Chapterhead for Opening of Chapter One of Homer’s Odysseydetails

Chapterhead for Opening of Chapter One of Homer’s Odyssey

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“Sing to me a story of the wandering man, Muse” opens the famous poem. Well, it’s in Ancient Greek actually, and people translate the opening in many different ways.

Here we see a person standing, pointing, gazing at an older man who is seated, while others gather round with harp and goblet and rod of asclepius and even a naked woman on the left and a naked young man on the far right in this assemblage of eleven people.

The woodcut was used at the start of a chapter, to help people find the chapter openings and also to give an atmosphere; there is a border of stylized repeated leaves, in this case to give a Greek feeling to the illustration.

Responding on Mastodon, @yaz942 suggested it’s a “family portrait” of the Olympian gods. Athene (female, with helmet and spear) talking ot her father Zeus and her mother Hera. The man to our right of Athene with the serpent staff is Hermes, messenger to the gods. Next to him could be Dionysus/Bacchus, associated with wine. The male figure with the hammer could be Hephæstus, the smith. The male figure to our left froM Zeus, with helmet and spear and a sword beneath, could be Ares, god of war. The exposed female to the left of him could be Aphrodite, goddess of beauty and erotic love.

The fellow in the top left corner is probably Apollo, god of music, often associated with the lyre.

Who is the female with wings? Who is the male in the top right corner?

Use the Mastodon link to continue the conversation there, or use the Comment link here.

chapterheads, people, ancient greece, soldiers, weapons, bare feet, men, women, spears, harps, birds, homer

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