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"This is the house, father stranger, which you would have me show you. You will find a number of great people sitting at table, but do not be afraid; go straight in, for the bolder a man is the more likely he is to carry his point, even though he is a stranger."
Odyssey, Book 7; Samuel Butler translation
Summary
A while after departing with Nausicaa, Odysseus leaves his hiding spot and enters the city of the Phaeacians. Athena covers Odysseus in a mist that keeps the citizens from seeing him and disguises herself as a little girl in order to lead Odysseus to the house of the king and queen.
When they arrive, Athena, like Nausicaa, advises him to go straight to the queen Arete and present himself to her. Arete is renowned for her wisdom and good sense and the king Alcinous will listen to her advice. After this explanation, Athena leaves.
Odysseus proceeds inside the house where he finds the leaders of the town having a feast. As soon as Odysseus approaches Arete and presents himself as a suppliant, the mist Athena covered him with disappears, shocking everyone. Odysseus immediately petitions Arete for help in getting back to his homeland, then backs off and sits down in the ashes of the hearth.
Odysseus is welcomed by the king as a suppliant and has Odysseus sit at the table to join in the feast. After it is over and all the leaders leave, Alcinous and Arete question Odysseus. He tells them of his being stuck on the island of Calypso for eight years and also that he met their daughter Nausicaa after washing up on the land of the Phaeacians. Afterward, a bed is prepared for Odysseus and everyone retires for the night.
The Marvelous Land of the Phaeacians
When Odysseus enters Scheria, the city of the Phaeacians, he is amazed by what he sees. He’s even more impressed with the palace of the king and queen, so much so that he just stands there in awe.
Impressive architecture
Gold and silver metallic mastiffs (read: robot dogs) created by Hephaestus, guarding the golden doors to the palace
Many servants hustling and bustling about
An abundance of food—including a garden that grows all sorts of fruit
Beautiful flowers
Streams flowing through the garden and outside where the people can get clean water
There’s also this comment about the Phaeacians:
As the Phaeacians are the best sailors in the world, so their women excel all others in weaving, for Minerva has taught them all manner of useful arts, and they are very intelligent.
Odyssey, Book 7; Samuel Butler translation
When Odysseus suddenly appears in front of King Alcinous and Queen Arete and makes himself a suppliant, Alcinous says this:
“It is possible, however, that the stranger is one of the immortals who has come down from heaven to visit us; but in this case the gods are departing from their usual practice, for hitherto they have made themselves perfectly clear to us when we have been offering them hecatombs. They come and sit at our feasts just like one of our selves… for we are [near of kin] to the gods...”
Odyssey, Book 7; Samuel Butler translation
Odysseus has stumbled upon yet another island paradise, except this one is populated by humans and is much more like the civilization Odysseus is used to. What’s more: these people are so close to the gods that the gods regularly visit and have feasts with them.
More importantly, though, these are people who could get Odysseus home. These are the best sailors in the world, after all. However, there are two potential pitfalls in the land of the Phaeacians that could be Odysseus’ undoing.
Pitfall #1: Enemy Territory?
If you’re reading through the Odyssey right now, you may recall a comment made by Nausicaa about the city of Scheria in Book 6:
You will see the market place with a temple of Neptune in the middle of it…
Odyssey, Book 6; Samuel Butler translation
Uh oh.
At the end of Book 6 is this comment by the narrator:
Thus did [Odysseus] pray, and Minerva heard his prayer, but she would not show herself to him openly, for she was afraid of her uncle Neptune, who was still furious in his endeavors to prevent Ulysses from getting home.
Odyssey, Book 6; Samuel Butler translation
Double uh-oh.
Now, in Book 7, the disguised Athena says this to Odysseus about King Alcinous and Queen Arete:
“They both descend originally from Neptune who was father to Nausithous… Nausithous had two sons Rhexenor and Alcinous; Apollo killed the first of them while he was still a bridegroom and without male issue; but he left a daughter Arete, whom Alcinous married…”
Odyssey, Book 7; Samuel Butler translation
Putting aside the fact that Alcinous married his niece: Triple uh-oh.
Odysseus is on an island where Poseidon is worshiped, that Poseidon has blessed, and where Poseidon’s grandchildren are the rulers. Worse, Odysseus needs the Phaeacians’ help to get home, something Poseidon doesn’t want to happen.
So, is Odysseus in “enemy territory?” Are the Phaeacians going to help out Odysseus once they find out their patron god is working against him?
Odysseus doesn’t seem to be too worried. He outright told Alcinous and Arete “Neptune would let me go no further, and raised a great storm against me” which is how he ended up on their island. Maybe this statement could be construed as a figure of speech?
Honestly, I’m a bit baffled by this. Why aren’t the Phaeacians more weary of Odysseus? Their patron god seems to be against Odysseus after all. And why isn’t Odysseus that concerned about the fact that he’s in a land where Poseidon is prominent? There might be something of an answer in Book 8, but otherwise I think my lack of knowledge about ancient Greek culture, and the Odyssey in particular, is keeping me from fully understanding this part.
Maybe it’s precisely because the people are blessed by Poseidon that Odysseus is in good hands. If the people agree to help Odysseus, would Poseidon threaten the well being of his grandchildren to get at Odysseus?
Pitfall #2: A Stronger Temptation
Odysseus arguably faces an even bigger temptation among the Phaeacians than he did with Calypso. With Calypso, he would become immortal, never have to worry about the pains of living, and spend everyday with a gorgeous goddess who desires him. On the other hand, he would be spending it in isolation (unless, as an immortal, he would have been allowed to leave the island). And who knows? Maybe Calypso would get tired of him one day? The gods are fickle like that—as we’ve learned so far in the Iliad and Odyssey.
What’s this bigger temptation?
“Now that I see what kind of person you are, and how much you think as I do, I wish you would stay here, marry my daughter, and become my son-in-law. If you will stay I will give you a house and an estate…”
Alcinous; Odyssey, Book 7; Samuel Butler translation
And we know Nausicaa wouldn’t be opposed to such an arrangement.
“When I first saw him I thought him plain, but now his appearance is like that of the gods who dwell in heaven. I should like my future husband to be just such another as he is, if he would only stay here and not want to go away.”
Odyssey, Book 6; Samuel Butler translation
So, this is what Odysseus is faced with:
A girl who is right at marrying age and is as beautiful as a goddess. Youth and beauty, two things men seek in women. Plus, Nausicaa would want Odysseus as her husband, so while the marriage would be arranged, there would be no opposition.
A chance to live on an island paradise that actually has a people, a civilization, and magic boats. People who are so close to the gods that the gods visit and feast with them.
A chance to become a son-in-law to the king and queen of said island paradise and who will provide him with a house and an estate.
However, when Alcinous concedes that he would not force Odysseus to stay, this was Odysseus’ reaction:
Then was Ulysses glad and prayed aloud saying, “Father Jove, grant that Alcinous may do all as he has said, for so he will win an imperishable name among mankind, and at the same time I shall return to my country.”
Odyssey, Book 7; Samuel Butler translation
Odysseus is determined to get home. Not even the prospects of marrying the beautiful Nausicaa and becoming the son-in-law to a renowned king and queen is going to deter him.
Again, were I Odysseus, I would find the offer very difficult to turn down. Many men would. Everyone would reasonably assume I was lost at sea forever, and I could let them think that.
However, that wouldn’t be the truth. By my actions, I would be making people believe in a lie. I think I’m beginning to see a pattern emerge with the Odyssey.
Telemachus brings the truth to the forefront, regarding the suitors and Ithaca’s inaction in the matter, in a council that hadn’t been held since Odysseus was last there twenty years ago.
Telemachus goes on a voyage to seek the truth about his father—no matter what that truth may be
As long as Odysseus is able to, he seeks to get home and refuses to be deterred by incredibly tempting offers. Odysseus refuses to live out a lie by settling for those temptations. As long as he can remain faithful to his wife and son, he will do so.
Odysseus’ Deception
Yes, I know it looks like I’m contradicting myself.
Odysseus’ celebrated (or infamous) cunning and silver tongue also extend to the fact that he is very good at deception and making people believe what he wants them to.
For example, as I highlighted in my post on Book 10 of the Iliad, when Odysseus and Diomedes capture a Trojan spy and he begs for his life, Odysseus tells him:
“Let no thought of death be in your mind.” (Iliad, Book 10)
Iliad, Book 10; Samuel Butler translation
Odysseus neither confirmed, nor denied, that the spy would be harmed. This was enough to get the spy to answer every question Odysseus had. When the interrogation was over, Diomedes kills the spy.
So, what’s the deception Odysseus lays out? Here’s the exchange between Alcinous and Odysseus:
Then Alcinous said, “Stranger, it was very wrong of my daughter not to bring you on at once to my house along with the maids, seeing that she was the first person whose aid you asked.”
“Pray do not scold her,” replied Ulysses; “she is not to blame. She did tell me to follow along with the maids, but I was ashamed and afraid, for I thought you might perhaps be displeased if you saw me. Every human being is sometimes a little suspicious and irritable.”
Odyssey, Book 7; Samuel Butler translation
Alcinous then assures Odysseus that he would have been reasonable toward him and again affirms that he will help get Odysseus home.
So, why did Odysseus deceive Alcinous? Recall what really happened. Here were Nausicaa’s instructions:
Odysseus is to follow close behind her wagon, along with her maids, till they reached a certain.
Odysseus is then to hide in a grove dedicated to Athena and wait a while so her and her maids can get inside the city and return home
Odysseus is then to leave the grove, enter the city, and ask directions to the palace
When Odysseus reaches the palace, he is to enter it, go into the inner court where he’ll find the king and queen, and grasp the knees of the queen as a suppliant
Nausicaa gives these instructions because she doesn’t want the city to gossip about her and Odysseus and because his chances of getting help increase substantially if he petitions the queen first rather than the king (since the king listens to her).
Notice that in Odysseus’ reply to Alcinous that he lays the blame on himself and says he was the one who was ashamed and afraid. He makes no mention of Nausicaa’s instructions, of her trying to avoid gossip, and her advice to approach the queen first.
Maybe Alcinous wouldn’t understand that Nausicaa’s image was at stake? If Nausicaa had walked into the city with Odysseus, it would have harmed Nausicaa’s reputation and put Odysseus in a difficult position. Maybe Alcinous would be offended by the fact that Odysseus was advised to approach his wife first and not him? This may mean that Alcinous is not all that wise of a ruler and it’s his wife’s wisdom that carries the day. After all, this is what the disguised Athena said about Arete:
“Thus she both was, and still is, respected beyond measure by her children, by Alcinous himself, and by the whole people, who look upon her as a goddess, and greet her whenever she goes about the city. For she is a thoroughly good woman both in head and heart, and when any women are friends of hers, she will help their husbands also to settle their disputes.”
Odyssey, Book 7; Samuel Butler translation
Aside from this, I’m not actually sure why Odysseus deceives Alcinous. Yet again, my lack of knowledge of ancient Greek culture is the reason.
Was it good, or even advantageous, that Odysseus deceived Alcinous? We’ll have to find out. It could be that I’m completely wrong about one of the Odyssey’s themes being about truth.
That’s all for Book 7 of the Odyssey.
May your days be filled with grace.
-Andronikos
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Thumbnail: Odysseus Before Alcinous, King of the Phaeacians by August Malmström, 1853. This painting actually depicts the scene where Odysseus makes himself a suppliant before Queen Arete.