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1/17
merican Philological ssociation
Supplication in the Iliad and the OdysseyAuthor(s): Victoria PedrickSource: Transactions of the American Philological Association (1974-), Vol. 112 (1982), pp. 125-140Published by: The Johns Hopkins University PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/284075.
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2/17
Transactions
f the American
hilological
Association 12
1982)
125-140
SUPPLICATION
IN THE ILIAD AND THE
ODYSSEY
VICTORIA
PEDRICK
Georgetown
University
The Homeric epics containseveral of the mostvivid descriptionsf
supplication
n
Greek
iterature: hetis before
Zeus,
Lykaon
and
Priam
each before
Achilles,
Odysseus
before
Arete
n
the
courtof
the
Phaea-
cians. The
suppliant's
esture
f
lowering
himself o embrace his
oppo-
nent's
knees,
hus
howing
is
humility
nd
desperation,omplements
he
beseeching
one of
his
request.
t is
tempting
o
rely upon
the details
provided
n these
cenes and
others)
n
writing
n
account bout the
act
of
suppliancy
nd the
ancient
Greek ttitude
oward
t,
especially
ince n
later
iterature
he
ritual
tself
cquired
such force. n
a recent rticle
J.P. Gouldhasattemptedust uch an account.He describes hesymbolic
meaning
ehind he
physical estures
nd an
interesting
inkbetween
he
institutionsf
xenia and hiketeia.'
But his discussion
f
the
Homeric
evidence revealssome of the
difficultiesn
using
iterary ources, spe-
cially epic
poetry,
or
sociological
nterpretation.
e
suggests hat the
Homeric
uppliant
an force
cceptance
of his
plea because
of
the
power
inherent
n
the
gestures hemselves. ut
this onclusion s
based on three
assumptions
hich
houldbe more
losely
xamined:
1. that theHomericepics have thesame attitude oward he act of
supplication
and
the
correct
performance f
the ritual
gestures
associated
with
t)
as later
Greek
iterature;
2.
that
the
Iliad and the
Odysseyshare the
same
belief in the
potency
of
the
ritual,
o
that
evidence
about it
can
be
drawn
indifferentlyrom ither
oem;
3.
that
the
poems
furnish
vidence about
customs
and religious
beliefs
which an be
lifted rom
he
text
without
ttention o their
contexts.
'
J. P.
Gould,
Hiketeia,
JHS
93 (1973)
74-103.
He notes
that
supplication
n
Greek
literature as not
been
studied
n
detail.
His
seventh
noteshould
be
consulted or
bibliog-
raphy,
specially
n
suppliancy n
tragedy. o his
ist dd:
Guy K.
Whitfield, he
Restored
Relation. The
Supplication
Theme in
the Iliad
(Diss.,
Columbia
1967); and A.
K. Kara-
demetriou,
'O 'IKErt1S
,r1v
ApXdaa
EAAcba,
Hellenika28
(1975)
29-48.
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3/17
126
Victoria
edrick
I shall not concern
myself
with he first roblem
ecause t
is too com-
plex for
a paper of this ength.
But I shall
address he other
wo issues.
First, lthoughupplicationsperformedn the same way n both pics,
significant
ifference
n attitude oward
the act emerges.
Characters n
the Odyssey
exhibit respect
for divine
sanctions trengthening
he
suppliant's tatus,
while n the
liad heroesdo not.2
econd,
we need to
examine ome of
the ways the poet manipulates
upplication cenes for
poetic
effect.The
detail with which
the suppliancy
s described, he
accuracy
withwhich
he ritual s performed,
nd the
success r failure f
the plea all depend
upon artistic
onsiderations.
onclusions
bout the
form nd
strengthf the ritual
must ake
these nto ccount.
I
The
two
epics offer imilar
descriptions
f supplication. hey
share
a
field of vocabulary
used
to
describe
or suggest he
ceremony nd the
basic gestures
f supplication,
henthese re fully
epicted,
re the same
in bothpoems.
Moreover, uppliancy
ccurs
n
each
epic in a
broad range
of
contexts,
rom
he
most serious ituation,
uch
as a
plea
for
ife in
battle,
o circumstances
here reference
o the
ceremony
eems little
more han onventionalmeansofformulatingequests.
The
vocabulary
ieldprovides pecific
diomsforeach
gesture
f both
participants
s well
as for
the suppliant's
goals
and the supplicated's
attitude
n
response.3
or
nstance,
he
gesture
f
embracing
he
knees an
be described
both
literally
nd
figuratively.
ovcev
Xa/3eZv, EE^LV,
a4ao-6at
are phrases
used when the
act
is
described.'
yovva6
ao-at and
yovvcEOat
are used
both n
descriptions
nd
in
the
suppliant's
ddress,
sometimes
henthe
physical
ct
is
impossible.5
ther
xpressions
enote
the uppliant'spproach rarrival
'KaivEcv,
LKEo-Oat)
nd mark hebeseech-
ing
tone of
his
plea
(A-aaooOat).
The technical
erm
KETq)
('KETEVEtV)
occurs less frequently
n
the
Iliad than
in
the
Odyssey.6
When the
ceremony
s
notfully escribed,
ne or more
phrases
rom
his
distinctive
vocabulary
an still
ignal t. For
instance,
he
pleas
to
Meleager
described
by
Phoenix re each
marked
imply y
forms
fXLa-a-,EaO-a
or
yovvE^LcTaL
(Il.
9.574, 583,585, 591),
since
complete
ccounts
would
be
cumbersome.
But
much
of
the
language
is
capable
of
metaphorical
nterpretation,
2
E. R. Dodds,
TheGreeks
nd
the rrational
Berkeley
951)
32,has
noted
hispoint.
3
For a discussion
f many
though
not
all
words losely
ssociated
with uppliancy,
ee
Andre
Corlu,
Recherches
ur les mots relatifs
l'id&e
de
priere,
'Homere
aux
tragiques
(Paris
1966)
293-321.
4
See
II. 1.500,512;
21.71;
Od. 6.147,
169;
14.279,
tc.
5
See
II.
1.427;
9.583;
Od. 4.433;
22.312,
etc.
See
ra you'va6'
LKaVELV, KEiTOaL
(I1.
18.457;
Od. 3.92).
'
See
II. 21.75;
24.158=187,
570;
Od.
5.450; 6.193;
7.165=181,
etc. See below,page
131.
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4/17
Supplication
n the
liad
and the
Odyssey
127
without
mplyingphysical
gestures,
nd
often the
vocabulary
s
used
simply
o
ntensify
he earnestnessf a
request.7
Full descriptionsftheceremonynboth picsshowdifferencesrising
only from ontext. wo
examples
which can be
compared
are
Priam's
supplication
f
Achilles
I.
24.477)
and
Odysseus'
ntreaty
o Arete
Od.
7.139). Both men enterunseen nd
embrace
their
hostor hostess t
the
knees. Priam also kisses
Achilles'
hands.
Each
suppliant
hen
makes his
plea. Priam remains hereaftert
Achilles'
knees; Odysseus
withdraws
into
the
ashes
of the hearth.Both
Achilles and
Alkinoos,
fter
some
hesitation,
espond n the
same
way: each
takes
the
suppliant
by
the
hand, pushes
or
raises him
out
of his
humble
posture
nd offers
im
a
seat.8Althoughhe contexts re verydifferent,hephysicalgestures n
both ides re
nearly
he
same.
Both of these
requests
re
made
by
strangers.upplication
an
also
occurbetween
cquaintances, s
when
Thetis
beseeches
eus
to
honorher
son
(II.
1.500). The ritual s
still the
same,though
Thetis'
gestures
re
bolder. Wh'en
Zeus
hesitates, he
persistsn her hold
on his knees.
The
same posture s
found
n
battlefield ansom
equestswhen
circumstances
permit.Thus at
II.
6.45 Adrestos s in
a position o
embrace
Menelaos'
knees,but at II. 11.130 the sons of Antimachos annotdo the same to
Agamemnon.
he
languageused to
describe heir
lea,
however,
marks t
as a
supplication
yovvaCE'o-Ov).
The variety f
contextsn which
supplication ccurs s
also
similar n
both pics.
Men
who have
been
exiled formurder
r who
are
wandering
beggars ppeal
for
anctuary r aid in
foreignands:
Epigeus
once suppli-
cated Peleus
after
killing cousin
(II.
16.573);
Theoklymenos,
lso in
flight rom
kinsmen,
eeks id
from
elemachos
Od. 15.272).9
Odysseus'
appeals as a
wanderer n
need are
common
n the
Odyssey. o
warrior
trapped n battlemay beg forhis ife; n the liad, onlyTrojansresorto
this. n
the
Odyssey,
Leodes the
suitor nd
two servants
eg
for mercy
from
Odysseus, nd
the hero
himself n
one of
his lies claims
to
have
supplicated
n
Egyptianking
after
defeat. In the
Iliad,
fathers eek
to
ransom hildren
rom nemy
aptors.'2
See II.
1.282;
5.357;
19.304;
Od.
2.209
and
below,page 136.
8
Gould
(above,
note
1)
97
ff.
has
a discussion
f
the
possible
ignificance
f
Odysseus'
retreat ntothehearth s a furtherymbolic esture f hishumble tate.He also discusses
the
fact hatAlkinoos
eacts o
a
suppliant
f
Arete.
9
See
also
II.
2.661;
9.478;
13.694;
15.431;
23.85; Od.
13.258. See
Robin
Schlunk, The
Theme
of the
Suppliant-Exilen
the
liad,
AJP
97
(1976)
199-209,
for
urther
iscussion.
10
See
6.141;9.266;
13.230, tc.
See II.
6.45;
10.374;
11.130;
20.463;
21.72; Od.
22.310,
330,
365;
14.276. At
II.
22.337,
Hektor
egs
thathis
body be
ransomed.
nother
ife-or-death
uppliancy, hough
ot
on the
battlefield,s
Kirke's
irst
ppeal to
Odysseus
Od.
10.323).
12
See
1.12;
24.477;
probably
lso
6.426;
11.106.
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5/17
128
Victoria
edrick
Between
acquaintances,
uppliancies
re usually
ess urgent; n
fact,
they are formal
requests
for favors.
For instance,Thetis asks Zeus
to
avengeherson's honor;Odysseus equestsKirke'shelp in leaving. 3 ut
even
friendsmay
make
desperate
leas, as
when
Eurylochos egs
Odys-
seus not to
take
him back
to
Kirke's air,
or
the Greeks
urge Achilles
o
return
o battle.'4
Although
upplication
ormally
ccurs
betweenphysical
quals (man
to
man or
god to
god),
bothpoems
use
the anguage
f supplication
etween
men
and gods.
Achilles
beseeches
he winds
to
lightPatroclus'
funeral
pyre
Il. 23.196:
LtTcvEvEv);
Menelaos
supplicates
he
gods
for salvation
from
the
island where
he is becalmed
(Od. 4.433:
yovvov'Evos).
The
suppliantanguage eemsmerely o substituteor hemorenormalwords
for
praying.'5
dysseus'
lea to
the river
eity
t Scheria,
owever,
s one
of the most
xplicitly
uppliant
peeches
n either
oem.
KAvOL,
lva6,
0`TL
EfOOT
oAVAALo-Tov
bfe
O
LKauv)
O'EVYWV
(K 7TOVTrOLO
OCELba'WVOS
EVL7TaS.
aLboLoS
EV
T'r
ETTL
Ka2L
OaVaTot&0L OeOL(TLv
tt
e t
, z
,)
e I
avbpcov
o's
LT-LK7)TaL
AXWjfV0o,
g
KaL
yw
vv
(Oy
Tre
ooV
Ta TE
yovVaO
LKauVCEro0Xa
/uoy77-as.
aAA
EAEaLpe,
va4 LKET?s be'
ToL vXojumaL
wa.
(Od. 5.445-50)
In none of these
passages,
however,
an
we imagine
any
of
the cere-
monial
gestures
ssociated
with uppliancy.
Throughout
he
range
of appeals
in both
poems
the significance
f
the
suppliant's
estures
elps
explain
each
recourse
o
the
ceremony.
ignal-
ing as
they
do his
humility,
is
willingness
o relinquish
ostilityif
any
intrudes)
nd
his desperate
need,
they can
be the basis
for
any plea
forced
by
a weakened
condition
or
inferior
osition,
whether
o
an
enemyor a friend.'6This is true whether he physicalgestures re
actuallyperformed
r
simply
lluded
to
by
the
suppliant.
Yet the
very
breadth
of
use
for the
ceremony
points
to a
problem
n
interpreting
supplication
n
a literary
work:
where
does the
reality
f the
ritual-the
gestures
nd language-cease
to
be
felt
nd
poetic
onventionake
over?
When
we wish
to discuss
he
meaning
nd
force
f the
ritual,
we
must
bear
in mind
that
many
events
n the
Homeric
epics
are
described
y
a
series
of
specific
cts
or
gestures
which are
repetitive
nd
predictable.
1
II.
1.500
and
passim;
Od.
10.480.
See
also Il.
2.14; 4.376;
9.450;
18.457.
Both
Hektor
and
Menelaos
re
scolded
for
not upplicating
heir
llies
for
help Il. 5.490;
10.117).
4
II.
9 passim;
Od.
10.264.
See alsoII.
16.20,
46;
22.35,
81.
'
See also I.
9.501;
Od. 14.406.
6
For
further
iscussion
f
the ymbolic
meaning
f thegestures
ee
Gould
above,
note
1)
94 ff.;
lso
Richard
B.
Onians,
The
Origins
of European Thought
bout
the
Body,
the
Mind,
theSoul,
the
World,
Time and
Fate (Cambridge
1951)
174-85. See
also
Whitfield
(above,
note
1)
53-57.
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6/17
Supplication
n
the
liad and
the
Odyssey
129
And these
events
lso imply
society's
ode
of
behavior.
n a
sense,
he
act of
supplications
no
more a ritual
and
no less
one)
than the
arming
of a warrior r thereception rdeparture fa guest.Thispointbecomes
more
pertinent
hen
we realize that the divine
sanctions,
hich
might
mark
supplication
s a
religious
eremony,
re
accretions
o
the
ritual
which
ppear in
one of
the poems
only.
Moreover,
he
poet
exhibits
he
same
ability nd
willingness
o
manipulate
etails
n
his
descriptionsf
suppliancies or
artistic ffect s he
does in
accounts
of
other
typical
events see
below,
page 133).'7
II
In
language,
esture
nd
circumstance,
hen, he liad and
the
Odyssey
share
a
common form
for
supplication. et
each epic
conveys
very
different
ttitude
oward he force
f the
ceremony.
or
the heroes
f the
Iliad
supplication
perates trictlyn
a
human evel,
ommandingespect
only so far
as custom
and human
sanctions
ompel. In
the
Odyssey,
however,
Zeus appears
as the
upholderof
the
suppliant's
ppeals. Yet
even n
this
poem
his
protections
not
universally
laimed.
In
the liad the
ceremony tself
xercises
o binding
orce.
The suppli-
antneithernsists n anyprivileges orclaims god'sprotectiony right
of his
ritual
posture. he
supplicated hows
no
sign of
being
nfluenced
by
a
special code of
behavior
oward
uppliants. is
acceptanceor
rejec-
tion, f
the
decision s
explained, s
based upon
personal
onsiderations,
and
when he
rejects plea
it is
without
sense of
shame or
fear
of
retribution.
hus the
main
purposeof
supplication n this
pic is
to get
one's
request
heard.
The
ceremony
rrests
ttention nd
prevents ejec-
tion
or
slaying)
ut of hand,
but
does not nsure
uccess.
Lacking anydefined eligious rmoralscrupleon whichto securehis
claim, the
Iliadic
suppliant
ries o
strengthen
is plea in
various
ways.
Battlefield
uppliants
ffer
7roLva
in
returnfor
their
ives (see
6.49;
10.380;
11.131).Ransom
s
expected18-even
Hektor's ody,
whose
release
has
been
divinely
ommanded,must be
redeemed-but
in the
ransom
'
As
has
been
demonstrated
ith
the
arming
scenes;
see,
for
instance,
Joseph
usso,
HomeragainsthisTradition, rion7 (1968) 282-86; J.Armstrong,TheArmingMotif n
the
Iliad,
AJP
79
(1958)
337-54;
and
Harald
Patzer,
Dichterische
Kunst
und
poetisches
Handwerk
m
homerischen
pos
(Wiesbaden
1972).
8
Ransom
goods
have
been
interpreteds
a
symbol
f
-submission
nd
dependency
y
the
suppliant
nd an
important
means
of
creating
1lcs in
the
supplicated; ee
Whitfield
(above,
note
1)
58 ff.
The
evidence
n the
liad
suggests
therwise.
n
most
ffersf
recom-
pense,the
supplicant
makes no
reference
o
atl8w see
1.17;
6.47;
10.378;
11.131;
22.338).
Lykaon's
plea
in
21,
which
most
heavily
tresses
18ws, s
the
one
in
which
recompense
s
mentioned
nly
obliquely
21.79-80).
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7/17
130
Victoria
edrick
scenes most fully
described,
gifts are
unsuccessful
s a means
of
persuasion
9
In her uppliancy rom roy'swalls,Hekabe appealstoHektor's espect
for
her
motherhood.
he exposes
ne breast
nd
cries:
EKTOP,
TEKVOV
E/.LOV,
Ta'be T
aLMEo
Kal
/.u
EAE?(TOV
aVirnv,
L 7TOTE TOL
Aa8LK7jfa
iacov
f7rfoyov.
22.82-83)
Her plea
for pity s
a
naturalexpression
f her helplessness,
ut her
appeal
for
respect
equires
more onsideration.
1IiS
is
a
sense
of respect
or shame
toward
omeone
r something
hich
can
demand
the exercise
of restraint.
With rare
exceptions,
he
feeling s
exercised
etween
two
mortals r twodeities,notbetweenman and god.20'
aLo
iS
a cryfor
human onsideration,
ot an
appeal
to
higher
uthority.2'
ts
strength
ies
in
emotions
which need
not be binding.
Perhaps
for this
reason
the
appeal
occurs
only
n emotionally-charged
ncounters: ykaon
captured
again
by
the now
demonic
Achilles
21.74);
and Priam
begging
or
Hek-
tor's eturn24.503).
Hektor trengthens
is
supplication
orhis
body's
return
with
veiled
threat:
AL(r(rou V7rTEpvyaVX
7sV
ac yOVWv(xWv
TE
OK?vr. .
(22.338)
The reference
o
Achilles' oul represents
curse
f his
body
s
mutilated
and
left
nburied.22
ektor's
astwords
make hiscurse
more
xplicit:
4pa'EO
VIV,
/A7L?
OL TL OEWV
/L7)VL/La
yEvwx.LaL
71.aTL
TWO
TrE
KEP
aE
flapLs
KaL
(Doi&v
'A7roAAXwv
e(rO
v
EoVTr' O\oA
rLVPLJIJIKaL?)0L
ITvA)70aLV.
(22.358-60)
'
Achilles,
however,
ormerly
eleased prisoners
or
ransom,
s did
others;
ee
2.229;
6.427;
11.106,
1.99-102.
Reasons
or
he
consistent
ailure
f ransom equests
n the
current
narrative
ntil
riam's ttempt
willbe
suggested
elow,page
139.
20
The
range
of
uses
n epic
for he
concept
behind
'bx
is outlined
n Das
Lexicon
des
fruhgriechischen
pos,
ed.
Bruno
nell,under lboZos,
b1f'oma,
albs.
Only
four
nstances
are cited
where
he
concept
ccurs
nrelations
etween
manand god:
I.
9.508;
24.503;
Od.
9.269;
21.28.
See also C.
E. Frhr.
von
Erff
, AIz.Ql
und
verwandte
Begriffe
Philologus
Suppl.
30.2,
1937)
13 f.;
and
W. J.
Verdenius,
AIA?7?
bei
Homer,
Mnemosyne
.12
(1944) 47-60, esp. 51 f; also HelenNorth, ophrosyneIthaca 1966) 6 ff., hough hereli-
gious
mplications
f a'b?jc
are
not
s great
s
she
suggests.
2
von Erffa
above,
note
20)
3,
13 f.;
Whitfield
above,
note
1) 67
f. See, however,
I.
24.503:
a',, aibe3o
8eovs.
The
full
ontext
hows
hat
his s a variation
n
themore
normal
association
f
respect
nd
mercy
or
he
suppliant
imselfsee 21.74),
and
seems
imed
at
reminding
chilles
f
the
gods'
role
n Hektor's
ansom.
22
The rest
f
the
ine represents
ore
customary
ppeals:
the
reference
o
knees
nvokes
suppliant
estures
mpossible
or
the
dying
man;
mention
f
the
supplicated's
arents
s
a
means
f arousing
ympathy
s
found lsewhere.
ee II. 15.663;
24.486.
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8/17
Supplicationn
the
liad and the
Odyssey
131
OEWV
,uv
La
does
not
represent, owever,
nger
over the denied
suppli-
ancy. The
use
of
this
phrase
n
Elpenor's
upplication
f
Odysseus
ndi-
cates that t sthe ackofburialwhich utrageshegods.23
Chryses
ffers
ansom
for his
daughter,
ut he also
stands
upon
his
position s priest f
Apollo
n
supplicating
he
Greeks.
Far from
falling
intothe
suppliant
osture,
e
carrieshis
priestly
taff s
he beseeches he
assembly
ALo-o-Ero:
.15), and bids them
respect
Apollo
1.21).
And
most
of the warriors
re moved
by
the reminders f the
god:
EvO
aAAoL
UfEV
ravTrev
7rev#7I'
aV
AyaLoL
aLI3EUTOaL
'
leprja KaL ayAaa
3EX\aL
7roLva.
(1.22-23)
Agamemnon, owever,corns hryses' riestlytatus:24
A (,
yEpoV, KOLAMLV
'y'
7rap'a
V7VL
KLXELW
t7
viv
&r)OtvovT'
?J7
(YrepOv
aVTLS
LOvTa,
7V
TOL OV
KpaLrpo
VYK7TOV
Ka'L
aYrTE/Aua
eOLO.
1.26-28)
It
is
Chryses' ngry
prayer
for
vengeance,
however,which
brings he
plague upon
the
Greeks;Apollo s
not
aroused o
wrath
pontaneously
y
the
nsulted
uppliancy.
A
final
way
to
strengthen
plea is found n
Lykaon's pening
words
o
Achilles.He claimsrespect s thewarrior'suppliant
'KE'r?s).
yovvoZ,uaL'
r',
'AXLAEZ 0rv?
e ,A' aioEo
KaL
,A'
WAtj7rovo
aVTL
TOL
EL/
LKETao,
ILOTpOPES,
aLOOLOLo
7rapyap
OOL
7TpwTrw
rara.LV
AnU
'TIEpOs
aKrV
.
. .
(21.74-76)
His
justification
or his
tatus s
interesting
ecause t is
basedupon
their
past
encounter,
otupon his
present
upplication.
is
claimseems
spe-
cious, incehe
shared
mealwith
the
Greekonly
because of
hiscaptiv-
ity.Still,
t
implies wo mportantetails boutsupplication. irst,
KE'T7S1
is
a
technical
ermnot
applicable to
ustanyone
who
assumes he
suppli-
ant
posture.25
econd, his
echnical
orm f
supplication
eems ndeed
to
claim a
respect
which
should be
honored even
after
the event.26
et
23
Od.
11.72-73:
J.L?J.'
a&KAavrov
aBa7rrov
LWv
o7FLBEV
KaraAXeL7reL /
voo-4uo-0ELs,JAL? rO
rL
OEWv
fA)q
.vLja
yEfvwf.aL.
This is
the
onlyother
ccurrence f
the word
ur1vL,ua
n
Homer.
See
also II.
16.498
ff.
Apollo
is
angered
at
Achilles
because of
his
refusal o
bury
Hektor
II.
24.33).
24
In
answering
riam's
request
or
Hektor's eturn
chilles
lso
scorns
ivine
pressure; ee
24.568-70.
25
Priam s
the only
other
uppliant n
the liad
to
be so
called
(24.158,
570).
The
term s
regularly
sed
in the
Odyssey n
reference
o
wanderers
r
beggars.
ee
6.191;
7.165;
9.266;
16.67,
tc.
26 See Od.
16.421,
where
Penelope
scolds Antinoos
or
failing
o
respect
suppliant
ela-
tionship
ncurred
y
his
father
when
he
pleaded for
help
from
Odysseus.
ee
Gould
above,
note1)
92,
who also
discusses
he
reciprocity
mplied n
this
passage.
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9/17
132
Victoria edrick
Lykaondoes notcall
any god to his witness,nd Achilles ejects he
claim
because his
own
angeroverridest.
The image of suppliancywhich merges rom he liad's fullest escrip-
tions s
of a
ceremonywhich when performed etweenmortals
y no
meansguarantees uccess.27 he offer f money,
he plea forrespect,
he
special threat re all means of making t
morecompelling. he first
wo
tactics perate
on a
strictly
uman
evel as
appeals to greed or emotion.
The threat nvokes
ivine anger,but anger
called down upon a specific
grievance, ot upon
the violation f the ceremony tself. hese strength-
eningmeasures
re uniformlynsuccessful
n
scenesmostfully escribed
untilPriam
eeks
he return f
Hektor's ody.Successfulupplications
re
not unknown: or nstanceAchillesransomed ons of Priam for6z`7roLa
(11.106) and Phoenixyieldedto his mother's
leas to dishonor
is father
(9.451).
But
these
remerely eported,s memories ast.28
he
prevailing
prospect or uppliants
n
the liad
is gloomy,
nd that
an
be
noaccident
(see below,page
139).29
A
differentet
of tactics s used
n
the Odyssey
o strengthenhesuppli-
ant's
plea. Recompense
s
no
longer
ffered
y suppliants.30
nstead
up-
plicationmade in
battle containspleas for respect
nd
mercy 22.312,
344).3'
Other directappeals for
lb
, however, re lacking, lthough
Odysseus
oes
beg
Polyphemos
o
respect
he
gods 9.269).
Suppliants
re
now
regularly
alled LKE'raL
and are
said
to be
aboZoL,
an
epithet
used
only
n
reference
o
Lykaon
n
the
Iliad
(21.75).32
At
5.447
Odysseus ays
hat
wanderer s
alboios
even
to the
gods.
The extensions
understandable
ince
he
is
supplicating
river.,
he
wandering
uppliant
27
Supplications
etween
gods
are uniformly
uccessful
n the
Iliad:
1.500; 2.15;
5.357;
18.457;
21.368.
21
Other uccessfulupplications hich re reported: .590; 16.573.At 16.46-47Patroklos
convinces
Achilles o
et himgo
intobattle. ee also
23.609.
29
The preceding
ccount
eaves outconsideration
f the allegory f
the
Litai
9.502-14),
passage
which tates
hat
Zeus punishes
with
rT1
any man
who fails
o isten o
prayers.
he
omission
s intentional.
he
retributionnvisioned
s otherwise
lien
to both pics,
nd
suits
Phoenix'sarguments
ather
than
any
theology.
ee Judith
.
Rosner,
The Speech
of
Phoenix:
liad 9.434-605,
Phoenix
0 (1976)
314-27,
for
urther
iscussion
f thispassage.
'
Except
or
Odysseus
in
lie)
when e
offers
ooty
lEVOELIKE'a
XrL'ba)
othe
Phoenicians
after
upplicating
hem
for
passage
to
Pylos
(13.273).
Here, however,
he booty
might
equally
be
considered ayment
or he
passage.
31
Lykaon s the only liadicwarrior o try histack 21.74). He has some acquaintance
withAchilles
romhis
formeraptivity,
ust s the men
who beseechOdysseus
reknown
o
him. Phemios
pleads
on the
basis
of his
singing
alent. ee
Sigfried
esslich,
chweigen
Verschweigen
Ubergehen
Heidelberg
966) 101-4.
32
At 9.271
Odysseus
ses
alboZov
ith -EZvos;
ee also 8.544.
The
suppliant
nd
the
guest-
friend renot
lways
learly
istinguished
n
the
Odyssey.
At 9.265 Odysseus
ses
the terms
interchangeably,
s does
Eumaios
when
speaking
bout
his
beggar
guest 14.511,
404).
The
conflation
s
perhaps
due to
the
fact that
once
accepted
the
suppliant
s elevated
to
the
status
f
a
guest.
ee
6.207;
8.541
and Gould above,
note
1)
79.
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10/17
Supplication
n
the liad and the
Odyssey
133
also
has rather
learly
efined
ights
n
this
pic.
According
o
Nausikaa,he
is
entitled o
food and whatever
lse he asks for
6.191-93);
her
father
evenapologizesforherlack ofcourtesyn failing o escorthim ntothe
city
7.299).
Gifts
re also owed
to
the
suppliant,
pparently
s a
sign
that
he is no
longer
onsidered
n
outcast
ut
a
guest
8.544-47).33
The greatest
upport or
upplication
n
the
Odyssey
is the
protection
f
Zeus.
Suppliants
laim
t
and the
supplicated
cknowledge
t. After
dys-
seus
has seated
himself
mong
the
ashes,
n
elder chides Alkinoos
or
his
slow
response
nd bids
him make
the
stranger
elcome:
aV
be
K7/pVK
OTL
KEAEVOrV
OLvOv
E7rLKp?wcYar,
L'Va
KaL
ALL
rEp7rLKEpaVVW
07TEL0T0/V,
OS 08
LK
T?)7
a/.'
aLoOLOLLV
o7rJbE.
7.163-65,
ee
180-81)
Odysseus
tries
a similar
dmonitionwith
Polyphemos,
nd even
gives
Zeus a
special title
designatinghis
protection
9.270-71:
ZEvsq
8'
E7rLTLrLT7)Tp LKETatV
7
E
61EWV
7E
/
6E VroL). But the
Kyklops
has
no fear
of
the
god's
emnity:
ov8'
a5V
Eyw ALosi
XO0s
aAEva/.LEvos
7TE4AL8OL.AL?JV
OVTE
OV
oiO'
craipcV, L
'
0vUs9
ye
KEAEtvOL.
(9.277-28)
Penelope calls Zeus the witnessof suppliants s she complains of
Antinoos' ack
of respect
16.421).
When
Odysseus
uspects he
Phaea-
cians of
having
brought
im to
the
wrong
sland,
he
curses hem
with he
vengeance f
Zeus
KET7101O9
(13.213).
Eumaios
reassures is
guest
hathe
need
fearno
tricks
rom
him,
ince fhe
were tokill
him,
he could
him-
self
no
longer ppeal to
Zeus
(14.402). Nausikaa
says that all
strangers
(6LVOL)
and
beggars ome from he
god
(6.207).
When
Odysseus
gives a
fictitious
ccount
of
himself o
Eumaios, he
says thatan Egyptiankinghonoredhis suppliancy nd protectedhim
from
hostile
oldiers
ecause he
feared
Zeus' wrath
14.283).34
he
hero s
trying
o
influence
umaios'
reception f
him,of
course,
but
the passage
is
notable
because Zeus is
imagined
s
protecting
he
suppliant
ven in
battle. The
example
points
up
clearly the
difference
n
the
suppliant's
status etween
he
two
epics. No
warrior
n
the
liad is
ever
stopped rom
rejecting
n
enemy's
lea for
his ife
by
fearof
Zeus.
III
Despite
similarity
n
external
forms,
upplication
ppears
to have a
different
asis of
strength
n
the
two
epics.
When
discussing
he
cere-
mony,we
must ake
care
from
which
poem we
draw
our
evidence.
The
33
See
9.268;
also
IH.
9.481, where
Phoenix
mentions
he
wealth and lands he
got
from
Peleus.
3 But
note
that t
s
AZLos
ewLOv
and see
above,note
32.
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11/17
134
Victoria
edrick
distinction
n attitude,
however,
may
be misleading,
f
we seek
the
reasons
ehind
t in theories
bout different
ocieties
or authors)
or he
poems. nstead,we mustrecognize he extent owhich he poetmanipu-
lates heceremony
f
supplication
n both
pics.
As a beginning,
t should
be noted that
Zeus'
protection
s not
univer-
sally laimed n
the Odyssey.
ts most
onspicuous
bsence
s
in the battle
supplications
f 22. None
of the
three men
who seek
mercy hreatens
Odysseus
with
Zeus' vengeance
and
he
shows
no
restraint ecause
of
religious
cruples.35f
course
Medon has
been
promised afety
efore
he
approaches
elemachos
357)
and Phemios'plea
is accepted 356),
so that
no question
f divine
nger
arises.But
Leodes
the suitor s
not successful
inhis bid formercy.Whydid he not claim thegod'sprotectionnorder
to
strengthen
is
plea?36
The answer
s clear enough:
Leodes'
own violation
f
guest-friendship
s
severeenough
o
remove nyblame
for
Odysseus.
The poet
has
been
at
pains
to establish
he guiltof
the suitors,
specially
their
violation f
6eEvLa,
to
the
point
where
Odysseus'
laughter
f
them s
palatable.
He
can
hardly
ttribute
t thisclimax
any blame
to Odysseus,
o
he
suppresses
reference o
the divine
protection
ormally
njoyedby
suppliants.
he
pleas for mercy especiallyLeodes'), far fromcondemningOdysseus,
become
a means
of
underscoring
is
righteous-and
hence, mplacable-
wrath.Literary
onsiderations
ppear
to have governed
he
poet's
treat-
ment f
supplication
n
22,
rather
han
religious
eliefs
r a strict
enseof
ritual.
Rigid
adherence o
the
rules f
the
game 37
as not been
allowed
to
interfere
ith
he
climactic attle
nor
to
change
our
perception
f the
hero'sright
o exact
vengeance.
Mentionof
divine
protection
or
suppliants
ccurs in scenes
where
hospitality
nd
the
proper
reatment
f
strangers
re
important.38
hus
Nausikaaand the Phaeaciansrecall on their wn theobligationsoward
Odysseus,
while
Polyphemus
s
specifically
arned nd
yet
till s
scornful
of Zeus'
guardianship
9.269,
277).
Between
Odysseus
nd
Eumaios
here
s
a
subtle nterchange:
n his
fictitious
ccount,
he
heronotes
he
Egyptian
3
See
23.117,
wherehe expressly
ears evenge
y the
families
f
the lain
uitors.
36
Gould
(above,
note
1) 81 believes
that
t is
strengthened
n some measure:
The
rejec-
tion
of
Leodes],
ike
those
of
Adrastus
nd Lykaon,
s justified
y
the need
for
vengeance:
but
n this
ase
there s nothing
n
the
ritual
rocedures
o
mitigate
he ct
or
by
casuistry
o
exculpateOdysseus.
3
Gould'sphrase
81-85)
forthe
strict
ode
of
behavior
he
envisions
urrounding
uppli-
ant
and supplicated.
i
Supplications
ully
escribed
which
do not refer
o
Zeus'
anger:
10.264
Eurylochos
o
Odysseus);
10.323
(Kirke
to Odysseus);
10.480
(Odysseus
to
Kirke);
11.66
(Elpenor
to
Odysseus);
13.230
(Odysseus
o
the disguised
Athene).
This last
is
a
curious
xample;
the
poet
develops
much
unconscious
rony
n Odysseus'
words, specially
t 230 f.:
..
O'L
yap
Eyw yiE
/
e'XoflaL
T
BE
IE
KaL r'Ev
4Ln'a yoiva6'
tKavw,
a
phrase
therwise
nparalleled
n
suppliancies.
ee
also
below,
note
39.
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12/17
Supplication
n the liad
and the
Odyssey
135
king's
respect
of his
prisoner
14.283);
the swineherd
cknowledges
is
dutybefore
Zeus,
but
ater,
when
he
declineshis
guest's
ath about
news
of Odysseus 401-6). But duringthe slaughter f the suitors, dysseus
does
not
deserve he blame of
being
reminded
f
Zeus'
protection,
nd
so
it s omitted.39
In
these cenes he
poet
s
manipulating
feature f
supplication
hich
does not
appear
in
the
liad
at all-the
notion f divine
protection.
ince
the
feature s
peculiar
to one
poem,
t
might
e considered o true
part
of
the
traditional
itual,
nd hence more
usceptible
o
omission
r
inclu-
sion
as
the
context
requires.
But further xamination
f the
various
suppliancies
n
both
poems
reveals
the
manipulation
or
iterary
ffect
influencesvery spectof the ritual: he detail withwhich supplication
is
depicted; the
completeness r
accuracy
with which
the
gestures
re
performed;
nd
finally,
he
very
uccess r failure
f
the
plea.
That
the
poet
adjusts
he
detail
with
which
nysupplication
s
depicted
to its
context
s
an
easy
observation.When the
suppliancy
tself s the
main
eventof
a
scene,
when
ts
outcome
s
momentous,
he
ceremony
s
described
ully.
ach
gestures
depicted,
r
the
nability
o
performny
is remarked
upon,
and the
speeches of
both parties re
given.
Thetis
beforeZeus
or
Priam
beforeAchilles re scenes n
whichthe primary
focus s
upon
the
supplication tself.
Elsewhere,
nterest ies in
another
aspectof
the
situation, r
the context
eemsto
prohibit
laborate escrip-
tion.
The gestures hen
are
only
alluded to, or the
suppliant's
words
suggest hem.
For
instance,
n
the liad
both
Nestor
nd
Hektor re
said to
supplicate
their
roops or
special
effortn fighting.
ektor
pleads withhis
men to
cross
he
Greek
ditch 12.49);
Nestorbegs
Greekforces o
fight
aliantly
on
behalfof their
wives,
hildren nd
parents
15.660).4? n
neither ase
are thegestures fkneeling nd embracing hekneesmore than briefly
alluded
to,
althoughNestor
eiterates is
suppliant
osture n his
speech
(15.665).
In
both
scenes
t is impossible
o
decide whether he
gestures
have
been
performed. '
easons for this
ambiguity re not hard
to dis-
cern.
The
image of a
commander
mbracing
arious
oldiers s awkward
'
So also,
Penelope
does
not
incriminate erself
when she
remarks hat
she no
longer
admits
suppliants,
uests and
heralds
because of the
suitors
19.134). Nor
does
Theok-
lymenos emind elemachos fZeus' protection henhesupplicates im 15.277).
His
request
s in
the
formof an
exhortation o
battle;
see
also
5.529;
6.112;
8.174;
11.287,
tc.
None,
however, s
couched n
terms
f a
supplication.
Hektor's
words re
only
characterized s
suppliant 12.49:
CioaoEB'
&ra'povs).
Nestor s
briefly
escribed as
approaching
each
man's knees
on
behalf of
his
parents
15.660).
yovVov,uevo
'vbpaEKao-roov
s
unusual.The
verb
tself
an
be either
iteral r
metaphorical
(see
Od.6.141), but the
expression
each man
implies hat
Nestor s
actually
pproaching
individuals.
Thus
these two
battlefield
xhortations
annot
easily
be
considered
imple
requests
ntensifiedy
suppliant
anguage.
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13/17
136
Victoria
edrick
to envision
nd the primary
ocus
of each scene s
upon another
matter.
Hektor's upplication
s part of
the preliminary
rustration
he
Trojans
suffer t theditch.Poulydamas' imely uggestionboutabandoning he
chariots,
which
resolves
he problem,
s the real point
of the scene.
Sim-
ilarly,Nestor's
ppeal occurs
n the
final ushof
battle
whichbrings he
Trojan
torches o the
ships.
The moment
s dangerous;
ence the
urgent
appeal. But
it cannot
be interrupted
y a
lengthy epiction
f supplica-
tion.
Another
more strikingxample
of the way in
whichthe
poet expands
or omitsdetails s
found
n a
pair
of supplications
y
goddesses
t the
beginning f
the liad.
In Book 1,
Thetis
upplicates eus
to avenge
her
son's honor.The scene is impressive nd the ceremonyminutely e-
scribed-naturally,
or her request
s a serious
one which governs
he
direction f
the
epic.
The moment
eeds
to be underscorednd
the ritual
helps
do it. Two
hundred
lines later
we hear of
another
goddess
supplicating
he
gods
with
n
important
equest 2.14).
The
lying
dream
sent
by
Zeus
reports
hatHera has secured
he destructionf
Troy
on
that
very
day. In
this ase the supplication
s referredo
only
by the participle
Aff^oph/e'v,
nd
it
is usually
assumed
that the
poet
is simplyusing
suppliantanguage
oosely.42
Afterll, t is only report,nd
a lie at
that.
But is
this
safe
assumption?
he reference
o
her
appeal
is
no briefer
than others onsidered
o
be
genuine. 43
nd
Hera is
after
omething
deadly
serious;
her
request,
f
it
were
truly ranted,
would
have as far-
reaching
onsequences
s
Thetis'
n
factdoes.
Hera's suppliancy,
however,
an
not
really
be
more
fullydepicted.
Another
ull
cene
so soon
afterThetis'
ppeal
would be unbalanced
nd
anticlimactic,specially
ince
the whole
ccount
s
a
lie. Greater
mphasis
might nly
be
confusing.
urthermore,
uppliancies eported
n
speeches
are notnormally laborated.Finally,Hera has had to persuadeall the
gods,
nd a
description
f
the
repeated
knee-scraping
ould be
tiresome.
The
language
f
Hera's
appeal
is thus
eft
mbiguous,
uggesting
crucial
moment
f
decision
but
eaving
he
mpression
ague.
But the
point
o
be
stressed
s
thatThetis'
nd
Hera's
supplications
re
fundamentally
imilar.
Each
is
a formal
request
concerning
ivine
intervention
n
the war.
Each is deadly
serious
with
potentially
ar-ranging
ffect.
oth
are suc-
cessful.
t
would
be
a mistake o
suppose
that somehow
Thetis'
appeal
42
Gould,
for instance,
does
not include
it
among
his
list
of Homeric supplications
. . . some of
which are
merely
reported
n the course
of a
speech
or
imagined
n
very
general
erms above,
note
1) 80
and note
39. Whitfield,
owever,
oes
include
t
(above,
note1)
65.
43
See
II.
9.581;
583; 585 (to
Meleager);
11.610 Achilles
magines
he
Greeks efore
him).
44It is interesting
ow
Hera's
false
upplication,
hichAgamemnon
nd the Greeks
hear
about,
echoes dimly
the genuine appeal
of
Thetis,
s one
more
example
of the
curious
refraction
f reality
whichplagues
he Greeks hroughout
he first alf
of Book
2.
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14/17
Supplication
n
the liad
and the
Odyssey
137
and her
position n
themselves
equire
the
full
ritual to secure
Zeus'
approval,
while
other
requests
do
not;
that
is,
to
suppose
that
certain
requests,when solatedfrom heir ontexts,y theirverynaturerequire
the
ritual. he
poet chooses
o
emphasize
ne
request
nd
not nother.
As noted,when
a
former
upplication
s
recalled,
usually
n a
speech,
the
reference
s
normally simple statement f
fact.
Phoenixrecounts
briefly he
supplication
made to him
by
his mother
9.451)
and
those
made to Meleager
(9.574
if.); Odysseus
mentions
Neoptolemos'
o
him
inside
he
Trojanhorse
11.530).
Normally
character's
eport
ocuses
n
things ike
the
consequences
f
a
supplication,
nd not
upon
the ritual.
But
sometimes,ven
n
reported
upplications,
he ritual
tself,
ow
t
was
performedndreceived, ecomes he ssue.
This can
be most clearly
een in
the suppliancies
Odysseus
mentions
within his
lying tales.
Trying to
deceive the
disguised
Athena (Od.
13.256-86), he
reports
hat
after he murder
f
Orsilochos
e
besought
Phoenicians for
passage
to
Pylos (258-78). The
actual
ceremony
s
referred o
only
briefly;nstead, he hero concentrates
n the
murder
which
forcedhim
to
flee45
nd on the
failure
f thePhoenicians
o deliver
him
properly-through
o faultof their wn
(276-78).
When
Odysseus
gives his history
o
Eumaios,however, is
supplication
owoccurson
the
battlefield o the
Egyptian
king (14.276-84)
and he
describes he
ritual
tself
n
detail, ncluding
his
embrace
of the king's
knees and the
monarch's ious
respect or
Zeus.46
Odysseus'focus
upon
the
sailors'failure o
do what
he
had
supplicated
(and
paid)
them
for
reflects is
pique
at
the
apparent
breach of hos-
pitality
by his
real escort, the
Phaeacians,
in dumping
him on
an
unknown
hore.
Shortly
eforeAthena's
ppearance,
he privately
ursed
his
former
osts
for
ust this
13.213). Hence in
his lie, the
issue s
not
whether e performed is supplicationorrectly,r whether hesailors
initially
greed,
but that
they later
inadvertentlyailed him.47
ut
in
Eumaios' hut
Odysseus'
concern s
to establishhis
own
awarenessof
properbehavior s
well as
to remindhis
hostof his
obligations.
espite
his
beggarly
ppearance,
he
was
once a man
of consequence,
nd a
man
who
expects orrect
reatment.
4
Asa meansofsuggestingo his istenerhathe is a craftyman, nddangerous ocross.
See C.
T.
Trahman,
Odysseus'Lies
(Odyssey,Books
13-19),
Phoenix 6
(1952)
36; Hart-
mut Erbse,
Beitrage
zum
Verstandnis
er
Odyssee
(Berlin 1972)
154
f.; and
P.
Walcot,
Odysseus nd the
Art
f
Lying,
Ancient
ociety
1
(1977)
9,
11-12.
46
The
variation n
the
situation-from
hoenician
hip
deck
to
Egyptian
battlefield-is
not
the ssue,
but t
s
interesting.
ee Walcot
above,note
45)
14-15.
His insistence
hat
Phoenicians
were not
to
blame-does
it
represent
retraction
f his
angry
urse, tacit
dmission
hat
perhaps
he
Phaeacians
did the
best
hey ould?
Or
is it a
clever
uppressionf a
recent
ngerwhichhe
does
not
wishhis
new
benefactoro
notice?
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15/17
138
Victoria
edrick
To repeat,
he fact that
the
poet adapts
the length
nd detail
of each
supplication
o
its context s
not surprising.
ut
he also manipulates
he
completenessnd accuracywithwhichthe ceremonial estures re per-
formed,
nd this
kind of variation
reveals ndependencevis-a-vis
he
ritual tself.
A ceremony
which can be
partially
r entirely
mitted,
depending n circumstances,
ithout
oticeable
ariation
n resultss
not
one which hould
be defined
nlyor
even mainly
y ts
externals.t is,
n
fact, ubjected
o
literarymanipulation
nd for
variety
f uses.
The most onspicuous
mission fthe
ritual
estures uring
supplication
occurs
n
Odysseus'
lea
to
Nausikaa
nd the
omissions fully
elf-conscious.
The hero debates
with
himselfwhether
e
should mbrace
the
princess'
knees Od. 6.141-47),and no one doubts hathe makes he right ecision
under he ircumstances:
ausikaa
s a young
maiden
nd he a dirty,
aked
stranger.
pparently
ven desperate
uppliantsmust
bserve
ertain
imits.
Besides,
Nausikaa s
quick
to
assumeherresponsibility
oward
imwithout
the
full eremony
6.192).Odysseus'
urried
ebate
once he recognizes
he
delicacy
f his
situation,
is sure hoice
for he
course f reserved lattery,
Nausikaa's
pert ecturing
nd readyhospitality:
hescene
s
graceful
nd
seductive. f
course
he
desperate estures
re
unnecessary.
This conclusion,
owever,
s one
we are led to
by poetic
rtistry;y
any
rigid interpretation
f
the ritual we shouldwonderhow the gestures
could be so easily
omitted.
t
is not
enough
to
repeat
thatNausikaa
s
a
harmless
oung
girl
who never
poses
a
real threat
nyway.48
he
other
Phaeacians
prove
to be
even
morehospitable
hanthe
princess
nce
they
recover rom
he
surprise
f Odysseus'
ppearance,
ut
still he
hero
must
undergo
n elaborate
humiliation
t Arete's
knees.
The
poet,
however,
wishesOdysseus'
ncounter
with
he
queen
to be
ominous;
oth
Nausikaa
and
Athena
n
disguise
have
warned him
that t will be
crucial.49
The
supplicationn fulldetail contributesmuch to theawesomeatmosphere
surrounding
hese
mysterious
eople
at their
banquet,
although
the
apprehension
oon vanishes.
Nevertheless
he
momentary
hreat
s
care-
fully
cultivated-and equally
cultivated
s the sense
that
Odysseus'
behavior
n
the beach s
right,
espite
his omission
f the
correct
orms.
His tact
and persuasiveness
re
allowed
to
triumph
ecause
that
s the
tone
which
he scene
s to
have.
The
rules f
supplication
re
suddenly
inoperative
ecause
the
poet
wishes
t.
In
the liad,
some uppliants
ho
conspicuously
mit
mportant
estures
are
refused:50
Chryses earinghisgolden taff1.14); Priam and Hekabe
Except
for he
subtle
nticement
o marriage.
n
thispoint
muchhas
been
written.
ee
Thomas
van Nortwick,
Penelope
nd Nausikaa,
TAPA
109
1979)
270-71.
See
Bernard
. Fenik,
tudies
n
the
OdysseyWiesbaden
1974)
105
ff., sp.
128-30.
Others
re accepted:
see
18.422,
457,
Thetis
to
Hephaistos;
1.368,
Xanthus
o Hera;
also
Od.
14.511,
Odysseus
o Eumaios.
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16/17
Supplicationn the liad and the
Odyssey
139
from
Troy's walls
(22.33,
79);
and
the
dying
Hektor
22.337).
But
we
cannot
argue
that
any
of these would
have succeeded
otherwise.
he
responses f the men supplicatedmake it clear thatpersonal motives
overpower
ny
other onsideration.
gamemnon
s scornful f
any
other
authority
nd
refuses
o be
deprived
of his woman
(1.26-28;
118-20).
Hektor n his
soliloquy
following
is
parents'
ppeal
rejects
he
humilia-
tion
of
returningo the
city
22.99-110).
Achilles
s still
too
vengeful
o
be merciful o
his
enemy's
orpse
22.344-54).
It
makes no
difference hether
correct itual
f
supplication
ccom-
panies a
plea.
Men
omit the
humble
gestures
nd
receive their
every
desire;others
ling
desperately
o the
ceremony
nd are
struck own as
theyspeak.This fact s mostpoignantlyllustrated n thebattlefieldn
the
Iliad. Four
times
Trojan warriors
lead for ransom n
exchange
for
their lives. '
Dolon and
the sons of
Antimachos
annot
perform
he
ceremony-hishands
re
graspedby
his
captors52
nd
they
re
trapped
n
their
hariot.
Adrestos
nd
Lykaon
bothembrace
heir
aptor'sknees.All
are
slain.Dolon
dies because
Diomedes thinks im
too
dangerous o leave
alive
(10.449-51). The
others are
victims
of two
warriorswho are
implacable
n
their
uest for
vengeance.
Agamemnon
ows to
punish ll
Trojanswhen he stopsMenelaos from paringAdrestos6.51-54) and he
kills he
sons of
Antimachos
n
righteous nger
over a
threat heir
ather
once
made
against his
brother
(11.138-42).
Patroclos'
death has
suppressed
ny
mpulse o
mercy
hat
Achilles
nce
felt
21.99-105).
Agamemnon nd
Achilles:
he two
warriors
mostbenton
vengeance re
also the
two most
ften
aced by
suppliants. heir
bitterest
enunciations
of their
nemies
re spoken o men
helpless t
their
knees.5 nd
cruelest
of all are
Achilles'
words o
Hektorwhen
he
refuses o
return
is body,
for
they speak not
only of
his
implacable anger
but also of his
coming
frustrationn trying o injurea man beyonddeath (22.345-54). The
pattern
s
chilling,
et
t
eads to
Priam's
upplication
or he
return f
his
son:
the final
uppliancy
when
Achilles'
nger
and need
for
vengeance
are at
last
exhausted.
It
is
surely
he
poignant
ontrast
etween he
helpless
uppliant
nd the
vengeful
warriorwhich
governs he
pattern f
battlefield
upplicationsn
the
liad,
both n
who
is
supplicated nd
in the
relentlessnessith
which
suppliants re
denied,
despite
passing
evidence that
warriors ften
did
take
prisoners
live.
The contrast
nderscoreshe
characters fAgamem-non
and
Achilles
nd
invites
omparison
etweenthem.
The
unbroken
5
Including
Dolon's
plea
to
Odysseus and
Diomedes
during
their
night
expedition
(10.374).
His
words re
almostthe
same as
those
used
by
Adrestos
nd
the
sons
of Anti-
machos.
ee
10.378-81;
6.46-50;
11.131-35.
32 He tries
he
gestures
ater;
ee
10.454.
But also
see
Agamemnon'speech fter
Menelaos'
wounding
4.155).
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17/17
140
Victoria
edrick
string f refusals
ives added
significanceo the success
of
Priam's
final
supplication.
The results f this tudy an be brieflytated.Despiteexternal imilar-
ities the
Iliad
and the Odyssey exhibit
different
ttitudes oward
the
potency
of
the
ritual,
since
in
one poem
Zeus is
said to protect
suppliants54
hile n
the
otherno such claim
is made.
But the attitudes
are not necessarily ndicative
of
different ocieties,
uthors
or such.
Rather
the ceremony s
subjectto
manipulation n both poems. In
the
Odyssey,
eus'
protection orsuppliants
s used
to illuminate
he hospi-
tality
f varioushosts.
n the Iliad
the mostvivid scenes
of supplication
promote
he themeof vengeance.
n otherwords, uppliancy
s
depicted
ineachepic ina manner uited othatpoem's setting:nthe one,the ast
bitter aysof
a
war;
n
the other, he wanderings
f
a man
searching
or
home.
Manipulation
f
typical
scenes
for literary
ffect s becoming
more
widely
recognized
s a feature f
Homeric tyle.55
he poet s simply
not
bound by his
traditionalmaterial;
he controls
when
and how details
re
included.
Recognition f
thisraises
a serious methodological uestion
about using
Homer to write history
f
supplication
ithout
ttention
o
context.For instance, n discussing
he
religiousunderpinnings
f the
ritual we
must
distinguish
arefully
he
evidence
of each
poem.
And
because
suppliancy
cenes re
so
freely
manipulated
n both
poems,
are
should
be taken ven
n
describing
fundamental
utline
f the
Homeric
ceremony.56
;
Though
he
does
nothing
or he uppliants
ho are refused.
55
See
above,
note
17;
also Fenik above,
note 49)
and
Stylization
nd
Variety,
omer.
Tradition
nd
Invention,
d. B. Fenik Leiden
1978)68-90.
5(i
I
would
like to thank
TAPA's
anonymous
eaders
for their
helpful
omments
n an
earlier raft fthispaper.