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“We did not get on much further, for in another moment we were caught by a terrific squall from the West that snapped the forestays of the mast so that it fell aft, while all the ship’s gear tumbled about at the bottom of the vessel. The mast fell upon the head of the helmsman in the ship’s stern, so that the bones of his head were crushed to pieces, and he fell overboard as though he were diving, with no more life left in him. “Then Jove let fly with his thunderbolts, and the ship went round and round, and was filled with fire and brimstone as the lightning struck it. The men all fell into the sea; they were carried about in the water round the ship, looking like so many sea-gulls, but the god presently deprived them of all chance of getting home again.”

Quote by Homer

Book:The odyssey
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Work

The odyssey

The Odyssey is an epic poem attributed to the ancient Greek poet Homer, likely composed in the 8th century BCE. It recounts the adventures of the Greek hero Odysseus as he strives to return to his homeland of Ithaca following the fall of Troy. The narrative is divided into two main threads: Odysseus's perilous travels, where he encounters mythical creatures and divine obstacles, and the situation in Ithaca, where his wife Penelope and son Telemachus fend off suitors vying for the throne. The poem explores themes of perseverance, cunning, hospitality, and the interplay between fate and human agency. It is considered a foundational work of Western literature and a sequel to Homer's Iliad. more

Author

Homer
Homer

Homer, according to limited information, was an ancient Greek poet, credited with authorship of the epic poems 'The Iliad' and 'The Odyssey'. His biography is not well-documented, with the exact dates of his birth and death unknown. His works have had a profound impact on Western literature. more

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MythologyGreekOdysseyUlyssesHomer
Book:The odyssey
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“Aeneas' mother is a star?" "No; a goddess." I said cautiously, "Venus is the power that we invoke in spring, in the garden, when things begin growing. And we call the evening star Venus." He thought it over. Perhaps having grown up in the country, among pagans like me, helped him understand my bewilderment. "So do we, he said. "But Venus also became more...With the help of the Greeks. They call her Aphrodite...There was a great poet who praised her in Latin. Delight of men and gods, he called her, dear nurturer. Under the sliding star signs she fills the ship-laden sea and the fruitful earth with her being; through her the generations are conceived and rise up to see the sun; from her the storm clouds flee; to her the earth, the skillful maker, offers flowers. The wide levels of the sea smile at her, and all the quiet sky shines and streams with light..." It was the Venus I had prayed to, it was my prayer, though I had no such words. They filled my eyes with tears and my heart with inexpressible joy.”

PoetryPrayerWorshipMythologyGodsVenus
Book:Lavinia
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MythologyFairyGodsFolkloreFairies
Book:British Fairy Origins
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