Book 8 - The Phaeacian games

• Pallas Athene, pursuing her plans


  For the great-hearted Odysseus’ return, went through the town disguised as a herald from wise Alcinous
• These words acted as


  inspiration and encouragement to them all
• Athene invested his head and shoulders


  with a divine beauty, and made him seem taller and broader
• ‘The stranger at my side - I do not


  know his name, nor whether he has come from Eastern or from Western lands’ [ Alcinous ]
• ‘Demodocus; a god has given him


  the special gift of delighting our ears with his song, at whatever point he chooses to begin’ [ Alcinous ]
• Robbing him of his eyes


  but granting him the gift of sweet song
• He was ashamed to be seen 


  weeping by the Phaeacians
• What does Demodocus sing about at the beginning of the book?

  A fight between Odysseus and Peleus (Achilles’ son)
• The king, sitting next to


  Odysseus, felt and notices his distress and heard his heavy sighs
• ‘Let’s go outside now and try skills at various sports, so that


  when our guest has reached his home, he can tell his friends that at boxing, wrestling, jumping and running there is no one who can beat us’ [ Alcinous ]
• ‘He is well built enough; look at


  his thighs and legs, look at his hands, and that great neck’ [ Laodamas ]
• ‘Nothing makes a man so famous


  During his lifetime as what he can achieve with his hands and feet’ [ Laodamas ]
• ‘I have been through many bitter and


  exhausting experiences, and all I seek now is my passage home‘ [ Odysseus ]
• Euryalus now interposed


  and insulted him to his face
• ‘No: one can see


  you are no athlete’ [ Euryalus ]
• ‘It shows that the gods do 


  not grace men equally with the attributes of good looks, brains and eloquence’ [ Odysseus ]
• ‘You, sir, are distinguished in


  appearance - the gods themselves could not improve it - but you are short of brains‘ [ Odysseus ]
• ‘I’ll try my hand at the sports. For


  your words have stung me and put me on my mettle’ [ Odysseus ]
• A huge weight, more


  massive by far than the Phaeacians normally used
• Athene, pretending to be one of


  The crowd, marked the distance and spoke out
• ‘Laodamas, whose guest I am, is the


  only one among you all whom I except, for who would fight his host?’ [ Odysseus ]
• ‘I’m ready to meet 


  and match myself against all comers’ [ Odysseus ]
• Alcinous G epithet?

  Godlike Alcinous
• What myth does Demodocus sing about?

  Hephaestus catching Aphrodite having an affair with Ares
• ‘Hephaestus may be 


  lame, but he has won the day by cunning‘ [ Demodocus ]
• This was the song


  the famous minstrel sang
• His praise delighted 


  great Alcinous
• ‘Let us make

  parting gifts, as is appropriate‘ [ Alcinous ]
• ‘It is chiefly to


  me that you owe your life’ [ Nausicaa ]
• ‘For it was you,

  lady, who gave me back my life’ [ Odysseus ]
• ‘All men honour and respect


  bards, for the Muse has taught them songs and she loves the minstrel fraternity’ [ Odysseus ]
• What song does Demodocus sing at the end of the book?

  The story of the Trojan horse
• Odysseus‘ heart was melting with grief 


  and his cheeks were wet with the tears that ran down from his eyes
• Alcinous could not 


  help observing his condition
• ‘Tell me the name by which


  you were known at home to your mother’ [ Alcinous ]
• ‘And now, speak and tell us


  truly; where have you been driven in your wandering?’ [ Alcinous ]