Homer's Time

As I read Homer's epics I wondered if Homer intended to only record the history of Mycenaean era or highlight aspects of the past society that are lacking in his present day Greece. I began to think about this when the Iliad discussed how the kingdoms and tribes of the Achaeans came together to fight the Trojans. During Homer's time perhaps there was not this kind of unity in Greece since there was the development of city-states and perhaps the Greeks were becoming more divisive whereas in this past era in the Iliad that Homer recounts the Greeks were able to unite despite their differences. I wondered if Homer intended to promote unity in this epic and if there was a need for it during his time.
Homer also stresses the necessity of other aspects of domestic society in the Odyssey such as xenia, the faithfulness of wives shown through Penelope who is contrasted with Aphrodite who is not faithful to her husband as well as wives holding up their houses shown by their leaning on the columns. I also saw the description of Telemachus putting his spear against a pillar which possibly signifies the responsibility of the son who must protect the wealth and household of his father. Although xenia and all of these aspects of past Greek society most likely existed during his time, perhaps Homer saw changes or devaluing of these aspects of society and he wanted to reaffirm old values.
If so then Odysseus could represent the past and the past returning to the present. I thought of this because people in the story often say how they believe Odysseus is lost forever meaning perhaps that past ways are lost forever. However, Odysseus remains in Calypso's cave, which in the navel and Eric saw the cave's description as being a symbol of the womb. If so perhaps Homer is saying that the past or Odysseus will return in the new generation starting with the womb if he is an allegory for the past. Therefore, although many characters believe Odysseus who represents the old ways or the past is lost forever, this epic shows that the past ways can return to the present, because Odysseus returns restored to appear youthful and glowing. In this way Odysseus or the return to past values can fit in the new society just as his return made things right in the new Ithaka that does not look like the old Ithaca that Odysseus left.