The Odyssey, Ep. 7: Death and Woe

About this episode

The episode discusses Odysseus' journey to the underworld and the challenges he faces on his way home.

On this episode of The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast, Jeremiah and Juan discuss Odysseus' journey to the underworld before introducing a lecture from Dr. Benedict Whalen. In the underworld, Odysseus meets the blind prophet Tiresias, his fallen comrades, and his mother. But his men do not heed his warning and are killed for slaughtering the cattle of the Sun god. The Odyssey  tells the tale of the cunning and crafty hero of the Trojan War on his journey home. After ten years of war, Odysseus faces another ten years of fantastic temptations, deadly monsters, treacherous seas, and impious men. Meanwhile, Ithaca is threatened by suitors who plague his wife and plunder his wealth. When Odysseus reaches home, he must slay the suitors, test the loyalty of his friends and family, and restore order to his marriage and his kingdom. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Hosts: Jeremiah, Juan

Guest: Dr. Benedict Whalen

Topics covered

• Odyssey
• underworld
• Greek mythology
• hero's journey
• suitors
• loyalty

Keywords

• Odyssey
• Odysseus
• Tiresias
• Greek mythology
• underworld
• suitors
• loyalty
• hero's journey

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Odyssey

Places: Ithaca, Sun

More episodes of The Hillsdale College Online Courses Podcast

• The Odyssey, Ep. 8: Return to Ithaca · September 9, 2026 · 26 min
• The Odyssey, Ep. 6: Circe · August 26, 2026 · 25 min
• The Odyssey, Ep. 5: The Cyclops · August 19, 2026 · 34 min
• The Odyssey, Ep. 4: The Kingdom of Phaeacia · August 12, 2026 · 25 min
• The Odyssey, Ep. 3: Calypso · August 5, 2026 · 31 min
• The Odyssey, Ep. 2: Rumors of Odysseus · July 29, 2026 · 29 min