The epic opens with an invocation or plea that the Muse help the speaker tell the story of Odysseus worthily. 1) What do the lines (add a quote, source) briefly introduce? 2) Why are the details included of how Odysseus's men were lost? Who was at fault?

Who was supported?

Answer and Explanation:

1. The lines "Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy" presents a total summary of Odysseus' history and his various adventures while trying to return to his homeland in Ithaca. These lines also show the influence of Greek religion on history and how it is necessary for muses, goddesses of art, to bless the history that is being written.

2. The details of how the men were lost are presented to prove that Odysseus was a great leader and a great hero, but even so he was unable to return to Ithaca with all the men who accompanied him, because these men were negligent and provoked their own death. The author reinforces this idea to show that Odysseus was not to blame for the fate of the negligent men and that he suffered from the loss of each one of them.

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