Odysseus_Role_of_the_Bow

Athena prompts Penelope to give Odysseus’ bow to the suitors in order to have a contest for her hand. She gets a bronze key with an ivory handle and opens the storeroom to get the bronze/gold/iron bow. How did Odysseus get the bow' A debt was due because the Messenians took 300 sheep along with the shepherds from Ithaca. Odysseus was a young man sent to Lacedaemon in order to get the debt paid. On the trip, Odysseus meets Iphitus (Eurytus’ son) AND THEY EXCHANGE GIFTS. Odyssues gives him a sword and spear and Iphitus gives Odysseus the bow. Before they can become better friends, Zeus’ son kills Iphitus. Odysseus takes the bow back to Ithaca and keeps it there. He does NOT take it to Troy because it was a memento. TWO maid servants went with Penelope to take the case that held the bow to the hall where the servants were. They carried the wicker basket that held broze and iron gear used for the contest. Contest: Penelope states that she will marry whoever can bends the bow and slips the string on its notch and shoots the arrow through 12 axes. She states she will leave the house. Eumaeus is ordered to set out the bow for the suitors. He cries as does the cowherd and Antinous scoffs at them. Antinous does relate that he remembers Odysseus was the best at this. (he never touches an arrow for the contest but touches the arrow that Odysseus shoots into his throat). Telemachus tires to string the bow three times and on the fourth try he would have gotten it but Odysseus signaled him to stop. He wants to do this to prove his strength and that he deserves his place in his father’s house but instead he says that he is too weak to defend himself against the enemy. The contest: Order is left to right the way the wine is poured. Leodes goes first (he loathed the way the suitors acted) and failed. Antinous orders Melanthius to grease the bow. Only Antinous and Eurymachus ( the strongest and ringleaders) were left in the contest. PLOT: Odyssues follows the swineherd (Eumaeus) and cowherd (Philoetius) out and asks them of their loyality. Both prayed that Zeus would bring Odysseus back, Eumaeus prayed to all the gods. Odysseus tells them he know that they are the only two servants that are loyal to him. He promises them each a wife, property, and a house built near his if the gods help him defeat the suitors. He will treat them as friends and as a brother to Telemachus. He proves who he is by showing them the wound caused by a boar. Odysseus tells them they will go in at different times to where the suitors are. Eumaeus is to make sure that Odysseus gets a chance with the bow and to tell the women to lock themselves into their rooms and not come out if they hear a struggle and Philoetius is to bar the gate and tie it with rope. Eurymachus fails at the bow and states he is more disappointed because they all fall so far short of Odysseus’ greatness. Antinous tries to put his turn off until the next day when they can do a sacrifice to the god Apollo. Odysseus addresses Eurymachus and Antinous saying he wants a try to see if his old hands can still work. They don’t want him to try because they are afraid that he might succeed so they taunt him calling him drunk and deluded. Penelope tells him to allow the guest to try. Eurymachus says they are too afraid to let the beggar try for fear that he will succeed and they will be made fools of. Telemachus steps up and orders his mother to her room and takes control of the bow contest. She went to her room where Athena brought a deep sleep on to her. The swineherd brought the bow to Odysseus, Eurycleia locked the doors, Philoetius barred the gate to the fenced courtyard and tied them with rope. Odysseus strung the bow, lifted it up, plucked the string. The color drained from the suitors and Zeus thundered. While still in the chair, Odysseus drew the bowstring and the arrow back and sent the arrow through the holes of all 12 axeheads. Telemachus joined his father’s side with a spear and sharp sword. The rest of the arrows “the suitors would taste’. Summary of the bow as cover for his plans. He was able to secure the women in a safe place, lock the exit door and gates and had his son and 2 servant there to fight the suitors. One big advantage is Odysseus had the bow in his hands and the arrows.