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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.



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.



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.



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).



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.



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.



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.



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.



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.



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.



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.



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?



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.



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).



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.

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