for your own journeys. 

11. If you feel something is a message from "the gods" it's probably worth listening to

Whether we believe in divine prophecy or not, isn't really the point here. Sometimes we get a feeling that "someone" is telling us to do something, or warning us against something. Perhaps it is divine intervention, or perhaps it is an innate intuition that warrants listening to. We have become a bit detached from listening to our instincts in our contemporary world, but it is definitely a skill worth revisiting. Knowing when you innately feel comfortable or uncomfortable in a situation is priceless. It is also a worthwhile skill worth teaching to our children and young people. Taking time to reflect on these feelings and why we are having them also brings us more clarity about our emotions, who we are, and the things that are important to us. 

12.Good oratory skills are important

In Part One, I mentioned standing up for bullies and using words when others are unable to, and I think this is worth expanding on here. Using the right words at the right time, speaking with thought and temperance (not just shouting in anger) is very effective in bringing people round to your way of thinking. Additionally, knowing when to talk and when to hold your tongue is, perhaps, something that is missing in our modern, opinionated world. I think the true power of an orator is knowing how to use works appropriately and at the right time, and when to be silent. It is so helpful in many areas of our life - work, relationships, family and even when we're using social media!

13. Live simply and show restraint (sophrosyne) 

Are you surprised that I included this one in my list?? Sophrosyne is a Greek word and is an ideal of excellence of character and soundness of mind. For the Greeks, this excellence went hand in hand with the ability to show restraint and prudence in all areas of life. Odysseus often mentions what is the most "prudent" or "sensible" course of action to take, which indicates a level of deep thought before action and an appreciation of good sense. In fact, the adjective 'sensible' (in English translations at least) seems to crop up fairly regularly as a compliment and form of respect. Other ancient philosophers and writers also talk of restraint of the appetites (Marcus Aurelius) and nothing in excess (Hesiod). 

"Living a good and simple life can only lead to health and happiness," seems to be a general theme throughout The Odyssey and definitely one that I hope to express here on the blog. And a simple life does not necessarily exclude luxury; look at the following quote made by the Phaeacians. Simple but luxurious! 

14. Don't give up on friends in need

Relationships of all kinds are embedded in The Odyssey. Between a husband and a wife. Between parents and children. Between guests and their hosts. Friendship too plays an integral part, and many times both Telemachus and Odysseus rely on their friends to help them. They, in turn, refuse to give up on friends that need them. Suffering the guilt of losing so many men on their journey home from the Trojan War, Odysseus continues to support the men he has left and refuses to leave even one behind. We talked about bullying and how important it is to stand up to them, but there is more to being a good friend. Sometimes our friends can be tiring or taxing. It is not our job (or our business) to "save" them, but by being as supportive as we can will go a long way to help them get back on their feet. 

15. Sometimes it helps to just have a good cry

Odysseus is not afraid to stop and have a good cry when things are going badly. It doesn't necessarily help him, but he seems to feel better for it. There were times where he grieved for the people he lost, and other times for the life that he wasn't living. Penelope, too, is known to cry in her grief and anger and even her maids cry along with her! However, the point is, they all move on after they've had a good cry and come up with a manageable plan to get things back on track again. There is nothing wrong with crying and letting our emotions out - it can be really therapeutic! But it's always best to follow this up with an action or plan that will help us move on and avoid becoming maudlin. 

16. Don't hide our history - bad things have happened but we must continue to talk about them and learn from them

There are issues in The Odyssey that do not necessarily fit in with our views and beliefs today. Slavery, patriarchy, war and extreme violence as a form of retribution are just some of them. However, when we read classics in the context from which they are written, there are powerful lessons to be learned. As humans we have the ability to look back at our past - the good and the bad - to be frank and honest about  what has happened and to vow to do better in the future. When we try to sugarcoat the past, or worse, banish it from the history books altogether, then we are doing ourselves no favours. We are intelligent creatures, and our ability to discern, evaluate, and look critically at events in the past should be a benefit to us not a hindrance. This can often times be painful, shameful or even traumatic, but how do we expect to move forward as a society if these issues aren't addressed? Reading a book like The Odyssey brings these questions back into discussion, and this can only be a good thing in the long run. 

If you are wary or nervous embarking on such an epic classic as The Odyssey, then here are a couple of tips to get you started. Break the book up into chunks. Start with the first four and then have a breather. These set the scene and Odysseus doesn't appear until Book 5. Intersperse your reading with an audio version (I found this really helpful when I read The Iliad). Librivox is a free program and I really enjoy using it. You can listen to it online or access it through the Podcasts app on your phone. Listen to other Podcasts that discuss the issues throughout the epic. I appreciate the discussions raised in BBC4's In Our Time Podcast, found here. 

I hope you've enjoyed a little dip into Homer's world and that you found some inspiration, hidden amongst this favourite classic.