Which excerpt from The Odyssey best shows that the ancient Greeks greatly valued the idea of home?

A. "What of those years / of rough adventure, weathered under Zeus? / The wind that carried us west from Ilium / brought me to Ismarus, on the far shore, / a strongpoint on the coast of Cicones."

B. "And this new grief we bore with us to sea: / our precious lives we had, but not our friends. / No ship made sail next day until some shipmate / had raised a cry, three times, for each poor ghost / unfleshed by the Cicones on that field."

C. "They fell in, soon enough, with Lotus-Eaters, / who showed no will to do us harm, only / offering the sweet Lotus to our friends— / but those who ate this honeyed plant, the Lotus, / never cared to report, nor to return."

D. "Our home is on the peaked sea-mark of Ithaca / under Mount Neion’s wind-blown robe of leaves, / in sight of other islands—Dulichium, / Same, wooded Zacynthus—Ithaca / being most lofty in that coastal sea."

Answer

The best excerpt from The Odyssey that shows that the ancient Greeks greatly valued the idea of home is:

D. "Our home is on the peaked sea mark of Ithaca / under Mount Neion’s wind-blown robe of leaves, / in sight of other islands—Dulichium, / Same, wooded Zacynthus—Ithaca / being most lofty in that coastal sea."

Explanation

This excerpt explicitly refers to Ithaca as "home" and describes its geographical beauty and significance to Odysseus. The use of evocative language highlights the emotional attachment and pride the characters, and by extension the ancient Greeks, have towards their homeland. The emphasis on Ithaca as a place of longing underscores the theme of homecoming present throughout the epic, illustrating that home is not just a physical place but also an emotional anchor imbued with personal and cultural significance. This reflects the broader value the ancient Greeks placed on home, family, and belonging.