Homer, Odyssey, 24.450

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When, slowly rising, Halitherses spoke:

(Reverend and wise, whose comprehensive view

At once the present and the future knew ;)

"Me too, ye fathers, hear! from you proceed

520

The ills ye mourn; your own the guilty deed.

Ye gave your sons, your lawless sons, the rein,

(Oft warned by Mentor and myself in vain ;)

An absent hero's bed they sought to soil,

An absent hero's wealth they made their spoil;

525

Immoderate riot, and intemperate lust!

Th' offence was great, the punishment was just.

Weigh then my counsels in an equal scale,

Nor rush to ruin. Justice will prevail."

His moderate words some better minds persuade:

530

They part, and join him; but the number stay'd.

They storm, they shout, with hasty frenzy fir'd,

And second all Eupithes' rage inspir'd.

They case their limbs in brass; to arms they run;

The broad effulgence blazes in the sun.

535

Before the city, and in ample plain,

They meet: Eupithes heads the frantic train.

Fierce for his son, he breathes his threats in air;

Fate hears them not, and Death attends him there.

This pass'd on earth, while in the realms above

540

Minerva thus to cloud-compelling Jove:

"May I presume to search thy secret soul?

O Power Supreme, O Ruler of the whole!

Say, hast thou doom'd to this divided state

Or peaceful amity, or stern debate?

545

Declare thy purpose, for thy will is fate."

"Is not thy thought my own?" (the god replies,¹

Who rolls the thunder o'er the vaulted skies ;)

"Hath not long since thy knowing soul decreed

The chief's return should make the guilty bleed?

550

'Tis done, and at thy will the Fates succeed.

Yet hear the issue; since Ulysses' hand

Has slain the suitors, Heaven shall bless the land.

None now the kindred of th' unjust shall own;

Forgot the slaughter'd brother and the son:

555

Each future day increase of wealth shall bring,

And o'er the past Oblivion stretch her wing.

Long shall Ulysses in his empire rest,

His people blessing, by his people bless'd.

Let all be peace."—He said, and gave the nod

560

That binds the Fates; the sanction of the god:

And, prompt to execute th' eternal will,

Descended Pallas from th' Olympian hill.

Odyssey. Homer. London. 1858.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Current edition Experimental

English (Alexander Pope, 1726, ed. Watson, 1858) (OCR draft) (English) (English (Alexander Pope, 1726, ed. Watson, 1858))

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (1)

Ὀδύσσεια Perseus (Homer. The Odyssey, Volume 1-2. Murray, A. T. (Augustus Taber), editor. London: William Heinmann; New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1919.) — 24.450 focus

ὣς φάτο, τοὺς δʼ ἄρα πάντας ὑπὸ χλωρὸν δέος ᾕρει.

450

τοῖσι δὲ καὶ μετέειπε γέρων ἥρως Ἁλιθέρσης

Μαστορίδης· ὁ γὰρ οἶος ὅρα πρόσσω καὶ ὀπίσσω·

ὅ σφιν ἐϋφρονέων ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπε·

κέκλυτε δὴ νῦν μευ, Ἰθακήσιοι, ὅττι κεν εἴπω·

ὑμετέρῃ κακότητι, φίλοι, τάδε ἔργα γένοντο·

455

οὐ γὰρ ἐμοὶ πείθεσθʼ, οὐ Μέντορι ποιμένι λαῶν,

ὑμετέρους παῖδας καταπαυέμεν ἀφροσυνάων,

οἳ μέγα ἔργον ἔρεξαν ἀτασθαλίῃσι κακῇσι,

κτήματα κείροντες καὶ ἀτιμάζοντες ἄκοιτιν

ἀνδρὸς ἀριστῆος· τὸν δʼ οὐκέτι φάντο νέεσθαι.

460

καὶ νῦν ὧδε γένοιτο. πίθεσθέ μοι ὡς ἀγορεύω·

μὴ ἴομεν, μή πού τις ἐπίσπαστον κακὸν εὕρῃ.

ὣς ἔφαθʼ, οἱ δʼ ἄρʼ ἀνήϊξαν μεγάλῳ ἀλαλητῷ

ἡμίσεων πλείους· τοὶ δʼ ἀθρόοι αὐτόθι μίμνον·

οὐ γάρ σφιν ἅδε μῦθος ἐνὶ φρεσίν, ἀλλʼ Εὐπείθει

465

πείθοντʼ· αἶψα δʼ ἔπειτʼ ἐπὶ τεύχεα ἐσσεύοντο.

αὐτὰρ ἐπεί ῥʼ ἕσσαντο περὶ χροῒ νώροπα χαλκόν,

ἀθρόοι ἠγερέθοντο πρὸ ἄστεος εὐρυχόροιο.

τοῖσιν δʼ Εὐπείθης ἡγήσατο νηπιέῃσι·

φῆ δʼ ὅ γε τίσεσθαι παιδὸς φόνον, οὐδʼ ἄρʼ ἔμελλεν

470

ἂψ ἀπονοστήσειν, ἀλλʼ αὐτοῦ πότμον ἐφέψειν.

αὐτὰρ Ἀθηναίη Ζῆνα Κρονίωνα προσηύδα·

ὦ πάτερ ἡμέτερε, Κρονίδη, ὕπατε κρειόντων,

εἰπέ μοι εἰρομένῃ, τί νύ τοι νόος ἔνδοθι κεύθει;

ἢ προτέρω πόλεμόν τε κακὸν καὶ φύλοπιν αἰνὴν

475

τεύξεις, ἦ φιλότητα μετʼ ἀμφοτέροισι τίθησθα;

τὴν δʼ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη νεφεληγερέτα Ζεύς·

τέκνον ἐμόν, τί με ταῦτα διείρεαι ἠδὲ μεταλλᾷς;

οὐ γὰρ δὴ τοῦτον μὲν ἐβούλευσας νόον αὐτή,

ὡς ἦ τοι κείνους Ὀδυσεὺς ἀποτίσεται ἐλθών;

480

ἔρξον ὅπως ἐθέλεις· ἐρέω τέ τοι ὡς ἐπέοικεν.

ἐπεὶ δὴ μνηστῆρας ἐτίσατο δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς,

ὅρκια πιστὰ ταμόντες ὁ μὲν βασιλευέτω αἰεί,

ἡμεῖς δʼ αὖ παίδων τε κασιγνήτων τε φόνοιο

ἔκλησιν θέωμεν· τοὶ δʼ ἀλλήλους φιλεόντων

485

ὡς τὸ πάρος, πλοῦτος δὲ καὶ εἰρήνη ἅλις ἔστω.

ὣς εἰπὼν ὤτρυνε πάρος μεμαυῖαν Ἀθήνην,

βῆ δὲ κατʼ Οὐλύμποιο καρήνων ἀΐξασα.

οἱ δʼ ἐπεὶ οὖν σίτοιο μελίφρονος ἐξ ἔρον ἕντο,

τοῖς δʼ ἄρα μύθων ἦρχε πολύτλας δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς·

490

ἐξελθών τις ἴδοι μὴ δὴ σχεδὸν ὦσι κιόντες.

ὣς ἔφατʼ· ἐκ δʼ υἱὸς Δολίου κίεν, ὡς ἐκέλευεν·

στῆ δʼ ἄρʼ ἐπʼ οὐδὸν ἰών, τοὺς δὲ σχεδὸν εἴσιδε πάντας·

αἶψα δʼ Ὀδυσσῆα ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·

οἵδε δὴ ἐγγὺς ἔασʼ· ἀλλʼ ὁπλιζώμεθα θᾶσσον.

495

Translations (7)

Odyssey Perseus (Homer. The Odyssey, Volume 1-2. Murray, A. T. (Augustus Taber), translator. London: William Heinmann; New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1919.) — 24.450 focus

450 So he spoke, and thereat pale fear seized them all. Then among them spoke the old lord Halitherses, son of Mastor, for he alone saw before and after: he with good intent addressed their assembly, and said: “Hearken now to me, men of Ithaca , to the word that I shall say. 455 Through your own cowardice, friends, have these deeds been brought to pass, for you would not obey me, nor Mentor, shepherd of the people, to make your sons cease from their folly. They wrought a monstrous deed in their blind and wanton wickedness, wasting the wealth and dishonoring the wife 460 of a prince, who, they said, would never more return. Now then be it thus; and do you hearken to me, as I bid. Let us not go forth, lest haply many a one shall find a bane which he has brought upon himself.” So he spoke, but they sprang up with loud cries, more than half of them, but the rest remained together in their seats; 465 for his speech was not to their mind, but they hearkened to Eupeithes, and quickly thereafter they rushed for their arms. Then when they had clothed their bodies in gleaming bronze, they gathered together in front of the spacious city. And Eupeithes led them in his folly, 470 for he thought to avenge the slaying of his son; yet he was himself never more to come back, but was there to meet his doom. But Athena spoke to Zeus, son of Cronos, saying: “Father of us all, thou son of Cronos, high above all lords, tell to me that ask thee what purpose thy mind now hides within thee. 475 Wilt thou yet further bring to pass evil war and the dread din of battle, or wilt thou establish friendship betwixt the twain?” Then Zeus, the cloud-gatherer, answered her, and said: “My child, why dost thou ask and question me of this? Didst thou not thyself devise this plan, 480 that verily Odysseus should take vengeance on these men at his coming? Do as thou wilt, but I will tell thee what is fitting. Now that goodly Odysseus has taken vengeance on the wooers, let them swear a solemn oath, and let him be king all his days, and let us on our part 485 bring about a forgetting of the slaying of their sons and brothers; and let them love one another as before, and let wealth and peace abound.” So saying, he roused Athena, who was already eager, and she went darting down from the heights of Olympus . But when they had put from them the desire of honey-hearted food, 490 the much-enduring, goodly Odysseus was the first to speak among his company, saying: “Let one go forth and see whether they be not now drawing near.” So he spoke, and a son of Dolius went forth, as he bade; he went and stood upon the threshold, and saw them all close at hand, and straightway he spoke to Odysseus winged words: 495 “Here they are close at hand. Quick, let us arm.”

Odyssey Perseus (Homer. The Odyssey: rendered into English prose for the use of those who cannot read the original. Butler, Samuel, 1835-1902, translator. Revised by Timothy Power and Gregory Nagy. London: A.C. Fifield, 1900.) — 24.463 focus

463 This was what he said, and more than half raised a loud shout, and at once left the assembly. But the rest stayed where they were, for the speech of Halitherses displeased them, and they sided with Eupeithes; they therefore hurried off for their armor, and when they had armed themselves, they met together in front of the city, and Eupeithes led them on in their folly. He thought he was going to avenge the murder of his son, whereas in truth he was never to return, but was himself to perish in his attempt.

472 Then Athena said to Zeus, "Father, son of Kronos, king of kings, answer me this question - What does your noos bid you? Will you set them fighting still further, or will you make peace between them?"

477 And Zeus answered, "My child, why should you ask me? Was it not by your own arrangement [ noos] that Odysseus came home and took his revenge upon the suitors? Do whatever you like, but I will tell you what I think will be the most reasonable arrangement. Now that Odysseus is revenged, let them swear to a solemn covenant, in virtue of which he shall continue to rule, while we cause the others to forgive and forget the massacre of their sons and brothers. Let them then all become friends as heretofore, and let peace and plenty reign."

487 This was what Athena was already eager to bring about, so down she darted from off the topmost summits of Olympus .

English (Butler, rev. Nagy et al., 2020) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Butler, rev. Nagy et al., 2020)) — 24.450 focus

Then pale fear laid hold of them, and old Halitherses, son of Mastor the old warrior, rose to speak, for he was the only man among them who knew both past and future; so he spoke to them plainly and in all honesty, saying,

“Men of Ithaca, [455] it is all your own fault that things have turned out as they have; you would not listen to me, nor yet to Mentor, shepherd of the people, when we bade you check the folly of your sons who were doing much wrong in the wantonness of their hearts—wasting the substance and dishonoring the wife [460] of a chieftain who they thought would not return. Now, however, let it be as I say, and do as I tell you. Do not go out against Odysseus, or you may find that you have been drawing down evil on your own heads.”

This was what he said, and more than half raised a loud shout, and at once left the assembly. But the rest stayed where they were, [465] for the speech of Halitherses displeased them, and they sided with Eupeithes; they therefore hurried off for their armor, and when they had armed themselves, they met together in front of the city, and Eupeithes led them on in their folly. He thought [470] he was going to avenge the murder of his son, whereas in truth he was never to return, but was himself to perish in his attempt.

Then Athena said to Zeus, son of Kronos, “Father, son of Kronos, king of kings, answer me this question—What does your mind [ noos] bid you? [475] Will you set them fighting still further, or will you make peace between them?”

And Zeus gatherer of clouds answered, “My child, why should you ask me? Was it not by your own plan [ noos] [480] that noble Odysseus came home and took his revenge upon the suitors? Do whatever you like, but I will tell you what I think will be the most reasonable arrangement. Now that Odysseus is revenged, let them swear to a solemn covenant, in virtue of which he shall continue to rule, while we cause the others to forgive and forget the massacre of their sons and brothers. [485] Let them then all become friends as heretofore, and let peace and plenty reign.”

This was what Athena was already eager to bring about, so down she darted from off the topmost summits of Olympus.

Now when Laertes and the others had done dinner, [490] much-enduring great Odysseus began by saying, “Some of you go out and see if they are not getting close up to us.” So one of Dolios’ sons went as he was bid. Standing on the threshold he could see them all quite near, and said to Odysseus, [495] “Here they are, let us put on our armor at once.”

English (William Cullen Bryant, 1873) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (William Cullen Bryant, 1873)) — 24.450 focus

He spake, and all who heard were pale with fear.

The aged hero, Halitherses, son

Of Mastor, then came forward; he alone

Knew what was past and what was yet to come,

555

And, wisely judging, to the assembly said:

"Hear now my words, ye men of Ithaca.

Through your own wrong all this has come to pass.

To me ye would not hearken, nor obey

When Mentor, shepherd of the people, spake.

560

On the mad doings of your sons ye put

No curb, nor checked the guilty insolence

That dared to waste the substance and insult

The consort of a man of eminent worth,

Who, so they thought, would nevermore return.

565

Now be it as I counsel; let usnot

Go forth to draw down evil on our heads."

He spake; but more than half the assembly rushed

Abroad with shouts; the others kept their place

Together. Ill the augur's speech had pleased

570

The most. Eupeithes had persuaded them.

They flew to arms, and when they had put on

The glittering brass, they mustered in close ranks

Before the spacious city. At their head

Eupeithes led them on, who madly deemed

575

Himself the avenger of his slaughtered son.

Yet he from that encounter nevermore

Was to return; his fate o'ertook him there.

Then Pallas thus addressed Saturnian Jove:

"Our Father, son of Saturn, king of kings,

580

Tell me, I pray, the purpose of thy heart

Yet unrevealed. Shall there be cruel war

And deadly combats, or wilt thou ordain

That these shall henceforth dwell in amity?"

And cloud-compelling Jove made answer thus :

585

"My child, why ask me? Was it not with thee

A cherished purpose, that, returning home,

Ulysses amply should avenge himself

Upon the suitors? Do, then, as thou wilt.

Yet this, as the most fitting, I advise.

590

Now that the great Ulysses has avenged

His wrongs, let there be made a faithful league

With oaths, and let Ulysses ever reign;

And we will cause the living to forget

Their sons and brothers slain, and all shall dwell

595

In friendship as they heretofore have dwelt,

And there shall be prosperity and peace."

He spake, and eager as she was before,

Encouraged by his words, the goddess plunged

Down from the summits of the Olympian mount.

600

Now when they all had feasted to the full,

The much-enduring chief, Ulysses, said :

"Go, one of you, and see if they are near."

He spake; a son of Dolius at his word

Went forth, and, coming to the threshold, stopped.

605

He saw them all at hand, and instantly

Bespake Ulysses thus, with winged words:

"They are upon us; we must arm at once."

English (Thomas Hobbes, 1667, ed. Molesworth 1843) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Hobbes, 1667, ed. Molesworth 1843)) — 24.450 focus

Next him spake Alitherses, who alone

Saw fore and aft. Hear me, you men, said he;

Of this great slaughter I accuse can none,

But even yourselves that gave no ear to me,

410

Nor yet to Mentor. We you counselled

The licence of your children to take down,

That spent the substance, and dishonoured

The wife of him that was of such renown.

My counsel, therefore, to you now is this,

415

Not to proceed, lest on yourselves you bring

More mischief yet, and of your purpose miss.

So said he then, but little profiting;

For more than half with alalaes up start,

And cry aloud, To arms, go on, proceed!

420

But quietly sat still the lesser part,

That with Eupeithes'judgment disagreed..

When they had clad themselves in glist'ning brass,

Without the town they came to rendezvous

In open field. Eupeithes leader was,

425

Seeking revenge where he his life shall lose.

Then Pallas to her father came, and said,

O father, king of kings, what do you mean,

The war shall last between them, or be staid?

To this her father answer'd her agen:

430

Child, why d'ye ask me that? 'twas your request

The suitors for their insolence should pay.

Do what you please, but yet I think it best,

When you have done, that peace for ever stay;

And ever reign Ulysses and his race.

435

Which to confirm, oblivion I'll send

Of former acts the image to deface.

Then gladly Pallas did from heaven descend.

When now Ulysses and his company

Removed had their hunger with good cheer,

440

Ulysses said, Some one go forth and see

Whether the Ithacesians be near.

And then one of the young men standing there,

Went forth and saw them as he pass'd the sill:

And turning back, Arm, said he, they are here!

445

English (George Chapman, 1667, ed. Hooper 1857) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (George Chapman, 1667, ed. Hooper 1857)) — 24.450 focus

This news new fears did through their spirits impell,

When Halitherses (honour'd Mastor's son,

605

Who of them all saw only what was done

Present and future) the much-knowing man

And aged heroë this plain course ran

Amongst their counsels : "Give me likewise ear,

And let me tell ye, friends, that these ills bear

610

On your malignant spleens their sad effects,

Who not what I persuaded gave respects,

Nor what the people's pastor, Mentor, said,—

That you should see your issues' follies stayy'd

In those foul courses, by their petulant life

615

The goods devouring, scandalling the wife

Of no mean person, who, they still would say,

Could never more see his returning day.

Which yet appearing now, now give it trust,

And yield to my free counsels: Do not thrust

620

Your own safe persons on the acts your sons

So dearly bought, lest their confusions

On your loved heads your like addictions draw."

This stood so far from force of any law

To curb their loose attempts, that much the more

625

They rush'd to wreak, and made rude tumult roar.

The greater part of all the court arose;

Good counsel could not ill designs dispose.

Eupitheus was persuader of the course,

Which, complete arm'd, they put in present force;

630

The rest sat still in council. These men met

Before the broad town, in a place they set

All girt in arms; Eupitheus choosing chief

To all their follies, who put grief to grief,

And in his slaughter'd son's revenge did burn.

635

But Fate gave never feet to his return,

Ordaining there his death. Then Pallas spake

To Jove, her father, with intent to make

His will high arbiter of th' act design'd,

And ask'd of him what his unsearched mind

640

Held undiscover'd? If with arms, and ill,

And grave encounter he would first fulfil

His sacred purpose, or both parts combine

In peaceful friendship? He ask'd: "Why incline

These doubts thy counsels? Hast not thou decreed

645

That Ithacus should come and give his deed

The glory of revenge on these and theirs?

Perform thy will; the frame of these affairs

Have this fit issue: When Ulysses' hand

Hath reach'd full wreak, his then renown'd command

650

Shall reign for ever, faithful truces strook

'Twixt him and all; for every man shall brook

His sons' and brothers' slaughters; by our mean

To send Oblivion in, expunging clean

The character of enmity in them all,

655

As in best leagues before. Peace, festival,

And riches in abundance, be the state

That crowns the close of wise Ulysses' Fate."

This spurr'd the free, who from heaven's continent

To th' Ithacensian isle made straight descent.

660

Where, dinner past, Ulysses said : " Some one

Look out to see their nearness." Dolius' son

Made present speed abroad, and saw them nigh,

Ran back, and told, bade arm;

English (William Cowper, 1791, ed. Southey) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (William Cowper, 1791, ed. Southey)) — 24.450 focus

He said; then terrour wan seized every cheek

And Halitherses, Hero old, the son

Of Mastor, who alone among them all

Knew past and future, prudent, thus began.

530

Now, O ye men of Ithaca! my words

Attentive hear! by your own fault, my friends,

This deed hath been perform'd; for when myself

And noble Mentor counsell'd you to check

The sin and folly of your sons, ye would not.

535

Great was their wickedness, and flagrant wrong

They wrought, the wealth devouring, and the wife

Dishonouring of an illustrious Chief

Whom they deem'd destined never to return.

But hear my counsel. Go not, lest ye draw

540

Disaster down and woe on your own heads.

He ended; then with boisterous roar (although

Part kept their seats) upsprang the multitude,

For Halitherses pleased them not, they chose

Eupithes' counsel rather; all at once

545

To arms they flew, and clad in dazzling brass,

Before the city form'd their dense array.

Leader infatuate, at their head appear'd

Eupithes, hoping to avenge his son

Antinoüs, but was himself ordain'd

550

To meet his doom, and to return no more.

Then thus Minerva to Saturnian Jove.

Oh father! son of Saturn! Jove supreme !

Declare the purpose hidden in thy breast.

Wilt thou that this hostility proceed,

555

Or wilt thou grant them amity again?

To whom the cloud-assembler God replied.

Why asks my daughter? didst thou not design

Thyself, that brave Ulysses coming home

Should slay those profligates? act as thou wilt,

560

But thus I counsel. Since the noble Chief

Hath slain the suitors, now let peace ensue

Oath-bound, and reign Ulysses evermore!

The slaughter of their brethren and their sons

To strike from their remembrance, shall be ours.

565

Let mutual amity, as at the first,

Unite them, and let wealth and peace abound.

So saying, he animated to her task

Minerva prompt before, and from the heights

Olympian down to Ithaca she flew.

570

Meantime Ulysses (for their hunger now

And thirst were sated) thus address'd his hinds.

Look ye abroad, lest haply they approach.

He said, and at his word, forth went a son

Of Dolius; at the gate he stood, and thence

575

Beholding all that multitude at hand,

In accents wing'd thus to Ulysses spake.

They come they are already arrived arm all!

Notes on the current edition

Odyssey

1. At the beginning of the Odyssey Homer describes the gods in consultation for the re-establishment of Ulysses: in the conclusion of it, we see Jupiter himself rewarding the virtue and bravery of Ulysses, and decreeing him to reign in peace and tranquillity. Pope.

New Alexandria Commentaries

Anita Nikkanen

Zeus’ speech here offers a solution to what may appear to be the beginning of a continuous cycle of violence and one of the tensions set up early in the poem. The speech recalls that of Telemakhos’ to the assembly, which forecast the threat of mēnis to the suitors and Ithacans (O.2.63-69). Instead of the extension of the retributive power of mēnis to the suitors’ solidarity group, however, Zeus here proposes to cancel it with the help of divinely inspired total forgetting of the suitors and their killing (ἔκλησιν, O.24.485). We can see that lēthē is opposed not only to memory, but also to its flipside mēnis. Furthermore, by comparing Zeus’ speech with that of Mentor’s in the assembly, another way in which it resolves the tensions set up in the poem becomes apparent: just as Mentor says that the Ithacans deserve a harsh ruler for not remembering how kind a ruler Odysseus was (O.2.230-234), here Zeus promises that Odysseus will in fact continue to rule, and there will be love between him and his subjects. This outcome, too, depends on the eklēsis, and so we can see that the ills resulting from mēnis and not remembering are both countered by this divine forgetting, further underlining their parallelism.

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Gregory Nagy

Before the Odyssey comes to an end, the Singer of Tales reaches back to what seems to be the beginning of the Iliad. It is as if the second epic, the Odyssey, could now restart before it ends by reaching back into the first epic, the Iliad. Still, there will be no restart here. The plot of that first epic had started with a grand feud between Achilles and Agamemnon, but the plot of the second epic will now come to an end with a resolution of that feud. The feuding is over, so that the two main characters of the Iliad can now take time to review not only what happened in the Iliad but also, beyond the Iliad, how the two of them died, each his own way. Since they are now dead, they have to speak ghost to ghost, but that is not enough for Agamemnon. He must also speak with the new ghosts, the suitors, who will now give him a retrospective on the Odyssey. This way, Agamemnon can compare the story of his own life with the stories of both Odysseus and Achilles. And the comparison must be most depressing for him. But the Odyssey does not end with the sad thoughts of Agamemnon. Odysseus still has to reconnect with his own ancestors, and so there needs to be a final recognition scene between the son and his father Laertes. But even after this reconnection of the generations is finally achieved, the story is still not done. The feuding that has been triggered by the killing of the suitors must end; otherwise, the story cannot end.

draft js image error “Mercury Conducting the Souls of the Suitors to the Infernal Regions” (1805). John Flaxman (English, 1755–1826). Purchased as part of the Oppé Collection with assistance from the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund 1996. Image via the Tate.

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In the present context, it is evident that the emotion of grief can undergo a metastasis into the emotion of anger, fueling the desire for vendetta.

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Here at O.24.520, Athena ‘breathes’ into Laertes the ‘mental power’ that he needs to be victorious, as expressed respectively by pneîn and menos. This situation is the converse of ‘breathing-out [pneîn] mental-power [menos]’, as attested at O.22.203. For other situations where a divinity breathes menos ‘mental power’ into a hero, see the comments at I.10.482, I.11.508, I.15.059–060, I.15.262.

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Athena intervenes in the feuding between the relatives of the suitors on one side and the followers of Odysseus on the other side. She commands the people of Ithaca to stop the feud. She prevents further vendetta, just as she will prevent further vendetta at the conclusion of the Eumenides of Aeschylus.

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Leonard Muellner

interpretation of kathaptein as “get hold of, grab” and so “restrain”

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analysis of the differentiation of blame in the Odyssey (vs. in the Iliad) and the muting of the mēnis theme in it, here especially regarding the suitors, their relatives, and Odysseus and his family

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analysis of the formulas with the three places where eukhesthai + dative has the shape eukh ˘ ˘ – [=short short long], with this verse showing a process analogous to what we see in I.11.736

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in a list of examples of eukhesthai + dative (formulas which report prayers)

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analysis of attestations of eukhesthai + aorist infinitive, here comparing with this verse (eukhesthai + dative) cases where a verse containing an infinitive is enjambed with a verse containing eukhesthai

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in a list of examples of eukhesthai + dative (formulas which report prayers)

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analysis of the formulas with the three places where eukhesthai + dative has the shape eukh ˘ ˘ – [=short short long], with this verse showing a process analogous to what we see in I.11.736

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Homer Odyssey 24.450

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