Homer's Odyssey, Book 8

“But Odysseus, clutching his flaring sea-blue cape in both powerful hands, drew it over his head and buried his handsome face, ashamed his hosts might see him shedding tears.”

Art: Odysseus at the Court of Alcinous (1814–1816), by Francesco Hayez.

Book 8 recounts the great day of feasting and games held in honor of Odysseus (and the sea god, Poseidon, whom the Phaeacians honor). The blind bard Demodocus sings of the war at Troy and the fallen Greeks, enthralling all with his song…

Only King Alcinous notices their visitor weeping. After the tale is sung, Odysseus is challenged by a Phaeacian prince to join them in the games. At first, the stranger resists, claiming grief and his own share of troubles endured over the years. But when the prince mocks him and accuses him of being a grifter, Odysseus fights back.

The message is clear: although he is physically worn down by his trials and aged with trouble, they should not be deceived by appearances. He is still not only a worthy opponent, but victorious—a fine set up for his later battle against the suitors. The lesson is echoes in Demodocus’s next song, when he sings of the trickery of Hephaestus, god of the forge, who ensnared the lustful Ares, god of war, when he commits adultery with Aphrodite. The cunning and wit of Hephaestus matches that of Odysseus, who asks Demodocus to sing another, third song, this time about the Trojan horse and the great Odysseus and his men. This leads him to weep once more. And so, as they shower him in gifts and prepare to bid farewell, Alcinous asks his guest to reveal himself. The book ends on a cliffhanger, as Odysseus prepares to speak and reveal all.