Odysseus and the Phaeacians: Building Trust in a Xenophobic Community

Daniel J. Griffin (Duke University)

The Phaeacians of the Odyssey present many challenges to the wandering Odysseus: they don’t take kindly to strangers (vii.28-36), Athena goes to great length to associate them with Poseidon and giants (vii.54-68), and their nobles challenge their guest in ways that are decidedly un-heroic (viii.159-64). This would be daunting, were Odysseus not a hero polumêtis, most equipped to deal with any adverse circumstance; and because Odysseus arrives alone, naked, washed up on the strand, his only choice is to convince the un-Greek Phaeacians that he is worthy of succor and passage home. If one were to take the thesis of the Odyssey as a manual for Greek colonization, here would be the section covering how to deal with the natives. While discussions in the past have focused on the Phaeacians themselves (Rose, 1969), the program and themes of book viii (Bliss, 1968; Broeniman, 1996), or the songs of Demodocus (Braswell, 1982; Scodel, 1998), the interplay between Odysseus and the Phaeacians has rarely been explored beyond the scenes of book viii.

This paper examines the many ways in which Odysseus gains the trust of the Phaeacians. From the moment he wakes up, he employs the right tact with Nausicaa (vi.149-85), which allows him later entrance to the court, wherein Odysseus uses his words and charm to win the minds of the Phaeacians and their king (vii.226-7). In this endeavor, he is not without help: the next day, Athena comes to his aid, making his form more beautiful to the Phaeacians and stirring up their desire (viii.7-23). Most notably, he performs well in athletics (viii.186-98), astounding the Phaeacians with his prowess and shaming them for the taunt of Euryalus (viii.202-55). Also, Demodocus the bard sings of his kleos (viii.72-82 & viii.487-98), thus by transference bestowing the sanction of the muses upon the heroic qualities of Odysseus—significantly, prior to the disclosure of his name. There are two indications of when the Phaeacians finally accept Odysseus and prove their trust: the presentation of a heroic sword (viii.400-6) and the acknowledgement of Arete during the apologoi (xi.335-41).

Bibliography

Bliss, F. R. (1968) “Homer and the Critics: The Structural Unity of Odyssey 8,” Bucknell Review 16(3): 53-73.

Braswell, B. K. (1982) “The Song of Ares and Aphrodite: Theme and Relevance to Odyssey 8,” Hermes 110: 129-37.

Broeniman, C. (1996) “Demodocus, Odysseus, and the Trojan War in Odyssey 8,” CW 90: 3-14.

Rose, G. P. (1969) “The Unfriendly Phaeacians,” TAPhA 100: 387-406.

Scodel, R. (1998) “Bardic Performance and Oral Tradition,” AJPh 119: 171-94.