The Odyssey Books 17-19 with Dr. Frank Grabowski
About this episode
Deacon Harrison Garlick and Dr. Frank Grabowski discuss Books 17-19 of Homer's Odyssey, focusing on themes of loyalty, justice, and the nature of heroism as Odysseus returns to Ithaca.
Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick and Dr. Frank Grabowski dive into Books 17–19 of Homer’s Odyssey, where the disguised king returns to Ithaca as a beggar. Check out our WRITTEN Q&A GUIDE TO THE ODYSSEY . Check out Dr. Grabowski's new Substack: The Porch and the Altar . The conversation explores iconic moments like Odysseus’s heartbreaking reunion with his loyal dog Argos, the tense first dialogue with Penelope that raises fascinating questions about what she truly knows or suspects, and the escalating violations of xenia by the suitors. Listeners will appreciate the rich analysis of loyalty as the ultimate standard, Odysseus’s hard-won maturation in temperance and piety, and striking contrasts between faithful servants like Eumaeus and disloyal figures like Melanthius. Homer emerges here as both poet and philosopher, using these scenes to probe justice, the nature of heroism, the city at peace, and the interplay of fate and human choice. With Athena guiding events and the tension building toward the suitors’ doom, Deacon and Dr. Grabowski illuminate how Odysseus’ trials have prepared him not just for revenge, but for restoring order. Whether…
More episodes of Ascend - The Great Books Podcast
- NEW BOOK: The American Odyssey with Dr. Patrick Deneen
- The Odyssey Books 23-24 with Dr. Justin Jackson and Dr. Benedict Whalen
- The Odyssey Book 22 with Dr. Alex Priou
- The Odyssey Books 20-21 with Thomas Lackey and Dr. Grabowski
- The Odyssey Books 15-16 with Jack Drury and Dr. Grabowski
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