Rhapsody 17

Homer commentary

A sampling of comments on Odyssey Rhapsody 17

2017.07.14 / updated 2018.10.13 | By Gregory Nagy Back in Rhapsody 16, Eumaios the swineherd had left behind in his shelter an unrecognized Odysseus and had gone off to the palace in order to contact Penelope; in the swineherd’s absence, Telemachus, left alone with Odysseus, could now get to see his father transformed into an idealized godlike hero, made visible through a luminous epiphany produced by the sacred wand of… Read more

Homer commentary

A sampling of comments on Iliad Rhapsody 17

2016.11.18 / updated 2018.09.20 | By Gregory Nagy The main preoccupation of the Achaeans here in Iliad 17 is to recover the corpse of Patroklos. Their efforts are understandable, in that they are showing their sense of solidarity by trying to rescue from harm the body of a fellow warrior who has fallen in battle. But the motivation here goes deeper. Patroklos is a cult hero in the making, and… Read more