Trust and Distrust in Odyssey 10.1-79
As Odysseus strives to complete and fulfill his homecoming throughout the Odyssey, he must continually face the question of which of his skills and strengths from war may be applied to the adventures and domestic affairs which he encounters. In Odyssey 10.1-79, when Odysseus and his crew encounter Aeolus, their homecoming is compromised largely by Odysseus’ miscalculation in deciding to rely on concealment of information from his allies and human effort, rather than trust and dependence on the gods. This miscalculation is emphasized by the character of Aeolus, who chooses to prioritize honesty and harmony.
The placement of this adventure within the Odyssey is significant for understanding its events. At …show more content…
Aeolus is “dear to the immortal gods” (10.2), and in contrast to the Aeolus of the Aeneid, the Aeolus of the Odyssey is not a “‘king’ of the winds but rather their ‘steward,’ ταμίην ἀνέμων (21), given that responsibility by Zeus” (Phillips 19). He is free “ἠμὲν παυέμεναι ἠδ᾽ ὀρνύμεν, ὅν κ᾽ ἐθέλῃσι” (both to stop and to stir up whichever [wind] he wished) (22). Although no restrictions on this authority are listed, Aeolus clearly has no desire to use his power against the will of the gods. As Jenny Strauss Clay points out, “[b]oth the Phaeacians and Aeolus are ‘dear to the gods’…and at the end of his stay, Odysseus receives a pompe from Aeolus as he does from Alcinoos” (289). Unlike the Phaeacians, however, when Aeolus finally recognizes that the gods are working against Odysseus, he refuses to give further help, and so avoids the kind of punishment that the Phaeacians receive when their ships are turned to stone. Aeolus’ initial hospitality is based upon the assumption that Odysseus is acting within the will of the gods, and his rejection when Odysseus returns is based upon his realization that Odysseus is really at enmity with the …show more content…
Odysseus hides instead of revealing crucial information to Aeolus, and he only succeeds in delaying Aeolus’ rejection when this information inevitably comes out. Rather than trusting his crew with the ship and knowledge of the bag’s contents, he exhausts himself with his own leadership and rouses disastrous suspicion against himself. Instead of dealing with the effects of his offense against the gods, he ignores and tries in vain to counter them through human effort. In contrast, Aeolus exemplifies someone who is in harmony with the gods, his family, and his guests, and he is honest about the nature and priorities of these relationships. This balance of trust and distrust continues to be a struggle for Odysseus as he continues on his adventures, at times trusting those who he should distrust, at other times continuing to distrust those who he needs the
As Odysseus strives to complete and fulfill his homecoming throughout the Odyssey, he must continually face the question of which of his skills and strengths from war may be applied to the adventures and domestic affairs which he encounters. In Odyssey 10.1-79, when Odysseus and his crew encounter Aeolus, their homecoming is compromised largely by Odysseus’ miscalculation in deciding to rely on concealment of information from his allies and human effort, rather than trust and dependence on the gods. This miscalculation is emphasized by the character of Aeolus, who chooses to prioritize honesty and harmony.
The placement of this adventure within the Odyssey is significant for understanding its events. At …show more content…
Aeolus is “dear to the immortal gods” (10.2), and in contrast to the Aeolus of the Aeneid, the Aeolus of the Odyssey is not a “‘king’ of the winds but rather their ‘steward,’ ταμίην ἀνέμων (21), given that responsibility by Zeus” (Phillips 19). He is free “ἠμὲν παυέμεναι ἠδ᾽ ὀρνύμεν, ὅν κ᾽ ἐθέλῃσι” (both to stop and to stir up whichever [wind] he wished) (22). Although no restrictions on this authority are listed, Aeolus clearly has no desire to use his power against the will of the gods. As Jenny Strauss Clay points out, “[b]oth the Phaeacians and Aeolus are ‘dear to the gods’…and at the end of his stay, Odysseus receives a pompe from Aeolus as he does from Alcinoos” (289). Unlike the Phaeacians, however, when Aeolus finally recognizes that the gods are working against Odysseus, he refuses to give further help, and so avoids the kind of punishment that the Phaeacians receive when their ships are turned to stone. Aeolus’ initial hospitality is based upon the assumption that Odysseus is acting within the will of the gods, and his rejection when Odysseus returns is based upon his realization that Odysseus is really at enmity with the …show more content…
Odysseus hides instead of revealing crucial information to Aeolus, and he only succeeds in delaying Aeolus’ rejection when this information inevitably comes out. Rather than trusting his crew with the ship and knowledge of the bag’s contents, he exhausts himself with his own leadership and rouses disastrous suspicion against himself. Instead of dealing with the effects of his offense against the gods, he ignores and tries in vain to counter them through human effort. In contrast, Aeolus exemplifies someone who is in harmony with the gods, his family, and his guests, and he is honest about the nature and priorities of these relationships. This balance of trust and distrust continues to be a struggle for Odysseus as he continues on his adventures, at times trusting those who he should distrust, at other times continuing to distrust those who he needs the