The “Odyssey”, written by Homer, is considered one of the greatest literature works of all time. It was supposedly written in an era that has been dubbed by historians as the “Golden Age of Ancient Greece.” During this time period, Greece wasn’t so much a unified nation, but a conglomerate of independent city-states, each known in greek as a Polis. One of the largest and greatest city-states in Greece was Athens, a city which politically and philosophically espoused beliefs that were hundreds of years before its time. It was the first society to ever implement a democracy as its rule of law, although only white land owners could vote, it separated itself from the severe autocratic rule of other city-states and empires of centuries past. Though, while forward in its thinking in regard of its rule of law, it still regarded women as the rest of the world had, as property, suitable only for marriage and bearing children.
While reading Homer’s “Odyssey,” it’s critical to be mindful of the thoughts the society had regarding women in Ancient Greece. For the most part, the story stayed true to the society’s many stereotypes of women. Beginning the story, detailing the suitors many attempts for the hand of Odysseus’ wife, Penelope. The suitors crowded the walls of her home in attempt for her hand, though gave no notice to the fact that she didn’t particularly want a husband, only managing to keep them at bay by saying she was knitting a burial shroud. Unlike today’s Western Society, a female was seen as being incomplete without a husband and Homer played right into the misconception.
Although Homer did deviate from the standard position with an impassioned plea to the Gods from Calypso, a women trapped on Ogygia for eternity. Here, Homer gave a voice, albeit a small one, for women everywhere. Stating, “They are unhappy if goddesses make mortal men their partners and take them to bed for sex.” Calypso, in an entirely uncharacteristic move for a women, berated the God’s hypocrisy for becoming unhappy when a Goddess takes a mortal man but taking as many mortal women as they’d like. While she did however send Odysseus on his way and listen to Zeus, Calypso’s outburst can be seen as Homer highlighting the many injustices women must endure and he might even be the first feminist. I’m sure he’d be happy to know a lot has changed since the Golden Age of Ancient Greece.
I found your suggestion that Homer uses Calypso to express his ideas on the state of Ancient Greece to be particularly interesting. Perhaps that thought is also validated by the thought that the move was uncharacteristic of women at the time. Nevertheless, Homer continues to tell the story of Odysseus, rather than furthering the conflict that emerged between Calypso and Zeus. This decision also highlights the fact that women may have been undermined by Ancient Greek democracy. Overall, the interaction between Calypso and Zeus highlights a very important aspect of Ancient Greek society – the role of women.