I don’t think it’s irrelevant. But there’s the added complication that there’s an important proportion of male fantasy in the female characters Odysseus meets during his Wanderings – look at the (in my opinion) humorous description of Odysseus as Calypso’s reluctant toy boy, or how Circe immediately invites Odysseus to bed in straightforward terms. This is should be borne in mind when we look at a more “innocent” character like Nausicaa. Not necessarily that she’s ready to get ruined, but at least that the story is bound to be tainted with the same sort of humor.
I have now looked at Garvie, Odyssey, Books VI-VIII Cambridge University Press 1994 (Green and yellow series) on line 288.
He notes “Nausicaa means that it is wrong for a girl to have dealings with a man before she is publicly married to him, but for the ambiguity in these words [ἀνδράσι μίσγηται] see 6.136n”
the note on 136 says "…The verb is sometimes used of hostile contact in battle (e.g. Il 5.143), and the girls, to whom he appears like a lion, cannot be sure that his intentions are peaceful. There may be a further touch of humour in that the word often describes sexual intercourse (e.g. 8.268), and we do not yet know how the encounter will develop (see 6.25-40n.). The same ambiguity may be detected at 288: cf. also 7.247 "
The italicised words have been underlined in the copy I am reading and in the margin “?!!” added. A salutary reminder that the threat or possibility of rape is no laughing matter.
That was a u-turn of a post.
What were you up that this reminder was especially salutary? We can only imagine that an all-but-willing Nausicaa was saved from your clutches when this reminder activated your moral inhibitions at the last possible moment.
“I’m afraid that you have to go now.”
“But you said that you were bringing me by your apartment to explain Martindale in his fullest depth! You said that you had something that would help me with my influence anxiety.”
“Just go.”
Goodness, you leave the garden untended for a week or two and up spring the brambles!
One man’s brambles are another man’s framboises.
Do I get the impression that the Odyssey reading group has petered out? No new assigned lines since Aug 31.
My elementary level of Greek prevents me from posting anything of significance, but I have been assiduously working through the Steadman commentary and comparing my interpretation with the Meunier French translation. I have learned a great deal from the various posts along the way and thoroughly enjoyed the journey thus far. I have been continuing and am presently into Book 7.
I am sure there are many in the same situation, and hope this is just a hiatus and not the end of the road.
Michael
I’m very glad to hear this! I’ll be posting a new thread today - sorry for the big gap.
Please don’t let your supposed level prevent you from posting here. Questions are more than welcome and often give more experienced readers pause for thought. There is a lot of truth in the maxim “there is no such thing as a stupid question”. How can any of us make progress if we don’t ask?