You should come forward, too, as our guest,
And try your hand at one of the sports,
If you are skilled at any, I’m sure you are,
For there is no greater glory a man can win in life,
Than the glory he wins with his hands and feet.
So shrug off your cares and give it a try.
It won’t delay your journey. Your ship
Is already launched and the crew is ready.
(Book 8, Page 415, Lines 158-165)
The Odyssey was originally written (spoken) in an archaic Greek language, so sometimes it may be difficult for me to read without stopping to decipher and absorb the text. This passage drew my attention because I understood it quickly and easily. As the son of the King Alcinous and the winning boxer of the Phaiakians, Laomadas is the first to speak to Odysseus about joining the games. He casually challenges Odysseus to a participate in the sporting events by using an over-confident tone that ends up provoking the god-like Odysseus. Laomadas sarcastically says, “If you are skilled at any [sports], I’m sure you are.”
The diction Loamadas uses pressure Odysseus into joining the Phaiacians. Laomadas reminds Odysseus that he is a guest and in ancient Greek culture, one should be good guest if they are treaty with proper hospitality, such as shelter, transportation, and baths. At the end of the passage, the prince once again reminds him that the ship and men were prepared for him to take his journey, so a little sports action is not a big favor to ask of in return. Also, by using the term ‘glory,’ Laomadas challenges the power of the heroic Odysseus.
As a whole, this Passage shows the relations between a guest and a host. Even though the host, Alcinous and his family, must provide Odysseus with lavish gifts and proper treatment, Odysseus is also expected to respond by partaking in events the Phaiacians excel at. This event supports the idea that he can act as a good guest. He previously shows this by acting thankful to Calypso, who provided him with food and shelter despite holding him captive.
This passage also brings up a question of identity. Since Odysseus never revealed his true identity, the Phaiacians do not know that he is a hero of the Trojan War or that his home is filled with suitors, and that he has not been home in 20 years. However, in this short passage, Laomadas mentions each sensitive issue because he did not know the identity of Odysseus. If he did, he would not have challenged Odysseus and delayed his journey that he has been on for 20 years.
Hi Catherine,
I found this passage to be quite funny because after all of the taunting Laodamas and Euryalus did, Odysseus ends up beating them at their own game both literally and figuratively. Not only does he best them at discus throwing, he also outsmarts them with his use of words.
I also thought this part was important for identity, but in a different way. I think it further cements Odysseus’ status as a hero. This is one of the first instances in which we “see” Odysseus do something heroic, whereas before we only heard about it from other characters.
Hi Catherine,
I found this entire scene quite interesting. This passage is the perfect example of the longevity of competitive sporting activities. Though we live in the 21st century and generally participate in more complex sports than chucking discusses as far as possible, in this respect, the parallels between our society and the Ancient Greeks are striking. The first compelling similarity is the casual, sarcastic challenge by Loamadas. Just as we do in sports today, Alcinous’s son appeals to Odysseus’s sense of “glory” to try and convince him to play the game. Like you wrote, the use of the word “glory” here is a deliberate choice by Homer, meant to convey a specific message about the honor of triumphing in sporting activities. This idea of challenging your opponent to a sporting match for bragging rights seems like it is as old as time, and says much about the human experience.