Module Tasks

Homer's Odyssey
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psuchê ¹ [psuchô]

I. breath, Lat. anima, esp. as the sign of life, the life, spirit, Hom., etc.; psuchê te menos te psuchê te kai aiôn, psuchê kai thumos Hom.; ton d' elipe psuchê, of one swooning, Il.; psuchên parthemenos staking or risking one's life, Od.; so, emên psuchên paraballomenos Il.; peri psuchês for one's life, i. e. to save it, Od.; machesthai, theein peri psuchês Hom.; trechein peri psuchês Hdt.; ho peri tês psuchês agôn the struggle is for life and death, Soph.; poinên tês Aisôpou psuchês anelesthai to take revenge for the life of Aesop, Hdt.; psuchên aphienai to give up the ghost, Eur.

2. metaph. of things dear as life, chrêmata gar psuchê brotoisi Hes.; pasi d' anthrôpois psuchê tekn' [esti] Eur.

II. the departed soul, spirit, ghost, Hom.

2. the soul or spirit of man, Lat. anima, opp. to sôma, Plat., Xen.:-- psuchê tinos, periphr. for the man himself, Soph.; also psuchai, souls, = anthrôpoi, Aesch., Ar.:--hence in addressing persons, ô melea psuchê Soph.; ô agathê kai pistê ps. Xen.; pasa psuchê hupotassesthô let every soul be subject, NTest.

3. the soul, heart, psuchên ariste Ar.; ek tês psuchês with all the heart, Xen.

4. appetite, dounai ti têi psuchêi, like Lat. indulgere animo, Aesch.

III. the soul, mind, understanding, psuchên ouk akros Hdt.

Fagles' translation of this word in book eleven, line 51 is "ghost." 

However, "spirit" would also make sense as this passage depicts the visit of a deceased crew member.

Annee Philologique
Information for module 1 task

on Robert Fagels' The Odyssey

Steven J. Willett
The Classical Journal, Vol. 93, No. 2 (Dec., 1997 - Jan., 1998), pp. 203