Professional Documents
Culture Documents
HOMERS ODYSSEY
V O L U M E III
BOOKS X VI I-X X IV
JOSEPH RUSSO
MANUEL FER N AN D EZ-G ALIA N O
ALFRED HEUBECK
357910864
B IB L IO G R A P H IC A L A B B R E V IA T IO N S vii
BOOKS X X I X X I I {ManuelFernandez-Galiano)
Introduction to Book X X I 131
Commentary on Book X X I 148
Introduction to Book X X II 207
Commentary on Book X X II 218
* The present volume is the third in the English edition (introductions and
commentary only); the first volume (Books i-viii) was published in 1988, and the
second (Books ix-xvi) in 1989 (both from OUP).
vii
B I B LI O G R A P H I C A L A B B R E V I A T I O N S
Vlll
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ABBREVIATIONS
IX
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ABBREVIATIONS
XI
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ABBREVIATIONS
Books xvii to xx of the Odyssey provide the vital turning-point for the
second half of the epic, the story of return, revenge, and reunion.
Immediately after these four pivotal books, the unusual stranger
manages in xxi to string Odysseus bow and make the near
impossible shot; stands revealed as Odysseus at the opening of xxii
and goes on in that book to kill all the suitors; is finally recognized by
and united with Penelope in xxiii; and in xxiv is reunited with his
father, with whose help he successfully meets the challenge of the
suitors families attempt at retaliation. These successes of the final
four books are all made possible because the lowly vagabond who
entered the royal halls in xvii has been gaining power by degrees,
acquiring increasing influence and intimacy with Penelope and the.
few faithful servants, while simultaneously compelling increasing
respect from th, suitors, who begin by mocking him but gradually
learn to respect his abilities and eventually realize (xxi 285-6, 323 if.)
that he is quite likely to string the bow. It is the: actions and reactions
of all persons involved in this escalation of the beggars importance in
the royal household that give us the major events f xvii to xx.
Book xvii begins at Eumaeus hutjand brings Telemachus, and
then Odysseus and Eumaeus, to the palace. Only Telemachus
knows the beggars identity at this point; but a curious recognition
takes place when Odysseus old dog Argus recognizes his returning
master and dies overwhelmed by emotion. Odysseus himself is
assailed by strong emotion at this encounter, but Homer uses the
dramatic occasion toT highlight the heros famous self-control:
Odysseus suppresses his tears, channels his feelings into speech in
the form of laudatory comments on the dogs career, and is thus able
safely to cross the threshold he has sought for ten years. The
encounter with Argus has allowed the poet to mark this important
moment with a brief but unforgettable little drama of hidden mean
ings, a fitting prelude to the many such dramas that will be enacted
once Odysseus is inside the palace.
Having entered, Odysseus makes the threshold his regular seat, a
symbolic statement of the liminal position of a king who has
returned home but not assumed his royal authority, and of a
3
BOOKS X VI I - X X
4
INTRODUCTION
when she is feigning or posturing; and it is a common enough narrative device for a
major character to share the authors omniscient point of view with no explanation
provided (Fenik, Studies, 119-20; U. Hlscher, Penelope vor den Freiem, in Lebende
Antike: Symposion J. R. Shnet (Berlin, 1967), 27-31). C. S. Byre, Penelope and the
Suitors before Odysseus: Odyssey 18. 158-303, AJPh 109 (1988), 169-73, reaffirms
this explanation but then adds the less convincing one that Odysseusjoy is the sign of a
pent-up rage against the suitors.
3 S. Murnaghan, Disguise and Recognition in the Odyssey (Princeton, 1987), 48-9. See
also the good discussion at 46-7 of the series of episodes in which Penelope experiences
something less than recognition but analogous to it, an ambiguity arising from the
narrative accommodation of a certain necessary paradox (47): Penelope must some
how acknowledge that Odysseus is back without recognizing him.
5
BOOKS X V I I - X X
6
INTRODUCTION
that Homer feels the need at this point to re-establish Odysseus in his
full biographical identity before continuing the forward movement of
rapprochement between the hero and his wife. We have been told of
Odysseus' birth, naming, and entry into manhood. All that is lacking
now to complete the heroic identity is the reacquisition of his wife
and his royal power over the Ithacans. The remainder of the inter
view makes significant moves toward these goals.
What follows is a sequence of complex and puzzling statements
and responses, which have drawn a wide range of diverse and
contradictory ihterpretations from critics. With an intimacy that
develops with amazing speed, the queen tells the stranger about her
dream, which he confirms as prophetic of Odysseus' return and
slaughter of the suitors. This prophecy Penelope claims she does not
accept, taking refuge behind a theory of true and false dreams that
allows her flatly to assert (with no explanation) that this dream is
among the false ones. She moves immediately to the announcement
that she has decided to set an archery contest for the very next day:
she will marry whichever suitor most easily strings Odysseus old
bow and shoots through the twelve axes. The stranger endorses this
decision, asserting that Odysseus will be with her before any suitor
can manage to perform these acts. Penelopes decision to accept a
likely remarriage in one day,4 after successfully stalling the suitors for
so long, and while still having no clear evidence that her husband has
returned or is about to, is without evident motivation in our text and
has never been successfully explained (see Commentary at 57281
for a survey of current opinion).
Since Penelopes decision represents the key turning-point in the
plot, the obscurity of its motivation deserves our full attention. Some
readers have sought an explanation in the dubious theory that she
recognizes her husband during the interview; but it is thoroughly
alien to Homeric narrative habit to allow an event of this magnitude
to pass without comment. Others have sought a neo-Analytic solu
tion, positing an earlier version of the epic in which the interview of
xix did in fact lead to Penelopes recognition that the beggar was
Odysseus and to their collusion in setting the bow-contest (the
4 That she assumes some suitor is likely to succeed with the bow and marry her is
most clearly inferred from xix 5712, this dawn . .. will take me from Odysseus
house, and from the whole tenor of her desperate prayer for death at xx 6190, includ
ing the specific hope of meeting Odysseus in the underworld rather than being alive to
gladden the mind of some inferior man [husband: dvSpi], 80-2. Some readers would
also cite her tears of xxi 55-6 as indicating grief over prospective remarriage; but the
very act of removing Odysseus bow from its storeroom and handling it for the first time
since he left for Troy could easily be sufficient cause for these tears.
7
BOOKS X V I I - X X
8
INTRODUCTION
9
BOOKS -
10
INTRODUCTION
assurance that Odysseus will soon arrive by wishing this were true but immediately
coming up with the opposite hypothesis that it will never happen; and in xxiii she
responds to Eurycleias news that Odysseus has returned and killed the suitors by three
times offering alternative explanations (10 ff., 58 ff., 80ff.) for this supposedly most
welcome news.
11 See W. Bchner, Penelopeszenen, 1334, for an excellent analysis of the
unusually rapid growth of this attachment. As he notes: It is after all her husband
sitting before her; and even if a divine influence has altered his appearance to keep her
from recognizing him, the core of his being, the spirit [das Geistige], has remained the
same (134).
BOOKS -
T here I will lie down; but you m ake your bed here in the house,
either spreading your own bedding, or let them set up a bed for you.
(589- 95; 598- 9)
Her imagination would have them, for a moment, spending a sleep
less night in intimate talk, which she says would give her great
pleasure; but then she grows more realistic and specifies not only that
each must retire, but that each has his and her own resting place,
clearly defined and far apart. It is time to break the spell of increasing
intimacy and fascination with this extraordinary stranger. Penelope
has now had her husband called to mind several times with great
vividness. Her imagination and her unconscious mental processes
have been vigorously stirred up in xix, and the following book will
continue to show the effects of this intense stimulation after so many
years of impasse.12
Book xx begins with a depiction of Odysseus and Penelope in
parallel states of mental agitation. At first each is too excited and
upset to sleep, and when they finally are at rest, the sleep of each is
filled with the presence of the other. Odysseus dreams that Penelope
is standing by his bed, while Penelope dreams that someone just like
him (etkcAos ) as he was when he went off with the army (889)
is now sleeping beside her. Homer is showing us that Penelope has
some kind of intuitive awareness of her husbands presence but, as
suggested above, it is active on a less than conscious level. Some
modern readers may be surprised at the suggestion that an eighth-
century Be poet has the psychological insight to recognize the forces
of the human unconscious, and the narrative subtlety to show those
forces at work through the agencies of intuition, dream, and fantasy.
But it should not surprise us that great storytellers have long under
stood the deeper sources of human motivation, and the obvious
importance of dreams as wish-fulfilment and as commentary, in a
transposed mode, upon significant daytime events.13
12 The above description of xix assumes without question that it is a carefully
conceived artistic whole, , free from the structural blemishes imagined by earlier
scholars who believed that the interview was originally designed as a recognition-scene.
See Vester (op/ cit., n. 1 above) for summary and repudiation of the German Analyst
tradition and a perceptive discussion of xix and its place in the overall plot design; and
the: similar approach of Bchner, Penelopeszenen, who defends the integrity of the
Penelope-scenes in xviii and xix, and the references to her Web in ii, xix, and xxiv,
against the strictures of the Analysts.
13 Argued at length by Russo (op. cit., n. 8 above). Some present-day critics may still
.find it difficult to accept that a distinction between^feonscious and unconscious motives
has any place in the narrative vision of an archaic poet, even a great one like Homer.
:Hence:the. emphatic criticism by Emlyn-Jones (op. cit., n. 7 above) of the intuitive
12
INTRODUCTION
Penelope and the extreme psychological interpretation of her dream. His view (16,
n. 19) is that because Penelope publicly says she loathes the suitors, the poet means this
to represent her entire and uncomplicated psychological reality. Such an interpretation
fails to deal with the fact that Homer has also made her say something important
through her dream of the geese: her bitter weeping over their slaughter can only point
to some ambivalence in her true feelings toward them and their courting presence in
her halls (Russo, op. cit., 8-10). Emlyn-Jones (op. cit., 2, nn. 7 and 8) notes with
scepticism the recent tendency among American Homerists to accept some form of
unconscious or intuitive recognition of Odysseus by Penelope before the full recogni
tion of xxiii. This tendency no doubt reflects the high degree of integration of basic
Freudian theory into American intellectual life in general and our interpretation of
literature in particular. Whether it is extreme, at least as applied to the study of early
epic, is a matter of individual judgement. All interpretations are constructs that must
convince by their capacity to account for all the phenomena. I believe that many sig
nificant features of the queens relation to the beggar, and especially her instant accept
ance of his proposal of the bow-contest, are best accounted for by what is in fact a very
moderate application of the theory of the unconscious.
13
BOOKS X VI I - X X
their most unpleasant meal (392). Homer has brought us, in these
four books, from a situation where the suitors ruled in the house of
Odysseus to a situation where the hero has returned, used his god-
given disguise skilfully to win a place in the household and in
Penelope's affections, and now stands ready, with the help of his son
and the co-operation of a few loyal servants, to pass the test of the bow
and turn that weapon to the task of eliminating the hated usurpers.
Books xvii to xx have masterfully set the stage for the great
denouement.
II
H
IN TR O D U CTIO N
run the risk, therefore, of casting doubt on words and passages that
are quite possibly Homers, I have preferred to trust, for the most
part, in the inherited manuscript tradition. I do not doubt that there
are interpolated verses in our text; but I do not share the facile
confidence of earlier editors that these can be easily identified. There
fore I have chosen not to use my commentary to rehearse what I
consider to be vain speculations of other scholars about authenticity,
nor to make any additions of my own to this unhappy scholarly
genre.
Whether the Homeric poems were composed in a purely oral
manner has been a much debated, and not yet satisfactorily
answered, question.14 But whatever we think about the genesis of the
texts before us, there can be no doubt that their style has some
resemblance to an oral style and some indebtedness to a long oral
tradition. Naturally such a style, particularly if the text before us
bears some marks of live performance,15 will lack the consistent
smoothness and felicity of a text of Theocritus, Callimachus, or
Vergil. M y personal view is that the Homeric epics were composed
without the aid of writing, but with a high degree of deliberate
artistry.16 T he Iliad and Odyssey must have been viewed by Homer
14 A good summation of this issue, with detailed bibliography, is given by
Hainsworth, pp. xvi-xxx, restated with minor changes in his essay The Epic Dialect
in vol.i of this commentary, 24-32, He inclines cautiously to the belief in an oral
Homer who dictated his poems to a scribe. See also the wide-ranging and judicious
review by J, Latacz in his introductory essay and his review of the history of the oral
theory (Einfhrung and Tradition und Neuerung -in der Homerforschung in
J. Latacz, ed., Homer: Tradition und Neuerung, Wege der Forschung cdlxiii (Darmstadt,
1979), 1-44). An earlier overview of the controversy is given by Lesky, Homeros, who
prefers a literate Homer.
13 The first argument for this possibility was made by A. B. Lord, Homers Origin
ality; Oral Dictated Texts, TAPhA lxxxiv (1953), 124-34. Among the most fruitful
applications of his theory are D. M. Gunn (Narrative Inconsistency and the Oral
Dictated Text in the Homeric Epic, A JP xci (1970), 191-203; Thematic Composition
and Homeric Authorship, HSPk Ixxv (1971), 1-31), who shows some minor narrative
inconsistencies to be a kind of characteristic of oral performance, and argues on this
basis that our text derives from the transcription of a real performance. The theory
receives further support from the fieldwork observations of M. Skafte Jensen, The
Homeric (Question and the Oral-Formulaic Theory (Copenhagen, 1980), 81-95. For a recent
application of the thesis see J. Russo, Oral Style as Performance Style in Homers
Odyssey, in J. M. Foley, ed., Comparative Research on Oral Traditions: A Memorialfor Mil-
man Parry (Columbus, Ohio, 1987).
16 This position is argued very well by Anne Amory, The Gates of Horn and Ivory,
YCS xx (1966), 35 4> and can be successfully combined with J. B. Hainsworths
observation (Criticism of an Oral Homer, JH S xc (1970), 90-8) that oral stylistic traits
dominate the small-scale construction of the epics, while qualities we associate with
literary composition dominate the large-scale structures.
15
BOOKS X V II-X X
POSTSCRIPT
I should like at this time to give thanks to all the friends and
colleagues, too numerous to name, who have encouraged my work
and furthered my understanding of Homers Odyssey over the years. I
owe a particular debt to two scholars who gave me helpful advice at
different stages: Jenny Strauss Clay, who read through most of the
epic with me at a preliminary stage and helped me focus on those
issues in the text that deserved comment; and Henry Hoenigswald,
who was most forthcoming recently with linguistic information and
references. I also am grateful to the students to whom I have taught
the Odyssey at Haverford College over the last twenty years, and in
graduate seminars at the University of Michigan, the Johns Hopkins
University, and the University of California at Berkeley, for deepen
ing my knowledge of the poem through their comments and
questions. The constant support of my wife, Sally Wise Russo, was
not only essential but decisive in helping me complete the comment
ary at a time when I seemed in danger of extending the task in
definitely. As a final act of homage I wish to dedicate this book to the
memory of my father, Joseph H. Russo, native of Sicily and lover of
language.
August, 1990
16
B O O K XVII: C O M M E N T A R Y
Book xvii can be sum m arized in twelve narrative units, varying in length from
simple twenty-line scenes to m ore com plex scenes o f too or more verses.
Som e alternative divisions could be im agined, but most of the units w ould be
substantially the sam e in any, scheme.
1. 1-2 7 Eum aeds, T elem achus, and O dysseus confer at Eum aeus hut.
2. 27-62 Telem achus goes to the house, is curt in refusing Penelope the
news she expected, and departs to fetch Theoclym enus.
3. 63-84 T elem achus talks to the loyal Ithacans at the agora; Peiraeus
brings Theoclym enus.
4. 85-166 T elem achus returns hom e w ith the seer, bathes, tells Penelope
the news she has been eager to have.
5. 167-82 T h e suitors begin gathering at the house.
6. 182-203 T h e scene shifts to E um aeus hut. O dysseus and Eum aeus
prepare to leave.
7. 204-54 O n their way, M elanthius insults and kicks O dysseus.
8- 255-327 T h eir approach to the house. First M elanthius, then
Eum aeus and O dysseus arrive. T h e dog A rgus knows Odysseus.
9, 328-68 T h e disguised O dysseus enters the m egaron and begins
begging food at A th en as prom pting, to test the suitors character.
10. 369-491 Hostility from M elanthius, and incidents of increasing abuse
from A ntinous, who hits O dysseus with a stool instead of giving him
food. T h is m altreatm ent is criticized by the other suitors.
11. 492-588 Penelope from her cham ber has followed the action in the
megaron. She hears E um aeus account of the stranger and is eager to
m eet him . O dysseus replies, through Eum aeus, that a private interview
w ould be best, after dark, with the suitors gone. Penelope agrees.
12. 589-606 Eum aeus returns to the countryside, T elem achus assuring
him all w ill be well. T h e suitors take their pleasure in dance and the
bards songs.
1. T h is line occurs twenty tim es in the Odyssey, b u t only twice in the Iliad,
and the phrase occurs in five additional H om eric
verses. It is probably the best-rem em bered and m ost cited H om eric line
am ong the general public , and for good reason: the im age is captivating
and the assonance in the G reek is%trilang>(A. Shewan, Alliteration and
Assonance in H om er , CPh xx (1925), 199-200, notes H om ers partiality to
the sound o f ). It illustrates perfectly the conservatism o f H om eric diction:
once the perfect w ay is found to say som ething, the phrase is kept and
repeated; there is no fear o f the clich.
2- 5 . T elem achus now begins to carry out the plans m ade in private with his
17
COMMENTARY
18
B O O K X VI I 3 - 2 3
19
COMMENTARY
toto \ xi 6667: \
. W e translate be warmed by the fire, but the Greek w ay of
conceiving the relationship is to be w arm ed 0/the fire , as if the fire is a
substance from which one takes a share of the warm th. epeu: this
verb is naturally associated with , as the examples given above show,
but the form is puzzling, since a passive is expected. Chantraine, Gram-
maire, 1 7 1 , 401, 459, identifies this as an aorist passive with ~ shortened
to -ecu by a metathesis well-attested for subjunctives (, ,
, etc.; and see Meister, Kunstsprache, 16 1-3 , for further details),
T h is w ould then be the only evidence for such an aorist passive of .
M onro, ad loc., suggests it m ay be a present tense intransitive form,
equivalent in m eaning to . : this noun is a hapax,
although several verbal and adjectival forms exist (Chantraine, Dictionnaire
s.v. ). T h e Scholia, the Etymologicum Magnum, A m eis-H e n tze-C a u er,
and M onro ad loc., understand it as the sun s w arm th, as do Frisk, G E W
and LfgrE. T h e more general m eaning w arm th has been advocated by
LSJ, Stanford, and Chantraine (loc. cit.), all o f w hom take it to m ean the
w arm th o f the fire in this passage. T h at gives an awkward sentence,
whereas suns w arm th gives a m uch more natural sequence, w here
O dysseus goes on to cite the poor condition o f his clothes and the threat o f
m orning frost in the next two verses. W e should recall that seasonal refer
ences to cold w eather have been m ade throughout the poem (v 467-9, vii 7,
xi 373, xiv 457, 539, xv 392, xvii 191, 572-3, xviii 328-9, xix 64), and the
w arm th of the rising sun w ould be a significant factor in taking the chill off
the land in the early m orning. Som e scholars have inferred from these
details that the Odyssey takes place between Septem ber and N ovem ber. See
J . A . Scott in CPk xi (1916), 148-55, and H ainsw orths comments at v 2 72 -
7 and vii 7.
29 . Som e scholars have been needlessly bothered by an apparent incon
sistency with Book i. A t i 1279 Telem achus first enters the house and then
puts A th en a-M en tes spear into a spear-holder () located inside
the m egaron. Here, he rests it against a colum n outside the hall before
entering. I see no reason w hy T elem achus cannot do two different things
on two different occasions. Stanford prints a variant reading,
, following Ludw ich and A m eisH entze
C auer, w hich has seem ed to some editors (I know not why) to m itigate the
supposed difficulty over the location o f the spear-holder. M onro, ad. loc.,
strangely takes this line as showing that the spear-holder was outside the
m egaron, even though the receptacle is not m entioned and we are
specifically told that he sim ply placed the spear against a colum n. A s so
often with H om er, scholarly ink has been wasted com bating shadows.
32 . : a Scholiast glosses with the m ore familiar -
. H om er knows only forms o f this verb with the stem -, never the
form com m on in later Greek. T h e final -a o f is lost b y
apocope, loss o f a final vowel before a consonant (whereas elision is loss of
final vowel before a vowel), very com m on in H om eric G reek for the
20
B O O K XVI I 23-46
subtle distinction here, the first m eaning to set in m otion, the second to
put in com m otion, to trouble .
47 . irep: here intensive rather than concessive (contra A m eisH entzeCauer,
ad loc.): since I have (barely) escaped . T h e same intensive m eaning of irep
holds for 13 above. T hese two instances are good exam ples o f w hat
Denniston, Particles, 482, distinguishes as determ inative nep, closely
related to the intensive function, signifying that the speaker concentrates
on [something] to the exclusion of other things .
48- 53 . T elem achus full ascendancy to power within his household is now
seen, com pleting the process begun by his new independence (inspired by
Athena) as revealed in his trip to Pylos and Sparta. His independent strong-
mindedness looks to us like rudeness: he not only refuses to answer his
m others question, he refuses to acknowledge it. His only concern is to
com plete w hat he considers more urgent business of his own, the reclaim
ing of Theoclym en us from Peiraeus.
57 . E'H s o p , a ir r c p o s ? : this much-
discussed line is one of the great cruces of the Odyssey. It reappears at xix 29,
xxi 386, and xxii 398, where Eurycleia is addressed by Telem achus,
Eum aeus, and T elem achus again. Scholarly opinion has been divided on
two distinct problem s: (1) does the belong to the speaker or to the
person addressed? (2) w hat does ai mean? A likely answer to either
question w ould help answer the other.
M a n y have thought that since Penelope and Eurycleia, when addressed
in these passages, make no answer and proceed to carry out T elem achus
or E um aeus orders, the phrase m ust prepare for this action and m ean she
m ade no response (but did as she was told) . O n this reading the
belongs to the w om an addressed and <i7 m eans it goes unspoken.
T h is view is favoured by M on ro ad loc., A m e is -H e n tz e -C a u e r (and
defended at length in the Anhang), and is argued with skill and subtlety b y
J. Latacz in Glotta xlvi (1968), 2738, interpreting the silence of Penelope
and E urycleia as pregnant with an unexpressed emotion w hich Unexpected
coldness or surprising content in the utterance of an intim ate person has
forced the w om en to repress. (T h e hem istich thus becom es another of the
silence-formulas studied by S. Besslich, Schweigen.) O th er scholars,
however, em hasizing the regularity of H om ers dictional habits, have m ade
a convincing argum ent for referring the to the speech ju s t m ade
(P. M azon, R G lxiii (1950), 14 -19 ; J. B. Hainsworth, Glotta xxxviii(ig6o),
2638). In sim ilar situations we find a verse w hose first h alf says so he (she)
spoke and w hose second half describes the effect of this utterance using the
w ord . Cf. (, ),
(7 X )i , "
(II. 493); ? , &8e S " (2 X). It is
most likely that our verse should be interpreted analogously.
B ut if the is the speech o f Telem achus, w hat does it m ean to call it
? T h e a- can be privative or intensive, and ancient lexicographical
tradition is aware of both possibilities. (M odern scholarship is sim ilarly
22
B O O K X V I I 46-57
23
COMMENTARY
24
B O O K XVI I 57-140
25
COMMENTARY
CPh xli (1946), 233), who points out that this could have been written
, facilitating the corruption to .
153 . : does this refer to M enelaus or Telem achus? Com m entators have
been divided over this point, but the reference m ust be to M enelaus for
several reasons: (1) It w ould be awkward and rude for T heoclym enus to
refer thus to the deficiencies of his host T elem achus. (2) oSe not 6 ye
w ould be more likely if Telem achus were the one meant. (3) Since the
contrast is between one whose knowledge is partial and limited, and one
who is clairvoyant (the speaker), the most fitting reference w ould b e to
the contrast between M enelaus, whose report of what Proteus said is both
second-hand and already dated, and the direct testim ony of T h e o
clym enus, w hich comes through no interm ediary and is com pletely new.
T h is contrast is pointed by the repetition of , 141 and 154,
w hich shows that Theoclym enus revelation of the truth concerning
O dysseus is to be taken as a replacem ent for the earlier version received
from M enelaus.
160 - 1 . T h e scholiast notes that in the com m on () editions lines
150-65 are athetized, while in the better ones () it is only
1601 (T heoclym enus statement that he was on the ship when he saw the
bird). T hese two verses are inconsistent with xv 499 fr., where T elem achus
and T heoclym enus have already disem barked and are on shore when the
om en appears (cf. esp. 527-8); but see no good reason to doubt the lines if
we keep in m ind two important points: (1) T h e w ord athetized ()
represents, as M onro in his com m entary ad loc. reminds us, the ju d g e
m ent o f a critic, not the reading o f a m anuscript . T h a t is, the received text
known to Aristarchus contained all these lines and critical doubt was
focused on them, especially 160-1, because of the factual inconsistency
with Book xv. (2) A few small inconsistencies of detail o ccur throughout the
Iliad and Odyssey, as they do in all epic poetry that is com posed not for a
readership but for an audience that is to follow with their ears in recitation
b y instalments. A slip like the inconsistency at 1601 is b y no m eans a sign
o f spuriousness, but on the contrary it can be taken as evidence for the
oral conditions of creation or performance of this episode. As van der Valk
puts it, this kind of inaccuracy shows m erely the poets neglect o f former
data in order to stress the present situation ( T h e Form ulaic Character of
H om eric Poetry , A C xxxv (1966), 228), which is one of the cardinal
features o f oral narrative.
163 - 5 . T hese same three lines are spoken earlier by T elem achus to
T heoclym enus at xv 536-8, and will be spoken later by Penelope to the
disguised Odysseus, xix 30911. In such recurrences we are sometimes
justified in seeing more than formulaic repetition for the kind o f m erely
functional convenience that was noted above in the com m ent on 85-95.
T hese three lines have a different context each time they are spoken, and
acquire a more powerful dram atic irony in each successive context, as the
crisis o f O dysseus return builds to its climax.
182 . A change o f scene at mid-verse is unusual, but seems to appeal to the
26
B O O K XVI I 140-212
poet in this section of the narrative, since he does it again at 260 and did it
earlier at xv 495.
191 . : towards evening . T h e sole use o f / with
tem poral sense in H om er, see Chantraine, Gmmmaire, ii 133. p iy to v :
colder . T h e com parative is norm ally m etaphorical in H om er and
means worse , rather unpleasant (xx 220; II. i 323, 563, xi 405; and cf.
(), which always means shuddered with distaste). T h e fact that
this passage offers the one exception is another sign o f the poets deter
m ination to em phasize the chilly weather, noted in the com m ent on 23 ad
fin .
196. : is for ?, a scholion tells us, but commentators have
been unhappy with this explanation, since the word norm ally means
threshold in H om er. M on ro suggests if it were an lonicism for ? it
should have becom e the m ain form, like and . W e must con
clude either (1) with M onro, that it is the w ord threshold in a special
restricted sense applied to a road, and m eans road-w ay (M onro compares
L atin agger viae); or, with m ore likelihood, (2) that it is indeed an Ionic form
of ?, b u t was inhibited from spreading in the Epic language because o f
the possibility of confusion with ? = threshold. A third alternative, to
prefer the reading ? o f a few M S S , has nothing to recom m end it.
B elow at 204 w e have - referring to this same road (it is
this rockiness that m akes it very treacherous, ), which
strengthens the likelihood that ? and ? are exactly the same thing.
T h is is the view of Chantraine, Grammaire, i 104, w ho explains the
lengthening as analogical influence of ?, threshold , an interpretation
supported with detailed analysis b y W yatt, Lengthening, 226-7.
207 . Ithakos, Neritos, and Polyktor are identified b y scholion V as the
founders first of C ephallenia and then o f Ithaca,, w ho gave their names first
to the islands and then to M t Neritus. T h e story is attributed to Acusilaus.
Scholia B Q add that Polyktor gave his nam e to Polyktorion, a place in
Ithaca of w hich nothing else is known. T h e nam e Polyktor appears as
father of the suitor Pisander, xviii 299, xxii 243; but since the nam e also
appears at I i xxiv 397, this O dyssean appearance m ay carry no special
significance and m ay simply be a typical heroic significant name, M uch -
possessing.
208. : although all the MSS read 7 7 v, it is quite possible that H om er
originally said eev, a com m on form elsewhere, w hich here w ould have the
virtue o f avoiding a spondee in the fifth foot.
212 . Enter M elanthius the palace goatherd, the one m ale servant who has
allied him self with the suitors. Conspicuous for his disloyalty, he is the
exact negative counterpart o f loyal Eum aeus, ju st as his sister M elantho
(xviii 321 ff., xix 60 ff.) is the b ad counterpart o f the faithful Eurycleia. H ere
as elsewhere, the Odyssey shows a certain curious taste for doublets and
opposing pairs. T o the doublet M elanthius/M elantho add Circe/Calypso,
D em odocus/Phem ius, Cyclopes/Laestrygonians, A ntinous/Eurym achus,
E urycleia/Eurynom e, M entes/M entor; and perhaps the pairing of
27
COMMENTARY
28
B O O K X VI I 212-231
29
COMMENTARY
30
B O O K X V I I 231-266
31
COMMENTARY
32
B O O K X VI I 267-287
33
COMMENTARY
34
B O O K X V I I 287-304
a notion that expresses the w hite burst of lightning and at the same time its
speed , as seen in a w ord like . Bechtel, Lexilogus, on the other
hand, believes that there were originally two different words , one
m eaning swift and the other w hite , and that we should continue to
distinguish these m eanings in Greek. T h e use of the w ord to describe oxen
(II. xxiii 30) makes it clear that the two meanings, if not independent
historically, have certainly becom e independent in H om eric Greek. T hat
the m eaning bright or w hite has becom e very prom inent in G reek is seen
from the early proliferation o f words like , , , and
com pounds like and . F or the development of
from * and the variation between the -ro and -i suffix, see
Bechtel, Lexilogus s.v., and Risch, Wortbildung, 195. F o r a detailed survey
of the problem of the double m eaning and the difficulty o f assigning
priority in G reek to either m eaning, see LfgrE s.v.
296 . $: a hapax legomenon, although related com pounds
and are each attested once in later Greek. T h e etym ology
usually given is - plus - from , to pray , and hence the
m eaning prayed aw ay , interpreted as w ished aw ay or rejected . T his
seems a rather roundabout way, however, to reach the m eaning clearly
needed b y the context, neglected or uncared-for . Leum ann, Wrter, 6 4 -
5, proposes the sim ple solution of a - privative and *, derived from
, through the interm ediary o f an infinitive *- that m ay be
assum ed to underlie the attested forms and . T o -
L eum ann w ou ld give the m eaning nicht sehnschtig vermisst,
which does fit the context adm irably.
300 . : dog-destroyers , a hapax, w hich one might imagine
H om er coined specially for this passage. Stanford goes further and suggests
that H om er is deliberately avoiding a com m on w ord for tick or louse and
coining instead a lordly synonym perhaps with a touch of hum our on
the analogy o f , soul-destroying, a lofty heroic term used in
the Iliad. T h e suggestion o f parody here w as first m ade by V . Brard in his
note ad loc., L Odyssee, iii (Paris, 1924-5). T w o scholia add that some take
the w ord to m ean fleas but A ristarchus said it m eant ticks.
304 - 5 . T h is act o f O dysseus recalls his hiding () his tears from the
Phaeacians (although noticed by Alcinous) at viii 83-95, 521-34, and fore
shadows his successful concealm ent of tears before Penelope, xix 209-12.
Sim ilarly Telem achus at iv 1 1 2 -1 6 tries to conceal his tears with his cloak,
ju st like O dysseus in viii, b u t is observed b y M enelaus, ju st as his father was
observed by A lcinous. H ere w e have an im portant particular detail within
the m ajor them e of concealm ent and disguise that dominates the poem.
Tears caused by the painful m em ory of dear persons lost (cf. iv 183-246),
and the constant need for concealm ent or repression o f one s strongest
emotions and urges (cf, xx 9 ff.), are two leading motifs that run through the
poem and contribute to its more sombre aspect, an aspect which Vergil felt
very keenly and w hich he m ade central to the tone of his Aeneid. H ere and
elsewhere in the Odyssey, concealm ent of tears is a powerful conjunction of
35
COMMENTARY
the disguise-m otif and the pain-m otif, and so heightens considerably the
em otional tenor of a scene.
306- 10 . H om er s psychological portrait is skilful: O dysseus, overflowing
with emotion at seeing his dog, channels his feeling into a series of
questions about the anim al. T h is allows him to m anage his strong
em otions by a kind of role-playing in w hich he deals with the painful sub
ject in the persona o f an outsider, so that he can keep some distance
from it.
308 . : I prefer the d of the M SS, and w ould resist the norm alizing tendency
that has led most editors to replace it with in similar constructions, even
where there is no M S authority. T h e nearest thing to authority for this
change is the scholia s statement on iv 712 that Aristarchus read (found
in one M S) for ei; and A ristarchus authority m ay well underlie schol. >s
discussion on iv 487 of the choice between d () and
(). Further parallel passages are iii 216, iv 28, 833, xviii 265, xix
237, xxii 158, 202-3.
311 . T h e poets direct address to Eum aeus (see note to 272) is a subtle touch
that contributes to the heightened emotional tone o f this scene. It
strengthens the dram atic irony by which we (i.e. the poet s audience) are in-
collusion with the poet and with one character, O dysseus, over the trusting
innocence of a second character.
319 - 23 . Eum aeus has answered O dysseus question pointedly, revealing
A rgu s sad decline, but now he digresses. Lines 31921 relate well to
the theme o f the overall decline of O dysseus household and hint at the
disloyalty of some of the maidservants (cf. xx 6ff.); bu t 322-3 have the
appearance of a proverbial couplet awkwardly added on; W e m ay blam e
the associative verbal habits of oral composition or suspect an interpolator,
according to our prejudices. T h e lines were known to Plato as H om ers and
are quoted at Lg. 777a, w hich is in turn quoted b y A thenaeus vi 18. 264e,
and in part by Eustathius 1766. 37 (although we have no certainty that they
knew the verses in this same O dyssean context). T h e y have in
place o f d7roaivurat, in place of r , and , dv for
, v tv, changes that suggest Plato was quoting from m em ory.
324- 7 . It is a revealing feature o f H om ers stylistic artistry that this unusual
and rather unform ulaic scene should be crowned with four highly
form ulaic concluding verses, , one of the familiar keynote
phrases of the epic, here evokes great pathos by its placem ent as the last
statement in the scene, describing the death of Argus. For analysis of the
form ulaic content of 303-27 and discussion o f its relation to oral technique,
see Joseph Russo, Is O ral or A ural Com position the Cause of H om er s
Form ulaic Style?, in B. Stolz and R. S. Shannon, eds., Oral Literature and
the Formula (Ann A rbor, M ich., 1976).
331 . re ; Bekker s em endation (re for of M S S and papyrus) has been
universally accepted because the connective force of S is out of place here,
w hile the so-called generalizing suits the sense perfectly. See
Chantraine, Grammaire, ii 239f f , Denniston, Particles, 520-3. T h e contrary
36
B O O K X V I I 304-359
37
COMMENTARY
evidence for poets and other craftsmen as wandering professionals for hire
in G reek society. See Finley, World, 36-7,56 , and Hainsworths note on viii
62-103.
388 . eis this less com m on form (sometimes els) of the second person sing, of
is found nine times in Hom er. M onro, Homeric Diakct, 4, would like
to restore an assum ed original \ which is metrically possible every
where, he notes, except in this line.
388- 9 . . . . 5 5 : note the different syntax and
m eaning of in these successive lines. With it means and
especially to m e, while the more familiar means
beyond the suitors5.
397- 404 . T eiem achus speech is rhetorically well-structured in an AB AB
pattern. H e begins with a heavily sarcastic and obviously untrue statement
for two and a half verses, then in the second half of the third verse abandons
irony for a blunt statement of his true wish, contradicting his preceding
words. Lines 401-2 return to the ironic ascription to Antinous of decent
motives that he obviously does not have, and 403-4 return again to the
blunt truth, denying the kindly motives just ascribed to him. T he
characterization through rhetoric is again impressive, as Teiem achus
continues to show the typically adolescent qualities of peevishness, m oodi
ness, and sarcasm that were so evident in the first two books of the poem.
406 . : lofty (arrogant) speaker5 a perfect and effective compound
coined especially for T eiem achus by Antinous in i 385 and now repeated,
as their hostile relationship is resumed with Teiem achus5return to his halls
and renewed assertion of his rights.
407 - 9 . : this adjective of quantity seems to refer back to the issue
o f how m uch is being given to the beggar. O nly when Antinous holds
up his stool from under the table two verses later ( -,
409) is his true m eaning and full irony revealed. This is another example
of his meanness of character expressed through his clever handling of
language.
410 . : it is som ewhat awkward to describe the stool as lying at the
same m om ent that it is bein g held up and shown to everyone. W e can take
this either as hysteron-proteron, in which 410 describes the stool as it is
before A ntinous lifts it; or w e can ascribe to the function typical of
H om eric epithets and sometimes seen in other adjectives, that of describ
ing the normative, enduring quality of an object rather than its momentary
state. T h e relative clause that goes on to describe the stool, p ,
could support either interpretation.
413 . : this word, m eaning to taste of (a thing), is in H om er
always figurative, to m ake a trial or test of , and as such belongs here to
what I have called the testing-motif associated with the character of
O dysseus, usually expressed in the frequent use of the verbs ,,
, , noted elsewhere in the commentary.
415 - 44 . T h is fictitious tale is essentially the same story told to Eumaeus at
xiv 199-359, and some verses are exact repetitions (427-41 = xiv 258-72).
39
COMMENTARY
A n overall consistency is necessary, since Eum aeus is still present and the
beggar must m aintain his plausible role for the faithful swineherd, whose
ignorance o f the secret, com bined with his fidelity, is one source of the
com plex irony of disguise and revelation that characterizes the w hole poem
and these latter books especially. T h e one inconsistency between this
account and that told to Eum aeus is 443-4, which cannot be made to
square with the earlier story. T h e other false tales, told to A thena in xiii,
Penelope in xix, and Laertes in xxiv, are far less closely related, since there
is no need for consistency in those cases.
416 . H ere all M S S read , whereas at 375 the readings divide between
(synizesis) and (crasis). For a succinct account of
crasis and synizesis see M onro, Homeric Dialed, 3 50 -1.
427 . : the A igyptos river m ust certainly be the Nile,
which is first m entioned by the Greeks, as far as we know, by Hesiod, Th.
338 ().
440 . : scanned with synizesis as a spondee. ttoXXo u s :
answered by ? o f the following verse, not a perfectly symmetrical
balance but none the less idiomatic: m any they killed, some they took alive5.
443 . about this Dm etor, ruler o f Cyprus, nothing else is
known. H e has a significant name, m eaning Subd uer or T am er , from
the verb ; ju st as servants, , represent the passive side of the
action, people subdued .
446- 8 . Antinous continues his figurative and expressive language. In a series
o f strong metaphors the beggar is called this pain, spoiler of the feast ,
and Antinous threatens to show him a bitter Egypt and C yp ru s . T his last
phrase, as Stanford points out, condenses a physical threat and m ockery o f
O dysseus story into one sharp statement.
450 - 2 . A ntinous w ould like to separate him self from the other suitors by
criticizing their freehanded giving away o f O dysseus goods. T h is
pretended sym pathy with the household interests recalls his oblique
criticism o f his fellow suitors at 378-9, and continues H om ers character
ization of this duplicitous figure as one whose am bition leads him to
display virtues that he does not possess. A s A m eisH e n tze-C a u er interpret
his motives (Anhang, ad loc.), A ntinous disposition m akes his sum m ons to
m oderation m erely a m ask for his own egoism . T h ese lines are called
spurious by the H Scholiast, echoing Aristarchus; but such a view fails to
understand the psychology and rhetoric of A ntinous.
454 . l m : ni with the dative here m eans in addition to , as earlier at
308 where the identical phrase was used in describing A rgus. T h ere it was
asked w hether the dog, in addition to such good looks (em efSei' ),
also had speed, the cfiief virtue o f a dog. Here, the corresponding chief
virtue o f a m an is im plied as phrenes, good sense, intelligence, which
O dysseus accused Antinous of lacking. Each passage calls attention to the
relationship between attractive surface appearance and the underlying
reality, which is of m ajor im portance throughout the Odyssey, a corollary of
w hat we have earlier labelled the disguise-motif.
40
B O O K X V I I 415-484
41
COMMENTARY
42
B O O K X V I I 484-518
43
COMMENTARY
similes represent the poet speaking, with the anonym ity required by the
conventions of epic narrative. But here the simile is able to refer back to its
speaker as one of the points of comparison (ws ).
519 . the variant , though less well attested, is m ore normal in
relative clause extensions of comparisons, Ruijgh, re pique, 399-401,
docum ents 17 instances of the subjunctive versus 68 of the indicative.
525 . ' : two strong words in sequence.
onom atopoeically recreates the forward rolling it
signifies, as it takes us all the w ay to the penthem im eral caesura in
com pletely dactylic movement. It occurs only here and at II. xxii 221, and
nowhere else in G reek literature, can have a physical meaning,
presses forward, like Tantalus eager to drink at xi 584, or can m etaphor
ically suggest aggressive assertion in language or behaviour (cf. the English
adjective forward). Eum aeus continues to paint the beggar in bright
colours (cf. 51321), stim ulating Penelopes already expressed interest
(59~ 11) in the newcomer.
534- 40 . T h e first five of these lines are identical to those spoken by
T elem achus com plaining to the Ithacan assem bly at ii 55g. , harm ,
is not connected with , curse or prayer . Penelopes w ish that follows
(538-40) is essentially the same wish w e saw in T elem achus fancy when
H om er first presented him in i 1 1 5 -1 7 . N ow Telem achus is in a position to
confirm that wish, expressed by his mother, with his own prophetic or
kledonic sneeze.
541 . Sneezes were viewed as omens in antiquity (X en. An. iii 2. 9; Catull. xlv
8-9, 1718; Prop, iii 3. 24; O v. Pont, xviii 152), as in m any cultures today.
T his sneeze is one of a series o f omens running through xvii to xx and
heightening our anticipation of the clim ax to com e w hen O dysseus finally
reveals him self to the suitors and kills them. M ost often the omen is a verbal
utterance whose full implications are unknown to the speaker but secretly
understood and rejoiced in by his interlocutor hence by H om ers
audience and by us. T he first example we saw was M elanthius statement
at 25*- 4> where the narrative makes no explicit com m ent on the irony but
allows it to stand as self-evident. M ore com m only, the character who
grasps the full significance of the utterance is said to recognize it as a
(xviii 117, with note; xx 120; iv 317) or a (xx 9 8 -119 ; ii 35).
565 . : the whole verse was used in describing the suitors
at xv 329, and seems to be an ironical variant on the com m on epic conceit
that the cos of great personages reaches to the sky (viii 74, ix 20, xix 108;
II. viii 192). O ne wonders exactly what H om er m eant by calling the sky
iron. H e also refers to it as bronze (iii 2; II. xvii 425), and the underlying
idea, as Stanford notes, m ay be that the sky is a m etal dome over the earth.
Stanford adds the interesting point that w hile bronze is the everyday metal
for concrete objects mentioned by H om er as w ould suit the Bronze A ge
period he is describing it is quite different in his im agery, w here iron is
mentioned fifteen times and bronze only four. T h e im agery reflects the
poets contem porary world, where iron is the more im portant metal.
44
B O O K XVI I 518-606
572- 3 . T h e idea returns (cf. 23 .) that the season is cold and the beggar must
take care to warm himself.
593. : a represents an unusual usage and is awkward
coupled w ith the concrete a s . T h e unm etrical variant reveals a
prosaic im pulse toward m ore norm al diction and parallel construction.
Kciva has been understood as a contrast to the 0 of 594 by
A m .eis-H en tze-C auer, Stanford, and Ebeiing, Lexicon, 744b, w ho trans
lates it and calls attention to o f T elem achus answer at
601 as supporting the contrast. T h e m eaning of w ould then be as
general as that o f , em bracing all that exists at the farm besides the
?: , as Eustathius glosses the w ord.
A n ingenious alternative to all this has been offered by M . D. Petrusevski
(</l xvi (1966), 349; xvii (1967), 103-4, 108; an(l Platon xx (1968), 289-96),
w ho w ou ld replace with the hapax *. A lthough unattested in
extant G reek, */. w as posited b y Frisk, G E W s.v. , as the inter
m ediary form on w hich the noun is built. (For Frisk s full argu
m ent see Eranos xxxviii (1940), 42; and for the extension through the suffix
\~, see Eranos xli (1943), 32.) T h e hypothetical existence of * is also
accepted b y Chantraine, Diciionnaire. Petrusevski s conjecture has been
criticized by B. G lavicic, Z& xvii (1967), 8 1-5 and xviii (1968), 9 3 -1 n , and
b y M . M arcovich, Platon x li-x lii (1969), 297-301; b u t it rem ains linguist
ically plausible and stylistically attractive, since it w ould give us a subtle
distinction between m ovable possessions (?) and im m ovable ones
(cf. the phrase , 75)
599 . ? : the verb comes from ?, ? and refers to late after
noon and early evening, the time near the setting of the sun ( ,
6o6). Stanford takes it to m ean simply having spent the afternoon (here),
and doubts a meal is involved. B ut the com m on interpretation, that the
verb means to have a light m eal between and , certainly fits
better with the action o f 602 ff.: Eum aeus takes a. seat and eats before
leaving. H e is told ? (599 )) and his immediate response is
to sit down: ? , ? .
605 - 6 . T h e sequence here gives us an im portant datum on archaic G reek
social habits: the shows that dancing and listening to poetic
recitations are typical activities for the close o f day, filling in pleasantly the
time between the early supper that suggests and the later full
evening meal, the .
45
B O O K XVIII: C O M M E N T A R Y
Book xviii is composed of six episodes. T h e first and third are long (over too
verses), the others short, T h e third (Penelopes scene) is the longest episode
and the centrepiece of the narrative structure, after w hich the action moves
m ore quickly through two short scenes to a still shorter coda in 405-28. T h e
suspicion, once widespread, that the Penelope-scene is an interpolation rests
on subjective criteria and reveals a failure to appreciate the overall design of
the book.
46
B O O K XVIII 1-8
47
COMMENTARY
48
B O O K XVI I I 8-44
49
COMMENTARY
powerless. (P. W . Rose, in Historia xxiv (1975), 12949, sees in the repeated
m ention o f gaster a sensitivity o f the poet to the feelings of a hard-working
peasantry and a political bias against the idle rich oligarchs who are
contem porary with the poem. See further at the note to 366-80.) This
garter-motif, in which Odysseus is m etonym icaliy represented by his belly
(xvii 228,559; xviii 53,364,380), reaches its culm ination at xx 25if., where a
striking and unexpected simile directly equates Odysseus with a gaster. See
further xvii 287 n.
53 . : this perfect passive participle is the only surviving form of a
verb related to , harm (Apollonius the Sophist and the scholia on vi 2
gloss with )] but initial 77- rather than - w ould be expected.
Bechtel, Lexilogus s.v., posits an A eolic , which he thinks accounts for
the retention of .
56 . : is a strange noun found only in the
accusative; and in H om er only with forms of and usually preceded
by m, to give the m eaning show favour to . H erodian {398) explained it as
the accusative o f (otherwise unattested), referring to aid ( -rijs
). H esychius glossed it with
, either truly; or favour, aid, assistance . T h e first words could
support an etym ological connection with Latin virus, O ld H igh G erm an
war, O ld Irish fir, O ld Slavic vera (belief). T h e gloss with , however,
suggests a different root *wr-, seen in O ld Icelandic voerr, friendly , O ld
H igh G erm an wari as in ala-wri, kind, and L atin se-vrus, i.e. w ithout
friendliness . T h e H om eric usage makes the second interpretation far
preferable (and cf. , xix 343). T h e root in either case is *wer-, and
H om eric m etre suggests initial digam m a, as does the persistence o f the
adjective in classical Greek: there is never elision of 1 before .
T h e use of as equivalent to in the construction with the genitive
to m ean for the sake of (Bacchylides x 2 0 -1, but not again until
Callim achus) is further evidence for favouring the second *wer- m eaning
pleasing (so Bechtel, Lexilogus s.v. , , following Jacob
Grim m ); cf. also the H esychian gloss
(briros: greatly pleasing).
60 . U p is 10: the prodigious strength of T elem achus , an
archaic-seem ing periphrasis used uniquely for this hero (but cf.
, 34 above with note). T h e formula m ay allude to a special vigour
believed to inhere in royalty (W ilamowitz, Glaube 1 2 1 -2 , considers it fitting
for T elem achus as heir to the throne). But the precise m eaning o f
remains elusive because o f the wide range of nouns attached to it in
H om eric language. M a n y of these nouns allow the standard post-Hom eric
m eaning sacred, but others m ake this sense unlikely, such as dusk
(), gate-guardians (), arm y (), band o f guards
( ), and fish (). It is generally agreed that the semantic
range of extends from sacred to vigorous, w ith the latter extending
from strong to active , the second o f these being especially apt for the
of II. xvi 407 which is being pulled from ocean onto land.
50
B O O K X V I I I 4 4- 70
Scholars have debated whether one original word can account for such
breadth of m eaning or w hether two words should be posited. T h e Sanskrit
cognate ifira- does not clarify the question since its m eaning seems also to
be broad. (See J . D uchesne-G uillem in, G r. iepc ~ skr. ifirdh in Mlanges
Boisacq (Brussels, 1937), i 333-8; P. R am at in Die Sprache viii (1962), 4-28.
It is noteworthy that the G reek form ula Upv has the Sanskrit
cognate (in form if not necessarily in m eaning) }. \ also that the
Sanskrit m eaning tends toward strong , fresh rather than sacred .) A
lengthy case for m ultiple origins was m ade by Schulze, Quaestiones, 207-16,
w ho thinks four or five different words m ay b e involved to account for the
sem antic variation, the metrical variation between i- and -, and the
shorter form . B ut recent opinion has preferred to see a single original
word: thus A , Pagliaro, Saggi di cntica semantica (M essina-Firenze, 1962),
9 3 -12 4 and esp. 10 4-7, following W ilam ow itz, Untersuchungen, 106 n. 17,
argues that lepos originally refers to the w on der w hich archaic man felt to
reside in the phenom ena o f nature and their inexplicability. T h e m eaning
sacred then w ould be the end-point rather than the beginning of the
sem antic evolution of this word, an argum ent echoed by Ram at, op. cit.
T h e opposite is argued by P. W lfing-von M aritz in Glotta xxxviii (i960),
272-307 and xxxix (1961), 24-43, and is further supported by the opinions
reached independently by Gallavotti in A C xxxii (1963), 422-3, and J. P.
Locher, Untersuchungen zu lepos hauptschlich bei Homer, diss. (Bern, 1963),
that the M ycenaean i-je-ro occurs in cultic contexts and suggests sacred as
the earliest docum ented m eaning. Gallavotti adds, however (427), that this
evidence does not suffice to invalidate the theory of a developm ent from a
general m eaning vitally vigorous to the m ore specific ritually efficacious
and finally sacred . J. T . H ooker (op. cit., n. to 34) argues w ell for ju st such
a prim ary m eaning (strong , especially as expressed.in vitality, activity, or
m otion , pp, 26-7), w hich allows him to account for all H om eric instances
except 11. xviii 504, the sacred circle (lepos ) of judgem ent seats in
the legal session depicted on A chilles shield.
H istorical-etym ological explanations, it w ould seem, must remain
inconclusive, and we m ay agree with Gallavotti (423, 427) that leps in
H om er tends toward a general elative m eaning that allows its application
to an extraordinarily wide range o f objects. T elem achus prodigious
strength, therefore, most likely makes no allusion to sacral kingship but is
sim ply a verbal gesture conferring honour on this uniquely important
character through a unique form ular com bination.
69 - 70 . A thena here reverses the changes in O dysseus physique that she had
created at xiii 430ff. T h ere she shrivelled the skin on his lim bs to give
them the strengthless, thin look of an old m an s; here, she restores the full
ness o f their flesh and m uscle. T h e large and beautiful thighs , broad
shoulders, and sturdy arm s that O dysseus reveals here in 6 7 -9 must all
be the result of A thena filling out his lim bs at 6970, w hich gives us an
exam ple of H om eric hysteron-proteron. H er actions in 6970 are m eant to
account for, rather than literally to follow, the changes of 67-9.
51
COMMENTARY
73. ?lp o s ~ A p o s: Irus non-Irus\ T h e poet and his audience enjoyed such
verbal wit, especially that w hich played with personal names. H om er s
penchant for significant and punning names is illustrated-to choose only
a few exam ples by Echetus at 85 below, O dysseus false nam e and
fathers and grandfathers nam es at xxiv 3056, Phem ius T erpiades at xxii
3301 (see note at xvii 263), the m any significant names borne by mem bers
of A lcinous court, and the fact that Irus nam e is already a punning variant
on the divine m essenger Iris. A m ore specialized kind o f nam e-play is
illustrated by Trus-nonTrus, the deliberate distortion of fam iliar names as
a sarcastic expression of hostility: cf. spoken by Hector to Paris at
11. iii 39 ==xiii 769; , Od, xix 260 = 597 = xxiii 19.
79. : this w ord is used only here and l i xiii 824, H ector rebuking
A jax, and its m eaning is problem atic. T h e Odyssey scholia and Eustathius
take the Iliadic usage to m ean rejoicing in your (oxhide) shield, as if
= 77t Tij () , an expression parallel to xvSei'
,. Eustathius believes that the Odyssey passage needs a totally different
interpretation, and suggests that here the word means either a weight
upon the earth (because Irus is fleshy) or one w ho does an oxs labou r .
H esychius and A pollonius say that a plough-ox ( ) was called
yaios or because it w orked the ground, ; hence the w ord
m ay have becom e a pejorative term for an ox-like person (so M onro).
A m e is-H e n tz e -C a u e r take it differently, as one who swaggers like a b u ll,
and LSJ, LfgrE, and Frisk, G E W , define the w ord as braggart, all under
standing the second element of the word (from ) to mean exulting .
J. Latacz, however ( Z um Wortfeld Freude in der Sprache Homers (Heidelberg,
1966), 128-30), argues w ell for the m eaning proud of rather than
rejoicing or exulting for the second element, and argues that the -
element is augmentative as it is in later Greek. T his view accords with
A pollonius gloss , one w ho bears
him self very proudly . W hatever m eaning we give to , it is likely
that - is intensive and pejorative, marking the beginning o f a trend that
becom es quite pronounced in late fifth- to fourth-century Greek. For
Aristophanes it is an augmentative abusive prefix, seen in the words
, V 1206, and , Pax 1292 (a punning reference to
Lam achus as -). Note also the verb in X en oph on
An. iv 5. 7-8, L. J. D. R ichardson in Hermathena xcv (1961), 53-65, dis
cusses - com pounds from H om er to com edy and concludes that this
prefix has not yet acquired intensive or pejorative m eaning in H om er but
had the concrete m eaning ox , so that here means clum sy or
stupid ox . B ut see L ataczs counter-argum ents, 129 n. 2.
85. : traditionally taken to be an im aginary person, whose sig
nificant nam e m eans H older (cf. H ector , also formed from , to
hold). Such a traditional figure m ay be like the familiar w icked king in
folktales w ho puts all newcomers to death. T h e scholia, however, believe
Echetus to be an historical figure, a king either of Sicily or of Epirus and
son of E chenor and Phlogea, and having a daughter called M etope or
52
B O O K XVIII 73- 11 7
53
COMMENTARY
needs for suspense and irony, referring to something uttered that can be
fully understood only b y a privileged audience, here Odysseus. T h e phrase
recurs at xx 120, again referring to O dysseus. It has long been noted
(Ebeling, Lexicon, 812 col. 1) that and largely overlap in
m eaning: cf. ii 35, B ; and Eust. 1884. 50 ff. (ad xx 120), where
the similarity o f and is m aintained in the light o f their
distinction from . H om er brings these three terms together, and adds
a fourth, , in a sustained description of an om en at xx 100-20.
119 . : the introduction of A m phinom us seems sudden, since
he has not been m entioned since xvi; but H om er does often use the bucolic
caesura as a point o f syntactic and narrative juncture. W hen the suitors in
xvi were disgruntled over the failure o f their am bush, it was A m phinom us
w ho dissuaded them from adopting A ntinous proposal that Telem achus
be m urdered outright (xvi 361-406). Here he is again introduced for a
scene o f m ajor importance, to provide a strong contrast to the suitors
wickedness. His toasting the old beggar stands out as a gesture quite the
opposite of Antinous* and Eurym achus throwing stools at him at xvii
462 ff. and xviii 394 ff. A nd w hile we are saddened at the inevitability o f the
death w hich A m phinom us does not fully merit, his situation offers a good
opportunity for H om er to add some theological and existential com
m entary (130-42) that deepens and enriches the action.
121, : a word o f confused etym ology and elusive m eaning,
probably related to at 111 above: there the suitors m ake a
toast in words, , and here A m phinom us does so with a golden
cup, , to accom pany his verbal declaration. Authorities
divide over w hether both verbs derive from & (so M onro, Homeric
Dialect, 23. 6, 24.3), or from (LSJ takes from
and from ), or from still another verb stem, originally
- and related to Sanskrit dasnti, to give homage* (so Schwyzer,
Grammatik, i 648, 697; Bechtel, Lexilogus, 96). Ghantraine, Dictionnaire,
2701, believes that no clear etym ological explanation is possible because
o f extensive conflation (for m orphological details see his Grammaire, i 317
18, 359-60, 303 n. 3), and that all these verbal forms (including 8 etvt5-
, II ix 196, w hich belongs sem antically to this group and not to
to show) share an idea that extends from offering formal greeting
with words to doing so with a cup of w ine in hand (xv 150), like our own
ritual toasts, or sim ply with a hand gesture, as at xx 197. M odern
translations unfortunately fragment this idea into particular aspects, such
as greet, pledge*, w ith a gesture*, because our m odem social interactions
lack w hat the social anthropologist, speaking o f tribal societies, notes as
the relatively great developm ent of special customs and stylized etiquette
to m ark the different roles w hich a m an or w om an is playing at any one
m om ent (M ax G luckm an, Les rites de passage , in Essays on the Ritual of
Social Relations (M anchester, 1962), 27; and cf. 24-5 for further definition of
the ritualization of social relationships).
125 - 50 . O dysseus speech to A m phinom us has often been singled out for
54
B O O K XVI I I 117- 136
com m ent upon its. philosophy of life' and theological vision. See R. B.
Rutherford, T h e Philosophy o f the O d yssey, J H S cvi (1986), 156, who
uses this speech to argue for O dysseus evolution in the course of the poem
from a reckless adventurer to a m an who has learnt the wisdom of restraint
A striking and original theoretical discussion, J . M . Redfield s T h e
Econom ic M a n , in C . A . R u bin o and C . W . Shelmerdine, edd., Approaches
to Homer (Austin, T ex., 1983), finds in this speech a perfect illustration of
the central O dyssean concern with econom ics conceived as an ethic of
struggle between labour and saving, scarcity and plenty, aim ed at develop
ing a noos to some degree independent of the day Zeus brings us, able to
confront scarcity and plenty w ithout despair or insolence .
126 . T otou . . . ir a r p o s : supply , y ou are , w hich is understood, and
rendered less necessary by the etVat w hich concludes the preceding verse.
128 . -: a w ord o f disputed etym ology and meaning. T h e most likely
derivation is from the root (p)e-n--, w hich connects this w ord to etVov and
- and suggests the m eaning very proficient in speech , a nomen agentis
parallel to . T his ancient interpretation, found in the scholia, the
Etymologicum Magnum, and Eustathius, is renewed and ably defended by
A . T . Dale, Glotia lx (1982), 205-14, w ho argues against those w ho would
translate polite, affable (based on derivation from the root *sep- o f )
and suggests further that the os of 125, indicating a virtue
norm ally manifested through proficiency in speech, is nearly synonym ous
with and anticipates the o f 128. Exam ining the only other Hom eric
use o f , xiii 332 w here A thena uses three adjectives to characterize
O dysseus (, , ), D ale m akes a plausible
connection betw een and A th en a s com m ending O dysseus skill at
at iii 298; she then interprets the closely related but problem atic
of xxi 306 as the conversation that is the norm al com ponent o f a
banquet, as described at xxi 290-1.
130 . : this unusual w ord occurs only at v 217, viii 169 (each
referring to etSos), and here, always a com parative in form, with the
apparent m eaning feeble or slight . A pollon ius Lexicon glosses it
cpov, w eaker , for this passage, cTcAearcpa, less noteworthy , for
v 217; both H esychius and E M gloss y, and Hesychius adds
evTcAis; while the scholia gloss it as more patient or more enduring ,
. It does not reappear in G reek until the Hippocratic
corpus (Praec. 8, Nat.Puer. 30), where $ seems to m ean w eak (and
one M S at Praec. 8 reads daevjjs).
133 . : this w ord has a wide range o f meanings, from the more physical
prowess, m anliness , to the more general idea o f prosperity or success.
Either m eaning w ould fit here; but the habits of H om eric style m ake the
following words, mi -, and his knees have spring in them ,
most likely a gloss or expansion o f the statement so long as the gods give
\ so that m ost likely means physical prowess.
136 - 7. T h e o f hum ans here m eans their disposition or cast o f m ind. Cf.
i 3, 77- S . . . , with S. W ests note, and Solon fr.
55
COMMENTARY
56
B O O K XVI II 136-152
sim ply because the gods bring to pass evils for him S t c
r e X e o a ta t, 134 N o attention is given to what misdeeds the m an
m ight have com m itted to bring these evils on himself. B ut w hen O dysseus
now turns to specifics and uses his own case to illustrate his point (
, 138), he introduces a m oral causality by adm itting he acted badly
(' pe^a, 139), having acted as if, in our m odern idiom, m ight
makes right ( } , 139) Such a m oralized schem e is
necessary as foundation for his judgem ent on the suitors, introduced by
. . . e b j , 141, and then given specific focus b y o l a begin
ning 143. T h e repetition o f in 143 equates their violations with
those of 139 which we were told led to the beggars downfall. It is
interesting that this moral cosmic m odel o f justice can coexist with the
relatively amoral one of 132-40; archaic thought was less troubled by
logical contradiction than is our own thinking. W e are justified in seeing in
this im portant speech of Odysseus one o f the first examples of early G reek
speculative thought striving to articulate a morally justifiable theodicy. For
an excellent exam ple o f this double theodicy see Clay, Wrath, 227-9, w ho
suggests that O dysseus shift to the more ethical conception is motivated by
his wish.to encourage A m phinom us to leave.
144 - 7. Note how as the argum ent moves from the general principle to the
problem at hand the im pending danger of a confrontation between the
suitors and an angry, returned O dysseus the relation of sentence-
structure and phrase-pattern to verse boundaries is altered. T h e normative
tendency for the verse-end to correspond with the end of a sentence or
clause (visible in the fact that m ost lines are printed w ith some punctuation
at the end) here yields to a series o f varied enjam bm ents:(144-5 /
, possessive genitive; 1456 . . . -^, com plem entary
infinitive; 14 6 -7, oe /' , completion with verb
phrase after both subject and object have been expressed). T h e final two
verses o f O dysseus w arning also show gram matical enjambment.
151 - 2 . O dysseus com pletes the conventional, even ritual, sequence of acts
begun with A m ph inom us toast at 121. T h ere A m phinom us address to
the beggar, containing a wish for his future success ( ) , is framed
within the pattern of a formal toast ( ); here, the
beggars response continues an im portant ritual pattern designed to
involve the gods power in fulfilling hum an wishes: mev, he pours
the gods a libation, then drinks from the cup over which the wish was first
pronounced, then returns the cup to the donor. T he modern reader needs
to appreciate this ritual sequence in its full formal structure in order to
realize how it succeeds in giving special strength to the theological vision of
forthcom ing retribution revealed in the speech (130-50; note esp. 149-50)
that it serves to frame. Benveniste, Le Vocabulaire des institutions indo-
europeennes (Paris, 1969), ii 2 11 -1 2 , discussing libations, stresses that their
purpose is always that of protecting someone engaged in a dangerous
enterprise (cf. X erxes libation at H dt. vii 54). O dysseus is then reinforcing
his verbal w arning with a w arning conveyed through ritual gesture.
57
COMMENTARY
58
B O O K X VI I I 158-164
m anaging it badly; and at 381-3 she earns O dysseus respect for her clever
m anipulation.
160 . : there is a tradition o f translating m ight flutter (so M onro,
LSJ s.v. ) which has, however, no basis in the Greek, and m ay
derive from an early confusion of (Latin p a t e o ) expand with
(Latin peto) to fly. T h u s the scholia gloss .
, , all o f which assume that has a
m eaning similar to Sappho s 8 v , 31. 6 L - P . But
here means she w ould enlarge or open u p the suitors spirit, the
m etaphor being to expand it with a new influx of strong emotion.
W ilam owitz, Heimkehr, 19 n. 1, explains the metaphor as that of opening
up a door.
163 . : literally, useless, bu t here usually understood as inappropri
ate , pointless , perhaps describing w hat w e call an embarrassed laugh.
T h e com m on-sense reading is that H om er uses this unusual word to show
that Penelope is uncom fortable with the bold impulse planted in her by the
goddess (so Hlscher, U n t e r s u c h u n g e n , 62). A full discussion of the difficulty
in ascertaining the exact sense of is given by Bchner, Penelopes
zenen, 14 1-3 .
M ore recently, D . B. Levine, Penelope s Laugh: Odyssey 18. 163, A JP h
civ (1983), 172-80, citing m any places in G reek literature w here laughter
accom panies deception, argues that this laugh expresses the queen s
confidence in and appreciation of her own trickery regarding the suitors.
J. S. Clay, H om eric to , A JP h cv (1984), 73-6, accepts this inter
pretation and attempts to supply the linguistic argum ent that Levine lacks,
deriving from the H om eric expression otlS rt ore (^e) , which
she translates as it does not befit you (me) . She then translates as
inappropriate to ones character , uncharacteristic , a m eaning she argues
w ould also suit the that describes Thersites look at 11. ii 269 (the
only other H om eric occurrence o f this word). W hile the sense m ay be
attractive for the characterization o f a m ore assertive Penelope than critics
custom arily allow, C la y s proposed derivation is less so. Since the nouns
/ m ean need and not appropriateness or characteristic , it
seems strained to find this second m eaning by an idiomatic extension o f
ov8e rt , lit. y ou ought not or you need not, to mean it is
uncharacteristic o f yo u , and then to apply the m eaning characteristic
back to the root -.
T h e exact m eaning of , then, m ust remain elusive. T h e word is
best analysed as not needed (LfgrE) and understood as indicating either
the em barrassm ent or discomfort described above, or perhaps a laugh that
is unnecessary or forced because it is feigned, Penelopes purpose being
. either to offer a lighthearted fasade to Eurynom e or to get herself into
character for the superior tone she is preparing to adopt toward the suitors
and her son.
164 - 5 . Since A th en a has put this unusual urge in Penelope, the queen has to
explain her surprising decision to Eurynom e with n ye to stress
59
COMMENTARY
60
I
B O O K XVI I I 164-194
have less force today than they used to. A nd the scene is one of H om ers
finest.
175- 6 . It is not im m ediately apparent to us although it must be to
Penelope that Eurynom e is alluding to O dysseus instructions when he
.left for T ro y, which Penelope will quote verbatim at 257-70.
178 - 84 . Penelope is retreating now from the m om entary and unnatural
boldness inspired by Athena. H er norm al diffidence and sense of vulner
ability in the face of the suitors reassert themselves: she needs the support
ing presence of her familiar attendants.
179 . : most o f this verse is quoted by Apollonius, Lex., 23 (s.v.
), but with and . W ackernagel, Unter*
suchungen, 74 [234], calls a quite recent addition , but this is
relative chronology and does not necessarily deny H om eric authorship.
190 . : a hapax for the usual . $ most often scanned
as if we had a scribal transformation o f the original (the same is
true of ecus); but here it is ^ . Som e have seen in this rarity the sort of
irregularity that w ould help condem n the entire lengthy scene (158-303),
but this datum is scarcely com pelling. T h e facts are that and '?
appear as , and ^ . T h e iam bic form is the least frequent and clearly
late (such quantitative m etathesis is one of the latest linguistic innovations
in H om eric G reek; see Hoekstra, Modifications, 3 1-4 1); but late is only a
relative term and need not m ean post-Hom eric. Hoekstra follows M eister,
Kunstsprache, 163-4, *n assum ing that quantitative metathesis was already
present in the dialect of the epic singers; thus the passage under con
sideration is most likely to belong to the latest stages of the Odyssey's
composition. Insofar as the enhancem ent o f Penelope and her appearance
before the suitors is a tightly constructed scene o f fine descriptive detail and
dram atic power added to the basic story line, w e may with good reason
think of it as H om er s own em bellishm ent upon the traditional tale.
191 . : an irregular form for , the epic third-plural aorist
optative. Page, eager to em phasize its oddness and the linguistic un-
orthodoxy of this episode, calls it a m onster (Odyssey, 133 n. 27), and
Shipp quotes this judgem ent (Studies, 345). B ut the contraction of
disyllabic -- to single -- is not so monstrously odd: see Chantraine,
Grammaire, i 30, w ho notes that two vowels of the same tim bre present a
favourable case for contraction. T h u s, w hile the forms and
are norm al, w e do find also the rare , II. xix 95, and due, Od. xi 61;
and the form is always found contracted (from an original *).
Since also has an original digam m a (stem 0ape-) the contraction
from to is not really surprising.
192 . ' : an irregular pi. generated as if from a sing, . Cf.
the similar dat. pi. at II. vii 212. Such a formation suggests the
spontaneously created neologism of the oral poet, relying on his ear rather
than on conscious gram m atical rules.
194 . : by this w ord w e see that the rdAAet o f 192, continued in the
relative o f 193, is envisaged by the poet as a concrete object, a sort of
61
COMMENTARY
divine beauty cream. T his is the only instance of having this m ean
ing, a semantic hapax. A n alternative, metaphorical interpretation is
conceivable, but unlikely in view of (192) w hich suggests literal
cleansing, as in the famous A dornm ent o f H era5 at II. xiv 170 fr., w here we
find a m ore explicit statement with dirt, , as the object of .
195 . : W ilam owitz speaks for m any w ho have erroneously
condem ned this w ord as an awkward transfer o f male standards of beauty
to a female context ( Untersuchungen, 31 n. 2). B ut size was a com ponent of
female beauty for the Greeks, as noted b y Pasquali, Terzepaging stravaganti
(Florence, 194.2), 14 1-2 , n. 2; K . Jax, Die Weibliche Schnheit in der
Griechischen Dichtung (Innsbruck, 1933), 9 with the references in notes 537;
W. J. Verdenius, in Mnemosyne iv (1949), 294-5; and M . T reu , Von Homer
zu Lynk (M unich, 1955), 35-52, especially p. 51 w here W ilam ow itz is
refuted concerning this very verse.
196 . v: whiteness is the conventional attribute of w om en s skin,
both in the H om eric world and later in the archaic and classical periods.
H om er repeatedly uses the epithet Aeu/cwAevos o f Hera, Androm ache,
Helen, Arete, Nausicaa, and various female attendants; and the arms o f
A phrodite and of Penelope are white in the conventional formula
A (II. v 314, Od. xxiii 240). G reek vase painting of the eighth and
seventh centuries represents w om ens skin as white and m ens as reddish-
brown: see J. D. Beazley and B. A shm ole, Greek Sculpture and Painting to the
End of the Hellenistic Penod (Cam bridge, 1932), 6 -7 , 23; J. D. Beazley, The
Development of Attic Black Figure (Berkeley, 1951), i ; E . Buschor, Griechischen
Vasen (M unich, 1940), 67; E. Irwin, Colour Terms in Greek Poetry (Toronto,
1974), 112 -14 . It should be noted that this stereotyping begins as early as
M inoan palace painting. M . T reu, op. cit. 52, 75-6 , stresses that w hite skin
for w om en and dark skin for m en (cf. Od. xvi 175) are aesthetic ideals in
H om eric epic; but he notes that w hite skin is often attributed to heroes
also, citing Jax, op. cit. 3 1-2 , n. 131, w ho suggests, no doubt rightly, that in
such cases the poet is em phasizing the vulnerability o f the heros skin,
? : ivory is m entioned six times in the Odyssey as a
material used by craftsmen in decoration, and again twice as the material
of w hich the gates of deceptive dreams are made, at xix 5634. Cf. the note
there for the possible symbolism of the substance ivory. In the Iliad, ivory is
m entioned only at iv 141 and v 583. See Lorim er, Monuments, 507, who
finds the higher frequency in the Odyssey a sign of its later com position; and
further in M . T reu, Philologus ic (1955), 149-58.
202 . Penelope will repeat this wish for death by Artem is arrow at xx 6 iff.,
80. Artem is is regularly a bringer of gentle death with her painless arrows,
usually for w om en as at xi 172-3, 198-9, 324, xv 478; and once for a m an,
the death of O rion described at v 12 1-4 . N orm ally men receive the same
gentle death from Apollo, as at iii 279-80, II. xxiv 758-9. A t Od. xv 4 10 -1 1
Artem is and A pollo jointly bring such a death to the elderly. Penelope s
im m ediate association of sleep w ith death is not surprising, since they are
established in H om eric thought as close kin: at II xiv 231 they are called
62
r
B O O K X V I I I 194-234
brothers' and at xvi 682, twin brothers . Gf. Hes. Op. 116, Th. 212; and Th.
756-66 for a description o f their kinship and contrasting attributes. T heir
similarity is a com m onplace throughout all literature and all metaphoric
thinking, appearing as early as the Gilgam esh epic, where the hero fails
U tnapishtim s sleep test and thereby fails to evade mortality.
209- 10. A physical attitude that is characteristic of Penelope throughout the
epic (i 3334, xvi 4 15 -16 , xxi 645), and m ay be seen as the outer
manifestation of an inner attitude o f m ind. As A . A m ory notes ( TCS xx
(1966), 55-6), Penelope tends to look at things only intermittently, to look
away from that which is im portant for her to perceive (cf. xix 478, xxiii 106-
7). From these observations A m ory builds a suggestive contrast of the
difference between O dysseus and Penelope in the w ay they look at, and
deal with, the w orld around them. A different interpretation is given by
H . Haalth, Gymnasium lxvi (1959), 374-80, who argues that her gesture is
one o f holding the veil away from her face.
212. : the knee joints are a critically vulnerable point of the
body in the H om eric conception o f m an as a psychosom atic totality. Just as
ones peak of vigour and self-confidence was expressed in the phrase
), the knees have spring (above, 133), so one s being over
w helm ed by strong em otion is also depicted in the effect upon the knees,
which in this case go slack. In the Iliad the knees are m ade slack or loose in
num erous passages as the result of a deadly w ound or intense fear. In the
Odyssey this is a com m on reaction to fear (iv 703, v 297, 406, xxii 68, et al.),
but the present passage is un ique and achieves a powerful effect in
attributing the cause to the power o f eros. For detailed docum entation of
the knees as a special seat of strength and spiritual, force, see Onians,
Ongins, 174~ 97 *
213 . : to lie beside (h er), in bed . T h e is adverbial,
not a preposition, w hile is locatival. T his line = i 366, describing
the suitors reaction to Penelope the first time in the epic that they see her.
224 . : pv, found only here in Greek, means a dragging
about and derives from , to pull about, m altreat , a frequentative
form of ipvw , to drag, p u li . O dysseus uses jo in ed with the
equally expressive at xvi 1089, and T elem achus at xx 3 18 -19
(a verbatim repetition), to criticize the suitors m altreatment of guests and
servant w om en, an im portant emphasis o f this section of the story.
234 . : the fight did not turn out according to the w ill (or
wish) of the suitors , that is, T elem achus im putes to them an initial prefer
ence for Irus, w hich has m ade critics uncom fortable because they cannot
find it in the text of the earlier scene. T h e suitors seem impartial, as
Stanford and earlier commentators note; but w e m ust rem em ber that
T elem achus sees things from the viewpoint of his fathers interests. Despite
the suitors words, they clearly expected the younger, stronger-seeming
Irus to defeat the old m an (until the relevation o f O dysseus physique at
67-74); and w e m ust recall that O dysseus feels it necessary to extract an
oath that they w ill not intervene on Irus side (55-8). W e m ust also note
63
COMMENTARY
that Telem achus makes this statement, with its em phatic explanatory
rot, in the context of a com plaint about the suitors hostile intentions
(ot'Se ), and he goes on to identify them with Irus in his
prophetic wish (235-42) that they be physically undone ju st like him. It is
natural, then, for Telem achus, who knows the beggar s identity and views
the suitors as his fathers antagonists, to im pute to them a stronger wish for
his father s defeat than they actually had. This interpretation keeps to the
usual translation of as w ill, with an etym ology that connects it either
with or with Sanskrit i to w ish . In view o f the scholias gloss
and H esychius : , it
is difficult to accept L eum an n s argum ent, Wrter, 127-33, that the basic
m eaning o f is hostility or anger, for w hich he finds support in
H esychius and.in the possibility that hostility m ight better suit a
few of the other H om eric contexts (notably II. v 874). But his proposed
etym ology, a false division of into , does not convince.
238 . X cXGto : earlier at 212 the suitors knees were m ade
slack by the force o f , a unique combination in H om eric epic. H ere we
are back to the more conventional agency of a mortal w ound slackening the
limbs. T h e former passage and the present one a m ere w ish both fore
shadow the inevitable slaughter o f the suitors, w hose knees and heart w ill
go slack ( ) for the last time at xxii 68 as they face their death.
246 . : ancient commentators are agreed in understanding
this phrase as denoting the Peloponnese, since the phrase
refers to a very large region, apparently all or most o f the Peloponnese, at i
344, iv 726, 816, xv 80. Argos is called Tason after the nam e of its legendary
K in g Iasos, identified as the son o f Io by the scholia and as her father by
A pollodorus (ii 1. 30) and Pausanias (ii 16. 1). Since Io is the m ythical
founder of the Ionian race, we have in the unusual phrase ,
which occurs only here, the trace o f an old tradition that w ould describe
the early inhabitants and rulers o f Argos as Ionian . Stanford points out
that attempts to connect Iason with la s, the term for Tonic, are
linguistically and historically unsatisfactory . But there is evidence for
believing in an early Ionian settlement in Argos or the Peloponnese in the
statements of Herodotus (vii 94) and Pausanias (ii 37. 3) that the people of
A rgos (Achaia) and of Athens used to speak the same language before the
Dorian invasion. Furthermore, the decipherm ent o f M ycenaean has given
us a picture o f an A chaean linguistic unity at an earlier period than was
form erly believed. J. Chadw ick, T h e G reek Dialects and G reek Pre
history, in The Language and Background of Homer, ed. G . S. Kirk
(Cam bridge, 1964), 7-18 , shows that we can explain the ancient tradi
tion that puts Ionians in the Peloponnese by accepting Ionian as the nam e
for a branch of the M ycenaean ruling class, i.e. w hat they called themselves
and were called by others. H e supports this theory w ith W . Brandenstein s
observations (Festschrift Debrunner (Bern, 1954), 66-70) that the H ebrew
Tavan designated the G reek settlements on the south coast of Asia M inor
Rhodes, Pam phylia, and C yp ru s w hich were M ycenaean colonies. T h e
64
B O O K XVI I I 234-264
M ycenaeans real nam e, then, w ould have been Japove? (cf. /dove? at II,
xiii 685) and they inhabited 'Ionian Argos, which is w hat Iason Argos must
mean.
247 . : sc a n n e d ---- , taking -eo- as long b y synizesis. Such m ono
syllabic pronunciation of the vowel com binations eo, ea, eoo is not
unusual: see the discussion of M on ro, Homeric Dialect, 351 (cf. also 55,87).
It is a com m on Ionic feature to contract eo to eu, as in /xe, uev, rev, and
so perhaps here w as in effect ?.
251 - 3 . Cf. 18 0 -1, xix 124-6.
260 . : scanned wherever it occurs in Hom er, an
irregularity that has been 'regularized5 because it is localized as a line
ending form ulaic word and therefore must be pronounced with long d metri
gratia (five occurrences in the Odyssey,plus v 27; ten occur
rences in the Iliad, plus three times, xxi 561).
263 . : 'riders on chariots with swift-footed
horses . T h e use o f horses m etonym ically to m ean horse-drawn chariot
is a com m on H om eric idiom , so that is to m ount a chariot.
Cf. II. viii 128-9: \ , S
. : although this is the reading o f all M SS, M o n ro s of re
has found w idespread acceptance (Ruijgh, re pique, 4.32). Such a use o f re
w ith noun or pronoun to express an essential or perm anent characteristic
o f a person or thing is com m on to epic diction, and w ell described by
Chantraine, Grammaire, ii 239ff-, and Denniston, Particles, 520-3.
264 . : this phrase (with -f- in ) is found eight
times in H om er, w hile (short -t-) occurs three more times m odify
ing veiKos, , and , plus once in the; hym ns (A. Ven. 244).
M eaning and etym ology o f have been contested since A pollon ius
Lexicon, w here it is reported that som e gram marians equate the w ord with
, but A pollonius glosses it as . L e a fs Iliad,
Com m entary ad iv 315, takes it as a separate word from , with
irregular metrical lengthening; and M o n ro s suggestion that
replaces an original to (the variant is
attested in all eight occurrences of this formula) is repeated by LSJ at the
end of an entry that begins b y calling an Epic adjective of
uncertain m eaning5. A n etym ology relating to / w ould
. allow the m eaning the same for all, im partial , w hich suits the sense o f all
H om eric instances; but it w ould fail to explain both how gained the
extra syllable to becom e , and w h y the iota is m ost often long. A n
ingenious solution is proposed by A . Athanassakis (RMus cxix (1976), 47),
w ho suggests w e have a com pound o f and the root pt/fi of pis, piepcu,
L atin vis, etc. T h e steps w ould be * + pi + yo + i> as the
intervocalic digam m a and yod disappeared. T h e etym ological meaning,
forcing to the same place, suits all H om eric instances adm irably (but not
Hesiod Op. 182, where, as Athanassakis notes, no? is used as if a
synonym of ), and A thanassakis proposed translation, 'levelling5,
matches the intuition of both Stanford (who understood miAepo? as the
65
COMMENTARY
66
B O O K XVI II 264-301
67
COMMENTARY
68
B O O K XVI I I 296-346
69
COMMENTARY
G reek incarnation of the Trickster figure found in all the folklore and
m ythology of the world, a figure w hose nature is, mysteriously, both to give
and to receive pain and hum iliating treatment. (T he classic study is
P. Radin, The Trickster (LondonN ew Y ork, 1956).)
350 . : note how often laughter has been directed against O dysseus in
this book: 35, 4 0 ,10 0 ,111,3 2 0 , an d here. T h e other m ajor concentration of
laughter is in xx (346,347,358,374, 390), describing the abnorm al laughter
A th en a inspires in the suitors, a reversal and horrible parody o f their earlier
laughter at O dysseus. It is w orth noting that laughter in the H om eric world
is usually hostile, at the expense o f one of the characters; and it is twice as
frequent in the Odyssey as in the Iliad. A gain we may suspect a latent
connection to the archetypal Trickster figure, am ong whose chief
characteristics are the stimulation o f laughter and an ironic mode.
353- 5 . T h e connection in thought is not at first sight obvious. Eurym achus,
seeking to be ironic at O dysseus expense, pretends to voice the traditional
sentiment expressed by the suitors earlier at xvii 483-5, that gods go am ong
m en in disguise. But then abruptly (with , just so , stressing the
connection) he turns to m ocking the idea of a divine presence, asserting
that the light apparently radiating from Odysseus (cf. 317, 343-4) must
com e from his bald head. Since H om er has been giving increasing
emphasis to the sym bolic equation of light - victory (see note to 31719),
the attem pted irony he puts in the m outh of Eurym achus turns around and
becom es an irony at the suitors expense.
357 . : to be a \ a hired day-labourer, the lowest position in
the social order (Finley, World, 534, 71). W hen the ghost of A chilles in
H ades is searching for a point o f com parison to explain to O dysseus that
even the lowest social role on earth is preferable to ruling over all the dead,
he uses the life of a as his com parison (xi 488-91).
359 . xe : here means to collect, gather, but
rem ains obscure and its etym ology unknown. T h e scholia think
it m eans a fence m ade of small stones or fragments; M onro, 287, compares
the later G reek toAoyoj, builder . T h e phrase probably describes a
technique for building a dry w all5, i.e. w ithout mortar, b y collecting small
stones (so P. K . Buttm ann, Lexilogus (London, 1846), para. 78.8; Stanford,
ad loc., w ho notes similar construction in the Irish and English country
side). A divergent tradition is that originally m eant thorn-hedge
and later, via the m ore general m eaning hedge, barrier , cam e to be trans
ferred to walls m ade o f stone (so Eust. 1851. 30 ff.). B ut there is no evidence
in extant G reek for this theory (Eustathius gives a folk-etymology from
, since thorns cause bleeding), and the occurrences o f at in
H erodotus (i 19 1,116 9 ,13 8 ; and cf. Eustathius 1851. 25-30) clearly denote
walls o f stone.
362- 4 . T h ese identical verses were used by A ntinous attacking O dysseus at
xvii 226-8.
366- 80 . A n am azingly bold speech for a beggar to m ake to a noblem an!
Im plicit in the statement is the social ideal that one should be both a good
70
B O O K XVI II 346-402
warrior and good at peasant tasks, perhaps a folk m otif from the tradition of
the little people as opposed to the ruling class, according to W . Donlan,
T h e T radition of Anti-Aristocratic T h o u g h t in E arly G reek Poetry,
Histona xxii (1973), 153. Cf. H . Strasburger, Gymnasium xl (1953), 9 7-114 ,
who sees the peasant viewpoint perm eating both H om eric epics, but also
notes that m anual labour and agricultural w ork are often attributed to
m em bers of royal families (104). Both Donlan and P. W . Rose, Class
A m bivalence in the Odyssey', Histona xxiv (1975), 129-49, argue well for a
peasant-oriented, anti-aristocratic tradition, essentially Hesiodic, that
determines the favourable emphasis on the lower-class figures of the
Odyssey and the very negative portrait of the suitors. H. M nding, Hesiods
Erga in Verhltnis zur Ilias (Frankfurt, 1959), 12-96, sees this Hesiodic
tradition as self-consciously anti-aristocratic, and our Odyssey passage
suggests that such a tradition was already well-established in two different
literary genres b y the late eighth century. T h e pts of 366 recalls
H esiod s concern, at Op. 11-2 6 , to add to the single pis o f Th. 225 the
second, beneficial pis o f competitive striving that stimulates people to
work, . . . (Op. 20).
384- 6 , A vivid picture, similar in its hyperbolic im agery to the language of
M elanthius attack on O dysseus at xvii 230-2, but m uch m ore offensive
since directed at a social superior. Eurym achus violent reaction is not
surprising or excessive, given such provocation. T h e cow ardice im puted to
this suitor in the hypothetical situation o f O dysseus return is in fact contra
dicted when the hypothesis becom es reality at xxii 44-78: Eurym achus
exhibits com m endable bravery. (See especially xxii 73,
, with Fernndez-G aliano s note on this Iliadic phrase.)
394 - 8 . T h is hurling a stool at O dysseus repeats the sim ilar incident at xvii
462 ff. w here it is A ntinous w ho hits him with a stool. A third use o f this
same m otif is at xx 299ff., w here Ctesippus throws an oxs hoof, which
misses O dysseus and harm lessly hits against a wall. T h e repeated insults
and stool-throwing are discussed b y H . Reynen, in Hermes lxxxv (1957),
129-46, w ho argues, against the earlier G erm an analytic tradition, that this
incident in xviii is developed from the earlier incident in xvii. A significant
structure and progression in the throwing-scenes is noticed by Fenik,
Studies, 180-4: the first cast hits O dysseus, the second misses and hits a
retainer, and the third is most ineffective o f all and harm lessly hits a wall.
T h u s the suitors are depicted as growing increasingly powerless, w hile the
criticism w hich their hostility evokes grows stronger and stronger (compare
T elem achus criticism at xviii 405-9 to his even more powerful statement at
xx 304-19).
402 . : the M S S has been displaced in all m odern editions
b y this variant, w hich schol. H asserts w as the reading o f all , . This
at is generally accepted as Aristarchus observation based on the M SS
available to him (so M onro, 432-3; bu t Ludw ich, A H T 119, thinks it refers
only to a majority o f the earlier editions known to Aristarchus, and included
his own editions) and so has regularly been taken to be an easy
71
COMMENTARY
corruption that spread to all the now extant codices. B u t those w ho follow
Aristarchus overlook the fact that elsewhere in G reek always
means to change the position of something, and so this alleged H om eric
usage w ould constitute a semantic hapax. O n the other hand
com m only means to let loose as if from a restraining leash, as
, A . Th. 79, and also can refer to letting sound fly forth, as in E.
Hipp. 499, . . . , id. 1202 ; S. O T 784,
^ , and the description o f shouting (in Persian) at H dt. vi 29,
. T h e object cAaSv w ould therefore fit quite
well with (so van der Valk, Textual Criticism, 159), despite Stan
fords claim that it hardly makes adequate sense ; and I believe that we
must distrust the scholiasts allegation of universal testimony for ,
and should return to the reading of the vulgate.
403- 4 . M onro suggested that these two lines contained an imitation,
perhaps a parody, o f II. 5746, w here Hephaestus intervenes to calm the
argum ent between Zeus and Hera, pointing out that they should not spoil
the divine feast b y quarrelling over mortals: vvv nepi -
w ould echo piSatverov, and the clausula of
403 plus all of 404 is identical to the clausula of 575 plus all of 576. Certainly
the language is very close, but the assumption o f deliberate imitation or
parody belongs to the world of written epic, self-consciously literary and
evocative o f its predecessors, as Vergil or Apollonius Rhodius consciously
allude to Hom er. Such a specific and subtle Iliadic allusion here w ould be
foreign to the style o f oral epic, even the polished and carefully com posed
oral epic of H om er. Instead, w e should assume that similar thoughts tend
to find similar, and often identical, expression. T hese two lines are,
however, significant for another reason: they underline an im portant
developm ent in the narrative, show ing em phatically how the low ly beggar
w ho entered the palace early in xvii has becom e a m ajor presence in the
household, an important force for the suitors to contend with.
406- 7. . . . t is : this is one of the earliest
clear instances of madness, , explained as divine interference, a view
that was to becom e com m on in the classical period and is discussed at
length in Plato s Phaedrus, 2443-2450 (where and are
joined etym ologically, 244c 15). E. R. D odds, The Greeks and the Irrational
(BerkeleyLos Angeles, 1951), 67, noting that the idea o f possession is
largely absent in H om er although slight traces of it are found in the
Odyssey, cites the word (327 above) as such an oblique
reference; the present verses, however, w ould have served him as better
evidence. Further discussion of madness (primarily its absence) in H om er
in B. Simon, M ind and Madness in Ancient Greece (Ithaca, N Y , and London,
1978), 6 5 -7 1.
408 . : either an im perative or the future indicative used to
express a m ilder, m ore polite com m and. M onro argues for the future both
here and in 419 below (see note there), and the m ore polite form certainly
accords better with 409.
72
B O O K XVI I I 402-428
408 - 21 . T elem achus m akes his strongest assertion yet of his right to
com m and in his own house, and the suitors are am azed at his new bold
ness (4 10 -11). T h e intervention here o f A m phinom us, the best of the
suitors, recalls his intervention at xvi 394-406 to dissuade the others from
the m urder of Telem achus, and suggests that a hostile clash between
T elem achus and the suitors is a possible outcom e of the high temper
displayed in this scene. W e recall that A thena incited this development
(346-8 above), and only now do we see the full consequences of her instiga
tion: the latent tension in the household o f O dysseus continues to grow,
with the presence of the beggar a m ajor catalyst.
410 . : literally fastening into their lips with their
teeth5, a most vivid expression to show the degree o f the suitors anger,
w hich they must bite their lip5 (to use our m odem idiom) to keep from
expressing openly. T h is striking phrase occurs again only at xx 268, when
T elem achus5 assertion o f his prerogatives grows still bolder and the suitors
react similarly. For a full discussion o f lip-biting5 and the broader issue of
facial and non-verbal com m unication as depicted in H om er, see
D. Lateiner, T eeth in H om er5, L C M xiv (1989), 18-23.
414 . c m : the original digam m a is preserved in the scansion
m. : as Stanford notes ad xiv 90, refers to the
custom ary5 or proper5 thing rather than to w hat is ju st . Cf. the m eaning
of at xix 43, 168.
419 . : as noted at 408, M onro argued for future indicative as
the likely form here (see his Homme Dialect, 297, for examples o f
introducing the future tense); but in his note to xiv 532 he concedes that
H om eric usage w ould give us to expect a subjunctive after (cf. xix 17),
and so we m ay have here a short-vowel subjunctive f the aorist e/ma
(H esychius preserves the infinitive in his gloss ). For
the possible subjunctive form, see Chantraine, Grammaire, i 453.
423 . : the schema etymologicum as at 361 (
), xix 72 (' ) and 92 ( ).
428 . $ : here, as earlier at xiii 17, the context allows the possibility
that w e have a desideratme form of the verb, with loss of the characteristic
sigma (Chantraine, Grammaire, i 453). O n the them atic level, it is note
worthy that thirteen o f the twenty-four books o f the Odyssey conclude with
the actors going to bed, passing the night, or m eeting the dawn. Such a
closing cadence5 suggests that m any of our book-divisions represent units
of narrative performance, and to speculate further that this perform
ance took place in the evening, serving the audience (unconsciously) as a
preparation for going to bed.
73
BO O K XIX: CO M M E N TAR Y
Book xix displays a carefully arranged structure, w hich includes two scenes
showing the closing of the distance betw een O dysseus and Penelope and two
scenes of a similar m ovem ent involving O dysseus and Eurycleia. T h e first two
are balanced on either side of the second two, giving an A B B A pattern. A t the
very centre o f this structure is the digression on O dysseus scar, which
extends the sym m etrical pattern to A B C B A . T hese are the final five scenes of
the book. T h e y are preceded by two short scenes: Odysseus and T elem achus
plan the removal of the weapons, then M elantho enters and rebukes
O dysseus, for which she is herself rebuked by Penelope. T h e seven scenes
m ay be sum m arized as follows.
1. 152. O dysseus and T elem achus plan the removal of the weapons from
the m ain hall (anticipated at xvi 281-98).
2. 53 _ 95 Penelope enters the hall (for the interview proposed by the
beggar at sunset, xvii 582-4); her serving m aids as they leave her
encounter the beggar, w hom M elantho reviles. O dysseus answers in
kind, drawing the attention o f the queen w ho intervenes to chide
M elantho.
3- 96-316. L en gthy interview between the beggar and the queen. H e gives
three descriptions o f O dysseus. Penelope weeps at the first and second,
and upon hearing the third firmly declares that she knows Odysseus will
not return.
4. 3 17-9 3. Penelope turns to the maids and orders them to bathe the
beggar and prepare his bed. H e refuses to be bathed by the servants,
unless there is an old wom an w ho has suffered as he has. Eurycleia is
sum m oned, com m ents on his similarity to Odysseus, begins to bathe
him, and notices the scar.
5 393~406. A flashback to the boar hunt, theri further back to the birth
and nam ing of O dysseus, then back to the boar hunt and his w ounding.
6. 467-507. O dysseus is recognized by Eurycleia; he threatens her and
swears her to silence.
7. 508-604. A nother lengthy exchange between Odysseus and Penelope,
based on a developing intim acy and trust. In three speeches, she
com pares herself to the nightingale and then tells him of her dream of
the eagle slaying her geese; she disparages her dream s obvious inter
pretation by applying the typology of horn and ivory, and then turns to
the idea of setting an archery contest to decide w hich suitor will win her;
she com m ents on the unavoidability o f sleep, wishes they could
continue conversing all night, and decides it is time to retire.
1- 50 . T h e plan to remove the arms to prevent the suitors from using them in
the forthcoming fight was conceived earlier at xvi 281-98 (xix 5 -1 3 = xvi
74
B O O K X IX 1 - 1 3
286-94). W hen such repetitions were suspect, before the H om eric style was
appreciated as an oral style, critics used to debate over which passage was
original and which interpolated. R ecent critics tend to defend the
authenticity of both: Erbse, Beitrge, 3 -4 1; Bona, Studi, 13 1-4 1 (who
thinks, however, that xvi 295-8 m ay be interpolated); Stanford, 315
(defending linguistic and them atic details against M onro's objections).
T here are two inconsistencies: the anticipation in xvi that the suitors will
notice the absent arms and ask about them never in fact comes to pass; and
O dysseus directions there to reserve two swords, spears, and shields are
never again referred to. I understand both anticipations in xvi to be
precautions against w hat O dysseus thinks is likely to happen. W hile such
anticipations are usually fulfilled in Hom eric narrative, their non-
fulfilment is not a serious blem ish. T h e narrative reveals the characterist
ically oral tendency to achieve detailed vividness for the im m ediate
moment, at the expense of total consistency with w hat preceded Or will
follow, so long as enough time intervenes so that these inconsistencies do
not force themselves on the listeners attention by their proximity (cf. the
inconsistency noted at xvii 160-1). Kirk, Songs, 242-4, explains this
passage by assum ing that the poet m ade small changes in his narrative
plan as he went along, and a similar explanation is given b y Eisenberger,
Studien 228-9. Such m inor inconsistencies distinguish H om er or the poet
o f Beowulf from poets like V ergil or M ilton w ho can review their com posi
tion verbatim and arrive at a com pletely consistent, fixed text (see Bowra,
H P, 299-306; Homer (London, 1972), 328, em phasizing H om ers con
centration on the dram atic present).
9 . T h a t this is a very plausible excuse is evident from the description o f the
similar old-fashioned Yugoslav house, as given by I. M . Garrido-Bozic,
G & R xv (1946), 108-13. Such houses have no chimney, only a smoke-hole
in the roof, so that the ceiling, beams, and pillars, all o f oak, are blackened
with sm oke (109).
13 . a v S p a ; iron o f itself draws a m an to
it , apparently a proverb, used here to add persuasiveness by an appeal to
traditional wisdom (cf. note to xvii 347, w here an apparent proverb also
closes a speech). A lthough m eant as a warning against the temptation to
resort to weapons in a drunken quarrel a common danger in heroic
societies this proverb m ay have older origins in an awareness of the
magnetic, and hence m agical, properties of iron. So M . Cary and A . D.
Nock, C Q xxi (1927), 12 5-6. A n d perhaps the early availability of meteoric
iron contributed to this belief: G . A . W ainwright, Antiquity x (1936), 6:
Iron was the thunderbolt, one of the most appalling powers in N ature .
T h e use o f iron as the word for an unspecified weapon, instead o f the
m ore norm al bronze (cf. xi 120, xix 522, xx 315, and throughout the fight
in xxii), is criticized by Lorim er, Monuments, 510, as an unexam pled
breach o f epic convention (but see 119 -2 0 for what she admits are partial
exceptions), but this is hardly an adequate reason for doubting the lines
authenticity.
75
COMMENTARY
25- 9. T here will be no m aids to carry the light because Telem achus has ju st
asked Eurycleia to detain them (, i6) in the palace. H er question at
245 m ay im ply that she expected Telem achus to answer that she, of
course, as a trusted and m otherly figure, w ill carry the light for him ; and if
this is so, his answer at 268 is still another exam ple of his newly acquired
independence and cool aloofness. T h u s interprets Latacz, Glotta xlvi
(1968), 3 6 -7 , w ho believes the apieros mythos of 29 represents speechlessness
on the part of one stunned into silence by such a rebuff (for m y divergent
interpretation of apteros mythos, see the note to xvii 57).
28 , x o Cv ik o s : , occurs in H om er only here, obviously denoting grain or
food. In later G reek it referred to a specific measure of wheat (Hdt. i 192),
the quantity considered sufficient for one m an s daily m aintenance (ibid,
vii 187, T h . iv 16, D .L . viii 18). W e have no w ay of knowing if the word
denoted a m easure in H om eric Greek.
34 . : with synizesis of eo, is sca n n ed ---- . See at xviii 247.
: this golden lam p o f A thena has led both ancient and m odem
critics to question this passage. Athenaeus, xv 700 , declared that the
? was evp-, adding that 'the ancients for lighting used
[instead] the flame of a torch and other w oods (as at xviii 30 7-11). His
words are echoed by Eustathius (1571. 22, ad vii ), and both the scholia
and Eustathius (1854. 51) note that H om eric heroes do not use lamps.
M o d e m archaeological opinion agrees: M . Nilsson, Opuscula Arckaeologica
vi (1950), 98101, and Lorim er, Monuments, 50911, suspect this passage as
a late interpolation on the grounds that while lam ps are frequent in
M in oan and M ycenaean sites, they disappear from use until the latter h alf
o f the seventh century. B ut H .J , Rose, Classical Bulletin xxvifi (1951), 12,
suggests that the use of lam ps as cult objects w ould survive in old religious
shrines long after their secular use was discontinued; and R. Pfeiffer, Studi
Italiani di Filologia Classica xxvii-xxviii (1956), 426-33 (= Ausgewhlte
Schuften (M unich, i960), 1-7 ), m akes the same distinction still m ore force
fully, arguing that a lam p seems to be associated with A thena continuously
from M ycenaean times down to H ellenistic and later literature. T h e
Odyssey here w ould be draw ing upon that tradition for a piece o f striking
im agery turned to good dram atic use.
36- 40 . It is the goddess own presence, and not the lamp, that fills the hall
with a supem aturally intense light. Such a flooding of light is characteristic
o f a divine presence in k.Cer. 189 (see the com m entary ad loc. of N .J .
Richardson, ed., The Homme Hymn to Demeter, O xford, 1974, 208) and 280,
h. Ven. 8690, h.Merc. 44off., S. O C 1650-2, and other ancient authors
(further citations in Richardson). Here the light acquires the sym bolic
suggestion o f forthcom ing victory for Odysseus, a com m on m etaphor in
heroic epic (see n. to xviii 31719), an interpretation developed b y Focke,
Odyssee, 315, and M . M ller, Athene ah gttliche Helfenn in der Odyssee
(Heidelberg, 1966), 1256. Cf. the uncom m only bright radiance o f
A chilles helm et at II. xxii 1336, w hich overwhelms H ector with fear and
is clearly m eant as a portent o f A chilles im pending victory.
76
B O O K X I X 25-57
45 . : this w ord norm ally means irritate, provoke ; but what exactly
does O dysseus m ean by it here? LSJ cite this line and the object
for the m eaning provoke to curiosity, but this interpretation has two
weaknesses: (1) it fails to account for the other object, , the servants,
who are in no such w ay provoked; (2) it assumes that in the ensuing two
interviews with Penelope, O dysseus is trying to arouse her curiosity about
his identity, w hich is not evident in the text (although argued ingeniously
b y P. W . Harsh, A JP h Ixxi (1950), 9 -17 ). It is better to take as
close to in m eaning, understanding O dysseus statement here
as a fulfilment of A th en a s prediction at xfii 336, ' m
, and o f his intentions as stated to Telem achus a tx v i 299-307 (so
Schwartz, Odyssee, 106, followed by H . Vester, Gymnasium lxxv (1968), 419
20 n. 13): he will keep everyone in the household from knowing that he has
returned, w hile using his hidden presence to discern the direction or
course of the w om en ( , xvi 304; cf. xix 501) and to
test (, xvi 305) the m ale servants. T h e m eaning of ,
then, is som ething like prod, a com bination of the idea of testing the
loyalty and feelings of Penelope and the servants with that o f stimulating
his wife to think o f the likely return o f her husband. F or a different inter
pretation see Thornton, People, 847, w ho takes in the m ore
norm al sense of provoke to anger and argues that this m eaning (
) anticipates O dysseus provocation o f M elantho. For the less
apparent provocation of Penelope ( ), Thornton finds justifica
tion in O dysseus statement to M elantho at xix 83: I fear your mistress
m ay be angry with you and rage against you , w hich does in fact happen at
915. It remains unlikely, however, that O dysseus w ould use the phrase
shall provoke your m other to T elem achus to mean that he will bring about
Penelopes chastisement o f M elantho,
51 - 2 . Note how verses 1-2 are repeated, rounding off this scene as a
com plete unit. Such a stylistic m arker is not com m on, but recurs later at
393-4 partially echoed in 465-6.
53 - 4 . Identical to xvii 367. See the note at xvii 37.
56 . : as Stanford notes, this w ord suggests inlay of gold and ivory
spirals or circles. Cf. 67.
57 . : the artisan Ikmalios is known only from this passage, and his
nam e is probably the poets ad hoc creation to help explain the marvellous
chair. Stanford sees Ikm alios as one of H om ers m any significant names,
etym ologically connected with Cypriot and Latin ico, to beat,
strike (a similar etym ology is given by R uijgh, Element, 136), a good nam e
for a m aster o f metal and ivory inlaying. A full discussion by L. Lacroix in
Hommages a Waldemar Deonna, Collection Latom us xxviii (Brussels, 1957),
. 309-21, bases the etym ology instead on , m oisture, a term used to
denote hum an sweat and the ju ice of a plant. Since the of the oak is
called by A ntipater of Sidon (A P vi 109) and glue is once called
the sweat of the oak in a fragm ent of Ion o f Chios, Lacroix suggests that
the nam e conceals a reference to the technique of using glue to apply ivory
77
COMMENTARY
and metal inlays. H e notes that such a technique existed in G reece and is
especially well-docum ented for Egypt, where glue was extracted from
anim al hides as a kind of sweat5. Pliny (H N vii 198) credits D aedalus with
the invention o f glue, but Lacroix suggests that H om er m ay here preserve a
dim m em ory o f an alm ost forgotten Ikmalios as the earliest G reek furniture
craftsman.
62 . S e n a : this form represents a contracted neuter pi. with correption of .
Alternatively, we could read Se-mT, representing , the uncontracted
pi. T h e sam e w ord occurs at xv 466, and the same choice between -a and
-a in xpa at 2 i i below.
63- 5 . H ere the serving-maids refill the braziers that they set up at xviii 3 0 7-
11 w hen evening first came on. N ow it is quite late. T h e suitors had gone
hom e for the night with the last verse of xviii. Telem achus has just gone to
bed (4750). O n ly O dysseus and Penelope are still awake, and now the
interview proposed and postponed at xvii 5 0 8 -11 ,5 2 9 ,5 6 1-7 3 , and held in
abeyance throughout the activities of xviii, can finally take place. But
H om er has one m ore narrative em bellishment: he will bring back the
sharp-tongued M elantho and use her attack as a device for bringing
Penelope and O dysseus together in a state o f heightened sym pathetic
rapport.
66. cretstTrom , pain : will you be a pain?5 A ntinous similarly
called the beggar a pain5 at xvii 446.
67. : circling5 (through the house). $ :
and you will give the w om en the eye5. M elan thos language is sharply
spiced with strong descriptive words, which convey adm irably her
antagonism . It is unusual that iveaei? should occur so soon after
at 56, since these w ords are used only rarely. A sublim inal association was
at w ork in the poets mind, a not uncom m on phenom enon.
71 . : H om er s characters often use the vocative o f ? in a
state o f heightened em otion to address som eone familiar w ho is behaving
unexpectedly. Presum ably the locution originates in the notion that the
addressee has been m om entarily possessed by some supernatural power
(), causing her or him to act or speak out o f keeping with the
custom ary m anner or cultural norm . In such cases the word am ounts to a
rebuke (see iv 774 with S. W ests note) and a good colloquial translation
m ight b e W h at s gotten into yo u ?5 O th er instances exist, however, where
n o rebuke is conceivable (e.g. II. xxiv 194, Priam s speech to H ecuba, where
it is his behaviour that seems inexplicable and is divinely prom pted, and
she w ho m ight well b e expected to use this term of address). T h e study of
E. Brunius-Nilsson, 0 (Uppsala, 1955), suggests that n o un i
versally valid translation is possible, and that the constant elem ent o f
m eaning is an intensity on the speakers part m eant to create an
atm osphere of intim acy that m ight oblige the addressee to co-operate.
75- 9. Interestingly enough, these lines are the literal truth, although
em ployed as part o f a larger falsehood. T h is conflation o f truth and false
hood on a small scale anticipates the m ore elaborate tales that Odysseus
78
B O O K X I X 57-107
will tell to Penelope later in the book, and recalls the tales told to Eum aius
and Antinous earlier (verses 7580 were used at xvii 419-24,). T h e mixture
of truth with falsehood is an im portant feature of the process O dysseus
called 4 (45, above): the verisimilitude o f his self-portrait prods both
m aids and Penelope to reveal their degree of loyalty to O dysseus and to the
beggar w ho claims his .
79. . . . : these verbs lack an expressed subject,
people , which w e m ust supply from the context.
84 . O dysseus in disguise enjoys dropping hints about his likely return (cf.
xvii 52 5-6 , xviii 14 5-6, and the series of hints, turning into assurances, here
in xix). T h e irony thus engendered functions both as an excellent device by
which the poet titillates his audience, and an effective personal trait of the
beggar that gives vividness to his characterization.
86. Tofos' a proleptic use o f the word: exactly what quality xotos describes
is forthcom ing in verses 87-8.
92 . . . . e p y o v : the schema etymologicum, a favourite G reek rhetor
ical device even at this early date. Cf. xviii 423. and vi 6 m .
) ) $ : this m etaphor seems to allude to a ritual
custom by which wiping blood from a sacrificial knife on to the victim was a
m eans of transferring the guilt to the victim (so Stanford, citing Hdt. i 155
and S. EL 445-6). Such a custom would form part o f the Unschuldskomdie,
the com edy of innocence, performed in ritual slaughter as a device for
w arding off the guilt-feelings that must inevitably attach to the m urderer
(cf. K . M euli, G riechische O pferbrauche , in Phyllobolia: Festschrift von der
Miihll (Basle, 1946), 2756; W . Burkert, Homo Necans (Berkeley, Los
A ngeles, and London, 1983), 4ff., 46 n. 46). A s used here by Penelope, it
means that the blam e will not be transferred but placed on the head o f the
doer o f the deed, M elantho. T h e m etaphor gets its strength from a reversal
o f the ritual habit.
98 . ): the scansion shows that the digam m a was felt in
feirrrj.
99 , : s c a n n e d ---- . T h e lengthening before -v is
irregular bu t not unexam pled. T h e lengthening before final -s is extremely
rare. Both irregularities can occur only in the first syllable of the metron.
107 - 14 . A ll this pream ble avoids answering the direct question as to his
identity and origin, substituting flattery of Penelope and a short excursus
on the virtues of a good king and the w ay nature responds bountifully to a
ju s t regime. T h e portrait draw n o f harm ony between the natural order and
the politically ju st civic order rem inds us o f H esiods insistence on connect
ing the two throughout his poem and especially at Op. 225-37. T h at they
were a com m onplace o f G reek and early European thought is stressed by
M . Nilsson, Homer and Mycenae (London, 1933), 220. (Plato refers to both
the H om eric and H esiodic passages together at R. 363b.) T his ideal also,
ironically enough, gives us from O dysseus m outh a portrait o f his own
regim e as it was in the past (cf. ii 230-4 = v 8 - t 2; iv 687-93) and as he will
re-establish it. Further, as an exam ple o f O dysseus rhetorical habits, it
79
COMMENTARY
repeats the patterns of his reply to Arete at vii 241 if. and to A lcinous at ix
2 ff. In each situation Odysseus is asked his identity, and to A rete as to
Penelope here he gives an answer that evades the direct question
els ; (v 237 8a = xix 10 4-5a). W ith A lcinous he responds first with
flattery, then with a description o f the ideal harm onious banquet as
exem plified in the one present before them, and finally he gives Alcinous
his name. Here he describes his unhappiness but still holds back his
identity, w hich he will reveal in his next speech.
109 . &>s T reu : the M S S give but, as Stanford notes, this
phrase is awkward because there is no alternative given to .
M on ro em ended to (following Bekker, Homerische Bltter, ii 200), which
(even with another 77 in the preceding line) seems preferable.
113 . ): scanned as if a trace rem ained of the original -- of
() (so M onro, Homeric Dialect, 359). Stanford compares the similar
lengthening in at ix 74.
122. : the shortening o f a in is unusual, but was seen in
at xviii 173. T h e verb, unique to this passage, is a strongly
m etaphorical com pound o f with (Ionic for ), which can
have the meaning, swim or float, as at v 240 and II. xxi 302. T h e
com pound would mean to be afloat with tears or to be swim m ing in
tears . T h is verse is quoted by Aristotle, Pr. 953 b 12, in a partial para
phrase, , .
124 - 9 . T hese same verses were spoken, nearly verbatim, by Penelope to
Eurym achus at xviii 251-6. Spoken here they are o f course m uch m ore
dram atic and powerful, since the husband w hose return she wishes for is in
fact the very person she is addressing! A s often happens, a H om eric
repetition acquires new force from its new context.
130- 3 . Again, H om er reuses earlier statements, this time taken from the
speech o f Telem achus to O dysseus before the beggar s identity has been
revealed to him, xvi 122-5, and also spoken earlier by T elem achus to
A th en a disguised as M entes at i 245-8, H ere the echo does not carry the
dram atic significance of the echo noted above in 1249, and it was
suspected in antiquity as an interpolation: schol. H (as em ended by Porson
to indicate 4 not 30 verses athetized) records that these lines were not in the
m ajority o f M SS, and Aristarchus athetized them. But they have the
appearance o f the kind of non-essential filler that is easily added or
dropped in the process of a living performance, be it of a ballad, folk-song,
or oral epic.
135 . : at xvii 383-5 we had a listing o f four categories of these
public-w orking professionals: the prophet, physician, carpenter, and the
divine bard. Here the herald is given the same social status designation.
137 . : spin out deceptions . T h is m etaphor is well-
established in H om eric diction, in the widely-used phrases
and . Here it gains added significance from the fact that
Penelopes most renowned was in fact the w eb w hich she spun out
b y day and unravelled b y night, her literal actions paralleling her
80
B O O K X I X 107-145
8i
COMMENTARY
82
B O O K X I X 145-172
83
COMMENTARY
84
B O O K X IX 172-181
H esiods sense of his own poetic language, and assum e m etrical lengthen
in g for long -i- and com pound lengthening for long -a- (cf. ,
post-Homeric os).
178 . . . . : Cnossos was the great central city of Crete, and
M inos, son o f Zeus, its legendary ruler. F or his excellence as a ju st king, he
was singled out, according to legend, together with his brother Rhada-
manthus, to preside as ju d g e over all the souls o f the departed in Hades.
179 . Both the m eaning o f and the syntax of the line present
ambiguities. T his w ord is most likely derived from eivea, nine, and ,
season or year , and should m ean nine years old or in the ninth year .
(Ruijgh, re pique, 479 n. 17, suggests it m ay have replaced an original
*etvo>pos, w hich w ou ld account for the synizesis in scansion,------- .) A t xi
311 the context requires nine years old , w hich w ould hardly suit our
passage; but at x 19 and 390, referring to an ox and to pigs, the m eaning of
m ature age is com m only assum ed (Cunliffe, LSJ), although in the ninth
year also gives good sense if we understand it as the traditionally perfect
age for sym bolic or ritual reasons. A t //. xviii 351 the w ord is applied to the
oil that is used to stop the ears o f Patroclus corpse, and while the exact
m eaning remains obscure some ritually appropriate attribute seems to be
designated. F or the present passage, w e m ust either follow Platos inter
pretation, in Min. 319 and Lg. 624 (echoed in Strabo x 4. 8 and xvi 2. 38),
that every ninth year M inos went up to the cave o f Zeus to talk with the
god and bring back laws to his people; or say that M inos ruled in nine-
year cycles, taking with , w hich is m ore natural, rather
than with , as Plato does; or say sim ply that M inos ruled for nine
years. T h e existence o f nine-year cycles has been oftn attested for G reek
festivals, based on an early octennial calendric rhythm ( . P. Nilsson, Die
Entstehung und religise Bedeutung des griech. Kalendars (Lund, 1962), 4 6 -7,
1501; G . T hom son, jfH S lxiii (1943), 63; an eight-year period could be
called either or , since the ninth year m arked the
beginning o f the new cycle but could be counted inclusively with the
concluded cycle; thus an eight-year cycle could be said to proceed
). N ine is generally a favoured n um ber throughout antiquity
in Greece, the N ear East, and R om e (F. B. Anderson, C J 1 (1954-5), 1 3 1 -
8) and m ay have been a sacred n um ber in M in oan M ycenaean religion
(Thom son, op. cit. 64, denied b y Nilsson, op. cit. 30 n. 4). T h e safest inter
pretation, then, is that refers generally to a nine-year period, and
means nine years old w hen referring to animals bu t in nine-year units
w hen describing how K in g M inos ruled. S. M arinatos, Studies Presented to
D. M . Robinson i (St Louis, 1951), 1312, speculates that the so-called
eleven-year rainfall cycle lies behind this; that in G reece it approxim ated
nine years and led to the belief that K in g M inos (and elsewhere Aeacus:
Paus. ii 29. 7) had interceded w ith his father Zeus to bring a good rainfall.
181 . H ere O dysseus claims not ju st a noble background w hich he has
already im plied b y his courtly m anner and concern for proper behaviour at
10 7-22 but that he is younger brother to the K in g o f Crete. A t xiv
5
COMM ENTARY
19g242, telling his story to Eum aeus, he depicted him self as the
illegitim ate son o f a Cretan noblem an and a concubine, a man who
attained high esteem despite his m ixed background and eventually was
given jo in t com m and, with Idom eneus, of the C retan expedition to T roy.
T h a t story was a fiction w ell-chosen to ingratiate him self with Eum aeus,
w ho sim ilarly has had a m ixed career, b u t of reverse pattern, beginning as a
true-born prince but spending most of his life as a servant, albeit a highly
respected one. H ere with Penelope, however, O dysseus claim s.a flawless
royal lineage, w hich w ill help win the queens full confidence and begin the
progression o f sym pathy and trust that leads to her accepting him as a
friend and equal by the end o f this book.
183 . : no doubt H om er intends a significant nam e, b ut the exact
m eaning here m ay elude us. R .J . Edgeworth, T erm s for Brow n in
A ncient G reek , Giotta 61 (1983), 31-40, argues well that (together
with ) is prim arily a colour term and not the equivalent o f shining or
b lazin g (for which ^ w ould be the norm al participle); hence its
m eaning as a personal nam e w ould be dark-com plexioned (a typical m ale
physical trait: see xvi 75, and xix 246, 5 with
note), or, with m etaphorical extension, perhaps vigorous (the m eaning
that the related m ust carry at Hes. Op. 363, [MSS,
Bergk] , intense hunger). T h e exact m eaning o f H om eric
remains problem atic because the adjective is attached to so m any different
objects: lion, horse, oxen, eagle, tripods, cauldrons, iron. Its com m on use
to m odify m etallic objects has been used to support the translation
shining ; but Edgew orth seems correct in claim ing that it is the red-brown
colour of bronze that is denoted, and that in the case of iron w e have an
instance of the frequent form ulaic conflation o f bronze and iron (noted by
Lorim er, Monuments, 119).
185 . : a rare instance of illicit hiatus. A ccordin g to Leaf,
Iliad, vol. i 123 (ad iii 46), it is found only at II. ii 8, iii 46, v 118, xix 288, xxiii
263, and Od. iii 480, vi 151, and here.
188 , o s $ : Eileithyia is the goddess with the power to facilitate
childbirth, a function w hich Artem is gradually assimilates in later
tradition. T h is cave of Eileithyia at Am nisos was excavated by S. M arinatos
in 192930 and evidence was found for continuous cult use from the third
m illennium b c to the fifth or sixth century a d . T h e goddesss name,
believed to be pre-Indo-European, is found on several L in ear B tablets
from A m nisos and Knossos, and Eileithyia probably descends from a
neolithic prototype of the G reat Goddess or M agn a M ater o f nature and
fertility, w hose figurines were w idely distributed in prehistoric times. H er
cave at A m nisos m ust have been well-known for O dysseus to use it to lend
credence to his account. F or further inform ation see . P. Nilsson,
Minoan-Mycenaean Religion (Lund, 1950), 73, 5212; R . F. W illetts, CQ, viii
(1958), 22 1-3 , and Cretan Cults and Festivals (London, 1962), 16872. Both
Nilsson and W illetts see an etym ological connection between Eileithyia
and Eleusis, w hile L . R. Palm er, The Interpretation of Mycenaean Greek Texts
86
B O O K X I X 181-209
(Oxford) 1963), 238, connects the nam e to eAeiWepos and Latin Liber, the
god of generation and growth, and liberi, children . Either etym ology
allows us to see a relationship between Eileithyia and the widespread cult
o f the earth-mother, and perhaps to assum e that the reference to this
goddess cave is a subtle om en of O dysseus eventual success.
203 . : a m uch-disputed word. A n cien t commentators already noted
that some authorities said it m eant , , while others equated it
w ith Aeyc. T h e latter interpretation almost certainly arose from a m is
understanding of s at xxii 31, where m eans con
jectu red , but was taken as equivalent to because it follows and
describes a spdech. W e should understand as a variant o f ,
m eaning prim arily to liken one thing to another , secondarily to con
jectu re . A ll other H om eric uses of bear this out (II, xi 799, xvi 41; Od.
iv 279, xxii 31), and the use of at iv 148, referring back to '01/ce at
143, shows the secondary m eaning em erging from the prim ary one. T h e
verb is form ed as an iterative of (p)ei': - > , with pm/pi
variation as in eikeAos/t/ceAos. T h e m isunderstanding of okc was
encouraged b y the am biguous syntax o f 203: do w e construe
, adding as epexegetical of ; or (intransitive),
? H es. Th. 27, ' Ayeiv
, shows that the phrasing is traditional and that by adding
faxe H om er has rendered the syntax am biguous. It is interesting for the
history of neologism s that the false m eaning was accepted and imitated by
the Hellenistic poets Theocritus, A pollonius o f Rhodes, and Lycophron.
204 - 8 . O n e of the Odyssey s unforgettable similes. Penelopes m elting was
anticipated by her statement at 136, , and is echoed in
O dysseus at 2634 A form is used in each of
these five successive verses, an unparalleled verbal concentration that
creates an overwhelm ing im age of m elting and overflowing. T h e verb
includes both m eanings, which our translation cannot imitate: overflowing
is the surface phenom enon; m elting is w hat happens internally, B
means her skin ran with liquid from her tears, not that it m elted .
W hat does m elt is Penelopes long-standing resistance to yielding herself to
the belief that O dysseus is alive and w ill return (cf. n. on 30916); and as
m elting snow produces a liquid overflow, so the dissolving o f her energies
spent in repression o f em otion produces an overflow of feeling whose
concrete manifestation is tears. H er denial of her true emotions was indeed
the winter of her soul . H ence the perfect aptness of this simile represent
ing the release of Penelopes strong innerm ost feelings through the image
o f snow dissolving under a w arm wind.
209 . T h e irony and pathos o f this line are striking. Its power derives from a
neat verbal and rhythm ical subtlety: 7 states the ironic truth
that the husband for w hom Penelope is w eeping is in fact sitting at her side,
unknow n to her and expresses it in one word. T h e placem ent o f this w ord
is crucial: it im m ediately follows the phrase it qualifies so ironically, and is
placed just after the mid-line caesura, which norm atively coincides with
87
COMMENTARY
some sem antic division (see . N . Porter, T CS xii (1951), 22-3) T h e effect
is to bridge over this caesura semantically w hile respecting it formally in
the division between words. T h e effect is sharpened by the full stop after
, w hich makes the overrunning o f the caesura especially
conspicuous.
211 - 12 . A paradigm atic exam ple of the power o f self-control that has m ade
O dysseus one of literatures most famous figures. H om er uses horn and
iron to represent the hardness of the heros will, just as in the simile of the
m elting snow (204-8) the physical w orld was used to represent, through
externalization, the inner, psychic reality that is norm ally not accessible to
observation. C orresponding to the of O dysseus at 212, we have the
o f w hich Penelope boasts at 137 (cf. the o f Penelope and of
O dysseus discussed at 325-6).
215 . : the testing of another person (or of an object, like the
bow in xxi, or in athletic competition as in viii) is characteristic of O dysseus
throughout the epic: the verb // is used by him,
or to describe him, m ore than twenty times. N orm ally, he is the tester.
O ccasionally, he submits him self to the test, as at viii 205, 213. Rarely, the
test is applied to him against his will or without his awareness of it: by
Penelope here and at xxiii 181, and b y A thena at xxii 237. (At ix 281 the
Cyclops tries to test him but is clum sy and transparent and receives
deceptive w ords for an answer.) T his rare reversal of the norm is sig
nificant, and the fact that it is given to Penelope to test the wily tester is
another sign o f h er own special gift for guile, w hich qualifies her perfectly to
be O dysseus wife (cf. 137 n., 3256).
221 - 2 . Construe vra as referring to pe, the unexpressed subject of etVcpev,
w hile the other accusative expresses the duration of
vra. Less likely, bu t possible, w ould be an unspecified subject, nva.
225 . : m ust m ean w ool , and
designates equally a cloak or a blanket, since the same piece of cloth was
used for both, are m entioned at iv 299, vii 338, II. x 133-4, ^
xxiv 646. A is described as the ideal protective covering against a
severe w inter at xiv 520-2. A less likely interpretation w ould take oAijv
here as entire , referring to and m eaning entirely of purple .
226- 31 . A wonderfully detailed description. T h e double sheaths, , are
the tubes into w hich the pins fit. T h e lively naturalism of the dog catching
the fawn has some resem blance to anim al motifs o f M inoan gems and gold
work, b u t brooches of this com plex style belong to a m uch later period, and
are m ost often dated no earlier than the seventh century b c ( . P. Nilsson,
Homer and Mycenae (London, 1933), 123-5, Lorim er, Monuments, 5 1 1 -1 5 ).
A n earlier date, late eighth to seventh century, is urged by A n n e Roes,
Mnemosyne iv (1951), 216-22, from the com parison of North Italian and
Etruscan brooches and the detailed study of a similar type o f brooch in the
D ijon m useum . J. L . M yres, Annual of the British School at Athens xlv (1950),
242-3, finds a close parallel in a G reek fibula from Sparta dated about 700
b c , and goes on to suggest that H om er knew both M inoan and later
88
B O O K X I X 209236
89
COMM ENTARY
90
B O O K X I X 246-306
w aning o f the old m oon and the rising o f the new. Such a period terminates
in, or m ay be equated with, the festival of A pollo referred to at xx 156,
276-8, and xxi 2589 (Roscher, Lexicon, i 424-5, gives evidence for a
m onthly celebration o f A pollo N eom enios, of the new m oon ; but 425-30
discusses A pollo als G ott des Frhlings , and R E s.v. Lykevos cites
evidence although epigraphical and relatively late for a spring m onth
Lykeios, connected w ith A pollo. Since the poem s action has probably
taken place during w inter (see n. on xvii 23 and van Leeuw en s com m ent
ary on v 467), it is tem pting to follow Austin, Archery, ch. 5, in believing that
H om er has given his poem a seasonal rhythm in which the return of
O dysseus coincides with the return of spring. A springtime celebration of
A pollo w ould underscore that seasonal rhythm). Since the strangers
prediction is spoken in order to confirm Penelopes decision to set the bow
contest for the following day, and is reinforced with assurances that
O dysseus will arrive in time for that contest, Penelope certainly
understands to specify, or conclude with, that day. A n d since
O dysseus used the sam e words to Eum aeus at xiv 16 1-2 , we m ust infer
(unless we call the earlier passage an interpolation) that $
cannot m ean this (next) day but could m ean this very day
o f the Apollo-festival .
It m ay be best sim ply to take as an obsolete w ord m eaning
interlunar period , the dark moonless night of the new m oon (so H . Koller,
Glotta li (1973), etym ologizing * , the daylight having gone ;
sim ilarly Leum ann, Wrter, 212 . 4), and to understand it as denoting not
the Apollo-festival itself but the interlunar period about to end w ith the
new moon festival o f the god.
309- 11 . Penelope spoke these same lines to Theoclym enus at xvii 163-5.
H ere the statement acquires heightened significance in the unintended
forecast o f , and becom es a kind of 8 to the audience o f the
poem.
309 - 16 . In these verses we see a psychological pattern that H om er has
consistently used in his portrait of Penelope: she lets hope buoy her up
briefly, then sinks into pessimism. Such pessimism serves as her protection
against bein g deceived b y false hopes, as has happened repeatedly
(described at xiv 126-30, xxiii 213-18). N ote the same abrupt shift to
pessimism at mid-verse in 257, and her sudden assertion that her dream
m ust be a false one at 568.
312 . : so it seems to m e in m y heart , the only
im personal use o f in H om er. T h e norm al idiom is seen in
ix 213, and at 39 below: the
subject of is norm ally either a person or his . Em endation of
to pa has been proposed, to restore the m ore com m on
idiom.
315 . el' : a formula, expressive in its simplicity, for referring to a
past happiness or a lost beloved person as if the speaker really doubted that
it ever existed. T h e formula is used with typical poignancy by H elen at II.
92
B O O K X I X 306-346
iii 180 and b y Priam at xxiv 426, both characters whose happiness now lies
in a lost past.
317 . Penelope here, after her self-protective statement o f pessimism, protects
herself further by abruptly () turning from the dialogue that was
engaging her deepest emotions in a dangerously uncomfortable manner.
She breaks off the dialogue b y ordering a bath for her visitor.
325- 6 . It is significant that Penelope wishes to be judged for her outstanding
vdos and , qualities that are associated with Odysseus. W e recall that
he is praised as by A then a at xiii 332, and he was presented,
through H om ers verbal p lay on n s and n s , as the em bodim ent of
- at ix 405-6, 408, 410, 414.
331 . T0v um : scanned with synizesis a s ----
332 . : this w ord is the subject o f a recent detailed study b y A n n e
Parry (Blameless Aegis thus) who argues that refers not to moral
quality, as believed by those who derive it from and translate
blam eless , b ut rather evolves from an original m eaning physically
beautiful toward a m ore generalized sense o f fine, good, excellent . She
examines carefully all H om eric passages containing this word and finds the
present passage anom alous in its m etrical and syntactic use of ,
and in its unique use of the neuter plural. She judges here to have
m ore definite m oral connotations than in any other uses in H om er (ibid.
n o -16 ).
336- 48 . W h y does O dysseus persist in declining all the comforts offered
him? A t 344-5 the stated motive is to avoid M elantho and her like, but the
entire speech is dom inated by a determ ination to keep him self at a low level
of physical comfort, w hich serves both realistic and sym bolic purposes.
Eustathius suggests the practical motive that Odysseus wishes to avoid
anything that makes him m ore conspicuous and therefore suspect to the
suitors. I w ould add that he acts deliberately to keep him self in total
opposition to the suitors regarding physical circumstances as if savouring
the irony: the usurpers enjoy all the comforts, of the palace while the right
ful king has no more than a beggar. It is good story-telling art to exploit this
inversion o f the norm, so that the final retribution is all the more satisfying.
338 . o p e a : the final -a of opea is lengthened by the following v~.
Liquids and s often have the power to act like double consonants; but in
some cases the lengthening can be attributed to a lost consonant, and here
we m ay have the residual force o f an original *- (Monro, Homeric Dia-
lect, 344-6).
342 . the first aor. of (): ^ > eaa. Cf. at
XV1367.
344- 5 . T h e allusion is to the verbal indignities inflicted upon him b y
' M elantho at 9 5ff. and by her and her cohorts at xviii 32off.
346- 8 . T h e scholia tell us three verses were athetized, and give as reasons
that (1) O dysseus should not be depicted choosing the very w om an w ho
can penetrate his disguise; (2) the phrase w ho has suffered as m uch as is
ludicrous; and (3) that is incorrectly used in 348 since one can
93
COMMENTARY
94
B O O K X IX 346-393
the nurse is addressing the beggar. T h e verbal surprises continue w hen at
370 Eurycleia abruptly switches to third person reference to the absent
king cf. to the rot in the line immediately preceding and now
begins using second person address to the beggar before her ( in 372).
370- 85 . T h e rhetorical devices noted in 358 and 363-70 have begun a
process o f associating the new ly arrived stranger with Odysseus through
their physical resem blance (earlier their association was based on the guest-
friendship alleged b y O dysseus) and the interchangeability o f their
unhappy destinies, subtly reinforced by the interchangeability of the
second and third persons in Eurycleia s speech. Now the faithful nurse s
statement that the beggar and the absent king have shared similar ill treat
m ent yields the irony that, like Penelopes observation at 358-9, it is truer
than the speaker thinks, since their condition and treatment are not similar
but identical. From this she moves to the simplest and strongest point of
comparison: the stranger looks rem arkably like Odysseus in build, voice,
and feet. O dysseus has no choice but to agree, and tries to protect him self
by saying that the similarity has often been observed. A t this point anyone
hearing the narrative must feel that a revelation is about to burst forth. But
H om er has other plans. H e has led us carefully toward a climax, only to
avert it.
389- 90 . * | : these two w ords allow us to reject any idea that
O dysseus is seeking to bring about a recognition of his identity. H om er
emphasizes the suddenness with w hich O dysseus realizes that his disguise
can be penetrated. T h e verb tenses also contribute to this emphasis: his
sitting is a continuing condition (impf, ), suddenly interrupted by his
turning away (aor. ).
392 . D ram atic effect is again served by aspectual contrast in the verbs: the
process of Eurycleia s impf, is interrupted b y the aorist in
.
393 . , : with this relative clause begins the most famous digression
in all literature. T h e poet has so far been exploiting a variety o f small verbal
and rhetorical devices to titillate his audience. N ow he undertakes a large
digression (393-466) on the circum stances behind the scar, a device o f
retardation of the narrative at ju s t the point where O dysseus disguise
seems to have finally been penetrated. T h e mixture of emotions in the
listener frustration at the retardation, excitement at the threat o f
discovery, enjoym ent o f the digression as a story in its own right rem inds
us that the audience and not ju s t the poet contributes to the experience and
form of a poetic genre.
393 - 466 . T h e story, in flashback technique, of the boar hunt on Parnassus.
A clear formal analysis is given by J. Gaisser in HSCPh lxxiii (1969), 2 0 -1,
who follows the lead of W . van O tterlo, Mededeelingen der Nederlandsche
Akademie van Wetenschappen (1944), nos. 1-6 , pp. 13 1-76 ; Mnemosyne xii
(1 945) j 194207; and De Ringcompositie als Opbouwpnncipie in de Epische
Gedichte van Homerus (Am sterdam , 1948). Van Otterlo showed that
digressions tend to be enclosed or framed by similar language used at the
95
COMMENTARY
beginning and end o f the passage. In this story o f the scar, the relative
pronoun that opens the digression at 393 returns to close it at 467, and
the entire w ording o f393-4 is closely echoed at 465-6. T h e structure of this
digression conforms to w hat G aisser calls the com plex cyclic style : two
concentric rings fram e the story (392-3 ~ 4 6 7 -8 ,3 9 3 -4 ~ 465-6), w hich is
itself organized into a ring form, in w hich O dysseus visit to Parnassus is
framed by the four related verses 4 1 3 -1 4 and 459-60, w hich themselves
offer an A B B A pattern (414 = 459, 4 1 3 - 4 6 0 ) . G aisser notes that this
com plex cyclic com position is rare in the Odyssey bu t characteristic of the
Iliad (pp. 37 ~ 43 )
394 . : O dysseus maternal grandfather is significantly nam ed:
- suggests the w o lf him self or the very w olf . T h e brief portrait
given in this passage shows a m an impressive for his ability to com e out on
top in his dealings with others, w ho approaches such dealings always in an
adversary manner, whose intelligence is used entirely for self-serving
purposes. A utolycus is thus the prototype o f O dysseus personality seen in
its most negative aspect. A n excellent discussion o f O dysseus A utolycan
nature is that o f W . B. Stanford, The Ulysses Theme (Oxford, 1963), ch. 2.
A n interesting if speculative interpretation o f A utolycus as a folklore figure
with m agical powers (ein H exenm eister) is offered by K . M art, A uto-
lykos , in Minoica und Homer, ed. G eorghiev and Irm scher (Berlin, 1961).
T h e inauspicious quality of anyone whose nam e is W olf is too evident to
need elaboration: cf. the w ell-known m yth o f K in g L ykaon w ho is trans
form ed into a w olf (Apollod. iii 8. 1; Paus. viii 23; C lem . A L, Proir, ii 36;
O v., Met. i 163fr., and others), sometimes because o f the im piety o f his sons
(so Apollodorus) but in m ost accounts because he him self tried to deceive a
divine guest by serving him a slaughtered hum an in the guise o f food. T h e
offences of A utolycus recorded in G reek tradition are consonant with
H om ers description here. In II. x 266 we learn he stole a helm et decorated
with boars tusks from A m yntor; Hesiod, fr. 67b M - W , tells us that he
m ade anything invisible that he handled , and com m ents at E M s.v.
dereAov and Tzetzes in Lycophron 344 describe Autolycus as a thief of
horses, cattle, and sheep, who was successful through his trick of changing
the anim als brands so as to deceive their owners. T hese qualities were
com m only connected to the fact that Hermes was not just the patron of
A utolycus (as 396-7 suggests) but his father (Hes., fr. 64 M -W ; Eust. ad xix
416; and the Athenian historian Pherecydes, quoted in the Scholia to xix
43%\
403 . : the second aorist subjunctive, m iddle voice. M a n y M S S offer
variants with optative forms, but a subjunctive is most natural after the
imperative evpeo.
404 . : the same adjective, m uch prayed for , is used for the
new born Dem ophoon at h. Cer. 220. It comes near being a proper name
(Stanford com pares the Biblical Sam uel and the m odern Desire ; and
note that Q ueen Arete, xiii 57, has a nam e o f similar meaning). Eurycleia
m ay be hinting that Polyaretos w ould be an appropriate nam e for the
96
B O O K X IX 393-439
newborn child. If so, the nam e O dysseus with its negative associations
(note to 407), given instead of Polyaretos, comes as a surprising b ut
m eaningful contrast, and strengthens the value of O dysseus1 nam e as an
omen of a life that w ill be filled with trouble.
407 . this verb has been used throughout the poem in a
punning relationship to the heros nam e (i 67, v 340, 423, xix 275). Because
all occurrences are in the aorist or perfect tense, we can only conjecture a
present */(), whose m eaning is to becom e angry at or to take a
dislike to, with some uncertainty as to w hether anger or hatred (a possible
cognate with Latin odium) or pain (a possible cognate with or
) is the fundam ental m eaning o f this word. A utolycus5 statement
here is the sole use o f the verb in a context that m akes the pun on O dysseus5
nam e explicit and offers an etym ology. Since A utolycus in his career as
trickster has dealt harshly with m any m en and w om en, the child, as
A utolycus5 heir, will be O d y ss e u s , the man w ho deals out harsh treat
m ent5. T h e suffix - points to such an active sense. T his interpretation is
close to that of L . Ph. Rank, Etymologiseering en verwante verschijnselen bij
Homerus (Assen, 1951), 5 1 -6 5 , w ho believes that O dysseus5 nam e contains
two meanings, T h e H ater and T h e H ated5, with the first m eaning clearly
predom inant. A n older view, seen in the scholia and Eustathius and
revived by Stanford in his C om m en tary and in CPh xlvii (1952), 20913,
prefers the ethical5 interpretation o f O dysseus as the man of suffering5,
and hence prefers a passive, or reciprocal and generalized, sense for the
participle , having quarrelled, or having incurred and
expressed w rath . In this view, O dysseus means C h ild of W o e . See further
C lay, Wrath, 54-64. A cknow ledging the simultaneous presence of an
active and passive m eaning in O dysseus nam e allows us to see him as a
distant relative of the Trickster figure o f folklore and m ythology, w ho is
both deceiver and victim of deception, both the cause o f pain to others and
the recipient of pain. See P. Radin, The Trickster (New Y ork, 1956), xxiii.
409 . . . . : the concept of an eponym ous nam e contains a
w ord-play in Greek. It is attractive, but not necessary, to construe
as an accusative o f specification, with as subject:
Therefore, let him be O dysseus , as his signifying nam e. So Rank, op.
cit. 57 n. 83, citing Hes., Th. 144, * where
the pi. shows to b e such an accusative.
413 . H ere w e resum e the narrative thread interrupted by the subordinate
clause at 395. H om eric digressions like this one serve the important
function o f providing background information that is vital for a full
appreciation o f the situation illum inated as foreground. O n the narrative
level, O dysseus owes A utolycus a visit to claim the prom ised gifts. O n the
sym bolic level (see G . Dim ock, T h e N am e of O dysseus , in Essays on the
Odyssey, ed. C . T aylo r (Bloom ington, 1963, he is earning5 the nam e
O dysseus, w hich promises pain and trouble. T h e boar hunt and w ounding
thus have some of the qualities o f an initiation.
439 - 43 . T h e boars lair described here closely resem bles the shelter seen at
97
COMMENTARY
the end of v, form ed by the growing together of two bushes, olive and the
obscure , in which the exhausted O dysseus finds protection from the
cold by burying him self in the leaves, like a seed of fire to be reborn the next
day. Verses 440-2 are nearly identical to v 47880, while 443 reproduces
m ost o f v 483. It is surprising that there should be an underlying connec
tion between the lair of Odysseus and the lair of the boar that gave him his
identifying wound. T h e poet has perhaps m ade an unconscious association
based on the concept of birth/rebirth. Just as the seed of fire ensures that
a new fire will be born, so Odysseus, in his encounter with the boar, will be
(re)bom as the m an with the scar, which becom es the sign of his identity for
those people closest to him.
450 . T h e verb is regularly used o f drawing o ff w ine from a
larger ja r into a smaller vessel. In this verse we w ould seem to have a force
ful im age, depicting the flesh as scooped out or drawn away as if it were
m ere liquid in contrast to the hard tusk. Since the same m etaphor is used at
II. xiii 507, xiv 517, it m ay have been a conventional part o f epic diction and
m ay therefore have been less vivid than it seems to us.
454 . T h e norm al H om eric belief was that the leaves the body or is
breathed out w hen a warrior (e.g. 11 xx 403, 406) or an anim al (e.g. II. xvi
469) dies. (Further discussion and examples in the note to xx 304.) O f the
several H om eric meanings o f , this is probably the most archaic,
preserving some of the semantic connection with its Latin cognate fumus,
which suggests a vaporous animating principle whose loss is the physio
logical cause o f fainting and of death. See O nians, Origins, 44 fr.
457 - 8 . S . . . : a rare reference to the archaic belief
in the m agical power of sung charm s. T h e use o f the to staunch the
flow of blood is not, however, an archaic survival from a lost past but one o f
the rare intrusions from the stratum of popular belief and practice into the
norm ally m ore refined and aristocratic w orld of the epics. T h e Odyssey is
closer than the Iliad to this popular world. Faced with a similar m edical
crisis in the Iliad, Patroclus resorts not to m agic but to a m edicinal root (xi
846-8), knowledge of w hich goes back to the centaur Gheiron (xi 832).
W hile this root m ay have power that is supernatural, its use is described in
realistic m edical terms.
467 . : this substantive pronoun refers to the scar, , m entioned three
lines earlier, and resumes the reference to the scar m ade at 393, w here -
as a relative pronoun served to introduce the lengthy digression,
: this w ord resumes the idea j of 39 0 -1, and
fulfils the condition imagined there.
469- 72 . H om ers description of Eurycleias reaction attains a high degree of
vividness through com bination o f unusual rhythm, sound, and
conceptualization. 469 has the relatively unusual w ord-end in the first short
syllable of the second foot, the sound four times, and heavy alliteration of
- ~ - - . 470 has two ~ com binations near the verse end. 471 offers
the oxym oron of , . 472 describes Eurycleia s emotions
as having the powerful effect of blocking both her speech and her vision.
98
B O O K X IX 439-516
99
COMM ENTARY
'crow din g and crow ded. Penelope uses the similar phrase
at xx 84, after referring to a different sad episode in the
story o f Pandareos daughters to describe her unhappiness.
518 - 24 . T h e story of Pandareos daughter, the nightingale, as told here, is not
known from any other ancient source. T h e story familiar to us from Attic
authors is of Pandions two daughters, Procne and Philom ela. Procne
m arried Tereus and they had a son Itys. Tereus seduced Philom ela and cut
out her tongue to prevent her from telling w hat he had done, but she
m anaged to com m unicate the truth to Procne by weaving the words in a
robe, w hereupon Procne took revenge on Tereus by killing their son and
serving him as food to his father. Tereus learned the facts, pursued the
sisters to kill them , and the gods turned all three into birds. Procne becam e
the nightingale, Philom ela the swallow, T ereus the hoopoe. T h is full
account is in Apollod. iii 14. 8. Allusions to the nightingale s lam ent for her
son are a com m on topos in G reek poetry (A. Ag. 1144; S. E l 148; A r. A d.
228, E. fr, 773N, 22-5). T h e scholia on this H om eric passage tell a different
story: the nightingale is personified as A edon, wife o f Zethos, who was
jealous o f her sister-in-law N iobes large family and attempted to kill
N io b es son, but in error killed her own son. T his story m ay be an earlier
variant of the A ttic tale, or perhaps a fiction largely invented by the scholia,
w hich misunderstood of 518 as a proper name. T h e variation in the
nam es Pandareos and Pandion, Itylos and Itys, recalls other examples
w here H om ers version of a tale or m yth seems a variant on the better
known version: e.g. Epicaste instead of Iocaste as O edip us mother, and
the fact that O edipus continued to rule in T hebes even after his secret was
revealed (xi 271-80).
Penelope is probably alluding to a story quite similar to the tale of
T ereus, Procne, and Itys, which offers a significant parallel to her own
situation in some particulars. She resembles the nightingale in the
frequency and intensity of her lamentation (cf. and , 516,
with , 52 1). From her admission that her heart is divided, 524, w e m ay
read into her account of Pandareos daughter the implication that the
nightingale killed her own son not by mistake, as in the scholias explana
tion, but in her senseless folly , like Procne, which is a better m eaning for
Sd o f 523. Penelope s choice of this com parison to express her
m ental state is, moreover, appropriate because she harbours a fear that she
too m ay cause the death o f her own son, if she continues, b y refusing
m arriage, to exasperate the suitors and drive them to desperate plots
against T elem achus. See further 525-340,
518 . : a hapax, which some have taken to m ean the same as .
T h e nightingale, however, is not green. Hesiod, Op. 203, calls it
, and Simonides also refers to its neck,
, fr. 4 5 {= TM G 586), which m ay refer to a green-necked
variety known to him, but more probably is a literary imitation o f this
H om eric passage. I incline to M o n ro s view that the longer form
suggests more than simply green, the suffix denoting one w ho does
100
B O O K X I X 516-537
101
COMM ENTARY
10s
B O O K X I X 537-565
form of a response that interprets an oracle or omen. C f. II. v 150, rots ovk
.
562 . : a w ord of obscure m eaning. T h e dom inant view, e,g,
Bechtel, Lexifagus, 37, sees a privative com pound based on , energy ,
spirit . Stanford suggests a com pound o f a-privative plus , rem ain ,
m eaning fleeting . But strengthless is not only far m ore appropriate to the
contexts w here is used, it is virtually dem anded by the use of the
verb at II. xiii 562.
562- 3 . A double set o f gates, of which one set is m ade of ivory and one of
horn or horns (the pi. noun icepdeaac seems to be substitutable for the sing,
adj. in H om eric diction, as at xix 211). Generations of scholars have
puzzled over the sym bolism o f this passage and the reasons for associating
horn with truth and ivory with deception. A n etym ologizing connection of
with (565) and with (567) is probably
intended by the poet; but w hether this causes, or derives from, the horn-
ivory sym bolism is unclear. T h e fullest discussion is by E. L . Highbarger,
The Gates of Dreams (Baltimore, 1940), w ho takes as horns not
horn, referring to a pair of horns w hich he connects with the Gates o f
H eaven in Egyptian and M esopotam ian m ythology. T h e prom inence
given in Crete to sacred horns could w ell derive from this eastern source.
W hile H ighbarger s connections are not fully convincing, I suggest that the
im portance o f horns in early G reek religion raises the possibility that
H om er has preserved the m em ory o f the gateway o f horns (or horn) as
sym bol of the passageway to a higher, m ore perm anent reality. A different
approach b y A nn e A m ory, T C S xx (1966), 1-5 7 , rejects speculation about
archaic inherited sym bols and argues instead for H om ers use of horn and
ivory as antithetical sym bols representing O dysseus and Penelopes
contrasting approaches to reality at several places in the poem.
565 - 7. is of disputed m eaning and etym ology. M ost critics
see in the present passage a contrast between false or deceptive dreams and
true ones, but this distinction m ay be due to the influence o f V ergils
fam ous imitation, Aeneid vi 8936, with its opposition betw een sens umbris
and falsa insomnia. H om ers m eaning is unclear because each verbal phrase
describing what each group o f dream s does is open to two interpretations.
is defined as to cheat or (its unm istakeable m eaning at Hes.
Th. 330) to dam age . B ut to cheat has no real basis in G reek usage and
seems to be the creation of lexicographers based on a m isreading of this
passage. can m ean fulfil things that are real or
really have pow er ( as adverbial, in its less com m on
m eaning show n at viii 39 w here aoiXrjes means
twelve kings have power : see A m ory, op. cit., 22-8). Penelopes m eaning,
then, is that dream s from the ivory gate are harm ful because they bring
messages that are believed and acted upon but not ultim ately fulfilled
(), w hereas those from the gate of horn do really com e true (
, however interpreted, is antithetical to ). T h e
assumption is that all dream s are messages to b e acted upon, and if
103
COMMENTARY
Penelope interprets the dream w rongly and acts upon it, its message w ill be
unfulfilled1 and the dream, through Penelopes actions, can cause harm
(). T h is interpretation is close to that o f A m ory, op. cit.
568 . o v c ip o v : com m entators have been bothered by the supposed
inappropriateness of characterizing a dream o f O dysseus m uch-
awaited return. B ut if w e recall Penelope s deep upset in the dream, we see
that she is here accurately recording her distress at the scene of violence
which led her to weep.
572 - 81 . W h y does the queen decide at this point to set the contest of the bow
for the very next day and stake her entire future on its outcome? T his
question remains one of the fundam ental problem s for any interpretation
of xix and the consistency of H om er s portrait of Penelope. Since she has
the best reasons now for believing in her husbands im m inent return (the
em phatic assurances of T heoclym enus at xvii 152-61, of the beggar at xix
262-307, and the manifest message of the dream itself), w hy not delay the
m arriage for a few more days and expect that O dysseus will arrive in time?
T h e problem has recently been restated in its full difficulty by F. M .
Com bellack, T h ree O dyssean Problem s , California Studies in Classical
Antiquity vi (1973), 3240, w ho provides no answer. T w o easy solutions
remain unattractive: (1) that Penelope has seen through O dysseus disguise
and can assume he will string the bow tom orrow (Harsh, op. cit.); (2) that
we have before us the im perfectly adjusted conflation of an earlier and a
revised Odyssey, so that Penelope s decision is the awkward residue of a
version in which husband and wife plot together to kill the suitors (Am phi-
m edon s plausible but erroneous reconstruction o f events at xxiv 125ff.,
and the similar reconstructions o f Page, Odyssey, 123-4, K irk, Songs, 2467,
and the Germ an A nalytic tradition that preceded them). T h e second
explanation, while more plausible, assumes a poet or later redactor w ho
could be content with m ajor narrative inconsistency, an impression belied
by the subtle and effective storytelling technique found throughout xix.
T h e first assumes that an event of the utmost significance has transpired in
xix but has been kept out of sight by the poet, w hich is hardly H om ers
manner.
It is tem pting to view the bow-contest as another stalling tactic similar to
Penelopes trick o f the w eb, if we can assume that she has genuine hope,
despite her self-protective protestation to the contrary at 568, that her
dream did in fact issue through the gates o f horn (her em phatic wish at 569;
w e m ust rem em ber that Penelope often uses speech as a protective shield
rather than as a nave m irror of her thoughts, as discussed at length in m y
Introduction). T his interpretation seems weakened, however, by her
apparent belief that the contest will result in her m arriage to one of the
suitors (xix 5 7 12; xx 6 1-9 0 , esp. 80-2; and possibly her weeping at xxi
55-6). W e m ust concede that H om er keeps us from fathom ing Penelope s
m ind com pletely: we cannot estimate the m ixture of expectations that
prompts her decision, and so it remains mysterious. See N . Felson-Rubin,
Penelopes Perspective: Character from Plot, in J, M . Brem er et at, edd.,
104
B O O K X I X 565-587
Homer: Beyond Oral Poetry (Am sterdam , 1986), for an intriguing narrato-
logicar explanation in which the unfathom ability o f Penelopes motives
results from her participation in sim ultaneous m ultiple marriage-plots,
and from a com plicity between author and character to keep her from
clarifying her motivation by accepting any single plot.
O th er explanations include the theory that her unconscious attraction to
the beggar and faith in his predictions lead Penelope to a bold intuitive
gam ble at this point (Russo, A JP h ciii (1982), 418; that Penelope uses the
contest as a test of her own correct reading o f the strangers identity
(Austin, Archery, 230-2, following A m ory, R eunion); that she is carrying
out O dysseus parting request that she rem arry w hen Telem achus gets his
first beard, as w ell as acting to protect her son (Thornton, People, 1035);
that w e have here the elevation of coincidence to a m ajor structuring device
of plot (O . Seel, Variante u n d K onvergenz in der O dyssee , in Studi in onore
di U. E. Paoli (Firenze, 1956)), or, in m ore existentialist tonality, that we
have a self-conscious and disturbing use of chance for the resolution of a
plot , a device that contradicts the poem s dom inant and m ore comforting
assum ptions that strong characters can control the events that shape their
happiness (S. M urnaghan, Disguise and Recognition in the Odyssey (Princeton,
1987), 134, and see further 133-7).
574 . : literally w ood-holders or ship-holders : the w ooden props
that support the frame of a ship un der construction. T o resem ble such
props, the axes must be aligned in a straight line, the heads down and the
handles up. T h e details given at xxi 120-2,4202 (see n.) are not sufficient
to allow us to draw this picture w ith certainty, but it is the likeliest recon
struction.
574- 5 . . . . : the iterative suffixes show that this was
a regular perform ance trick o f O dysseus. Exactly w hat shoot an arrow
through them means has been m uch disputed. T h e interpreters crux is
the contradiction betw een O dysseus statement at 587 that the shot will
pass through iron, and the actual description of the shot at xxi 4 2 1-2 which
specifies that he shoots through the handle, of the axes. T h e problem
vanishes if we assume that the axes are not everyday tools, but votive axes
whose handle term inated in a m etal ring .that allow ed the axes to hang
from a peg. T h is interpretation, w hich goes back to C . Blinkenberg,
Archaeologische Studien (1904), 31 ff., is recently defended in detail b y Page,
Folktales, 94113 (originally in Epistemonike Ephemeris (Athens, 1964)), and
A . Sacconi, Unproblema di Interpretazione Omerica (Rom e, 1971). Interesting
criticisms of this solution, however, are raised by C . Gallavotti, Studi micenei
ed egeo-anatolid xv (1972), 1724, w ho notes that votive axes found from the
M in oan and M ycenaean periods are too small to be used as we have
im agined here. W e are dealing then with poetic fancy distorting a distant
m em ory o f earlier times.
587 , : the argum ent of the preceding note would
allow us to interpret as the series of holes in the iron rings on the
handles. A n alternative interpretation is given by W . Burkert in Grazer
105
COMM ENTARY
106
BOOK XX: COMM ENTARY
T his is one of the shorter books, and has been ju d g ed by some scholars as
inferior in quality to the excellent books that precede and follow. It contains,
however, some o f H om ers most incisive description of his characters deepest
feelings. It also recapitulates and draws towards a clim ax several themes that
have characterized the events in Ithaca since T elem achus and Odysseus
arrived there. Finally, in the prophetic vision spoken by Theoclym enus, Book
xx gives us one of H om ers most intense and unforgettable portrayals of the
supernatural.
1. 1-5 5 . O dysseus seething em otions and active m ind keep him from
sleep. A thena descends and calms him, reassuring him of her aid for a
final victory over the suitors.
2. 56121. Penelope awakens and lam ents aloud, praying to Artem is for a
painless death, O dysseus hears her, awakens, prays to Zeus for two
signs, a verbal and a visible rpas, and obtains both.
3. 122-240. T h e new day begins for the household: T elem achus arises and
goes into town, Eurycleia orders the maids to prepare for the feast of
A pollo. Eum aeus, M elanthius, and Philoetius arrive and address
Odyssus each in his characteristic way.
4. 241-344. T h e suitors receive an unfavourable omen, abandon the plan
to kill Telem achos, and return to feast at the palace. Telem achus asserts
his right to protect the stranger; Ctesippus throws a cow s foot at the
beggar but misses; T elem achus m akes a bold speech, w hich Agelaus
answers in a m oderate way.
5. 34594. A thena sends an unnatural seizure upon the suitors;
T heoclym en us sees them as surrounded by portents of death, and
leaves the house. T h e suitors return to m ocking Telem achus for the
kind of guests he has. T h e book closes b y noting the rapport between
father and son, Penelope listening from a distance, and the suitors in
their ignorance enjoying their last meal on earth.1*4
107
COMMENTARY
108
B O O K X X 6 -ao
servants (i 429-33). In this sense (even though Odysseus did not intend
sexual relations with the maids) they belonged to him, which makes his
extreme anger here more understandable. : this form of the
fem. participle is unique in Hom er, w ho elsewhere uses .
18 . , : direct address to ones heart or spirit will becom e a .
fam iliar device in lyric and dram atic poetry (e.g. A rchilochus 67ar> = is8 w ,
, * , ', . Med. 1056, ,
, * } ), b ut is rare in the epic genre which is more
concerned with action than with reflection. H ere it helps create a scene of
unusual em otional intensity, reinforced b y other atypical narrative devices
(see 1035, 24, 3onn.). : this com parative adj., m ore offens
ive , more shameless5, is form ed from the word dog5. T h e process of asso
ciation by w hich the Greeks transform ed the m eaning dog-like5 to that of
w ithout sham e is seen in A gam em n o n s condem nation o f Clytaem estra at
xi 4247, where he calls her (dog-faced5) and adds that no other
w om an s deed was (m ore dog-like = m ore shameless) than hers.
Just as seems to call forth the w ord in xi, so here the
canine simile im m ediately preceding has apparently directed the poet s
choice o f language. T h e word d o g5 has also been m uch used recently as a
term o f reproach for M elantho and the other faithless maidservants (xviii
338, xix 91, 154, 372). For an extensive discussion o f the range o f meta
phoric possibilities H om er exploits through the use o f the dog (in relation
to other animals) as representative of an aspect o f hum an nature, see
j . Redfield, Nature and Culture in the Iliad (Chicago, 1975), 193-203. Red-
field emphasizes the dog s essentially negative im age, whereas R ose (op.
cit., i4 - i6 n .) argues for a positive value attached to dogs in the Odyssey
w hen they are associated with O dysseus.
18 - 24 . . . . . . . au T o s: it is generally held that the Homeric
conception of m an is poor in vocabulary denoting the self5 or whole
person, tending instead to conceive o f the person as an aggregate of
separate parts (B. Snell, Die Entdeckung des Geis teG (Gttingen, 1975), 1 7 -
23; H . Frankel, Dichtung und Philosophie des frhen Griechentums (M unich,
1962), 83-94; J- Russo and B. Simon, H om eric Psychology and the O ral
Epic T radition 5, Jour. Hist. Ideas xxix (1968), 483-98, repr. in j . W right,
ed., Essays on the Iliad (Bloom ington, Ind., 1978)). In these lines, while
O dysseus rebellious organs, representing emotive aspects of the self, have
been subdued, the m an h im self (?) is m ore than the sum of his parts
and remains too upset to hold still. T h is passage seems to represent an
advance from the standard H om eric conception toward a more m odern
one, as the poet presses the w ord into service to denote the w hole5
psychological entity in opposition to its constituent impulses (contrast II. i
3 -4 w here has the norm al, sim pler m eaning them , i.e. the m ens
bodies as distinct from their which have gone to Hades).
20. : in recalling the escape from the Cyclops, O dysseus has recalled
the w ord upon which the elaborate punning sequence was built ( /
: /); cf. ix 366, 37) 4 8j 4 M j and H eubeck, 408-12 n.
109
COMM ENTARY
no
B O O K X X 23-57
111
COMM ENTARY
112
B O O K X X 57-89
69 . T h ese are three of the four ingredients (the fourth being , barley)
of the com m only drunk m ixture called (from , to mix). It
was served by C irce (x 290, 3i6ff.) to O dysseus m en with drugs added to
enchant them.
70- 2 . T hese gifts accord with the nature of each goddess. H era as Zeus
counterpart is both handsom e and w ise ; Artem is is tall, as em phasized
at vi 107; and A thena is skilful at handiwork. T h e exception is Aphrodite,
whose feeding the girls honey, cheese, and wine (689) is not a simple
extension of her personal attributes but a m ore com plex enactm ent of her
function as surrogate m other and patron goddess o f weddings, as shown
further by her role in arranging their marriage (73-4).
74 . tc Xo s : as in the more com m on phrase (see n.
on xvii 476), the genitive is not possessive but epexegetical: the fulfilment
of (consisting in) m arriage .
76 , : the context, nam ing Zeus, suggests the m eaning
good and ill fortune (cf. II. xxiv 527 ff.: Zeus distributes a m ixture of good
and bad fortune from two urns), and so the scholia interpret. B ut the G reek
more likely means w hat is fated and what is not fated.
77 , T h e trochaic word-end in the fourth foot is rare (statistics in E. O Neill,
Jun., TCS viii (1942), 158), and is here caused by the use of a word o f
unusual length and shape, w ------- ^ (O N eill, 148 and 151, com paring
T ab le 26 with 29), to close the verse.
81 . : norm ally this w ord w ould m ean seeing, but the m eaning
here must be equivalent to the m ore explicit . . . ,
used of T elem achus at i 113, and refer to an internal im age in one s
imagination. Penelope wishes to die with an im age o f O dysseus in her
m in ds eye.
82 . This line clearly shows that in setting the shooting contest for the next
day, Penelope is willing, finally, to face the possibility of m arrying one of
the suitors. H er com plaint confirms the fact that she has no suspicion that
her husband has already returned in the disguise o f the beggar.
83 . T h e syntax is am biguous. O f several possibilities, the best is to take to
as subject, in the sense (unusual for Hom er) of brings or
involves, and the clause as appositional to .
87- 90 . A most significant dream, which m ust be interpreted together with
the one reported by Penelope at xix 535 ff. T here she envisions her
hu sban ds return. H ere, he is already in his place sleeping beside her.
Penelope s prem onition o f O dysseus return grows stronger and stronger.
T h e intensity o f her desire for his presence is strengthened by
(88), w hich connotes sleeping together sexually in its one other H om eric
use (//. xiv 163, , H era speaking of her forthcom ing
, seduction of her husband Zeus).
89 . T h is im age of Odysseus as he looked when he left for T roy has already
been conjured up by O dysseus description at xix 224ff., answering
Penelope s request for an exact portrait (for ijev, cf. ?
otos , xix 219). T his im age now becom es the fantasy that she invests
113
COMMENTARY
114
B O O K X X 8 9 -13 8
15
COMMENTARY
thoughts turned to bedding and sleep, rather than 'B u t whenever his
thoughts turned to . . T h e pi. form, which w ou ld refer the action to
Penelope and O dysseus, also receives some support from the reading
in A pollon ius Lexicon.
140 - 3 . It has been characteristic o f O dysseus portrayal of the lowly beggar
to refuse comforts that w ould lessen the contrast between him self and the
self-indulgent suitors w ho have been enjoying all the resources o f his
house. See xix 336.
149 . 5: this pi. o f the com m on exclam ation (com e , always
linked to a com m and) appears only here in Hom er. It is easy to see how
Eurycleia s speech, filled with com m ands to the maids, fostered the
creation o f a plural, since ypei was still felt as a verbal form m eaning take
(cf. A rchilochus ypet 8 , 5a,8D = 4.8 w ). Details are in
Bechtel, Lexilogus, 8 -9 , who cites W ackernagels com parison o f 8
giving rise to S care. T h e recessive accent, dypctre for the norm al , is
preferred by ancient and m odern gram marians as proper for A eolic verbs.
149 - 56 . A speech filled with imperatives, that realistically conveys the
bustling activity o f a household preparing for a special holiday (
). It contributes to the building o f an atm osphere o f im pending
clim ax for the poem s audience: this w ill be, as they know, the suitors last
day in the palace of Odysseus.
153 . .: see xix 62.
156 . : the scholia, citing Philochorus as a source, identify this as the
festival o f A pollo N eom nios, the first day of the m onth. T h e sam e
identification o f the as an Apollo-festival is noted for the island o f
Samos b y the author o f the H erodotean Life of H om er, cited in M o n ro s
com m entary (see further xix 306.). Preparations for this feast are
described below at 276-8 and later at xxi 258. Van Leeuwen, ad loc.,
connects this new lunar m onth with the information at xiv 457 that the first
night O dysseus spends a tE u m ae u s5hut is a , a night o f the
interlunar period, the(period w hich (we argued in the n. on xix 306-7) was
either called the or concluded with the . T h e interlunar
dark of the m oon, w hich began when Odysseus was w ith Eum aeus, is
therefore about to end with the new moon festival dedicated to A pollo. See
further A ustin, Archery, 245-52, for an elaborately spun theory that w e have
here the conjunction of the festivals, those of A pollo N eom nios and the
springtim e A pollo, fitting into a larger cosmic rhythm involving conjunc
tion and opposition in a ceaseless cycle .
158 . : water from a spring is always ju d g ed black because o f
the visual effect caused b y its depth. T h e sam e phrase is found at II. ix 14
and xvi 3.
162 - 3 . A tx v ii 600 T eiem achus told Eum aeus to bring these at
the dawn o f the next day.
163 . ffi A o u s: schol. A defines as well-fattened and tam e ,
eii , in contrast to w ild pigs , ?. Eum aeus gives a
more relevant distinction at xiv 81, offering his new guest , young
BOOK XX 138-200
117
COMMENTARY
118
B O O K X X 201-242
119
COMMENTARY
121
COMMENTARY
122
B O O K X X 3 0 1-3 3 6
123
COMMENTARY
concede to T elem achus the retention of his inherited w ealth and land, as
they did at i 4024, before the independence shown in his journ ey to Pylos
and Sparta m ade them think he was too dangerous and should be
elim inated. T heir goal has been the kingship, and either Penelopes hand
or O dysseus estate w ould strengthen any claim to it, while possession of
both w ould have guaranteed it. T h e y now give up their designs on the
estate and concentrate on w inning Penelope.
343 - 4 . T elem achus said the same thing at xvii 398-9. T here is a quality of
dsja vu in these negotiations for m arriage and in the recent quarrelling over
T elem achus rights and the suitors im proper conduct (284fr., 309xo,
3 18 -19 , 322 ff. all repeat lines spoken in recent books; Ctesippus throw
repeats an already familiar incident; and there are m any small verbal
echoes from Books xvi through xix). T his accum ulation o f verbal and
them atic recurrence suggests that the situation vis-a-vis the suitors has
reached an impasse. It is time for new and different action to break forth.
345 - 9 . A th en as forceful intervention to control the suitors behaviour is a
m ore intense version of the m otif used at 2845 and xviii 346-7. T h a t was
m anipulation; this is outright possession.
348 . It is not clear to w hom the m eat appears in its bloody transformation.
T h e scholia say only Theoclym en us sees it. M ore likely everyone except the
suitors sees it. Possibly they too see it, but have no m em ory o f it once their
seizure has passed.
349 . S ' : an odd phrase, used also of E urylochus agitated
state after witnessing C irces transformation of his comrades, x 248. Since
we are told that E urylochus anguish m ade him incapable of speech, we
should interpret this phrase as their heart im agined crying out, m eaning
that they w anted to wail but could not m ake any sound.
350 . T heoclym en us has not been heard of since he was brought to the palace
by T elem achus in xvii. H e has apparently been present since then, and is
now activated by H om er to add intensity to the growing m ood o f crisis.
T h is character seems to have been introduced (invented by Hom er?) in xv
specifically for this exciting scene, after w hich he hastily exits. T h e
supposed awkwardness o f his integration into the story was once a favourite
target o f A nalyst criticism; but see now Fenik, Studies, 233-44, for a well-
balanced defence o f his place in the story.
351 - 7 . T h e most eerie passage in H om er. Stanford aptly em phasizes the
unusual quality of this prophecy by spontaneous visionary outburst, noting
that H om eric prophecy norm ally operates through omens and reasoned
interpretation. See further E. R. Dodds, The Greeks and the Irrational
(Berkeley, 1951), 64101, concerning possession and ecstatic prophecy
w here this passage is contrasted with the H om eric norm (70). Each detail of
T heoclym en us vision is the kind o f supernatural manifestation that is
found in the folk-beliefs and epic literature of other peoples, and the
sym bolism is w ell-nigh universal. T h e cloud of darkness is found in Celtic
tradition (M onro, ad loc.); the walls and beam s dripping with blood are
sim ilar to N jals vision, in N jals Saga. ch. 127, that portends the slaughter
124
B O O K X X 3 3 6-37 3
o f his family (it seems as though the table and the food were gone and
everything were covered w ith blood), and blood dripping from the hair
brush of the hero Lem m inkinen, in Kalevala xv 24-48, is a sign to his
m other that he has died. Blood is also seen in Cassandra s vision in
A eschylus Ag. logoff., w here the vision includes both past and future
m urder; and blood is seen dripping from the roofs of temples in an oracle
narrated in Herodotus vii 140 (cf. the vision o f the prophetess described b y
Plutarch, Pyrrh. 31). For detailed docum entation o f the universality of this
m otif see Thom pson, M otif Index, ii D474: Transform ation: object
becom es bloody , and also under E761. 1, Blood as life token . A s for the
ghosts, their presence portends the suitors approaching death and the
procession to the U nderw orld that w ill take place at the beginning of xxiv.
T h e vanishing of the sun and the dark m ist (?) that conclude the vision
return to the sam e om inous dark im agery with w hich it began. M onro
notes that a com m on Iliadic description of death is
, mist poured dow n over his eyes , and that II. xiii 425 offers
the m etaphor ipeew ij to cover with black night , m eaning
to slay . C f. also A . Eu. 378 ff. Darkness is appropriate to represent im pend
ing death ju st as the supernatural light w as a natural sym bol for O dysseus
divine protection and forthcom ing victory at xix 3340.
353 . : a groan blazes forth, a strong m etaphor, probably
to be understood as referring to the sudden outburst or the rapid extension
of the sound, Cf. the rapid spread o f R um our, described as
, II. 93- Stanford notes that it is one o f the rare synaesthetic
metaphors in H om er.
354 . : third pi. perf. passive of , to sprinkle, o f w hich we
had the aorist imperative re at 150. Chantraine, Grammaire, i 435,
explains the -8- as perhaps from the false impression o f a dental stem-
termination given by the form are.
358 - 60 . T h e suitors regard the seer as a m adm an and laugh at him because
they have no awareness o f the spell A thena cast on them and of the
supernatural phenom ena.
367 . T O i s : since suggests walking, and the
direction, the t o is seems to refer awkwardly back to o f 365. Possibly
the intervening line was added as an afterthought, by H om er or a later
performer. B ut Stanford, M onro, and A m e is-H e n tz e -C a u e r are probably
right to take rots as referring to all the faculties o f the preceding two lines,
and van der V alk, Textual Criticism, 57, gives a good defence o f the
sequence as typical o f the less logical expression found in colloquial speech
and often reproduced in H om er.
373- 83 . T h e suitors now turn to teasing T elem achus about both his odd
guests, and they propose packing them both off to Sicily. Lines 373 and 375
are formulas that have been used throughout the poem to introduce, their
m ocking statements. In their final round o f flippancy before their sobering
inadequacy with O dysseus bow, H om er portrays them with their familiar
sarcasm in an especially self-indulgent form.
125
COMMENTARY
126
BOOK XX 376-394
difficult to supply as subject the general idea of the preceding words, and to
translate, with Stanford, 'it w ould fetch you a w orthy price .
384 - 6 . A gain we are told (as at 275) that T elem achus 'paid no heed to the
suitors words. Here, however, w e are given an explanation in the following
two verses, w hich m ake explicit w hat was m erely im plicit in the situation at
275
387 . : the noun is a hapax found nowhere else in G reek
literature, but context and the root d v r - m ake it clear that the phrase refers
to a position in her private room , or , just opposite the doorway to
the m ain hall, from which position Penelope could hear the discussion, as
she heard the sound of the suitors m altreating the beggar at xv 492 (see
note there for the relation o f the , , and ) .
390 - 2 . . . . : the poet points a sharp contrast
betw een their 'din n er , which is described with words denoting delight
( , , ) , and their su p p e r, w hich they never literally
w ill have, and w hich is instead m ade into a m etaphor for the death that
A th en a and O dysseus will set () for them . O dysseus revives this
grim m etaphor at xxi 428.
394 . T h e poet deliberately concludes the scene with an emphasis on the
suitors role in causing their own death. See 240-2 n.
127
!
BOOKS X X I-X X II
Manuel Fernandez-Galiano
The late Manuel Fernandez-Galiano s
Introductions and C o m m en tary on Books xxi and xxii
were translated for this volume by
Jerem y Lawrance.
BOOK XXI: INTRODUCTION
There is general agreement that Book xxi is one of the finest in the
Odyssey, full of dramatic suspense in its final unfolding of the plot.
The only difficulties of interpretation are the practical details of the
contest of the bow, discussed in an excursus below. I shall confine
myself in this Introduction to a few general remarks about author
ship, placed here to avoid encumbering the notes.
It is now widely accepted that the poem had two main authors: the
original poet whom critics call A, and one or more later poets known
collectively as B , who reworked A s. nucleus to lengthen the poem
and give the adventures a more modern slant. This is not the place to
discuss all the arguments on the Homeric Problem; some will be
touched upon in the commentary. I shall limit my discussion to the
well-known theories of P. von der Mhll and W. Schadewaldt, who
agree that there are two hands at work but disagree on which parts of
xxi to attribute to each.
Schadewaldt is inclined to accept a broad unity of authorship in
xxi, attributing the whole book to A with the exception of eight lines:
namely, Telemachus boast in 372-5 (already rejected by Brard),
whose removal requires the further deletion of the suitors smile in
376-7 and the first foot and a half of 378 (which will therefore have to
be rewritten); and Zeus thunderbolt in 412-15.1 The latter is a
melodramatic interpolation, as von der Mhll observed.2
Von der Mhlls Odyssee takes a far less Unitarian line. Though not
all his objections against the unity of the book can be accepted, his
arguments are worth summarizing:
The first oddity occurs in 1-4, which read as though the contest
had not been previously mentioned in xix 570-81. Line 5, with a
choice between two different compounds of the verb (see app. and n.
ad loc.), poses a problem about the location of the action. The digres
sion on the history of the bow gives the impression of being an after
thought: 11-41 are marked as suspect by von der Mhll, and other
editors reject various lines, especially between the caesurae of 16 and
35. The whole interpolation, and particularly 24-33, would have
1 W. Schadewaldt, La Odisea como poesia, Estudios de literatura griega (Madrid,
1971). 9-52. % on pp- 50-2.
2 P. von der Mhll, Einige Interpretationen in behrmten Stellen der Odyssee
Philologies lxxxix (1934), 391-6.
BOOK XXI
been inserted to relate the passage to the epic Sack of Oechalia\ the
story of Eurytus has already been mentioned in viii 224-8, probably
by B.
O n the difficulty of in 54 see p. 137 f. In the original poem
Penelopes entry into the hall at 58 was perhaps her first appearance
there, if xviii 158-305 are removed (on which, however, see xxi 3 1 1 -
53 .). Brard also regards 68-72 as suspect, and 73 is repeated in
106.
According to von der Mhll, 80-95 betray the hand of B: the
original poet imagined Odysseus and Telemachus fighting the
suitors alone, without Eumaeus, who is portrayed weeping in 82, or
Philoetius, a character invented by B, who is also seen weeping in 83.
The later poet misunderstood the adjective in gi; Antinous
words on his earlier relationship with Odysseus in 94-5, like
Eurymachus in xvi 442-4, are due to B 's desire to connect the
characters chronologically; the fact that Penelope orders Eumaeus to
organize the contest in 81 is contradicted by the fact that it is
Telemachus who sets out the axe-heads (no doubt this role seemed
unworthy of a prince to B); and finally, if 80-95 are removed, 96 must
read rot's1 5 .
Furthermore, 98-100 seem to anticipate future events in an
unnecessary way; and 101 is wholly corrupt (see apparatus). There
are many touches from the hand of B in 102-17: Telemachus words
in 106-10, which smack of the auctioneer, have always seemed odd,
and include 109, an objectionable line omitted by some papyri and
MSS; 111 with the hapax - and the following lines, evidently by
the same author as 91 ff.; the sense of in 117, of which I have
already spoken (see p. 144), is striking.
In 113 Telemachus announces that he is going to try the bow; but
it is probable that in A he did not do so. The pedantic remark in 123
may be B s; in 125 the word ircA& which we have mentioned (see
p. 138), found also in II. xxi 176, perhaps fits Asteropaeus movement
as he shakes a spear to loosen it before pulling it out of a wall better
than Telemachus, who is pulling a bowstring. Lines 132-3, similar
in meaning to ii 60-2 and almost exactly the same as xvi 71-2, are
less appropriate to a boy whom circumstances are rapidly bringing to
maturity. O n Leodes, who appears in 144 as a replica of Amphi-
nomus, see 152-62 nn.; the last two lines of this passage are a caique
of xvi 391-2.
Melanthius will not have been one of s characters either, and so
175 ff. on the picturesque heating and greasing of the bowstring must
be an addition, which will mean that the passage in which 246 occurs
132
INTRODUCTION
The chief problems in this book have to do with the details of the
extraordinary test of the bow. Many of them are connected with the
layout of Odysseus palace.
First of all, there is a lively debate about where the contest took
place. Modern opinion opts for the or feast-hall, whereas in
133
BOOK XXI
134
INTRODUCTION
odd position, with the body and the weapon held low, would be
explained by the drop from the hall across the porch down into the
courtyard where the axes are fixed.
10. In order to use the bow, both Telemachus, in xxi 124, and
Leodes, in xxi 149, have to take up position in the doorway between
the hall, where they are standing, and the courtyard, where the axes
are placed.
However, a considerable body of opinion supports the theory that
the contest took place inside the feast-hall. Some of the arguments are
of a general and unconvincing kind. It is said, for example, that
Homer, who like Telemachus (xxi 123) had never witnessed a contest
of this type, was deliberately vague about the details because the
main ingredients of the story were traditional and well known to his
listeners or readers as a fantastic or magic folk-tale, even down to the
symbolic twelve axes which perhaps represented the twelve months
of the year, or the phallic arrow associated with the triumphant
husband, and so forth (Germain, Genese, 1154, adduces numerous
mythological parallels from other cultures). Alternatively, emphasis
is laid on the disturbing evidence of multiple layers of authorship in
the text of the poem.
It is possible, however, to counter the objections against the feast-
hall with more specific arguments.5 M y own commentary, with a few
reservations, follows the same line. Taking the arguments in order:
1. The archery contests in the parallels adduced by the scholars
cited above presuppose quite short distances, no more than eleven to
eighteen feet. As for the large number of suitors, it is clear that this is
an exaggeration of the original poem by a later hand.
2. The problem of the layout of the feast-hall will be dealt with
below.
3. (a) The phrase in xxiii 46 does not necessarily refer to a paved
floor; it may indicate a flattened and beaten earth floor. Raking is
described in xxii 456 () Agelaus5 head is spattered with dust
(.Kovtyaiv , xxii 329); the fallen suitors lie in the dust (
Kovirjoi, xxii 383). (b) Some of the possible ways of arranging the
axes do not require any serious digging, though our interpretation of
xxi 120 will be decisive here. It might have been sufficient simply to
pile a little earth brought in from the courtyard on top of the paving
. 5 J. van Leeuwen (1890 edn.); Monro; Woodhouse, Composition, 102-7; W. B. Stan
ford (1948 edn.) and his A Reconsideration of the Problem of the Axes in Odyssey xxi,
CR lxii (1949), 36; L. G. Pocock, The Arrow and the Axe Heads in the Odyssey, AJP
lxxxii (1961), 346-57, and his Odyssean Essays (Oxford, 1965), 12-22; P. Brain and D. D.
Skinner, Odysseus and the Axes: Homeric Ballistics Reconstructed, G & R xxv
(1978), 55-8
135
B O O K X XI
136
INTRODUCTION
only two maidservants carry them, in a single and not very heavy
(xxi 61, 66), Certain iconographic evidence shows archers
crouching down to shoot, and both Achilles, with his famous wound
in the heel, and also Diomedes (II. xi 377) are shot in the foot by Paris..
The fact that Odysseus throws his arrows on the ground in xxii 3-4
may reflect the fact that this was the most comfortable position for a
bowman, (b) The slope might after all be explained by the layout of
the feast-hall itself, which may have had two levels (see below). That
would make the trench necessary, for safety, to prevent arrows flying
off course or travelling too far in a straight line. There is no difficulty
in accepting the poefs licence in making Telemachus occupy himself
with such a job.
11. Perhaps the clinching lines are xix 573 (Odysseus5 custom was
to set up the axes oiaiv), xxi 4 (Penelope arranges the
contest 1), and xxi 229 (Odysseus fears they may
be seen by someone ). But the word , in
singular and plural, can also have the meaning palace or palace
buildings as a whole, with ail its out-houses.
The question of how the trial actually took place is also a thorny
one. The first part of the test, the stringing of the bow, is the easier: of
the abundant work on this I mention only Lorimer, Monuments,
298 ff., and, specifically on the last books of the Odyssey, Delebecques
article.
In xxi 5ff., Penelope goes to the treasure-house where the
and the / are kept (11-12), the latter full of . In
xxi 13-41 we are told the tale of the famous bow, given as a gift to
Odysseus by Iphitus, who in turn had received it from the great
Eurytus (32-3). It is a magnificent weapon, though impractically
large (xxi 74, 405, 409 ), and tough enough to survive the suitors
clumsy treatment unscathed. Odysseus sometimes carries it in
Ithaca, presumably for hunting (xxi 41), but does not use it on
campaign (xxi 38-40), which is why it has been a little neglected: its
owner has to examine it closely (xxi 3935) in case the horn has been
worm-eaten.
Penelope takes the bow down from its peg (xxi 53), which must
have been very sturdy, , os ol (xxi
54) This is difficult: , only here in Homer, referred to the
case of metal (hence ) carried by the Scythians and other
nomad tribes to protect their bows in cold northern climates. It had
two compartments, one for the bow itself and the other for the
arrows; by hanging the case from his saddle, a mounted man could
137
BOOK XXI
reach the arrows easily. But Homer does not mention the case again;
he talks elsewhere of a quiver (xxi 59, 233, 417, xxii 2, 71), which was
carried on the shoulder with a strap. It looks as if the anomaly in xxi
54 may be an interpolation (which must extend as far as . . . -
in 56). Note that in xi 607, another late passage, Heracles carries his
bow in Hades , without a case.
Already in xxi 75 we are told what a feat it is to string the bow. The
poet, however, is vague as to the nature of the problem and probably
did not understand it. Telemachus tried to string the bow standing
( 124) and his action is obscurely described by the words -
: is to cause to quiver, ip v o -
pat to puli. The suitors suspect that the bow has lost its flexibility,
Odysseus strings it (how?) as easily as stringing a lyre. His posture is
not directly described but he made his first shot - 420. It
seems that the poet thought there was some kind of trick involved
known only to an expert archer like Odysseus.
Stringing a self bow, such as the medieval long bow, is done by
placing one end of the stave against the ground and leaning on the
other; it calls for strength rather than any skill or knack. When
Pandarus is said to string his bow (II. iv 113), the poet may
refer to this operation, but here at 137 certainly does not. The
more powerful composite bow is made of a wooden stave supporting
an outer layer of sinew and an inner layer of horn ( 395). Early
representations of this bow show a weapon of normal shape, but
from the late eighth century the Greeks were familiar with the
improved Scythian model, characterized when not fully drawn by
the double curve, as shown, perhaps rather fancifully, in Figure 1.
When unstrung such a bow assumes a.reflxed curve which is well
described by the regular epithets of the bow, , ,
and . is applied to Odysseus bow in xxi 359, 362,
and to a similar bow used by his companions in ix 156. (In the Iliad it
is applied particularly to the bows of warriors with oriental connec
tions, Paris, Pandarus, Dolon, Teucer, and Artemis in xxi 502.)
alternates with chiefly for metrical reasons, and is
found applied to the bows of Pandarus, Paris, and the Paeones
.
Because of the reflexed shape of the unstrung composite bow
stringing it required a special skill. The archer, sitting, as many
classical monuments show, put one end of the bow over one knee, the
middle under the opposite thigh, and pulled up ( 150, -
125) the other end. Beside the knack involved, great strength
was clearly also required. See further Lorimer, Monuments 276-300.
INTRODUCTION
the string over with his left hand, and then plucks it with his right for
tautness (xxi 410), making it sing like a swallow (xxi 411; cf.
, in 11. iv 125). He picks up the arrow from the
table (xxi 416-17), rests it against the hand-grip ( , xxi
419; cf. . . . in 11. iv 118, and note that in
11.x 1375, when Alexander , it must mean he drew
the string away from the hand-grip), and shoots.
There are fewer details in this passage than in the "one on
Pandarus, who draws the string back to his chest and pulls it so far
that the head of the arrow is level with the bow (
, 8 , II. iv 123), though in 124 the bow is
described as bent double in a circle, which is a physical impossib
ility given the bows large dimensions and the necessarily short
arrow, which would have to equal the diameter of the circle in this
position. The phrase (xxi 419) is unclear
unless we translate he pulled the string and [the end of the arrow
slotted on to the string with] the notches. The latter6were probably
two crossed notches (cf. , carve, incise) cut into the end of the
arrow to rest on the string; in //. iv 122 the phrase
is a little more logical, since what the bowman pulls
back is the whole arrow, the shaft and its fittings as well as the .
This raises the question of whether , if it means a tough
tendon ( is applied to the human body in II. xvi 3 16 ) and not
simply gut, is here and here only a synonym for , bowstring
(frequent in the I I , and used in Od. xi 607, xix 58 7, xxi 97, 12 7 , 410,
xxiv 171 as well as the passage under discussion). If that is so, then the
two passages closely parallel one another.
The important passages on the bowshot itself are these: in xix 572
Penelope declares that she is going to set up a contest (ae&W ) involv
ing those [well-known] axes ( , xix 573; the demon
strative pronoun is important) which Odysseus (xix 574) used to set
up , twelve in a row, , before taking up position
some way away (this phrase has been commented upon already) to
shoot an arrow at them (xix 575). Now she proposes the same contest
(xix 576) for any man os'. . . . . . j
(xix 5778). In xix 587, xxi 97, 114, 127 we find with
various forms of ; xxi 756 are an exact repetition of xix
577-8. In xxi 3-4, the first of which is repeated in xxi 81, we read
. . . j . . . ', in xxi
910, . . . . . . |
140
INTRODUCTION
7 Last put forward in his Lexilogus zu Homer u. den Homenden (Berlin, 1878), i 488ff.
141
BOOK XXI
142
IN T R O D U C T IO N
at the end of which there was a ring for hanging them from a nail as
votive offerings, like the pa-sa-ro which are mentioned, according to
A. Sacconi, in Pylos Tablet T a 716. In this case the axes would be
stood on their heads with the haft upwards; only a small amount of
earth piled against the head would be needed to hold them upright,
and the test would be to shoot the arrow through the rings on the end
of the haft. The narrowness of the rings might be an. obstacle to this
theory; Page suggests a diameter of four inches without advancing
any evidence, Stanford speaks of an axe found by Evans which was
four feet long with a ring of five inches, and Brain and Skinner
consider the shot possible. O ne might object that the poet does not
mention any rings, and that an with twelve such axes would
ones, as I have said; Figure 6 is safer for the spectators, not only if an
arrow is deflected sideways but also if it overshoots. In every case, the
holes are placed with gaps between them, not hard up against one
another.
The comparison with , keel-blocks, refers only to one
feature, their careful alignment in a straight line (on which
Telemachus is praised, xxi 123; cf. v 245, where Odysseus
. . . i m tvvev like Telemachus in xxi
121; and II. xv 410, where an evenly-matched battle is compared to
the plumb-line accuracy with which a shipbuilder aligns a timber).
Accurate alignment was vital when laying the keel of a boat (made, of
course, from a tree-trunk, Spv-), which was therefore fastened (-)
into the keel-blocks during building. Even today, the alignment of
the blocks is apparently checked by eye, sighting along the line of
144
INTRODUCTION
145
BOOK XXI
146
INTRODUCTION
would imply that the bowman had to aim the flight of the arrow to
compensate for the ballistic curve due to gravity. Such a considera
tion was surely irrelevant over such a short distance. Besides, any
translation which takes in the attributive sense is open to
objections; thus, for example, and he did not miss one of the axes,
from the first hole [or helve] onwards involves a syntax which is
anomalous, and even impossible. In my opinion we have to do with a
syntactic cross between he did not miss the first hole (that is, the hole
in the first axe)5and he did not miss a single hole (that is, the hole of a
single axe)5.
The expression piercing the iron5 is no obstacle, either to Pages
theory or mine, if we take it to mean pierce the [aperture surrounded
by] iron5. One problem which remains, especially for my theory
(Page proposes very large axes), is the low level of the holes in the
axes, even with a high trench. Perhaps the axe-heads were mounted
on some sort of stick (the Etymologicum Magnum, misled by the
Odyssey itself, mistranslates as , but then has a
similar idea: ot tlvcls
, eis SP ), or
even tied to the axe-helves themselves. An alternative explanation, for
those who are not convinced by the evidence given above of Archaic
bowmen shooting from a crouching position (Brain and Skinner
remark that to succeed in shooting through a tunnel at such a low
level one would in fact be forced to shoot lying down), is the stepped
floor-level shown in Figure 6.
The chief difficulty of the test, apart from the bending of the bow,
was to shoot through the first hole without touching the sides, since
the arrow which successfully did this would be on course for the
succeeding targets. Be that as it may, the feat was an extraordinary
one, and the text shows Odysseus taking very careful aim indeed (xxi
421 ).
147
B O O K XXI: C O M M E N T A R Y
1- 2 . = xviii 158-9, w here A thena suggests that Penelope should m ake her
first entry into the feast-hall. Here, however, the phrase seems out o f
context, since it overlooks the fact that Penelope has already m entioned the
contest in xix 572 ff. Penelopes motive for proposing the trial m ay be to
gain time in the desperate situation she speaks o f in xix 15 7-6 1 (at any rate
the of 4 m ust refer only to A then a s intentions: see Bchner,
Penelopeszenen, 153). O r has she in her heart given in to the suitors
adulterous importunities, an echo of the ancient legend w hich m ade her a
w hore (lover o f Herm es, m other of Pan, etc.: M erkelbach, Untersuchungen,
5, and H eubecks comments, Frage, 126)? T h e latter suggestion is opposed
b y P. Kretschm ers Penelope, Anz. Akad. Wiss, Wien lxxx (1943), 8o-g3
(see Lesky, H om eros, 116), w hich connects the heroines nam e etym o
logically with the bird , m odel of conjugal fidelity. -
: s e e 3 2 in .
3. ? : the word refers to the axes, most likely w ithout their helves (see
Introduction). T h e y are described as hoary, grey-haired, that is steel-grey
(cf. xxi 10).
4. O S u o f jo s i the phrase supports the theory that the contest
takes place in the feast-hall (see Introduction, and cf. the first hemistich of
xx 117). : cf. xxiv 169, and n. on 1-2 above.
T h e words are in apposition to and ; I have translated
, som ewhat anachronistically, as sports equipm ent in m y Intro
duction (and cf. xxi 62, 117).
5 . : there is a problem about the direction im plied b y the
prefix. Since O dysseus departure Penelope has m oved her bedroom from
the ground floor to an apartm ent upstairs; in xix 600 she goes up {)
to her , and it is there that she sits to listen to the noise o f the feast
ing (xx 387). Now, therefore, she m ust descend from her cham ber (oto
must be ablative) with the key in her hand ( in xxi 6 is
pluperfect in sense) to one o f the store-rooms w hich led off the ,
corridor, passage ; to be precise, to the furthest and least-used of them
(, 9, perhaps situated outside the palace itself). T h ese store-rooms
or w ill have been at the same level as the feast-hall: how else could
the weapons have been carried back and forth w ithout having to clim b the
steep stairs ( . . . )? In i 330, w here Penelope likewise
descends from her cham ber, the reading is , a possible variant
here (see apparatus); otherwise must be translated pro
ceeded (to descend) (cf. xiv 1 ).
6. : the epithet, used of O dysseus hand in xx 299 and xxii 326, has
been held to be inappropriate for Penelopes. Ft. Flor, emends the word iVa
148
BOOK XXI -ia
149
COMMENTARY
150
B O O K X X I 13-28
forced, and iii 312, m isspelt and adduced by her as a parallel, has a ;
different meaning.
19 . : with m any benches of oarsm en ; cf. viii 161 and xx 382.
T h e second hemistich II. xi 697, but there follows ', \
Hoekstra, Epic Verse, 3 6 -7, suggests that in both places the original ;
form ula was " Sc . !
20. w ent a long w ay [on] an em bassy ; the first.accusative expresses content, '
the second distance. : a possible reminiscence of II xxiv 235,
where it precedes .
21. ?: elsewhere found only in the late xxiv 338, and in tragedy. :
re : usually and furtherm ore .
22 . Supply . o: ethic dative. : pluperfect in sense.
23 . = iv 636. Otto: adv. in the sense under [the teat], still suckling , i
W . Richter, Archaeologia H , 78, n. 562, remarks that H om eric m ules are :
always the offspring of m are and he-ass; that the epithet refers to ;
their proverbial hardiness at work; and that the small num ber of animals !
stolen em phasizes their scarcity, and hence their great value, in the
H om eric period: thus in II. xxiii 266,654 m ules are offered as prizes in the ;
games.
24 . y cv o v T o : the verb points to a future event, the brought about by
.
25 . T h e line is m etrically acephalous; cf. iv 13, xxiv 482. -
: note the form al epithet of praise, even though the passage concerns
an evil deed com m itted by the hero.
26 . : in apposition, the only exam ple in the Odyssey of this construction ;
in conjunction with a proper name. : not otherwise
attested until the H ellenistic period; far in 11 xviii 501, xxiii 486 means ;
judge, arbiter, b ut here the sense has nothing to do with judging. T h e
schol, ( and irrt ) do not make
clear w hether the phrase is pejorative or not: on one hand, recalling the
sense of in iii 261, xix 92, m ight m ean that j
H eracles w as skilled in or accom plice in (rather than author of) evil
deeds; on the other, it m ight refer to his Labours. T h e m yth is confused
and inconsistent: apparently Autolycus, O dysseus grandfather (cf. the .
doubtful episode in xix 394-466), stole the mares from Eurytus and :
entrusted them to H eracles (this perhaps explains the reference to his i
com plicity : K . Lehrs, De Anstarchi studiis Homericis (Leipzig, 18823), 109
in crim ine . . . conscium ); H eracles later refused to give them up. Iphitus j
was perhaps looking for H eracles not in order to reclaim the mares, but to
ask for his help, on the grounds that he was to some extent im plicated in j
the crime.
27 . : concessive. : reflex, possessive; H eracles m urdered Iphitus i
w hen he was a guest in his ow n (i.e. H eracles) house, w hich m ade the
deed all the m ore horrible.
28 . A direct exclam ation by the poet.
28 - 9 . : the sacred table,
COMMENTARY
(S. Laser, Archaeologia P, 58), at which the host seated his guest, and on
w hich oaths were sworn, xiv 158, xvii 155 (in xx 230 the variant reading is
preferable). : underlines the sacred nature o f the table (that
[famous and traditional] one); the conjecture 8 of Eustathius and
certain M S S is unnecessary. T h e phrase is am biguous; the subject m ight
be Iphitus, m eaning that he had previously entertained Heracles as a guest,
though this is not likely. : even after that, despite that.
30 . and besides all this he kept the mares ; the imperf. implies continuity.
31 . $ : and while he was seeking for them (cf. , xxi 22),
before m eeting Heracles; the phrase takes us back to the narrative from
w hich we digressed in xxi 15. T h e exchange of gifts is typical (cf. Diom edes
and G laucus in II. vi).
32 . T h is reading, given by P 133 and others (note also y in the apparatus),
avoids a lengthening in thesis; G rashofs em endation spoils the syntax,
: iterative. Eurytus is described as a great bowm an in viii 224-5,
w here he and Heracles -nept j cf. II. ii 596.
34 ; : sc. Iphitus.
35- 6 . T h e y intended to share each other s table, but were forestalled.
: locative. : with the gen. is rare
(Schwyzer, Grammatik, ii 106); hence the crop of variant readings, but the
construction is paralleled in xxiii 109. : not before , but on the
contrary, instead . : Heracles.
35 . : in apposition; cf. xxi 4. : the only attestation of
this w ord in G reek literature (e w ould require lengthening of the -1-),
xv 343 is also a hapax. : only here in
H om er, in Herodotus (as a term indicating kinship by marriage), and in
H ellenistic Greek, the word is a back-formation from an unattested
^ (cf. in iii 219, xiv 527); the variant in
M on . w ould also be a hapax.
38 . o : sc. Odysseus.
39 . e p x o p e v o s : iterative.
40 . : adverbial. : predicative.
41 . =: iterative form of , either by hyphaeresis * )/ or
from the - of through a hypothetical intermediate stage
* ; otherwise unattested (but cf. in xiv 521).
O dysseus kept the bow for hunting and m inor expeditions, Note the
lengthening of before , and the variant in P 28. r\si reflex,
possessive.
42 . : this use of the article, and especially its position, has caused remark,
b ut cf. 11 xvii 401; it m ay be demonstrative (that one o f which we spoke in
xxi 8). T h e variant reading with the possessive is not hopeless, but requires
lengthening in thesis; N aucks conjecture, with its permissible hiatus, m ay
have been the real reading, needlessly corrected by the scribes.
43- 4 . T here are a further four parallel passages on the craft of the carpenter
( , xvii 384): xvii 340-1, identical except for the first
hemistich; v 245, almost identical to xxi 44; and the second hemistichs of
152
B O O K X X I 2 8-51
xxi 121 and xxiii 197 respectively, identical and almost identical to the end
o f 44. In v 245 and xvii 341 we find ^(), smoothed with a plane, as
here, and in xxiii 196 a, planed all around . In all five passages the
is m entioned; the etym ology o f this w ord suggests that originally it
referred to a tool for testing vertical alignm ent, like our plum b-line, but in
H om er this is the function of the only in xvii 341, for a pair of
cypress door-jambs. Here som e sort o f ruler for testing straightness is not
impossible, but the is m ore likely to b e a kind of spirit-level for
checking the horizontal alignm ent of the threshold. It is certainly a linear
ruler in v 245 (for the planks of the raft), xxi 121 (the axes), and xxiii 197
(the planks o f the bed). T h e verb also appears in all five passages,
and also in v 255 (the building of the raft), as w ell as contexts to do with
archery, such as xxii 8, and navigation.
43 . : w ooden (not necessarily of oak) , only here in Hom er, not
attested again before H ippocrates and Euripides. T h e wooden threshold
indicates a hum ble room; the threshold of the feast-hall, always described
as ? (xvii 30, xx 258, xxiii 88), is m ade of m ore valuable material; in
xvii 339 8 ( leg. Brard), threshold o f ash-wood, raises
the thorny question of w hether the hall had m ore than one threshold.
45 . A typical exam ple of parataxis, loosely co-ordinated with the preceding
relative clause.
46- 8 . See n. on xxi 6. $: Penelope expertly unties the com plicated
knot w hich fastened the door.
47. . . . : tmesis. : synizesis; the door has two leaves
(dvperpa), : here only in Hom er; the verb is not attested
again before T hucydides. the lock , w hich also consists of two
bolts (cf. xxi 391).
48 . : the phrase is used, for example, of taking aim in
archery (cf. xxi 421; and xxi 6n. on its force here).
48 - 9 . .. | . . . : a fine simile for the loud creaking
o f a door w hich has long been unused (cf. xxi 393-5), w hich is reminiscent
of other passages on grazing cows and bulls (see for exam ple II ii 480-1); it
displays a sharp eye for nature unusual in this type of simile in the Odyssey,
raising suspicions as a possible cento o f passages from the Iliad (11 xxi 237
t/vtc , II xvi 151 ', see Blass, Interpola~
tionen, 201). Furtherm ore, though there are bellow ing doors in II. v 749
and II. xii 460, the only other occurrence o f (II. xix 13) refers to the
sound of a weapon; II. v 859 denotes the w ar-cry of Ares, in II. xvi
468 the w hinnying of a horse. T hese problem s, as well as the repetition of the
same w ord in the identical position in two successive lines and the difficulty
o f the neuter , w hich m ust be taken as anticipating , are resolved
b y N au ck s conjecture; but this leaves unexplained.
51 . $ : ?, plank, here has the unparalleled m eaning of
w all-shelf (cf. xxi 137), or more likely (. . . ) a raised wooden stage or
dais placed at som e height above the floor to avoid dam p. Perfum e was
placed in the chest for the sam e purpose, and to prevent moth (cf. a similar
153
COMMENTARY
case with in ii 339, viii 438; and see further S. Laser, Archaeokgia
p , 68-9). ^
53 . : standing on tiptoe ; the peg w ould have to be high up to
hold the huge bow. Pegs were also used to hang clothes (i 440), a lyre (viii
67), and another bow {II. v 209).
54 . : on see the Introduction. A fine exam ple lined
with gold has been found by Andronikos in Vergina. T h e pronoun is
sociative, w ith its bow-case and all , em phasizing the heavy weight which
Penelope has to lift. 6$: lengthening before f . .
55 . . . . : tmesis; in x 567 should perhaps also be
divided thus. Apoll. (, li 1079, xii 528) misunderstood the H om eric
usage.
56 . S fjpee: on this tmesis, see the Introduction; Bentleys conjecture,
supported by a parallel, preserves the p-. T h e plural is often used to
indicate bow and quiver together, and occasionally for the bow alone (cf. 11
i 45 )-
57 . = xix 213, 251.
58 . Penelope does not linger over the com plicated business o f locking the
door (cf. xxi 46). Likewise T elem achus forgets to lock the door in xxii l 12,
confessing in xxii 156 that he left it ajar (). : cf. xxi 17,
60 . See the Introduction and apparatus.
61 - 2 . Both lines are indispensable; Brard s rejection o f xxi 62, which he
considered an echo of iii 388, xiv 326, xix 295, makes very
awkward.
61 . T h e two maidservants (but cf. xxi 66) carry the heavy basket; Penelope is
also heavily laden (xxi 54), but carrying the bow is a cerem onial act.
: the noun is difficult (see S. Laser, Archaeokgia P, 70) for various
reasons, including accentuation (see the variants in the apparatus, and
Chantraine, Formation, 54, w ho argues that dactylic words should take the
paroxytone), the material o f which it was m ade (Pollux x 165
- suggests wickerwork or some other light material), and etym ology
(probably from -, [something] to carry things in ; less likely is the
derivation [a receptacle] for , arrow fletchings , the latter being so
called from their function as counter-weights; though might mean
basket, chest with handles , from the resem blance of the latter to the
curved oy/cot),
62 - : (S. Laser, LfgrE, i 14851) is a suppletive form of
, always used in ^ ^ particularly convenient before the bucolic
caesura; o f the fourteen occasions it appears, nine m ean prize, one means
contest (viii 108; cf. xxi 91), and the rem aining four mean gear, sports
equipm ent (compare xxi 4 with xxiv 169; in xxi 117, based on II. xxiii 736
. . . dveAvres and IL xxiii 823 . . . , an odd
expression which is translated, hardly satisfactorily, as be[ing] handy with
the gear). : em phatic demonstrative, that one [of w hom w e
know] (cf. xxi 42).
63- 6. = i 332-5, xviii 208-11, xvi 4 14 -16 (less the last line). In the three
154
B O O K X X I 51-80
earlier passages a maidservant stands on either side, but only i 331 and xviii
307 state beforehand that Penelope is accom panied by only two m aid
servants. In theory we m ight take this passage to m ean that there were four
slave-girls, two carrying the (xxi 61) and two more standing at
Penelope s sides; but it is easier to suppose that there are only two girls. A t
all events xxi 66 is suspect (see apparatus).
64 . pa: that is, as was to be expected from a queen .
65 . : H om er uses the poetic w ord (associated with the
cult of H era in Samos according to Leum an n, Wrter, 296 n. 60) in both
singular and plural forms, w ithout distinction in meaning, to indicate a
w om an s head-dress; this im plies some sort of veil with various pins and
appurtenances, not a simple hair-net or diadem . Besides, N ausicaa and her
friends w ould not have had to remove anything so flimsy as a hair-net in
order to play ball (vi 100). In Penelopes drawing of the veil across her
cheeks (on w hich see further Lorim er, Monuments, 385-6; and, on the
$, G . Bielefeld, Archaeologia C , 3 n. 10), H . H aakh, D er Schleier
der Penelope , Gymnasium lxvi (1959), 374-80, sees a gesture designed not
to cover her face, but rather to give a glimpse, at once polite and alluring, o f
her eyes.
68 - 73 . Brard deleted these lines on the grounds that such insults are
inconsistent with Penelope s apparently conciliatory m ood. T h e first four
and a h alf feet of xxi 68=xx 292.
69 . : the verb governs both and the two infinitives, w hich
are consecutive or final. : cf. ix 386.
71 . . . . : excuse expressed in words (that is, lies) ,
or offer o f an excuse, pretext ; the noun is otherwise unattested. H om er
only once uses the synonym (xvii 451), later com m on in
prose.
72 . : the participle m ust be taken as the equivalent of an abstract
noun, as the object of , or we m ust supply but you did [what
you have done] (cf. xxi 323).
73 . . . . : the force of is either this prize of which I am
about to speak , or, rather crudely for Penelope s w ay o f speaking, the
prize you see before you, i.e. this w om an as w ife (cf. xxi 106-7, where
. . . a e & W is followed by oty), : not a m ere interjection, but
w ith its original imperative force, act n ow !
74 . : the particle refers back to .
75- 9 . = x ix 5 7 7-8 1; on the significance o f the earlier passage see n. on
xxi 1-2 .
77 . . . . : the sense is close to that of an ordinary future.
79 . : indefinite, here m ore or less always, ever . -irep: even . After
this, Penelope does not speak again until 3x1 (J. L. M yres, T h e Pattern of
the Odyssey , J H S lxxii (1952), 8), but there is no indication that she has left
the hall.
80 - 100 . T h e passage is suspect; a num ber o f deletions based on linguistic
anomalies such as those of 91 and 93 have been proposed (see Shipp,
55
COMMENTARY
156
B O O K X X I 80-100
masc. nom. sing. B ut L eum ann ( Wrter, 1667) suggests a developm ent
from * (cf. Lat. taceo), corrupted to , while V . Pisani
(LfgrE, i 4 1 0 -1 1) postulates an adverbial form * which evolved
phonetically to both and , 'silently5 (the latter is usually
explained as a primitive fern. sing. acc.). : 'continue eating5,
durative.
90 . . . . : tmesis.
91 . : 'contest5 (cf, xxi 62, xxii 5); masc. sing, acc, in apposition,
: the prosody o f this w ord is difficult: in 11. xiv 271 it is scanned
* ---- s; in xxi 91, xxii 5, A poll, ii 77 ^ '4 ^ . T h e etym ology of the word
obviously points to * > , harm , deceit5, b u t it is unclear whether
the prefix d- is negative (schol, ), in w hich case we should expect
, or intensive (schol, ). A p o ll, took it to be the latter, applying
the adjective to a particularly dangerous boxer; b u t the three H om eric
attestations allow the other interpretation. In Ii. xiv 271 the waters of Styx
cannot be said to be deceitful5; here A ntinous does not m ean that the
contest w ill b e harm ful5, since as far as- he knows n obo dy is going to shoot
with the bow; an d we m ust translate O dysseus5 w ords at xxii 5 up to now
[it is true] the contest has been harm less [though matters are about to
change]5. A ntin ous5 w ords here are therefore full o f dram atic irony; the
audience knows that the contest will not in fact turn out to b e harm less5.
B u t if the audience was also aw are o f the intensive force o f -, there could
be a p lay on words: the line m ight either b e read with a com m a after
and no pause after Atwovre in xxi 90, or w ith a pause after the
participle to suggest the m eaning disastrous for the suitors ; the poet leaves
a question m ark over the hateful A n tin ou s rem ark, w hich could be seen as
an expression o f ill om en (van der V alk , Textual Criticism, 2 11H . 3). T h e
best solution is to leave the phrase w ithout punctuation, as Stanford does in
his edition. See further H . Seiler, LfgrE, i 2 -3 s.v. .
92 . H ere and in xxi 97 w e have asigm atic futures. O n the expansion of the
form ulaic , found again in 2S1, 286, 326, see Hainsworth,
Flexibility, 78.
93 . : the only occurrence in H om er of this form for . -
: the form with the d o u b le ending has caused doubt (see the
apparatus), b u t occurs in x 268; the sam e form w ith -- occurs three times
in the Odyssey and once in the Iliad.
94 . T h e first three feet = xix 315.
95 . T h e paratactic construction is concessive in sense.
96 . : as w as to be expected from so w ily a m an , in close
conjunction w ith the dative o f possession .
97- 100 . O n these lines see the Introduction.
98 . ro t: and y et5, heavily ironic; the irony is increased b y the sardonic
understatem ent of , taste5.
99 . : in xvii 445-80 A n tin o u s not o n ly in sulted O dysseus, but threw a
stool at him .
100. l m 6 opvue . , . : an d also egged his com panions on [to
157
COMMENTARY
158
B O O K X X I xoo - 1 3 3
159
COMMENTARY
160
B O O K X X I 1 2 3 - 1 39
161
COMMENTARY
to a colum n (vin 65; on xxii 341, cf. xxi 14 1-2 n.), and kept for guests as a
sign of honour (for exam ple, i 130); but clothes could also be hung on it
(xvii 86, 179, xx 96, but not xxi 118, on which see the n.), andon one
occasion a spear is propped up against one (xxi 434; the text o f this line is
doubtful, however). A curious feature o f the construction o f the
m ay have been the attachm ent o f side-trays or flat arm-rests: Antinous,
m ortally w ounded, leans over to one side (xxii 17 ) to
vomit before he falls off (xxii 22 ). N orm ally the seats w ould be
ranged down the sides o f the walls (vii 95), and were not kept very clean,
to ju d g e by the cloths that are spread on the seat to protect the clothes of
their occupants (i 130, x 352, xx 150). It is hardly surprising, however,
that in xxii 438, 452, after the slaughter, the chairs are w ashed as w ell as
the tables (the latter being norm al practice after meals, i i n ) . O dysseus,
w ho has several times been shown to a as a guest (e.g. v 195, x
233), is now seated as a hum ble beggar (xxi 177.); but if we accept the
M S S reading at xxi 434 (T elem achus stands close to his father s chair,
), even this hum ble beggars seat () undergoes
the sam e sort of m agical transformation w hich turns O dysseus from
beggar into w arrior (G. W . H ouston, , , and O dysseus
C h an ge from B eggar to A venger, CPh lxx (1975), 212-14). A n d indeed,
at xxiii 164 w e find O dysseus seated on his throne once more, this tim e as
the lord o f the house. Finally, it is noteworthy that in xxiv 385 (where
, probably a synonym , appears for the only tim e in the later
books) Eum aeus and Philoetius sit down on thrones, doubtless rem em
bering their masters promises in xxi 207 ff. O n this point see further
S, Laser, LfgrE, i 38-4 1.
141 . : cf. xvii 365-6, where O dysseus goes begging round the
suitors . W ithout, o f course, excluding other possible arrange
ments, it m ay be helpful to consider Pococks plan of the feast-hall
(Figure 8). B represents the : the w ooden threshold of the door
betw een the vestibule and the courtyard; 3 the stone threshold beside
which Odysseus is seated (4); 5 the trench and the axes; 6 the position of
Telem achus; 7 that o f Leodes, who is in the com er (xxi 146) next to the
am phora (xxi 145); and 8 that of Antinous. T h e order in which the suitors
are to shoot goes from right to left, as did O dysseus begging, so that
Leodes is the first to try his hand. B ut if, as some suppose, it was considered
unlucky to take turns' anti-clockwise, there is no reason w hy w e should not
turn the plan around in a m irror image; then , w ill m ean from left
to right, not from right to left .
142 . : gen. after a verb o f beginning. Com m entators have been
w orried by the m eaning of , exactly , adding precision to the adverb o f
place (cf. xxi 134, w here the particle adds nothing); and b y the fact that the
verb lacks an expressed subject such as the cupbearer , w hich m ust be
understood (cf. H dt. ii 47 3 , and in xxi 263). H ence
the reading of P 28, an acceptable em endation (cf. in h. Ven.
204); the impossible conjectures of J. M on and of Fick, and the very doubt-
B O O K X X I 1 3 9 -1 4 4
163
COMMENTARY
164
B O O K X X I 144-162
165
COMMENTARY
166
B O O K X X I 162-178
168
B O O K X X I 178-200
(if you were to do this [I w ould be glad], and thence if only you w ould do
this), but is followed by an apodosis o f sorts in xxi 203.
201 . T h e line stands in apposition to , and takes the optative by
attraction. It repeats xvii 243, where is also equivalent to , and is
probably imitated from that line: Shipp, Studies, 353, notes that the
expression fits less logically here, since the m ention of another god
( ) sits uneasily with the address to Zeus in the sam e sentence.
202 - 4 , = xx 237-9; in view of what is said in the note to xxi 200, the o ccu r
rence o f the lines here is suspicious. In the first line o f the three w e m ust
understand w hat strength I have and [what] hands are at its call (cf. 11 iv
314, where the knees are asked to obey the )', but the ellipsis m akes
the phrase hard to understand, which explains the variant reading.
203 . In principle the parallel with xx 238 favours the reading .
204 . Hiatus alter , probably because the line = xx 329, w here the
inf. follows , which perhaps lends credibility to the variant
(cf. Shipp, Studies, 353).
205 . ye: o f these at least5; ye is im portant in rem inding us that
O dysseus has as yet no grounds to rely on the fidelity of the other slaves.
206 . Cf. xxi 192; because he has already spoken to them there. T h e
end of the line is similar to xix 214.
207 - 8 . a u r o s : m yself [am] that very m an,
returned hom e (that is, here before your eyes)5; < *vS retains
the force of its etym ological connection with (cf. xvi 462, xix 40). T h e
abrupt m anner o f O dysseus surprise revelation recalls ii 4 0 -1
. , . ) xxiv 321 /cefvos . . . . . .
, imitated by Verg. A. i 59 5-6 coram quern quaentis adsum, Troius
Aeneas; here, however, there are no relatives, and is predicative. It
w ould be preferable, therefore, to punctuate w ith a colon at the end o f 207,
with asyndeton in the following line; this w ould be avoided by the papyru s
for , but the reading is m ade less likely by the parallel line-ending
in vi 175, xxiii 101, 169.
208 . T h e case for deletion (see the apparatus, and Blass, Interpolationen, 203)
is based on the parallels in xvi 206, xxiv 322, both preceded by asyndeton as
in the present case; in xix 484 and o f course xxiii 102 (with the opt.), on the
other hand, the line is indispensable. A s for the m orphology o f , it
has been argued that we have an adaptation of the original form ula
to the ist. pers., with consequent problem s with the d igam m a
(Hoekstra, Modifications, 52); A llen and von der M h ll print
in xvi 206, xix 484, xxi 208, xxiv 322 (cf. , xxiii 102),
but von der M h ll prefers the reading in xvi 206, xix 484,
xxi 208, xxiv 322. Note, however, the three cases o f hiatus in the follow ing
, the first due to digam m a, the second to the loss of --, the third
accom panied by lengthening in thesis.
209 . T h e alternative form () appears here for the first tim e in our
M S S and editions. : ethic dat., pred.,
partitive.
170
B O O K X X I 200-217
210 - 16 . In the context o f this w hole dubious episode (cf. xxi 197-80.),
O dysseus grand promises m ake this passage even m ore objectionable.
210. 8 : is o f course demonstrative (these others); the gen.
is partitive, after the indef. rev.
2 11 . N a u ck s conjecture does not resolve the hiatus before and after .
, w hich later alm ost disappears except in the late cognate verb
, is attested elsewhere in archaic verse at h.Ap. 476 (with
catafle) and four times in H om er (here, and in II. vi 367, 501, Od. xx 332)
used predicatively with , T h e similar ending of xxii 35 supports the
reading ' ,, as against ' ; but neither these read
ings nor xxii 35 take account of digam m a in the adv. (cf. xxi 332). vffd is
unjustifiable, as Chantraine has pointed out (Grammaire, i 145). T h e other
suggestion, t is found only at xiv 372, m eaning retired, rem ote .
212. (*)s e o e r a i is in apposition to ^ (cf. xix 312, correlative with
coSe). T h e end o f the line = xvi 226, xvii 108, xxii 420.
213 - 16 . T h e offer corresponds with E um aeus own assertion of w hat
O dysseus w ould have done for him if he had com e hom e in xiv 3 6 -7 1; on
the legal problem s posed by such a m ock adoption see further Ram m ing,
Dienerschaft, 702 and 112 . 1, and the note on xxi 139 about xxiv 385.
213 . = xix 488, and cf. xix 496. : potential subj.
214 . : the m iddle is used in iv 10 to refer to M enelaus m arrying a girl
to his son; in vi 28 of the supposed suitors for N ausicaa s hand; in xv 238 of
M elam p u s giving his brother a bride. : i.e. .
216 . T h e hiatus before (the reading , possess, d a t, in the
preceding position is also possible) and before cocodov (avoidable w ith
F ick s conjecture) is suspicious, as are the three duals, since the two
characters do not form a pair in the structure. T o call them brothers of
T elem ach u s also seems odd, given the large disparity in age; Eum aeus
elsewhere claim s (xv 332-79) to have been brought up as a brother to
C tim ene, O dysseus sister.
217 - 2 1 . T h e story o f the scar makes four appearances: in xix 386 if., the long
passage abou t its discovery by Eurycleia (393, the original form ula w hich
gave rise to the rem aining occurrences according to Hoekstra, Modifica
tions,, 111 = xxi 219, with the logical exception of , w hich fits the 3rd.
pers. narrative at that point, here changed to with consequent metrical
lengthening; the first h a lf of xix 394 = xxi 220, b u t is there followed by
Tc , also read here in some witnesses); this passage; xxiii
7 3 -7 (Eurycleia s explanation to Penelope; 73 is similar to xxi 217 and also
to xi 126; there is no line corresponding to xxi 218, which has led to its
athetization; 74 = xxi 219, but with again; no line corresponding to xxi
220); and xxiv 3305 (O dysseus explanation to Laertes; the end of
332 - xxi 219). T h ere has been endless debate as to whether these lines,
w ith all the critical oddities o f xxi 219-20, are not perhaps even later than
xxiv. A t all events, the w hole passage is late, as I have said; one must add
that the servants had no w ay o f knowing m uch about the scar, whereas
Eurycleia did.
171
COMMENTARY
217 . : subj, of volition after the interj. d a ye, com e now (cf. xxiv
336). : adv. : pred., with following hiatus which shows
that this is adapted from xxiii 225 . : some
thing else, besides .
218 . T h e duals continue (this time in contracted subj. forms, another
possible sign o f late composition), m ixed with plurals in xxi 222 ff. O n v cf.
xxi 369.
219 - 20 . T h e fact that these lines are lacking in P 28 and M on. m ay be sig
nificant; von der M h ll brackets them (see Blass, Interpretationen, 203).
N ote w hat has been said above about the end of xxi 220 com pared to xix
394, and the absence of any parallel after xxiii 74; further suspicions are
aroused by the end o f xxi 219, found in the 3rd. pers. narrative o f the
episode in question at xix 465, and b y xxi 220, identical to xix 466.
221 . T h e fact that O dysseus scar is hidden b y his long tunic is taken by
L orim er to indicate that the was of the plebeian type, perhaps o f
w ool (Monuments, 372 n. 7), whereas a similar w ound borne by the
aristocratic M enelaus (IL iv 146) is perfectly visible.
222 . Sim ilar to x 453, xxiv 391. T h e verbs have the sense of our pluperfect.
Even if is read, with von der M h ll, this cannot clinch the question
o f the authenticity of xxi 2 17 -2 1.
224 - 5 . Slaves kiss their master on the head, shoulders, and hands (like the
serving-girls and O dysseus in xxii 499-500), or on the head and shoulders
only (like the slave-girls and T elem achus in xvii 35); Penelope kisses her
son on the head and eyes (xvii 39); Eum aeus kisses Telem achus on the
head, eyes, and hands (xvi 1516), a sign of his im portant position in the
household; Penelope thinks o f kissing the head and hands o f O dysseus in
xxiii 87; O dysseus him self kisses D olius hand in xxiv 398. N ote the
em otional effect o f the servants continuous imperf. , began to kiss,
in contrast to the sober and single sKvaae of their master.
226 . = xvi 220. : cf. xxi 209. on .
227 . a u r o s : reflects O dysseus forceful character; he is the first to pull
him self together,
228 . T h e line is similar to iv 801, xvii 8, xxiv 323 (see O N olan, Doublets, 32).
: intrans.
229 . T h e variants attempt to correct the hiatus after . d -
: , and then, is asyndetic; , tell, intrans., like
in 228; , adv.; on cf. iii 427, iv 775.
230 . Stop crying and go in, not all together but one by one (that is, m e first
and then you) . T h e etym ology o f , one by one, paralleled
only b y in xi 233 (the suffix is found in , xx 118,
xxiv 181, 449, and two Iliadic examples), has been debated: B. Forssman,
G r. , ai. nimm- u. Verw andtes, Zeit sehr. Vergl. Sprach/. Ixxxix
(1964), 1128 has found little acceptance; the w ord m ust originally have
been fem., referring to the w om en w ho filed past the suitor before the
appearance o f the bride-to-be during the *, asking cerem ony
(Frisk, GEW ).
B O O K X X I 217-239
173
COMMENTARY
it is more likely that they are governed by tv. N ote the hiatus between
and (cf. xxi 89., and Frisk, G E W , on the digamma), as well as
the usual one in - , at their own business .
240 . : cf. xxi 234. . . . : regardless of whether the
contest takes place in the hall or in the courtyard, these doors must be
those of the gate o f the courtyard into the street (cf. xxi 389, where the order
is carried out, with Bethes com m ent, Odyssee, 75; xxii 137
; and xviii 239, where some read ).
241 . : schema etymologicum, with the instrum. T h e line
ending, with its tmesis, is almost identical to viii 443, 447; supply the dat.
to the doors . : skilfully, dexterously, as in xxi 46. T h e
procedure is quite different from that described in xxi 6,47, but identical to
that in i 422: Philoetius is to close the doors from inside with a simple bolt
(^); in addition, at xxi 390, he ties it fast with the first thing that comes
to hand in the courtyard (as a slave, he does not have a very good
knowledge of arrangements inside the palace), to prevent it being easily
opened by panic-stricken m en trying to get out.
242 . = xvii 324; acc. o f direction. Both lines refer to someone entering from
the street, not from the courtyard (cf. xxi 191). O n cf. xxi 369.
243 . = xxi 392; the ending is also found in xxi 139,166 (see the nn. on xxi 139,
177). ": to our w ay of thinking the w ord is asyndetic, as so often,
is emphatic: he went and sat dow n , underlines the fact that this is
the same seat as before, and is equivalent to a pluperfect.
244 . . . . ': pa, as they had agreed5; , as well, in their
turn ; note the tmesis, and the variants recorded in the apparatus in
response to the hiatus before . T here is a further case of hiatus before
.
245 . : at last, looks back to in xxi 186. T h e end of the line is
repeated at xxii 10; here the bewildered Eurym achus turns the bow from
side to side in his attempts to m ake it bend.
246 . O n the heating of the bow over the cf. xxi 176 and the Intro
duction. : this w ay and that. T h e contracted long
vowel of the instrum ental (cf. x 316 , xi 136 , in contrast to
II xvii 739 ) is a late form w hich shows that this passage is derivative,
refers to the bowl.
247 . : in this phrase, w hich also appears as
the end of 11 x 16, we must take as an acc. o f respect, as in II xviii 33
(but cf. Il, xx 169 v 8
prop); the initial nasal o f , which m ay be translated aloud, causes
m etrical lengthening of the preceding vowel.
248 . A rem arkable line: the first hem istich, S pa (), appears
seven times in the Iliad followed by Sv , and in IL
xxiii 143 followed by another form ulaic line-ending, and in v 298,355,407,
464, always with ; but this is the only occurrence
in H om er of the form ula S pa followed b y r
a form ula which, as pointed out in xxi 84., should properly be
174
B O O K X XI 239-255
followed b y a proper name. But this is the reading (with loss of digam m a if
eiVev is accepted) of the papyrus and some M SS; it represents an attempt
on the part of these witnesses, using the m odel of vii 330 8 dpa
ciVcv 7709 ., to resolve the problem created b y the com m oner M S
reading 77/309 ., of Eurym achus here speaking to his own , but
being answered below by Antinous. T his, however, does not seem to van
der V a lk a strong enough reason to reject the consensus of the m ajority of
witnesses ( Textual Cnticism, 93).
249 . T h e syntax is difficult, no doubt reflecting Eurym achus strong feelings.
T h e first hem istich is identical to II. xx 293: is an exclam ation of
indignant incredulity, and m ust be supplied with . :
i.e. ; it is less em phatic than -; according to Eurym achus, he
is concerned not so m uch with his own honour as the criticism w hich will
be levelled at the suitors as a w hole.
250 - 3 . : the gem ination of -a- is for metrical reasons; we
expect an answering correlative such as , but in xxi 253 (after a
parenthesis of two lines) we find , as at xiv 1424 vv
. . . , and xxii 5 0 -1 , similar to this passage,
. . . ; cf. also iv 1045 <^
. . . .
250 . : ablative gen. after a verb o f emotion. :
concess., although [to a certain extent, it is true,] I do grieve [for this failure
too] ; cf. iv 104 and xiv 142 , both m entioned above.
251 - 2 . It is im possible to ju d g e how far E urym ach us sudden disdain for
Penelope m ay be sincere; cf, L eodes w ords at xxi lboff.
252 . T h e re is no need to supply v w ith the loc. . T h e refer
ence is o f course to the neighbouring islands.
253 - 5 . T h e syntax is still loose: either ei m ust be taken causally rather than
conditionally ( grieve because), or the phrase in xxi 255 m ust be seen as a
sort of apodosis, despite the colon.
253 . : supply as we see here . governs
; on this gen. see xxi 1256 n. and 185 m
254 . : a form equivalent to the later causal conjunction . H ere too we
expect a correlative o f .
255 . .: again, w e m ust supply [that w ill be] a sham e , ,
even ; the inf. is consecutive and final in im plication. For this preoccupa
tion with the judgem ent of posterity (Eurym achus always speaks with an
outw ard show o f decency, cf. i 402-4, xvi 435-47), com pare the well known
o f in 204, and II. ii l i g y*
(A gam em non speaking o f defeat at T roy); likewise
xxiv 433-5, the first line o f w hich has the sam e ending, . . . 1
, and w hich is followed by a conditional
protasis, and then a second apodosis in asyndeton, ouk . . . ,
w hich shows the close dependence of that passage on this one; a similarly
ironic apodosis is found in xiv 406, after a relative clause with conditional
force.
COMMENTARY
176
B O O K X X I 256-276
(but note that the almost identical line xvi 104 has been condem ned
precisely on the grounds that it appears to be an echo of this one unless
both are dependent on the very similar xviii 24). In this case, the m eaning
w ould be that no one w ould steal the axes, either in the feast-hall or the
courtyard, because the culprit w ould b e im m ediately detected.
261 . T h e object o f m ust be the axes; naturally, the bow would
b e taken aw ay b y the competitors.
262 . ^ : the synizesis and hiatus is perhaps imitated from original
formulae such as II. i 1 , w here the primitive form
w ould have been .
263 . - xviii 418. : von der M h ll gives enthusiastic praise {optime)
to Bentleys conjecture a ye with following digam m a. T h e w ord ? is
found only once in the Iliad (ii 128), in connection with the rules of war; in
Od. ix 10 the w ord is used in a general sense; the cup-bearer in O dysseus
palace (cf. xxi 142, 145) has been m entioned in xviii 41819 where, having
apparently recovered from a blow struck at him b y Eurym achus (xviii 396),
he is given the same order as here; in the identical line xviii 418 w e should
also read dye, w hich indeed is supported b y one witness.
: the verb refers to the *, or action o f em ptying a
libation of a few drops from each cup before filling it, as the servants pour
^ in iii 3394 j xxi 27t- 2 (passages dependent in
turn on II ix 175-6), or as Eum aeus offers a cup to O dysseus in
XIV447.
264 . T h e first hem istich is also paralleled at xviii 419; aneiaavres is
emphatic: (only) after pouring a libation . Brard s is
arbitrary, despite xxi 279. O n see the Introduction.
265- 6 . T h e repetitive w ording, pointed by ham m ering alliterations down to
(am ongst ail flocks , partitive dat.;'cfi i 71, xv 227, the latter
also with efo ya), is im m ediately noticeable. T h e lines are almost identical
to xvii 213, x x 17 3 -4 . : the suffix is abb; translate at day
break.
266 . : adv,, m uch the finest .
267 . . . . 0 vres: tmesis, as in iii 179 5em 1 c 0e/*ev; cf. i 140 im -
. T here is a sim ilar tmesis with and m . . . or c/cye in iii
9, xvii 241, xxii 336. : cf. xxi 257-62 n.
268 . = xxi 180.
269 . = xxi 143.
270 - 3 . For the repetitions (xxi 2 71-2 = iii 339-40; xxi 273, almost identical to
iii 342; xxi 270== i 146, iii 338, etc.) and the practice o f libations see xxi
263 . T h e lines have been needlessly condem ned on the grounds that they
slow up the pace of the narrative.
273 . Both here and at iii 342 von der M hll, following Aristarchus, prefers
ttIo-v without the augm ent. : all.
276 . T h is line has no M S authority whatever, and is an editorial addition; it
should be excised (see further Blass, Interpolationen, 204). Both xvii 469 and
177
COMMENTARY
xviii 352, on which it is based (cf. xxi 342), are followed by asyn deton
whereas here we have S in xxi 277.
277 . T h e papyrus inversion o f the names, w hich m ay w ell be correct, has
been discussed in the Introduction; the suggestion that deoetSa (with
synizesis, as in such m odels for this line as II. iii 27) is to be taken with both
names is unacceptable.
278 . O dysseus singles out the two heroes in his request, and especially the
. second, who, since he spoke, with restraint and good sense in xxi 257-68
(note the usual hiatus before 7705; the line-ending is similar to that o f viii
141, 397)) w ill likewise () listen with sense to his supplications now. T h e
substance o f the request im plied in follows in xxi 281.
279 . T h e infinitives and have been taken as
imperatives, but in view o f w hat has been said in the note on xxi 235 it is
perhaps preferable to take them as epexegetic, in apposition to Vos.
here means the archery contest, and this m ust be understood also as the
object o f imrpetfiat.
280 . A lthough the phrase is paratactic, it loosely reproduces A ntin ous
thought in xxi 267. : cf. xxi 265 .
281 . V o sss conjecture is excellent; the beginning o f the line is identical to ii
212, iv 669, bu t here greater em phasis falls on the pronoun. :
am ong yo u ; O dysseus m odestly asks only to be allowed to try his strength
w ith the bow, not to take part in the contest as a competitor.
282 . ; the aor. subj..77cipij implies
an open question, (to see) w hether, w hich can be followed equally well
either by ei or (see the apparatus, and xxi 284). For ovcos cf.
^ in xxi 202, xx 237.
283 . : the word has been interpreted here as flexible, pliant5,
but all of the eleven occurrences o f the word in H om er allow the m eaning
bent , not only w hen applied to curved objects (II. xviii 401, Od. iv 369, xii
332), a jaw -bon e (II. xi 416), or a tortuous m ind (II. xxiv 41), bu t also in the
five occurrences of the line-ending vi - <;(): in II. xxiv 359
Priam s lim bs are naturally bent with age; in II. xi 669 (with a first
hem istich similar to the present line) Nestor speaks o f the strength having
gone out of m y (now) bent lim bs ; in Od. xi 394 A gam em non talks o f a
body becom ing bent in H ades; in xiii 398,430 the w ord is used proleptic-
ally (Athena withers O dysseus skin over his n ow bent limbs); here
O dysseus talks like his old fighting-com panions.
284 . T h e line is suspect for various reasons, and its removal would support
the reading d in xxi 282: the hiatus in the first foot (which could be avoided
b y reading % that is elided )\ the fact that we m ust supply for m e or
m y strength with oXeaaev; and the rarity o f , neglect5 (,
however, w hich is used only three times and always in the Odyssey, at x 464,
xv 342, 345, need not be questioned), , w hich naturally requires
long -i- to avoid the cretic like in xiii 142, is found only here in
archaic texts; it is related to the H om eric words and , but
apart from oXty in Dem ocritus, the only parallel forms are in
178
B O O K X X I 276-293
t 79
COMMENTARY
him , and has therefore attracted frequent condem nation; but the editors
are unsure as to the extent of the passage to be excised. T h e most extreme
position is that of van Leeuwen, whose suggestion would bring together the
two occurrences o f (xxi 289, 309) in a concise phrase. O th er editors
begin the excision in 295, or remove only the descriptive passages in 297-8,
299-304, 303-4, or 303 alone; others confine their attentions to 305-9, or
even to 308 alone. T h ere are, it is true, several oddities, but the style of the
w hole digression is really rather good; its structure bears a rem arkable
affinity to the Iliad,'s favourite threefold scheme for sententious passages,
w ith exposition (293-4) followed by exemplum (295-304) and moral (305-
10) (see H eubeck, Dichter, 25).
293 . : this epithet is applied to on four occasions in the Iliad
and seven in the Odyssey; doubtless it looks back to the time w hen had
the m eaning m ead 1, A ntin ous accusation of drunkenness recalls
O dysseus words to Eum aeus in xiv 4636, and above all his fear o f being
thought drunk in xix 122 . . . \ com pare also the
w ell-known of II. i 225, paralleled by at the end of
xxi 304, w hich in turn recalls ix 374, x 555. T h is is the only H om eric
occurrence o f ', the present tense of this verb was later substituted by
, a correlative of the sigm atic forms in xvi 293, xix 12, II. xii 66,
xxiii 341 ( already in II. xxiii 568).
294;. T h e sing, o? after pi. antecedent is com m on in such ad sensum
constructions; a similar case, b u t in reverse, is seen in xix 40 . . . of.
: the w ord is form ed on the analogy of, for exam ple,
in xiii 48, from a root - ( is not found until A nacr., even
later) attested in eight places in the Iliad (with , xxiii 79), and in
xii 350, w here it describes a person w ho swallows mouthfuls of sea water;
this fits well with the m eaning at a m outhful, at one gulp > greedily (cf.
, a long draught taken at a single gulp , also attested from Anacr.
onwards). : adverbial; its sense reasonable, (intellectually)
sensible makes it an apt adv. with ofSa (it 231, v 9, xiv 433), but not with
, so that Leum ann m ay be correct in seeing this line ending as an
adaptation o f I t xv 207 ( Wrter, 166).
295- 304 . T h e story of Peirithoiis and the Centaurs is alluded to in passing in
I I i 2678 (on the formulaic features of this passage see
the interesting remarks o f Hoekstra, Modifications, 152); II. ii 743-4
. . . ; in II. xi 832 Cheiron is already described as ?
. T h ere is no idea as yet of the Centaurs as creatures half man,
h alf horse; but xxi 303 implies that they are thought of as not quite
hum an.
296 - 302 . T h e repeated word-play (5. . . . . . . . . , . .
) em phasizes the destructive m oral blindness caused by
(see xxi g in . on ?). In the Iliad the verb usually occurs in the
m iddle or passive, and is applied, as it is here in 301, to someone (who
m ay even be Zeus, as in II. xix 95, 113) w ho misleads him self or is misled
b y some unknown impulse, like A gam em non, O epeus, Diom edes, and
180
B O O K X X I 293-302
Patroclus; the sam e is the case in Od. iv 503, 509, on A jax, son of O ileus; in
II. xix 91, 129 " herself ; the sigm atic aor. is used of Zeus
m isleading m ankind in II. viii 237. B u t the Odyssey tends increasingly to use
the w ord in a m ore m odern sense (see H. Seiler, LfgrE i 9 -12 s.v. ), in
which the cause of the m oral blindness or m adness is, at least in part, some
more or less physical agent, such as sleep and friends (Odysseus in x 68),
wine and fate (Elpenor in xi 61), or wine alone as here in 296 (cf. -
, xxi 298), and also perhaps in 297 if D uentzer s intelligent conjecture
is accepted (the corruption in this case bein g psychological, due to the late
placing o f the w ord; otherwise w e are presented w ith the odd notion of the
Centaur, 6, m isleading his own understanding, ).
298 . : Eustathius , an attem pt to w ork in a reference to the
well-known story of Eurytions kidnapping o f Peirithos bride H ippo-
dam eia, is ingenious, but worthless.
299 - 304 . : i.e. the Lapiths. : anger . T h e end o f 299 is
identical to xviii 386; the geography of the palace is similar to that of
O dysseus (see the Introduction on , and xx 355 . on and
), is em phatic. A ntinous him self an d the rest of the suitors
have already spoken in xviii 83-7 and 1 1 5 -1 6 of the cruelty o f Echetus, who
was probably tyrant in Epirus across the straits from Ithaca (cf. 84, 115
}) and w hose name, he w ho holds prisoner, looks like a rem in
iscence of some cave troll or underground dem on (according to A poll, iv
1092-5, he tortured his own daughter, called M etope in other sources). In
the earlier passage A ntinous threatens Irus (xviii 85, .116 = xxi 308; end o f
xviii 86 = xxi 300) with the sam e frightful punishm ent at Echetus hands as
he here darkly intimates (xxi 305) m ay await O dysseus if he is not careful
(cf. xx 382-3, w here they also wanted to send him <r?); here w e are
told that the punishm ent was actually adm inistered to Eurytion, and later
w e see it inflicted on M elanthius (xxii 4 73 -7; the end o f 475 = xxi 300).
300 - 1 . , . . ? : we must distinguish betw een three similar verbs
(see J. Irigoin, LfgrE i 6067, s.v. ): first, with short first
vowel, w hich means collect (II. xxiv 165 , o f dung; v 482
, of leaves; ix 247 , of milk); second, , also
with short initial vowel, w hich m eans tear, rend (II. iii 359, vii 253
, of clothes); and last, , with long initial vowel, reap, mow,
cut . It is to this last verb that the present com pound with (in tmesis)
belongs, as do (II. xxiv 451, o f foliage), (Od. ix 135, of
harvest corn), an d (IL xviii 551, used intransitively). T h e use of
in II. xviii 34 to refer to so noble a hero as A chilles cutting his
own throat indicates that in these contexts the w ord carried no ironic or
bathetic overtones from its root m eaning o f m ow . : causal.
302 . : continuous, .w ent about (m aking an exhibition o f him self) ; the
-v, like that o f in xxi 301, is due to loss of digam m a in the following
possessive. : a frequentative form of *, carry , emphasizes
the continuous aspect; the six H om eric exam ples o f the w ord in the m iddle
voice show the usual developm ent from carry oneself > ride , while
COMM ENTARY
three out o f four examples in the active show a parallel developm ent from
carry > bear, put up w ith (xi 619 , vii 211 ; and the present
exam ple, w here the object is to be understood not as the itself, but its
consequences); the fourth (i 297 , behave childishly) could
be due to contam ination with *, have, as in viii 529 -
. T h e well-attested reading is unsatisfactory, even though
- (as opposed to the of m ost witnesses) is also found in
various texts o f Ps.-Hes. Sc. 93, including Stobaeus. T h e parallel is coincid
ental; here the corruption is due to the alliteration in a-, in the Hesiodic
passage it is caused by in the previous line. deoC-
: von der M h lls conjecture is based on H esych.
, , and
supported by A pollonius the Sophist; some gram marians propose reading
/ in Hes. Th. 502, and W ilam owitz w ould also read -
in Op. 315, 335, 646; H esychius also offers
, and A pollonius . T h e rem aining H om eric parallels (II.
xx 183, xxiii 603 ; Od. xv 470 , and the w hole of the
rest of the epic tradition; H esych. - , ) certainly betray a
derivative vowel-change, due either to dissimilation, or to contam ination
by aeaa, passed (the night) , I slept ( thus m eaning w ith
slum bering m ind; thoughtless) or by , blow (of w ind) (with the
m ind w andering on the breeze), or finally to the analogy of ,
, etc.; but at any event no less genuinely H om eric than
(see H. J. M ette, LfgrE, i 45, 182, s.v. , ,
and , ).
303 . : either masc. (referring to ) or neut. (because of all this); there
is a sim ilar am biguity in i 74, but in ii 27 the expression is clearly neut. T h e
end of the line appears also in I I xi 671. T h e excision of the line (see the
apparatus) leaves the syntax clearer.
304 . o i 8 5 : . . . , em phatic reflexive, a rare usage;
7, predicative. eupero : causal part.; ,
m iddle, underlines the self-destructive nature o f his madness.
305 . remote; to demonstrative, this bow (ofw hich we all know) , as in
xxi 113.
306 . : in fact, indeed , referring back to . is another
case where gender is hard to determ ine (cf. xxi 303.); either fern., you will
not get any kindness , or m asc., you will not get kindness from anyone,
with the usual gen. after such verbs, is a hapax; parallel forms (cf.
xxi 112) are confined to the Odyssey (A, xiv 82, xvii 451; , 369;
, viii 168), w ith the single exception o f , which is attested
twenty-nine times, twenty-one o f them in the form ulaic line
(fourteen occurrences in the Iliad, seven in the
Odyssey), five o f them in the line ending a (four in the
Iliad, one in the Odyssey), two in the phrase (II. xix 231,
320), and one on its own (Od. vi 250), but still in ^ - 4 w this has led to
some witnesses reading /? in the present line, with fern. . A less
182
B O O K X X I 302-311
184
B O O K X X I 311-519
185
COMMENTARY
that the beggar should m arry a queen, bu t n either is it fitting that anyone
should show his b a d tem per at table.
320 - 9 . Cf. xxi 3 1 1 -5 3 0 .
321 . N ot counting various datives (cf, xxi 2), the form ula
, doubtless based on the o f II. v 412,
appears forty-one times (including xxi 3 11 , 330), besides the ,
1 o f xi 345 and two exam ples of in xx 134, xxi
381. In the voc., the nam e o f the nurse naturally forces the use o f the nom .
for voc. (xix 357), w hereas with the queen 's nam e and
are m etrically interchangeable. T h e M S S m ostly give the latter,
w hich led A llen to regularize its use in xvi 435, xviii 245, 285, and here; but
the papyrus and other witnesses to this passage do not support his reading.
V on der M h l! therefore prefers to read in every case.
322 . : adv., (not) at all. : volitive; and are object and
subject respectively o f . : these w ords m ay either
be taken parenthetically, as an affirmation o f xxi 319; or with the
im m ediately preceding idea, nor is it fitting (that w e should think so) .
323 . T h e apparent anacoluthon, which van der V alk sees as colloquial
( Textual Cnticism, 58; cf. Chantraine, Grammaire, ii 328), m ay be construed
adsensum: w e do not act like this because w e t h in k . . . but because we fear
the sham e (cf. xxi 72, som ewhat similar). Barnes conjecture w ould remove
the problem altogether. In either case the pi. part, m akes the papyrus
reading in xxi 322, with in the sing., im possible.
324 . t is : lest it happen that som eone , a construction dependent
on the idea o f fear w hich underlies the notion o f sham e (see m y rendering
o f a in the preceding note); the vowel in n s is m etrically
lengthened by follow ing digam m a. $ . . . ;
partitive, probably com parative in sense (the shame
being that som eone worse than oneself should criticize), as it is in
H ectors words in II xxii 106, on which this line is clearly based (cf. also II
xxii X05, w hich is closely paralleled by 323); the only other occurrence of
the word, in N ausicaas speech at vi 275, requires the intensive sense
(someone very w icked).
325 . : is sarcastic, so it seems ; , adverbial. T h e gen.
functions both as a term of com parison after and as a
possessive after . Both M enelaus (iv 333-4) and Penelope (xx 82)
break out with similar laments on this situation.
326 . : this rare contracted form with following hiatus is due to
diectasis of original to , from a verb in *~ be a
suitor (for the hand o f a w om an) . : this reading involves taking
the parataxis as w hat we should regard as a subordinate clause, throwing
into sharp relief: they are worse ... because they do n o t , . . ; the
two unacceptable variants given in the apparatus represent subsequent
attempts to norm alize the syntax, is used in the same sense as in xxi 322;
is present (are able to draw), unlike the form in xxi 92.
327 . A series of insulting epithets; the end o f the line, identical to xiii 333 and
186
B O O K X X I 319-335
xiv 122, shows the normal m eaning o f the perfect (who has arrived after
having w andered ; cf. h.Cer. 133 ) , whereas in xi 167
, xx 340 have intensive force ( (or he) am on m y
w anderings), as do the infs, in ii 370, xii 284; this has caused the
accentuation of the pres, to spread not only to these forms, , but
also to the three m asculine participles m entioned above, although Ptolem y
o f A scalon preferred the M S reading with the paroxytone accent.
328 . A lm ost identical to xxiv 177, w hich also has tmesis; and similar to xxi
97, 114, 127 Biotarevaeiv or re .
329 . : em phatic, for persons so im portant as u s. Eurym achus him self
showed his preoccupation about bequeathing , sham e5, to
posterity in xxi 255 (see n.). T h e optative implies an unspoken protasis: if
they were to speak of it5. T h e late reading is acceptable (see the
apparatus, and N ausicaas words in vi 285, , B veiBea
yvotro; the beginning o f this line is identical to II. xxii 108).
330 . Cf. xxi 32 m .
331 . cKXeas: original * ought to have given , but the
primitive representation of this as E Y K A E A C gave rise to this spelling with
m etrical lengthening (see Chantraine, Grammaire, i 10, 301).
carries the im plication the length and breadth of the city.
332 . T h e subject o f is the unspoken antecedent of ; , with
synaloepha (ignoring the digam m a in , c f xxi 211), reinforces the
causal sense of the relative, here means patrim ony, estate5; with
w e m ust supply the object (it5).
333 . T h e beginning of the line is identical to xxiv 460, II xv 489, xvii 203; the
epithet is applied to O dysseus only in these two lines of the Odyssey (xiv 218
refers to im aginary warriors; xxiv 86, to the A chaean heroes at T roy; vi 34,
xxi 153, 170, to the suitors; xv 28 . . . , to some of
them). In the rest o f the line there is a clear reference back to xxi 329;
is heavily em phatic, w hile is predicative (precisely these
criticisms5, w hen yo u have already incurred shame for other reasons); S',
so w hy, w h y then?5.
334- 5 . T h ese lines, in w hich Penelope tries to justify O dysseus5participation
in the contest by adducing the noble lineage w hich he him self claim ed in
xix 1801, are certainly unnecessary; they are lacking in one M S , and
inverted in another. Further d oubt is cast on them by the unusual
, w ell-built5, found only here in H om er, and furthermore in a
sentence with no m ain verb. T h e adj. is later attested in H ippocrates and
A pollonius; there are only four further instances of com pounds with the
second elem ent , o f w hich only (A. Th. 642) and
. (Nicander) are found in poetry.
334 . O n , see xxi 3 12 -1 3 0 .
335 . T h e oddity in this line is neither , boasts o f , typical in
genealogies, nor the internal acc. (cf. iv 63, xiv 199)1 but vto? at the
end o f the line, which is redundant after at the beginning (hence
the papyrus reads ). It seems to derive from Ii. xiv 113, which has the
187
COMMENTARY
188
B O O K X X I 335-346
189
COMMENTARY
190
B O O K X X I 346-359
in league with his m other, or that he is attem pting to bam boozle the suitors
and needs to get the heroine out o f the w ay before the slaughter begins.
350 . 10 : em phatic. : i.e. , reflexive; the reference
is to the loom and the distaff, typical em blem s of w om en s work.
352 . : cf. xvii 227, xviii 363.
353 . T h e beginning o f the line appears in xi 353; here and in other passages
in the Odyssey, the demonstrative for is noteworthy (see Schwyzer,
Grammatik, ii 208); on the other hand, the hiatus before the digam m a of
is regular. T h is line is followed in som e M S S b y a different line, called
xxi 353a by von der M hll, w hich perhaps deserves consideration; it w ould
m ake a good substitute for 354, though the two cannot both stand. In the
Iliad the inceptive aor, {) is usually applied to shuddering at dis
agreeable or im portant scenes, but it is used twice { Ii iii 259, Priam before
the herald; xv 34, H era before Zeus) of a character s reaction to an
unnerving piece o f news, as it is in the passages o f the Odyssey where it
occurs (v 116, 171, C irce before H erm es, and O dysseus before Circe).
354- 8 . O n Penelope s sleep here, see the Introduction; in i, xvi, and xix her
slumbers seem less necessary, and her laments less fitting, than they do
here. , this tim e with hiatus, fits w ell with xxi 350 (on its meaning,
and the expression cy . . . , cf. xxi 5 .), as does with
xxi 343 *
354 . T h e same is experienced (the verb is inceptive once again) in the
face o f the supernatural (T elem achus and the omens, i 323; before Athena,
iii 372), of stunning news (the suitors, at T elem achus departure, iv 638), or
at m eeting someone unexpectedly, especially O dysseus him self (the
A eolidae, x 63; Telem achus, xvi 178; the suitors, xvii 367; the dead, xxiv
101; Dolius, xxiv 394). : the pluperfect marks the rapidity of
Penelopes reaction; she is gone before they realize it.
355 . ev0To: aor. for pluperf.; Penelope stores away her sons words to think
about later. T elem achus masterful w ay of speaking, w hich rem inds her of
Odysseus, is one o f the causes of her tears.
357 . ttit : 'for a while afterwards . : here h alf w ay between its
proper m eaning and a possessive. : until ; w ith hiatus before ot.
It seems unrealistic for Penelope to fall asleep at such a clim actic moment,
of course, but her slum ber is m ore than justified artistically by the
opportunity is gives for the beautiful scene o f her awakening at the
beginning o f xxiii; Fenik has pointed out the parallel with xiii 79-80, where
O dysseus falls into a no less unrealistic sleep, w hich cleverly prepares the
scene for his feigned drowsiness in 282, and his disbelief on waking in
324-6, w hich is paralleled by Penelope s {Studies, 162).
359- 91 . Suspicions about the authenticity of this passage are expressed in
the Introduction, apparatus, and note on xxi 360-78; T elem achus bold
and perem ptory words, for exam ple, contrast with the lack of respect for
him and his m en shown in xxi 3 6 1-4 . It is assum ed that the poet of the
original version presented the vengeance taking place w ithout the help of the
servants; but it looks as if the later poet found the idea of Telem achus
191
COMMENTARY
having to give the bow to O dysseus w ith his own hands unworthy. A t all
events, the passage fits w ell with xxi 234-5, where the disguised Odysseus
orders Eum aeus to bring him the bow, which was still lying where
Eurym achus put it dow n (xxi 246-7).
359 . O n the papyrus reading see the Introduction; this line breaks up the
usual formula (2 ^ 3 , as in 362), and inverts it, giving
2 ^ 4 ^ ^ (see Hainsworth, Flexibility, 95).
360 . T h e beginning of the line = xx 373; the end = xxi 367, xxii 211.
: A m phim edon uses the same verb of the scene in xxiv 173;
although the verb and its noun are alm ost always aspirated, the variant
at II. xx 365 and the unanim ous reading at
Ps. Hes. Sc. 341 show that the rough breathing is derivative (see Frisk,
G EW , on a possible etym ological link with Skt. ama-, strength), by
analogy with -, originally in cases where the booing and hissing was
done by a crowd (note also the reading a p a ; on the other hand pa,
consequently, as in other passages, is irreproachable). Nevertheless, the
clam our is not always collective: against this passage and xix 155 (the
suitors chide Penelope on discovering the trick of the tapestry), set xiv 35
(Eum aeus scolds his dogs) and xvii 189 (a master scolds his servants).
361 . = ii 324, iv 769, xvii 482, xx 375; the same ending in ii 331, vi 5 (describ
ing the Cyclops, the only occasion when the derogatory epithet is not
applied to the suitors), xvii 581, xxi 401; and almost the same ending in ii
266 ), iv 766 (. ), xxiii 31, and 11. iv
176. For the lengthening of (here each one) cf, xxi 324 . For the youth-
fulness of the suitors, cf. xxi 179 .
362 . trf) : sarcastic, but where on earth ; cf. x 281 (Herm es to O dysseus,
8, asking him w here he is going), xvii 219 (with identical beginning
and end, , where M elanthius asks Eum aeus where he is
taking the beggar). : the adj. is related to , which
is close in m eaning to , envy > deny (out o f envy) ; the suffix is
passive in sense, unenviable > m iserable, awful in II. ii 420 (a task,
punishment), xi 400, 407 (a wind), Hes. Th. 666 (battle); here and in xvii
the sense is cruelly ironic (unenviable > pitiful , like m ankind in h.Merc.
543); though one could also take it, in the case o f the swineherd, in an
active sense, unsparing > prodigal, m ad, and in the other H om eric
instances as p rodigal > unending, intense (cf. sch. II, ii 420
, ).
363 . : this verbal adj. from is found only here; in xii 61, xxiii
327 (absurdly) w e read of the , rocks w hich it is not certain are
w andering ; in xv 343, of the or w anderings o f Odysseus
(another hapax w hich is not found again until Nonnus). H ere there are
various possible translations: trickster, one who confuses (others) (for this
active sense, cf. ii 396, w here A thena , confuses the m inds of the
suitors); vagabond (and hence, as when applied to the floating corpses in
A . Pers. 277, w retched); w ith wandering wits > m ad (thus Glytae-
mestra, o f herself in A . Ag. 593; cf, II. iii 108 ', xviii 215
192
B O O K X X I 359-368
(v 400, vi 294, ix 473, xii 181), or II xxiv 703 (with ) and viii 305
(with iorjae). T h e present passage is an exception, as is another exam ple
o f the pluperf. in the final position in the line in II. xxiii 425, and the
unusual in 11 xiv 469; w hile II. xxii 34, in the same position,
follows . Syntactically, the piuperf. cannot be justified by the
explanation given for in xxi 354.; m orphologically, the three
occurrences in -et have been assimilated by some scholars to the form
(v) m entioned above; but it m ay be that this latter should in fact
be read w ithout the augm ent, , in which case the three
exam ples with the diphthongized ending are once again left unexplained.
369- 75 . T elem achus renew ed rudeness w ill not surprise Eum aeus after xxi
344 ff.; in the light o f w hat he knows of the situation, the slave m ust realize
that his masters implicit confession of im potence is designed to lull the
suitors into a sense of security. R am m in gs comments about the insecure
labour conditions o f slaves are therefore quite beside the point (Diener
schaft., 71).
369 . T h e hypocoristic voc. arra, dad; old boy (misunderstood by some
M SS; see the app.) is used by Achilles and M enelaus to address Phoenix
(11. ix 607, xvii 561 ), and six times including the present occa
sion by T elem achus as a pet-name for a fatherly old servant. --
: carry on bringing up the bow (now you have started) ,
o u k eu - : (cf. xxi 363) introduces a com plicated
construction, soon (you will find that) you will not do w ell to obey every
one [sc. if you pay attention to these others] . V on der M h ll and A llen
differ in their treatm ent of eu w hen it occurs in arsis: here and in xxi 242,
387, xxii 399, xxiv 362, where the adv. precedes the partic. o f in the
fourth foot, von der M h ll writes with hiatus, w hile A llen prefers the
diphthong; but in xxiv 271, in the same position before , both
editors print the form with hiatus. T h e alliteration recalls xvii 21
t and xxi 315, w here the com m on intrans. use of the aor.
provides a m odel for this unique intrans. use o f the fut. &, otherwise
unattested in G reek; the usage parallels factitive - (II. xxii 223) and
(IL x 129, xxiv 300), w hich occurs alongside num erous examples
o f () such as xxii 492, and one exam ple of (xxiii 369).
370 . w ith the subj. often introduces a threat (cf. II. i 26, etc.),
irep 4 : . . . rep m akes the partic. concessive;
is the result of a sem antic evolution, from an originally intensive
use o f the com parative suffix, of a w ord m eaning arm ed m an > young
m an (com pare II, lii 108 cuci ',
w here the com parative suffix is still intensive in force, with II. iv 324-5
, j , where it
is already almost com parative); the masc. comparat.. is found in xix 184, IL
ii 707, the masc. superb in II. ix 58, but the clearest evidence o f the loss of
any sem antic connection with is its use in the fern, superb in II. xiv
267, 275, Od. iii 465, vii 58, xi 283, xv 364; and its use in this passage, where
T elem achus m eans that he w ill prove stronger than Eum aeus despite being
194
B O O K X X I 368-374
younger than he. : the verb usually takes the ablative gen. with
( , IL v 763), (xvii 398, xx 343, 11. xvi 246, xvii lio ), or
without a prep. {IL xii 304); less com m only it takes the lative acc. of direc
tion in w hich the object is driven or place to w hich it is chased, as in IL xii
276, xv 681 (with ); both constructions are com bined in II. xxii 456
7tAios .
371 . ' : instr., (pelting) with stones . : cf. xxi 315 ,;
the endings of xxi 371, 373 are similar to those o f vi 6, xii 246, the suffix
carrying its proper comparative force, am better (than you); that is, I can
beat yo u .
372- 5 . O n T elem achus astute ploy in these lines (which some have been
bold enough to condemn) see the note above on xxi 369-75; the general
laughter with w hich they are greeted the last laugh these frivolous
youn g m en are destined to enjoy serves to relax the tension, as in
similar situations in IL i 599, ii 270. T h e lines are full of echoes, as we
shall see.
372- 3 . A remote or unfulfilled desire m ay be expressed by , or by an
optative introduced by (IL iv 313, vii 157, xi 670), a0e (IL xvi 722 at9'
ei/, os crjv, cf. infra), (here, and in IL
xiii 825), or w ithout a conjunction (xviii 79). . . . :
the hyperbaton is deliberate; the gen. depends on , which goes
with ; we must supply as m uch stronger (as I am com pared to
you) .
374 . H ere too (cf. xxi 369 .) von der M h ll and A llen differ, the form er print
ing (primitive instrumental) and the latter ; either w ay, the w ord is
demonstr., in that case , used to introduce an unfulfilled apodosis (xxiii 23,
xxiv 285) or the counterpoint to a remote wish, as in IL vii 158, xvi 723; here
with k followed b y a conditional opt.; cf. xxiv 30-2 d>s . . . j . . .
\ , and xxiv 376 -8 1, with an unfulfilled volitive inf., . . . [
. . . | . . . . (cf. xxi 363) expresses the speed
with which T elem achus w ould act if he were more robust.
the w ord appears twice elsewhere in H om er, at xxiii 23 and IL xvi 723, both
cited above; in every case it means w retchedly (cf. Soph, Phil. 166
', A poll, ii 244 ', the respective editors
Brunck and R uhnken restore the forms w ith - in both these two cases,
on the analogy o f at Od. iii 195, iv 672, A poll, i 616, iv 1267,
1651; , in Ps.-Hes. Sc. 264, A poll, iv 1065; , in Apoll,
iv 380; and , A poll, ii 374). In IL xvi 723, the disguised
A pollo tells H ector that if he were only stronger he w ou ld m ake him pay
dearly for his faintheartedness, k <e -
?. 5: sarcastic and threatening, someone (not far away) ; cf. xiii
394, 427, xxii 67. : the phrase usually (but not
always: in iv 8 M enelaus escorts H erm ione to her w edding, and in xiii.206.
som e king m ight have sent O dysseus home) implies ordering som eone to
leave against their will (in IL xviii 240 H era orders the sun to set ,
and again in xxiii 234 Penelope w ould have sent the supposedly indiscreet
195
COMMENTARY
196
B O O K X X I 374-390
accom pany Philoetius here; in order to close the door between the court
yard and the street (cf. xxi 240-1) the cowherd has not had to leave the
house as he did in xxi 188-91.
388 . T h ere is a strong reminiscence of 11 xxiv 572, w here Achilles
(without a prep.) ', there represents A chilles
anger, b ut here it corresponds to Philoetius discreet but rapid diligence.
O n see the Introduction.
389 . eucpK Cos ? : this line-ending is also found in xxii 449, 11. ix 472,
both in conjunction with ; cf. also xviii 102, 11. ix 476 ptdov
auAijs, and the description of O dysseus palace at xvii 266-8
Tpn, '' S | ^* , evepKe
\ .
390 . In the courtyard, as one m ight expect in a seafaring town, there lay a
rope from a ship curved at prow and p oop (the epithet , is
found twelve tim es in the Odyssey, always at the end o f the line; with veos in
vii 252, x 156, xii 368, xv 283, and always o f O dysseus ships except in xv
283, w here it refers to Telem achus vessel, and vi 264, vii 9, w here it refers to
the Phaeacians). In xiv 346, the com panions o f O dysseus tie him up
, the only other occurrence of VAov in this sense in the sing, in
H om er; in Hes. Op. 627 the w ord designates any piece of nautical equip
m ent. T h e rope is m ade o f papyrus fibre; the adj. is also used in
H dt. vii 25,36, viii 20, ix 1 1 5 ,1 2 1 , to describe the cables used for the Persian
bridges across the H ellespont, w hich were tc (four each, and
m ade in E gyp t according to vii 34) teai (two each, m ade in
Phoenicia); H dt. m entions the use of papyrus in the m anufacture o f ropes
(ii 38), sailcloth (ii 96), shoes (ii 37), and for calking (ii 96); on the Egyptian
plant cf. H dt. ii 92 (as a food), A . Suppl, 761; for its use in rolls for
writing, H dt. ii 100; in codex form, A . Supp. 947; books are m entioned
twenty-one tim es in H dt. A lth ough all these passages have an explicit or
im plicit connection with Egypt, and A . Pr. 811 describes the N ile flowing
down (the w ord , probably o f Egyptian
origin, is not found until the Hellenistic period), H dt. already talks of books
as som ething im ported from Phoenicia (v 58), and the usual explanation of
this fam ily o f words is that they derive from , a Phoenician city
originally called G ubla, later G ebal (Ezek. 27: g), which m ust have been
the interm ediate trading post for imports and exports of papyrus between
E gypt and Greece, either in its raw or processed state for both chandlery
and writing, from remote antiquity; see further L. J. Jeffrey, Companion,
556 -7 ; F. Eckstein, Archaeologta L 1,4 2 . T his etym ology w ould explain the
spelling - norm ally found in ancient texts, except in the M S of A . Pr.
811 and some H dt. witnesses, w hich already em ploy the com m on later
spelling . A nother im portant textual question is raised b y the
variant provided by P 120, an ostracon which has traces of an H om eric
glossary o f the third century b c ; next to this passage, which unfortunately is
dam aged at the crucial point, appear the words , followed
im m ediately b y a fr. from A ntim achus concerning A th en as fitting-out o f the
197
COMM ENTARY
198
B O O K X X I 390-399
199
COMMENTARY
200
B O O K X X I 399-411
exam ple xxi 430, xxii 332, 340, xxiii 133, 144) is more or less synonym ous
with (also common: see i 153, 159, viii 24S; note 11 xviii 569-70
. . . I ), (h.Merc, 423), and (h.Merc, 25, 153,
242). T h e instrument consisted of the , or top cross-piece to which the
strings were fastened (, 11 ix 187); the , lit. elbow, crook of
the arm , that is, two curved horns fastened to either end of the at the
top and jo in ed together at the bottom in the shape of an elbow by a sound
box to w hich the other end of the strings was fastened (eight occurrences in
Horn, and two in the h.Hom., but six of these in the anatom ical sense;
applied to the ? in h.Merc. 50; to a bow (see the Introduction to this
book), in xxi 419, II x i 375, xi 583, a connection w hich probably suggested
this simile to the m ind o f the poet); the strings, each called (only
here; cf. h.Merc, 51: the etym ology is doubtful, but if the w ord cam e from
*, related to L at. hernia or haru-spex, it would fit in with the fact (cf.
xxi 419) that the strings were m ade o f anim al gut) ; and finally the ,
another hapax o f debatable etym ology in which the m eaning peg5,(which is
turned to tighten the string, as with a m odem stringed instrument) has
probably supplanted an older m eaning found in certain passages, hum p,
fatty bulge on the neck of cattle (cf. perhaps Lat. callum)\ this m ight
suggest two possibilities for the semantic shift to p eg, nam ely rim o f the
to which the strings are fixed5 (the bovine metaphor), or alternatively
resin, glue (cf. ) used to hold the strings firm on the stretcher5.
407 . : gnom ic aor. T h e beginning o f the line occurs in xxi 328.
is difficult; T yrrell suggests , Duentzer (corruption due to confu
sion with the dat. ), A ga r (cf. vi 320, xvi 197). T h e M S reading
is defensible, however, if w e assume that the instrument itself is a new one
(so A m eis-H e n tze-C au er); or that the peg is new in the sense that it is
new 5 to the string being fitted to it (D. S, Barrett, Horner Odyssey xxi 406
Q5, CPh lxv (1970), 389); or, if w e stick with the idea o f glue5(though this is
difficult with -), that the glue has had to be replaced to fit the new string
, i.e. top and bottom , to stretcher and bridge, (non
chalantly5, as Stanford puts it) is the point of the comparison (W . Richter,
Archaeologia H, 59): there is a considerable difference between tightening
the fine string on a lyre and stretching, w ith equal ease, the thick, tough
bowstring ( ) o f a huge bow.
409 - 11 . T h e bow is readied for action in two stages. First it is braced, for
w hich the verb is or (23 times in this book); then the
tension o f the bowstring is checked. A t 410 Odysseus takes hold o f the
7 with his left hand and lightly twangs the with his right to feel
the tension; the note produced by the vibration in 411 is satisfying high and
sweet. T h e effort o f the draw does not com e until 419.
4 11 . : demonstr., referring to the . : adv.; used thus four
times in the Odyssey, always o f a m usical note (i 155, viii 266, x 277, xix 519);
in II i 473, xviii 570 the usage is less clear, since m ay be an adj. with
and ; in the latter passage we read otto aeiSe, but the
syntax of (tmesis, or adv. with (musical accom panim ent)5) differs from
201
COMMENTARY
that o f the present phrase, w here the word m eans under (his hand)',
: the line-ending is alm ost identical to xxii 240,
but the o f that passage, (to look at) before one , read b y some
witnesses here, does not fit. It seems excessively fanciful to see a connec
tion, as Austin, Archery, does, between this simile o f the swallow and pas
sages about the spring (xviii 367, xxii 301, the nightingale o fxix 518), and to
argue on that basis that O dysseus return symbolizes the end of winters
gloom and m elancholy; w e m ay say, simply, that the simile implies the
sam e animistic tendency to endow inanim ate objects with life as w e saw in
the simile in xxi 48. T h e false diphthong in ei' is probably due
(Leum ann, Wrter, 306 n. 76) to a metrical lengthening o f keAo?, which
appears elsewhere with short initial vowel in the zero grade *- (on II. xi
282 and Od. xi 207, w here there is no hiatus as there is here, see Chantraine,
Grammaire, i 129).
412 - 15 . V on der M h ll considers these lines spurious, on the grounds that
the suitors fear is premature; even in xxii 3 1 -2 they continue to think that
Antinous m ay have been killed by accident (P. von der M hll, Einige
Interpretationen in berhm ten Stellen der OdysseePhilologus lxxxix
( 1 934)> 391-6). T h e second author (see the Introduction to this book) is
fond o f these divine interventions.
412 . W e find com bined with in the sam e position in the line in
II. xii 392, xvi 508, 581. T h e w ords range of meanings is very wide (see E.-
. M . Voigt, LfgrE, i 1774-8, s.v, ): it denotes any unpleasant state o f
m ind, from fear (as here; cf. G oth, agis), shame (II. ix 249) to anger (II xx
298), nostalgia (iv 108), sadness (iv 716), remorse (xxii 345), or Laertes
m isery when he thinks that O dysseus is dead (xxiv 315).
412 - 13 . F o r the suitors sudden pallor cf. xxii 42 (the same
expression appears in xii 243, xxiv 450, 5 3 3 ,11. xvii 67, 143, 633), and II. xii
284, xvii 733 or ; the same idea is expressed by the
otherwise unparalleled words in 11. iii 35, and in
0^ x1529.
413 . kt Litre: the only occurrence in the Odyssey o f this aor., which appears
four times in the Iliad, together with three exam ples o f - (amongst
the latter, II. vii 479, also in conjunction with ); o f the Iliadic
occurrences o f , II. vifi 75 is followed two lines later by yA. 8., II. xvii
595 has , and II. xv 377 , which m ay have been
the origin o f the variant reading recorded in the app. ( * does not
exist, but does, used strangely enough to refer to O dysseus
w ay o f speaking in Triphiodorus 118). T h e line-ending occurs in 11. ii 353,
ix 236 (both with ), and II. iv 381 (cf. another thunderbolt from
Zeus in xx 103, 113).
414 . = xiii 353. T h e very com m on final form ula is found preceded by
in vii 329, viii 199, xiii 250, xviii 281, xxiv504-
415 . p d 01: the same phrase is found at the beginning o f xiv 527; p a , as
he expected . Note the description o f Zeus as son o f Cronos o f the twisted
counsels (cf. , xxi 102, xxii 51, xxiv 472); the gen. ,
202
B O O K X X I 411-425
always at the end o f the line and scanned with synizesis, occurs seven times
in the Iliad', , in the sam e position, in II. xi 482 and five occa
sions in the Odyssey (cf. xxii 115, 202, 281); the voc., used of Zeus by Athena,
in xiii 293. T h e diaeresis in (see xxi 95, 320; in contrast, nais occurs
fourteen times) is due to original *, Att. mis, w ithout the suffix, and
Lat. pau-cus, with a different one.
416 . O n fifteen occasions in the Odyssey the editors write 0 for the nom . of the
relative pronoun, which could only have replaced os in viii 271 (before )
and xxi 145 (before ; seeth eap p .); in 1300, xiv3, and in the present line,
the M S S (and, in the case o f xiv 3, secondary witnesses) read ?, which
gives rise to an im possible cretic. It was Aristarchus who restored the
correct form in i 300, with hiatus before original *-; and Bentley w ho
em ended the present line. T h e following oi is an ethic dat.: the arrow is the
one laid aside by Eurym achus, but the table is not necessarily the one
which was placed at O dysseus5 side in xx 259.
417 . T h e use of for oi is due to metrical considerations. O n the quiver see
the Introduction to this book.
418 . T h e narrators biting hostility to the suitors recalls the remarks m ade in
xx 392- 4
419 - 23 . For remarks on , , , the stance taken up on the
, and the difficult phrase . . . see the Intro
duction to this book.
419 . : there is constant fluctuation between augm ented and
unaugm ented forms of this verb.
421 . T h e beginning of the line = xxiv 181; similar phrases in xxi 48 (see the
n.), xxii 118, 266.
422 . is split in this w ay on two other occasions, II xi 377, xvii 309;
the unusual tmesis of an adv. m ay here be explained b y its derivation from
the verb , pierce , but this explanation w ill not do for the other two
occurrences.
423 . io s : the same line-opening is found in II xv 465; -
, heavy bronze (-tipped)5, is applied to a spear in xi 532, xxii 259, 276,
IL xxii 328; to a helm et in II. x i 96. T h is is the first occurrence in this book
of , w hich will appear seven times in xxii; has been used up to
this m om ent in xxi 12, 60, 98, 173, 416, 420, and reappears three times in
xxii, and once again for the last tim e in xxiv 178.
424 . 0: clearly demonstr., this stranger ; the conjecture recorded in the app.
is therefore unnecessary, has the usual lengthening of -t before -.
: the verb is attested only twice in H om er, with a slightly different
but related m eaning in each case: in IL ix 522 Phoenix opines that Achilles
is going to insult the messengers, whereas here O dysseus is not going to
' sham e his protector. ou: its position makes this word emphatic.
425 . $ : the nom . part, appears eleven times in the Odyssey, always in
the first position in the line. In Od. xv 392 it refers to O dysseus sitting in the
anim al fold; in Ithaca, xvii 158; in the palace, xviii 224, xix 322 (cf. xxi 100);
the im plication is either sitting idle (which w ould shame Telem achus) or
203
COM M ENTARY
'seated here (in the place w hich befits him) . It is followed b y a verb in the
l. pers. sing., and by another demonstr. , this target (which is so
difficult), which gives an acceptable text (cf. app.).
426 . T h e adv. - goes with : I did not tire m yself out trying to draw
the bow for a long tim e, i.e, drew it straight aw ay (cf. in xxi 150).
T h e line-ending is identical to II. v 254, and similar to phrases in xix 493,
xxii 226; it recalls O dysseus words in xxi 2814.
427 . T h e line has been thought to be an interpolation corresponding to the
insults o f xx 376-9, but there is no reason to excise it: the syntax is elliptical,
but can be paralleled by such lines as xxiv 199, they will celebrate
Penelope in song, not like Clytaem estra (of w hom they will sing that she)
behaved evilly . H ere the sense is: I still have m y strength, not as (they
say when) they insult m e . Both cases are signs of late composition,
: occurs on only three other occasions in the Odyssey
(which has led to a variant here), each time with a different construction:
com plain about som ething with the gen. (v 379), criticize som ething
with the acc. (viii 239), and com plain that with o n (xvii 378). T h e preced
in g part, recalls xxi 99 (Andnous hum iliates Odysseus) and xxi 332 (the
suitors dishonour the hero s table).
428 - 30 . Excellent lines, full of sarcasm (cf. xxiii 133-6, 1437): next comes
the entertainm ent. T h e meals of the last two days can be traced back quite
satisfactorily: on the previous day M elanthius took goats to the palace for
the , lunch (xvii 214), which is seen taking place in xvii 170
(&$), 176, 269 (Sat); O dysseus partakes twice, when Tele-
m achus gives him food in xvii 359 () and then when the others
give him a share in xvii 506 (eSetWci); nightfall overtakes them as they
enjoy the entertainments after the m eal (xvii 606), b y w hich tim e m eat is
already being roasted for supper (xviii 44 m ). T h e dishes which
reward O dysseus discomfiture of Irus (xviii 118 -2 1) are clearly part o f this
supper; the suitors rise from the table in xviii 428. Penelope is concerned
that O dysseus lunches next day with Telem achus (xix 321 Befavoio); the
dawn rises in xx 91, and the w om an who grinds the corn expresses the wish
that this lunch be the suitors last (xx 119 ^. M elanthius
brings fresh goats (xx 174 -5 = xvii 2 13 -14 ) and the begins (xx 390),
but is soon followed by the ironic remark that the is to be a grim
one (xx 392-4), A ll this fits the schem e proposed by G . Bruns (Archaeologia
Q> 57- 9)j in w hich (xvi 2, II xxiv 124) is.equivalent to breakfast,
(iv 786, vii 166, viii 395, IL viii 503, ix 88, xxiv 2,444,601) is supper ,
the last m eal o f the day, and v is either lunch (taken a few hours after
breakfast) , as in these passages and x 578, xxiii 158, or a large breakfast
taken early before a heavy task (battle in II, 381, w oodcutting in IL xi 86).
In Od. xvii 599 T elem achus allows Eum aeus to leave, but only SeteAnjaa?:
this has been taken to refer to an afternoon snack taken between
and , but a more likely m eaning is having passed the afternoon
(here) , since the swineherd shortly afterwards joins the others for the enter
tainm ent after (6o2).
204
B O O K X X I 425-433
428 . Cf. xiv 407 vvv 8 ; but this construction is m ore primitive:
(this is) an opportunity to (prepare) , also*. T h e reduplicated aor. inf.
from has an unexplained unaspirated consonant (cf. xxi
48,421 , com pared to , if this word is derived from *rt-
-*-.). In the act. the w ord is applied to serving-girls and governs
Seiwvov in xv 77, 94; in the m iddle we find twelve examples, governing
(xii 283,307, xiv 408, and here), , or Sewrvov (XX390). It seems
likely that warriors of travellers w ould prepare their own meals (middle of
interest), b u t in the, last of the passages quoted the suitors w ou ld order
others to cook the food for them (factitive middle), and that is a possible
interpretation here (it is tim e for the Achaeans to order their dinner, i.e. to
dine ; see Hoekstra, Epic Verse, 71-2 ); an alternative and ironic inter
pretation m ight be it is time for you and I to prepare dinner for the
A chaeans, bu t this active use o f the m iddle w ould be unprecedented.
429 . 4v : possibly w hile there is still light, but m ore probably oxy
m oron is intended: this is to be an extraordinary dinner, taking place as it
does in the daytim e . : distension of this verb is found,
also at the end of the line, in xvii 530 , and the verb is found in
com pounds with - (xix 331, 370) and - (xix 372). Its etym ology is
unclear. H esych. ' , , and are
no help at all. F or the aspirate, not found in Attic, see W ackernagel, Unter
suchungen, 46-7.
430 . T h e beginning and end o f the line is almost identical to i 152 (see
K . Lehrs, De Aristarchi, 139). F or m usic at banquets see viii 99, xvii 270-1.
431 - 4 . T h ere are some problem s, bu t they do not am ount to a case for the
excision o f these beautiful closing lines, w hose high proportion of dactyls
(five, four, five, four) hurry us swiftly on to the stunning effect of xxii 1.
431 . For cf. xxi 118; on the gesture of nodding with the eyebrows , xxi
129. T h e tmesis . . . appears also in xvii 330, the com pound
verb in II. xv 73, xxii 314. : (of a helmet) in II. x
271 is the only other attestation o f the com pound, but in tmesis
is used o f a hero girding on a swordbelt over the right shoulder (viii 416; cf.
. . . in ii 3, iv 308, xx 123), or the strap of his shield (xxii 122, It. x
149, xv 479). In xxi 118 T elem achus . . . , threw back (not off :
see the note ad loc.) his , the same verb in tmesis being used in xxi
119 to denote his unbuckling o f the sword which he now girds on again (cf.
xiv 528, w here O dysseus . . . ).
432 . = xv 63, 554, xx 283, etc.; the line-ending also in xxi 74, 189, and the
whole line apart from the first proper nam e in xxiv 151. A ll these similar
ities have led to the line being declared spurious, the demonstr. < 5 S, and
the other, of the previous line being sufficient on its own.
433 . T h is appears to be the only exam ple of used to m ean grasp
ing a spear w ith the hand (, possessive); the verb is found, without
tmesis, in four passages of the Odyssey (xvii 344, xxiii 192; m iddle, vii 178,
xxii 103, see note ad loc., and two o f the Iliad. T elem achus leaves his spear
leaning against a colum n in xvii 29, picks it up in xx 127, carries it out with
205
COMMENTARY
him into the street in xx 145, and has it by him when he returns (as he has
done in xx 257) in xx 306. has hiatus before and after the final -t. T h e
line-ending is paralleled in II. xvii 10 and ii 417, which does not support the
conjecture m entioned in the next note.
434 . T h e book ends with a grave textual problem : according to the text,
T elem achus is standing (on the presence or absence o f an augm ent in
4 see the app, and cf. xxi 418; the papyrus reading is doubtful) by his
seat (see xxi 139.) at his father s side (). B u t afflom
(a form ula applied to warriors nine times in the Iliad) is difficult:
not until xxii 10 1-3 does the boy announce that he is going to fetch a
shield, two spears and a helmet to put on (), and
only in xxii 113 does he actually do so. Y e t the phrase cannot refer to
O dysseus, who remains near the door, not , until xxii 99. A
good solution is provided by Protodikos suggestion (cf. II
xvi 802 k . s xxii 125) ^ in 18, xi 43 S ).
T h e w hole phrase would then explain the preceding one: Telem achus was
able to grasp his bronze-tipped spear (xxi 433) because it was standing
next to him (avrov) by his chair ; it is not necessary to change S in 433,
supported b y the parallels in II. xvii 10 and ii 417, to , since the causal
link can ju st as well be expressed by simple juxtaposition. Otherwise we
m ust accept H oekstras theory of an involuntary m etonom y due to the
clum sy adaptation of an ancient formula to a m odern passage (Modifica
tions, 113 -14 ).
206
B O O K X X I I: I N T R O D U C T I O N
The more ancient passages of the book are not lacking in literary
quality, but its overall structure is unsatisfactory. This is because the
primitive version of the myth presupposed a much simpler denoue
ment: the shooting down by arrows of the defenceless suitors in the
megaron. Once the poet (doubtless A ) decided to round off Odysseus
home-coming with an Iliadic-style spear battle, however, the plot ran
into numerous contradictions. Nor was the poet able to give the story
the twist of suspense, partly because the narrow stage on which his
characters fight leaves little room for an exciting battle.
The storyline is further muddied by an attempt, this time attribut
able to poet B , to make a place in the plot for secondaiy characters
who had no part in the original action: Eumaeus and Philoetius on
one side and Melanthius on the other.
The taut and intense beauty of the opening lines on the death of
Antinous, who fails to guess the true identity of Odysseus, is main
tained more or less down to 98. Even so, there is a first problem in
23-5, which may be interpolated (with or without 22): the terror of
the suitors at this killing is premature, if they really believe it to be an
accident. But it could be argued that they have, nevertheless, an
instinctive foreboding of impending danger. O r the passage might be
a la te addition like 99-125, connected to xvi 281-98 and xix 1-52,
and intended, like these, to introduce an interesting subplot. As for
31-3, they may be authentic (despite Aristarchus censorious frown,
and the strange ), precisely because they portray the suitors
overcoming the panic of 23-5 by convincing themselves that the
beggar is not, after all, as dangerous as they supposed.
The narrative continues skilfully as far as 98, although with occa
sional signs of possible interpolation (37 may be a sign of the later
poets constant obsession with the sexual conduct of the slavegirls;
43, a line taken from the Iliad, again overplays the suitors fears, when
they still think a deal is on the cards). The deaths of Eurymachus and
Amphinomus, the first killed by an arrow from Odysseus and the
second by a spearthrust from Telemachus, are as good as anything in
Homer; the objection which has been raised against Telemachus
exultant leap in 80 is irrelevant.
However, the text becomes more problematic in 99-125, a passage
full of oddities. It is natural that Telemachus should be worried about
207
BO O K X XII
getting another spear for himseif; less so that he should also think
about doing so for the slaves. It may be, therefore, that 103-4 are late.
Nor are we told whether or not he closed the door of the storeroom.
Since it is Telemachus himself who has taken the initiative, line 108 (a
doublet of xix 14) is out of place here. In top, is an odd word for
arms hidden only the day before. There is a further allusion to the
slaves, again with the stamp of later composition, in 11415. And
finally, the sordid content hardly lends much glamour to Odysseus
warlike shaking of his crest in 124.
Meanwhile, the pace of the narrative has accelerated alarmingly:
even before arming, the hero has killed a large but unspecified
number of suitors (118), in order to reduce their enormous numerical
superiority of one hundred (xvi 247-51) to the more manageable
number of twelve (see the note on xxii 241).
Next follows the long and difficult digression on Melanthius (126-
202). Although pedantically fussy in topographical details, 126-30
are necessary for the sense of the passage; 134, however, is an
unnecessary repetition of 78. Melanthius, besides being very evil,
would have to be extraordinarily clever to guess that the men who
had taken away the weapons were Odysseus and Telemachus (140-
1), and then to work out where they had taken them. Besides, how
could a single man carry twelve complete suits of armour, each
consisting of shield, spear, and helmet (144-5)? W hy did the crafty
goatherd distribute his load so unevenly, leaving only one helmet and
a rusty old shield for his second trip (184-5)? Simply, we must
suppose, to give his enemies a chance to capture him.
No less incredible is Telemachus feat of detection in 157-9, when
he immediately suspects Melanthius. Furthermore, he orders
Eumaeus to lock the door, which is by then quite beside the point.
We meet fresh improbabilities in 171-7. The punishment of the
goatherd is necessary, perhaps, but hardly urgent; here it becomes a
pressing obsession. Odysseus instructions, though rather disjointed
(there is no need, however, to expunge 175-7 in face of 192-3), leave
no doubt how the punishment and, more importantly, immobil
ization of Melanthius is to be carried out. There is no need to
condemn 174, if we take to mean an ordinary plank, not the
leaf of a door.
It seems admissible to remove the unnecessary 191; 192-3,
however, look like genuine formulaic repetition. On the other hand,.
i95~9 have attracted suspicion by their high literary style, which
makes them stand out in an otherwise mediocre passage. All this
brings to an end the episodes of the arming of the hero and his party,
208
IN TR O D U CTIO N
evidently out of tune with the ethical views of poet A ; 422-3 present
textual difficulties which are hardly resolved even by the suggestion
adopted in the note; the memory of Telemachus youth in 425-7
(lines omitted by a papyrus) sounds out of place in the mouth of the
over-talkative Eurycleia; and 442, repeated in 459, is clearly spurious.
The close of the book (478-501) may be counted amongst the most
perfect passages in the Odyssey, and prepares us for the beautiful
opening of the following book.
211
B O O K XXII
Odysseus could have stood the bow upright in the crack between the
door-post and the inturned door, but he prefers to leave it further out
of reach of the suitors, leaning it against the brick-built outside wall
in the courtyard. In II viii 435 (Olympus) and Od. iv 42 (the palace of
Menelaus), chariots are parked $ ; in II xiii
261 the same location is presented as an inappropriate place for
Idomeneus to display his Trojan trophies. As for the epithet
, this is the only phrase where it is applied to part of a
building. It has been suggested that it refers to walls whitewashed
against the weather, which in sunlight would form a brilliant contrast
with the indoors (the latter phrase is attested seven
times in the Odyssey, for instance in xxiii 299).
4. For xxii I26ff. one may consult the diagram in Lorimer, where A
is the , B the , A - C the , and C the way which
leads to the latter from the great hall door into the courtyard. It was
important that the doorways of the store-rooms should not overlap
the , which was much used by servants.
The diagram assumes that the whole house was built on one level
with the exception of Penelopes bedroom with its reached
by the steps at F (recall our n. on xxi 5). The words (xxii
132), (xxii 143), and (xxii 142) do not imply a
climb upwards, but simply movement from the end of the great hall
towards the street, perhaps at most up a gentle slope.
The is an opening in the wall separating the great hall
from the . The word appears three times in the book, and else
where only in the doubtful fragment 17 w of Semonides. The
commonly accepted etymology (related to tail, oppos Tump,
, , etc.) clearly indicates a back door. Less
convincing etymologies, in our view, are those which connect
the word with the root of and with other words such as
(an epithet of Ares in Anacreon fr. 48 p which may carry
some idea of exultation: cf. ,
, Hesych.); or with guardian (four times in the Iliad, and
at Odyssey iii 411, xv 89), an hypothesis influenced by the well-known
sentry on the roof at the beginning of Aeschylus Agamemnon. The
latter, however, was posted on the roof only as a special measure, to
watch for the distant signal-beacon. Both these etymologies would
lead us back to a palace built on several floors, and would make
Melanthius task even harder, with dangerous acrobatics up and
down steps.
Agelaus proposes that someone escape through the into
the , and thence into the courtyard to shout for help. But it is
212
IN TR O D U CTIO N
213
B O O K XXII
not know the way, certainly (iii 386, vi 261, viii 4,421, xxiv 225), and of
the supernatural guidance of a god (vii 30, ix 142, x 141),but also of
Eurynome lighting the couple to their own bed with a torch (xxiii
293), and of Telemachus marching at the head of a party while his
father brings up the rear (xxiv 155, with a line-ending identical to that
of xxii 400).
n . The etymology of , roundhouse, vaulted rotunda in xxii
442 is obscure;, it is probably related to , a ladys round-
brimmed (perhaps conical) hat (Theoc. xv 39). The word was
feminine in Classical Greek (PI. Ap. 32c), masculine in Hellenistic;
here in xxii 442, 458 the gender cannot be deduced, while in 466 is is
uncertain whether agrees with or with (
in the Odyssey is sometimes masc., viii 66,473, xix 38, but more often
fem., i 53, xxii 176, 193; i 127, xvii 29, xiii 90 are doubtful, since
is in the final foot). However, is nowhere else qualified
by the epithet , but always by or . At all events,
(which does not occur in the Iliad) is never used of colonnades,
but only of the pillar of a store-room (xxii 176, 193), or of the tall
columns of the house in general (xix 38), or of two of the columns in
the great hall in particular: the one by the entrance where the visitor
courteously leaves his spear as a sign of peace (Telemachus, at xvii
29; cf. also xv 282, xvi 40; in i 127 Athena stands her weapon in the
spear-rack or , where, incidentally, it remains forgotten
when the goddess changes into a bird and disappears at i 320), and
the great central pillar by which Odysseus seats himself in silence
facing Penelope (xxiii 90).
If we accept, therefore, that in 466 agrees with , the
latter will have been a large, well-built orifice; this raises several
difficulties in the execution of the slavegirls. The roundhouse will
have been very close to the perimeter wall of the courtyard, since the
girls huddle close (see 441-7 n.) between the two (xxii 460). The rope
must have been tied, then, to one of the columns of the or
, or less probably of the . T he only other explana
tion is Roberts: that the rope was not lashed over the top of a conical
roof, but wound round the entire 0dAos some six feet above ground
level and secured by a knot, hitched up at intervals over the project
ing capitals, and then decorated with the grim frieze of girls hung by
the neck in the gaps between each column.
If we imagine a gap of a yard and a half between each column, the
circumference of eighteen yards would give us a diameter of roughly
six yards; and this would require an uncommonly high dome. It
would be anachronistic to adduce the parallel of the twenty-column
215
B O O K X X II
least likely to stink the place out). Note that in xxiii 49 Eurycleia
speaks of the corpses being piled e-775 ^ -, next to the
main street gate.
In this connection, we should recall what was said about th
: their presence excludes the possibility of an
running along the outside of the front wall of the megaron. That is
correct; chariots should not have to negotiate the whole courtyard
before being parked. Besides, in all the mentions of the threshold by
which Odysseus spends so much time, there is never a word about a
porch overhead.
14. T he in xxii 474 must be a synonym for the
, a word not used at all in these two books, but which forms
part of Menelaus palace (iv 302, xv 5), of Eumaeus sheepfold (xiv 5),
and of an imaginary building (xv 466). This may be
identified in xx 1,143 with the vestibule shown in Lorimers diagram
more or less adjoining the threshold which separates hall and court
yard, where Odysseus spends the night. In xxii 474 Melanthius is
dragged along the just like Irus to the , and thence to
the . But may also be used in another sense, of the
space by the street-gate, as in i 103-4, 1 19 (recall the avXeios
quoted above). Lastly, it is worth noting that in xviii 3856 Odysseus
threatens Eurymachus that if, when the master of the house returns,
he tries to escape out of the palace {) through the , he
will find the which now are so fine and broad all of a
sudden too narrow.
217
B O O K X XI I : C O M M E N T A R Y
218
BO O K XXII -g
and the irony of -ros on O dysseus lips see xxi 91 n.; the perf. -
is here full of significance (the game is well and truly over), but has a
different sense in xxiii 54.
6- 7 . T h e syntax o f these lines is open to various interpretations: (a) I will
know, i.e. hit another target, if m y aim is true and A pollo grants m y prayer
(see n. on 7); (b) shall know, with regard to another target, w hether I shall
hit the m ark and w hether A pollo will grant . . (acc. of respect; cf. the
sim ilar construction in xiv 3656, know, with regard to m y return, that
. . indirect questions, b u t cf. 7 . below); (c) shall look for ()
another target, to' see if b y chance I hit and A pollo grants . . (for this
m eaning of cf. II. xxi 335 j xx*v 462; XV 504 8
, 213 eiW rai; this usage implies a following acc. of direc
tion, b u t cf. w ith gen. in xxii 89, and in xxiv 524; for the
im plied indirect question in (to see) if I can h it, cf. II.
V243).
6. F or , shot at, with the acc. see the passage at II. vii 242-3 alluded to
in the preceding note ( ).
7. , |: for this ending of the subj. cf. xxi 348; is supported
by a papyrus against the com m oner . R arer still is the itacistic
. T h e line is a close echo of Penelope s prophetic words in xxi 338 (see
the notes on xxi 257-62 and 336-42); this parallel supports the first of the
alternative interpretations given in the note on 6 -7 above.
8. For 17, he said , from *g-t, see xxi 118 and 431. T h e w ord is com m only
used in this type of phrase w ith another verb: H e spoke, and (accordingly;
or, nevertheless) did (something) (cf. ii 321, xxi 118, 431, xxii 236, xxiii
366); variations of the schem e are frequently found ( he spoke, and then did
.. for exam ple in v 28, vi 198, xv 539, xvii 396, xviii 356, xix 96; or with a
change of subject, he spoke, and then someone or something else did . .
for exam ple in II. xiv 475, A jax/the fear of the others, II. xxiv 643, Priam /
Achilles; similarly, with a change to a previously m entioned subject, for
exam ple in iii 337 pa , oi ', xxii 292, I i vi 390 17 pa
, o 8 . . . '). : the verb occurs in
H om er only here and in v 270 (O dysseus steers the raft with the rudder);
for the metrical constraints which confine the word t o ---- 4 w ^ see
Hoekstra, Modifications, 106. T h e line-ending occurs ten
times in the Iliad, besides in xxii 206.
9 . T h e demonstrative use of d has already been seen in xxii 1. It is perfectly
logical that A ntinous should be drinking, since, although we have been
told nothing of this, the suitors are now em barked on the
announced in xxi 428 (see n. ad loc.). : was on the point o f,
pointing the ironic contrast between A ntinous easy nonchalance and his
im m inent fate. M a n y com m entators adduce the proverb
, theres m any a slip betwixt cup and lip ,
: raise to his lips ; cf. xxi 261, II. xi 637 (Nestor easily raises,
, the great cup), and II. xvi 8, 10 (, pick up a child in one s
arm s). T h e future is normal after in H om er (see K . Lehrs, De
219
COMMENTARY
220
B O O K X X II 9-19
221
COMMENTARY
222
B O O K X X I I 19-27
23), editors have been prodigal with deletions: A ga r condemns 22 and 245
Duentzer and K irchhoff reject 2 3 -5 (recentiora esse vidit Kirchhoff, notes von
der M hll), w hile Blass expunges 24-5 {Interpolationen, 204), alleging the
dependence of 24 on xxii 380, and o f & in the same
line on xxii 126; on the latter see m y n. ad loc.). It is generally held, though
w ithout any adequate explanation of the motive for the interpolation, that
at least 24-5, and probably 23 as well, must be spurious because it is
prem ature for the suitors, w ho after all carry swords (cf. 74 fr.), to start look
ing for arms hanging on the walls. T h e ir words in 27-30 im pute only clum
siness to the beggar, not evil intentions, since in 3 1-3 w e are explicitly told
that the suitors are still under the m isapprehension that the killing of A nti-
nous has been an accident. A s com m ented in the note on 5 -7 above, they
still have not grasped the m eaning of O dysseus words. W hat seems to have
happened is that some interpolator w ho w ished to introduce an elem ent of
further com plexity into the plot o f the slaughter has here tried to w ork in a
reference to the well-known episode of the hiding of the arms (see 10 1-25,
14 0 -1 and nn,). Nevertheless, though the weight of opinion since the last
century has been to condem n the lines outright (thus M onro in his edition,
and even m ore recently Lorim er, Monuments, 432; Page, Odyssey, 99-100,
n. 15; M erkelbach, Untersuchungen, 108; and others), there has been, a
growing tendency to defend them, beginning as long ago as E. Kam m er,
Die Echtheit der Odyssee (Leipzig, 1873), 593, and in our day W . Bchner,
D ie W affenbergung in der Odyssee , Hermes lxvii ( 1932)> 43845; Focke,
Odyssee, 357-8 ; Stanfords edition, ad loc.; L. G . Pocock, Odyssean Essays
(Oxford, 1965), 25; Bona, Studi, 132 n. 4; Besslich, Schweigen, 25-8; Erbse,
Beitrge, 5, 38-9, etc. In every case the argum ents are the same: the suitors
are acting nervously, instinctively, at the prom pting of an unease which
causes them to look for arm s as a sort of m echanical reflex; besides, they
realize that swords w ou ld b e useless against a strategically positioned bow
m an supported by Telem achus.
26 . T h ere are only two other occurrences of , with its required
m etrical lengthening, in the Odyssey (xvii 189, xviii 9). T h e verbal adj.
occurs four times, always in the sam e form ulaic phrase with
7 and (apart from this line and 225 later in the sam e book,
also preceded b y 8 , the passages are II iv 241, xv 210). T h e m ean
ing o f the suffix - t o ? is not active, as A m eis says in his edn., but passive:
enraged, angry w ords (Schwyzer, Grammatik, i 503).
27- 30 . Even if 3 1 - 3 are removed below , these four lines already suggest that
the suitors believe the killing to be an accident (Erbse, Beitrge, 38 . 95).
Stanford remarks: j u st how, it is not easy to see, especially in view of O .s
words in 6 -7 above. B ut they w ould be reluctant to face the terrible real
truth.
27 . and (gen. after verbs o f aim ing) are emphatic: it is to your
own harm to go shooting m en (who are nobler than you) ; as usual, the
ju d gem en t stresses profit and loss, not m oral considerations (cf. xxi 369 ff-
and n .; but contrast xvii 483 eahes ). T h ere
223
COMM ENTARY
follow two asyndeta, reflecting the speakers excitement, and linked to each
other b y a sort o f indirect causal relation: y ou have m ade a mistake, (and I
say this because) you will not use a bow again, (and I say this because) you
are going to die . T h e allusion to 5 in is com patible with the suitors
still not having understood the real situation; they regard O dysseus as a
bad m arksman, as well as a presum ptuous one (cf. xxi 397-400).
28 . : this choriam bic fut. is unique, am ongst the com plex of forms
associated with , , , followed by the usual gen. after
verbs o f touching, trying, etc. (E. M . Voigt, LfgrE, i 918-22); besides the
rhythm , unparalleled in Hom er, the form implies a pres, in , some
thing not found until Hdt. (note C o b et s conjecture in the app.). Syntactic
ally, the fut. is a so-called prospective , im plying obligation rather than
volition on the part o f the subject. t o i a u s a tiru s $ : >;
is difficult (hence Schulzes suggestion, recorded in von der M h lls app.,
o f a ados related to , hurled upon one), unless of course w e take it
as a deliberate oxym oron (? safe and sound > entire > w holly
accessible . . . ), an ironic reference to suicide being the safe w ay
out. T his interpretation w ould fit the identical hemistich in II. xiii 773
(H ector speaking to Paris), but not Od. v 305 (with pot for to 1, the heros
m onologue during his shipwreck), is a very com m on line
ending; the adj. is extrem ely ancient (Fr. Scholz, LfgrE, i 334-6; compare
the place-nam e in M yc. a-pi^-we, A n 427, 1, etc.; II ii 592, M im n, fr.
3 ,1 G.-Pr,), and is probably connected to (Frisk, G E W ),X ht m eaning
developing from swift to steep, headlong, and thence to violent, fatal ; it
occurs with twelve times in the Odyssey, seven of them in conjunc
tion with and its com pounds with the idea of escaping death
(including the possibly spurious xxii 43; see n. ad loc. below); the rem ain
ing five examples are the present line, v 305, i 37 (not at the end o f the line),
tx 303, and O dysseus sarcastic rem ark to the suitors in xvi 280, w here one
variant offers after instead of .
29- 30 . T h ere is a striking parallel with xxiii 12 1-2 ,
' dp | }.
30 . is frequently used to refer to the Phaeacian youths (six times), to
T elem achus and Peisistratus (xv 151), or as a synonym for son, b o y (xix
523, xxiv 54) or servant (i 148, iii 339, xxi 271; in vii 100 the word refers to
statues), but it is used in ten passages o f the suitors (on their youthfulness
see xxi 179, 361), as here and in xxiii 122 (as a voc., on Penelopes lips, ii 96,
xix 141, xxiv 131, and on M ed o n s, xvii 174). In prose, w e should expect the
idea in the gen. to be expressed by som ething such as -
. : cf. xxi 374 T h e second half o f the line alludes to the
com m on them e o f a condem ned m an s unburied body being eaten by
vultures (as, for exam ple, in the m yth o f Polyneices); vultures appear seven
times in Hom er, besides the f o f II. xi 453-4 (cf. 302 .): II.
xi 162 (unburied warriors again), Od. xi 578 (punishment of Tityus), and
five parallels to the present line, nam ely II xvi 836 S
(Hector to Patroclus), II. iv 237 (also ending ), and
224
BO O K X XII 27-si
two others, 11 xviii 271 and xxii 42 (Priam w ishing A ch illes death), w hich
end y. and y. but w here the vultures are jo in e d by
scavenging dogs (cf. xxi 363.). O n vultures see further H .-G . B uchholz,
G . Jhrens, and I. M aull, Archaeologia J , 117.
31 - 3 . T h e lines are not as intrinsically objection able as 2 2 -5 , the only
obstacles being the asyndeton with in 31, the repetition o f the singular
m etaphor in 33 and 41, the similarity of 32 to ix 442, and the fact that the
form ula in 34 is norm ally used to introduce a response w h ich im m ediately
follows the event w hich has provoked it. T h e other objections w h ich have
been raised to the lines, such as Faesis fustigations o f their lam eness, or his
and others allegations of their irrelevance, are largely subjective; such
argum ents, even if true, do not m ean that the lines are spurious. N everthe
less, the ancients on the w hole condem ned them , in particular A ristarchus
(see Lehrs, De Anstarchi, 97-8, Cauer, Homerkritik, 56) and Eustathius
( ). M o d ern editors, w ith the
exception of those such as K n igh t and R o em er w ho cut out the good w ood
with the bad by athetizing the w hole passage 26-33, are divided in equal
m easure over these lines and 22-5, though not necessarily on the assum p
tion that the genuineness of the former presupposes that of the latter, or
vice-versa. T hose who argue that 22 -5 indicate the suitors bew ilderm ent
and instinctive reflex action, are quite able to accept that they should never
theless try to convince themselves that the killing w as an accident a n d that
all is well. Alternatively, one could argue that the suitors m erely pretend to
think the killing was involuntary, in order to gain tim e by h u m o u rin g their
powerful opponent, Focke, Odyssee, 3 57-8 , Stanford ad loc., Pocock,
Odyssean Essays, 25, Besslich, Schweigen, 25-8, and Erbse, Beitrge, 5 and
38, all accept both passages; Blass, Interpolationen, 2045 naturally
condem ns both; w hile Bchner, W affen bergun g , quite consistently
accepts the first and condem ns the second. F or those w ho con dem n 225
but deliver an open verdict on 313, such as M o n ro ad loc. and von der
M h ll ad loc. (who also condem ns xxi 4 12 -1 5 ; see n. ad loc.), the decision
depends on the interpretation given to ' in 31.
31. ! : as one sch. comments, ' ',
though one m ust distinguish (as, for exam ple, G eh rin g does in his index)
between the participles (iv 279, H elen im itating voices) and
(//, xi 799, w here A llen prints , im itatin g, as at 11. xvi
41), which certainly derive from *-- (cf. , etc.), an d tw o non-
participial forms. In xix 23 Ayiov , the
verb doubtless m eans m ade up, invented (hence the sch. co m m en t on this
passage, [ 203]) It m ust be
accepted, therefore, that w e are dealing w ith a late passage, an d th at w ith
say the has been responsible for the invention o f one
of. those H om eric glosses studied by L eum an n an d later im itated b y the
Alexandrians (Apoll, ii 240, T h eoc. xxii 167, etc.); A ristarchus h a d every
reason to condem n the passage, despite von der M h ll s vix recte. T h e other
interpretations w hich have been suggested, such as the translation each
225
COMMENTARY
226
B O O K X X II 31-39
, and so on. But the papyrus and some M S S also offer a critical
problem : against the m ajority reading, w hich is supported by Eustathius
and accepted by A llen, the lectio difficilior ' , despite the
unanim ous testim ony against it in the parallel line xxi 211 (see n. ad loc.)
and the fact that is only otherwise attested in xv 88 (and not at the
end of the line), is accepted by von der M h ll, and supported on syntactical
grounds by Chantraine, who argues that the future sense o f with
is paralleled in II. xiv 221, Od. ii 238, xi 176, xxiv 460, and (with )
Od. xv 214 (Grammaire, 307). In cases w here the aorist depends on a verb
of volition it is norm al (see Schwyzer, Grammatik, ii 296) for the emphasis to
fall on the aspect, not the tense, as in the two parallel passages with final
1 , both w ithout hiatus before digam m a, ix 530 (governed by
8o?) and xv 66 (with ASereu), and xv 2X0, where the phrase appears in a
different position in the line after and preceded by hiatus after ;
but this is not usually the case with verbs of understanding, saying, or
feeling, as here.
36 . : another peculiarity of these lines is this initial
formula, in contrast to nearly a dozen exam ples o f vi
(amongst them xxiv 27, 31). o n . . . : on the indirect
causal sense of o n (and I say this because) see n. on 27-30, and Schwyzer,
Grammatik, ii 646, with other exam ples such as v 340, xiv 367, xviii 392.
originally referred to the scything or shearing down o f corn
fields; it can be used m etaphorically with (iv 686), or, rather far-
fetchedly, with (xxiii 356), or, as here, with (note the
observance o f digamma); com pare , also applied to the suitors and
governing oucov (ii 237), (xix 534), and (six examples, one of
them being the spurious xiii 396).
37 - 8 . T h e m ajority of M S S invert the order of these two lines, probably
because 37, athetized by various scholars, was originally om itted; when
inserted, it seemed m ore logical to place the wife (38) before the m aid
servants (37).
37 . T h e argum ents against the authenticity of this line (see previous note)
are, leaving aside the unim portant textual variant between S (A llens
preference) and the papyrus s re (daringly accepted by von der M hll): the
unparalleled (but cf. v 119 ), and
the false assertion that the female slaves were forcibly violated (cf. xx 6-8,
xxii 424, 445). T h e latter is considered by von der M h ll to be a m elo
dram atic touch typical of B (O d y sse e , 757).
38 . : em phatic, for ; the gen. is on the way to being absolute, as in
xiv 8, xxi 395 (see n.). : hapax, with an underlying idea of
stealth in (Schwyzer, Grammatik, ii 524).
39 . $: probably governs both and the following acc. and inf.
construction (thus Schwyzer, Grammatik, ii 357); alternatively, we m ay take
as the second object, and eaeaai as an epexegetic inf. T h e line
ending is paralleled in iv 378, and (with ro t) in II. xx 299, xxi 267, Od. i 67, iv
378, 479, etc.
227
COMMENTARY
228
BOOK X X I I 40 -52
ii 184, in five previous books o f the Odyssey (the closest parallel being ii 246),
and in four passages in xxiv. Its use here, however, is significant: O dysseus
has regained his full rights as a citizen (Bowra, Companion, 31).
: as you say , preceding hiatus in thesis. : with
metrical lengthening, gives a ^ ending, underlining the sense of
som ething finally and forever consum m ated.
46 . : cf. xxi 294 . on m w ); the w ord occurs in the fifth
foot with forms o f oi<Sa in ii 231, v 9, xiv 433; it is used in the context of
indem nities or honours in viii 348, xiv 84 (Fr. Scholz, LfgrE, i 374-5). Here
the adj, is predicative: this you have said in accordance with justice . Note
the hiatus before eiVay. H ere and here only (cf. iii 227, iv 204, xvi 243),
unlike von der M h ll, A llen writes etnas against the general testim ony in
favour o f eines (except in papyri and some M S S at iii 227; but see the app.
to xxii 46), following the precedent of etna re shared by all at iii 427 (though
Erotian has etnere) and xxi 198 (except the M S S m entioned in the
apparatus; see n.), and also the lead of Aristarchus and Eustathius, who
defend etVay in 11. i 106, 108 (where A llen also accepts it): see Schwyzer,
Grammatik, i 745. : close to the exclam atory sense usually para
phrased as o n Lavra; , w hich occurs again in 209, is an iterative
form of (cf. xviii 15), from a primitive *wjgv > * (M yc. wo-zo),
with the vowel affected b y analogy with cognate ep8a> (see 218.).
47 . O f the fourteen occurrences o f (see H. W . Nordheider, LfgrE ,
i 14858) in the Odyssey (if w e include the variant at xx 170), all except xviii
139 in w 'i w w, the m ajority (for exam ple, xviii 143, xx 170,370; xxii 314,
w here Leodes denies such actions; xxiv 282, 352) have to do with the
suitors. W e have been told nothing o f their misdeeds in the countryside,
however.
48 . 0 is demonstrative and predicative: (behold) this m an (who) already lies
dead . W e ; have already seen ewAero in this position in the line in xxi
386,397.
49 . o u to s : em phatic and pejorative, this (was the fellow w ho) ; note the
lengthening o f the preceding syllable in thesis, : strictly
speaking a hapax (but note the forms in tmesis in ix 288, xv 475), and the
only example with this metrical lengthening o f the stem in w 4 5 (it is
short in II. xv 19 , Od. viii 447 , 11. xi 628 nmporjXe). N one o f this,
however, justifies excision.
50 . : i.e. to Penelope; ablatival gen. : this doublet of
, found six tim es in H om er (amongst them ii 249, iii 48, xiii 280, xv
396), always occurs at the end o f the line w here the alternative verb is
m etrically excluded (three exam ples in the Iliad, two of them in the pres,
indie., the third in the pres. part, as here; four participles in viii 156, x i 350,
xxii 5 0 , 3 5 !)
51 . O n the slight syntactical inconcinnity, see the n. on xxi 250-3; is
relative, and followed b y hiatus. Sim ilar lines occur in iii 119, iv 699, xx 236
(and see the variant reading in xv 536, xxi 415 .).
52 - 3. In i 384-7 A ntinous treats Telem achus as a child, in an attem pt to
229
COMMENTARY
convince him that although in theory he should succeed his father as king
of Ithaca he is still too young to do so (see V . Bartoletti, A ristocrazia e
m onarchia nz\V Odusea , St. It. Filol., Cl. xiii (1936), 213-65; and Eisen*
berger, Studien, 44 . 28, who thinks there is here an ominous allusion to
the conspiracy against the prince, especially in the parallel between 53 and
iv 670, and that both this passage and that in i are the handiwork o f the late
poet, who wanted to dovetail them with the Telemachy, cf. also Erbse,
Beitrge, 125-6) In i 389-98 T elem achus replied by pointing out the
political am bitions o f various suitors ( |
v , 394_5); in i 400-4, Eurym achus diplom atically
left unanswered the question touched upon in these lines, w hich Bergk
wished to suppress (see 53.).
52 . T h e line-ending is more or less in apposition to ; compare 11. v 564
, ; II. x 491 . . , >?; and, to an extent, Od, xxiii 117
\ $ and even II. iv 465 .
53 . auTs: 'himself, on his own5, emphatic (this is a grave problem , for
the m any editors who w ould delete the line as a late interpolation on the
grounds stated in the note on 52 -3 ; see also Focke, Odyssee, 359), since the
suitors have already appeared as in the plural not only in i 394
but also, for example, in viii 41 and, referring to Eurym achus and
Antinous, in xviii 64 T h e second half of the line, with a second oblique
optat. after , is a kind o f com m on in H om er
(Pocock, Odyssean Essays, 124).
54 - 5. T h e two balanced phrases are not o f equal emphasis: (since) he is
dead, (therefore) spare these people as yo u r ow n , (note the strong pre
dicative force o f ; cf, Eisenberger, Studien, 52).
54 . vGv S : norm ally follows an unfulfilled conditional, w hich reflects the
unreality o f A ntin ous5 suggestion. Iv : according to his ju st
desserts ordained by destiny5(cf. II. xix 186 ju stly ; contrast in
Od. xxi 278 and n., xxii 486). : the w ell-known perfect, from
the same root as , , and , which (besides ,
, , and in II. Xi 829, Od. xxii 217) occurs
here and four times in the Iliad, in II xvii 164 at the same place in the line.
Except for - in Od. xi 135, the verb is always applied to violent deaths.
55 . : later, in the future5, com pare in 40. -
: the aorists and futures collected by H . N eitzel, LfgrE, i 1227-8
s.v. are related to , , etc., and share the root
m eaning order, fit, fix, hence com pensate5 (a crime), or conciliate, give
satisfaction (the injured party) b y offering compensation. O f the nine other
occurrences in H om er, five take acc. o f the person satisfied (viii 396, 402,
415, all referring to the compensation received by Odysseus from Euryalus;
ll. ix 112 in the sam e position as here, II. xix 179), and four
acc. of the thing com pensated (the pair II. ix 120 = xix 138 , and
similar II. 1V362, vi 526 with ). H ere the sense has been
m uch debated: w hat Eurym achus seems to be offering is first a collective
com pensation for the victuals consum ed, and second a collective fine or
230
BOOK X X I I 59-57
indem nity for the insult com m itted. T h ere are various parallel passages in
the Odyssey, ii 77-8 (Telem achus w ould go dem anding
com pensation for the food w hich has been eaten at his expense), xiii 14 -15
(on m aking a gift to O dysseus, A lcinous explains that he will seek com
pensation for his expense b y a p ublic collection,
, at the end o f the line), xix 197-8 (the beggar5 tells how he
served O dysseus |
), xxiii 356-8 (the victorious hero w ill seize cattle in com pensation for
the beasts stolen from him , and the A chaeans w ill give him others 5
). In view of the syntactical problem s in the
passage, it is not surprising that som e have proposed reading .
56 . : o f the four parallels o f with acc. o f thing com pensated5
ju st cited from the Iliad, two have direct objects expressed b y (II. iv
362) and (vi 526) m eaning this (complaint)5, and the other two have
some such com plem ent understood. H ere the verb m ust be understood not
as having settled (the com plaint)5, but as having replaced (in settlement of
the complaint)5, governing unexpressed before . , dative
of disadvantage, is followed by two verbs, both o f w hich m ust be under
stood as sharing the force of the perfective - prefixed to the first (see
Schwyzer, Grammatik, ii 237, on the developm ent of the passive sense it has
been drunk up and eaten from this type o f expression, it is all drunk up
and eaten). : poses a problem w hich is not m erely textual;
the M S S reading is corrected by A ristarchus and others, unintelligibly, to
, apparently plural (impossible according to Schwyzer, Gram
matik, i 766 n. 5); H erodian prefers cSiJfieTat, w hich von der M h ll does
not reject, with parallels later in Aristotle s , and w hich later
either acquired (cf. Schwyzer, Grammatik, i 775) an intrusive -- (-
, Plato) by analogy with hypothetical forms such as * and
*, or becam e assimilated b y rhym e to (cf. , II. xvii
542), w hence cam e A ristophanes .
57 - 9 . T h e m ain verb is (- carries the idea o f expiation), with
two participles, bein g m odal (it is w rong, therefore, to punctuate
after 57) and tem poral. . . . : each on his
own account, in turn5, with the com m on ad sensum singular for plural; cf.
xix 46 each thing in its turn5 (where Bekker s proposal to restore the hiatus
before digam m a b y reading a is inadmissible; in answer to
F icks condem nation of this line because o f the lack of the necessary hiatus,
Bekker likewise restores it, reading neut. pi. , a form paralleled
in i 431). . . . : probably predicative in apposi
tion to the nouns \ In the concrete sense o f com
pensation for a m isdeed5 takes first place over that o f honour, (act of)
respect5 (cf. xiv 70 and 117, the com pensation ow ed to A gam em n on , and
II. iii 286, 288, w here the Trojans ought to return H elen and the treasures
stolen with her and then . . . , followed by
. . , and ). Each suitor m ust contribute gold and bronze
to the value o f twenty oxen; various editors give pecuniary the term is
231
COMMENTARY
232
B O O K X X I I 57 - 6 8
64 . T h is phrase, an exact parallel of xiii 193 and xxii 168, is often cited as the
origin o f the construction of with inf. (Schwyzer, Grammatik, 11654). In
11 xxii 354 the clause introduced b y even so . . . not is followed b y but on
the contrary ; in Od. iii 117 w ho . . . w ould tell? and the unspoken answer
(nobody), even if is followed b y adv. before that happens . . . ; before,
unless so m any years pass . H ere the inf. is probably imperative in sense:
before that, rather than that, let them p ay . . som ewhat sim ilar is II. ix
387, with . . . rather let him give back , or I I xix 423, with
, T shall not cease; rather let m e sate . . . ( ) . B ut at Od.
xvii 597 we already find with inf. after an affirmative clause,
: almost adv., com pletely . : the subj. is ,
the direct obj. . T h e verb appears twenty-seven times in
H om er, sixteen o f them in the Odyssey; the pres, is only found in ii
. 132, xxii 235, the aorist here and in five other passages (i 43, iii 195, xiii 193,
xxii 168, and xxiii 312).
65 . : cf. 41. : is synonymous
with the quoted at the end of n. on 28; vv, adv. face to
face, w ith the sam e military sense as in II. xxii 109, found several
times in the Iliad (iii 433, ix 559, xv 304, etc.).
66. : both flee and escape , the latter being the one which
connects with the succeeding relative clause, which requires us to supply
a as subj. o f the inf. II. xxi 565 (with
dAa^at); in the sing, is found at 14 (see n.), and again in 330, 363,
382; the plur, does not occur again until xxiii 332, once again in a line
ending with . T h e pres. part, precedes in
363, 382 (cf. xxiv 127); trisyllabic parts o f the same verb are com m on at
the end of the line (e.g. in xxii 460, w ithout a complement;
j ' . . . , xxiii 328, ,
xxiii 332)*
67 . : the sense o f the future again implies escape rather than
flee. : cf. 28, 43. T h e sense o f iva in the negative
clause is om inous and ironic (cf. xxi 374 and n., xiii 394, 427); T do not
believe any w ill escape is equivalent to I believe none w ill escape, a
semantic shift sim ilar to he said no, or Od. xvi 446 . . .
and I do not exhort you to fear > and I exhort you not to fear ; xii
227 ov . . . she did not advise m e to arm m yself > she advised me
not to arm m yself .
68. : adv., as in 4 (see n.), but here em phasizing less the place than the
time, then and there, im m ediately , referring to the sudden slackening o f
the lim bs and courage in shock. T h e sam e line-ending is applied to the
description of these symptoms in O dysseus him self in v 297, 406, xxii 147;
the sam e line, with the substitution of or , based on for exam ple II.
xxi 114, appears in Od. iv 703, xxiii 205, xxiv 345; cf. also xviii 212 Auto
, xviii 238 , and, with the possess, also used here,
Xvfii 242 AeAwrat.
233
COMMENTARY
234
BOOK X X II 69-79
74 . Asyndeton, with a strong link between the previous exhortation and this
detailed explanation o f the strategy proposed (see the Introduction to xxi
and note on 70-8; on the swords, see also xxii 22-5 0 : the
first occurrence in this or the preceding book o f this w ord (M yc. pa-ka-na),
which reappears in 79, 84,90,98, and then disappears once again, replaced
by $ in 326 (the w ord already used in xxi 34, 119, 341, 4 3m .).
: this prefixed verb is unique in H om er, transitive in meaning
and im plying action taken b y the subject for his ow n safety, governing as a
gen. after the - elem ent (place the tables in front of, opposite). O n the
individual see 19.; from this passage it w ould appear that they
were light and easily handled (S. Laser, Archaeologia P, 58; but cf. 848 n.),
75 . : the usual m eaning is destined to die soon (of A chilles in II.
i 417, xviii 95,458; of the suitors in Od. i 266, iv 346, xvii 137), but here and
in II. xv 441 the epithet is applied to duels, with the sense w hich brings
sudden death . -__ : tmesis (cf. 15 .).
76 . : in case, in the event that , and aor. subj. with shortened them atic
vowel.
77 . Behind (with the usual hiatus before the digam m a of ) lies the
idea that the suitors w ill disperse once out of the place. T h e three sub
junctives are not precisely parallel, since one w ould expect rather in
the event that w e get out and, once dispersed, raise the hue and cry ,
: for the optative offered b y the M S S and accepted b y A llen here
(though not by von der M hll), cf. the optat. in 133; the m ood would
indicate less hopefulness on E urym ach us part, but there is another
possible interpretation, volitive (Schwyzer, Grammatik, ii 315) and
condit. w ithout v. Eisenberg sees evidence in this passage for the
existence of a faction in the city favourable to the suitors (Studien, 308 n. 15;
cf. xxiv 412-37).
78 . =134. : cf. x x i 374. : soon (them eaning perhaps is in
general later), as in xxi 174,363,369, 374., 418; here it affects the m eaning
of , w ould stop shooting . outos : here with
the usual contem ptuous or pejorative undertone (cf. 70 and n.).
79- 80 . : see 372 . : the are for the
m om ent the only arms available to the suitors. 79= It. xxii 306; the line
ending, with the epithet , is found in Od, x 145, xi 95, and reappears
below in 90. T h e sword is m ade of bronze, as usual in H om er.
: the interpretation o f os, a participle prob
ably derived from *~-- (see Frisk, G E W , and E.-M . Voigt,
LfgrE, i 407), is unclear, though its etym ological connection with words of
sharpening or whetting is clear; in m any passages (i 99, xv 551, xx 127),
where it is applied to a spear it seems to m ean fitted with a tip of bronze,
(cf. i22~5n.), but here and in v 235, where it refers
to an axe with the same first hemistich, the interpretation two-edged is
COMMENTARY
preferable (cf, of a in 11. xxi 1 18, Od. xvi 80, xxi 341 n.; and of
a in II. x 256). Lehrs' deletion is worth a glance (Blass, Interpola
tionen, 205): it is odd that Eurym achus leaps up to attack (on see xxi
388, xxii 2), after having him self ju st suggested taking shelter behind the
tables. T his is doubtless the difficulty which prom pted the variant versions
o f the end of 80, (five occurrences in the Iliad: see 5 7 -9 n.) and
(out o f place here, but suggested by the form ula quoted above).
T h e received text can be defended by adducing the Iliadic exam ples of
[(see next note), w hich always portray the warrior in the
act o f hurling him self into the attack.
81 . : the only occurrence o f this participle in the Odyssey,
w hich is here used to lend a certain valour to Eurym achus' last m oments; it
occurs in this form eleven times in the Iliad, usually preceded by hiatus and
a vowel lengthened in thesis (e.g. 11. xvii 213, xviii 160) and most com m only
o f all, in seven cases, after a in the first foot. W e also find
at the beginning of the line in II. vii 479, which m ay have been
the original pattern for this metrical oddity; is found eleven
times at the beginning o f the line in the Iliad and six in the Odyssey (e.g, Od,
xxiv 537) with verbs similar in m eaning to . B ut the digam m a in this
verb, theoretically from *-- (see the apparatus for a quibble on the
accentuation; but is not found before the h.Hom. and later), is
obscure: examples such as in ^ ^ 4w ^ (H i 482 etc.) or the
com pound in w - 4 u (//. v 860 etc.) argue against it (Chantraine,
Grammaire, i 139-40) despite the hiatus here; on the other hand, w e find
tev in w ^ 2 ^ ^ 3 ^ (/. xi 463), where the digam m a causes
lengthening of -v, w hich leads one to w onder w hether ought
not always to be replaced b y (nevertheless, w e w ou ld still be left
with exam ples such as II. xvii 213 in ^ 2 w 3); the hapax
in II. xiii 41 m ight be explained as a formation with intensive <x-
(M . Schm idt, LfgrE, i 1458). 6 : the
demonstr. is brought forward to the start of the sentence, as usual;
(von der M h ll ), adv. sim ultaneously (see xxi 188.).
82 . T h e well-attested variant (cf. II. xvi 669 far aw ay)
induced van Leeuw en s conjecture with double acc., w hich provides a
rem edy for the lack of augm ent and of an object pronoun referring to
Eurym achus. T h e line-ending occurs elsewhere, for exam ple in II. iv 480.
83 . is unparalleled (cf. 3.). : consequently . T h e line
ending =11. xi 239.
84 . T h e subj. of , from -, is Eurym achus; is a form ula (cf.
20 n.) not used at the end o f the line (cf. xvi 191), where w e find instead
or } (xxi 136, xxii 340), . (xxii 327); the lative
adv. , w hich should be thus accented in H om eric texts ( is
peculiar to Attic: see von der M h ll ad loc.), cannot be derived from a non
existent plural as in the case of etc., but is probably form ed by
analogy with it and other words and also (Schwyzer, Grammatik, i
625, nn. 2 and 20). : hapax of unknown m eaning and
236
B O O K X X I I 79-88
237
COMMENTARY
in Od. xx 357 to a rising mist seen by the prophet T heoclym enus, and in
five further cases (IL v 127, xv 668, xx 321, 341, Od. vii 41) to supernatural
mists called up or dissolved by the gods;
89 . : see 6 -7 n. for another exam ple of this supposed cognate of ,
which is better understood as a derivation from * rush, launch one
self , w hich later becam e confused with the m iddle of (Frisk, G E W ).
Besides the various exam ples of we find (once, at II. xv
544) and com pounds with am-, -, and .era- (amongst them , -
with acc., II. x i 367, xx 454); exam ples governing the usual gen. of
object aim ed at o ccur in II. xv 4x5 (with the same line-ending), IL iv 138,
xiii 191. Nevertheless, it is debatable w hether depends directly
on the verb (for a parallel construction, cf. IL xiv 488 8
) or on the following (cf. II. xv 415 " . . .
8).
90 . s : a com m on initial form ula (cf. IL xv 694; with , IL
xi 553, xvii 662), but this construction with a verb of motion governing a
gen. o f the person approached or encountered, w hether in friendly or
hostile manner, occurs elsewhere only in Od. xvi 14 ,
where the approach is respectful (E.-M . Voigt, LfgrE, i 944-9)
91 . e see n. on at in 76. ei^ cie: the verb , originally with
digam m a (cf. itacistic - in Hsch.) on its own m eans give w ay
(IL xxii 321 ; for the opt. here see 77.); give up (one s place) (Od. ii
14). W ith the dat. it means yield to, be less strong than (xiv 221 );
give w ay to ones own (v 126), to a w orthy im pulse such as shame
(II x 238) or an unworthy one such as fear (II. xiii 223), overbearing
violence (Od. xiii 143, xviii 139 ] ), or im prudence (xxii 288
8)'} in IL x 122 the indulgent A gam em non describes his brother
M enelaus as ovr 8 , cf. Hes. Op. 330); give
in to a circum stance such as poverty (xiv 157), or to a person (IL xiii 321
, Od. xi 515, w here the verb also governs an abl. of place from which
one retreats, from battle in II. v 348, from the - in Od. xviii 10).
: this verb is usually accom panied by a participle which completes the
sense (xi 58, xvi 383, xxiv 437); it can also govern the acc. of the person
anticipated (IL xi 451, xxi 262), so that here tv (Am phinom us) is governed
both b y and by . : as expected , expressing the active
loyalty of Telem achus.
92 . T elem achus is no longer standing by his father as at xxi 433, but is more
or less in his original seat (see xxi 14 m .). Now , after hesitating for a
m om ent w hether or not to retrieve the valuable spear from A m phinom us
dead body, he chooses the better part of valour and returns to O dysseus
side (, 95; , 99). It is the shortage o f arms which leads
to his suggestion in 101 ff.
93 . = II. v 41, 57, viii 259, xi 448. T h e line-ending is also paralleled in IL xxii
284. has the spear as its unexpressed direct object. O n with a
w ord formed with - see Schwyzer, Grammatik, ii 172.
94 . T h e first hem istich occurs again in xxiv 525; it is a com m on Iliadic
238
B O O K X X I I 88-100
239
COMMENTARY
form ulaic line. Initial is frequent (vi 5, xvii 526, xix 271); so too is
initial a. <33 (//. xiii 768, xv 243, xvii 684) or (for example,
Od. v 15g, xv 9); the w hole line is found in the feminine (for exam ple, at 11. iv
92, v X23), or in the masc. but with at the end of the line (Od. xvii
349). T h e form ulaic (which causes lengthening
of the usual preceding participle in -os due to digam m a) is im m ensely
com m on; there are six occurrences in this book alone, all except one (150)
preceded by a participle. N either . . . nor
contains any reference to the person approached or spoken to, O dysseus.
101 - 25 . In xvi 281-98 (a passage athetized by Zenodotus and Aristarchus),
Odysseus, though he had not yet stepped inside the palace and was
ignorant o f the state o f play within, told T elem achus to collect the arms
from the hall at a signal, and carry them to a store-room (285 s
); if the suitors missed them, T elem achus was to tell them
that he had rem oved the weapons to prevent them getting sooty or being
used in some squabble. He was to leave in the megaron two , two
So, and , oxhide shields1, . . . (295 b; note
the dual there is no talk here of the servants). In xix 1-52 , a passage like
wise m uch athetized in antiquity (von der M hll: ab ult. O dyss. poeta
insert! esse vid.), O dysseus, by now inside the palace, repeated the order to
his son (xix 5 -1 3 = xvi 28694), and the two of them, lighted on their w ay
by A th en a s strange lam p amidst supernatural visions all this typical of
the B poet carry a num ber o f j
' to the (i f), w ithout so m uch as a w ord about
any reserve of weapons left in the megaron; and in xxii 25 w e are specifically
told that not an nor an is left hanging on the walls of the feast-
hall (see n. ad loc.). A nd yet here, in yet another suspicious passage with
signs o f lateness (89 . et infra), w e have T elem achus fetching arms for four
men ( . . . a . . . . . . . . . ). T h e
swords m entioned in xvi 295-6 are forgotten (here, instead, w e have some
helmets not m entioned there); and there is no suggestion whatever that
T elem achus has opened or closed the store-room, despite what is said in
xxiv 16 5-6 or adm itted by T elem achus him self in 1549 below . A further
problem is the closing of the door of the store-room: in xxiv 1656
A m phim edon on his way to H ades recounts how O dysseus and T ele
m achus took the weapons to the and then locked it,
, whereas in xix 47 nothing is said o f either father or son locking the
room , doubtless because the poet had his m ind on the business o f the
m agic lam p. T h e y must have done so, though, by pulling the cord. In this
1case, in xxii 109 T elem achus w ould have needed a bulky key like the one
used by Penelope in xxi 6 (see n. ad loc.); like her, he w ould have needed to
fetch it from the bedcham ber. Furtherm ore, once laden with the heavy
weapons (11011), T elem achus w ould have had his hands too full to lock
the door after him ; the door m ust have been left ajar, and the key placed on
the floor, on a shelf in the store-room, or in the lock.
101. : im m ediately, w ithout delay . : dat. of the 2. sing, personal
240
B O O K X X I I 100-106
241
COMMENTARY
w hen they have run out . Schwyzer attempts to bring out the volitive force
of the imperative olot, formed from the fut. , by translating w olle
bringen ( Grammatik, i 788). O n running see 99. $: the
spelling of the conj. in the papyri will have been E O C, which makes it
difficult, before a consonant or in some cases such as this (cf. Od. iii 126, iv
8oo, v 429, vi 80, ix 376, xii 327, xiii 321, xvii 3go), to choose between the
fiais preferred by the M S S (which alternate throughout between this spell
ing and os, regardless o f metrical quantity) and von der M h lls norm al
ized d o s or A llen s , supposedly the original form (cf. Skt. yvat). W hen
followed by a vowel, as in iv 90, 120, v 365, 424, vii 280, ix 233, xiii 315, xv
109, xix 367, only the last two spellings are possible; in v 386, xvfii 358,
xix 530, w here the transmitted text presupposes synizesis, both editors
allow the correction to elos or $; in ii 148 and v 123, A llen also emends,
w hile von der M hll prefers etas' with synizesis; finally, there is an iam bic
scansion in ii 78 where both editors accept s (see Chantraine,
Grammaire, i 11-12 ). : consecutive-final (see 22~5n., and
Schwyzer, Grammatik, ii 363). : the well-known adverbial use of
a w ithout the copula, which has been considered to be a rough
equivalent of 7rdpecm, as in 11 i 174; from at m y side (there are) arrows
comes the sense have arrows to hand.
107 . Epexegetic after : lest (if you dawdle) . . (cf. xv 278). -
: only here and at 11. xi 636. : the participle is
causal; the servants, as yet unarm ed, do not count.
108 . = xix 14, in the scene of the hiding of the arms, where the line is m ore
appropriate, since Telem achus is obeying an order, whereas here it is he
w ho has taken the initiative. : possessive once again.
109 . : on this restricted use o f the inf. see 9911.; the line-opening
is identical to xxi 8. T h e line has been suspected (Blass, Interpolationen,
232-3) on the grounds that implies a lengthy duration and is
inappropriate to describe som ething put there only the day before; the
reflex, dative o f possession oi, preceded b y hiatus, is also objectionable,
attributing as it does the fathers weapons to his son.
110. T h e papyrus reading elXero supports von der M h ll against A lle n s
|, w hich is found in the suspiciously similar line 144; the 3rd pi. is
found in three other passages in this position, am ongst them Od. vii 10. T h e
com pound occurs in II. xxiv 22931, in a passage very sim ilar to this one:
ev6ev ^ , j ?
, , j , S m
- ' is also com m on (cf. xxi 6, 416, xxii 125).
1 1 1 . $ : a well-known Aeol. form w hich here replaces the metrically-
excluded ,- For in form ulae see 102 . and Hoekstra,
Modifications, 98 n. 5.
112. S I : he came back carrying (them) ; this line-opening occurs
in II. xi 247. T h e line-ending repeats that o f 99.
113 . In parallel with the aor. here, the imperf. dual in the
next line indicates sim ultaneous action (w hile they both . . T h e verb
242
B O O K X X I I 106-122
243
COMMENTARY
such as A gam em nons in II. xi 1646; a second relatively full type is that
such as Paris in II iii 338-38 or Patroclus in I I xvi 130-9 w here the
greaves, breastplate, sword, shield, helm et, and spear(s) are described; the
third and simplest type is that such as A ja x s in II. xv 47982 and O dysseus
here w here only the shield, helm et, and spears are mentioned. Line 122 on
the shield is identical except for the beginning to II iii 334, xvi 135, T h e two
lines on the helmet are identical in all four passages. Line 125 on the two
spears copies the first hemistich o f II. xvi 139 and the second hemistich o f II
iii 18 (Paris) and xi 43 (Agam em non; and see also Od. xxi 434.), which
replaces the 0 (or ) of of II. iii 338, xvi 139, and the
of II. xv 482 (cf. 7980.). :
m ade o f four layers o f hide (cf. 186); this and II. xv 479 (for the form ula see
H oekstra, Modifications, 94-5) are the only attestations of this adj.
Eustathius has , and there are three occurrences in the Iliad of
the w ord : two o f these presuppose a stem (the neut.
pi. has been proposed as a conjectural em endation for in
Em pedocles fr. 21, 6 d ; cf. ) m eaning root, underlay5 (of trees or
hair pulled out by the root, II. ix 541, x 15), while the prefix -- of the
third, w hich is applied to shields (II. xiii 130), is probably (see W acker-
nagel, Untersuchungen, 241, and Lorim er, Monuments, 183) the A eolic
equivalent of rpa- as in (four-legged) table, or rpv- in
(see n. on 102). : adv. : hanging down-
w ards. Note the com m on agreem ent o f a dual , followed by the
prim ary form (cf. the secondary in 101), with plural adjective.
L in e 124, paralleled as w e have seen in several o f the Iliadic passages, has
been em ended b y some editors, w ho find the mention of a gallant plum e
irrelevant in this sordid scene (see von der M h lls contem ptuous opinion
o f the late poet).
126 - 202 . T his problem atic passage, several lines o f w hich are suspicious
(126-30, 134, 14 0 -1, 144 -5, etc.), has been endlessly discussed. Evidently,
straightforward slaughter by bow and arrows offered less possibilities for
dram atic treatment than an Iliadic duel o f spears, which serves to cast a
heroic glow over the grim episode w e have ju st witnessed and also over the
following one, obviously attributable to the later poet, where the swine
herd and neat-herd jo in forces with O dysseus against the suitors and their
ally M elanthius.
126 . : the iter, form of has already appeared in xxi 94, 145, 283.
127 . T h e best translation is hard b y the edge o f the threshold, taking -
as predicative; this superlative occurs twice more in the Odyssey, xii
1 1 and 15, bu t there are sixteen cases in the Iliad, frequently in the same
position in the line (see II i 499, iv 139, v 754, etc.). T h e final hemistich is
repeated from 120.
128 . T here was a passage from the courtyard to the street. W e should trans
late the loose paratactic phrase in the second hemistich by a relative
(w hich was closed by a pair of close-fitting doors : cf. vii 88 . . .
); com pare xxi 236, 382, and later xxii 155, 258, 275, xxiii 42,
244
B O O K X X I I 1 2 2 - 1 31
245
COMM ENTARY
short iota, whereas in 11 x 478, 502, xviii 500 the active lengthens the vowel
(not in x 202, however).
132- 4 . A gelaus proposal is m ade in the sam e courteous tone of enquiry as,
for example, II. iii 52, Od. vi 579.
132 . T h e first hemistich = xviii 414, xx 322, xxi 152, xxii 70, etc. N ote the
repetition o f the prefix in .
133 . See 77 . on the second hemistich. T h e suitors are unaware that, though
the door to the ma-y be open, since Eum aeus comes and goes
through it, the gate o f the courtyard has been locked (xxi 391 n.). A s usual,
the parataxis conceals a syntactical relation, this tim e o f purpose, and tell
the folk (so th a t). . . .
134 . T h e re is very general consensus that this line is spurious, copied here
from 78 (see the note on ad loc.) because o f the similarity o f the previous
line to 77. It is out of place here, since Odysseus is no longer shooting his
bow (Blass, Interpolationen, 205-6).
135 . = xvii 247. T h e goat-herd M elanthius, w hom we met in xxi 175-85 (see
n. ad loc.) and 265, here steps into the scene again. His role as a sym bol of
cunning and evil in the later layers of the m yth was briefly touched upon in
the Introduction to xxi; it is revealed by his name, he o f black designs, and
b y those o f his fam ily (M elantho, his sister in xviii 321, xix 65; his father
D olius the crooked , xviii 322, xxii 159, xxiv 222, etc.). aiVoAos one w ho
comes and goes about the goats > goat-herd appears in two similes in
the Iliad (ii 474, iv 275), and nine times in the Odyssey (from xvii 247
onwards), always in the nom . or acc. and at the end o f the line with the
pleonastic and alliterative (H. Geiss, LfgrE, i 338; on the alliteration
see xxi 2 6 5 -6 n.).
136 . o u w s : T h at is quite im possible . SioTp<f>s: it is hardly
surprising that this com m on epithet for M enelaus (twelve examples) in
^ '4 ^ ^ should be used for the m etrically equivalent nam e Agelaus; it is
twice applied also to Odysseus (x 266, 419), once to Peisistratus (xv 199),
and once to A gam em non (xxiv 122), always in the same position in the line,
. . . a iv w s: very close ; is here simply very (cf. Engl, terribly
good), w ithout any residual connection with the idea of terror or anger, as
in II. iii 158, where H elen is terribly like a goddess , . . . oiKtv, or
Od. xvii 24, terribly badly dressed, . . . . . . (V. Pisani,
LfgrE, i 320-3; cf. vi 168, xviii 80, xix 324, xxiv 353, w here the etym ological
m eaning still subsists).
137 . T h e entrance of the passage is dangerous, im passable (E.-M . Voigt,
LfgrE, i 118 5-9 1). T h is m eans either that it is dangerously near the door o f
the feast-hall (the paratactic link with the preceding clause w ou ld be
causal, and therefore), or that besides bein g close it is also dangerously
narrow (in which case the link w ould be with the following asyndetic clause
in 138, and (I say it is dangerous b e cau se ). . .).
138 . git] is opt. by attraction from the m ain clause, with a suggestion of
conditional force. O n see 409.
139 . : w ell then, interj. (E.-M . Voigt, LfgrE, i 129-34; Schwyzer,
246
B O O K X X I I 131-147
247
COMM ENTARY
248
B O O K X X I I 147-165
us) . This is to overestimate the cunning of M elanthius, who could not have
been sure of finding the locked store-room so providentially open when he i
m ade his suggestion.
157- 9 . T elem achus5 instructions are somewhat incoherent: first he asks :
Eum aeus to close the door (see the notes to xxi 6, 241), a detail which would
be of little significance at this jun cture except that some suitors have yet to !
arm themselves, causing the goat-herd to m ake a second sally (whose I
failure to secure further weapons could not be foreseen by Telem achus); ;
and second, to seek out the identity o f the traitor, which w ould have been ;
im possible if the swine-herd had found the store-room empty. Neverthe- i
less, if we suppress these lines (see the apparatus) we shall have to suppose '
that Eum aeus sees M elanthius from his vantage-point by the threshold, ;
and that is impossible.
157 . : come n o w !5 (cf. 139). : see n. on xxi 234.
158- 9 . : 'consider, think5 followed by two indirect questions; cf. xvi ;
260-1. T elem achus picks up his father s suggestion about the w om en- ;
slaves (apa, perhaps5), but instinctively prefers to believe, like him, that the :
culprit is M elanthius (note with the rel., and see n. and app. crit. on xxi :
175-85)
160 . = xxiii 288, xxiv 98, 203, 383, a very com m on formula, with its
unaugm ented verb.
161 . T h e aor. m ay be translated as pluperf.;. m eanwhile, the goatherd had
already entered again, !
162 . : fut. part, with final sense in order to bring , as in iv 532, viii 257.
T h e second hem istich is sim ilar to xvi 5.
163 . T h e second hem istich is repeated in 355 and, with , in xiv
484; it derives from such lines as II ix 201, xi 464.
164 . = v 203, x 401, xxiv 542, etc.; similar to xxiv 192.
165 . Y o u are right (SiJ), there he is ( predicative, cf. for exam ple II. xiv !
344) com ing into the hall again, that loathsom e man, just as we thought.
St) avre has synaloepha (cf. ix 3 11, in the same position in the line), j
$ : that cannot even be looked at > loathsom e (R. Philipp,
LfgrE, i 265-7; cf. viii 309, xvi 29, xxiii 303); the w ord nicely captures the
psychological detail of the faithful servants impatient indignation at a j
faithless one. : after w e seem to have an
ellipsis in the acc. and inf. construction (ov . . . ; the verb appears to I
be an unaugm ented imperf. here and in the only other passage where the
form occurs, xxi 322 (see n. ad loc.), as we already thought (before
you said it, in xxi 322; before it was proved b y the evidence, here) ; for the
form cf. in i 323, ix 213, xi* 39<h as against , x 248, xx 349; but j
the etym ology of the verb is obscure (in principle, it should be from
*, but the question of quantity is important: alongside exam - j
pies o f w ith short -l- such as II. i 558, xiii 153, xxiii 467, the rem ainder i
offer the etym ologically inexplicable long --; cf. xxi 7 9 ,9 1,2 6 1, xxii 67,14 0 j
and n., 159, 210, 215, xxiii 261, xxiv 401, beside contracted oi'otro in xxii 12; j
see Chantraine, Grammaire, 13 7 1-2 ).
COMM ENTARY
166 . T h e second hemistich is identical to 11 xiv 470, Od. iii 101, xxiii 35, etc.;
the variant tones is found in iii 247. T h e aor. imperative iviones
in the sam e position occurs also in II xi 186, Od. xi 492, Od. xiv 185, etc.; it
is an old injunctive form, like > , etc., from a pres, eve- or
< ^inseq^, with locatival prefix vt-; the unfamiliarity of the ending has
led in the Odyssey to a secondary evtone (iv 642; see Chantraine, Grammaire,
i 467), and a large num ber o f variant readings without the final -.
167- 8 . T h e double indirect question is parallel to the construction in 1589,
but here 77 e <! * ^ is not contracted to ; ^ is aor. subj.,
deliberative. A t the end of the fine, the expression or
indicating victory in com bat appears in II. iii 71, 92, Od. xviii 46, 83
(with in another sense, xxi 345, xxii 353).
168 . : the word is always found at the same place in the line
except in II. iii 107. : the verb takes the same construction
here as in 64 (see n.), xiii 193; cf. iii 206 relaaoBat vnepaaips,
avenge m yself on the suitors for their outrage .
169 . : contem ptuous, as in xxi 334, 403, xxii 5, 49, 78 (see nn.), 134.
T h e final phrase, with its double hiatus (the first in thesis, the second
caused by digam m a) heightens the gravity o f M elanthius5 evil deeds.
170 . Cf. 105 m
171 - 2 . A s Eum aeus is incapable of overcoming M elanthius single-handed,
O dysseus gives Philoetius leave to accom pany him. T :
for our part Telem achus and ; in G reek the first person is not put last for
politeness. : the usual form ula for the suitors in
nom . (xxi 174, 232) and acc. (xxi 58, 213., xxiii 63).
172 . : w e w ill contain them (cf. 70.; the chief danger is that the
suitors will escape from the hall, robbing O dysseus of his tactical
advantage). For the concessive force o f nep with part. cf. xxi 103, 129, 250,
370nn., xxii 409.
173 - 93 . T o understand these lines w ithout recourse to unnecessary deletions
(see the apparatus, and G . Pasquali, Versi spuri in \ S IF C vi (1928), 225-
9, w ho condem ns 1757, 1923), we must distinguish between O dysseus
orders and their execution (187-93). M elanthius finds the store-room
alm ost bare after T elem achus and his own incursions, and has to poke
about in the com ers a while before finding not a com plete suit of armour,
but a decent helm et and a broken-down old shield of Laertes ; m eanwhile,
unbeknow nst to him, Eum aeus and Philoetius reach the doorw ay o f the
store-room through the and the $. T h e y lie in w ait w hile he
takes up his load, which puts him at a disadvantage. T h e y put dow n shield
and spear b y the door; when the goat-herd puts his foot out o f the door they
attack him , overpower him , drag him b y his hair back into the store-room
and throw him to the floor; then they find a plank (probably a shelf: see
174 .), lash him with his back to it and his hands and feet tightly boun d
behind it, leaving him entirely helpless, and then tie a stout rope to one end
o f the plank, throw it over one o f the roof-beams close to the central pillar
w here it is free o f the ceiling and haul the plank up until M elanthius is
250
B O O K X X I I 166-175
suspended high on the colum n, hitching the free end of the rope to a nail or
boss on the w all. After a few taunts to the prisoner, they then p ick up the
w eapons and lock the door behind them (201) as they have been ordered,
though this is no longer necessary. W e see, therefore, that O d ysseu s5 orders
(tie his hands and feet b eh in d him , throw him to the ground, lash him up)
are not in logical order, w hile the p lan k is not m entioned at all in the
narrative of their execution.
173 . 8 : 'y o u tw o5; van L eeuw en notes the lack o f a
pronoun com plem ent w ith the double acc. after , w hich
Berard attempts to resolve w ith his S c , bearing in m ind that
none of the seven exam ples o f in H om er (of w hich this and the
cases in 190, iii 162, xi 597 are O dyssean) bears the m eaning twist b a ck in
the context of torture or punishm ents w hich is found in Sophocles,
H erodotus, an d A ristophanes. A s for the second hem istich, there are
abundan t exam ples o f () at the end of the line (v 184, xvi 47, xx 2,
xxiv 230, 344; , viii 135), and o f ? .
174 . V o n der M h ll and others bracket this line, on the ground that it is
om itted b y one papyrus. In m y view it is a m istake to take ? here as
doors5 and connect it w ith the order in 157, w h ich as w e have seen is
incoherent, an interpretation w h ich has given rise to conjectures such as
and variants such as (cf. i 442, iv 802, xxi 46 .); the leather
thong is indeed used b y E um aeus an d Philoetius in the end, b u t w ithout
tying it to the , since there is no danger o f a n yb o d y opening the
door from inside (see xxi 24 m .); this excludes such an interpretation. A s
for (always at the end o f the line in the Odyssey except at xvii 201, xxii
55, xxiii 249, 261), there is no parallel for the translation (closing) after one
self, of a door. It is therefore better to take , a w ord of uncertain
etym ology but w ith a suffix com m on in technical terms, as board,
(unshaped) p lan k, a m ean ing w e have already encoun tered in the sh elf in
Penelopes store-room (xxi 5 1 .); this m ay in deed be the sam e piece o f
tim ber. Indeed, since xxi 51 is the o n ly occurrence of the w ord in the
singular, the text here w ou ld b e im p roved by accepting N a u ck s conjecture
?, with (inf. for imper. like and in 176)
taking M elanthius as unexpressed direct object and the gen. dependent on
the prefix ~\ on the other hand, ? doors w ou ld require us to take
the inf. as perfective.
175 - 7 . T h ese lines have been subject to a deluge o f condem nation, not only
because of the m istaken interpretation o f ? above but also because
175, repeated in 192, is ^? (Blass, Interpolationen, 207). O n ce
again, deletion seems unnecessary; pace P asquali ( V ersi spuri5), the lines
describe a torture w ell-known from H erodotus, a typ e o f crucifixion or -
(ix 120 ). It is
also referred to b y A ristophanes, using the sam e w ord ? ( Thesm. 9 3 1 -
40; in PL 309-12 there is a direct reference to M elanthius, though it is
falsely asserted that he was suspended b y the genitals). T h e text itself refers
to the torture in unequivocal terms: the agony of the victim is m entioned in
251
COMMENTARY
252
B O O K X X I I 1 7 5 - 1 88
183 . O n the see n. on 102 and 122-5; this is the only occasion the
w ord is qualified b y .
184 . y e p o v : the unique use o f this adj. for a thing rather than a person has
provoked corrupt readings, though later w e find Simon, fr. 145, 3D
. . . , S. El. 25 . . . ; E. Or. 529 ; S. fr.
794R (cited b y Eustathius as a parallel on this line); also
A . Ck. 314 , and fr. 6 5 1 ' (Schwyzer,
Grammatik, ii 176). or is hapax, of uncertain meaning; its etym o
logical cognates im ply som e kind of dry deterioration such as rusting
(V . Pisani, LfgrE, i 183; cf. ? dry , as in ix 234; dry out,
shrivel, xi 587; H ellen, drought, ; H sch. -
; in xix 18 the excuse for hiding the arm s is that they w ill otherwise
be spoilt by the sm oke from the hearth), bu t the verb (especially
if one prefers some sort of etym ological connection with H esychius
- , rather than with fine flour) implies some kind of
spattering by liquids (with blood, , , in .
100, 268, xi 169, 503; Od. xxii 402, 406, and the dubious xxiii 48; with
brains, R xi 98; with blood and brains, Od. xiii 395; with sweat, II xvii 387).
See Hoekstra, Modifications, 92 n. 7.
185 . T h e variant derives from line-endings such as xiv 9, 451. be a
yo un g m an in the tem poral sense is a hapax (see the conjecture in the app.)
w hich reappears in Hellenistic texts. : used to carry, the
only exam ple in the Odyssey of this doubly m arked iterative form with
vowel-change and suffix,
186 . T h e whole line is parenthetical. 1 : but by that tim e
(cf. II xi 107, Od. xvii 296), but ye, despite 1 1 xiii 441, has caused dif
ficulties: for exam ple, the papyrus reading a p ' . V a n H erw erdens
conjecture is based on parallels such as xxiv 187, and one m ight add vi 26,
w hich like this passage offer be laid u p (cf. 109.). T h e second
phrase is paratactic; we should translate with a causal conjunction,
: seams, here only in H om er; the sense is that the leather laces (on
cf. 174., and note the hiatus) used to sew together the shields
layers of hide w ere com ing apart (see 1225 0 .; for the process, see II. xii
2967, w here a craftsman |
). T h e variant reading with unaugm ented verb
requires an im possible caesura after a trochee in the fourth foot.
187 . A podotic (see 182 n.), as for exam ple in xx 57. T h e piling-up of aorists
(mixing plurals w ith duals, as usual) strikingly portrays the swiftness of the
action. : inside .
188 . : b y the hair, another of this books unique forms, imitated by
A poll, iv 18; it is form ed from , a w ord not found in that form in
H om er w hich later m eant tonsure, haircut as w ell as hair clippings (Hdt.
iii 8), from (iv 198, xxiv 46; see n. on 36 for a m etaphorical use,
and for another, the pecking of vultures, xi 578), with a suffix like that o f
(six exam ples in the Iliad), (twice in the Odyssey), (see
269 .), (four times in the Odyssey; cf. later ). M elanthius, in
353
COMMENTARY
contrast to the norm al custom o f slaves, wears his hair long (see the sch. in
the papyrus quoted in the apparatus), a habit w hich arouses the ill-feeling
o f his fellows (S. M arinatos, Archaeologia B, 3; and see the notes on 1929
and 196 below). : the pleonastic expression is
deliberate, underlining M elanthius helplessness; the line-ending, with
parallels in x 67, xii 153, 250, 270, xxiv 420, is a fine psychological detail.
189 . . . . : tmesis. O n the painful bonds see 17 5 -7 n.
190 . W e should translate aor. by a pluperf.; com pare similar
expressions in ii 415 (orders b y Odysseus) and vi 212 (Nausicaa).
191 . T h is superfluous line, whose first hem istich is similar to viii 18, is
om itted b y various M S S and papyri; it is condem ned by von der M h ll,
and b y Blass, Interpolationen, 207.
192- 9 . T h e repetition o f 17 5 -6 in 192-3 and the high-flown tone o f 19 5-9
have prom pted critics to delete these lines; the latter are, however, perfectly
defensible as a cruel sarcasm directed at one w ho has got above him self (see
188.).
194 . It is a striking fact that, whereas in the Iliad H om er frequently addresses
a character directly, in the Odyssey he only ever does so to Eum aeus, and
always when introducing a speech. T here are fifteen examples o f the line
ending cue from xiv 55 (cf. Evpate in a
speech by another character in xv 381). : elsewhere
only at I I xvi 744, xxiv 649, in the same position in the line, the first in a
similar apostrophe to Patroclus (cf. II. xvi 20, etc., and II. iv 27 and others
addressed to M enelaus; xv 365, to Phoebus; xv 582, to M elanippus;xx: 2, to
Achilles). O n all this see Hoekstra, Modifications, 13840.
195 . : undoubtedly , as in 236 below, and also in ironic sense at xv
327 and xvii 217, w hich has the same opening as this line.
: you w ill spend the night awake, on w atch (see II. x 312, Od. v
466, w ith the sam e construction; cf. the different construction in Od. xx
523 \ ); an unkind understatem ent, in
view o f M elanthius som ewhat uncom fortable position.
196 - 8 . T h e opening of 196, with lengthening before ~, is repeated in II ix
618, x 75, xxii 504, and sim ilar to Od. xxiii 349. : there
are eight O dyssean exam ples o f the stem Acy- lie down with the prefix
- from w hich this pass. part, derives (the same form, in the same
position in the line, at x i 62). : this ending (cf. xxi 319.,
322n.) has caused textual problem s, even though the hiatus (*pepoinev) is
irreproachable. T h e sarcasm o f the phrase is m ore biting if one recalls
E um aeus previous m ockery o f M elanthius airs and graces in xvii 244-5. A
m inor problem in 197 was raised b y Eustathius, w ho pointed out that this
is the only occasion w hen Eos is connected with O cean b y a character, not
by the poet (Blass, Interpolationen, 207-8; see Lorim er, Monuments, 82 n. 2,
and Pocock, Odyssean Essays, 2,66; for analogical w ith a proper nam e
see Schwyzer, Grammatik, ii 497). A m ore significant point is that 197 and
xxiii 347 (which m ay have been copied from it) are the only occasions
w here fjptyveia is used as a noun to m ean daw n, against ii l and so m any
254
B O O K X X I I 188-203
255
COMMENTARY
256
B O O K X X I I 203-209
257
COMMENTARY
258
B O O K X X I I 5-09-224
216 . A gelaus boastfulness makes him use the temporal conjunction instead
of the conditional. : this rare form with synizesis (cf. ,
xxiv 485) m ay represent an ancient *; cf. (i 300),
(xxiii 121), () (xxii 401, 412, xxiii 45), where -~ represents the
-v- of the non-them atic aor. of .
217 . v is part locative, part comitative (am ongst, as in II. xiii 829, xxiv 62).
S is apodotic (cf. 187.); , em phatic, y ou too , enevra, im m ediately ;
on , see 54., and for a parallel to 01a here see the n. on ' in 46,
and cf., for exam ple, iv 6 11, xviii 338.
218 . : from ancient *ftp (cf. Cret. -), w hich corresponds (see
n. on in 46) to , etc., through > *4; cf. aor.
pe, xxiii 312; , xxiv 481; % xxiii 277. 4v : in
this house, with an insolently proprietary tone. : a unique
form of the dative (instrumental, o f price, w ith verbs of paying) of (II.
xvi 392) or (329), w hich m ay be com pared w ith (II. xiv 177)
and (II. xix 93); it corresponds to (cf. Skt. a b l. sirsa-tds
,, w hich contracts to the of 123). makes the
pronoun reflexive (cf. 64 .).
219 . y e : ye is odd: the plural will have to
be understood as w hen w e have rid you (and yo u r friends) of your urge to
dom inate ; the foolishness of A gelaus rem ark is clear w hen w e recall that
he is speaking to a god. B rards conjecture is ingenious (cf. h.Hom.
XXX 6 . . . at); it w ill have been replaced b y to avoid the
lengthening in thesis.
220 . ro t: possessive. T w o types o f goods are m entioned in apposition to
, those kept inside the palace and those held in lands and cattle.
221 . : neut. pronoun, here close in function to the article (Schwyzer,
Grammatik, ii 21; cf. II. ix 342 his w ife). V o n der M hlFs ,-
- and A lle n s (cf. xxiv 314), w e will com bine w ith
(that is, confiscate together), are m erely orthographic variants (see 218 .).
: ethic dat.
222- 3 . W hether or not one deletes 223, it is far from clear w hether he means
to kill the m enfolk and banish the w om en, or banish both men and
w om en; if 223 is retained, however, there is a slight anacoluthon.
223 . N o r even (your) w ife ; the form ulaic epithet has already
occurred in xxi 66 (but cf. xxi 6 3 -6 n.; the w ord is applied also to wom en
slaves in i 335, xviii 211; to a wife in i 432; to a m other in x 8. -
: com e and go , apposite for the idea o f freedom; this is the only occur
rence of the simple verb, against five exam ples o f the com pound
, including xxiv 244, 257.
224 . T h e beginning o f the line is the same in II. xxi 423; the end, in II. xxi 136
(Scamander), Od. ix 480 (Cyclops), xvii 458 (Antinous), xviii 387
. (Eurym achus); a sim ilar form ula is v 284 (Poseidon), and of other
emotions, xv 370 (love), xi 208 (sadness), IL ix 300 (hate). :
m uch, greatly , w ithout any com parative force. : there is a
deliberate am biguity, A th en as real anger being directed towards the
259
COMMENTARY
260
B O O K X X I I 224-234
261
COMMENTARY
262
B O O K X X I I 234-241
263
COMMENTARY
3 13 -1 4 is not to be believed) throw their spears, but all of them miss the
target (256; on 257-9 see below). O dysseus ensuing tactic is the opposite of
A gelaus : he orders each of his m en to aim, as far as possible, at a different
suitor; though, to be sure, it must have been difficult in the heat of battle to
be sure of choosing a target not aimed at b y anyone else. A nd, since the
cow ardly Leodes has hidden by the w all and the poet has forgotten about
Eurynom us, each of O dysseus men m anages to fell one o f the rem aining
four suitors who have thrown their spears (265-8). Eight suitors are thus
left, not all o f them armed; and they now (270) com m it the tactical blunder
o f retreating to the corner of the megaron, allowing O dysseus both to
retrieve the spears stuck in the bodies o f the fallen, including Am phinom us
(though the pulling out o f this one was, as we have seen at 95-6, a difficult
and dangerous feat: see 27 m .), and to pick up the spears dropped by the
dead. N ext the rem aining six suitors, Agelaus, Polybus, Eurydam as,
Leocritu,s, Am phim edon, and Ctesippus, m ake their spear-cast (272): three
spears miss, a fourth is not described, and the fifth and sixth cause slight
w ounds (273-80), leaving the suitors unarm ed. A scene of butchery ensues;
following the same stratagem (282 = 263), Odysseus and his com panions
each slaughter a different opponent, Eurydam as, A m phim edon, Polybus,
and Ctesippus (281-91). T h e two survivors of the second wave, Agelaus
and Leocritus, draw their swords for a desperate charge and launch them
selves against Odysseus in hand-to-hand battle, (293), and are
speared b y the hero and his son (292-5), It only remains (since Eurynom us
has faded out of sight) for Odysseus to kill Leodes with the sword dropped
by the dying A gelaus (310-29); this scene is illogically preceded, however,
by the passage where A thena unnecessarily brandishes the aegis (297)
against the one or two alm ost defenceless warriors left alive, w ho are
inappropriately com pared to a herd o f cattle (299-306).
241 - 6 . V on der M h lls edition prints augm ents on the forms w ith double
consonants or diphthongs, whereas A llen prints all the verbs w ithout
augm ent (cf. xxi 100, xxii 261, 308, 461, xxiii 19, 86, 310, 370, xxiv 9, 184,
225, 413, 487, 490, 496, 501). is picked up by in 247 (cf.
212 n.), but the ines are syntactically unsatisfactory. Various solutions are
possible: to suppress 242-4, with Brard; to take all the nom inatives of
242-3 as subjects o f the verb in 241, in which case the best o f the survivors
w ou ld all encourage the rest (but it is doubtful if re in 242 will bear this
explanation); to interpret the lines as a nom inative absolute (see
Chantraine, Grammain, ii 1 5 -1 7 ; xxi 323 is a different case, see n. ad loc.);
or finally, to transpose 242-3, placing them after 245, with a strong stop
after 241, and postulate a bold ellipsis: A gelaus exhorted the suitors, (of
whom ) these (of) were the m ost distinguished o f all those () who
w ere still alive, nam ely Eurynom us, etc., whereas the real cham pions ( t o v s
d) Antinous, Eurym achus, and A m phinom us had been killed by the
arrows. A t any rate, 244 is almost a replica of iv 629, xxi 187 (see n. on
186-7), w hich refer indeed to Antinous and Eurym achus.
246 . $ : the adj. is related to (well tended > thick,
264
B O O K X X I I 241-255
abundan t > massed, close, thick-falling), and occurs six times in the
Iliad, three o f them in this position in the line; , adverbial neut. pi.,
refers to the rapid steps o f dancers beating on the ground at viii 379 (cf. II. v
555, xv 6o6, w here means thickets); the identical line-ending is
used to describe bow and arrows in II. xi 387, xv 472, but here is
inappropriate, since O dysseus on his own cannot be said to shoot a shower
o f massed arrows.
247 . Cf. 131 n.
248 . T h e line is alm ost identical to 70 (see n. ad loc.), with , shortly, in a
m om ent .
2 4 9 . T h e parataxis is causal in sense; , in fact , o i, ethic dat., is
sarcastic in tone, like ; the latter adj. exhibits the forms (four
tim es in the Iliad, always in the material sense) and (II. ii 298, Od. xv
214 em pty-handed , of a m an; Od. x 42 em pty, of the hand itself), but
never , w hich long ago provoked Bentleys conjecture; is a
hapax, later taken up by Aeschylus.
250 . o i S 0101: and so they (the four there were before) are the only ones left
251 . O n see xxi 374.; the w ord is out of place here, since the plan of
battle has nothing to do with the disappearance of M entor.
252 . : cf. 139 . o i : the article with the num eral as usual
denotes a fraction, six o f yo u (cf. IL v 270-2, A nchises keeps four o f his six
colts, , and gives two o f them to Aeneas, . . . ; II. x
25s?- 3 , ] has passed; II. xi 174, of the herd one
cow, rf) li), is to die); there is no call for N aber and B rards em endation
( aye, of , w here ot is against him alone), nor for Brards
effort in 255 (cos - pa ). : the first of six
occasions on w hich is used in this book (see also viii 229); though
related to (cf. xxi 340.) and v javelin, hunting spear
(,LMerc. 460), the verb is norm ally used with , , eyyor, ,
and the more general . T h e same enjam bm ent o f the phrase of
| , m eaning to see if by an y chance . . . , occurs at IL vi
52 6 -7, Od. xii 2 15 -16 ; a similar device occurs in IL i 128-9.
253 . : only here and at II. iv 115 do w e find this passive inf.; cf. 18,
and XV472 . k GSo $ : the change o f subj, is rare,
but not unparalleled; cf. the m uch-discussed line at ii 227, so that the rest
obey and he take care ; xx 31617, it w ould be better for him to die than
this to be seen ; II. ix 230-1, etc. W e find eight Iliadic examples of the
form ula , seven o f them at the end o f the line; ends
the line also at i 390 and in three places in the Iliad.
254 . T h e others are nothing to w orry about, they are no danger ; the echo of
/ is probably unintentional. It is surprising that Allen, incon
sistently (cf. xxi 159, xxii 219, 440), prints ovros here (cf. the some
w hat similar case o fx x iv 140). is contem ptuous (cf. 169.).
255 . : in obedience to his order . T h e textual problem is the inverse of
190 (see the apparatus), but the choice between the aor. or imperf. of
265
COMMENTARY
does not affect the sense. A t all events, this line-ending taken
together with xv 437, xviii 58, xxiv 492 tends to support the deletion of 191
(see n. ad loc.).
256 . : w e have already seen lqucvoi in 2 ^ ^ 3 and preceded by
hiatus at xxi 72; and the concessive form ula ^ ep at the end o f the
line and preceded by the euphonic -v of xxi 129 is paralleled in six other
lines in the Odyssey (including xxii 409, with preceding , as in iv 284,
xvi 430; x 246, xiv 142 ignore the digamma); the placing of the participle at
the beginning of the line, as here, is paralleled by fourteen cases, including
xxii 273, xxiii 353 (note the com pound in xxii 470), always with
the idea of a physical or emotional effort directed to some end. T h e w ord is
probably derived from an ancient * related to Skt. veil, etc., which
has been influenced by contamination from the m iddle te/, probably
from *si~se- or *yi-ye-, though in A ttic tragedy the t~ is short. It is
impossible, therefore, to say whether the word means putting all their
effort into it , or aim ing w ell, or som ething o f the kind. : sc.
or , a w ord unattested before the classical period but
easily supplied. : predicative; its use at xxiv 283, o f useless
gifts, placed in w 2 w w and w ithout digam m a, is unusual, all the
rem aining examples (six in the Iliad, and Od. xxii 256, 273) appearing in
the same position in the line as here with preceding hiatus or -v, and only
one of them (II. xviii 104) referring to anything other than a w eapon
failing to hit the target. T h e word m ay go back to Skt. svat-, despite the
sm ooth breathing born both by this w ord and by the A ttic idiom
r s which is supposed, though not w ithout posing several difficulties, to
derive from it; but if this etym ology is correct, it poses a problem o f
semantics.
257 - 9 . T h e lines are evidently interpolated here: the account of the results o f
the spear-casts, which did not all miss ( 8 , 273) properly belongs
at 274-6. Despite this, Blass believed that 2746 should be expunged, not
these lines, because Eustathius com m ent on 2579 uses the word
, not (Interpolationen, 2o8). T h at proves only that the
ancients habitually condem ned repetitions on their second occurrence, not
on their first.
260 . : translate w ith pluperf.; this form is found only here; cf.
in xvii 67, xx 300, 305, against non-Aeolic forms such as
{iv 774), (ix 274), (xx 368).
261 . = xxiv 490. : he began to speak, is a com m on formula
(see 241-60.).
262 . : sc. in the circum stances, in view o f this. T h e echo o f the opening
o f 248 has a certain ironic pointedness; , to us too (as A gelaus
said to his men), followed by hiatus is perhaps preferable to ;
with the optative is the usual w ay o f fram ing a polite request, I should
advise .
263 . I s t: to shoot at the throng indiscrim inately . T h e
relative clause is causal in sense.
B O O K X X I I 255-275
267
COMMENTARY
268
B O O K X X I I 275-288
269
COMMENTARY
found in II x 557, xx 368, Od. xvi 89; , adv.; the term of com parison in
is m ankind.
290 . : s c . this spear5, or death . : guest-gift5, given in
return for the conviviality5 o f Ctesippus5 insult, is deeply sarcastic; the
w ord occurs six times in the Odyssey, including xxiv 273; rot is a possessive
dat., refers to the infamous ox-foot, can refer to events which
have happened the same day, as here. Eustathius noted that the phrase
770 os becam e proverbial for being paid back in one s
own coin (Stanford, ad loc.).
291 . : the epithet is often used in the Odyssey at the beginning of the
line to refer to the hero, here with hiatus in thesis (cf. xxi 254).
: , unattested in the Iliad, occurs six times in the
Odyssey and always in connection with the vagrant w anderings of the hero
except in xiv 126 (various travellers) and xviii 114 (Irus).
292 . pa: cf. 8n. : there are eight examples o f the adj. in
the Odyssey, and six in the Iliad; it is always applied to oxen or cows, once
with (xii 355), seven times on its own or with other epithets not
relevant here (including xi 289, xii 136, and this passage), and six times in
the end-of-line form ula (three Iliadic examples, and
Od. i 92, iv 320, ix 46). Its m eaning is not clear: is generally trans
lated with trailing feet, sham bling5, m ore strictly with circling feet5(
-< *--, cf. Lat. uoluo; but Chantraine notes that digam m a is never
observed in this word, Grammaire, i 132), w hich describes the characteristic
rolling gait o f oxen very w ell (see H sch. Sta
, and com pare high-stepping, lifting its
feet1, an Iliadic epithet for horses), may, then, be an abbreviated form
o f *- (Risch, Wortbildung, 149); but there is also a w ord ,
glossed by Hsch. as , together with various com pounds in
- ( *Kpdapya, rel. to h orn) such as (of oxen, II.
viii 23 b xviii 573, Od. xii 348, h.Merc. 220; o f ships with pointed, horn-like
prow and stern, 11 xviii 3, xix 344) which, in conjunction with h.Merc. 192
, suggests the alternative interpretation, from an
abbreviation o f *-, w ith twisted horns (Risch, ibid.). Presum
ably various distinct breeds of straight-horn and twisted-horn cattle
becam e confused as both epithets later becam e general (W . Richter,
Archaeologia H , 478).
293 . : an athem atic verb of uncertain etym ology, with the short vowel
probably derived by analogy from the passive (xi 40) passing to
the active infinitive (ix 301, xix 449) or (II. v 132, 821)
and to the 3rd sing. aor. found in these two lines and in the Iliad; the
iterative (II. xv 745) is m ore doubtful, and (356) is clearly
derivative, w hence com e the conj. in (, xix 452) and
(, xi 536), and also (II. iv 540). :
see n. on 241-329; the adv. is found here and in seven Iliadic passages,
in all but one case in the same position in the line; there is a parallel
adv. (II. xvi 319) and a noun hand-to-hand
B O O K X X I I 288-308
fighting (II. xv 510), used also adverbially in the acc. (II xii 192,
xvii 294).
294 . O n Leocritus nam e see xxi 144.; here and in ii 242 Allen writes --;
von der M hll prints -et- but expresses a preference for in his apparatus
(the two editors treat L eodes5 nam e in the same w ay; see 310); in the case of
II. xvii 344, for w hich see the n. on 241-329, both A llen and M azon regular
ize to -et-.
295 . : with predicative , here and in four places in the Iliad
designates the soft un derbelly (around w hich Ares would gird his
arm oured belt, , II. v 857); hence the w eapon passes
right out through the body (). . . . : the same
line-end is found in II. xiii 388, xv 342, xvi 309, 821, xvii 579; there is a
similar expression in 93, and cf. also xxiv 524 St S ?.
2 % . T h e second hem istich is identical to 94 and similar to 86 (see n. on
84-8); the first hem istich = II. v 58. : this adj. (cf. Lat. pronus) is
com m on in the Iliad, and occurs in Od. v 374, o f O dysseus falling headlong
into the water. Aristarchus seems to have taken objection to this line, and
he is followed by Blass, w ho adduces the case o f Am phinom us in 94 (Inter
polationen, 208-9); h ot both he and Eurym achus in 86 fall head first.
297 - 309 . T h e episode of the aegis is typical o f the late reviser s penchant for
fantasy (see n. on 241-329), and the two following similes present prob
lems, am ongst them their high proportion o f very unusual diction. T h e
lines have therefore been subject to a series o f deletions.
297 . 1: then and only then , after a prudent allowance o f time for
father and son to show their prowess. : m an-slaying
(, poros; the epithet is used only here, of the aegis, and in II xiii
339, of battle; its long first -i- is curious, however, since it cannot com e
from < * (cf. , etc.); hence von der M hll and others
suggestion of a possible itadstic corruption o f , with e-grade
( is found in better M SS instead of in five places in the
Iliad).
298 . : the only occurrence in H om er o f , which later
becam e so com m on (cf. trans. ae, again a unique instance, in xviii
340). T his is probably the m om ent m entioned by A m phim edon in his
retelling of the tale at xxiv 182, -, ?
.
299 - 308 . Epic similes are naturally less frequent in the Odyssey than in the
Iliad, its plot being less m onotonous a n d consequently less in need of the
spice and relief of variety; there are, nevertheless, a nm ber of examples,
som e of them suspicious, such as xii 2514 (see n. on 384-8), xiii 813 (a
ship Tuns like a horse), xvi 2 16 -18 (birds o f prey, or aiyvm oi,
deprived o f their clutch of nestlings; cf. 23940.), xvii 12630 (a lion
devouring fawns; cf. 402-5); xix 205-7 (laments rushing down like the
spates of snow-melt), xix 518 -2 3 (the nightingale s song; cf. 288 .). In the
following lines we have a noteworthy series o f such similes (299-301;
302-6; 384-8; 402-5; 468-70).
271
COMMENTARY
272
B O O K X X I I 399-304
the faces o f the two anim als, , with crooked talons , occurs in
the two parallel passages and in xvi 217; the second element ,
found in this position in the sam e passages and also, of an eagle, xix 538
(see below), m ust be yetAos lip > beak, with the sense hook-beaked5,
rather than claw , w hich w ould here m ake for an irritating tautology.
303 . Gf. xix 538, w here an eagle descends from the mountains. T h e iterative
subj. w ithout av is a H om eric construction seen also, for example, in viii 524
(relative clause) and in xix 519 (simile with . . . ore; see n. on 299308).
304 - 6 . A difficult passage w hich has been variously explained: (a) the birds
(used to flying low and not in the mountains) scatter (note the shortening
of the previous syllable before the short f- of ; see 256.) over the
plain in terror of the clouds (the predators com e from the open sky, cf. xx
104), but the lam m ergeiers swoop down (, xxiv 320; -
, xiv 22o) and kill them ( , x 125) without quarter (the phrase
otlS n s , w hich appears as a line-ending in 226, and, followed by
in IL xxi 528-9, is causal), w hile the spectators sportsmen w ho
enjoy w atching . . . as now adays one watches the manoeuvres o f fighter
aircraft, com m ents Stanford ad loc. enjoy the hunt ; this w ill involve
taking 0pvts as fem., as in IL ix 323, xiv 290, although it appears always to
be masc. in the Odyssey (ii 181, xv 160, 525, 531, x x 242, xxiv 3 11, and
probably v 51, xix 548), and also taking as a trans, verb with the
object of w hich one is afraid in the acc., as at IL xx 427, although the two
O dyssean exam ples are intrans, (Od. xvii 227, xviii 363); or alternatively,
(b) the terrified birds of the plain (a construction similar to later A tt. ai
Tfj TT-eStaj) launch themselves upwards towards the clouds (, acc. of
direction) in a vain attem pt to outfly the predators, which nevertheless
soar above them with one glide (van Leeuw en ad loc., and, more or less,
Krischer, op. cit. (300.), 59, diese flattern ngstlich auf zu den W olken,
um sich zu verstecken, aber . . .), though such an attempt to escape
powerful fliers by clim bing above them seems futile, and besides w ould
provide scant spectacle for the spectators below; or (c) either of these inter
pretations as far as the first hem istich o f 306, but taking the last hemistich
to m ean that the huntsm en set the chase up in some w ay in order to catch
the birds: see H .-G . B uchholz, G .J h ren s and I.M a u ll, Archaeologia J,
116, who cite Schadew aldts translation and W. J. W . Rosters argum ent
against P. Ghantraine, tudes sur le vocabulaire grec (Paris, 1956), 41 in his
review, Mnemosyne xi (1958), 54, according to whom nowhere refers
to the depredations o f birds of prey, but only to hunting b y m en or gods,
as in xii 330, w here O dysseus and his m en catch fish and birds; cf. h.Hom.
xix 15, Pan returns from the hunt; h.Hom. xxvii 5, Artem is enjoys the
hunt, ); or finally (d ) in the same sense as c, but more precisely,
(the birds), terrorized (by the lammergeiers) launch themselves towards
the nets on the plain and the m en (not the lammergeiers) throw them
selves upon them and kill them, taking pleasure in the hunt ; this scenario
for bird-catching (which, rather im probably, depends on there being
some lammergeiers roam ing about to do the chasing), requires us to
273
COMMENTARY
274
B O O K X X I I 3 04-316
the priest, though he has taken little part in the fight against O dysseus and
has always kept him self disapprovingly apart from the suitors (see xxi 14 6 -
7), nevertheless as one o f their num ber cannot escape his com panions5fate.
T h e minstrel Phem ius, o n the other hand, is protected by innocence, and
the holiness of his calling; for him T elem achus pleads pardon, and likewise
for M ed o n in his grotesque hiding-place, a lackey who merely obeyed
orders. T h e two survivors anguish at the uncertainty of their fate in 379-80
is a delightful touch.
310 . O n L eodes nam e see 294. jars by its close proxim ity to
the identically-placed - of 307 (c f v 428, 431). OSvarfos m ay
depend on , or b e a gen. of that towards which one leaps (the
em endation , based on 342, is not necessary; cf. 11 xii 388, xvi 5 1 1 -
12 . . . , against 11. xii 1434, xv 395~d - !
. . . | ; xx 26, of a horse which runs to,
is however a different construction), at the end of the line,
with the gen. of contact and the ritual act of suppliancy or begging for
pardon, is found at x 323 (Circe to Odysseus), xxii 342 (Phemius to ,
Odysseus), xxii 365 (M edon to Telem achus); with , vi 142 ;
(O dysseus to Nausicaa), x 264 (Eurylochus to Odysseus); and similar
expressions in vi 169, x 481, xx 337, 339-
311 . - 343, 366 (the petitions of Phem ius and M edon).
312 . =344; the line is taken from IL xxi 74 (with for ).
is found at the beginning of the line in vi 149 (Odysseus before
Nausicaa); and at x 521, xi 29. 5 5 :
H ecuba beseeches H ector (her own breast) (II. j
xxii 82); at the end o f the line in 11. xxii 59 (Priam to Hector) and 11.
xxiv 503 (Priam to Achilles, w ith ); is from a , not :
from the seen at xxi 28. ;
313 - 19 . C om p are the poets statements to the same effect in xxi 144-7, w ith
the echoes o f (314, 317) in xxi 146, o f (314~A5) in H 7 j :
and o f (318) in 145. j
313 - 14 . Leodes is not only confident o f not having insulted Penelope, bu t
also proclaim s () that he has never said or done anything improper,
double acc., to any of the wom en-slaves (see 304-60.), w ho as w e know
from xvi 108-9, xx 3 18 -19 w ere ceaselessly molested by the other suitors.
T h e first hem istich of 313 is repeated in iv 141, and similar to xix 380. !
: although the initial digam m a of (see 46.) ought to lengthen a
preceding vowel (and does so in iv 690, v 102, viii 148, xiv 251, xxii 46, 209;
preceded b y -v in iv 649), there are cases, like this one, where it fails to do so
(note the conjecture ). : on this adj. see 47 n.; on the
suitors w anton behaviour, , see n. on 3 13 -19 , and cf. also xxiii
67, xxiv 416, 458; , xviii 57, xix 88 (the women-slaves). j
316 . : they paid no attention to m e as far as keep
ing their hands out o f (, anastrophe) m ischief was concerned ; in j
the act. takes acc. of person and acc. or inf. of the object of the persuasion, i
in the pass, the inf. remains unchanged; on see 423 .
27 5
COMMENTARY
276
B O O K X X I I 317-328
277
COMMENTARY
given rise to the deletion of the latter); in II. xiv 496-9 Penelaus topples
Ilioneus with a spear-thrust to the eye, unsheaths his and aims a cut
at the neck, , slicing the head to ground with helm et
and all, . . . , and then raises the head aloft, still stuck on
the spear like a blood-red poppy. : despite the pronoun
dependent on , the part, is here alm ost absolute (see n. on 3089;
Eustathius variant for the parallel line at II. x 457 presents the curious
picture of a disem bodied head talking); apa points to the inevitability o f
the result o f such a blow. : for the significance o f this
m ention o f dust, see 383 below and the Introduction to xxi; for the oscilla
tion in the spelling o f , see n. on 221; and for the relation of this
passive formation to formulaic parallels, Hoekstra, Modifications, 136.
330 - 80 . It has been w ell said that this passage, where Phem ius honourable
treatm ent contrasts with the ridiculous role o f M edon and the cruel fate of
Leodes, constitutes the B ards own tribute to the im m ortal gift of poetry
(see, for example, Besslich, Schweigen, 10 1-4 , M . W egner, Archaeologia
U , 31).
330 . Phem ius, w ho is m entioned in i 154, 337, xvii 263, has another of the
Odyssey*s significant n am e s, Fam e-giver or R ich in lays (cf. in
376; at ii 150 it has another meaning; Stanford ad loc. cites Euphorion fr.
67, . ); here reinforced for the first time by the significant
patronym ic son of Terpis or Terpius, Giver of delight (for o f the
m instrels gift, cf. i 347). For further examples o f significant patronym ics
see 235, 287. : tried to escape, otherwise unattested in
H om er, a conative form related to < *?at (cf. 260.); xvii
23 escape , xxiv 229 dAeetW run away, shun ; see n. on 66 for
run aw ay, and n. on 38 for run stealthily away, creep
off (cf. iv 512, v 430, viii 355, xix 189), , xvii 581.
: cf. 66n.
331 . A gainst the o f certain M SS, preferred by A llen, the exact parallel
with i 154 inclines the balance in favour of , read by other M SS and
preferred by von der M hll. : expresses here, as in m any other
passages, the poets benign attitude towards his fellow artist (Hoekstra,
Modifications, 121-2).
332 . : probably indicates a sudden movem ent on Phem ius part. T h e
rest of the line is paralleled in viii 394-5, xxiii 268 ( , v 49, xxii
497, xxiii 294); the line-ending occurs seven times.
333 . T h e end o f the line is similar to xvi 73 h ivi
', only in these two cases, o f the seven occurrences in the Odyssey,
does $ introduce a choice expressed by a double indirect question
expressed by . . . < , w hether . . . or, which we also find after the
verb in vi 142-3, xvi 74-6 (cf. . . . eith er. . . or in xxi 97-8,
xxii 468; in iv 118 -19 , x 5 12, xvii 2367, xx 1 1 - 1 2 we have instead . . .
, and in xviii 9 1-2 . . . ).
334- 5 . : im plying stealth. : pres. opt. (oblique, like
(337), corresponding to a deliberative subj. in oratio recta), the
278
B O O K X XII 3 3 8 -3 4 7
aspect has caused remark, since the m eaning requires a single action,
whether to sit dow n . . . . : solidly m ade, from ^ ;
cf. xxi 215, and xxiv 206, a field well-cultivated, or well-fenced with solid
walls.
336 . T h e son assists his father in the cerem ony. T h e tmesis em phasizes the
root-m eaning o f m , b urnt on (the altar) .
337 . O n this and the follow ing lines see nn. on 3 10 -12 .
recalls the $ o f Leodes; it occurs in 342, 365 in the same
formula.
338 . : seem ed , found only once elsewhere in H om er (xxiv 239;
cf. II xxiii 339 ), appears to be m odified by analogy with eSoe
from an assum ed *, akin to (vi 242), to Hsch. -
, , and Sarcu <u, , and to * > .
339 . O n the patronym ic see xxi 262 n.
340- 1 . : and so, in fact . T h e ritualistic care with w hich the minstrel
handles his instrum ent is deliberate (cf. viii 67-8); it is quite w rong to
com m ent, as do Blass (Interpolationen, 209), D uentzer, and others in favour
of deleting 341 (a line untouched by Eustathius, by the way), that the detail
of where Phem ius puts it dow n is irrelevant . It is however true that iS (a
conj. form ed from the pronoun *i- and S) generally causes preceding
hiatus, for reasons w hich are not clear (Schwyzer, Grammatik, ii 566-7; see
for exam ple 1 1 1 2 , w here how ever the editors prefer A ristarchus ,
S to H erodian s ; iii 10; or, with preceding re, iv 604, xi
337, xviii 249, xxiii 289), except w here it is m asked by euphonic -v (ix 186, xi
431, 626); this has been taken to indicate that passages w hich ignore hiatus,
like this one and I i ii 5 11, v 171, vi 4, xxiv 166, are o f later date (Hoekstra,
Modifications, 144-5). : cf. 327. . : for this
epithet of see xxi 139, and Lorim er, Monuments, 274 n. 1.
342 . a u t o s S a : he for his part . T h e sam e first hem istich is found in
xx 165.
345 . : to yourself ; the same line-opening at I i ix 249, w here
O dysseus prophesies sim ilar remorse in A chilles case if he does not yield,
: cf. 319. $ : rem orse (cf. the nom . in xxi 249, 299.,
412; gen., xxiv 315). : in connection w ith in the next
line, m ay be translated the singer (that I am ) .
346 . $ : cf. xxi 29, 36, xxii 54., 217, 229, 268, 359; the verb occurs in
the subj. in two other passages o f the poem (xi 135, xxiii 282).
: sc. at religious solemnities and civic festivals; for the
dat. o f advantage of persons for w hom one sings, cf. i 154, 325. T h e word
deliberately picks up in the previous line.
347 - 9 . T h e lines have attracted endless com m ent, particularly on the word
, w hich is not found elsewhere in H om er. It is often supposed
that Phem ius claim is connected w ith the well-known debate between
natural gifts and acquired skills, nature and nurture , which is so
important, for exam ple, in the poetry o f Pindar and the disputes of the
sophists and their enemies. B ut there w ou ld b e little sense in Phem ius thus
279
COMMENTARY
boasting o f being self-taught to Odysseus, a man who him self owes none of
his skills to teachers; and this remains true despite Plato and the Platonists
use o f the lines to support their theory of anamnesis (for exam ple, Ion 533e;
cf. M , Schm idt, LfgrE, i 1619-20, and am ongst others Bowra, Companion,
73, or, to somewhat different effect, M . W egner, Archaeobgia U , 3 1,35). O n
the contrary, his patronymic (see 330.) places Phem ius firmly within a
fam ily tradition or school like that o f the Hom eridae, of w hom we hear so
m uch from Pindar (N. ii 1) and Plato himself. W h at he seems to be trying to
say, in his desperate plea for life (and rem em ber that O dysseus drawn
sword is still at his throat), is that he has an innate capacity to apply the
traditional repertory o f inherited poetic craft to the particular case relevant
to the audience of the moment. T h u s T elem achus reproaches Penelope in
front of Phem ius in i 346-9 for not allow ing the singer to choose the subj ect
o f his songs, ] likewise, in viii 4 3 -5, A lcinous
calls Dem odocus and explains the epithet by saying that the
god has endowed him in especial measure () with the gift o f song
(), to give pleasure () in whatever w ay his spirit dictates,
(cf. the echo o f this line in Ag. 9912 -
. . . ). Indeed, this ability springs from and relies on the
singer s immense traditional repertory; Telem achus congratulates
Phem ius in i 337-8 on his w ide knowledge of . . . j 3
re re, re tv . T hus one o fth e singers powers
is, for exam ple, to celebrate the deeds o f O dysseus himself, as D em odocus
does at viii 499-520, and this is one sense in which it w ould be a mistake on
the heros part to kill him, thereby depriving him self ( , 345) o f so
powerful an advocate. Besides, Phem ius enjoys that divine protection
which is so clearly revealed by the legends o f inspired poets o f later times
such as Hesiod (Th. 234), Stesichorus (Pliny, N H x 82), Pindar (Paus, ix
23. 2), Callim achus (fr. 2Pfi), and H orace (C. iii 4. 9-20). D em odocus was
m uch loved b y the M use, w ho gave him blindness, it is true, but gave
in recompense (viii 634 . . . ). Odysseus
affirms in viii 47981 that singers are w orthy of all honour and respect, for
\ , . W ith this affirma
tion Phem ius claim agrees, when he uses the hapax (note the rare
repetition - and iv; the word is used o f love, for instance, in X . Mem. i 4.
7; the simple verb occurs as trans, in H om er only at Od. x 393, o fth e
bristles w hich Circe m ade grow on the sailors, and II. i 235, of the leaves
w hich w ill not grow on the sceptre) to describe his inspiration: the god has
implanted in m y m ind all kinds o f song (lit. all ways, paths ; occurs in
viii 74,481, both times in reference to D em odocus songs; like at II. xi
24, the word is cognate with i go ; cf. in xxfii 161, xxiv 343).
T h e m ore usual word for divine m ental im plantation is the aor. of ,
used six times in the Odyssey for A th en as suggestions (e.g. Od. v 427
i ; cf. xxi 1), or for suggestions by the in general (xiv 227), by
Zeus (xvi 291), by the Erinys (xv 234), by Teiresias in H ades (xi 146); only
once do we find the expression , of a god
280
B O O K X XII 347-355
281
COMMENTARY
(see xxi 5, 27, 41, 204, 301-2, 315, and nn,). T h e line-ending is the sam e as
that o f 163.
356 . : contain yourself, hold your han d ; on < *, related
to , see nn. on 70 and 172, and cf. 248; later it occurs also in 367, 4 11,
xxiv 54, 323, 531, 543. : only here, at xx 135 (Penelope,
according to Eurycleia), and in three places in the Iliad. : cf.
293 .
357 . A n d M edon too5: Telem achus cannot see the hiding herald, but thinks
that if none of his three com panions has yet killed him, they should spare
him too. , aor. subj. with short them atic vowel.
358 . : this line-opening, w ith shortening of the final
syllable of before the following vowel, is paralleled in i 258, II. iii 233.
: used to look after m e, iterative o f (cf. xxiii 9
). M edon proved an affectionate ally to Penelope in iv 677715,
xvi 412, but also behaved politely towards the suitors in xvii 1726. H e
repays O dysseus clem ency in xxiv 43949. v r o s agrees
with , but the part, here borders on the gen. absol. (see 328-90.).
359 . T h e sing, agrees with the nearest o f its two subjects, .
For examples of d at the beginning of the line see xxi 170, xxiv 434.
360 . In some cases does not indicate a casual encounter (thus
A thena, Hermes, and Poseidon appear to various characters in vii 19, x
277, II. xiii 210); w hen it does, however, the subj. o f the verb is the less
im portant character, the one who is bum ped into by the person who is the
m ain character from the point of view of the narrative (thus Eurypylus is
encountered by Patroclus in II. xi 809, M eriones b y Idom eneus in xiii 246;
the usages in xxi 306, xxiv 87 are distinct). O n ly here, however, does the
verb have hostile undertones. : temporal, equivalent to an
imperf., w hile you were prow ling angrily about ; com pare the pass, in 23
(see n.); it is active in xxi 87, xxiv 448, and middle, here and in xxiv 318.
361 . T h e line begins in the same w ay as 354; poor, trem bling M edon has his
ears pricked to catch the smallest sound. : sc. T elem achus. T h e
line-ending, with its hiatus, is applied to M edon him self in iv 696, 711, xxiv
442, but also to Peisenor in ii 38; the part, has already occurred in xxi 343,
355 (see n.), xxii 153.
362 - 3 . A com ic episode which slightly relaxes the tension.
is difficult to sort out the various forms related to the root o f this verb;
besides fall (cf. 280.) and 1 fly (, ii 147; -
, 28on.), we have a group o f forms with intrusive * - k in the stem
w hich m e a n crouch, cow er related to post-Hom eric 777^ < *'}
(viii 190 . . . , they crouched cowering ; hence trans,
alarm ed, gave a fright to, II. xiv 40) and < * (crouch ,
II. xxi 26; flee in alarm , It. xxi 14; cow er, 304.; cf. hare, 11. xvii
676; with affective aspiration, crouching i> b eggar, for exam ple
in xxi 292, 327, xxiv 157, b eg, xvii 11). In the perfect it is
im portant to distinguish the falling verbs ( , II. xxi 503, Od. xxii
384; is un-Hom eric) from the crouching ones (,
282
B O O K X XII 355-369
I i ii 312 note the prefix, cf. 38 .; xiii 98, o f rocks w hich lower over the
harbour entrance, with textual variants undecided between n o n
and <;< \ xiv 354, 474, xxii 362); the long -17-
corresponding to the disyllabic stem is always m aintained except in. the
<() o f II. xxi 503, Od. xxii 384, w hich display quantitative m eta
thesis of -770 and subsequent synizesis (Chantraine, Grammaire, i 7 1-2 ,
428, 430 postulates -eo- or even - - here; see 130.). :
lative after ', on the sort o f chair intended see xxi 139m
\ : 'he had w rapped him self up in a cow hide , from
head to foot (cf. iv 436-40, w here Eidothea likewise com pletely shrouds the
crouching M enelaus and his com panions in seal-skins w hich are likewise
); . . . , aor. for pluperf., w ith tmesis (cf. xxiv 158, 227;
the fut. in xxi 339 and n.; aor. in --, xxiv 59, 250, 467, 500; in -a-,
xxiii 131, 142; perf. etpcu < ^ , xxiii 115). O n the presence in the
palace of recently skinned oxen, Stanford remarks (n. on 362): 'V a n
Leeuw en is pained to find a new ly flayed hide lying about in a palace like
this; bu t sadly com pares i 108; xx 2 and 299-300 . :
conative; for the line-ending see n. on 330.
364 . M edon can no longer stand the stench of the new-flayed skin (cf.
M enelaus sim ilar predicam ent, iv 4413). utro: from underneath
(cf. for exam ple vi 127 ; Brards is unnecessary),
: with acc. of the garm ent taken off; see i 437 , v 372 -
, and cf. the contrary es retire5, they put their arm our on (xxiv
498). poos . : a grossly pleonastic phrase, obviously
derivative from such lines as I I xvii 389, xviii 582 ,
w here the adj. m akes the phrase justifiable, in contrast to the present case;
cf. II. xxii 159, Od. xx 96 (cf. 375 .), w here eb?, w hich as a subst. pre
supposes some noun such as later , has no such com plem ent (note the
sch. and the ingenious conjecture inspired by xxi 46, 241, xxii 19 in the
app.).
365- 6 . = 342-3, with the exception of the first hemistich of 365.
367 . : h e r e l a m ! ; cf. x x i 207n. on punctuation.
S : stay yo u r hand, and tell your father (to do so too)
(cf. xv 1501 . . , . . . eiVetv, fare you well, and tell
N estor (to fare w ell too)). M ed o n harps back to the im per. of
356, showing that despite 357 he does not yet trust T elem achus not to
strike him .
368 . : in his m om ent o f trium ph , only here in H om er; cf.
in viii 289. : subj. with short them atic vowel,
governs . T h e final form ula has already occurred ten times in i-x x .
369 . : takes an ablatival gen., (angry) because of them ;
has already appeared in xxii 59, 224.
: identical line-opening in xxiii 138, 303, 363, xxiv 2; is
unem phatic, as in m any sim ilar form ulaic expressions (cf. vi 3
, 11 xxi 574 > and sim ilarly vii 347 ,
xx \5 . . . ] see n. on 395-6). T h e following rel. is causal; the
COMM ENTARY
ethic dat. produces an ugly repetition, with hiatus in thesis and shorten
ing. O n see 36.
370 . T h ere is little to choose between von der M h lls arid A llen s
. ; cf. 32. T h e paratactic clause with enov should
logically be subordinate to the preceding one (w ithout paying him any
respect5).
371 . = II x 400. : Stanford notes that, except for his
sardonic hum ourless grim ace5in xx 301, the com edy of M ed o n s terror has
provoked O dysseus very first smile (cf. the smiles o f M enelaus, iv 609;
Calypso, v 180; Athena, xiii 287; T elem achus, xvi 476); later he smiles once
m ore, at Penelope (xxiii 111). T h e com pound appears here and
in three identical line-openings in the Iliad (x 400; iv 356, A gam em non
sm iling at O dysseus; viii 38, with initial , o f Zeus smiling at Athena),
: cf. in .
372 . : imper., found in seven other places in the Odyssey, all except
one of them in the same position at the beginning o f the line, and all except
two (xix 546, Penelope5s_dream, xxiv 357) in the m ouths o f characters other
than Odysseus, $ : sc. T elem achus. : the verbs
*, , , representatives of various developments from a
sem antic cluster pull towards oneself5 > rescue > protect5, present an
inextricable puzzle. It is generally thought that the whole group has initial
digam m a (cf. D elph. , and see x x i 173 . on ); nevertheless,
digam m a is ignored in the o f this line, in contrast to the m any
cases o f *weru- stems w here it is respected (II xvii 287, ipveiv with
lengthening of a preceding short vowel-consonant cluster; iii 65, iii 470, xx
279, aor. pvaavro preceded by hiatus; xxii 79, aor. ) with long
-v- and doubled -a- from *epep-; xxi 125 fut. sim ilarly formed
(preceded by euphonic -v), and to cases w here it is impossible to tell
w hether digam m a is respected or not (xxii 176 ipvaai, xxii 187, 193
epvaav, xxii 386, 476 ). In the case o f *writ~ stems, digam m a is
clear in aor, <C * (II. xv 290, w here it is followed by
with hiatus in thesis, a near parallel to the tautological form ula of
the present line), in pf. epva$ai < *f-fpv-aOat (xxiii 82, 151; note the
accentuation), in plupf. e ipvro <C *e-pe-pp-To (xxii 90, xxiii 229). See
Chantraine, Grammaire, i 136-7.
373 . U nlike Ctesippus (cf. 286.), M edon will be permitted to learn from his
mistake, is loosely constructed not with , but with the idea of
pardon im plied by that word; the contraction is paralleled only by
in II i 4 11 (see the apparatus). A syndetic has appeared inxxi 22g
(see n. ad loc.), the ending o f which is very sim ilar to this line, and also in
xxi 231, 260, 404, xxii 53, 55; for the ending o f efarjoda, the digam m a of
w hich causes lengthening o f the previous syllable, see 325; , to
others too5.
374 . A rather banal apophthegm , , with lengthening of the -1- to
avoid the cretic, is unique in H om er (a is found later in Plato, and
in A ttic prose; see in xviii 64, later com m on,
284
B O O K X X I I 369-378
it looks as if only hiatus has prevented the poet from using ivre (com pare
line-endings such as iii 276, iv 478).
379 . : cf. 375. apa, as they had been told to ; ye, the two o f
them , sc. Phem ius and M edon. T h e beginning of the line is identical in xv
134, the end of it in 334.
380 . : with its expressive reduplication, is a graphic verb,
related to Hsch, and ; , it describes
the haunted look of a frightened m an gazing w ildly about him , as here and
in the disputed 24 and 43 (cf. xii 233, O dysseus looking out for Scylla); the
concentrated scanning from side to side of a man searching for something,
as in xvii 330 w here Telem achus looks for a seat; the ecstatic stare o f the
dream er (Penelope in xix 552), or the fixed watchfulness o f the warrior
(Heracles in xi 608, O dysseus during the slaughter according to A m phi-
m edon s account in xxiv 179, and the next line). T h e repetition in 381 is
deliberate: as for the hero, he too had his eyes staring wide (but for a quite
different reason, not the unnerved panic of these two) . T h e line-ending,
with metrical shortening of the dual ending of , is alm ost the
sam e as ix 545, xxiv 396, ll. xix 336; it captures the nervousness of the two
m en, w ho are still not entirely reassured; , causal pres. part,
from an A eol. athem atic form o f (cf. Scypcvos in xx 385, vvo-
in xiii 310); a k t at any m om ent. N otice the lines effective use of
alliteration to underscore the com ic tone.
381 . captures the comprehensive ranging o f his glance up and down
the room; v marks the look as the victors solem n act o f repossession, el
m ay be taken as introducing an indirect question, to see if any o f the
suitors was left alive, or prospectively, in case any suitor . .
382 . : opt. in indirect speech; the w ord is an otherwise
unattested form related to (II. i 132), (II. iii 11), kXcvtq-
(Od. xix 396), shifty, deceitful (Od. xiii 295); for the prefix,
see nn. on 38, 330, 362-3. T h e end of the line = 363.
383 . : bu t ; note the hiatus before iSev. tnxvTas: every one o f
them . T h e second hem istich is alm ost identical to the endings o f I t xv 118,
xvi 639, and the beginning of//, xvi 796; on the dust, see 328-9 n. and Intro
duction to xxi.
384 . : cf. 302~3n. $ : predic., in great heaps.
384 - 8 . A nother simile, this time from fishing, with . . . es; it was doubt
less these lines which inspired the fam ous m etaphor in A . Pers. 4246. Fish
ing was generally considered by the Greeks, w ho b y preference ate meat, as
a hum ble occupation (H .-G . B uchholz, G .Jhren s, and I. M aull,
Archaeohgia J, 10 3 ,13 2 ,16 9 ,17 5 ); elsewhere in the Odyssey fish is only eaten
in the last resort, for instance by M enelaus starving com panions, who
began to fish with curved hooks, . . . '' ,
in iv 368-9; the same verb is used o f Scylla fishing for dolphins, seals
(as), and whales in xii 9 5-6 ; O dysseus and his m en fish and catch birds
when their provisions run out in xii 330-2 (the last line o f w hich, with its
inapposite mention o f fish-hooks in the context of bird-catching, is
286
B O O K X X I I 378-392
suspect); the strong thread of such mentions w hich runs through xii is
m aintained in the simile at xii 2 51-4, where w e are shown a fisherman
(, unattested in the Iliad, derived from < \ , in N T
and in Plutarch; in xvi 349, xxiv 419 m eans sim ply sailor) with a long rod
(, ) provided w ith a tube of horn, oos 4$
, and at the end of it (besides a lead weight, , cited in
II. xxiv 80), a tasty bait probably of meat, ' .
T h ere is a further allusion to fishing in xix 11 3 -14 . H ere the fishermen,
, drag up the fish from () the deep sea in a net and empty
them out onto the beach, w here they die (we miss here the typical
gasp , cf. xii 254-5, and 473.) in heaps under the pitiless sun, pathetically
yearning their hearts out for the sea. I s : is
used only here in the Odyssey; cf. II. ii 210, iv 422 in the same position, xiv
34; , to ju d g e for exam ple b y x 92 At to, indicates a
curved beach or bay; the adj. is com m on (thirty-one occurrences in the
Odyssey, am ong them xxi 417, xxiv 50) but invariably occurs in situations
where it can be scanned trisyllabically (cf. Lat. cauus and H sch. -
, w hich suggest *$ > ?;
Chantraine, Grammaire, i 28); hence the question m ark placed over the text
here, w here m ust be disyllabic, by M eister, Kunstsprache, 50, van
Leeuw en, and N auck. ? * ? : hoar-grey, white-
flecked , a w ell-known epithet for the streaked appearance of the billowing
sea, used thirteen times in the Odyssey w ith ?, including xxiii 236, and a
doublet in w hich the w ord is used as a two-termination adj., ,
v 4 io , ix 132 (cf. xxi 3 . and 81 for hoar-grey iron; of a grey-haired or
hoary head, xxiv 317); the sam e formula occurs in this position in the line
in a similar phrase at vi 272. . . . : , from
*dik- throw , is found only here in H om er, as is (cf. Hellenistic
, and post-classical hole); this is the only H om eric mention
of fishing w ith nets except the doubtful one, in a m etaphor of a military
encirclem ent in I i v 487, , where is
knot and indicates the yarn from w hich the net is woven; this m ay
have been a hunting-net, how ever (cf. 304.). I m -
: they are poured out on the sand ; for the verb in final position cf. 389;
4, of the geese in Penelopes dream, xix 539, o f ropes in
viii 279; cf. in ix 330, and of dung in xvii 298; occurs nine
times in the Odyssey, in the sam e form ulaic position in xiii 284, iii 38
* $. | ? . . . : ,
pron., sc. of the fish , dependent on , the line-ending is similar to I i
xv 460, xvii 678, Od. xi 201, w ith gnom ic aor.; 4, from the root of
*os > , w ith intrusive -0, is used as an epithet of the sun at the
sam e position in the line in II. x i 735, Od. v 479, xix 41; it occurs also in
xi 16,
391 . i 5 a y e : com e now , cf. xxi 217, xxii 233) etc. , ethic dat. For the
form ulaic see 480.
392 . Note the hiatus before ros, and the lengthening o f its final syllable
287
COMMENTARY
288
B O O K X X I I 392-405
373, xv 147 (cf. 240., and the hapax face to face in xxiii 94).
: cf. 402 .
407 . A n d she, w hen indeed she saw . . . : abundant, im
m easurable (cf. 269 and n. for a quite different meaning). :
codd. invariably write elVtSev: , i.e. /, in Bekker s conjecture
which is regularly accepted by A llen in the Odyssey except (presum ably b y
inadvertence) at i 118 and v 392.
408 . p : launched into her ululations, aor. with aug
ment; the same form is used with the inf. in II. xvii 353, but in the m ore
physical sense launched into battle () . T h e force of pa is not
clear; von der M h ll ju d g es its omission, displayed in some M SS, adm iss
ible. : (with the long -u- w hich led C o b et to
suggest accentuating this w ord w ith the circumflex, ^) refers to the
ritual ululation o f wom en, as of the Trojan w om en in the tem ple in II. vi
301, whereas the deeper male equivalent, used as a w ar cry in xxiv 463, was
called ; the verb occurs here, in 4 11, and in iii 450
(Nestors wom enfolk at a sacrifice), iv 767 (Penelope sacrificing to A thena
and entreating her help against the suitors). requires an
unusual initial hiatus; this, and the close repetition o f the verb in the
previous line w hich m ight theoretically have been due to scribal ditto-
graphy, has prom pted M o n ro s conjectural correction , with initial
hiatus ( or appeared, seem ed, twelve times in the Odyssey,
on the verb cf. 206 ., not to be confused with the different adduced
in the n. on 6 -7 above). * : great achievem ent (cf. the
very different m eaning in 149; note the neglect o f hiatus before pyov).
409 . : the verb is related to the forms cited in 372., though the
sem antic connection is unclear (the idea o f saving seems to have gone
hand in hand with containing the attacker); to these cognates m ay be
added (with long v and expressive reinforcement o f the stem; cf.
138), and this com pound (xxiii 334, xxiv 51), as w ell as the
redupl. aor. (xxi 227), (429), (II. xxiv 218),
and (i 199). T h e second hemistich is repeated in xxi 129; the
w hole line is almost identical to iv 284, xvi 430; '0, held back,
restrained (cf. 172 n.), aor. of reinforced with -- (cf. xxiii 243, xxiv
530), the aspect of the verb strongly em phasizing the energetic action
(which is therefore not m erely tautological with imperfective-t e).
-: although she was set upon it ; see Hoekstra, Modifications,
49-50, and nn. on 172, 236.
410 . Cf. 366.
411 - 16 . T h e authenticity of O dysseus hum ane and compassionate speech,
apparently so out o f tune with the archaic ferocity o f the rest of the Book,
has been m uch disputed: see, for example, H eubeck, Dichter, 83, Erbse,
Beitrge, 130, Eisenberger, Studien, 142. T h e deluge of deletions has been
swollen, in addition, by the fact that this is a cento of H om eric passages
from elsewhere: 4 14 -15 = xxiii 6 5-6, a speech by Penelope; the beginning
of 415 = II. vi 489, and is similar to Od. viii 553; its ending, almost identical
290
B O O K X X I I 4 0 5-4 13
to xx 188; 416, a caique of 317 with an opening similar to that of xxiii 67. T o
the general condem nation, Blass adds his vote, somewhat irrelevantly
alleging in reference to 4 14 -16 that O dysseus speeches to Eurycleia are
otherwise (431-2, 4 8 1-4, 491) short and to the point (Interpolationen, .209-
10). But O dysseus sentiments can b e paralleled elsewhere in Hom er, in
passages w hich condem n hybris and w arn of its consequences: thus ii 168
9, H alitherses prophecy and w arning to the suitors to moderate their
actions; ix 2701, O dysseus calls to mind Zeus protection of suppliants
and strangers; xiv 834, Eum aeus states that the gods dislike ,
honouring justice and ' '; xviii 14 1-2 , Odysseus demands that no
one be ^, and that all enjoy in silence the . . . o m
; xxi 28-9) the poet com m ents on Iphitus, ?, and his lack of
respect for the omv and the table of hospitality; and so on. O n the
lofty tolerance and respect for the dead shown, for example, in 412, it has
been objected (E. T . V erm eule, Archaeologia V , 125) that the adj. oaios is
now here used in H om er, and that there is only one other occurrence of the
noun , form ed from the adj. with the abstract suffix - *, and
preceded by in a parallel to the Lat. nonfas est (xvi 423, where Penelope
reproaches A ntinous for the plot against Telem achus,
irre.iv ). Scholars have often adduced the parallel of A rch i
lochus fr. 134W ' cited by
the sch. on 412 (see also the apophthegm of Cheilon
, and Cratinus fr. 102 is rS j
' ), the Archilochean passage has even been
proposed as the source of the supposed interpolation here (whereas
M erkelbach, Untersuchungen, 129 n. 2 and 231, argues the exact contrary,
asserting that the A rchilochean passage is derivative and hence provides a
terminus ante quern for these lines). T h e most illum inating parallel, however, :
is to be found in O dysseus hum ane and sympathetic words on Socus,
w hom he has ju st killed, in II. xi 450-5. It m ay be noted, finally, that van
Leeuw en s interpretation of in 412 as pray, as if O dysseus
m eant to prohibit an act of religious worship in the polluted vicinity of the
slaughter, has found no favour.
411 . ev : in your heart , not outwardly; on this use of the locatival dat,
with a preposition (cf. for exam ple viii 450 ) see Schwyzer, j
Grammatik, ii 170. : concessive imper.; for see 356, 367.
412 . : , with amplification of the stem of
and with the same m eanings of boast, exult as well as pray (cf. 286 .),
occurs on nine other occasions in the Odyssey: see Chantraine, Grammaire, j
i 358
413 . O dysseus emphasizes rather more than (the latter
with the usual hiatus): it was destiny, not I, who brought death upon ;
them, and their own wickedness ; for the expression cf. iii j
269. In xx 756 A then a says that Zeus knows everything, the and i
the o f men. T o the examples of cited in the n, on 4 1 1 -
16, one could add (from the total of eighteen occurrences in the Odyssey) ;
291
COM M ENTARY
xxi 150, said by the people o f Penelope when they think she has re
married.
415 . : this sort of paired negative, w here in
prose w e should expect . . . , is not uncom m on; cf. an identically
phrased clause in the same metrical position in a passage similar to this
one, II. vi 4889 S pu , |
, , and another identically placed parallel in Od. viii
5523 ydp , j
. This is a clear exam ple o f the polar expression, with apparent co
ordination m asking the em phatic opposition between the terms (they
honoured neither the good nor the b a d 5, i.e. they did not even honour the
good); fori further exam ples see II ix 356 (this is known even to young
A rgives), Od. ii 3456 (Eurycleia was awake even at night), x 9 3 -4 (not
even the smallest sea-swell got up). o r is $ : w ho
ever might unluckily happen (iterative opt.) to run into them 5; ,
indir. refl., is correctly given the tonic accent by A llen ,but not by von der
M hll; similar line-endings occur in xii 40, xvi 228, and xx 188.
417 - 18 . T h e cento continues: 417 is sim ilar to xix 497 (and M erkelbach,
Untersuchungen, 130 n. 1, proposes a text which is an even closer copy o f that
line; see Krischer, op, d t. (300.), 155-8), while 418 is alm ost identical to
xvi 317/xix 498. In the first o f these passages Telem achus exhorts his father
to find out w hich of the w om en are innocent; in the second, Eurycleia
promises to give him a list o f the guilty, hut Odysseus replies (500-1) that
there is no need to do so as he will investigate the m atter himself, despite
the fact that in xvi 235 he has asked Telem achus for a list of the suitors; all
this poses problem s discussed by, amongst others, Erbse, Beitrge, 20-1,
^ : there is a real textual confusion between the read by
von der M hll, and by Bekker in three passages, and the pre
ferred by A llen (there is, however,Tittle to recom m end the o f van
der V alk, Textual Criticism, 50); von der M h ll s reading w ould give us a
derivative o f sinner (II. iii 28, Od. xx 121) with the neg. prefix -,
in support o f w hich H erodian cites dAem? (female) sinner (cf. Suda
- rj ', H sch. dAotrcu , )', A llen s
, if it is not simply an itacistic corruption (against w hich m ust be
placed the long -C-), w ould lead us instead in the direction o f sin,
transgress, with zero grade (the full grade is not attested, however, against
the four forms recorded in the Iliad and the three in the Odyssey),
(II. xxiv 157, 186), (IL viii 361, xxiii 595, Od. v 182).
419 . = xix 21, xxii 485; almost identical to iv 742, xxiii 25, 39; the same line
ending in ii 361, xxii 492, xxiii 69.
420 . = xvi 226; the line-ending is the same as that of xxi 212. :
well then , : disclose, relate .
421 - 2 . O n the see n. on 395-6. T h e num ber o f fifty is
notional and sym bolic (Ram m ing, Dienerschaft, 111 n. 3); A lcinous too
has the sam e num ber o f women-servants (vii 103, with the same line
opening and ending). T h e figure m ay seem high, but tablets from the
292
B O O K X X I I 4 13-423
palace at Pylos reveal the presence of 347 wom en, 240 girls, and 159 boys in
the royal household alone, besides the 322, 152, and 122 respectively m en
tioned for the region as a w hole (W ebster, Companion, 460; W . Richter,
Archaeologia H , 21).
422 . : is used for the training of poets by the M uses,
viii 481, 488 (cf. 347-8 n.); for the training in horsemanship given by Zeus
and Poseidon in I t xxiii 307-8, and in archery given by Artem is in II. v
51; and for Phoenix and C h eiron s tutoring in IL ix 442, xi 8312). O n
the m aidservants professional training see W ebster, Companion, 459.
eypa . . . : for further examples of the etymological internal
acc., cf. the fine iii 66 piKvBa ; vi 61
ovXeveiv. For this phrase, cf. IL xxiv 733, Od. xx 72 (on both o f
w hich see F. Eckstein, Archaeologia L, 5 n. 24); the traditional text here,
unlike those lines, inserts before cpya, so that the initial digam m a is
observed in neither w ord. T h is is accepted in Hoekstra (.Modifications, 79
n. 7) as an adaptation of a traditional formula. T h e was removed b y
Bentley.
423 . T h e infinitives and ^ are in apposition to pya in the
preceding line. T h e w om en s tasks include, in the first place, the typical
spinning and weaving of wool; dp ia , prob. < *fpfos, cf. Lat. ueruex
wether* (elpos, in iv 135, ix 426, dpiov, here and at IL iii 388, xii 434, Od.
xviii 316, piov in iv 124, os in IL v 137, Od. 1x443, dpon in IL
iii 387; only in iv 124, xviii 316, and perhaps IL iii 388 is hiatus duly
observed); , card, com b , only here in H om er (cf. xviii 316
com b , with m etrical lengthening; IL iii 388 , in a broader sense),
: , and in general*', introducing a phrase
w hich is not strictly a counterpart of the first term. T h e disputed lectio
facilior , has been taken to mean sim ply resign them
selves to their slavery ; but Beringer (op. cit. (3 95-6n.)) has convincingly
argued that , (thirty-four occurrences) cannot bear this m eaning
(cf. R am m ing, Dienerschaft, 12930, and W . Richter, Archaeologia H, 20),
and that , w hich is nowhere else attested before Pindar and
Aeschylus, has the special m eaning sexual bondage, concubinage ,
besides the sense of the related house-slave, maidservant (xxi 210,
224, xxii 114, xxiv 210, 213, 219, 223, 257; see also above on ; sig
nificantly the masc. ? is never found in Homer, despite M yc. do-e-ro;
but note , M yc. do-e-ra, IL iii 409, Od. iv 12, s, IL vi 463, Od. xiv
340, xvii 323). T h is w ould therefore indicate concubinage such
as that of the twelve w om en guilty of having entered the suitors beds (note
the absence in this passage o f M elantho, who is not mentioned again after
xix 65; see 135 .). If this is so (Schwyzer, Grammatik, ii 134 is not decisive),
the lectio facilior must be rejected in favour of , a rare
construction m eaning to abstain from bed-slavery ; subsequent to
Beringers article, the publication of a new papyrus by V . Bartoletti has
brought to light yet another lectio difficilior, (for this
verb with the gen., cf. xii 321, xix 489, xxii 316 in tmesi), which m ay be
293
COM M ENTARY
294
B O O K X X I I 423-437
429, has not so far been used of Penelope as O dysseus wife in these
last books (cf. xxi 214, xxii 223, 324), but after this discovery of the truth it is
so used no less than eight times in xxiii-xxiv. O n Penelopes divinely
induced slum ber see xxi 357. : contrary to the opinion of
van der V a lk ( Textual Criticism, 50), the principle of lectio difficilior is not
decisive here; the word , attested in several papyri, is used o f divine
actions in v 109, vii 271, ix 67, b u t the imperf. of with referring to
sleep inspired by gods is no less com m on (ii 395, A thena puts the suitors to
sleep, v 492, xx 54, A then a puts O dysseus to sleep; vii 286, a god sends
sleep to Odysseus; xviii 188, A th en a sends sleep to Penelope; in xxi 357 the
formula is different, and xi 245 is spurious).
430. For the final formula, see 105 .
431 - 2 . O dysseus is tenderly anxious to spare Penelope the gruesome sight of
slaughter; she is therefore allow ed to sleep on until xxiii 5. 8
. . . | : instead, you tell the w om en to com e ; vdSe,
lative, depends on as in 168, 483, and is equivalent to (cf.
233, 395), in contrast to the norm al usage (cf. xxi 156, 319, xxii 30). Both
here and in 491 O dysseus rejects Eurycleia s suggestion (Fenik, Studies,
239). : - lends precision, ju st the ones w ho behaved badly ,
: during all this tim e . : this line
ending occurs in xx 394 (of the suitors; see also xx 317) and xx 170. /cijy
has already occurred in this Book applied to a well-deserved bad end (317,
416); in xxiii 222 it describes H elen s conduct, in xxiv 250
O dysseus uses it of Laertes rags.
433- 4 . - xviii 185-6. T h e first line is a caique of xix 503, O n the implication
of the tense (hardly had he spoken, w hen she was already on her w ay) see
275. T h e two fut. participles are final in sense; after suppl.
w hat had happened . : in the same sense, xxiv
116; without inf., 241, xxiii 264, xxiv 405,487; with consecutive-final inf., as
here, ii 244 - , xix 1589 |
. 1 484) O dysseus repeats the order (434 = 496), this time for the
faithful maidservants.
436 . For direct refl. see 426.; cf. xvii 330, 342 ; and in
general, II. iv 400 yeivaro cio ; for indirect refl., vii 3940
vrjoav ^ vii 217 - (the belly
demands) that one rem em ber it ; see further Schwyzer, Grammatik, ii
194-5. For the beginning of the line, w hich is similar to II. v 427, Od. xix 15,
see xxi 380., and Hoekstra, Modifications, 134.
437. : the m en are to get started im m ediately on the heavy
business o f dragging out the bodies, w hich the faithless women-slaves will
then com plete. : iterative, clear aw ay (one by one) , a differ
ent sense from the carry (habitually) of xxi 32 (see n.), 41, and the suffixed
form in xxii 185.; later the verb reappears in 448, 451 (), 456,
xxiv 417. : 2nd pi. perf. im per. from order, represent
ing ** but influenced, here and in the 3rd sing, (II. xi 189),
by analogy with the 2nd sing, (six times each in Iliad and Odyssey,
295
COM M ENTARY
including Od. xxii 483); see Schwyzer, Grammatik, i 800. Them atic forms of
the pres, tense are seen in xxi 194, xxiii 267, 368, xxiv 167, and above all
xxiii 132 . . . 3. W ith here w e m ust o f
course supply , order them to carry too .
438 - 9. = 4 5 2 -3 (with ), where the order is carried out. T h e cleaning
o f the hall is not m erely hygienic, but also a ritual cleansing of pollution
(S. Laser, Archaeokgia P, 58); is used in the religious context in
xxiv 44 (washing o f Achilles5 corpse), and in a semi-religious sense in xviii
192 (Penelope s toilette overseen by Athena); it is used o f ordinary house
hold cleaning in vi 87, 93 (Nausicaas laundry), xx 152 (brushing out the
hall). T his latter passage is the only passage besides i n i and the present
lines (439/453) w here sponges () are mentioned in the Odyssey
(cf. 11. xviii 414, where Hephaestus wipes off his sweat with a sponge: see
further Stubbings, Companion, 527); tos full o f holes, only here
and in i n 1 (cf. perforated5, five times in the Odyssey and twice in
the Iliad). O n the , their daily cleaning, and the epithet ,
see xxi 139. and Laser, ibid., 40. T h e w ay in which the master gives the
order through a third party ( depends on ) is reminiscent
of xxi 235-9 (imper. addressed to Eum aeus, with three following
infinitives of com m ands for the women).
440 . : the m iddle is not entirely factitive, since
T elem achus and his com panions also take a hand in the cl earing-up (see
437 ). V on der M h lls choice o f is more persuasive
than , preferred by Allen. A lso worthy of consideration is
Barnes suggestion, , w here the direct com plem ent of the
verb w ould be and the prep., in anastrophe, w ould go with ,
appears in vii 13, ix 57, and various Iliadic passages, whereas the
com pound occurs only in 11 iv ll8 , and only in
II. ii 126, 476,
441 - 73 . T his passage, besides the strange and unwarranted cruelty it
describes (the w om ens illicit intercourse with the suitors having played no
significant part in the events o f the story), is problem atic for a n um ber of
reasons. O dysseus plan, perfectly coherent, seems to be to have the guilty
w om en brought from their rooms (where the servants have all been locked
up, 394-400 n.) to clean the hall o f the debris of battle as part o f their
punishm ent, and then to lead them out one by one to execution (441 = 458)
by swords (443), probably indeed the suitors swords. In this interpretation
442 (= 459) is clearly spurious. Eurycleia,. w ho has crossed and left the
megaron (433), opens the w om ens cham ber with her key, picks out the
twelve unfaithful slaves and leads them in a group back to the hall (446),
leaving the rest of the w om en in confinem ent. T h e twelve do the cleaning
(448-57), then they are hurried (Odysseus is impatient, 451, and in haste
lest the alarm is raised outside: cf. 77 ., and note the precautions which he
is still to take in xxiii 133-9) out o f the hall (457-9; 440-1 = 457-8) and into
the courtyard by Telem achus, who is not inclined to obey his fathers
instructions to the letter. H e pens them up in a corner (460), and then,
296
B O O K X X I I 437-443
ju d g in g that death by the sword is too good for such sinners (461-4), thinks
up another form of execution w hich is here described in an imprecise and
probably fanciful way. It is clear that he picks up a ship s cable from the
(cf. xxi 390-1), and ties it firm ly b y both ends. B ut the details of
w hat happens next present a series o f practical problem s. First, if the twelve
wom en are not to touch each other, m aking the execution more difficult,
we m ust suppose a gap of at least a yard and a half between them; this
would require a rope eighteen yards long, probably too long for the narrow
Hom eric courtyard, longer than the usual ship s cable, and certainly too
long to tighten up to a tension sufficient to bear the weight of six or seven
desperately twitching bodies. Second, if one end of the rope were hitched
over the conical roof of the Aos (see below), and the other tied w ith a knot
to one of the columns of the portico, which m ust have been fairly low, the
angle of the rope w ould be im possibly steep. T h ird , the rope lashed around
the colum n w ould tend to slide down it under the weight. Fourth, they
w ould need a further rope, thinner and about twelve yards long, for the
twelve separate nooses ( , 472). A n d last, since it is im probable in the
extreme that the hangm en could have been strong enough to hoist the
women-slaves aloft from ground level simply by hauling on the free end of
the rope and using the conical roof as a sort of pulley, we must imagine
them dropping the victims from standing position off twelve stools from the
hall. A s can be seen, all this w ould be quite im possible to accom plish for
two m en on their own (O dysseus, and probably T elem achus too, being
excluded from such a degrading task); and even if they could, it w ould take
several hours, an im possible delay in the urgent circumstances. Besides,
w hat w ould be the point of this mass execution, apart from the exem plary
spectacle? It w ou ld surely be simpler to string the w om en up one by one.
Further difficulties of detail w ill b e considered below . T h ere is a useful
discussion of the m inutiae of the execution in the paper by F. Robert, 'L e
Supplice dAntigone et celui des servantes d U lysse, Bull. Con. Hell, lxx
(1946), 50 1-5, though its bold general thesis m ay not convince: it proposes
that the w hole passage is an interpolation intended to provide an for
an ancient m yth sim ilar to that of A ntigon e s hanging in a 0oAos or bee
hive tom b, in w hich both aspects of the punishm ent w ould be related to the
killing of a scapegoat, , designed to cleanse the miasm a o f a
crime; the suspended corpses w ould, in this theory, recall the oscilla of
V erg. G. ii 389, w hich w ere hung from trees to ensure fertility; and the
wom en-slaves themselves w ould be a distant m em ory o f ancient rituals,
since A utonoe and E urynom e (xviii 182, xvii 495, though both, to be sure,
belong to the num ber of the innocent maidservants) bear the same names
as a goddess worshipped in a at M antinea (Paus. viii 9. 5) and a sea-
goddess m entioned in II xviii 398 w ho had a sanctuary in A rcadia (Paus.
viii 41. 4).
422 . T h e line is an interpolation here (see n. on 441-3 ).
443-4. : inf. for im per., 'kill (sc. the w om en) ; , from the
sam e root as (see 54,) is used three times in the Odyssey, with
297
COMMENTARY
different meanings: ix 459 (to smash a head against the ground, with fatal
results); xviii 63 (to strike, w ithout killing); and here (to kill with a sword),
: long-bladed, or perhaps broad-bladed, o f a slashing
cutlass (Lorimer, Monuments, 275 n. 2; cf. xxi 341, xxii 79-8 0nn. on
); the w ord is found as an epithet o f aop sword'' (eight examples in
the Odyssey) in the lived (twice) and Od. x 439, xi 231. : van
L eeuw en s conjecture , sc. the w om en, is designed to elim inate the
synizesis at the end of the line, which occurs nineteen times in the Odyssey
(Chantraine, Grammaire, i 65, 6g, 201; cf. , xxi 47, and , xxii
245 .); if it is accepted, then the construction with double acc. of part and
w hole enjoins the further change o f to distrib. sing, in the
next line, take the life of every one of-them1. : cf. II. xx
436 , II. xv 460, xvii 678 eiet Aero (of a single life in
each case); the com pound w ith double prefix is unique in H om er.
: and thus m ay they fully (-; cf. x 557
, iii 224 ) forget the delights o f love , heavily
ironic; ' is here used m ore or less by antonomasia for carnal inter
course, like A res for w ar (xx 50), M u se for poetry (xxiv 62), H ephaestus
for fire (xxiv 71),
445 . : rel. : as we m ay surmise . urro: both u n der the
orders o f (iii 304, vii 68) and also (physically) under, on their backs
beneath (in this sexual sense, I I ii 714, 728, 724). T h e rather vague
m ay be variously rendered as dedicated themselves to, worshipped or,
taking in its figurative sense, practised, perform ed (cf. i 368,
vfii 285, xxiv 516). Despite the rather loose paratactical structure (in Greek,
such links with a parallel relative clause where the antecedent is lost sight of
are not impossible), the em phasis in the clause falls on the second verb,
, in the service of which goddess they copulated . . (the
com m on sexual sense; cf. i 73, xxiii 219, etc.).
446 . : predicative, huddling together ; used in the fem. in four
other places in the Odyssey (iv 448, a flock o f seals; xi 228, the dead wom en
in H ades; iii 165, x 132, a fleet o f ships), the adj. here graphically captures
the sight o f the w om en clinging to each other in terror.
447 . a iV : adv., here in its root sense of horribly, dreadfully (cf. 136,); the
sam e form in II. i 414, Od. xvi 255. :
II. vi 496 Od. iv 556, x 201,409,570, xi 5,466, xii 12, and a pair of examples
w here the metre im posed (xi 391) or (II. xxiv 9, cf. Od.
xxiv 234); there are an extraordinary num ber o f verbs for shedding tears
(ii 8.1 , vfii 86 , xvii 490, xxi 362 , , xxi 86
, xxiii 33 , . . . ; in xix 122, however, is
preferable to ); is here used in tmesis, ,
flowering, lush > abundant, flowing ; , collective, w eeping .
450. : cf. xxiii 467 |
' dXXr/Xotatv. T h e w om en are told to pile up the bodies (suppl.
) under the roof o f the portico, a grim touch as Stanford remarks; it
w ould be a necessary one, i f w e accepted the traditional num ber o f over
298
B O O K X X I I 443-458
299
COM M ENTARY
300
B O O K X X I I 458-465
immaturity. T h e phrase is Iliadic (cf. 11. xi 55, xviii 82, where Achilles, who
prized Patroclus , goes in search o f H ector to avenge the
death of his beloved head , xviii 114; see also, in anticipation of a phrase
m uch used in later times, viii 281 , xxiii 94 ), and
is paralleled also in Od. i 343-4, w here O dysseus misses Penelope .. .
I /ds, . T h e existence of the verb is
guaranteed, against the lectio facilior for , by xiv 38
as. veios appears only twice elsewhere in the Odyssey, at vi 285
a n d x v 4 6 i.
464. the iise o f pi. for sing., so com m on in later times, is not
adequately explained b y the exam ple o f i 176, where Telem achus speaks of
our house collectively; a m ore telling parallel is xix 344, w here O dysseus
asserts that no w om an w ill touch our foot . : there are thirteen
attestations of the verb in H om er, eight o f them in the Odyssey; it is prob
ably a reduplicated -- (cf. Hellenistic ) related to avXts (cf. 470),
, etc., m eaning spend successive nights, pem octate in a place (cf. also
xxiv 209; of animals, ix 184, xiv 16, 21); it sometimes governs ? {pace
Chantraine, Grammaire, i 313; see II. ix 470, Od. v 154, xix 340), and very
occasionally has the sexual sense it clearly has here (11. xiv 213, o f H era and
Zeus; Od. v 134, O dysseus and Calypso; xi 261, A ntiope and Zeus). W e
also find com pounds such as vtavw dw eil (ix 187, xv 557; perhaps the
origin of --rs Testing-place of the sun > solstice > year ,
eighteen exam ples in the Odyssey) and (II. ix 336, A gam em non
with the daughter o f Chryses). It is not certain that the aor. belongs to
the sam e root (six occurrences in the Odyssey, always with (?), never
sexual; a contracted form, , in xvi 367), besides w hich the iavoat of
xi 261 w ould clearly be secondary.
465 . : hawser, cable (always for m ooring, for instance to a stone
bollard, x 96, xiii 77; cf. also ix 136, x 127, w here O dysseus cuts the
. . , ; the only exceptions are vi 269, w here the
Phaeacians b u sy themselves with , nets and cables
in a general sense, and x 167, nothing to do with ships, w here Odysseus
makes a rope from some reeds to tie up a dead deer); this is, then, another
piece o f nautical equipm ent w hich happens to be lying about in the
(cf. xxi 390). T h e w ord derives from an assum ed *, from
the sam e root m eaning to tie as relative b y m arriage , <
< *bkndkn cradle, m anger , etc. (Schwyzer, Grammatik, i 287).
Such a hawser w ould have to b e quite long, though not perhaps as long as
the eighteen yards w hich w ere postulated as necessary to hang all twelve
w om en at a time. T h e problem atic final formula occurs in two forms, with
(II. xv 693, Od. ix 482,339, x 127, xi 6, xii 100, 148, 354) and with
(II xxiii 832, 878, Od. xiv 311); the variant ? is impossible, though we
find nom . (viii 111) and (viii 113) as significant
names for Phaeacians, with quantitative metathesis, against primitive
and veds with shortening o f the first long vowel in hiatus: see Chantraine,
Grammaire, i 72, Hoekstra, Modifications, 125-6. A longside the form ?
301
COMMENTARY
302
B O O K X X II 465-473
303
COMMENTARY
w om en, which recalls its use in a num ber o f images from the anim al world:
o f fishes (xii 254-5; c f 384-80.), deer (xix 229, 231, also with kicking o f the
feet), lam bs (II. iii 293)) snakes (II. xii 203), and oxen (II. xiii 571). T h e line
recalls two passages in the Iliad: i 416, w here Thetis says to Achilles lire.
ne.ps , and above all II. xiii 573, where
A dam as is com pared to a dying ox, ijanaipe nep, .
is an ancient acc. (cf. 377 .) related to rjps long (of time, II. xiv 206,
305), often used in the acc. 8 as an adv. Tor a long tim e5 (i 203, xxi i t 2,
xxiv 395), and to the adv. for a long tim e5 (cf. 177 .); it derives from
, w hich accounts for the lengthening o f a preceding vowel here and in
xxiv 125, II. i 416, xiii 573 (as also with at Od. i 203; but this is not
always the case, cf. Chantraine, Grammaire, i 163).
474- 7 . A nother terrible punishm ent, o f M elanthius, which offers various
puzzles. O dysseus gives no orders for this savage act, and it is not m ade
clear who carries it out Stanford hopes, piously, th atT elem ach u s is not
am ong their num ber. N or are w e told exactly at what m om ent the
unfortunate M elanthius dies. T h e four lines have the look of an interpola
tion; even if they were absent, the goatherds unpleasant death b y -
m ight have been surmised. M erkelbach, for w hom 473 is also the
w ork o f the B poet, points out some interesting ritual elements in the exe
cution: the cutting off o f parts of the body as in the of the tra
gedians, which parallels the ritual carried out on sacrificial
anim als (iii 458, xii 361); and the throw ing o f the genitals to be eaten by
dogs, as was done w ith the anim als entrails during sacrifice. Such practices
were apotropaic, designed to w ard off the posthum ous vengeance of the
victim; see further K . M euli, G riechische O pferbruche5, in Phyllobolia fr
P. von der Miihll zum 60. Geburtstag (Basle, 1946), 185-8; M erkelbach,
Untersuchungen, 130 n. 2. T h e passage in xviii 86-7, w here A ntinous
threatens Irus (cf. xxi 308 .) with sending him , if he is defeated, to the
abom inable K in g Echetus, there to have his . . . cut off
(xviii 86; alm ost identical to xxii 475), and his genitals thrown
to the dogs ( epvaas . . . , xviii 87, sim ilar to
xxii 476), is derived from the present passage (and cf. xxi 300-1, and n. on
xxi 299-304, for a sim ilar punishm ent m eted out to Eurytion). A part from
Eisenbergers objections (Studien, 243 n. 21), the passage shows traces of
the later poets hand: they drag M elanthius from the store-room (e#c . . .
, tmesis) into the courtyard; the execution, like that of the maids, m ay
take place there, unseen from the street outside (although screams can be
heard outside; note the precautions taken in xxi 13 3 -6 to ensure that the
neighbours hear only so m uch as m ay raise, bu t cannot answer, specula
tion), and the gate to the street remains shut until xxiii 370 (cf, xxi 389-91).
T h e syntax o f 4 75-7 is confused; after and we wait for S, but are dis
appointed. T h e intrusion o f prevents us from taking the attractive
solution of in double tmesis, with both and
(Faesi ad loc,; Blass counters b y proposing the elim ination o f 476, Interpola
tionen, 210); both these com pound verbs are com m only paired as close
30 4
B O O K X X I I 473-476
synonyms, though the first strictly means to slice off and the second to
knock off : cf. It. viii 87 he cut the traces off the
horse with li. xvi 474 he cut the horse free from the
traces ; in the sense cut o ff is found several times (It ix 241, xi
261, Od. iii 449, ix 325, xxiii 195; in tmesis, II. xi 146, Od. x 127), though
simple alm ost always m eans sim ply to strike, hit a person (viii 528,
ix 290, xviii 28, 335; of boxing, II. xxiii 690, 726; a solitary exception in II
xiii 203 separate the head from the body with a blow ); or to hit an animal
(xiv 425) or forge som ething with blows, ham m er i l l xviii 379, Od. viii
274), or in the m iddle to beat ones h ead {II. xxii 33) A t all events, the
semantic distinction betw een the two verbs is slight; cf., as etym ological
correlates, Lith. kanu fell, cut down a tree and imu sharpen a scythe
against a whetstone .
475. p v a s i oblique cases of later pis nose have already occurred in xxi 301,
xxii 18, and do so again in xxiv 318; there are a further three attestations in
the Odyssey, and eight in the Iliad. : neut. ovs ear , from *ousos,
occurs in the acc. in II. xi 109, xx 473; gen. ovaros < *ous-n-tos, w hence
comes later -rs, in Od. xviii 96, etc.; this neut. pi. nom .acc., in xii 4 7,177 ,
xvii 291, 302, xviii 86, xx 365, xxi 300; the problem atic dat. pi. in xii
200 has been em ended to '1. In II. xi 633, xviii 378 is used
figuratively of the handles o f a cup and tripods respectively; hence of
bowls w ithout handles. M y c. a-no-wo-to <t *an-ous$tos (K 875), a-no-we <
*an-ous-e$ (T a 641), dvovaros (Theo. Ep. iv 3); o f one-handled cups, per
haps o-wo-we from olos (T a 6 4 i); of two-handled cups, in xxii 10,
which m ay b e from * (the lengthening o f the first vowel of the
second elem ent being paralleled in , T h epc. i 28, though the dis
parity with dvovaros has prom pted em endation from Pick); and of three
and four-handled vessels, dual ti-ri-o-we-e and qe-to-ro-we, also in the
fam ous T ab le t o f the T rip ods from Pylos (T a 641). T h e formula
occurs at the end of the line in Od. iv 743, viii 507, x 532, xi 45, xiv
418, xviii 86, xxi 300; it is this passage, however, that m ost vividly preserves
the original sense of , pitiless .
476 . : pudenda , a w ord of uncertain derivation (perhaps a euphem
ism, related to and $, that which one should b e careful to
cover) and w hose relation to the synonym s <= (Hes. Op. 512, cf.
in Tk. 180, 188, 200) and piea (Archil, fr. 222 w ) is im perfectly under
stood, is found in xviii 87 (cited above), vi 129 (O dysseus covers him self in
the presence of Nausicaa), and xviii 67. : cf. 386 (see nn. on
372, 384-8), and see ix 397 (the Cyclops pulls the stake from his eye), xviii
87. : the end of the line repeats II. xxiii 21,
w here A chilles swears to the shade of Patroclus that he w ill feed H ectors
corpse to the dogs; the fact that this latter line and Od. xviii 87 both have the
necessary <= and -r}, m issing here, further indicates the derivative
ness o f the form ulas use here, , predicative, is found also in It. iv 35,
xxii 347 (eating a person raw), Od. xii 396 (raw meat), and in a m etaphorical
sense at xv 357 (Laertes cruel old age), , consecutive-final.
30 5
COMMENTARY
307
COM M ENTARY
308
B O O K X X I I 488-500
cf., however, 4.89 ..). : as names for torches w e find ten exam ples
of a is in the Odyssey (of which xxiii 290 comes very close to in 294,
indicating synonym y) and five of ? (also related to ), as w ell as
(from , a bun dle o f branches or straw) in IL xi 554, xvii 663.
H ere and in iv 300 the variant m ay conceal, as von der M hll suggests, a
correct reading (contracted form of Sat'S a?),
498 . : the closest parallel to this use of the verb is xvi 214, w here
T elem achus weeps ; elsewhere it is used of sleep or pain
gripping someone (Ii. 41 , IL xiv 253, xxiii 63 ; Od. iv
716 ), Or in the act. in tmesis and with a very different m eaning
(viii 278). In IL xxiii 764, refers to dust settling over some
tracks. : the verb occurs only four times in H om er, and
elsewhere always w ith $ (IL x 542, Nestor and his retainers greet
O dysseus and Diom edes) or (iii 35, Nestor s sons greet Telem achus,
xix 4x5, A utolycu s and his sons greet Odysseus), which indicate an
embrace, dam iatos and , however, which occur frequently in
xxiii (60, 233, 238-9, 296), are less physical in meaning, denoting the
happiness w ith w hich one greets an unexpected arrival.
499- 501 . T h is beautiful scene marks a deliberate coda after the brutality of
the preceding action.
499 . kuveov: the verb, w hich is found only three times in the Iliad (vi 474,
H ector kisses Astyanax; viii 37 t, T hetis kisses the cheeks of Zeus; xxiv 478,
Priam kisses the killers hands of Achilles), is, by contrast, of frequent
occurrence in the Odyssey. T o the examples already cited in the n. on xxi
224-5 m ay be added, quite apart from the lines in w hich Agam em non and
O dysseus kiss the ground after a narrow escape (iv 522, v 463,xiii 354) and
the fantastic passage in w hich the hero kisses the knees of the K in g of Egypt
(xiv 279), the following: xvi 21 (Eum aeus kisses Telem achus), 190
(O dysseus kisses Telem achus), xix 417 (Am phithea kisses Odysseus), xxiii
208 (Penelope kisses Odysseus), and xxiv 236, 320 (Odysseus kisses
Laertes). A s can be seen, only xxiii 87 and 208 carry any erotic overtone,
: this m iddle is attested only in the part. (cf. also -
, IL xvi 192), in vii 33 (men kiss each other) and in three closely
parallel passages, xxi 224 (Eum aeus and Philoetius kiss Odysseus), xvii 35,
and here, the latter being the only times it is applied to w om en kissing, of
the wom en-slaves kissing T elem achus and O dysseus respectively. In all
three of the latter passages the final vowel of is lengthened; van
Leeuw en has suggested, as elsewhere, that this m ay be due to a lost
pronoun
500 . : the only other occasion on which means touch, lay
hold o f is II. xv 459, w here T eu cer grasps an arrow; here it contributes to
the em otional force of the m oving scene, re indicating that the physical
contact signified by applies to all the previous nouns, head,
shoulders, and hands. to vi sc . Odysseus. : the evolution
o f the noun, w ith its cognates , (IL ii 751) and (five
examples in each poem), is interesting; whether or not they be related to
309
COM M ENTARY
Skt, icchati desire , this group of words evidently describe the longing one
feels for som ething one does not have, an em otional need w hich can be
fulfilled, and even sated, by simple possession and satisfaction o f the object
o f desire, whether it be food {11. xi 89), m usic and dance {Od. xxiii 144), the
coolness of the night air ( Od. x 555), or hom e-com ing ( Od. i 41). Sometimes
the desire is destructive (death, Od. i 59), or mistaken (x 431); and an early
restriction o f m eaning reduces to the passion o f love, w hether o f a
general kind (for husband, city, and parents, II. iii 139) or a specific one {II.
iii 446, xiv 328 , obvious
sources o f the present passage; sim ilarly Od. v 209-10 -
j ) , II. 1634 di
j 77 xpoirj), and also to sexual desire (//. xiv 198, 216). In the present case,
(unique, bu t cf. and , II. xxiii 14, 108,
153, xxiv 507,514; Od. iv 113,183, xvi 215, xix 249, xxiii 231) shows a further
shift, from the longing passion o f desire to the emotional longing for release
after a clim ax o f suffering, a release w hose m elancholy com fort o f the spirit
m ay rightly be called sweet (cf. II. xxiv 513 ).
501 . F or the two spellings o f see xxi 209. : not m erely
form ulaic here, but a touch o f psychological realism; O dysseus had
forgotten the nam es after all this time, b ut now, as he runs his eyes over the
crow d o f faces, he brings to m ind each individuals name.
BOOKS X X III-X X IV
1 Alfred Heubeck
The late Alfred Heubecks Introductions and
C o m m en tary on Books xxm and xxw were
translated for this volume after his death by
Jennifer Brooker and Stephanie West.
BO O K XXIII: IN TR O D U C TIO N
The scene at the heart of this book is the reunion of Odysseus with his
wife. It is framed by the conversation between Penelope and
Eurycleia (1-84) and the account of Odysseus actions on the follow
ing day (344-72); The reunion is a climax to which the two main lines
of the story, which begin in i (Ithaca) and v (Ogygia) respectively and
are brought together in the second hajf of the poem (from xiii), have
been leading. The meticulous preparation of the scene is, however,
most apparent in the several instances on which the couple are
brought together but Penelopes recognition of Odysseus is post
poned or prevented (xviii, xix, xxi).
Higher criticism of xxiii has concentrated on two main questions.
First the so-called digression during the recognition scene, i.e. 11 7 -
72 (following Wilamowitz, Finsler, Focke, and Schadewaldt: but
there is some disagreement as to the extent of the passage concerned:
thus von der M hll and Merkelbach give 96195, Page takes 115-70,
and Kirk 111-76). From Kirchhoff onwards the passage has been
widely regarded as the work of another hand, whether that of an
editor or of the so-called last poet.
The second critical question arises from the information recorded
in the ancient scholia on 296, that Aristophanes and Aristarchus set
the () of the Od. here. This report, combined with
numerous other observations on the final section of the poem (xxiii
297xxiv 548), has been regarded by many scholars (and not only
those of the analytical school) as proof that the Odyssey did in fact
originally end at 296, and that the rest of the poem is a late addition to
the text, possibly by the author o f i i 7 - 7 2 . (This is the majority view;
Focke, Schadewaldt, and M. Mller, on the other hand, take the
original text to end at 343.)
By its nature a commentary which concentrates on those aspects
which argue for the authenticity of the lines in question cannot deal
systematically with the views put forward by these analytical critics. It
is neither possible nor desirable to give a complete list of the extensive
secondary literature on the subject. T he following list is intended
only as an indication of the most important recent work on the
digression. (The older literature is given in Ameis-Hentze, Anhang
iv3 (Leipzig, 1900), 90; and Heubeck, Frage, 128, see below.) The
most extensive, and original, modern exposition of the analytical
3 13
B O O K X X III
SH
B O O K X X I II : C O M M E N T A R Y
1 - 84 . This conversation betw een Eurycleia and Penelope has been well
prepared: before the contest with the bow T elem achus had sent his m other
to her own apartm ent upstairs (xxi 343 ff.), w here A thena had closed her
eyes in refreshing sleep (357-9). T h u s Penelope was not a witness to the
contest and subsequent slaughter o f the suitors; and the poet has m anaged
by this som ewhat unsubtle device to remove the queen from the scene of
action and separate O dysseus recognition by his wife from his recognition
by the suitors; cf. U . H lscher, in B. Fenik (ed.), Homer. Tradition and
Innovation (Leiden, 1978), 64 -7. T h e opening scene is further prepared by
xxii 428-31, w here O dysseus forbids E urycleia to w aken her mistress until
the m ain hall is cleansed, and punishm ent m eted out to the unfaithful
servants. O n ly then does O dysseus bid the nurse call the faithful servants
and Penelope herself (480-4). T h e structure of 1-84 is clear and tightly
controlled: the conversation between Penelope and E urycleia falls into four
exchanges w hich prepare for the m om ent o f recognition, bu t which also
express the am bivalence of the wife s feelings and attitude towards her
long-absent husband. T w en ty years of sorrow and disappointm ent have
m ade Penelope distrustful of any prom ise of relief from her sufferings. T his
suspicion is difficult to allay; on the other hand she is still sustained by a
hope and trust w hich have defied the passing years; cf. van der Valk,
Textual Criticism, 252 ff.; Besslich, Schweigen, 95 n. 20.
1. Eurycleia () carries out O dysseus com m and of xxii 482-3, and gives
w ay now to the expression o f jo y ( hapax in the Odyssey; cf.
Bechtel, Lexilogus, 185) which O dysseus had shortly before forbidden her
in the presence of the suitors corpses (xxii 411). (): cf. xxi 356.
2 . 2b = x ix 4 7 7 b. i
3 . : (cf. xx 107) moved swiftly . -^ {hapax)
m ay be related to adv. (close to ); cf. Chantraine, Dictionnaire, and
Frisk, G E W s.v. x. . T h e exact sense is unclear, bu t must be related to
, perhaps she stum bled (Aristarchus: d yav n-). Van
der V a lk w ell defends the unanim ous reading of the M S S {Textual Cnti- '
cism, 83-4) against H esychius gloss erpepov preferred by
Bechtel {Lexilogus, 175) and others.
4 . = xx 32.
5 . : the m iddle indicates strong em otional involvement (cf. A m e is - I
H e n tze-C au er, ad loc.); cf. J. Bechert, Die Diathesen von Ibeiv und bei
Homer (M unich, 1964), i 62. i
6. 6b = v 2 io b. T h e use of t is irregular, possibly influenced b y the m odel v
210; cf. R u ijgh, te pique, 414.
7 . N ote the threefold statem ent of the m ain idea, - (m eaning pf.) !
- (concessive).
315
V A tfB L B * *8 D E L E T R A S / OFM
COMMENTARY
316
B O O K X X III 9-46
317
i
COMMENTARY
47. cf. xxii 389. : cf. xxi 418. 4 7 b: at the sight you vyould be
m oved to jo y in your heart () ; on the m ean ing o f /- see the
explanation given b y Latacz, op, cit. (13 .), 22630.
48 . = xxii 402. T his line, omitted in m any M SS, is considered by a num ber of
editors and critics (am ong them A m eis-H e n tze-C a u er; von der M iihll,
Odyssee, col, 761; W . Schadewaldt, op. cit. (Introd.), 15 n. 9) to be a late
interpolation, largely on account o f its unseem liness, which m ay already
have led to its athetesis by the A lexandrian critics (which then influenced
the M S tradition). Such purely subjective argum ents can, however, lead to
false conclusions. H ere it m ust be borne in m ind that the speaker is
Eurycleia who earlier had herself been m oved to jubilation by the sight of
the dead suitors (xxii 407 ff.: p ). For the authenticity of the
line cf. Stanford, ad loc.; van der Valk, Textual Criticism, 271; G. Scheibner,
DLJ? Ixxxii (1961), col. 622 (xxiii 48 recalls once again the description of
xxii 204 ff).
49 - 51 . T h e most important events after the slaughter o f the suitors are briefly
sum m arized. 49: cf, xxii 4 48-51. 5 o - i a: cf. xxii'48o-g4. 5 i fa; cf. xxii 482-3.
up rjm : (= xviii 239b) recalls the similar expression
- . . . evepxos xx 449; on the architectural conception see
St. H iller, WS N .F . iv (1970), 14 -2 7. : sc. ciViV (cf.
, xxii 450); cf. Penelope s dream o f xix 536-51 (ot 8 |
, 539~ 4)> of- . Stockinger, Die Vorzeichen im homerischen Epos (diss.
M un ich, 1959)? 74- O n )$/ cf. xi 74, on .
: object of .
52- 3. . . . : so that you m ay set foot on (eVt-) the path to bliss
() both in your dear hearts (acc. o f respect) ; cf. Latacz, op. cit.
(13.), 164; cf. the sim ilar construction at 13 (with causative 4).
is here second person nom . dual (in contrast to the m ore usual nom .
-, cf. xxii 173 etc.; for gen./dat. cf. xvi 171 etc.), like the first
person nom. dual , II. xvi 99; cf. Shipp, Studies, 357.
( < *-) is second person dual aor. subj. 53b = II. iii 99b ~ Od. x 465;
on see x 465.
54 . : now at last . is prospective: the content o f the
long-cherished ( ) wish is given at 5 5 -7 .
55 . . . . : predicative with the verb: cam e hom e to
his hearth5; cf. vii 248. : sc. .
56 . : with peiov.
59 - 68 . E urycleias words have failed to dispel the doubts that already at 37-8
were once m ore form ing in Penelopes m ind. She rebukes the old w om an
for h er jubilation ( a, 59, as at 1) and refuses to believe her
report (oe , 62). T h e stranger w hom Eurycleia had identified as
O dysseus (27-8) m ust, she thinks, be a god. T h e reasoning behind this
statement has to be supplied from Penelopes question of 3 7-8 : her
assum ption is that only a god could, , have overcom e all
the suitors. T h e real O dysseus, on the other hand, must, in her view, be
dead.
318
B O O K X X III 47-73
319
COMMENTARY
320
B O O K X X I I I 73-94
108); sich hten vor (A m eis-H en tze-C a u er; Erbse). T h e right approach
is surely that indicated by C h an train e, Grammaire i 295 n. 1: surveiller >
pier, connaitre, dcouvrir , F . Bader, Bulletin de la Socit Linguistique lxvi
(1971), 139-211, esp. 14.6, has established a firmer basis for this
interpretation. O n the form (pres, inf.) cf. Bader, 174-6. :
sc. oTtv. (attested elsewhere only x 289 and II. iv 361):
plans, counsels1; cf. Bechtel, Lexilogus, 99; Chantraine, Dictionnaire s.v.
: an epithet applied earlier to Eurycleia, ii 346.
83 . : be that as it m ay . : J. Bechert, op. cit. (above, 5.),
71, has dem onstrated that the reading is untenable.
84 . o s : shows Penelopes reserve; cf. Besslich, Schweigen, 88.
85- 95 . Penelope descends to the m ain hall, and sits opposite O dysseus,
unable to bring herself to speak.
85a. r'Cls . . . : = xviii 206s; on the construction see van der Valk,
Textual CHticism, 54. 85b = vii 82b.
86- 7 . , . . . . . t he schem a familiar from the Iliad for a hero
choosing betw een alternative courses of action is m odified here b y the
selection of a third possibility (88 ff.). T h e poet is concerned here not so
m uch w ith the act of decision, as with the heroine s m ood, her indecision
and confused emotions; cf. C . Voigt, berlegung und Entscheidung (M eisen
heim , 1972), 79. T h e expression clearly shows that she thinks
there is a distinct possibility that E urycleias news m ay indeed be true,
: from a respectable distance . : question ; the
reference is to the right and duty of a host to enquire of a visitor his name,
origin, and the purpose of his journey.
87 . C f. xvii 35 = xxii 499.
88. = xvi 41, xvii 30. In xx (258) T elem achus offers O dysseus a place
Lvov , w hereas at xvii 339 Odysseus sits down ein ;
the problem s thus produced are hardly soluble; cf. A m eis-H e n tze-C a u er,
ad xvii 339, xx 258; Stanford, ad xxiii 88.
89 . : Penelope also sits - at xix 55; similarly Arete,
vi 305, 77a) s .
90 . : (= I I 59 $) against (in the area of) the other
w all opposite the door . ? : (= i i27b) sc. leaning .
U n like i 127 and xvii 29, w hat is m eant here is a inside the ,
w hether by the door or b y the hearth.
91 - 3 . O dysseus waits () for his wife to begin the conversation,
and so holds his peace (92b = xi 6 i5 b). Penelope too, however, remains
silent (dveo>: used adv. only here): (w onder,'bewilderm ent, n um b
ness) has overcome her; cf. her own admission at 105, evi
. T h e situation is now a stalemate, to be broken only b y a
third party, Telem achus.
94 - 5 . T h e purpose of these obscure lines (depravati esse videntur., von der
M hll, ad loc.) m ust b e to explain and illustrate Penelopes attitude, w hich
has already been indicated by the w ord : her inner conflict and doubt
( . . . S). : in place of the reading given
321
COMMENTARY
by all our M S S (sine sensu, van Leeuwen), D idym us cites as a variant the
m ore im m ediately intelligible . T h is alternative is preferred by some
m o d em scholars, notably Dntzer, Payne Knight, van Leeuwen, A m e is -
H entzeC auer, Stanford, and Brard; cf. A m eis-H en tze, Anhang, iv 88-
go, w here however is ultim ately rejected, m ust be m erely an
ancient conjecture. is supported by the evidence of: the contrast
ing , the form in - o k - being created by analogy; Penelopes
words at 107 (^ sc. ), w hich refer back
to 94; and II. xx 205 ( 8 ' ), w here (!)
m eet face to face (and so com e to know), is contrasted with
attovovres (2034). implies the recognition linked with seeing: ein
ohne Erkennen m u ausdrcklich im Kontext vorbereitet werden:
xi 197 ff. (J. Bechert, op. cit. (5 .), 337). T h is yields a m eaning on the
lines o f she saw, and at one m om ent thought she recognized him (t:
by sight); G . Finsler, Homer ii* (Leipzig/Berlin, 1918), 432; Focke,
Odyssee, 366. : form ed with adjectival suffix - from
the adverb from ( ) {II. xv32o); cf. Risch, Wortbildung,
123, 355, 365; A . H eubeck, JA xxiv (1974), 37; literally (looking) into his
face , w eakened perhaps to clearly, distinctly (Hlscher, Risch). O n the
iterative (or rather intensive) ~~ forms (' is found only
here and II. iii 217) and (hapax; cf. Shipp, Studies, 357) see the
full discussion by P, W athelet, A C xlii (1973), 379-405, esp. 393-5, who
notes the com m on device o f using two or more ~~ forms in conjunction,
x p o i : (causal) Eurycleia had offered to fetch
O dysseus clean clothes, xxii 487, but he had refused; the poet obviously
wishes to em phasize that O dysseus is still dressed as a beggar (cf. 115;
Focke, Odyssee, 365-6), and so prepares indirectly for 155.
96 . xxi 84.
97- 103 , T elem achus seizes the initiative, and breaks the long silence held by
his parents. H e reproaches his m other for her apparent lack o f feeling, and
her hard-heartedness. It is also interesting to note that in the exchanges
w hich follow both O dysseus and Penelope avoid addressing each other
directly: their com m ents are m ade via their son as mediator, although of
course m eant for each other; cf. Schadewaldt, op. cit. (), i6 .
97. . . . : (hapax) the w ord is formed like (II. iii
39, xi 769), (). (II. xviii 54, also used only once); cf.
also Ipos, (xviii 73). : a possessive com pound (
cf. xix 329) from - and *avos, , face , i.e. originally with ones face
turned away > unapproachable, cold, and unfriendly ; cf. Frisk, G EW ,
Chantraine, Dictionnaire, LfgrE s.v.; R isch Wortbildung, 81; A llione, Tele-
maco, 107 . 70 (following Benfey). T h e M ycenaean nam e pu-wa-ne/Purw-
ans/.P Y 832. 5 is form ed along similar lines; cf. A . H eubeck, Beitrge zur
Namenforschung, xi (i960), 3 -4 . B echtels discussion, Lexilogus, 69 (follow
ing A . Fick) is unsatisfactory.
98- 9. T h e words are spoken with obvious reference to 89 ( . . . '
), 86 (), and 91 (eimu) above; ggb = xix i 7 i b.
322
BOOK XXIII 94-113
SH
B O O K XXIII 113-131
325
COMMENTARY
already washed their hands and feet im m ediately after the battle, xxii 478.
O n cf. S. M arinatos, Archaeohgia A , 7 -9 .
132 . 1 [ ] : (cf. xvii 48, 58) to put on [clean] clothes .
133 - 4 . i33b = xxii 332b. eios $ : is o f course Phemius, whom
O dysseus had rightly spared during the fighting; cf.xxii 330-80. H is task
now is to provide with his the m usic for the dancing at the com ing
celebration, to act as leader in the dance ( here with dat. ).
: (hapax) with (play, sport) or * (from
) as its second element; on the formation see Risch, Wortbildung, 52,
193; on 77-cuy- (rather than the expected ~) cf. Frisk, G E W , and
Chantraine, Dictionnaire s.v. . Literally: loving the p lay (of dance).
135 . 135 ~ xviii 218. : here w edding feast.
136 . : (cf. ii 66) or one o f those living near .
137 - 8 . . . . : evpb (as at xix 333) , with
dependent , the news o f the slaughter o f the suitors
m ust not be allowed to spread before . .
139 . . . . : the fact that the w here Laertes lives
has already been mentioned several times in the course o f the poem (e.g. xi
188) establishes that the farm m eant here is that o f O dysseus father. Note
the pointed use of the epithet 8 (cf 359-60): the 8v8pea will
later p lay a significant role; cf. besides xxiv 246-7, esp. 336-44.
140 . : w e will be able to establish (by our deliberations) ,
): give into som eones hands, grant ; used with only
here, elsewhere com bined usually with or .
141 - 52 . O dysseus directions are followed in every detail; his hopes and
expectations (135-8) are exactly fulfilled. T h e improvised w edding celebra
tion is the formal background to the im m inent reunion of O dysseus and
Penelope, and not only m eets the im m ediate need o f postponing the
reckoning with the suitors aggrieved families but also represents the
solem n re-enactm ent o f the m arriage cerem ony celebrated twenty years
before by O dysseus and Penelope; cf. Hlscher, op. cit. (Introd.), 162;
Eisenberger, Studien, 308; Besslich, Schweigen, 89. T h a t the room w here
this pseudo-w edding takes place is also that in w hich O dysseus and
Penelope once m ore sit opposite each other (164.) is not as strange as
Kirchhoff, Odyssee, 557 supposes (cf. also Focke, Odyssee, 36g). N oise and
disturbance can disrupt, but they can also create an intimate situation by
shielding the participants from the m ain action (Besslich, Schweigen, 89-
go; w ho w ell compares the similar situation at i 152 ffi, 325). Finally it
should be noted that T elem achus is naturally allowed to disappear from
view am ong the revelry o f O dysseus household; he m ust not be present at
the recognition of O dysseus b y his wife (cf. Penelopes words at 109-10); cf.
Erbse, Beitrge, 67; Eichhorn, op. cit. (Introd.), 148 fr.
142 . C f. 131.
143 . : cf. , 132; here then they got ready, dressed
up . 7/-, , -eoOai are not restricted in H om er to m ilitary
contexts.
3?6
BOOK XXIII 131-153
143b~5 . C f. 133~4 ' + gen.: longing, desire for . 145 = //. xiii 637.
: in origin singing and dancing (by a chorus)1; cf. K . Bielohlawek,
WS xliv (1924/5), 1 -1 8 , 125-43; xlv (1926/7), 1 - 1 1 ; M . W egner, Archae-
ologia U , 42 -3.
146. : literally for them 1, i.e. as they danced1. -
: cf. x 10.
147 . : here dancing1; cf. viii 251 and the inscription on the A ttic
dipylon ju g IG i2 919 (8th century): hs w v
. . . ; details and bibliography are given in A . H eubeck, Archaeohgia x
116 -18 . *. (hapax in the Odyssey :; II. vii 139, xxiv 698): with
beautiful girdle1; on the formation of the word see Risch, Wortbildung, 183,
219. O n the girdles used b y w om en, particularly with the , see
S. M arinatos, Archaeohgia A , 1 1 -1 2 .
148. 148* = xx 375a; on i48b cf. i35b. O dysseus1 expectations (135-6) are
fulfilled at 14 8 -51.
149 . : now quite certainly1. : cf. iv 770, xiv 64.
150. : m eant originally one w ho once having laid hold on some
thing, does not relax his grip (), whether in a good or a bad sense1
(A m e is-H en tze -C a u er, ad xiii 293, xx 45). Here it is almost untranslat
able, but means approx, w icked1. : she did not hold out1,
: cf. xi 430.
151 . : (cf. 82 .) here keep (for him , i.e. her husband)1. rjos
: until the time when . . is in fact better attested
though gram m atically strange; cf. Chantraine, Grammaire, ii 263.
152. : (cf. iv 772) 3rd pi. preterite (strictly speaking plpf.) from ofStr; cf.
Chantraine, Grammaire, i 437. T h e plural form is hardly rem arkable after
the iterative n s .
153- 63 . O dysseus bath. T h e description of the bath itself and O dysseus
change of clothing is carefully prepared and firmly rooted in the wider
context (cf. 1 1 5 - 1 6 n.). First there is Penelopes order to the servants to offer
the as yet unrecognized O dysseus a bath in the m orning (xix 317-22). T h e
second indication is the description of O dysseus appearance after the
battle (xxii 401-6). T h is is followed by his ignoring Eurycleia s offer at that
point to bring him fresh clothes (xxii 485-91). Fourth there is the explana
tion given by O dysseus to his son for his wifes failure to honour, or even
recognize him: in his present state () he is unidentifiable (115-16 ), Also
significant here is the account of the bath and change of clothing b y
O dysseus com panions w ho had taken part in the fighting (131,142); but o f
course the continuation of the action, particularly the exchange of 165-80,
w ould be impossible, certainly incom prehensible, w ithout 153-63. Finally,
w as O dysseus to share Penelope s bed w ithout bathing? Discussion o f this
scene has tended to concentrate on the fact that after the transformation of
O dysseus into a beggar (xiii 429-38), the reversal o f this process in
T elem achus1 presence (xvi 1726), and its subsequent repetition (xvi
454-7) in all three cases through A th en as use o f her nothing is
actually said about the restoration o f O dysseus proper form. How ever
327
COMMENTARY
w hat is related in xiii is not m agic or sorcery in the strict sense, such as
C irce exercises on O dysseus com panions. A thena m erely alters or
disguises O dysseus appearance in order to conceal his true nature;
gradually it reverts to its original condition, in the wrestling match with
Irus (xviii 6 7-9 , 74), as O dysseus feet are washed' (xix 358-9, 379-81),
w hen he is recognized by the herdsm en (xxi 221-2), during the trial o f the
bow and the battle w ith the suitors (xxi 393 ff., xxii 1 ff.), and after the battle
in w hich O dysseus has shown him self in all his greatness as a hero, far
removed from the beggar whose guise he had assum ed (xxii 401-6). After
the battle the hero must cleanse him self o f the blood and dirt (xxii 402) and
don fresh clothes not least for the sake of Peneiope, who, as he rightly
supposed (115 -16 ), found it difficult to recognize him as her husband on
account of his dirty appearance and wretched clothes. V iew ed in this light
appear less closely related to the situation of xvi 17 2 -6 than to that
o f vi, where the naked and filthy hero is transformed by bathing in the river
and receiving new clothes, so that he again appears an im posing figure,
attractive to N ausicaa (cf, esp. vi 209-37). M oreover both here and at vi
229-35 A thena adds a touch of beauty or distinction (? or ) to
O dysseus head and shoulders an action which appears in xxiii to im ply
also removal of the most obvious signs of old age (cf. xiii 430-4). F or inter
pretations o f the scene see, am ong others: Schadewaldt, op. cit. (Introd.),
2 1-2 ; G . Schei bner, DLJ? lxxxii (1961), col. 619; A llione, Telemaco, 107
n. 69; A . O rtega, rnmta xxxi (1963), 1 1 -1 9 ; Besslich, Schweigen, 91;
Lesky, Homeros, col. 129; M . M ller, Athene als gttliche Helfenn in der
Odyssee (Heidelberg, 1968), 1467 (who includes some im portant reflec
tions on the parallel between the scenes of vi and xxiii); Hlscher, op. cit.
(Introd.), 164 n. 14; Erbse, Beitrge, 59-65; Eisenberger, Studien, 308-9;
H . K ilb , Strukturen epischen Gestaltens im 7. und 23. Gesang der Odyssee
(M unich, 1973), 159 fr.
153 . ~ xxiv 365. evi : in his own house is em phatic; cf. xxii 1 17,
xxiii 57.
154 . ~ iii 466. E urynom e is described here, as on her first appearance (xv
496) and elsewhere occasionally, as (as is Eurycleia at ii 347); she is
also once called . O n the poetic reasons for the coexistence o f
two housekeepers see G . Ram m ing, Die Dienerschaft in der Odyssee (diss.
Erlangen/N urem berg, 1973), 10 3 -4 ,1 5 5 -7 ; Fenik, Studies, 189-92. O n the
interpretation of these H om eric bathing scenes cf. H . Ltz, Beitrge zur
Frage der Leibeserziehung und zur Erklrung einzelner Stellen in Homers Odyssee
(diss. Erlangen, 1927), 10-33.
155 . = iii 467; 11 xxiv 588; - d. x 365. A n exact definition o f the m eaning of
H om eric and is difficult, and not in fact aided greatly by
com parison with M yc. pa-we-a /pharweha/, pi., and ki-to /khitn/, e-pi-ki-to-
ni-ja /epikhitnija/', cf. J. Chadw ick, L. Baum ach, Glotta xvi (1963), 253, 257.
Cf. further . P, and A .J . B. W ace, in Companion, 498503, and the
explanation given by S. M arinatos, Archaeohgia A , 6 - 1 1 , w hich seems to
throw most light on the subject: was a square shaped w rapper like a
328
B O O K X X III 153-165
329
COMMENTARY
addresses her directly for the first time: previously they had spoken
indirectly, addressing their remarks to the interm ediary T elem achus; as a
result of O dysseus bath the situation has altered sufficiently for both
partners to speak directly to each other; cf. Bona, Studi, 167-8. Indeed
T elem achus is no longer on the scene: the final recognition is an essentially
private affair between Odysseus and Penelope.
166 - 72 . O dysseus speaks.
166- 7 . O dysseus disappointm ent at the unexpected behaviour of his wife is
shown by his use o f , approx, y ou strange creature ; cf. x 472.
: + gen. beyond, m ore than . . cf. Chantraine, Grammaire, ii 129.
: cf. xi 386. : (hapax) predicative
w ith \ the obvious similarity to the words of Telem achus at 97,
, and 103, . . . to, suggests the mean-
ing hard, unyielding, im placable . T h e m orphology (apart from the alpha
privative) is uncertain: cf. Bechtel, Lexilogus, 73, Frisk, G E W , Chantraine,
Dictionnaire, LfgrE s.v. Risch, Wortbildung, 54. It is an attractive idea that a
deliberate note of am biguity was intended by the use o f and
: O dysseus m ay be as m uch taken a b a ck h y adm iration for the
exceptional cunning o f his wife as disappointed by her reaction; cf. Allione,
Telemaco, 107-9; Besslich, Schweigen, 92; Erbse, Beitrge, 689.
168 - 72 . O dysseus repeats the dejected words o f his son (16 8 -70 = 100-2).
A lthough there m ay be in this quotation a note of recognition, and even
adm iration, o f his wife s position lacking in T elem achus utterance
O dysseus here expresses a disappointm ent w hich is in m arked contrast to
his self-assured optimism before bathing (cf. , i n ) . L in e 172 is in
any event a critical m om ent in the developm ent o f the story: O dysseus has
reached the end of the road which he had hitherto followed; the situation is
now extrem ely critical. F or this reason he turns abruptly, in mid-speech, to
Eurycleia ( must refer to her; cf. 177), and bids her prepare a bed, so
that he, , m ay rest, ? is usually understood to m ean even
if alone (sc. w ithout Penelope). T his interpretation is rejected in the
extensive discussion of by C . Sperlich and E.-M . Voigt, LfgrE i, col.
1661, 14 -19 , w ho stress a lack of parallels for such a usage, and suggest
instead so that I too m ay lie down to rest (sc. like all others) . T h e action
w hich follows does suggest, however, that the conventional interpretation,
albeit alone, m ay well be correct; and m oreover there are other instances
o f being used in this way, nam ely i 53, xiv 8, xv 3 11, xxiii 332, II viii
99 (A m e is-H en tze -C a u er, 17 m .). : cf. i7 7 -8 o n . A t i72 b
O dysseus finishes w ith a return to his reproachful m anner (cf.
, 167). His words also recall the end of T elem achus speech
quoted at 168-70 (103: . . . ). T h e variation on
his words is in conscious im itation o f II. xxii 357 (Hectors words to
Achilles; cf. also xxiv 205, 521); cf. K . Reinhardt, Der Dichter der Ilias
(Gttingen, 1961), 304. W ith the change of direction, a ye , 171,
O dysseus has to a certain extent restored the m om entum of the relation
ship that had threatened earlier to stall. H e also, surely unconsciously,
offers his wife the opportunity she needs by the introduction of the
330
B O O K X X I I I 165-176
key word and provokes her into taking the initiative herself and
finally putting into operation the plan she had indicated at 108-10 (where
the keyword is ), and w hich Odysseus had recognized, and
approved, as a (113 -14 ).
174- 80 . Penelope replies.
174- 6 . Penelope first addresses the earlier part of O dysseus speech (16 6 -
70), and then (177-80) continues from O dysseus instructions to the m aid
(171-2 ), turning the situation to her advantage, so that she now provokes
him. Addressing him as * she throws back at him the very reproach
he had m ade against her (166): he is no less than herself. T h en
she rebuts the interpretation he had placed on her attitude at 1 1 5 -1 6 , and
which she had originally endured in silence; she had not denied him due
w elcom e and respect on account of his dirty appearance and ragged
clothes. She vigorously denies the charge of 116 with two asser
tions: . . . (only here and II x 69), 'I am not acting
proudly , and ovr I do not undervalue, m ake light o f (attested
elsewhere only viii 212 and II. i 261; on the uncertain derivation cf. Bechtel,
Lexilogus, 15; Frisk, G E W (on *~, lower); and for a different view
M . Groselj, ZA i (1951), 253-4; Chantraine, Didionnaire s.v.; F. Sieveking,
LfgrE s.v. (on '). After this vehem ent defence of her behaviour she goes
one step further in the argum ent with . T h e original m eaning
behind the verb is to have an impression of som eone/som ething over
stepping the limits o f w hat is usual/expected/norm al hum an behaviour
(H. J. M ette, LfgrE i, col. 33, 6-8). T h is suggests the m eaning here on the
other hand I am not unduly impressed or surprised . T h is interpretation
also calls for the reading ovr p . . . ovr . . . | (not as O C T ); it relates
these w ords to the outw ard change in O dysseus (153-6, 159-60). In other
words, Penelope s words (in contrast to the usual interpretation, put
forward latterly by Schadewaldt) can only be understood if the digression
of 11772 is retained as an integral part o f the outward action and the
psychological reactions of the characters. T h e bath and change of clothing
m ay not have evoked any visible response from Penelope (cf. 165 .);
certainly they are not m entioned by her in as m any words. T h e y have
nevertheless had some effect on her: previously she had been hindered by
(93) from addressing O dysseus directly (cf. 105-7); now, however,
she does feel in a position to speak to him and defend her conduct. Indeed
she has already taken the decisive step in accepting O dysseus back as her
husband, by addressing him as she does for the first tim e in 175-6,
although the exact sense o f i7 5 b- 6 is not easy to determine; cf. A m eis-
H e n tz e -C a u e r and Stanford, ad loc. Perhaps know very w ell that you
looked the same then, w hen you left Ithaca . O n (cf. xvi 420; II xxii
435) as an artificial form for the end o f a line see Shipp, Studies, 358,
17 7*= xix 339b. F o r interpretation o f 17 4 -6 in the w ider context cf. am ong
others G . Scheibner, D L Z lxxxii (1961), coll. 619-25; A . H eubeck,
Gymnasium lxxi (1964), 54; M . M ller, op. cit. (15 3 -6 3 n.), 148; Besslich,
Schweigen, 9 3 -4; Erbse, Beitrge, 71.
331
COMMENTARY
177 - 80 , In spite o f her change of m ind Penelope is not prepared to forgo her
plan to put the identity of the stranger beyond all doubt. She takes up her
hu sban ds w ords of 1702 (177 ~ 170) and in elaborating the instructions
to Eurycleia (178-81) takes the initiative in advancing the ( 14, 181)
w hich she had first aired at 10810, and w hich depends on a sure and
certain , the (17 1 ,17 7 ). H er hope lies in the fact that she knows
that her detailed instructions on the preparation of the m ust surely
provoke an outburst o f protest from her husband which w ill finally remove
any lingering doubts in her m ind that this really is O dysseus. U n
fortunately it is impossible to reconstruct exactly w hat is m eant by the
details of her instructions. If we follow the reading given in all sources, we
see that Penelope orders the to be prepared outside the .
T h e orders are given twice: and
. . . . But this w ould appear not to be consist
ent with the question which Odysseus then asks;
; (184). This clearly implies that the has already been moved,
. and has some time before been placed elsewhere (outside the ??);
cf. M erkelbach, Untersuchungen, 134 n. 2. T o avoid this difficulty J. H.
Q uincey, Philologus cviii (1964), 288-90, has suggested (and his view is
supported by Eisenberger, Studien, 310 . 20) that 179-80 should be
rejected as interpolation, and that 177-8 should be read as m eaning that
Eurycleia should make up the bed which is already standing outside the
? (cf. 184). N o explanation is given as to how a passage which
evidently confuses rather than elucidates the m eaning o f the text could
have come to be inserted. A n alternative solution is to em end the trans
m itted text; to alter , 178, to (as in the editio Florentina) and
, 179, to a bold move which w ould not, however, con
tradict , 184. It has found support from, am ong others, W eck-
lein, van Leeuw en, and V, Brard; cf. also van der Valk, Textual Criticism,
3 7-8 , and, for a slightly different view, L. G. Pocock, Philologus. cvii (1963),
3 0 9 -11 (who suggests , 178, and , 179, an emendation rightly
rejected by Q uincey, loc. cit.). G . Scheibner, loc. cit., also notes the
superior sound-effects produced b y such emendation. If we reject both
hypotheses, of interpolation and textual conjecture, we m ust take
O dysseus to mean that he assum ed from Penelopes words that in his
absence someone had cut the bed from its place (built round the growing
trunk o f an olive tree) in the (204) and m oved it to another
position in the room (1, 184, 204), from which it could now be
easily m oved elsewhere.
177 . : (cf. esp. v 335-41) m ake up the bed ; this
abbreviated instruction is to spread the bedclothes ( over the
strongly constructed bed ( ).
178 . : cf. 258 etc. : w ith his own hands, but here
also im plying alone, without help from others (cf. ?, 171 n.); cf.
Eichhorn, op. cit. (Introd.), 135 n. 120. T h e depends on the fact that
only Penelope and O dysseus know the secret of the construction o f the bed
3
32
B O O K X X III 177-186
333
COMMENTARY
334
B O O K X X I II 187-204
335
COMMENTARY
337
1
COMMENTARY
338
B O O K X X I I I 2 25- 241
339
COMM ENTARY
on their m inds before sleep (342-3), and which the poet wishes to intro
duce into his story: the conversation of 247-88, their lovemaking (289-301)
and their exchange o f news about their experiences (3014). T h e jo y of
reunion is augm ented by divine grace (Eisenberger, Studien, 311). It is also
interesting to note that all three passages compared, from xvi, xxi and xxiii,
are m odelled on IL xxiii 15 3 if; 11 xxiii 15315 ~ Od. xvi 2i$b, xxiii 2 3 ib; II.
xxiii 154 = Od, xvi 220, xxi 226 - xxiii 241; 11. xxiii 155s ~ Od. xvi 22T, xxi
227a, xxiii 242b T h e idea of divine influence over the course of day and
n ight is by no means foreign to H om eric thought; cf. II. xviii 239-41.
A th en a s later actions, in prom pting the couple to rise after their sleep
(344-8) and stirring Eos into action, after she had been bidden to stay her
work, does not in fact contradict 2 4 1-6 (as M ller, op. cit. (153-65 n.)
supposes). O n the contrary: 2 4 1-6 and 344-8 should be read in close con
jun ction as a frame for what is related in 247-343; cf. Eisenberger, Studien,
314 . 2.
2 4 1 . 2 4 ia = xvi 220a, xxi 226s; 2 4 ib = xix 428b etc. : cf. ,
23 i.
242 . ii 382 etc.
243 - 6 . ire p a r fl: from , -aros. A ccordin g to Chantraine, Dictionnaire,
871, v ) m eans approx, at the furthest end (of the sky), on the
horizon . It m ay be better understood here in a tem poral sense: at the end
o f the course o f night ; cf. the of night and day at x 86, and
H esiods description, Th. 748-57. This is how it is taken in the scholion,
(.) 77/3os rAei ; cf. Stanford, ad loc. is predicative:
she restrained night, so that it was long (longer than usual) . T h e essential
counterpart to this act is the holding in check of Eos: {) here held
b a ck . : at the encircling stream if w e com pare xii 23
at A eaea, where | slot
. Eos is not norm ally credited in H om er with a team of two horses.
T h is detail, is almost certainly borrowed from the usual depiction of H elius
with a pair o f horses. T h e (speaking) names, Lam pus and Phaethon,
correspond to those given to the nym phs w atching over H elius cattle on
Thrinacia, and , xii 132. is in apposition
to of: as foals ; cf. R uijgh, re pique, 372.
247 - 8.8 . T h is section o f the conversation betw een O dysseus and Penelope is
thought b y some scholars, following L a R oche, to be an interpolation:
W ilam owitz, Untersuchungen, 68ff.; Bethe, Homer, ii 115 (cf. also 2 4 1 -6 n.).
C om pellin g counter-argum ents have been advanced by F. Dornseiff,
Hermes lxxii (1937), 35 E and Focke, Odyssee, 270-3. A nd it is true that the
transition directly from 240 or 246 to 289ff. w ould b e very abrupt. M ore
over this is the best point at w hich to introduce an account of Tiresias
prophecy: if Penelope is to be told som ething of the future fate of her
husband (which can hardly be avoided), then it is fitting that this should
happen before the couple retire to bed.
248- 55 . In the m iddle o f a highly em otional scene O dysseus abruptly breaks
the atm osphere o f jo y b y mentioning, albeit in general terms until pressed,
340
B O O K X X I I I 241-268
341
COMM ENTARY
342
B O O K X X I I I 269-297
^ ( , V , Vind. 133)! 2
(, , (5). In addition
there is Eustathius lengthy note on 296, w hich responds to the discussion
that had clearly developed at an early date round the A lexandrian
com m ent. T h e only part based on a scholion along the lines of those
quoted above is the section [ Se ' ]
[ re ]
-~ . . . . W hat
follows is Eustathius own interpretation o f the scholion: *
voOcvovtcs (as is convincingly argued by Erbse,
Beitrge, 167-8). A n um ber of different questions arise from the scholiasts
observations. First, in w hat sense did the A lexandrian scholars use
(or )? Second, if they really did m ean b y the end , and so inter
preted 296 as the last line o f the genuine, original poem, w hat w as the
basis for this analytical judgem ent? D id they detect peculiarities in
language, style and content significant enough to lead them to the conclu
sion that the final section was the w ork o f som e other author? O r did the
m anuscripts available to them offer two distinct versions of which the
shorter (i l-x x iii 296) seemed to them, for whatever reason, preferable to
the longer (i 1-x x iv 548)? T h ird , to w hat extent can the resources of
m odern philology help us to settle the disputed authenticity of the final
part o f the poem as we now know it? It w ould be impossible in the present
context to discuss all the various argum ents advanced. T h is com m entary
will therefore confine itself to m entioning some o f the more important
views expressed and a selection o f the m odern literature on the subject (on
the older literature see A m eis-H en tze, Anhang iv, 945)1 an d discussing
individual points o f interest regarding language, style, com position and
content as they arise in the text. T h e underlying assumption is that the
scholion itself does not say that the Alexandrians themselves considered
the end of the poem to be un-H om eric; and moreover the arguments
advanced against the authenticity of the present ending do not justify
excluding 297 ff., besides w hich considerations of both the internal and the
overall structure of the epic, and the close interconnection between the
ending and the m aterial o f i l- x x iii 296, point to the authenticity o f the
section. T h e most im portant linguistic argum ents are to be found in Page,
Odyssey, 10 2-13; K . A . G arbrah, Glotia xlvii (1970), 144-70 (passim), Shipp,
Studies, 358-64; and the Unitarian responses of Erbse, Beitrge, 189-229;
C , M oulton, Greek, Roman and Byzantine Studies xv (1974), 15761; H.-A.
Stssel, Der letzte Gesang der Odyssee (diss. Erlangen/N urem berg, i 975)i
153-72.
N o original Odyssey could sim ply have ended at xxiii 296: of , 295,
calls for a continuation, w hich in our text appears at 297,
; cf. latterly H lscher, op. cit, (Introd.), 165 n. 29. As P, Fried
lnder, Hermes lxiv (1929), 376, has conclusively shown, we must rule out
the theory that a poet adding a final section to a shorter text of the poem
altered an original oi 8 ap to of . T o attribute the end of the
343
COMMENTARY
3
44
B O O K X X I I I 297-305
C . M oulton, op. cit., 15 4 -7, Stsse, op. cit., 10 -14, 183-5, and G arbrah,
op. cit., 8 et passim. Erbse starts from the assumption that the verdict o f the
A lexandrians on the Odysseys reflects Aristotelian literary theory,
and was therefore intended only to express the view that in the plan (Aoyos)
of the poem the reunion of O dysseus and Penelope represents the rAo?,
(Aristotle him self had interpreted the Aoyos of the poem differently,
m aking the M nesterophonia its end, Poet. 1455 b 17-24.) Even if
A ristarchus had indeed athetized the whole of xxiii 297 ff., his judgem ent
w ou ld b e no m ore binding on subsequent generations than, for exam ple,
his atheteses of xxiii 310-43 and xxiv 1-204. T h e deciding factor m ust b e
how w ell the linguistic and stylistic features of the passage under question,
as w ell as its subject matter, fit into the framework o f the poem as estab
lished up to xxiii 296, and w hether the conclusion (xxiii 297-xxiv 548)
fulfils a necessary and im portant function in the structure of the poem as a
w hole. T h e answer to both these questions must be positive: Stanford, on
xxiii 296ff.; H eubeck, Dichter, 3640; K . Fiedler, Der Schluss der Odyssee
(diss. M arburg, 1957), with a review of earlier discussions, 1-16 ; F. E ich
horn, op. cit. (Introd.), 14 7-8; Erbse, Beitrge, 166-244; M oulton, op. cit.,
153-69; Stssel, loc. cit.; R. Friedrich, Stilwandel, 164-8; D . W ender, The
Last Scenes of the Odyssey (Leiden, 1978).
297 - 9 . W h ile O dysseus and Penelope retire to bed (), Telem achus and
the herdsm en () are calling a halt to the feast held at the behest of
O dysseus (13148). T h is celebration w hich they had organized had been
more than simply a manoeuvre to deceive people outside the palace: it had
been held als festliche W iederholung ihres (Odysseus and Penelopes)
ersten Hochzeitstages (as a celebration re-enacting their original wedding)
(Hlscher, op. cit. (Introd.), 162). . . . : they rested
their feet from dancing; they stopped dancing . 5
: sc. .
299 . : (cf. ) laid dow n to rest . 299^ = x 479b etc. H ere there is
a tem porary pause in the action.
300- 43 . After a time for love Odysseus and Penelope find a time to talk,
sharing the experiences each had undergone while they were apart.
300 . ouv: refers back to 295; cf. H . Reynen, Glotta xxxvi (1958),
42-4. here with (partitive) gen.; cf. xix 213. Literally: after they
were satisfied by the enjoym ent of longed-for love ; cf. Latacz, op. cit.
(13.), i86.
301 . = 1 1 xi 643. 'T h e y took pleasure in stories (telling each other their
news) ; cf. Latacz, op. cit., 2 12 -13 .
302 . : sc. eAeye.
303 . = xvi 29. : involves a deliberate play on
words (oxymoron). : not to be looked at, loathsome .
304 . : = x x 5 i b- In apposition to ; cf. II ix 446.
305 . A t - the construction shifts into the passive. : out of
the large storage ja rs. : is used only here with
(ablatival) gen., but this is hardly linguistically objectionable (Schwartz,
345
COMMENTARY
346
B O O K X X I I I 305-326
parallels the effect of his bath in viii 433-69; and finally the improvised
pseudo-w edding celebrations on the reunion of O dysseus and Penelope
echo the evening festivities in the palace of Alcinous, which had led to the
o f ixxii. H ere the reunion with Penelope leads to an account of
his wanderings w hich sum m arizes the .
310 . O dysseus tells of the C icon ian episode (ix 39-66), omitting any m ention
of defeat.
311 . T h e Lotus-eaters (ix 82-104). 31 i b - ii 328b, 11. xviii 54i h.
312 - 13 . T h e Cyclopes (ix 105-566). ep|e: aor. of . -
': - II. xvi 389; T e (Odysseus) m ade them pay a penalty, took
revenge5. 313 ~ xx 20a. ^ : the subject is again .
5 : =11. xxi i4 7b.
314 - 17 . A eolus (x 1-79 ). 3 i4 b = ii 387b, xx 372b, It. ix 4Sob. irep ir1:
(imperf.!) he gave m e safe conduct5; 3 i5 b = xi 35gb. : (for )
appears elsewhere only xix 283, xxiv 343, I t xi 808 (in every instance with
enjam bm ent); cf. Chantraine, Gram.ma.ire, i 289; Hoekstra, Modifications,
122-3. 3 i6 b~7 = iv 5 i5 b- 6 , v 4 i9 b-20. O dysseus does not mention the mis
conduct of his comrades.
318 - 19 . T h e Laestrygonians (x 80-132). O n 318 cf. x 82*. 01: refers to
the nam e of the people (-oves) from w hich the adjective - is
derived. 3 ig b = x 203** (nominative at ii 402b and elsewhere).
320 . T h is line, m issing from m ost manuscripts, and w hich according to the
scholion w as unknow n to Aristarchus, is generally considered to be a late
interpolation; cf. A m eis-H en tze, Anhang, iv 95; van Leeuwen, Stanford,
von der M hll, ad loc.; Schadewaldt, op. cit. (Introd.), 25 n. 26; Eisen-
berger, Studien, 313 n. 29; Apthorp, op. cit. (187-90 .), 114 n. 87. O n ly van
der Valk, Textual Criticism, 271, argues for the lines authenticity. It w ould
appear that 320 is in fact a late addition to the text, possibly m odelled on
332. : (in contrast to its counterpart wdvrcs, 332) is at best used
very inaccurately (cf. x 128-32); and the speakers reference to him self by
nam e (as opposed to a ib-os, 332) seems out of place.
321 . C irce (x 133-574; x*i 1-14 3) KareXeijc: cf. 225. -
: (hapax) is a regular formation from - on the same lines
as (hapax, ix 295) from ; cf. Erbse, Beitrge, 189 (against
Page, Odyssey, 103).
322- 5 . T h e descent to H ades (xi). 322 ~ x 512; 323 = x 492, xi 165. -
t q s I x a ip o u s : (those m entioned in xi 385-567) all his comrades-in-arm s5
(cf. xi 371). 325 a = ^ xx 328a; 325b = i 435b; cf. xi 152-225.
--': as at xx 382.
326 . T h e Sirens (x 144200). : $ in loc. sense, close-
packed, crow ding round5, temp, unceasing5 (as for exam ple of yos); cf.
V . Pisani, LfgrE s.v. Its application to people () is unusual; for
older explanations see A m eis-H en tze, Anhang, iv 95-6; for a defence of the
expression against the criticism of von der M h ll ( Odyssee, col. 764)) Page
( Odyssey, 102-3) and Shipp (Studies, 359) cf. particularly Erbse, Beitrge,
18 9-91, and Eisenberger, Studien, 313 n. 29. T h e m eaning is clearly
347
COMMENTARY
348
B O O K X X I II 326-355
349
COMMENTARY
350
B O O K X X I II 356-369
the form unanim ously given in the M S tradition: the fact that is a
clear reference back to im ereAAev, 349; while appears to
be foreign to the language of epic, and attested in the m eaning order only
after A eschylus. T h u s H entze, Cauer, and Stanford accept the reading im -
; cf. also Erbse, Beitrge, 192-3; Eisenberger, Studien, 314 . i. Erbse,
ioc. cit., gives a convincing explanation, based on a suggestion by Stanford,
for the lengthening: m ay be supposed to have been m odelled on
forms such as -, II. xviii 172, and -, Od. xvi 297, which
could easily have been understood as --, 36 i b = xx i 3 i b, xxi io3b. W ith
a concessive colouring (wep) o f the participial construction O dysseus does
to a certain extent excuse his giving orders to a wife whose wit w ould
undoubtedly have ensured that she w ould have taken the correct measures
unbidden.
362- 3 . T h is is the only instance in the H om eric poems of used in an
anticipatory sense (cf. Denniston, Particles, 69), so that the yap-clause
justifies a statem ent (here a com m and) that follows (364-5). T h is unusual
use of the particle is, however, m itigated by the preparation for the order
provided b y \ at 361. T h e com m ent from A m eis-H e n tze-C a u er, ad
loc., is on broadly the right lines. . . . |
: (objective gen. dependent on ) the news of the suitors
(killed by me) w ill spread . O dysseus had expressed him self similarly to
T elem achus (cf. ; 138s - 363s), and indeed his fears turn to
reality: cf. xxiv 4 1 2 -1 3 (with for /). 362b = x429b; II. xviii
t 36b; 363s =138* etc.; 363b ~ iv 537b (^).
364- 5 . 364 = iv 751, xv 49, xix 602. T h e authenticity o f these lines (disputed
by Autenrieth, N auck, van Leeuwen; cf. A m eis-H en tze, Anhang iv, 96-7)
cannot be seriously doubted: w ithout them the prospective ' of 361 is
left hanging in the air. T h e com m and expressed by the infinitive
( stay sitting quietly) is linked w ith the warnings given in the (negative)
imperative, . . . ipetve. L in e 365 is closely associated with vii 31 (
1 1 ipe tvc). T h e two verbs suit the context
better in vii, but are perfectly appropriate here too: Penelope is to avoid
contact, preferably to keep out of sight altogether, and certainly not to
speak to anyone (so that no questions are asked).
366- 72 . O dysseus and his three com panions arm themselves and leave the
city. O dysseus thus puts into action the plan announced at 137-40 and
359-63, to retreat to the country holding w here Laertes lives, and to await
the outcom e there. T h e lines prepare for the continuation of the action as
described in xxiv 205 ff.
366 . ~ I i iii 328; 366 = viii 416s.
367 . : here roused.
368 . VTe . . . : as at II. x 407; cf. , xix 4 ( , xvi
284 etc.). : as at viii 68 etc.
369 . o u k : as at xv 98 etc. 369k resum es and varies the thought
from 36615. : with the bronze w eapons ; cf. aero ,
x x iiii3 .
351
COMMENTARY
370 . ( = xxiv 501; 370 = xxii 399) O upas: here the courtyard gate which
Philoetius had shut at O dysseus behest at xxi 240-1 ( . . .
VpKios , xxi 389), not the door to the (xxi 236). O n the
details cf. S. Hiller, WS N F iv (1970), 14 -2 7, esp. 21.
371 . $: the (first) light o f.day1 (of. 347-8). ciri : over the
earth .
3 7 2 . A th en a herself intervenes to protect them by enveloping them in \
i.e. m aking them invisible to other eyes. T h e poet uses here a motif
com m on in the Iliad, that of divine intervention in hum an affairs in the
form o f spreading (or lifting) a protecting mist or darkness, variously
described as , , , , but also as (cf. 11 v
506-6; xvi 567); cf. J. T . Kakridis, T h e M otif of the Godsent M ist in the
I l i a d i n Homer Revisited (Lund, 1971), 89-107.
352
BO OK XXIV: IN TRO D UCTIO N
There can hardly be any part of the Odyssey as it now stands which
has been subjected to closer scrutiny by the analytical critics than the
last book. W e should not be surprised by the very different conclu
sions reached by such attempts to account for its genesis; this is not
the place to discuss these theories in detail. Here it must suffice to
note that, besides the theory that the last book is a secondary addition
to an already complete Odyssey (e.g. R. v. Scheliha, L. A. Stella,
M. Mller, H. Eisenberger), there has been considerable support for
the view that the epic as we know it represents the reworking of an
older, shorter poem (or a conflation of several older poems) by a
redactor usually termed the B-poef, on whose poetic gifts widely
differing verdicts have been passed, so that he has been variously
styled a bungling compiler5and a poet with an architectural sense of
construction. Critics who hold this latter theory (and they include
Wilamowitz, Schwartz, Focke, von der Mhll, Merkelbach, and
Schadewaldt) attribute both the ending of the existing text and other
passages (especially the so-called Telemachy, and some of the
Phaeacis) to the hand of this redactor. As most of these scholars judge
the appended conclusion to begin not at xxiv l but at xxiii 297 (or
344), most of the argument is closely linked with problems which
have already been discussed in connection with the Alexandrians
verdict on xxiii 296ff. (cf. n. ad loc.).
Our own opinion is that the conclusion5 of the Odyssey was always
an integral part of the compositional plan of the author who created
the Odyssey as we know it. This judgement is based on a number of
observations which can only be briefly summarized here. Most
important is the fact that the narrative of the last book is so carefully
prepared for throughout the rest of the poem, and in such various
ways, that a failure to fulfil the expectations aroused by both direct
announcements and indirect indications would have been pro
foundly disappointing and irritating to the poets audience. More
over the peculiarities of language, style, composition, and content
identified in xxiv do not by any means warrant the conclusion that
the passage must be attributed to a poet other than the author of the
text up to xxiii 296/344; on the contrary these features of xxiv point to
the same hand as in the preceding 23 books. Finally it must not be
forgotten that without its conclusion the epic would lack the balance
353
B O O K XXIV
and the sense of direction, both inward and outward, towards the
goal set out at the beginning, that we find in the overall structure of
the composition. An abrupt breaking off, before this goal was
reached, would seriously undermine the well-grounded hypothesis
that the author of the Odyssey consciously modelled his poem on the
example of the Iliad, particularly with regard to its external construc
tion. So, just as after the death of Hector the events narrated in xxiii-
xxiv form an essential part of the Iliad, so here too, in the Odyssey,
after the death of the suitors and the reunion of the hero with his wife,
a place must be given to reconciliation, the restoration of the rightful
ruler to his old rights, and the re-establishment of divinely instituted
order. It is an encouraging sign that in the last few decades the
number of scholars defending the authenticity of the conclusion to
the Odyssey has been steadily rising. We can give here only a selection
of names:
W oodhouse, Composition, 2323 eipassim.
H eubeck, Dichter, 36-40.
H . H om m el, A igisthos und die Freier, Studium Generale vi (1955), 237-55.
K . Fiedler, Der Schluss der Odyssee (diss. M arburg, 1957).
W . B. Stanford, T h e Ending of the O dyssey , Hermatkena xciy (1965), 5-20.
Besslich, Schweigen, 12 3 -5 ,9 8 -1 0 1.
S. Bertm an, Structural Sym m etry at the End of the O dyssey, G R B S ix
(19 6 5 X 115-22 .
Bona, Studi, 115-2 2 .
F. M uller, Darstellung und poetische Funktion der Gegenstnde in der Odyssee (diss.
M arburg, 1968), 116-22.
J. Dingel, D er 24. G esang der O dyssee und die Elektra des Euripides,
RMus. cxii (1969), 103-9.
T hornton, People, 11519 et passim.
Erbse, Beitrge, 97-109, 166-244..
C . M oulton, T h e E n d of the O dyssey, G RBS xv (1974), 153-69.
H .-A. Stssel, Der letzte Gesang der Odyssee (diss. Erlangen/N urem berg,
1975)
W . Krehm er, V olk ohne Sch uld , %A xxvi (1976), 11-2 2 ; D. W ender, The
Last Scenes of the Odyssey (Leiden, 1978).
A . H eubeck, Zw ei hom erische Peirai5, xxxi (1981), 73-83.
O n the older literature cf. A m eis-H en tze, Anhang, iv 94ff.
A . H eubeck, Die homerische Frage (Darmstadt, 1974), 12830.
354
IN TR O D U CTIO N
355
BOOK XXIV: COM M ENTARY
356
B O O K X X I V 1-204
357
COMMENTARY i
as necessary as the T elem ach y (or, as we shall see, the account of the m eet
ing with Laertes, and the with the Ithacans). Cf. U . Hlscher, D ie
A tridensage in der O dyssee, in Festschrift f R . Alewyn (Cologne/G raz,
1967), 116, esp. 9 -1 2 ; Thornton, People, 4 -10 ; R. Friedrich, Stilwandel,
16 0 -1; Stssel, op. d t. (Introd.), 324; W . Krehm er, Gnomon xlviii (1967),
5389; W ender, op. cit. (Introd.), 1944.
1- 4 . : the contracted form o f the gods nam e is given here (as at v 54
etc.), although uncontracted (as at 10) is used more frequently.
T h is should not be regarded as an abnorm ality (Shipp, Studies, 360); cf.
M eister, Kunstsprache, 154-6. O n the pre-history of the name-form cf.
. (besides M eister, loc. cit.) after the decipherm ent o f the linear B tablets,
am ong others, Hoekstra, Modifications, 40 n. 1; C . J. Ruijgh, R G Ixxx
(1967), 12; V en tris-G hadw ick, Documents, 543 (root form e-ma-a2 /H em d-
has/). T h e god s epithet is derived from his birthplace, on the
A rcadian pos (cf. h.Merc. 1-10 ), which was also a centre of his
cult. T h e fact that this is the only occurrence of the epithet in H om eric epic
does not support an analytical position, especially since his other titles
(viii 335) and (II. xx 72) are also hapax legomena. M ore
striking is the fact that the god is here assigned the role o f ,
leading the souls o f the departed down to Hades. Now here else in H om er is
this office associated w ith Hermes; this is in keeping with the idea that on
leaving the body norm ally passed directly to the underw orld
without the services of a guide (vi 11, x 560, etc.; and num erous exam ples in
the Iliad) or occasionally led by (xiv 207 cf. II. ii 302, xiii
416). M oreover xxiv 1 ff. does not take account of the idea that the souls o f
the dead could not pass into H ades until the body has been buried,
although this particular idea is confined in the epics to the fates o f Patroclus
(cf. esp. 11 xxiii 69-74) an d Elpenor (Od. xi 53 -5 , xi 51-80, xii 9 -15 ). W e
should hardly be surprised that xxiv em bodies yet another variant o f the
m any ideas on the fate o f the soul after death, as there were clearly m any
conflicting views, and no generally accepted orthodoxy on the subject in
ancient G reece (cf. the excellent remarks of O . Regenbogen, in Kleine
Schuften (M unich, 1961), 17). H ere the poet clearly saw good reason
(primarily, poetic reason) to introduce Herm es as the conductor o f souls.
F o r the situation here is quite unusual: instead o f a single , here is a
w hole crow d of , all travelling a com m on path to Hades. It is quite
reasonable to give this group a guide. H erm es was pictured in ancient reli
gious thought, w hich is partly echoed in the epics, as the guide p ar excel
lence, and this m akes him particularly suited to the role assigned to him
here. W hether this was an invention o f the poets, or whether, as seems
m ore likely (cf. Erbse, Beitrge, 234), H erm es was a part of
com m on religious belief in the archaic period, is almost impossible to
determ ine, and in the last analysis not o f any great importance. In addition
the poet m ay have been influenced b y the w ish to offer a counterpart in xxiv
to the co-operation betw een A thena and Herm es portrayed at the begin
ning o f the poem (i, v): as A th en a brings O dysseus and his men safely
358
>
BOOK XXIV -g
359
COMMENTARY
360
B O O K X X I V 9-16
361
COMM ENTARY
362
B O O K X X I V 16-36
heroes here is that A chilles found a glorious death in battle, and was buried
with the highest honours.
24 . 24b - vii i4b etc. O n the construction of -nepi + gen. ( ) cf.
xxiii 1 6 6 -7 n. T h e antithesis to the clause (24.-7) begins at , 28..
26 . ~ xix 110.
27 . = iii 220.
28 - 9 . (): introduces here (as often elsewhere) the antithesis to the
preceding statement: now, however5; cf. Ruijgh, rr pique, 798. dp a :
as it turned out5. . . . ): it was your fate too that
(death) w ould claim you before your time, prem aturely ( ) .
: m ust b aorist subj.; cf. Chantraine, Grammaire, i 369; Shipp,
Studies, 360.
30 . i*s : (. . . moirciv) how you should have . . . , i.e. how m uch I
wish that you h a d . . $ $ : aor. m iddle; Chantraine,
Grammaire, i 382. r|s s: in enjoyment of the royal
honours, the royal state w hich you held5. O n cf. LfgrE col.
796, 30; the sam e com bination is found elsewhere only in the prob
lem atical II. xx 180, on w hich see E. H eitsch, Aphroditehymnus, Aeneas und
Homer (Gttingen, 1966), 80; H . Erbse, RMus. ex (1967), n f f .
31 . 3 11 = 27* etc.; 3 ib (~ 22b) = II. ii 359b etc.
32- 3 . = i 239-40, xiv 369-70.
34 . ~ v 312 (after II. xxi 281).
35 . = 191.
36 - 97 . A gam em non praises the 'os o f Achilles, w hich consists in what
A gam em non is to report, his glorious death and the high honours
accorded at his funeral. A gam em non s account is one of those m any
passages, most of them in direct speech, which together give a com pre
hensive picture of the Postiliaca (including the return of the heroes). It can
hardly be doubted that the poet is here basing his account on an oral epic
treatm ent of the material (a pre-Hom eric Aithiopis5 or A chilleis). It is no
less probable that the author of the Iliad had drawn important elements of
xvi-xxiii from the same source in m aking the man who took A chilles5place,
Patroclus, bear A chilles fate, as correctly perceived in principle by
D . M lder, Die Ilias und ihre (Quellen (Berlin, 1910), 15gff. O u r poet was
therefore familiar w ith both the pre-H om eric presentation o f the material,
and its transformation in the Iliad, we shall have cause to refer to both
sources5. It is however practically certain that he does not directly quote
from either, but sim ply uses them as a m odel for various motifs. Since he
rarely lifts material w ord for w ord from the Iliad (although cf. 3940.),
then it is probably reasonable to assume that the same applies to the use
m ade in xxiv 3697 of any pre-H om eric Aethiopis, as A . Dihle, Homer-
Probleme (O pladen, 1970), 17 ff., has em phasized; for a different view cf.
H . Pestalozzi, Die Achilleis als (Quelle der Ilias (Erlenbach and Zurich, 1945))
passim; W . K ulim ann, Die (Quellen der Ilias (W iesbaden, i960), 29-50
passim.
36 . T h e line is phrased in anticipation of 192, w hich opens A gam em nons
363
COMMENTARY
364
B O O K X X I V 36-57
3
5
COMM ENTARY
366
B O O K X X I V 57-66
367
COMMENTARY
369
COMM ENTARY
370
B O O K X X I V 85-104
93- 4 , iis: introduces A gam em n on s sum m ing up. In dying not only did
A chilles not lose his , but he also w on noble (undying fame)
which will last for all time (atei) am ong all m en (94s = i 299*, xix 334a). W e
should not overlook the fact that the poet here forecasts im m ortality for the
Iliad.
95 . But w hat pleasure can I have in the fact that I survived the w ar? A t g5a
A gam em non cites* A chilles w ords o f 11. xviii 80; 95b = 32815 etc.
96 . g6b = iii i94b. For Zeus responsibility cf. . 2g; to a certain
extent Aegisthus and Clytaem estra were only instruments in the hand of
the suprem e god.
97. 97b - iv 92b (which also refers to Clytaem estra). T h e extent of
Clytaem estra s responsibility for her hu sban ds death is variously indicated
in those passages of the poem w hich describe the fate which awaited
A gam em non on his return. H is words here, at 97, are closest to the account
at xi 405-34, but go further in accusing Clytaem estra of having taken part
in the m urder herself, as Aegisthus accom plice. In the earlier saga known
to the poet Clytaem estra had jo in ed in planning the murder, but had not
herself been involved in the execution o f the plan. T h e extreme formulation
of 97 prepares indirectly for the praise of Penelope. O n the details cf,
P. Bergm an, Der Atridenmythos in Epos, Lyrik und Drama (diss. Erlangen/
N urem berg, 1970), 4 -4 1.
98 . = iv 620 etc. T h e line concludes the encounter between Achilles and
A gam em n on (ig b97), and serves as a transition to the exchange between
A gam em non and the suitor A m phim edon. O n the formal structure o f the
series of scenes from 15 cf. 15-22 n,
99 - 100 . T ogeth er with the souls o f the suitors, who up to now had stood
apart, H erm es now approaches the group around A gam em non and
Achilles. $ ? : (99b = i 84b etc.) the god is
designated here by m eans of his most com m on titles, neither o f w hich has
yet been satisfactorily explained (cf. i 38 and 84nn.). O n see the
attractive theory o f H . K oller, Glotta liv (1976), 214, and R . Janko, Glotta lvi
(1978), 19 2 -5 (with extensive bibliography), w ho suggest a developm ent
from *8--, escort (^; cf. verb forms ye , 6, ^, 9,
, loo, w hich suggest the office o f ). O n
cf. Chantraine, Dictionnaire s.v., and latterly K oller, op. cit., 2 1 1 -1 6 ( *
* > ) O Suodji: dat. o f the agent.
101 . *: A chilles and A gam em n on. : on m iddle cf.
J. Bechert, op. cit. (xxiii 5.), 222.
102 - 4 . 102 ~ 2o; 104a =//. xiii 641; I04b = iv 555b. A m phim edon, son of
M elaneus, and one of the boldest o f the suitors (xxii 242-4), had fallen by
the hand of T elem achus (xxii 277-84). T h e ties of hospitality linking the
house of A gam em n on and A m ph im edon s family, expounded in detail at
114 -19 , are an invention o f the authors, introduced to establish a prior
relationship betw een A gam em non and A m phim edon, which provides a
basis for the present conversation; there is no question of this detail having
been present in the older epic tradition; cf. St ssei, op. cit. (Introd.), 64-5.
371
COMM ENTARY
105 . ~ 23.
106 - 19 . A gam em non asks A m ph im edon what fate met him and his
companions.
106 . $ . . . : W hat fate have you suffered that you have
m ade your w ay below ? : appears as a periphrasis for
the underw orld only here in H om eric epic; m ore frequent is , dark
ness, place o f darkness , from w hich ( < *-\ similarly
< *-) is derived; cf. Chantraine, Dictionnaire s.v.
. T h e acc. is used in its dative function expressing the goal towards
which the action expressed by the verb proceeds.
107 - 8 . A gam em non is struck by the fact that A m phim edon and all his
com panions form a select group of the same age (i.e. they are all equally
youthful): O n e [the omission of n s is strange; cf. Shipp, Studies, 360] could
hardly have m ade a better jo b ( aAAcu?) of picking out, and bring
ing together, the best m en in a city. A gam em non therefore supposes that
the group must have m et their end in some com m on venture. T h e various
forms w hich such a venture m ight have taken are reviewed in the lines
w hich follow.
109 - 13 . T h e threefold question ( ) w hich A gam em non puts to
A m phim edon is an almost exact verbal parallel to the question put to
A gam em non him self by O dysseus at xi 399403; on the problem s of
content and language (esp. >xi 403: -01, xxiv 113) cf. xi 39 9 -
403 . W ith this (certainly intentional) reusing of the lines in a different con
text there is, besides the necessary slight alteration of language, also an
alteration o f formal syntax (which does not greatly affect the m eaning), in
113; in xi 403 O dysseus had considered whether enem y forces (
vSpes) had killed A gam em non () while he fought for, i.e. to conquer,
their city and wom enfolk (); at xxiv 113, however, A ga
m em non s supposition is that enem y forces fighting () to save
their city and w om en had killed the attacking suitors. In a sense he is not
far from the truth, for Odysseus had been fighting (with the aid o f his three
com panions) to rescue his city and his wife from the enem y and had been
victorious.
114 - 19 . A gam em non seeks to justify his request for information by rem ind
ing A m phim edon that he is a (cf. 104 .). T h e poet assumes here, as
at xi 447-8, that in collecting allies for the cam paign against T ro y
A gam em non had com e t o .Ithaca, stayed in the house o f his old friend
M elaneus, and had from there established his relationship with O dysseus;
cf. Finley, World, 119. It is not certain to w hat extent the story here is
influenced by a pre-Iliadic version o f the legend. T h e old saga (or pre-
Iliadic epic) w ould have included an embassy to Ithaca (as to the other
A chaean chiefs), but it is far less certain whether A gam em n on w ou ld have
been nam ed as leader, or m em ber, o f this and sim ilar missions. T h e
relationship o f hospitality between A gam em non and M elaneus is certainly
an invention o f the author of the Odyssey (cf. 102-40.), an d the post-
H om eric Cypria appears to know only of an em bassy consisting o f
372
B O O K X X I V 105-121
M enelaus, Nestor, and Palam edes; cf. Procl. Ckr., 103, 25-7 A llen = 22
Kullm ann.
114 . O n H 4 b cf. i 187: . . . * tivat. : (in the non-
religious context) (proudly, solem nly, firmly) m aintain ; cf. L . C .
M uellner, The Meaning of Homeric through its Formulas (Innsbruck,
1978). 83-8.
115. . . as at I I xv i8 a etc. 77 oO (synizesis!). )
(contracted) for expected ( I i xxi 442). : c f i 176. and bibl.
T h e discovery of M yc. do-de /d-de/ into the house on T h eb an linear B
tablets (T H O f 26 for example) has thrown new light on the genesis o f the
H om eric form; cf. VL Lejeune, Studi micenei ed egeo-anaiolici xvii (1976),
79- 84
116-17. n 6 h = viii 5 i8 b. 117s = xi 372s1; 11715 = viii 5oob. It is not clear w hat
MeveXdco belongs with: connecting it with (and
) presupposes M enelaus participation in the em bassy (first
recorded in the Cypria \ cf. 11417 .); b u t taking it with produces a
rather im precise effect. Perhaps w e should assume w ith Stssel, op. cit.
(Introd.), 67-8 , a construction .
118 - 19 . L in e 118 presents considerable difficulties; cf. latterly Stssel, op. cit.
(Introd.), 229. T h e reading p3given in all m anuscripts (even P.) m ust be
preferred to Aristarchus reading (cf. schol, on II. x 48), favoured by von der
M h ll, , w hich is surely a conjecture designed to avoid the awkward
dative . T h is dative is best explained by Chantraine, Grammaire,
ii 76, as a comitative dative (of time), en un mois entier ; som ewhat differ
ently by Palm er, Companion, 135, as instrum ental , originally b y means
o f . is difficult to understand, and possibly corrupt (Schwartz, Odys
see, 332; von der M hll, ad loc.); on the older attempts at em endation cf.
A m eis-H en tze, Anhang, iv 102. L in e 118 probably means that A ga
m em non and his com panions had taken a m onth altogether ( ?) over
their mission, the journ ey to Ithaca, the stay there (with the difficult task of
persuading O dysseus to take part in the campaign), and the return
journ ey; a similar interpretation is given in A m eis-H e n tze-C a u er, and
Stanford, ad loc. It is im probable, as some have suggested, that the period
refers only to . : A ttic ?, both from
*oApos- : (for evpvv) as at II. vi 291, ix 72, an artificial
form ation m odelled on t v (i 197); cf. K , W itte, RE viii, 2225,
22367; Hoekstra, Modifications, 112. 119 a =//. xxiii 37*. :
(only) with difficulty . : redupl. aor, of ,
w in over, prevail upon (cf. xxii 213). 1 ig b = xviii 356b.
120. - 35, 191.
121 - 90 , A m ph im edon s reply.
121 - = x i 397; II. ii 434, etc. T h is form ulaic line of solem n address, omitted
from som e M SS, has been regarded by some as a late interpolation; cf.
A m eis-H en tze, Anhang, iv 102, and latterly von der M h ll. T h e repeated
address o f 122, pe<f>s> is indeed striking, but not in fact without
parallel; cf. xi .92-3, 473_4 j 6 17 -18 . Furtherm ore 121 is very close to
373
COMMENTARY
374
B O O K X X I V 121-128
375
COM M ENTARY
376
B O O K X X I V 128-158
ing to the indications given elsewhere in the poem between the discovery
of Penelope s deception and the appearance of the hero. T h is is quite
understandable in view of the poets intention to ailow A m phim edon to
relate the events from his own standpoint. T h e suitor omits the lapse of
time betw een the two events, and so omits any m ention of the phase in
which he and his com panions established themselves in O dysseus house
and squandered his possessions, and thus clearly put themselves in the
w rong (cf. Erbse, Beitrge, 236-7). A m phim edon thus shifts attention away
from the outrage com m itted b y the suitors, and implies that the fault lay
m ainly w ith Penelope, w ho had for so long kept the suitors at arm s length
by her ruses. It is undoubtedly true that the older saga did closely associate
in time the com pletion o f the shroud and the return of Odysseus, but the
idea that the poet here deliberately echoes the earlier version of the story, or
even quotes from the older w ork (as suggested for exam ple by W oodhouse,
Composition, 70 -1, and Lesky, Homeros, 116), is hardly convincing. T h e
suitor gives his own version o f events as he rem em bers them, and in order
to present him self in the best light. T h is is also true with regard to another
detail o f his story, w here he speaks of a conspiracy betw een the couple over
the trial of the bow, in other words bringing forward the reunion of
O dysseus and Penelope to a tim e before the trial o f the bow (167-9). Here
too there can b e no question of the poet drawing on an earlier form of the
story (as M erkelbach suggests, Untersuchungen, 7). A s Finsler, Homer ii 438,
correctly emphasizes, the w hole episode m ust have seem ed to the suitor on
reflection to have been pre-arranged b y the couple. C f. further Bona, Studi,
123; H . Vester, Gymnasium Ixxv (1968), 429; T hornton, People, 106-8;
Eisenberger, Studien, 272 n. ig.
147 . eu: ju st as . : here w eb (cf. 139, 145).
149 . : introduces the m ain clause. ----- : cf.
O . Tsagarakis, Nature and Background of Major Concepts of Divine Power in
Homer (Am sterdam , 1977), 1 1 1 12. T h e is because it has
brought the suitors to an evil end.
150- 3 . 150 ~ iv 517; 152* = iv 33b; i52b = viii 44511, xiii 425b; 153 ~ xvi 169.
Aristarchus considered the passage suspect: o -
v ; It is futile to ask where A m phim edon
acquired his knowledge: the poet sim ply attributes this (accurate) piece of
information to him. T h e similarity of w ording (150 ~ 1V517 etc.) is perhaps
intended once more to draw attention to the contrasting fates of Odysseus
and A gam em non. : O dysseus and T elem achus. -
vavre: having prepared/planned .
154 - 5 . t o i . . . . . cf. xxiii 113 .
155 . -X X U 400 .
156 . i5b = xxiii 95b.
157 . = xvi 273, xvii 202, 337.
158 . = xvii 203, 338. Since with S A epi e'crro the line
repeats the formulation of 156 in an alm ost intoler
able way, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion of F. A . W o lf that 158 should
377
COMMENTARY
be excised; the identical xvii 203 and 338 are, however, unobjectionable.
T h e origin of the interpolation has been plausibly accounted for by Stssel,
op. cit. (Introd.), 73. For the older literature see A m eis-H en tze, Anhang, iv
103. T h e authenticity o f the line has also been questioned by von der
M h ll and Schadewaldt.
159 . : (as also at 170 and elsewhere; cf. , xxi 318 etc.) is a
purely poetic form with metrical lengthening ( < ); cf. Chantraine,
Grammaire, 1271. : that it was this man (: demonstr.); cf.
xxiii 116.
160 . i6 o b = 2 g b.
161 . : from -, rebuke, threat5; - < *-fywip ; a later form
is ; cf. Frisk, G E W , and Chantraine, Dictionnaire s.v. vtmj; scold,
abuse, threaten . : refers to the three missiles thrown at
O dysseus, xvii 462 ff., xviii 394fr., xx 299fr.
162 - 3 . ttjos: (synizesis): for a period o f tim e5, is N aucks conjecture; it
w ould be better to retain the unanim ously transmitted (with
synizesis) : it is unlikely that an original was replaced in the course
o f transmission by ros ; cf. Chantraine, Grammaire, i n . H ow ever it is
possible that the form ulaic usage reflects a pre-Hom eric prototype *
. . . ; cf. Hoekstra, Modifications, 345. : ( here
endure) to be taken with (= iv 459b etc.), and
with vt (= x ix 573b).
164- 6 . A m ph im edon describes the concealm ent o f weapons in the store
room , planned by O dysseus and Telem achus a tx v i 281-98, but som ewhat
differently carried out at xix 1-4 6 (cf. the convincing argum ents of Erbse,
Beitrge, 3 -4 1). H e had not witnessed this himself, but, like M elanthius
(xxii 139-41), he had, as one o f the suitors caught in the hall, drawn the
right conclusion. H e is also correct in his general assumption o f divine
support (164 - II. xv 242), although it was in fact Athena, not Zeus, w ho
stood by O dysseus side with counsel and aid (xvi 282, xix 6, 34-5). O n
1656 cf. xvi 2845; a . . . | -
, and further 4, 17 T h e closing of the door (
: he bolted the door5) is not mentioned in xix. M ore precise technical
details o f the m echanism o f bolts are given in xxi 46-50. Cf. R . F. Willetts,
H om eric D oors ,
(. ) (1971/2), 3 5 -4 1
167- 77 . A m ph im edo n s account of the trial of the bow (recounted in full in
xxi) is brief, but contains all the essential points. T h e speaker is mistaken
only in his perception o f how the contest cam e about: he assumes that
O dysseus was responsible, whereas the competition was planned and
launched by Penelope (xix 5 7 3 -8 1; xxi 1 if); and he supposes a collabora
tion between Penelope and her husband (cf. rjaiv, 167), thus
im plying a reunion before the trial. T h e suitor was indeed boun d to have
gained the impression that the action had been deliberately plotted by the
pair with the express intention o f bringing about the suitors death; cf. 14 9 -
90n. T h e analytical approach o f W ilam owitz, Untersuchungen, 59,
3
7
B O O K X X I V 1 5 8- 1 87
379
COMMENTARY
188 . : (on the form cf. 122.; on the striking length of the first
syllable cf. Hoekstra, Modifications, 91 n. 2) here used in an absolute sense,
they do not know at all .
1 8 9 . P p to v : on the origin of the secondary, specialized m eaning blood from
a w ou n d (hapax in the Odyssey, often in the Iliad, e.g. vii 425) cf. Leum ann,
Wrter, 124-6. : in the Odyssey only here and xix 456 (here
with synizesis -) w ounds , not norm ally used o f a w ound from a missile;
cf. H . T r m py, Kriegerische Fachausdrcke im griechischen Epos (diss. Basle,
1950), 93 i however, cf. II xviii 351, xix 25; cf. Bergold, op. cit. ( n - i 4 n . ) , 159
n. 2. T h e etym ology is obscure, cf. Chantraine, Dictionnaire s.v.
190 . 190h = IL xxiii 9b etc. : sc. , cf. 44.
y o d o ie v : uncontracted (cf. II. xxiv 664 ) cf. Chantraine, Gram-
maire, i 78; Shipp, Studies, 37.
191 - 204 . T h e scene in the underw orld closes with a speech from
A gam em non, 192-202. It is o f great significance, on various counts. From
the com positional point o f view the speech completes the outward
structure o f the conversation between the spirits in H ades; it is also the goal
to w hich the conversation has been heading. It follows on from two pairs of
speeches balanced against each other in terms of subject and num ber of
lines accorded to each: 11:6 2 (A chilles: Agam em non); 14 :70 (Aga
m em non : A m phim edon). T h e first exchange contrasted the inglorious
death of A gam em non with the glorious end o f Achilles; the second
exchange culm inates in the indirect celebration of the hom ecom ing of
Odysseus. T h e final speech from A gam em non functions as a kind of
sum m ary: the of O dysseus not only far excels the fearful fate of the
victorious com m ander A gam em non; it even surpasses the heroic destiny o f
the m an w ho w on undying fam e at the cost of an early death. T h e parallel
ism between A gam em n o n s greeting to Achilles (oA tue, 36) and
the same hero s address to O dysseus ( , 192) makes the
contrast particularly clear. A gam em n on s celebration of O dysseus fate,
recalling as it does A chilles words of 24-34, and A gam em n on s reply
(95~7)) significantly takes the indirect form of eulogy of the wife whose
unexam pled has until this point hardly been praised directly and in
so m any words. T h e fact that the poet chooses to put this com m endation
into the m outh o f A gam em non is particularly important: in the first nekuia
the same hero had been moved by his experience of Clytaem estra to
recom m end suspicion towards all women. Even Penelope had not been
entirely excepted (xi 4 2 7 -3 4 , 4 4 1 - 3 , 454-6). Finally we cannot fail to notice
how A gam em n o n s speech acts as the climax of the contrasting treatment
of the fates of the two families, which has been a leitmotiv throughout the
w ork from the very opening of i. Cf. W oodhouse, Composition, 205-7,
232-3; Hlscher, op. cit. (1-2 0 4 n.), 116; Thornton, People, 7-10 ; Erbse,
Beitrge, 232-3; Fenik, Studies, 148-9.
191 . = 3 5. T h e form ulaic line is unusual here because it names A m p h i
m edon (Tor) as the listener to w hom the speech is addressed, whereas in
fact it introduces a speech directed to the absent son of Laertes.
B O O K X X I V 188-205
192. T h e line recalls 36, not only b y its identical opening, , bu t also by
the em phatic formality of the address occupying the w hole hexameter,
: with two syllables is hapax.
193 . : the sense dem ands that it be taken w ith ,
not . T h is is an unusual construction; cf. Shipp, Studies, 360.
194 - 6 . . . . : with a double exclamation A gam em non gives the
reasons for his statement at 192. : recalls iii 266, w here
Nestor says of Clytaem estra that she . . . . . . ;
cf. iii 266. : cf. xi 4 3
196 . i9b - II ii 325b, vii 9 ib.
197 - 8 . s: picks up the them e of . . . .
: the clause amplifies and justifies the earlier -clause: the
of Penelope w ill b e im m ortalized in song. It is significant for the
poet s conception that here the gods are nam ed as the authors of the song
to Penelope: they inspire the earthly poets. O n the other hand the poet is
w ell aware o f the worth o f his own achievement: his own w ill be
im m ortal alongside the of Penelope. : (sub
stantive here as at xvii 115) loc. dat., am ong m ankind . T h e m eaning o f
is em phasized by the contrasted statement (199-201)
that a w ill be the portion of Clytaem estra throughout
m ankind ( , 201 ~ , 197). T h e w ill be
because it w ill speak of evil deeds ( a); correspondingly,
the attribute surely also refers to the content, the bringing
jo y because it describes jo yfu l things; cf. Latacz, op. cit. (xxiii 13 .), .
199 . : introduces an elliptical expression. T h e m eaning is that she
did not behave like the daughter o f Tyndareus, who . . Sim ilar construc
tions are found in xx 426, II xix 403, and frequently later in Attic prose; cf.
Shipp, Studies, 301 and 360, : Clytaem estra; cf. xi
298304. O n the form for cf. Chantraine, Gram-
maire, i 197; for a theory on the m orphology and etym ology of the nam e see
A . H eubeck, A m phiaraos , Die Sprache xiv (1971), 8-22, esp. 2 1-2 . O n
ig g b cf. , 11. 157b>^ 253b
200-2. 202 = x i 434 . . . | . . cf. R uijgh, re pique, 696; the
conjecture b y Schwartz, Odyssee, 333, S , 2, is superfluous,
: evil reputation . : here will attach .
203- 5 . 203 = xxiii 288 etc. 204b - II. xxii 482**. ' . . . : with
this formulation, so characteristic of development of the story line in
H om er, the change of scene is clearly m arked; 2034 draw to a conclusion
the scene in the underworld (1-202), while 205 ff. bring the story back to
events on earth, which the poet had abandoned at xxiii 372, O n the
technique of occupying a period lacking incident, e.g. the m arking of time
. spent on a journey, with description o f events elsewhere, cf. xxiii 366-72
and xxiv 1204 nn. : the dual refers to A gam em non and
A m phim edon; on the form cf. xxiii 46.
205- 412 . T h is episode, w hich reaches a clim ax in the reunion of O dysseus
and Laertes, forms the central section of xxiv. T h is scene has been carefully
381
COMMENTARY
prepared long in advance: thus critics who, doubting the authenticity o f the
w hole of the conclusion (xxiii 297-xxiv 548), regard the episode as a post-
H om eric interpolation, must also remove as spurious the m ajority of those
passages w hich clearly have the function of preparing for this encounter.
T h is is o f course hardly practical, and indeed it would be most surprising if
after all the described by the poet in such detail in the
second half o f the epic he did not include a reunion of Odysseus with his
father, an episode w hich is m ost effective in the form o f a recognition scene.
T h e fact that the scene is presented in such detail, and with a poetic quality
no less than that evident in the recognition scenes with son and wife, is also
evidence o f authenticity. W e cannot discuss here in any great detail the
various interpretations which have been placed on this scene, nor the
reasons for questioning its authenticity: w e must refer the reader to the
bibliography given in the Introduction, and to the discussion of individual
passages.
Laertes is frequently m entioned in the poem, although, o f the twenty-
one passages in w hich he is named, the only significant ones are those in
which the poet clearly intends to give us, by means o f a series o f interlock
ing snippets of information, a provisional general picture o f the man: his
outward circumstances, appearance, and state of m ind a picture which
the description of xxiv confirms and completes; cf., am ong others, W . B.
Stanford, Hermathena vi (1965), 10; Thornton, People, 11516; W ender, op.
cit. (Introd.), 57-60. In this connection we should m ention the following
passages: i 188-94; ii 96-102 (= x ix 14 1-7 = x x iv 13 1-7 ); iv 110 -1 2 , 7 3 5 -
41; xi 187-96; xv 3 53 -7; xvi 117-2 0 , 137-45 Finally, the jo u rn ey to the
farm is carefully prepared by xvi 138 and especially xxiii 137-40.
205 . T h e line is taken with only m inor alterations from 11. xxiv 329;
is retained, although strictly speaking it is suited only to the context o f the
Iliad because here there is no question of anyone 'going dow n ; -
atvetv must m ean here (like , xi 188) m erely go to . O n the
other hand Trthiovfr has been deliberately altered to
; there have already been m any references to Laertes' ayps (i 190,
xi 188, xxiii 139, 359). : Odysseus and his companions.
!: S introduces the main clause (as at xix 330, xx 57, xxii 217).
206 . : this participle used usually o f buildings or parts of build
ings (w ell constructed5), is used here o f the , here, then, (well)
cultivated5.
207 . : (used elsewhere of Laertes: - , ii 102 = xix
14 7 = xxiv 137): gained, acquired ownership o f5; cf. II xvi 57: Soiyh
- sc. . T h e exact sense is disputed (cf. Stanford, ad loc.);
but it clearly means that with his own hands and with great effort Laertes
has brought a piece o f land into cultivation, and so m ade it his own
property (in addition to his rqucvos) (cf. W . Richter, Archaeologia H, 12 with
n. 49); this m ust have been at the beginning o f his reign since he was able to
show his young son the trees planted there, and to give him some o f them
(cf. 336-44). O n the description o f the farm which follows, and which
382
BOOK XXIV 305-212
recalls in m any respects the description of Eum aeus1 homestead (xiv 4.-28),
cf. M ller, op. cit. (Introd.); Richter, op. cit., 24-5.
208 . : probably m eans here the w hole farm yard. vi (hapax)
was obscure even to A ristarchus (cf. van der Valk, Textual Criticism, 114);
D orotheus of A skalon is said to have devoted a w hole book to this one word
in his : and m odern scholars too have com e to no definite
answer; cf. A m eisH entze, Anhang, iv 104; Richter, op. cit. (207 .), 24;
Erbse, Beitrge, 199-200; Frisk, GEW\ and Chantraine, Dictionnaire s.v.
, m ay refer to an outhouse for the farmhands, built round
(scil. round th. ^?). probably replaces an older (but still
H om eric?) form *; cf. Chantraine, Grammaire, i 249; Risch, Wort
bildung, 358.
209 . : (hapax) they were accustom ed to eat ; on the form cf.
P. W athelet, loc. cit. (xxiii 945 .). : see Chantraine,
Grammaire, i 316.
210. : the exact m eaning of the expression, found only
here, is disputed; cf. the list of explanations to date in Stssel, op. cit.
(Introd.), 87-8; specifically on cf. G . R am m ing, Die Dienerschaft in der
Odyssee (diss. Erlangen/N urem berg, 1973), 318; G . W ickert-M icknat,
Unfreiheit im homerischen Zeitalter (W iesbaden, 1983), 155_ 9 W e have here
probably not m en w ho have experienced the (ll. xvi 836),
i.e. w ho have lost their freedom by bein g captured in war, but free citizens
in reduced circum stances due to debt or loss of their , and therefore
obliged to earn their living in the service of another; cf. W ickert-M icknat,
op. cit, 171. A similar expression is to be found at 499:
. ro t : w ho carried out his wishes;
w ho worked for him .
2 11. $ : we discover now that the old servant nam ed at i 191
(, probably a purchased slave) comes from Sicily; only later
(386-90) do w e also learn that she is the wife of the servant mentioned soon
afterwards (222), D olius (first introduced at iv 735). T h e poetic technique of
77-a/oaAewretv varcpov is particularly clear here. T h e fact that
Sicily and the western M editerranean beyond lay well within the poets
horizons is shown by the frequency with w hich the island is nam ed
( , xxiv 307; also , xx 383, xxiv 366, 389). A s w e know from
reliable historical reports (e.g. the founding o f Syracuse in 733 b c ) and
archaeological finds, the Greeks formed close links with the W est by the
beginning of the 8th century at the latest, and soon founded colonies; cf, T . J.
D u nbabin, The Western Greeks (Oxford, 1948); A . Schenk G raf v. Stauffen-
berg, Trinakria und Grossgriechenland (M unich, 1963), 3 5 1-4 et passim;
A . H eubeck, Archaeologia X , 82 (with bibl.). Here, as in other places (as, for
instance, in his references to the Phoenicians) the poet projects back into the
heroic w orld the ideas and conditions o f his own time; cf. Stssel, op. cit.
(Introd.), 88-91. treX ev:she was in charge. : Laertes.
212 . 212* ~ vii 256 etc.; 2i2 b = i i85b. T h e iterative form is found
elsewhere only at 390.
COMMENTARY
213 - 18 . W ith a short speech Odysseus dispatches his son and the herdsmen
Eum aeus and Philoetius ( , 213) into the o f the farm. So the
poet sets the scene for O dysseus and his father to m eet alone, with an
obvious similarity to the scene at xiv 528. T h ere too O dysseus is at first to
be alone with Eum aeus; to that end the poet has all four servants o f the
herdsman occupied outside the house at the time o f O dysseus arrival.
215 . Sei/rrvov: (acc.) is used as a predicative ('as a m eal) o f the object os
n s aptOTos-
216 - 18 . O d y sseu s. announces his intention to 'put his father to the test
( + gen.), and at 2 17 -18 explains his reason and the (ostensible)
purpose o f this 'trial : he wishes to know whether, after this long separa
tion, his father will recognize him. T his test has been frequently criticized
as cruel and unnecessary, e,g. b y W ilam owitz, Heimkehr, 82; von der
M hll, Odyssee, 766; R. v. Scheliha, Patroklos (Basle, 1943), 19-20; Kirk,
Songs, 250. T h e occasional attempts to justify O dysseus action, on the
grounds that it is in his nature to test everything (cf. for exam ple Focke,
Odyssee, 378; J. T . Kakridis, Homer Revisited (Lund, 1971), 160 -1; Stanford,
ad 116 -18 ) are hardly convincing. T h e subsequent narrative, however,
shows that although O dysseus carries out the as announced, the
purpose is actually quite different from that given: the ostensible reason
stated turns out to have been only a (necessary) pretext, as O dysseus can
not, and does not wish to, reveal the true purpose o f his to his
com panions. T his w ill be a most unusual , the m eaning o f which
only becom es clear from the interpretation of the recognition scene; it is
m ost certainly not a test .
217 . tie . . . : used in a double question only here; elsewhere is
always used. T h e aorist subjunctives } and (short
vowels; cf. Chantraine, Grammaire, i 454) have a future m eaning w hen used
with . : 'recognize with ones eyes.
218 . 2i8 b = xix 23ib. : on the unusual metrical lengthening
(-01- < --) cf. W yatt, Lengthening, 168. Schwyzer, Grammatik, i 661,
correctly conjectured that -rjat has replaced H om eric - in transmission
(following W ackem agel); cf. A . H eubeck, Archaeologia X , 110 n. 595.
$ : here 'apart, aw ay ; cf. LfgrE 688. 78.
219 . 2 ig a = vi 71*. T h is is not a distribution of weapons, as M erkelbach,
Untersuchungen, 154, supposes; O dysseus hands the weapons w hich he had
donned at xxiii 366 to the servants to.take into the house. H e does not wish
to m eet his father armed; cf. Erbse, Beitrge, 98; Eisenberger, Studien, 3 tg.
221. : here with gen. (), 'nearer to. :
recalls the y o w s m entioned in i 193 and xi 193 as the
place w here Laertes is accustom ed to spend his time; on cf. i 193 .
^ : obscure; used elsewhere with gen., acc., or inf., here it is used
absolutely, and cannot have its usual m eaning (test, try, prove); the m ean
ing is probably that O dysseus goes into the garden to see if he can find his
father there.
222 . T h e sim ple epic form o f expression used in similar situations elsewhere
384
B O O K X X I V 213-222
386
B O O K X X I V 222-235
387
COMMENTARY
reach a specific goal (d>s . . . + opt.; cf. 11. ii 3 -4); a third possibility is also
raised by the use of w ith infinitive, w here there is hardly any
question of deliberation since a sim ply means then I cam e to the
decision1; cf x 151, 438. Lines 235-40, transmitted alm ost without variant,
present a striking, and most unusual, contam ination o f different construc
tions, w ith governing three closely related infinitives, but
attached to it an + opt. clause. W hile m any interpreters regard this
un usual com bination as a justifiable exception (van der Valk, Textual Criti
cism, 217; Chantraine, Grammatte, ii 296) or as intentional on the part o f the
author (Erbse, Beitrge, 200-2), w e should in this case consider very care
fully w hether w e have here an interpolation, albeit a very early one, which
owes its origin to the m odel provided by iv 1 1 7 -1 9 (iv 117 = xxiv 235; iv
119 = x x iv 238; but cf. also xxiii 85-7) w here a n orm al1 construction with
77 . . . is involved; as suggested by A. N auck, A . Kirchhoff, van Leeuw en,
V . Brard, W ilam owitz (Heimkehr, 8 . 3), V oigt (op. cit., 367), von der
M h ll ( Odyssee, 766); Stssel (op. cit. (Introd.), 96-7). If w e assume that we
have here an interpolation, the difficulties both of construction and o f the
sequence of thought disappear. It is entirely reasonable that M enelaus
should consider w hether to leave the initiative to Telem achus, to m ention
his father, or whether he should question him, and him self test him in
detail (iv. 119), the equivalent second alternative in xxiv 238 does not m ake
a great deal o f sense. W hat does . . . m ean here? A bove
all it is not up to the new arrival (in xxiv, O dysseus), but to the host to do
the questioning; thus Penelope is right to consider this course when faced
. with O dysseus at xxiii 86 ( . . . e^epeeivoi); and in xxiv it is
Laertes who directs the decisive questions to the unknow n stranger,
7 ; - ; (298). Finally the effect is truly
. poignant when Odysseus, overcome by the pitiful sight of his father (226-
31), thinks ( aorist!) to give w ay to his first impulse, and directly
introduce him self w ithout any prior (216). W e therefore assume that
in this passage the third of the three types m entioned above is present.
236 . : em brace1.
237 . T h e optative in indirect statement ( ) is, as has been earlier
observed (cf. A m eis-H en tze, Anhang, iv 105; Page, Odyssey, 104; Shipp,
Studies, 361) quite unparalleled in H om eric epic. It is questionable whether
the difficulty can be avoided by taking the w s-clause as an indirect
question (how he . . . ; cf. Palmer, Companion, 158; Chantraine, Gram-
maire, ii 224; Erbse, Beitrge, 200-1; W ender, op. cit. (Introd.), 46). It is
probably more reasonable to assume that the poet thoughtlessly trans
ferred to the quite different context of xxiv 236 the construction of xvii
539 = xvi 384, in which the optative (after d ) is quite correct (. , .
4 )', cf. . Tagliaferro, Helikon xi/xii (1971/2), 474 82.
239 - 40 . T h e formulaic 239 (= x 153 etc.; on similar expressions cf. Voigt, op.
cit. (235-40n.), 38-9) introduces the conclusion to which the decision
scene has com e (here 240); also (unlike, for example, , II. xvi
715) points forward: (to act) in the following m anner1. I f our rejection o f
388
B O O K X X I V 235-2 44
389
COMM ENTARY
390
B O O K X X I V 244-261
251 . T h e particular point of this sentence here gives rise to a most unusual
construction, with regard to the double use o f oil: the first ov negates only
the expression ve/ri, w hile the second ov negates the w hole clause.
T h e m eaning is that it cannot be for any laziness on your part that your
master does not allow you proper care (cf. , 245, 249) ; cf.
Chantraine, Grammaire, ii 337. : (hapax), regularly derived
with the abstract suffix - from depys (xix 27), like (xxii 374)
from (xviii 54); cf. Erbse, Beitrge, 208. -t- has metrical
lengthening; there is no cause to postulate an older form *; cf.
W yatt, Lengthening, 16 0 -1; Risch, Wortbildung, 116 . 130.
252- 3 . . . . : (hapax) (Nothing of a slave) appears in yo u ,
: (hapax) the usual adjective is -vos (SovXtos, xiv, 340 etc.); -top
can sometimes be replaced for metrical reasons by -to$, w hich was origin
ally restricted to adjectives derived from metrical objects; cf. besides
SouAeios also , and others; Risch, Wortbildung, 132 It is
not possible here to explain it as a D oric form (Shipp, Studies, 362).
: a loosely attached infinitive (w hen one looks at yo u ),
: (cf. v 217 etc.) an acc. o f respect; cf. Bechert, op. cit.
(xxiii 5 .), 404. 253b (= II. iii i70h) is the positive com plem ent to 252-3.
254- 5 . : (the unanim ous reading) is syntactically not impossible: you
look like someone (to w hom it w ou ld be m ore appropriate) . . . to sleep in a
soft b e d ; cf. Chantraine, Grammaire, ii 302. Bentleys conjecture
seems, however, to fit better, and it has w on alm ost universal acceptance
(even by Chantraine, ad loc.). T h e m eaning then w ou ld be: it w ou ld be
more appropriate for such a m an (as y o u ) . . . to sleep . T h e point of the
passage, which (with the possible exception o f eoi) is certainly not
corrupt (despite Stanford, ad loc.), becom es clear w hen we recall xi 18895,
w hich describes the actual conditions in w hich Laertes sleeps. T h e unusual
optative in the ewei-clause evidently has here less of a potential m eaning
(Palmer, Companion ,1 7 1 ) than an iterative sense; but a proper parallel for this
use, later so com m on, is not to be found am ong the examples cited b y C h an
traine, Grammaire, ii 224-5. 255b is altered for m etrical reasons from
ari (II. iv 3 2 3 ,1x422; cf. also Od. xxiv 190, 296, etc.).
256 . - i 169 etc.
257 . T h e first part of the speech ends with the question, w ho is Laertes
master? : (= ) is to be taken with ; cf. the formulaic
half line , vii 238 etc.
258 . = i 174 etc. T h e form ulaic line introduces the second part of the speech,
which begins with O dysseus second question ( ').
259 . T h e m eaning is: whether this country (), where I have arrived, is
really (: adv.) Ithaca ; cf. xiii 328.
260 . : the m an there , : ju st now .
261 - 4 . 262 ~ xix g8b, 264 = iv 834. : (hapax) is probably a
com pound of the type , form ed like and ; cf.
Bechtel, Lexilogus, 261; Risch, Wortbildung, 192; Erbse, Beitrge, 2078;
LfgrE s.v. F or the m eaning cf. , 553; i-e approx.
391
COMMENTARY
392
B O O K X X I V 361-286
3
93
COMMENTARY
394
B O O K X X I V 286-304
crew), after setting you down (trans. aor. ), sailed away (intrans.
aor. )?* O n this clearly intentional and quite legitim ate play
on w ords cf. Erbse, Beitrge, 212 (who argues against Page, Odyssey,
109). In fact w ith the second alternative Laertes has hit on the right
answer.
302. = v 214 () etc.
303- 14 . O dysseus replies w ith a form ulaic introduction (303 - i 179 etc.). He
answer Laertes questions in reverse order: 304-8 respond to 298-301 (the
third section), 309-13* to 288 (from the second section), and 3 i3 b- i 4 to the
thought behind 282-6 (the first section).
304- 6 . T h e names given in this fictitious biography are improvised on the
spur o f the mom ent, and are obviously m eant to be seen through and
decoded, not so m uch by Laertes, w ho does not react to them, but by the
audience. : the stranger comes from , a fictitious
place, thought b y ancient scholars to be in South Italy (= M etapontum ),
probably because the island of is nam ed in 307, and because of
other place-names in M agn a G raecia formed with -- such as ,
(?). Behind the form, and the m etrical scheme (i.e. the place-
nam e ( , oBev . . ., II. ii 857) and the personal
nam e ( B 5 . . ., xv 426). T h e choice of name
m ay have been suggested by : O dysseus is the par
excellence, cf. Stanford, ad loc.; Erbse, Beitrge, 101. Thornton, People, 117,
on the other hand, thinks o f . : the fictitious nam e of
the stranger, should certainly not b e connected with pts etc. (as suggested
by, am ong others, Finsler, Homer, a 440; Erbse, Beitrge, 101); it is
ultim ately identical with arch, , picked, chosen5 (X. H G vii 4); cf.
also L acon. (T h . viii 28) In. , (sc. :
Hes. Op. 511), all from the root dpi-, count5; cf. Leum ann, Wrter, 246-7;
R u ijgh, lment, 16 1 -2 . : the name of the father,
, is form ed by analogy with, on the one hand, (II. xiii 691;
cf. also , xiv 361; on w hich cf. Risch, Wortbildung, 230) and, on the
other, - ( I i xii 140), - ( I i ii 823 etc.). It is not clear whether
the poet was thinking here of the man w ho did not spare5 the suitors, or o f
one who does not spare his property5, i.e. generous5; cf., am ong others,
W ilam owitz, Heimkehr, 70 n. 1; B .M a d e r, LfgrE s.v. ,-
: the m eaning of the nam e given to the grandfather is equally
problem atic. T h e unanim ously attested form m akes us think of the one
w ho has suffered m uch5 (so interpreted by Thornton, People, 117); but
C o b ets conjecture that the transmitted form conceals (cf.
, owning m uch property5, II. iv 433; abbreviated form
, II xxiv 250) - , is very attractive; on the details cf.
W ilam owitz, Untersuchungen, 70 n. 1; Am eis-H entze, Anhang, iv 107;
Bechtel, Lexihgus, 2 81-2; H . v. K am ptz, Homerische Personennamen (diss.
Jena, 1956; repr. Gttingen, 1982), 26a; Erbse, Beitrge, 101; Risch, Wort
bildung, 52 and 148; Ghantraine, Dictionnaire s.v. . O n the
form ulaic word-order of 305 (similarly, for example, I I ii 625, Od. xviii 299,
395
COMM ENTARY
396
B O O K X X I V 304-360
397
COMMENTARY
39
B O O K X X I V 321-345
399
COMMENTARY
form ulaic phrase (345 = iv 703, v 297,406, xxii 68, 11. xxi 144), which always
denotes com plete m ental and physical effects induced by a deeply disturb
in g situation or piece o f news, b ut which does not in other cases result in
fainting. T h e addition o f 346, hpwever, recalls in particular Penelope s
reaction to O dysseus nam ing the secret of the bed, xxiii 205-6 (= xx iv
345-6) O dysseus father reacts in the same w ay as she had done, but more
dram atically, since he actually loses consciousness (cf. 348-9).
345- 6 . Cf. xxiii 2 0 5-6 n.
347 - 8 . 347a = xv 38*. T h e passage (sc. approx, ) j
(took, seized) is taken from I t xxi 507 with the addition o f -
as required by the context. Active is unique in Hom er.
W hereas m iddle (II. xi 621, xxi 561, xxii 2; on the details cf,
LSJ s.v.), w ith as its object, is connected with , and means to
cool off the sweat, active means roughly to lose consciousness
()\ like , IL xxii 467; cf. Erbse, Beitrge, 216.
349 . T h e very sim ilar v 458 (~ 1 1 xxii 475) describes strength returning to
O dysseus after he had collapsed in total exhaustion (, ,
; ) on the shore. T h e repetition o f the line here shows
that Laertes collapse is only tem porary (cf. 245-500.). Laertes soon
recovers his breath ( as at IL v 697; xxii 475; cf. R uijgh, lment,
134), and his strength () returns (). O n the term inology and its
m eaning, cf., am ong others, B. Snell, op. cit. (315.), 17-4 2, and the
literature given in H eubeck, Frage, 188-9.
350 . = iv 234 ~ xix 214.
351 - 5 . Laertes responds now to his sons news given at 324-6. H is words are
prefaced by an invocation of Zeus and the other O lym pians, w hich
expresses the n ew spirit of the Odyssey. Laertes sees the retribution on the
suitors as an act o f divine justice, an expression of a far-reaching theodicy;
cf. W . Burkert, RMus ciii (i960), 130-44, esp. 141; Friedrich, Stikoandel,
135. A t the same tim e his words at 3 53 -5 also show that he has seen the
point of his sons counsel in 324-6 to m ake haste ( , 324).
351 . F or followed by pi. cf. xx 98.
352 . T his line responds to 325-6. ctcov : here adverbial.
353 . 353a = 11. i 555 etc. Laertes fears the vengeance of the suitors kinsmen,,
ju st as O dysseus had done, xx 4 1-3 , xxiii 117 -2 2 (cf. n.), 137-40, 362-5,
xxiv 324.
354 . : here denotes specifically the families of the suitors.
355 . : cf. 208. : here dispatch (in haste). T h e use
o f the verb with dyycAtas means that w e probably have here not
, a m essage, but , a messenger . O n the m orpho
logically strange formation of from the older (and regular)
in the course o f the epic tradition cf. Leum ann, Wrter, 168-73;
B. Forssman, Mnchner Studien zur Sprachwissenschaft xxxii (1974), 4 164;
H . Erbse, in Le Mondegrec: Hommage Claire Praux (Brussels, 1972; 1978s),
68-74. : the form has raised objections (cf. W ilam owitz,
Untersuchungen, 73), but should not have done. It is m odelled on II. ii 6316
400
B O O K X X I V 3 45 -3 7 6
401
COMMENTARY
situations N estor had expressed the wish that his youthful strength could
be restored, and retold the story o f one of his earlier exploits as an exam ple
to inspire his listeners {II. vii 132-57; xi 670-762; xxiii 62943). T h e close
connection with the Iliadic m odel is am ply illustrated by the borrowing of
376 word for w ord from II. vii 132. T h e difference between the situation
here and the three com parable scenes with Nestor is that Laertes speaks o f
his past exploit, the capture o f N ericus, only after the new event (the
slaughter o f the suitors), and so his speech is not exhortatory, looking
forward to new deeds, bu t retrospective (37982). In view o f the difference
in context the formal framework of the paradigm atic tale is significantly
altered from the Iliad.(e.g. in xi: ' ? . . 6 7 0 : ? . . . , 762)
to: a i . . . oio? . . ., ? . . . (on the construction cf. 379-800.).
377- 8 . 377b = fii 4b. Laertes tells how, as L ord of the Cephallenians (cf.
355 .) he conquered the town o f (as read b y von der M h ll and
others, not /ptTos) is thus in som ewhat awkward apposition to
; the sense probably is the city on the coast o f the m ain
land'. T h e geographical details rem ain unclear, and have given rise to
m uch speculation. T h e town m ay have stood where, in H om eric times,
Leucas (later to becom e an island) was still connected b y an isthm us to
m ainland A carnania (before the cutting m ade by the Corinthians; Strabo x
451 ff.). T h e town N ericus is later m entioned in T h . iii 7 in connection with
an Athenian cam paign against Leucas and Acarnania. has no
connection with the m ountain on Ithaca (ix 22 etc.). O n the
details cf. A m eis-H e n tze-C a u er, ad loc.; Bechtel, Lexilogus, 160 (unreli
able on individual points); Stubbings, in Companion, 400; S im p so n -
L azen by, Catalogue, 103.
379- 80 . 370b = 32511 etc.; 380* = II. vii 137s. t o io s : here Laertes
elaborates on the wish introduced with ai (376), with the infinitives
: oh if only I, as the m an w ho conquered then,
could have helped you yesterday ; on the unusual construction (cf. further
vii 313 in the disputed, bu t certainly genuine passage vii 3 1 1 - 1 6 ; cf.
Hainsw orth, ad loc.; Shipp, Studies, 330, differs) cf. Palmer, Companion,
155; G hantraine, Grammaire, ii 318. like , xix 203.
: cf. , xxii 203.
381 - 2 . : belongs w ith (past unreal) and w ith . O n 382 cf.
xxiii 47; cf. H oekstra, Modifications, 122.
383 . = iv 620 etc.
384- 5 . 384 = xvi 478; 385 = i 145 etc. W hile 383 ( ) refers to O dysseus
and Laertes, resumes from 364, and refers to those w ho were
already in the house, viz. Telem achus, Eum aeus, and Philoetius
(H. R eynen, Gktta xxxvi (1958), 4 0-1). 385-6 refer to all five m en ( ,
386). ^
386 . ) -: this unusual expression (the verb is used in
H om er only here and in the related 395), instead o f the expected form ula of
i 149 etc., is necessitated by the context: those in the house were about to
eat ( im perf.!) w hen D olius and his sons appeared on the scene.
402
B O O K X X I V 3 76-397
T h e m eal is delayed until after the intermediate episode (which lasts until
411); 412 resumes from 386. A gainst the objections of Page, Odyssey, 108,
see Erbse, Beitrge, 271; Eisenberger, Studien, 3 17 -18 n. 5.
387 . D olius and his team return from the w ork described at 222-5. O n the
Figure o f D olius cf. 222. : here adv. together with him ,
u teis: only here and 497, xv 248; elsewhere vres or vies.
388 - 90 . (cf, 224) is an unusual expression; cf,
Schwartz, Odyssee, 136 n. 2; Page, Odyssey, 108. N orm ally is
transitive, suffer (e.g. in the form ulaic , ii 343 etc.); there
are in addition only two passages in which the participles and
respectively are used absolutely to mean only with difficulty,
with great effort : II. xi 636 and xii 29. T h ere m ay be a development from
such usage to the expression in xxiv 388, w hich can hardly m ean anything
other than w orn out from w orking in the fields ; cf. Erbse, Beitrge, 218.
: the m other had in the m eantim e gone out to the fields, and
fetched Dolius and his sons (with, of course, the news that O dysseus had
returned). O n ly now do w e learn that the Sicilian m aid , w ho has
appeared before (cf. 211 n.), is D olius wife. : her husband and
sons. | $ : as at 2 11 -1 2 . .
. . . : (sc. ) tmesis.
391 . : cf. 2 16 -18 .
392 . : they rem ained standing . : cf. xxiii 9 3 - 5 n.
(), 105-7 n. (). O n the content cf. 388-9on,
393 . : addressing (him) courteously .
394 . : {hapax) has unusual, but unobjectionable, strength
ening o f norm al with the additional prefix (w holly and
com pletely); explained b y Erbse, Beitrge, 219. : refers to the
behaviour o f those w ho have ju st arrived, described as ', on the
etym ological relationship o f , (and ) cf. Chantraine,
Dictionnaire s.v. . T h e scansion o f the genitive of a neuter in -os,
as in , is otherwise unattested in H om er (Page, Odyssey, 108), but
can be accepted in view of scansions such as ( ^ ), xi 37 and
(^ ), vii 118; cf. Chantraine, Grammaire, i 58; Erbse, Beitrge, 2 19 -
20. T h e poet could have w ritten -eos (to); cf. in the Naxian Nicandre
inscription (IG xii 5, 1425b; C E G 404. 3) ( ^ ^ )-
395 . : cf. 386.
3 9 6 . 39 6b ~ i x 5 4 5 b
397 - 407 . T h e exchange w ith D olius follows the pattern o f the last part o f the
scene w ith Laertes: 397-8 ~ 345~8; 399-405 (403-5: concern about
Penelope) - 349-55 (353~55: fear o f the suitors kinsmen); 406-7 ~ 356-7;
cf. Fenik, Studies, 19 1-2 . T h e doubts expressed b y Schwartz, Odyssee, 333,
about the authenticity o f 403-8 are not justified.
397- 8 . (dual) $ | (pi.) as at 11. xxi 11516; on
the construction cf. Schwyzer, Grammatik, 47 . 8. : this
form of the gen. (alongside the com m on and , as well
as the unique of II. iv 491) is quite unparalleled: norm ally -e(f)o-
403
COMMENTARY
404
B O O K X X I V 397-413
405
COMMENTARY
406
- B O O K X X I V 413-427
407
COMMENTARY
o f , we have in 428 a subdivision of the pv-part into two com plem ent
ary and 8 clauses, in which first , and then (crew ), are the
object of . S, 429, refers, o f course, to the suitors. :
on his ret urn : cf. 355 n .
430 . : sc. to avoid our revenge.
431 . = xiii 275 (~ xv 298). O n Elis and the Epeians cf. II ii 6 15-24.
432 . ; a short vowel subjunctive (hortatory); where exactly they are
going to go is not mentioned yet. : fin time to com e ;
sim ilarly ii 60. : (hapax) covered with sham e; from this
- (II. i 51 etc.); on the m orphology cf. Risch, Wortbildung, 82, and
on the (uncertain) etym ology cf. Chantraine, Dictionnaire s.v. (with bibl.).
433 . = II. ii 119; 433b = xxi 255b; prepares for 434-5.
435 . y e : at least for me, as far as I am concerned .
436 . : here live longer. : here a genuine optative
(unlike . . , , 435).
437 . : after the explanation given in 433-5, of 432 is
em phatically repeated. : (with synizesis --) short vowel sub
jun ctive o f resulting from quantitative metathesis (cf. , xvi
383); cf. Meister, Kunstsprache, 159; Chantraine, Grammaire, i 64, 71, 459.
: (hapax), from (, II. ii 635):
travel across (from one coast to another), as indicated, for exam ple, at
4301; differently with acc., travel (the seas) ; cf, Erbse, Beitrge,
2 2 1-2 . : O dysseus and his men.
438 . 438* = II. i 357a ( as at 425); 438b ~ 8 ib.
439 - 40 . 439a = xx 173. T h e lines recall the escape of the herald M edon and
the singer Phem ius (xxii 330-80). . . . : after sleep had
left them, when they had woken up . T h e poet rather artificially contrives
to have the pair hear nothing o f the preceding activity (41520).
441 . Iv : am ong them . 44i b (~ xxi i22b): all are astonished that
these men are still alive.
442 . 442b = iv 696b, 71 i b, xxiii 3 6 ib.
443 - 9 . M edon speaks as though he had heard Eupeithes speech. His
account o f Odysseus killing the suitors with the aid o f a god in the form o f
M entor must be retained, as it fulfils a vital function (despite W ilam owitz,
Untersuchungen, 7 1 -2 , who sees the speech as a later insertion intended to
establish a connection with xxii). A t 443-4 M edon to a certain extent
corrects Eupeithes words at 426; and the reference to divine aid alters the
m ood, em phasized by the phraseology, from to (438:
45o); M edon prepares the ground for the effect o f the following speech from
Halitherses. T h e differences between M ed o n s account (4456) and the
poets description of the help given by A then a (xxii 205-40, 297-309) are
sm all and superficial; they arise from the speaker s wish to show that divine
intervention decisively influenced the outcom e of the fight.
443- 4 . 443* = 454, 444* = i 79*. : presupposes an (unspoken) warn
ing in . . . : listen to me, not Eupeithes! The violent
deeds of which Eupeithes has spoken were contrived by Odysseus not
408
B O O K - X X I V 427-460
409
COMMENTARY
410
B O O K X X IV 4 5 8 -4 7 5
411
COMMENTARY
412
B O O K X X IV 4 75-491
413
COMMENTARY
414
B O O K X X I V 4 9 1 -5 1 8
4*5
COMMENTARY
416
B O O K X X I V 519-544
417
COMMENTARY
I I I 1 3 2 = 1 5 7 3 219 I I I 2 75
II 1 0 7 , H I 23 4 ? I 134, 356
I 210 II 2 2 4 5
d y a T rd a i III 179 , 336 atV rff I I I 1.20, 272
a td a A d e tj III 2 1 4 , 397
dyauj I 25 4
os I I I 1 2 3 , 243 I 75
d y e A e 117 II 186 I 338
a I 15 4 I 3 4 0 , I I I 2 1 6 1 7 , 2 9 7 , 3 0 1 , 3 0 8 ,
3 18 , 4 16
a 717705 II 205
I 100
d y /c d A o i I I I 1 3 8 , 1 7 1
I I I 18 , 4 0 6 7 I I I 8 6, 2 1 6
a I I I 289
1 8 2
I I I 1 16, 167 I I I 2 4 6
I I I 15 6 a t A o I I I 272
1 1 1 3 2 6 ,3 3 0 ,3 8 2 ,3 8 5 ,3 9 9 I 7 3 , I I 28 2, I I I 2 2 4 , 2 3 3 ; I
3 8 0 -1
I I I 243
I I I 3 7 0 , 408 . I I I 228 , 2 9 1 , 3 1 6
I I I 238
dSeoK ^ 1 2 2 3 ,3 0
a ta w A o s I 146
dSijK O Tes I I 13 4
d S iv o s , d S iv a t r e p o s II 2 7 5 6 , I I I 347 I 362
I I I 1 3 2 , 140= * 4 4 - *48 , * 5 4 ; * 5 5 , I I 2 2 5 , 2 7 6 7
I I I 2 3 5 6, 3 5 0
157
d e A o v I I I 1 4 1 , 155 ; *57
I I 22 1
d e A o j I I I 2 1 8 , 2 2 4 , 3 4 1 , 349 I 15 0 , I I 2 0 6 , I I I 1 5 6
act II 2 56 I 3 3 *; 161
II 1 7 2 I I I 348
I I I 2 9 4 , 387 CLKlSvOS I I I 55
III 3 9 1
III 178
I I I 253
I 306
I 156
H I 47
- I I 163 I 15 2
I 9 3 I I I 338
I I 2 1 0 -1 1 I I I 13 8 , 2 2 1
I I I 47 I I I 188
dAc-17 H I 20, 69
I 3 5 9 ; 3 3 1
, I I I 1 ; y A arfc cd w ts I d A e ia ra III 115
8 , 2 8 5; I I 18 8 , I I I 334> 4 * 5 ; I I I 3 6 4 , 368
I I I 4 *7 I I I 270
a ty ta A d s 287 d A ted s I I I 287
( Z e u s ) I 16 3 , 4 * 6 I 2 9 7 , 17 12
a t I I I 27 * 2 74 0 159
( ) I 2 2 2 , I I 2 1 1 , I I I 4 II 159
d tS ^ A o s I 3 6 7 , H I 2 4 9 ; 342
( M e n t o r ) I I I 260
4*9
I NDEX OF G R E E K WO RD S ( C U M U L A T I V E )
420
I NDEX OF G R E E K WO R D S ( C U M U L A T I V E )
I 1 2 2 - 3 , 3 2 3 , 3 7 3 , H I 80, 1 1 7 , -e II 223
' 325
13 3 , 230
I I I 200 I 2( III 54, 57, *17
I 362 III 53., 44
I I I 289 I 1 9 6 , 4 4 , 1 2 7 , 2 0 4, 3 8 4 , 402
III 3 3
BtdKTopos (Hermes) I 85, 258, II 253, III
I I I 197 371
I I I 197
? III 399
H I 2 4 , 4 1 , 117
II 86
I 306
II 176
I 834 , 3^8
H I 3 3 , 4 9 ~ 5
I 2223, 337
I I i6 ? II 199
I I 196, i g 8 , III 66
I I I 1 1 8
III 53
III 287
( d a t .) I l l 7 III 14
y v e o s, I I 2 3 Bios I 256
I NDEX OF G RE E K WORDS ( C U MU L AT I V E )
I I I 2 4 6 , 3 7 3 e u s , tos, see
I I I 1 6 2 , 1 6 7 , 2 0 3 , 404 I 369
I I I 40 I 3 7 0
I 3 2 7 , I I I 7 7 , 28$, 2 9 2 - 3 , 29 9 , 30 7 I I I 12 0 1
III 40, 338 , 38 3, 3 8 4 -6 II 167
I I I 4 1 4 I I I 6 9
SdA os I I I 2 4 , 80 1, 88, 9 1 , 3 7 4 6 , 38 5 I I I 2 7 7 8
III 139 I I I 18 7
H I 4 5 , 1 2 7 , 2045 I I I 17 5 ; 203
I 19 4 I I I 6, g o
III 385 I I 2 14
I I I 293 I 197 ; 3 7 4 . 6 2 , 1 03 , 335
I 93 A ijA a r fo ) I 326
- I I 252 I 8 6, I I I 2 70 , 3 6 7
I I I 1 5 3 , 2 1 0 I 1 19
I I I 1 4 0 - 2 , 1 4 4 , 147 I I I 200
I I 193 I I I 2 6
III 1 17 I I I 1 1 5 , 303
I I i g S Q I I I 28
I 9 9 , II 162 ev aA ty/cio s I I I 262
I I I 6 7 , 3 9 2 - 4 () I 6g, 233
I 3 7 0 I 3 5
r c a u r d s I I 206
I 3 6 9 I I I 85
II 268 1112 1 1 - 1 2 ,2 1 7
I 1 7 1 - II 186
y ^ o j III 4 16 I I I 1 16 , 1 7 6
S v o v I I i 8 7 ,I I I 6 7 I I 16 6 7
I 1 1 0 ,3 0 3 , I I I 1 6 6 , 3 9 4 I I 28
I 13 3 I I I 98
II 5 7 I 1 8 2 , I I I 17 7
I 204 I I 281
, I I 2 7 6 III 350
I I I 262 II 175
3 9 3 9 3 , 401 I
, ( I 12, II i g o I I I 302
1 1 8 0 ,8 2 ,9 0 ,1 1 1 1 2 ,1 1 4 I 1 1 3 , 13
+ participle III 3 0 -1 I I 209
e ceA os H I 262 I I I 3 9 5
aV to I I 20 9, I I I 238 - I I I 5 5
'iAett>ia I I I 86 I I I 2
a A r o u j I 8 6, 3 4 9 I I I 2 4 3 , 294> 3 * 6 , 3 1 8
I 3 30 m jSou/cdA o I I I 16 9
1 1 1 2 1 8 , 3 0 7 , 3 2 2 , 3 2 6 , 3 4 2 , 3 6 8 , I I I 29
3 7 7 >3S6 III 1 6 2
I I I 3 2 0 1 , 3 2 7 , 3 3 8 T7i5et)i7s I I I 168
I I 1 5 7 , 12 I I I 1 5 1
I I I 262 I I 17
I I 2 7 9 , I I I 2 1 9 I I I 199
I I I 1 1 7 , 1 3 3 , 3 2 2 I I I 48
I 1 6 1 , 3 5 3 , II 9 8 , 2 0 5, 25 0 I I I 126
422
I NDEX OF G R E E K WO R D S ( C U MU L A T I V E )
II 2 18
III 284
I 172 III 52-3
II 2S5 I 300
1 9 5
giriert I 310 ^ I 1 5 8 - 9 , 2 8 6 , I I 8 6
III 3 7 9 l i g , 20 2, 4 1 1 ; 5 I I I 8 ;
I I I 3 5 0 I I I 16 9 ; I I I 1 19
I I I 222 III 179
II 209) 2 5 6 I I I 2 8 7, 3 4 , 3 6
I I 6
I I I 4 - 1 > 77
7 { ) 3 2 7 ijepoetSijs II 171
I I 222
I H 9 >3 5
pvijs I 369 I I 202
III 386, 406 1 149
, I 7 9 I I 8
II l y S I 2 5 , H L >68, iQ 9 , 26 6 , I I 1 8 3 - 4 ,
I I I 342, 368
with final force I 284, 298
I 7 6 ijpa I 170
(E o s ) II I 34 9
I 7 1 >3 8 4 - 5
III 22 I I 2 6 9 , I I I 10 9 , 3 1 8
I 221
I 1 93 , 3&4
I I I 266 " I II 368
II 257~8 I I I 3 3 9 , 3 4 0 , -349
ei/S eieA o s I 14 3
I I I 22, 284 S a A a p o s III 42-3, 127, 14S, 149, 210,
I I I 2 7 6 , 284 240, 332- 4, 342, 378
I I I 3 2 , 1 9 7 , 2 l 6 , S 5 2 , 4 6 a A a p iju rA o s I I I 328, 338, 342
I 2 3 2 , II 16 4 I I I 191, { ) 403
II 24, III 25 I I 193
: Sioj III 173, 245; Seats I 2656
I I I 3 3 , 3 8 , 2 54 I I I 3067
1 1 1 3 4 1 , 3 4 2 , 3 4 8 ,3 4 9 S e fo s I 2 55
III 26 I I 5 5 - 6 , 120 , H I 4 3 , 3 59
I I I 4 0 7 , 4 1 , 4 * 4 I I 3 3 , 4 6 - 7 , 9 6 , 2 , I I I 6 6 , 1 2 1 ,
I I I 18 6, 287 394
I I I 133 I I I 13 3 , 16 8 , 1 7 8
e p u o e iijs I 188 e o u ijs I 301
II 210 I 8990
I 2 3 2 - 3 , 293, II 19 I 100
II 282 I I I 3 4 2
, - I 98 9 , I I 2 0 7 , 22 5 , I I 186
III 3 7 , 1 8 7 - 8 , 269, 2 7 6 , 2 9 1, 3 7 3 , 3 9 2 III 370
I NDEX OF G R E E K WORDS ( C U M U L A T I V E )
4M
I NDEX OF G R E E K W O R D S ( C U M U L A T I V E )
I I I 331 A as I 304
I I I 44, 5 3 4 , 92 I 352
I I 19 0 , I I I 5 3 , 3 7 L 3 ^ 1 , 3 9 0 I I I 2 1 2 1 4 , 2 4 5 , 2 4 6 , 2 5 , 25 5
^ ? I I I 1 7 4 I I 22
I I I 1 4 S I I 1 5 7 , l 6 2 , 8 2
III 6 l I I I 2 5
I I I 243 III 69
I I I 3 8 3 III 360
I I I 1 6 2 , 404 III 36 9
xA t) 0 i I 147 I I I 62
I 176 A eu /ctA cvo s I 2 9 9 , I I I 3 7 , 62
I I I 3 8 6 7 III 323, 3 3 1 - 4
I I I 85 I I I 2 32
K o iA os I I I 28 7 III 163
I I I 3 3 A iy s I 350
I I I 3 8 9 9 1 I 2 9 9 , 3 0 7
111 1 3 5 , 2 7 8 , 3 6 8 I I 8 6, l8 8
I I I 1 3 9 , I 4 9 i 250 At's II 6 2 - 3
III 241 II 299, 386
I I I 206 I 3 6
/core tu I I I 30 6 I I 2 0 4 , I I I 6 , 9 1 - 2 , 1 16> 175
I I I 2 53 I I I i l l , 3 4 8
I I I 1 8 3 , 2 2 4 III 76
I I I 10 9 , 3 3 III 3 1 6 - 1 7
I I I 2 74
I 3 5 3
I I I 1 3 4 , 3 1 7 I I I l 8 l
I 1 6 1 - 2 , ( ) I I 237 III 5 3
I 1 zS , I I 1 8 7 8, I I I 155 II 2 5 6
I I I 8 3, 169 I I I 72
III 147 I l 6 g
I I I 3 4 9 5 I I I 1 9 2
I I I 202 : I I I 331
I 179 I 2 6 6 , I I I 4 3 , l 8 , 1 2 7 , 13 3 7 ,
1 4 8 , 1 7 2 - 3 , 1 7 6 , 2 0 7 , 2 1 0 , 2 1 7 , 240 ,
I 327
2 59 , 2 6 3 - 4 , 28 4, 296, 3 0 7 , 308, 3 1 6 ,
I 160
I I I 174
/ 3 2 1 , 3 2 4 , 3 4 2 , 3 5 2 , 4 0 6 , 40 8
III393 I I I 7 2 , 19 6
a I 365 I 2 3 9 4
H I 113 111 121 - 2 , 3 3 0 ,3 3 3
? , III 1 6 6 - 7
I I 20, H I 347
I I 17 0 II 2 12 , III2 8
III 240-1,387 I I I 1 8 0
1 11 3 7 , 1 5 3 , 2 1 0 , 2 6 8 , 3 2 1
I I I 3 9
III 35
8 7 , 3 8 ,5 6 ,2 1 9 ,2 7 6 ,4 1 1
III 109 ) I I I 1 3 8
III 3 7 3
III 67
AdiVoj HI 37 , 134. 53 , 210, 321
I i g 3 I I I 4 9 , 5 1> 1 0 3 , * 5 8 , 2 5 5 6 , 2 0 ,
I I I 2 3 7 8 397
I I I 18 , 3 5 , 2 5 2 , 2 5 5 , 4 0 7 , 4 1 3 I I I 123
425
I NDEX OF G R E E K WORDS ( C U MU L A T I V E )
426
IN DE X OF G R E E K W O R D S (C U M U L A T I V E )
07 H5 II I98 I 167
I I I 1 9 7 - 8 , 36 8 I I 15 6 , 242
, - I 18 9 , I I I 194 I I 1 6 5 - 6
I I 23 I 10 2 , 3 7 2 , I I 237
1 1 1 4 1 2 - 1 3 , 4 1 8 I I I 2 61
1 1 1 2 2 ,3 6 7 I I I 252
I 1 9 6 / I I I 3 4 2 - 5
I 30 9 I I 2267
os, I 1 9 1 , I I I 150 I I I 10 8 9
1 1 1 2 1 0 , 2 1 2 - 1 4 , 2 4 7 I I I 2 3 6 7
I 18 5 o f I 1 2 5 6 , II 193
I I I 3 8 5 , 399 I I I 18 6, 3 6 , 3 2 3
f (ra il. p o s s .) I 1 2 3 - 4 , 1 8 4 - 5 III 3 6 0
00117 I I 1 5 8 , 284 I I I 59
I I I 406 I I I 282
III 113 I I I 2 41
o r e (o r e ) I I 1 9 9 , 209, 2 2 0 ; see also I I I 20 , 203
( e p ic ) I I I 3 4 6
III 134 , 302, 3 1 7 I I I 2 8 2, 286
( b u il d in g ) I I I 2 7, 3 7 , 4 8, 1 3 4 , 15 3 , I 2 6 3 , I I 2 7 7 , I I I 240, 242
16 0 , 2 1 0 , 2 1 6 - 1 7 , 2 3 1 ; ( a g e ) I I I 3 3 6 I I I 192
o OAtj I I I 6 , 9 5 , 9 8, 398 I I 2 54
? I 30 7 1 9 2
o ils III 3 0 4 -5 7T0 i ^ e t i I I I 190
II 3 7 7TQLTfT$ II 182
- I 2 6 1 , 33 2 ? I I I 6 7 , 167
I I I 1 5 3 , 3 7 8 I I I 243
I I I 1 8 1 2 iroA euiu I I I 259= 281
I I I 1 7 4 , 3 3 3 , 3 3 6 TToAtos I I I 287
TroAu/iAijif I I I 15 1
III 1 5 E 399 I I I 140 , 149
I I I 2 5 3 , 2 8 9 , 290 I I I 3 4 7
I I I 1 3 8 , 149 I I I 200, 2 1 8 , 284
I 3 15 I I I 395
II 238 I I I 190
I I I 4 6 7 I 6 9
I I I 28 6 ( C t e s i p p u s ) I I I 2 78 , 28 5
I I I 1 13 / I 158
1 2 2 1 2 I I I 341
7rap a i- I I I 2 5S I 168
I I I 62 ttotC I I I 27
I 1 1 3 II 3 7
I I I 148 I 2 7 2 , I I I 1 1 2
I I 1 5 7 , I I I 18 8 9 I I I 2 7 1
77eSo0CV I I 1 8 1 2 111 108, 1 1 4 , 13 4 , 217
I I I 3 2 4 , 3 3 1 - 3 , 3 8 4 , 3 8 8 - 9 I I I 1 3 4 = 1 3 6 , 1 8 1 , 2 1 6 1 7 ,4 0 6
I I I 4 n . l , 3 9 , 7 7 , 88, 1 7 8 , I I I 1 7 2
18 9 , 1 9 9 , 3 2 3 - 4 =3 3 3 , 3 8 4 , 3 8 8 , 3 9 6 - 7 I I I 148
n eipa p I I I 2 2 6 , 3 4 I I I 15 2
I I I 1 4 0 - 1 , 1 4 7 , 1 5 9 , U 6 , 203 I I I 397
I I I 1 3 2 , 1 3 8 - 9 I I 197
427
INDE X OF G R E E K W O R D S ( C U M U L A T I V E )
428
I NDEX OF G R E E K W O R D S ( C U M U L A T I V E )
- I 9 .3 ~ 4 > H I 1 7 9 I I 96
I I I 4 2 , * >4 , 19L 21a, ) I I I 22 1
I I I 3 9
315 3 2 1 , 3 4 2
I I 157
I 1 6 5 I I I 3 1 6
H I 1 1 8 19 I I 2 7 9
I I I 1 7 1 I I 12
39 I I I 14 1
III 4 16
0 a e i v d I I I 137 , /us II 4 5 , 16 g , 240, III
/ I I I 6 8 , 1 5 1 , 3 5 2 3 2 8 -9
H I 13 7 I I I 234
I I I 1 6 8 , I I I 3 2 8 - 9 , 3 7 5 , 3 9 3 4 * I I 115
I I I 2 3 5 6 , 240 , 2 77 I I 1 2 4
> I I I 102
) H I 2 3 3 3 3 9 35
I I 14
I I I 44 5 4 1 0 7 , i i 4 15
, I I I 3 ^ I I I 159 1 7 2 , 2 1 8 , 3 2 6 , 3 2 8 - 9 , 3 9 3 ,
I I I 2 7 12 401
I I I 2 7 1 , I I I 88, 1 5 9 , 2 8 , 3 2 9 , 3 3 2 , 3 4 2 ,
I I 128 3 9 2 , 401
- 1 1 9 4 , 1 6 8 , 2 0 1 , 2 4 1 I I I 10 0 1
I I I 2 2 8 , 408
I I I 368
ui II 2 1 6 , H I 4 * 3 I I I 7
2 5 7 , 9 6 > 6 , , 8 , 9 , 1 1 7 , I 1 2 4 , 18 3
158, g i , 205, 257 277 , 36,383,38, I I I 285
3 9 2 4 1 5 ; a s p o s s e s s iv e I 82, 2 8 1 , II I 20 1
I I I 6 , 87
269 H I 2 3 3 , 239 242
( C t e s ip p u s ) I I I 269
(H e rm e s) III 358
I I I 282
I I 8 2 , 8 6, 8 9 - 9 0 , 1 1 4 , 10 9 , 3 5 8 -
H I 3 6 6
II 2 2 8 9 15 9 9 , 400
429
GENERAL INDEX (CUM ULATIVE)
430
GE NE RAL I NDEX ( C U M U L A T I V E )
431
GENERAL I NDEX ( C U M U L A T I V E )
432
GE NE RAL I N D EX ( C U M U L A T I V E )
433
G E NE RAL I NDEX ( C U MU L AT I V E )
4
34
G E NE RAL I N D EX ( C U M U L A T I V E )
emendations, see conjectured readings and Odysseus III 5-6, 10, 94-5. 98-9.
Emlyn-Jones, C. Ill 12 n. 13 290-5, 306-8, 330; and Penelope III
Empedocles III 60 , 6 8 , 244 315-21, 332
enjambment II n o, 142, 158-9, 168, Eurydamas III 263-4
177, 181, 195, 199, 215, 228, 234, 236, Eurylochus II 10, 58, 66, 134, 137, HI
239, HI 57. 183. 248, 265, 347. 396 124
entertainment, see hospitality Eurymachus I 121, 123, 143, 228-31,
Enyalius II 183 2356, 350, II 285, III 4, 31, 70-1, 133.
Eos 254, 340,I I 257 168, 174-5, 176, 183, 187, 207; and
epanalepsis to introduce supplementary bow-contest III 139, 141
information I 76 Eurymedusa I 320
Epeans II 180 Eurynome III 5, 59, 61,328, 333. 33$,
Ephyra I 108, II 214, 244 342
epic copiousness II 161 Eurynomus III 209, 263-4
Epicaste II 93, 94 Eurypylus II 108
epithets, absence II 272; distinctive II Eurytus I 359 6o, III 152
165, III 18, 24, 25, 34, 39, 62, 111, 149, Eustathius III 93, 97, 181, 254, 279;
188, 255, 259, 359-60; not orna glosses III 45, 47, 152, 176, 237; and
mental I I 52, 79, 82, 108, 234; grammar and vocabulary II 109, 191,
obscure II 37, 255; of Odysseus III 193, 225, III 19, 25, 48, 52, 53, 55. 68,
47, 69,187,200,218,279;orna 70, 76, 268, 270; and text II 59, 66, 67,
mental I I 161, 164-5, !66, 192, 194, 68, 227, 264, 270, 278, III 36, 156/227,
197, 258, 265, 272; ofPenelope III 229, 244, 247, 252. 253.' 278, 343; see
323 also athetesis
Eratosthenes I 260, II 5
Erebus II m fantastic elements II 3, 15, 25, 47, 64,
Erembi I 198 118, 148, 172, 191, 275; magic II 18,
Eretria, dialect II 282 40, 50-2, 56, III 98; man-beast
Erinyes I 140, II 94, 247, III 41, 66, 112 hybrids II 119
Eriphyle II 97 fate I 74, 78, 333, 38, II 6, 7, 15-16,
Eteocretans III 83-4 41-2, 76, 83-4
Ethiopians I 75, II 79 feast, see food, feasting
Etymologicum Magnum III 55, 302 Felson-Rubin, N. Ill 8 n. 5, 9
Eumaeus I 123, 126, 233, II 15, 100, 215, figura etymologica II 124, 220
222, III 3, 4, 5, 33, 38, 86, 116-17, fishing I 216-17, II 50, 132, 136, III
192-7, 248-51. 254-5, 384; as 286-7
additional character III 207; folktale, folklore 8 ,1 19-20, 56, 103, 137,
etymology of name II 196; loyalty III 209, 215, 216, 217-18, 220, 221, 282,
27-8; and Odysseus III 28, 36, 39~4. 289, 291, 295, 334, 338, 364, 379, 383,
132-3, 171, 173; and Penelope III 10 II 3-4. 5, 6, 15, 18, 19, 20, 30, 32, 33,
n. 10, 43-5, 156; story-telling II 148; 35, 38, 40, 43, 47-8, 50, 56, 60, 62, 64,
and Telemachus III 18 75, 76-7, 78,85,118-19,128, 133,
Eupeithes 111407-11,414,415-16 148, 172, 184, 190, 196, 197, 206, 216,
euphemism 1311,340 247, 260, 275, III 34, 38, 52, 70, 82, 90,
Euripides I 101 n. 4, II 20, 31, 93. O h 96-7, 100, 124-5, 135; see also Od.,
166, 177, 88, 274, 284, I I I 1 5 3 . 260, background of heroic saga
360 food: I 119, H9i cheese II 27;
Euryades III 263 cooking I 189; feasting III 32-3, 116-
Eurybates III 89-90 17, 121, 127, 204; fish I 216-17, II 50,
Eurycleia I 126, 151, 209, 212, 239, HI 136; milk I 198, II 28, 30; names of
27-8, 76,116,196, 210, 214, 296, 342; meals II 235i pork H 223, 285;
435
G E NE R A L I N D EX ( C U M U L A T I V E )
4
36
GE NE RAL I NDEX ( C U M U L A T I V E )
Hades II i8, 70, 78, 112, 202-3, 214; heroic saga see Odyssey
and fallen heroes III 361-72, 380-1; Hesiod I 30, 73, 78, 81, 84, 96, 132, 222,
hound of II 79, 116; Odysseus 227, 267, 277, 293, 301,326, 371, II 4,
journey to II 6-7, 69, 71, 72, 75-6, 14, 20, 37, 43, 48, 52, 68, 73, 79, 1 >2,
114, 117, III 347; II 94; and 114, 125, 128, 150, 165, 172, 173, 162,
Suitors 111 125, 356, 358-61,377-80 183, 185, 188, 194, 196, 197, 198, 199,
hairstyle, female I 261; male I 86, 307 219, 222,227,229,235,242,250,255,
Halitherses I 142, II 41, 407, 408, 257, 275, 284, III 33, 37, 40, 43, 63, 69,
409-10 71, 79, 83, 87, 100, 179, 366, 376;
hand-washing I 94, 147, 187, 196, 206, Catalogue of Women (Ehoiai) I 57, 59,
240 70, 75, n o , 162, 189, 194, II 47,90-1,
harp III 32 92,93,95, 96, 119, 120, 124, 127, 275;
Harpies I 105 glosses III 47, 50, 55, 64, 69, 73, 82,
head-dress, see dress 89, 117; and language I 25,28, 375;
Hecamede II 56 Scutum II 158, 187-8, 208;Shield of
Hector I I 57, 95, 107, 197, 242 Heracles I 281; and vocabulary I 75,
Helen. I 57, 194, 200-1, 203-4, 206-12, 82, 105, 119, 171, 271, 281, 356, HI 23,
227; abduction III 25, 337 24, 29, 60, 65-6, 84-5,111,197, 214,
Helios, anger II 83, 132, 135, 139, 140; 269, 305, 340
daughter Circe II 52; II 78; Hesychius: glosses III 122, 179, 182,
sacred cattle II 133, III 348 237, 270, 288, 315; and text III 185,
Hellanicus I 214 234, 260, 268, 292; and vocabulary HI
Hellas II 236 52, 68, 122, 126, 149, 164, 192, 193,
hendiadys II 168 198, 205,213, 222, 238, 245, 253, 257,
Hephaestus 1363-71,11253 267,270, 272, 279, 286
Hera III 113; dess II 188; sanctuary II Hipparchus, s. of Pisistratus I 37
188 Hippocrates II 56, 193, 218, 277, III 28,
Heracles II 7, 14.70, 7b 76, 93, U 5, 55, 99,153,159, 187, 237
116, 183, 203, III 151-2 Hippolochus III 415 .
Heraclitus III 56, 66 Hipponax III 28
heralds II 167, III 38, 80, 209; wand II Hittite mythology I 81
191 homophony III 112
Hermes I 60, 78-9, 85-9, 257, 330, II Horace I 67, 69, 82, 230
51, 58, 224, 253, HI 358-9, 36i , 37i; hospitality I 54, 90-3, 98, 100, 158, 182-
epithets I 79, 85, 258-9, 369; 3, 317, 372, 373, 12-13, 18, '21, 24,
etymology of name II 286; heralds 27, 28, 32, ss, 38, 44, 45, 46, 61, 68,
wand II 191; insignia I 259; 163, 195, 212, 234, 243, 254, 263, 284;
instructions I I 59-60, 62 accommodation in I 185,
Hermione I 193-4 212, 340, III 216; guest gifts I 114-15,
herms II 286; see also Hermes 179-80, 229,373,III 137, 152, 270,
Herodian II 257, 286, III 23, 48, 50, 231, 391, 392, see also typical scenes,
232, 274, 279, 292, 302 reception of visitor
Herodorus II 17 humour I 268, 291, 292, 302, 306, 309,
Herodotus I 76, 162, 207, II 15, 18, 20, 311, 319, 334, 369-70,I I 179,206, 215
169, 214, 216, 224, 235, 260, 284, III Hymns II 150; h. Ap. II 22, 124, 251,
64, 83, 84, 125; and grammar and 266; h. Cer. II 18, 87, 166, 235;
vocabulary I I 148, 172, 176, 184, 198, A. Merc. II 171, 185, 284; . Ven. II
201, 202, 210, 215, 217, 218, 221, 236, 103, 228
248, 282, 283, 286, III 70, 72, 83, 84, hyperbaton II 267, III 194
152, 197, 198, 199, 222, 224, 248, 251, hyperbole I 377, III 38, 71
253, 255, 303 Hyperesia II 248-9
437
GENERAL I NDEX ( C U M U L A T I V E )
438
G E NE RA L I N D EX ( C U MU L A T I V E )
439
G E NE RAL I NDEX ( C U MU L A T I V E )
440
G E NE RA L I NDEX ( C U MU L A T I V E )
441
G E NE RAL I N D EX ( C U MU L A T I V E )
442
GENERAL INDEX (CUM ULATIVE)
186, 344, 245, 24-6> 253, 260, 265, 284, etymology I 289;ferrymen of the
298= 303 , 306 dead1 I 289; hostility to strangers I
Paris, seduction of Helen II 284 316, 321; island of II 22, 49, 173, 174;
Parmenides III 23, 56 as literary bridge I 289; literary
Pamassos III 6 existence only I 289; luxurious way of
parody II 192, 193, 197, 223, III 33, 35, life II 229; migration I 293;
72 remoteness I 293, 294; reputation I
Parry, Milman III 18 34b 361, 363; utopian character I
pathos 1381,1136, 105, 175. 185, 195, 334, 342, II 4, 12, see also Scheria
274,11187 Phaeacis (Phaiakis) I 289, 291, III 353
Patroclus II 105, 179, 196, IIJ 361-2, Phaedra II 96
363- 365. 368, 370; ghost it 81, 148 Pharai, see Pherai
patronymics, see names Pharos, see Egypt
Pausanias III 64, 69, 83, 150 Pheai II 251
Pausanius II 248, 271, 286 Pheidon II 21415, 218
peasantry III 50, 71 Phemius II 165, III 28, 31,37-8, 275,
-rreipa 1 291, II 24, 133, 137 278-81, 286, 326, 408
Peiraeus III 22 Pherae (Pharai) I 191, II 243, 251
Peisander III 263 Pherecydes II 246, 248
Pelasgians III 84 Philochorus III 116
Pelion II 96 Philoctetes 1171,359
Peloponnese III 64 Philoetius 111,117-19, 156, 169-70, 174,
Penelope I 51, 55-60, 110-11, 117-21, 197, 207, 213, 250-1,269, 352, 384
133, 136-9, 237-44, II 6, 104, 201; and Philomeleides 1214,11125
Athena II 275; beautification by- Philoxenus of Cythera II 20
Athena III 5, 58-63; and bow- Phoenicia, Phoenicians I 65, 197-8, 277,
contest III 7-9, 140, 148-9, 153-5, II 180, 239; metal-working I 203, 231;
183-5, 187, 191; characterization III Sidon, Sidonians I 198, 231, II 181,
9, 10-11, 21, 59, 63, 92, 104-5; 239
etymology of name II 204, III 81, 148; Phoenix II 183; story-telling II 148
and Eurycleia III 315-21; praise of Phorcys II 170
III 380-1; recognizes Odysseus III 3, Phylace II 94, 247
5, 7, 9, 94, 184, 313, 321-4, 327-8; Pindar II 15, 95, 96, 120, 190, 227, HI
responsibility III 349-51; and 56, 60, 66, 260, 279-80, 293
stranger III 3-4, 5-7, 9-12, 42-4, 81- piracy II 211
94, 1006,31719; and Suitors III n , Pirithous II 116
13, 2i, 58-61, 63, 66-7, 80-2, 104-6, Pisistratus, s. of Nestor I 162, 185, 186,
113, 185, 3749; and Telemachus III 188, 190, 204, 205, 206
22-3, 25, 58-9, 60, 63, 101, 115-16, Pisistratus, tyrant of Athens I 36-8, 162,
183, 191, 321-3; testing by Odysseus II 116; Pisistratean recension I 36-9
HI 4 , 77-8 Planctae II 121, 129, 133, III 348
performance, partial II 278; and text III plants, fruit I 229-30, II 57; grain II
8, 14-16, 18, 24, 26, 41,43, 73, 75, 80, 186; marsh-plants III 263; oak II *93,
94 216; thistle I 282; trees I 261, 262,
periphrasis II 114, 164, III 50, 158, 281, 274, 287; vegetables I 330; see also
372 Lotus; Moly
Pero II 94 Plato I 40, 119, 216, 226, II 21, 69, 106,
Persephone II 18, 91, 100; grove II 70 i n , 113, 161, III 28, 36, 72, 79, 85,
Perseus II 183 280
Phaeacians I 16, II 3, 148, 215, III 346, Plautus II 93
348; destruction I 294, 3834; pleonasm HI 234, 246, 264, 283
443
GENERAL INDEX (CUM ULATIVE)
plot, problems III 5, 7-9, 101, 104-5, Ptolemy of Ascalon II 113, III 187
134, 181- 47. 183-4, 207-10 puns, see word-play
plural II 15, 137, 161-2, 202, 206, 213, Pylos I 64, 158-60, II 92, 173, 243, 244,
241, *261 246,111158
Plutarch HI 56 II 190-1; of Athena II 57, 190;
poeticisms: artificial forms II 35, 37, 47, of Circe II 57, 59, 61, 64, 191
57, 84, 117. 15L 156-7. 168, 172, 173,
176, 177, 178, 187, 188, 193, 202, 204,
raiding I 123, 164-5
207, 209, 210, 213, 218, 222, 229, 245,
reality and appearance III 10 n. 9, 40
248, 255, 256, 261, 268, 276, 281;
recognition-scenes III 3, 34-6, 94-5, 99,
metrical coinages, reformation I 10,
170, 184, 307, 329-30,382, 384. 396-
!43. 254. 261, 271, 273, 281, 309, 311,
400
337. 365. 370, 372, 381,382
religious beliefs II 17, 76-7, 132-3;
poison for arrows I 107-8
threefold injunction II 71, see also cult
polar expression III 292
repetition III 286, 374-5; and athetesis
politics 1342-3, 346, 361; Ithacan I 59-
III 14; lines III 17, 18, 21, 26, 39-40,
60, 122-3,129-31, II 264;
Mycenaean II 207; Phaeacian I 323, 44, 70, 75, 77, 80, 81, g2, 117, 152-3,
188, 190, 200, 208, 209, 239-40, 244,
345, II 163; Syrian II 260; see also
254, 266, 290-1,319,400, 412, 414,
typical scenes, assembly, council
417; words III 26, 48, 153, 165, 174,
politikai, see City editions
177, 196, 222, 244-5,246,249,274,
Polybius II 124
275, 290, 394; see also epithets,
Polybus 1372, III 263-4
distinctive; formulae
Polycaste, d, of Nestor I 189
retribution III 3, 41,57, 69, 115, 319,
Poiyktor. Ill 27
400, 405
Polyphemus, see Cyclops
returns of the heroes I 53-4, 116, 158,
polyptoton I 115, 177,264
192, 218, 223-6, see also Cyclic epics,
Poseidon I 61, 74-6, 83-4, 160, 281,
Nosioi
284, 315, 368, 379, II 29, 191; anger II
revenge, see retribution
40, 4L 43, 83, 85, 140; as Enipeus II
Rhadamanthys I 227, 289, 339-40
92; etymology of name II 173-4
rhapsodes I 35, 37-8, 40, 252, II 178,
Pramnian wine II 56-7
184, 238, 268
pre-Homeric poetry, catalogue II 91,92,
Rhianus 145, 141 n. 1, 204, 256, 284, II
see also Odyssey, background of heroic
50, 213
saga rhythm III 123, 224
, see
ritual III 57, 79, 279, 306, 367-8
Priams journey II 58, 63, 64, 81
run-over words, see enjambment
Proclus II 105, HI 370
Procris II 96
proem I 67-9 Sack of Oechalia. Ill 132
pronoun, demonstrative III .19, 414 sacrifice, threefold IT 85, see also typical
prophecy III 119, 124-5 scenes
Proteus I 54,217-18,222,223,226,II Same, Samos 163, 106, II 13,217,232-
72, 85, 100 3, III 189-90; sanctuary of Hera II
prothysteron (hysteron-proteron) I 85, 188
190, 206, 233, 238, 275, 335, 126, Sanskrit III 51, 54, 56, 64, 192, 266, 268,
168, 180, 191, 207, 212, 241, 243, 264, 310
280, III 39, 51, 101, 230 Sappho I 141, 170, II 152, 231, 253, III
Protodikos III 206 59, 118, 237, 308, 360
proverbs III 28, 37, 75, 83, 118 sarcasm III 38, 39, 52, 121, 166, 185,
Psammetichus I 192 192, 199-200, 204, 265, 267, 270, 277
444
GENERAL INDEX (CU M U LA T IV E )
scene, change of III 26-7, 34, 380, 404- Sophocles I I 92, n o , 215, 240, III 195,
5, 406,411 251
sceptre, see staff sound-effects I I 36
schema etymoiogicum I 112, 297,315, 364, Sparta I 193; local colour I 231-2
HI 79.174; see also word-play sports I 299, 342, 353. 358, 372
Scheria, as colonial city I 293; contrast staff I 259; as symbol of authority
with Ithaca II 148; etymology I 294; (sceptre) I 131-2, 255
location I 294 Stephanus of Byzantium II 119, 190
Scylla II 122, 123, 124, 129, 348 Stesichorus II 234, 239, 242
season I 277, 320 story-telling I 229, II 7, 12, 100, 148,
Seleucus II 36 149, 161, 215, 257
Semonides II 224 Strabo I 63, 64, 88, 99, 100, 106, 108,
sententiousness 1295,310 159, 178, 183, 193, 198, 215, 231, II 5,
Serbo-Croatian heroic songs I 8-9, 35, 13, 14, 119, 154, 180, 200, 217, 233,
378 244, 251, 252, 257, III 84, 85
servants, slaves I 123, 194, 327-8, II 62, stranger III 3, 4, 5-7, 9-12, 19, 49, 53,
63, 192, 225, 237, 277, III 115, 172, 79, 84-5, 117-19; and Suitors III 13,
194. 253- 4. 293. 307. 383; Hermes as 38, 63, 127, 17S-83, 207, 414-18; see I
patron II 253; loyalty III 27-8 also Odysseus
Servius II 20 subjunctive II 34, 44; independent with !
shape-shifting 1217, 220 - II 232; with optative II 126; short-
ships I n i , 153-4; compared to vowel II 62, 175, 263, 268, 271
chariots I 238; construction I 274-5, Suitors I 53, 55-60, 76-7, 86, 89, 104,
II 34; crew I 347-8; epithets I 108, 106, 116, n8, 121, 125, 128, 133-40,
169-70, 177, 179,310; equipment II 142-7, 15b 157. 158, 172, 213, 232,
279; landing 1123,170,172,219; 233, 234. 235-6, 241, 245, II 3, 7, to
magic I 383; parts of I 156-7, 183, l l , 84, 88, 147, 187, 199, 215, III 4, 5,
241, 274-5, II iso, 141, 218-19; 6; attitude to Odysseus III 3, 13, 29,
Phaeacian II 172; preparation for 40 -1, 69-73; death III 7, 53, 64, 102,
voyage I 153-4, 241 119-20,125,127, 220-75.317. 323 5.
Sicily II 47, 133, III 52-3, 125, 126, 383, 378, 408-9; descent to Hades III 58,
396 356. 358-61,377-80; kinsmens
Sidon, see Phoenicia, Phoenicians revenge III 3, 110, 400, 405, 406-7,
similes I 213, 216, 242, 279, 284, 285, 412, 414-18; and maidservants III 36,
300, 302,307, 308, 322, 328, 338, 381, 108, 275; and servants III 27-8; and
25, 30, 33, 34, 50, 56, 65-6, 132, stranger III 38, 49. 63. 127. 178-83,
142, 165, 167, 205, 227, 235-6, 275, III 207, 223, see also Ageiaus;
25,43-4, 87-8, 108-9, 200, 202, 209, Amphimedon; Amphinomus;
262, 271-4, 286, 302, 338-9,359 Antinous; Ctesippus; Demoptolemus;
Simonides I 230, III 81, 100, 253, 302 Elatus; Euryades; Eurydamas;
singers, see bards; rhapsodes Eurymachus; Leocritus; Leodes;
singular II 170, 261 Peisander; Polybus; testing, of Suitors
Sirens II 118-20, 126, 127, 128-9, III sword, see weapons
347-8; in art II n8, 119, 120, 129; Symplegades II 121
island of II 119, 127; other names II synaloepha III 187, 249, 390
120 Syria II 257
Sisyphus II 112, 113
sleep, and death III 62-3
Smyrna, Old I 310, 323, II 152 talent I 203
sneeze, as omen III 44, 67 Tamassos, see Temesa
Solon I 36, 77 Tantalus II 112-13
445
GEN ERAL IN DEX (CUM ULATIVE)
Taphians I 88, II 180, 225, 259 289, 290-1, 317, 336, 375-6, 377, 379,
tears 1 118, 136, 199, 200, 205, 269, 352, 380 .
381, II 55, 64, 65, 274, 275; concealing Themis I 135
3, 35-6. 42 Theoclymenus II 11, 92, 140, 148, 179,
Teiresias III 91 245, 249, 250, 262, 263, III 5, 11, 13,
Telegony, see Cyclic epics 22, 26, 67, 119, 124, 126, 356
Telemachus 15 1-2 ,9 1-2 , 106-214 Theocritus II 20, 31, 194, 198, 276, III
passim, 229-30, 233, 234, II 6, 88, 147, 15, 215, 227, 305
199; and bow-contest III 132-3, 138- theodicy III 557, 400
9,141, 158-61, 183, 190-2, 194-6, Theognis II 253
2056; and death of Suitors III 238 Theophrastus II 70, III 199
40, 242, 248-9, 275, 282-3, 405; and theoxeny III 42
household III 294, 296-7, 299-302, Thersites III 90; weeping II 274
342, 345; and Odysseus III 3, 5, 120, Theseus II 71, 76, 97, 116
317, 325, 339; and Penelope III 25, Thesprotia, Thesprotians II 212, 214,
58-9, 60, 63, 101, 115-16, 183, 191, 216, III 6, 90
3213; - I 102; piety I Thesprolis II 85
157; resemblance to Odysseus I 102, Thessalian dialect III 19
167, 203; returns home III 17-18, 20- Thetis II 110, 275, III 365, 368, 369-70
4; reunited with Odysseus II 65, 273; Thrace I 371
and Suitors III 13, 39, 41-2, 44, 50-1, threshold III 3-4, 48-9, 53, 120, 134,
60, 63-4, 66, 67, 72-3, 75-6, 119-20, 136, 162, see also architecture
122-7, 207-8, 379 Thrinacia I 71-2, II 9, 16, 66, 73, 83, 84,
Telemachy I 17-18, 27 n. 10, 52-5, 109, 117-18,121, 122, 125
235, 251,' 291, 300, II 7, 11, 148, III Thucydides I 119, 165, II 19, 44, 47,
230,353,358 133, 154,169, 174,214, HI 99, 153, 245
temenos 1312,329,371 Timaeus II 119
Temesa, Tempsa, Tamassos I 100 Tiresias II 11, 69, 81, III 340-1;
temples II 137 prophecy II 41, 72-3, 75, 76, 77, 82-
tenses II 32, 41-2, 53, 57, 97, 131, 139, 5, 86, 88, 117-18, 125, 126, 133
162, 169, 174-5,176, 181, 193, 204, Tisis II 11, see also Suitors
213, 219, 228, 229, 260, 262, 264, 265, Titans II 20
270,272,284 Tithonus I 254, II 248
testing, of Laertes III 384, 389-90, 396- Tityus II H, 113
7; of Odysseus III 88, 257, 260, 262, tmesis 11156, 102, 153, >54, l59> !7j
323, 332-4; of Penelope III 4, 77-8; 168, 169, 174, 177, 187, 196, 203, 205,
of servants III 77, 169; of Suitors III 235, 279, 336, 349
7-8, 11, 13-14, 38, 39, 66-7, 104-6, traders I 99-100, 355
140, 202-3, 377, 378-9 traditional motifs, see typical scenes
textiles, finishing I 328; loom I 261; Trickster figure III 69-70, 97
Penelopes web I 137, III 6, 66, 80-2, Trojan War III 25
374-6; spinning I 120, 201; spinning Troy I 70, 130, 208-12, 380, II 3,.6, i 5
(metaphorically) I 74, 105, 108, 334; truth and falsehood III 78-9, 83, 87
weaving I 120, 138,328-9 typical scenes I 29; acquiring wealth in
textual variants, see Odyssey, variant foreign countries ll 216; aristeia II 33-
readings 37, 38; arming II 33, 58- 243-4;
Theban epics II 69, see also Epicaste arrival I 321; assembly I 129-31,253>
Thebes, see Egypt 346; bath I 375; battle II 53; council
thelxis III 43 I 253; deliberation between
themes I 250, III 25; conflation I 263-4. alternatives I 200, 283, II 30, 35, 45,
332; sequence of themes, motifs I 29, 53, 67, 92, 243, III 3, 1Q8, 110;
446
GENERAL INDEX, (C UM U LATIVE)
447
sg 1
I S B N -8195.- m
i
780 98 9538