I don't think people talk enough about Odysseus's reaction when he first heard the news that Calypso finally lets him go! 😭😭😭 (and no, not referring to his words to tell her "HELL no! Not unless you swear to me that you have nothing in store for me!)
so she spoke, and much tormented, divine Odysseus shivered
(Translation by me)
My boy...😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭like the first reaction was that he literally shivered/shuddered (ῥίγησεν). That reaction gets me every moment! Not gonna lie! It was an immediate, almost completely instinctual reaction of his body, upon hearing the news! And Homer managed to convey literally every single emotion the poor man could feel in a blink of an eye with just one verb!
Disbelief that after almost ten years of imprisonment to Calypso's isle and after years of abuse he cannot believe that she suddenly decided to let him go about his way
Relief that after so long he is finally able to go about his way.
Happiness that maybe, just maybe he has a chance, that the curse Polyphemus placed upon him was that he would finally return home to his loved ones instead of the dreadful scenario of him never seeing his home again
Fear that Calypso has a trap set for him or of the unknown that waits for him
Like...so many different emotions hiding within that simple non-verbal reaction! His shudder! I do not think that people talk about that enough! Not to mention that it is combined with the epithet πολύτλας "man of many torments" or "much tormented". All his torments...everything he has been through is simply summarized by that simple instinctual reaction! 😭😭😭which also seems to be in contrast when Calypso herself shudders upon hearing the news that the gods decided to let go of Odysseus, which is a reaction of a wide range of emotions too including frustration, sadness and fury but yeah!
I can FEEL his shiver! I can almost HEAR the way his breath probably quivered as he did! I can SEE the look on his face; that mixed feeling that I enlist above! Daresay the eyes that are STILL crying! And all that with just one single word of a verb describing a non-verbal and automatic reaction! 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
HOMER WHEN I CATCH YOU!!!!!!











