This is me wondering if anybody else just watches these for pleasure and not to get out of reading for a class.......

Took ten years to complete a trip that should've taken two weeks. Still 4x more efficient than the Hebrews.

I'd just like to point out that Odysseus' sleeping around was necessary for his survival. If a powerful goddess like Circe or Calypso wants to have sex with you, you don't have much choice. If you reject them, it could spell doom for you, or your loved ones. Horny gods punishing mortals for denying them sex is a recurring theme throughout Classical Mythology.

The Odyssey is Homer un-writing the Iliad. When Odysseus raids, cheats, and behaves generally like a Iliadic hero he is at his weakest (and at the beginning of his odyssey). By the end he refuses to cheat on his wife with the incredible fantastic Nausica, he shows almost inhuman patience and self-control in the face of the suitors' abuse, and he choses nostos over kleos, the choice Achilles couldn't stand to make. What's more, Achilles himself discredits the entire premise of the Iliad when Odysseus sees him down in the land of the dead, by saying that "it is better to be the lowest slave than king among all the unnumbered dead." And he doesn't "lie to everyone he knows." His Cretan narratives are really important, non-violent defenses against a situation similar to Agamemnon and Clytemnestra.

THE LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA *cries for six years*

The Odd At Sea.

*Odysseus blinds cyclops "Noman is hurting me, noman is hurting me" a BLINDINGLY good pun

>Odysseus is literally made Calypso's stud >Forced to have hot divine sex every day for seven years >Calypso asking him every day to live as an immortal with her >Odysseus STILL wants to go back to Ithaca and Penelope >He goes to the water and cries every day looking out towards Ithaca Odysseus' devotion to his wife and people is superhuman, that's why he's the hero. some nice piece of information I found on the web

" noman is hurting me!" "noman is killing me" lmao that part was hilarious

So even Odysseus, who is wise enough to be praised by Athena for his wisdom, loses himself in war. Does that say something about our attraction to war?

One time in like fourth grade my teachers were reading the Odyssey aloud while the class illustrated it, and right before the slaying of the suitors, the teacher, Daniel, Looks at the class and says, "Ok kids, sharpen up your red pencils."

Some fun Odyssey notes: Circe doesn't give directions to Ithica after Helios' island, implying that she's well aware of how the journey will go. Odysseus has been gone for 20 years, and beyond that his wife has remained totally faithful before the advances of somewhere around 100 men over the last 3, but he still decides to observe and judge her in disguise. The only reason he doesn't immediately reveal himself to his son is because he's worried about word getting back to Penelope. The people that finally deliver Odysseus to his homeland are turned to stone by Poseidon for their troubles, and the only thing that stops him from wiping out their city entirely is Zeus going "c'mon, man, tone it down a bit."

Oh the burning of the Library of Alexandria, how many volumes of man have been forever lost! It still makes me sad whenever I am reminded of it

Please don't ever stop making literature videos, because we don't have English literature in high school in where I live and I want to study it so bad, even if my English is really not good

10 years!!! And it’s still amazing

"can't enjoy a book unless you know about the author". i disagree. ender's game is much better when you know nothing about orson scott card.

For an interesting read, some people may want to check out The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood. It's a novel that was later turned into a play and tells the story of Penelope in Ithaca while Odysseus was gone. It's an interesting contemporary view of a classical text.

"I hate you, best wishes, John Green" *mind explodes*

I wonder if Captain Jack Sparrow was inspired by Odysseus

Nice video, but... I dont understand why you see everything with modern logic. This epos was written almost 2800 years ago. They had other morals, habits, traditions. You pay attention to all the murders, misogynism etc when there are tons of other amazing points in the story. To the people who watched the video, i recommend reading both the Iliad and Oddysey. They are both unique and amazing, theres nothing else similar to them. P.S. The Trojan Horse is NOT in the Iliad! Its in Aeneid, an epic poem by Virgilius.

It is what Odyessis get for using Applemaps.

A side note on the open letter: there's actually a theory about this among sociologists that says property was the initial reason for this double standard. In order for a man to pass down his property rights, he had to know who his child was. He couldn't do this if he couldn't guarantee he was the only person sleeping with the woman who claimed to be carrying his child. This wasn't a problem for women, because they gave birth, so they would know which children were theirs. It doesn't make things right, but it's a theory about why men needed to control women's sex lives.

I totally disagree with the idea of the Odyssey being sexist (for its time. Don't get me wrong, if it was written today I would consider it to be a misogynistic horror). It's not saying that women should be feared: it's saying that women have power. And that's pretty remarkable for the time of its creation. Sure, a lot of villains are female, but so are a lot of heroes. A lot of the people who are smart, cunning, and powerful (that is to say, like Odysseus) are female. Athena, for crying out loud (who obviously was already created, but her inclusion in the story speaks for itself)! And the women in the story know it. The double standard doesn't go unnoticed by women; Calypso thinks it's completely unfair. No doubt, the double standard existed in Greek society as it still exists today, but if Homer had agreed with it, he wouldn't allow women to fight against it. And Odysseus' attitude towards women isn't half bad (again, for his time). When Calypso is forced to release him, she asks why he doesn't want to stay. After all, she's much prettier than Penelope. Odysseus replies that he doesn't care about how pretty she is, Penelope in his wife, and he loves her immensely. He's saying that a woman's value doesn't come from her sex appeal. I'm reading The Odyssey for school, and I was honestly shocked at how much the author respects women, and how he shows that women have the ability to be as great as Odysseus, and I was equally shocked when I saw how much you disagreed,

"You can tell I'm an English teacher because I'm wearing a sweater, but you can tell I'm an English teacher who wants to be your friend because I'm wearing awesome sneakers." It's hilarious to me because that is actually my thought process when I talk to my teachers. I'm like, "Hey, I don't know if you're just putting on that friendly face as an act for the class or - oh! You're wearing converse. You must be legit."

"It's a blindingly good pun"... I see what you did there... OH CRAP, I just made a pun! D:

"blindingly good pun" so good

Odysseus was a man of his time. Polygamy and/or concubinage was accepted then. Remember that Abraham, Jacob, David and Solomon had multiple wives. Even Ramses II had more than 100 wives and mistresses. It was more of a man's world then than now. As for the slaughter of the suitors, remember that they ate his food, drank his wine, and trashed his house. They also plotted to kill Telemachus in a sea ambush on his return journey. What was he supposed to do? Say: "I'm back. You can go home now"? If they would plot to kill his son they would have had no problem killing him where he stood. The families of the suitors were egged on and led by Eupiethes, the father of the suitor Antinous. He allowed his son to make those depredations in Odysseus' palace and apparently forgot that many years before Odysseus protected him from vengeful victims of a piratical raid he committed on a neighboring island under Odysseus' rule. He is killed by Laertes, Odysseus' father.

For people who want to read the whole thing themselves, I cannot recommend Emily Wilson's translation enough! It is very true to the text in that it is an epic poem with a consistent rhythm and the same number of lines as the original, and takes a fresh look at the actual meaning of the original words as opposed to layers of clichees that have accumulated through centuries of translations. It's very modern in that it uses everyday English that we can understand, just like the original used contemporary Greek that was easy enough to be passed on orally. It really captures the variety of styles and moods and characters so well! My favorite part of it might be Telemachus to the suitors: “Stop eating all my food!“ [breaks down crying], just because it shows so well how he is really a scared and angry teenager, nervous about speaking up in public and anxious to defend some notion of honor that his father never got to explain because he wasn't around. I found the idea of reading the entire Odyssee daunting, but this translation made it easy, enjoyable and very rewarding. And it includes an introduction and excellent translator's note as well.

I've only seen CC World History and two Literature 1 episodes until now, and I can notice a _huge_ difference in his talking speed.

I actually stidy the Odyssey in school, so I was super happy when I saw that it was the first subject in the new crash course literature. You can also see the Odyssey as a story about moderation. The suitors were extreme when they pushed their hosts hospitality (bound by the rules of Xenia - Hospitality) but Telemachus was the opposite, refusing a gift from Nestor. Odysseus was very unfaithful while was his wife was etc. I'm glad to see a classic like this being discussed, especially since I'm informed enough to join in ;)

"It's a blindingly good pun" You cheeky cheeky man.

I like CrashCourse but you're simplifying the Odyssey way too much in this video.

I don't understand why people are complaining. This is CRASHCOURSE, of course a couple of minutes is not enough to cover all the themes to discuss. And John is entitled to his opinion on patriarchy. All the objections to it just go to show how entrenched this idea is.

"I HATE YOU. ... Best wishes." May or may not have giggled a lot.

I’m just gonna leave my Epic the Musical comment here now… 👀

The Illiad and the Odyssey are some of my favorites classical literature, and some of my favorite mythologies. Thanks for doing a video on this.

You did it again, John. Made a video about just what I needed the day before the test I had it on.

Best Open Letter ever!! Preach it, John!

9:00 Actually, he would have worn a chiton, which is like a toga, but different. Togas were worn by the Romans, not the Greeks.

our class is currently reading the graphic novel version, and me and this other kid are keeping a piece of paper counting how many people Odysseus has killed

50% of the comments on this video are telling me the patriarchy is over and the other 50% of the comments are telling me I'm some kind of busted door lock because I enjoy the completely natural biological function of sex, while men who enjoy sex get to strut around stroking their magical master keys or whatever. When really, 100% of people should be holding hands and weeping about Odysseus's dog waiting faithfully for 20+ years and dying when he sees his master has returned. omg I love heartbreaking dog stories more than I love the natural biological function of sex which is really saying something. Remember that part in Homeward Bound where you think the golden retriever died but then he finally appears limping home to greet the oldest kid in the family????? tears.

Book tip : Inge Merkel, _Odysseus and Penelope: An Ordinary Marriage_. Tells the story from Penelope's point of view.

I always loved the Odyssey; both in High School English and the movie. To me it was one of the ultimate journey epics. Like LotR, it's just a very very long journey with a penultimate goal of returning home, but with fun little adventures and trials along the way.

Just a retiring IT guy chasing a reference on a news/politics program, thanks for catching me up. Skillfully explained! Host and the team are great!

you may critique his reading of the odyssey, but one thing john green definitely got right was that sweater.

I never really understood much of the Odyssey until today. It makes a lot more sense now. Thank you, John! :D

last day of finals tomorrow, your videos have helped me so much throughout this school year, not even just English but with hon biology & AP history too. Thank you!

John's wardrobe is on point today, the dark forest green looks good on him

After this, you should do Crash Course; Shakespeare. Each episode dedicated to each of his 36 plays!

I just want to say that I wholeheartedly approve of this episode's "Open Letter."

7:32 because a key that unlocks many locks is a magical key, but a lock that is opened by many keys is a bad lock

Crash Course is so helpful, we're learning about Greek Mythology and the Trojan War at school and this has taught me so much in less than 15 minutes

Socrates said it himself beautifully what a hero really is :"A man not pre-eminently virtuous and just, whose misfortune, however, is brought upon him not by vice and depravity but by some error of judgement,

Like John mentioned The Odyssey wasn't written but instead composed and sung before the aid of the alphabet. In fact those texts that were shown in the video are likely the original transcriptions of the poems which were done sometime in the sixth or seventh century BCE. This idea, that the greeks could compose literature without the written word was a controversial one when first proposed by Milman Parry, a structural linguist, in the 1930's. Parry studied the the meter and repetitive, redundant language proving that the structure of the poem was first and foremost an aid to memory the purpose of which was to ferry the strongest memes of culture across generations. (Ironically we would have lost the poem and the culture there in if it hadn't been written down... yay information technology!)

"A blindingly good pun" For the love of god, John 😂

And the sexual double standard does exist, but not in the way you describe it! In ancient greek society, sex is a political act, especially for women. Odysseus wouldn't be killing Penelope for sleeping around, just as he isn't killing the handmaidens for sleeping around. He's killing the handmaidens for sleeping with *the suitors,* who were his major political rivals. Those handmaidens also spied on his wife, and did other political sabotage. And as mentioned in my other comment, the poem does not sanction Odysseus sleeping around. It expressly condemns it. And he does *not* "almost marry" Nausica! He rejects her with fantastic diplomacy, and inverts the expectation of the bucolic maiden/stranger scene. That said, I love crashcourse. You just got this one really, really wrong.

When it comes to sleeping around, you have to think about heirs. If a man sleeps around you can be pretty sure that the one who gives birth isn't his actual wife, therefore no inheritance issues. If a woman sleeps around, well, how are you to know it's actually the man's child & heir? You could be handing your kingdom over to the son of another ruler or something. Who'd want to marry their son into a kingdom where he can't be sure if his kids are his own? It'd be a diplomatic annoyance to say the least, could ruin all sorts of alliances in a time when things often revolved around personal relationship between rulers. As for why it happens with the common folk, well, people usually try to emulate their social superiors, hence fashions and what not. Also, I don't really agree with this as a criticism of Oddyseus at all, he was sort of forced into those situations.

I stopped paying attention when they started feasting on the goat cheese..lol Good episode, John.

as someone who finds it hard to follow along with what people are saying sometimes, i really appreciate the accurate closed captions on these videos.

Being warned about being killed by your wife isn't misogyny in this case it's prudence

Crashcourse is probably the most awesome, helpful thing Green brothers participated in, just brilliant.

What I took from this video: Things were never boring in ancient Greece and Troy is a surprisingly accurate film (compared to what I would have expected). What I took from the comments: A lot of men here think that women use sex to manipulate men, by withholding sex. Everyone who used the lock and key analogy in the comments was a man even though allegedly (stated by men) women are more likely to judge other women for sleeping around. So basically some men want women to jump into bed with them straight away but they want them to not do that for other men. OR you could just respect the fact that we have free will and its not all about you.

the fact that the author of one of my fave books and movie of this year is doing this video, makes learning about a difficult school book much better :D

“I’d be an astonishingly handsome 17 year old” 😂😂😂I love him and his books

As a classics major and a feminist, I officially proclaim this video the best thing ever.

Wow that was REALLY good, John. Looking forward to this course.

This whole video isn’t a summary of the odyssey, it’s just about the “double standards” of a story from 3000 years ago

I love how at the end of the Show Troy: Fall of a City, the mother of the child he was ordered to dispose of basically curses him, which kind of foreshadows the Odyssey

Patriarchy? Are you kidding me?

Great to have this back! John doesn't really seem as excited about it as he was about history though. I loved the bit on cycles of violence. People need to calm down that he mentioned the patriarchy. Solid video.

Oh my god John Green,you just perfectly talked about The epic poem,Odyssey. Thanks for everything,it helped me a lot.

I have to say, when I first read the Odyssey, the Deus Ex Machina ending really pissed me off.

just wanna tell you how much i LOVE all your crash course videos, esp literature ones!

Mr. Green, you and your younger brother never cease to amaze me.

The Odyssey is a work of literature. It is mythology. It is not a history. It is reflection of the culture of the time and place. Odysseus was a flawed human being by our standards. I think he reflected the idea that humans are pawns of the gods.

Inlove this show im so glad it's back! Congrats on your great channel

I was hoping to hear more about the actual story (in depth, maybe divided into 2 videos). I was really hoping to learn 'Literature.' (12 min. and John almost doesn't mention Telemachus, who is the center of this part of the story, forced to grow from a boy to a man, wanting to know if his father Homer is still alive or dead, etc.) In Gatsby, John talks about the use of yellow and its meaning, the green light across the water, the glasses representing the ever-watching (albeit aloof) eyes of God. I hope the other Crash Course Literature videos cover more of these type of topics... (>_

We were reading the graphic novel version of the Odyssey in english class and I freaking loved it!

Welcome to my life where I’m doing my homework at my grandparent’s house on Sunday

New Nerdfighter expression of love: I will be true to you in my toga.

I greatly appreciated the lesson. Most importantly to me, you seemed to make the point that even a story as old as the Odyssey has bearing on today, that there is value in every story regardless of its age or origin. The only thing I would have liked to see more of was how feminine heroes play into the patriarchy. The fidelity of Penelope was one which you touched on but I'm interested in what values you seen in someone like Athena and what bearing they have on Greek women. Thanks for great KZfaq content!

"A octopus with teeth" So a octopus? You do realize they have teeth right?

Love that new opening with the desk and bookcases sliding in instead xD

Being a cyclops for myself - albeit the little green kind - I can't say I'm a big fan of this Odysseus.

hey John Green! I love your books! you should keep writing.

"Achilles didn't get to go home" - I'm not sure this is quite right. Achilles had every opportunity to go home, and that's exactly what he planned to do, as he told the embassy in book 9. He spoke of exactly that choice, of dying in battle and achieving κλέος or going home and living a long life, and he chose the latter. So, yes, he did go for glory in the end, but I don't think it's as straightforward as Achilles in the Iliad being all about κλέος, as he outright rejects going back into battle, at least until Patroclus is killed by Hector.

I watch crash course at night to help me sleep. Information overload.

"The only of the poems to survive the burning of the Library at Alexandria" Thanks a lot Christians!

I absolutely LOVED your open letter!! xD

John Green and Mike Rugnetta have made crashcourse channel mythically awesome and epic

Love your work, this series is really funny and extremely cleaver!

Tonight, I hang my head in shame after reading the comments below. John, you might need to address the open letter separately, as it seems very few seem to understand it.

"To love a book you have to know about the author" (paraphrasing) That's an interesting statement. It's an issue I've wrestled with before. If you don't like the author, are his/her books tainted? Everyone has to consider that question. To me, if the author's actions/beliefs are so against my own sense of right and wrong then the answer is yes. I can accept some disagreement, but there are limits. If someone else has a different opinion, I won't argue. It's a matter of taste.

+CrashCourse I saw what you did, in the crowd when Homer tells the story, you see "The Simpsons Homer" Nice.

loved the open letter!

Awesome Sauce! Can't wait for the Frankenstein episode!

Here is the story of ΚΙΡΚΗ (Circe), as it was meant to be read and understood. ...Odysseus takes a look at his companions. They are all men forged in violence and turmoil; barefoot, their skin covered in blisters, malnourished, crude and impatient to get back to their wives and children. All they want is to have a warm homemade meal, drink wine and feast with friends and loved ones. Above all, they miss the tender touch of a woman. A kiss, a whisper, making love. They Lust - They Hunger - For a woman's touch. They are all at their prime. Strong, battle hardened warriors. Suddenly, they spot Circe's island on the horizon. They land on the beach, and set out to find food and water, when they are suddenly confronted by Circe herself! What a sight she is! WHAT BEAUTY! She HAS to be a witch! A sorceress! As Circe approaches the sailors, the earth seems to crumble under her feet. Circe tells the men to follow her - and how could they refuse! They are overwhelmed. The song of the birds. The exotic fruits. And above all, Circe's beauty! After a while, they reach Circe's palace, where they find clean linen, fresh fish, meat, and the sweetest wine! Ultimately, everyone falls under Circe's spell. The men feast until their guts are full. Now they turn their gaze upon Circe. Circe, also a woman in lust, sees the desire of the men, and welcomes them all in her bedroom. But the men are crude, clumsy, they seek to quench their own desire rather than satisfy Circe. Circe is insatiable - a beautiful woman that hasn't experienced the touch of a man for so long...Circe is begging to experience ecstasy! Surely we can only imagine the psychological effect such a drastic change must have had upon the men. From Troy, to battling against the elements at sea. Struggling to stay alive against great odds. Now, at the halls of Circe's palace. Feasting on the finest wine and meat they have ever tasted. Their lust fulfilled by a woman they could only dream of holding in their arms. Odysseus' companions slowly sink in a hedonistic fever. They forget everything. They forget Odysseus, the journey to Ithaca, their homes and their loved ones. To put it bluntly, they only have two things on their minds: Fucking and Eating! By the Gods! They are no better than pigs! Night becomes day. Day becomes night...Odysseus finally decides to leave the ship and look for his companions. Odysseus finds Circe's palace, enters the halls, and sees his companions growl for more food and wine, crawling on Circe's feet. Odysseus is overwhelmed with anger and, at first, he thinks "I should whip, and then drag every last one of these pathetic bastard dogs from his feet, back to the ship!". But Odysseus is smarter than that. He knows that Circe has turned his men into animals; into pigs! He is greatly outnumbered, and he knows full well that there is no way to convince his men to leave this paradise and resume their journey to Ithaca. Odysseus is indeed very good at finding ways to get what he wants without resorting to violence. After all, his patron and protector is Athena, the goddess of Wisdom. So, Odysseus decides to join the feast alongside his companions. "BY THE GODS!" Odysseus screams. "What a feast!". "How dare you not invite me! How dare you keep all that wine for yourselves, you damn scoundrels!". "And Circe! So beautiful!" "WELCOME ODYSSEUS!" His companions reply! "We're glad you finally decided to join us! - EAT! DRINK!". But Odysseus has something else in mind. He approaches Circe, takes her hand, and leads her to her bedroom. Until now, Circe had only experienced the crude, selfish ways of his companions, who barely satisfied her carnal lust. Odysseus is different. He is a King. He sees and understands things his companions cannot. He sees Circe's beauty, but he also understands her intellect. There is no beauty without intellect after all. Circe is now - for the first time - seduced by a man. Odysseus is not a mere plaything like his companions were in Circe's bedroom. Odysseus knows how to seduce, how to make love, how to fuck. He knows what to say, and when. He knows what to do, and how. Circe, is defenseless. She falls in love with Odysseus, and completely surrenders to his will. Weeks pass, and Circe, now infatuated with Odysseus starts to neglect the others. Only Odysseus is now allowed in Circe's bedroom. The men, slowly regain their senses from their drunken stupor, and turn from animals (pigs) to human again. They finally turn to Odysseus and say "Our King, there is nothing for us here anymore, time to stock up on supplies and get back on our ship. We have to resume our journey. Our families and loved ones are waiting for us. We have to return to Ithaca!". To this Odysseus replies. "You are right! It was foolish of us to waste time in this island! Let us prepare everything for our journey to Ithaca!" And so Circe's spell is broken, and the journey resumes...

"And that's how Achilles rolls" 😂😂😂😂

Wonderful, thank you JG. I’ve been reading and re-reading through the Odyssey a lot lately, and just wanted to correct you on the point about Odysseus’ proud declaration of his name to the Cyclopes leading to the death of all his men. This moment actually leads to the death of none of his men. They fortunately aren’t quite propelled back onto the shore by the waves cast by the rock the Cyclopes throws in the water, chastise Odysseus his foolish pride, and get away. However, it’s true that none of his men make it to the end of the adventure alive. Incidents include: the men who are killed in battle with the Cicones, the men who are eaten by the Cyclopes, the destruction of all Odysseus’ fleet but his own ship by the Laestrygonians, the men eaten by Scylla, and finally what kills the last few men is the storm the men bring upon themselves by eating the cattle of the sun-god.

Just finished reading the odyssey in classics a few days ago.