The Odyssey Ch. 16-19

I find myself looking forward to reading as the suspense grows.  It's still kind of a chore though- I find the repeated stories very boring.

Words:

• impious (p. 160) - disrespectful
• hecatombs (p. 163) - Wikipedia says it's a sacrifice of 100 cattle
• scapegrace (p. 180) - rogue, rascal, scamp

Phrases:

• Telemachus calls the swineherd "father" (p. 153).  Later Odysseus calls Eurycleia "mother".  I guess it is a sign of respect for their relationship.
• On p. 161 Athene makes Odysseus look old again so the swineherd won't tell Penelope.  I understand that these people are really looking forward to seeing Odysseus again, and are also very loyal to their queen, but it seems like if Odysseus had a plan, the swineherd would respect him just as much and not run off to tell Penelope.
• On p. 166 a herdsman chides Odysseus for being a beggar.  The idea of hospitality must only extend to those able to be hospitable in return.
• I like the metaphor of Odysseus's dog and how they have aged together.  Argos is really old though!
• "sneezed at my words" (p. 172) - This page says the phrase comes from a society in which one would sneeze to show disapproval, which makes sense in context.  However, I'm not sure if this practice existed in Odysseus's day or if it was the translator's way of attempting to translate a colloquialism from the past.
• "To be a homeless man and shy is bad." (p. 172)
• Antinous and Eurymachus are both "honest minded men" (p. 175) - Some really good things have been said about these two suitors, yet they are doomed to death.  We have to realize that Odysseus's life isn't the only one controlled by fate, or the gods.  From Antinous's point of view, he is doing what he thinks is right, but will be punished in the end.
• "shepherd of the people" (p.175) - Odysseus = Jesus?  Or was Jesus referred to as all kings were in that day.
• "To grieve incessantly makes matters worse." (p.177)
• On page 180 Athene allows the suitors to continue scorning Odysseus.  She's helping hate build up inside Odysseus so he will have the strength and reason to get revenge.  
• On page 183 Odysseus's words are "unwinged."  This makes me think that "winged" isn't just a meaningless word used simply as syllables in a poem.
• "...He who is gentle and thinks gentle thoughts, his praises strangers carry far and wide to all mankind, and many speak him well." (p.189) - Kindness is a quality I admire most in people.
• Odysseus seems to disrespect Eurycleia by telling her he doesn't need her help in determining which of the servants are faithful.

Other thoughts:

• All the queens are always weaving or spinning.  This seems to me like it would be a chore more suited for servants.  I guess the queens need something to do, and perhaps weaving is more of an art than a chore.  All the best queens are said to be excellent weavers so it could be a status symbol equal to a man's fighting.
• There are a lot of stories repeated throughout the book.  This is a good device for storytelling, or singing especially.