As I read through Book 6: “The Princess and the Stranger,” of The Odyssey, it struck me how much the tale of Nausicaa meeting Odysseus correlated with our discussion in class of the Greek concept, “xenia.” In this case, when Odysseus stumbles upon Nausicaa and her handmaidens, she initially offers the clearly ill-fated Odysseus food, drink, clothing, and the opportunity to bathe out of her clear sense of responsibility being a princess. Beyond generosity, they seem to bestow their offerings in such a way as to look out for possible alliances and good standing amongst other kingdoms, while ensuring that both the recipients and the Gods are aware of their good deeds.
However, the first question I wondered, was why Athena led Odysseus to Nausicaa just as he got away from a situation where he was “trapped” by another powerful woman/goddess, Calypso. But after Nausicaa feels attracted to Odysseus, she offers even more to him, setting him up to meet her mother and father, the queen and king. As in line 270, when she says “Ah, if only a man like that were called my husband, lived right here, pleased to stay forever…” it is clear that she also wants to charm him into falling in love with her, and not just as a means of getting back home. The next passage also raised some questions for me, because it seemed a little sexual with the choice of language; after she offers him food, it says “the great Odysseus, long deprived, so ravenous now–it seemed like years since he has tasted food,” similar to the way that he is cast upon throughout the books, as having little choice in matters with women, being only a “great” man with “needs” that can only be satisfied with women.
When Nausicaa says “Phaecians, you see, care nothing for bow or quiver” but rather for “masts and oars” of their ships, I think she is saying that Odysseus is safe from being harmed by other men, but might not be respected for not sailing in to Phaeacia grandly; by plotting ahead on how he would enter the city, she also did not want to look bad bringing a man unescorted with her. Basically, it appear that she is trying to set it up where it would look like Odysseus and her “magically” met through an honorable way, so as to make him look better in the eyes of society as a potential husband for her, rather than a shipwrecked beggar. What I also think points to her young and naive age is that she thought of this all based only upon her desire for a husband, and Odysseus’s attractiveness after he bathes; while it is true that he mentions commanding an army prior to meeting his ill-fortune, she really knows nothing about him. Secretly, the Gods arranged for them to meet for a reason, and he is of noble pedigree so he is indeed a good catch, but without her actually knowing this, she is already trying to follow along with her daydreams of the fairy-tale handsome stranger who comes to sweep her off her feet. Additionally, it all connects back with the Greek idea of the Gods and fate having a hand in everything.
