εἴμ᾽ Ὀδυσεὺς Λαερτιάδης

The Odyssey Recognition Ritual

In one way we know that the official recognition indeed happens to the final section of Mnesterophony (The Murder of the Suitors) when the two spouses do present each other to one another and offer the final recognition signs for it. However as it happens the one thing that is common in Homer is foreshadowing. In a way a warm-up if you will that sets the reader or listener on the path of the final climax

I think it is not random that the whole conversation happens between Penelope and Odysseus and I think, in a way we see both trying to recognize each other. Odysseus is specifically instructed or rather guided by Athena not to reveal himself to anyone just yet. In a way that serves both as a plot device but is also Odysseus trying to lift every doubt in his head for any person in his household (part of it or not) However, if I may, when he sees Penelope and talks to her he seems to be already throwing crumbs at her. Penelope addresses him with respect as a guest of hers. She then asks him the typical questions of Xenia such as who he is and where he comes from. After Odysseus offers a long introduction praising her he then ends up with this;

τῶ ἐμέ νῦν τά μέν ἄλλα μετάλλα σῷ ἐνί οἴκῳ, μηδ᾽ ἐμόν ἐξερέεινε γένος καί πατρίδα γαῖαν, μή μοι μᾶλλον θυμόν ἐνιπλήσῃς ὀδυνάων μνησαμένῳ· μάλα δ᾽ εἰμί πολύστονος· οὐδέ τί με χρή οἴκῳ ἐν ἀλλοτρίῳ γοόωντά τε μυρόμενόν τε ἧσθαι, ἐπεί κάκιον πενθήμεναι ἄκριτον αἰεί· μή τίς μοι δμῳῶν νεμεσήσεται, ἠέ σύ γ᾽ αὐτή, φῇ δέ δακρυπλώειν βεβαρηότα με φρένας οἴνῳ However now you can ask me for anything else, you are in your own home after all, but do not ask to hear of my lineage or my homeland so that my mind will not be sunken in all the painful memories, for I am truly a man of much torment and it is not appropriate for me to cry and mourn in someone else's home for it is always bad to wail uncontrollably and I am worried your slaves and you yourself will hate me and say that I am all tearful because my mind is heavy with wine

(Translation by me)

Now why would Odysseus say that? Could it be because he is also concerned that he will not be able to make a believable lie to his wife about his supposed homeland? That he doesn't wish to lie to his wife at all? Or is he possibly hinting the true pain of his heart is exactly that; that he IS in his own home, that all the painful memories are so strong to bring him to the verge of tears EXACTLY because he is a stranger in his own home. Even the fact that he characterizes himself with an epithet "of many torments" (πολύστονος) which is more or less descriptive on how he is being called by others during his stay (unknown to them that he is there with them) because most people regard Odysseus as an unlucky and unhappy man for all that has befallen him during his long stay. He then seems to take it back by speaking on others and Penelope herself will think he got drunk and so he would be wailing in too much pain because his mind is swayed by the wine. However interestingly he also hints that his emotions would be THAT strong. Who else but someone who has so much more to bear would he be hinting such a thing?

I think in a way Penelope gets it or rather she feels something with that declaration that she gets intrigued. She knows her husband. She knows his deep love for his homeland. The way this "stranger" is speaking is very characteristic of what Odysseus himself might as well have said in a situation like this. Of course it makes no sense to her just yet as to why would Odysseus even be a beggar in his own home? Why not reveal himself? Above all why would a beggar who was already humiliated enough to beg for scraps of food suddenly be too embarrassed to speak of his past to others so that he will not cry? At best it seems a bit fishy. It might as well intrigue her interest as to why and who that person truly is.

So she decides to engage the conversation. For once she is lonely, she was surrounded by so many people that wish to force her to marry as well as that her life is of course so difficult from her longing for her husband and wondering if he truly lives or if he is dead. She needs to speak to someone for sure so her sorrow makes her start talking But at the same time when you start talking yourself you wanna make the other party to talk too. So Penelope exposes her own pain and sorrow. She starts saying that her beauty and youth have all vanished because of her years of longing for her husband. She opens up about the trick she did to the suitors to stall them. But one should wonder was it JUST her sorrow speaking up or was she throwing some crumb back too?

Penelope essentially tells to that beggar how her first instinct was to stall the upcoming marriage with one of the suitors; a crazy plan no doubt for a man that was considered dead for most and if one needs to be accurate about it, the marriage itself could be beneficial for the kingdom objectively speaking. Why does Penelope entrust such an important piece of information to the first stranger she saw in a while? Sure she says that after all these years she doesn't see differences between beggars and strangers etc as long as she can get some answers and of course one must never ignore that any person can be eager to talk about their troubles to the first person eager to hear but at the same time though she seems to clearly wink that "I remained loyal. I remained steadfast. I preferred to risk my integrity in the eyes of all these men rather than take back my promise to my husband!" Now that is interesting thing to say. She seems to speak with pride within her sorrow about an act that most people at her time would consider crazy or de facto bad idea. Everyone expected her to remarry so why would she be so happy to tell that to that stranger?

So after all this long introduction, the emotional exposure of her inner world; her sadness and fears even the worry that even her son wishes her to remarry at that moment and escape that misery of their home and the doubts once and for all and set the ghosts to rest and after she has given a very long and detailed account of her loyalty to her husband, as if she expected the stranger before her (who as I said seemed suspiciously familiar in the way he speaks) to be lulled by her words she ends up her monolog with this;

ἀλλά καί ὥς μοι εἰπέ τεόν γένος, ὁππόθεν ἐσσί· οὐ γάρ ἀπό δρυός ἐσσι παλαιφάτου οὐδ᾽ ἀπό πέτρης But even so, tell me what is your bloodline and from which place you come from. No one just pops out of an oak or out of a stone

(Translation by me)

Seems interesting to say the very least how she finishes her monolog after also expressing her sorrow for her son Telemachus or how he is now grown up and he can take over his own house and then she literally goes on with "enough with me. Please share your story"

!!

Like it was a rather smooth and "clumsy" connection at the same time! For she did add that after mentioning stories about one's household and all, requesting someone else to do the same but wow what a random transition isn't it? Unless it is more strategic than it seems and it might as well be. Penelope caught the crumbs Odysseus threw at her and she decided to follow them and see where they lead. So she literally insists! She insists upon this stranger to speak. Like "come on don't be shy. Show me your own papers at hand".

Odysseus catches that because he also responds with a hint of his own. His new addressing to her!

ὦ γύναι αἰδοίη Λαερτιάδεω Ὀδυσῆος Oh, renounced wife of Odysseus son of Laertes

(Translation by me)

Like...let's consider this for one second shall we? Surely it could be as simple as Odysseus just addressing a woman with the traditional way aka as someone's daughter or someone's wife but ironically at first he addressed her as;

ὦ γύναι Oh, woman (here also; my lady)

(Translation by me)

Like...before he addressed her simply as woman or lady. NOW he addresses her as "wife of Odysseus". Like...you know? The guy that was supposed to be dead or presumed dead anyways? The guy that no one ever saw for at least one decade ever since the ending of the war? Odysseus of course could be also faking familiarity aka that through the conversation he supposedly became more intimate with his hostess so now he addresses her more directly than the plain term "my lady" but to do that after everything else? Doesn't it seem like Odysseus is almost indirectly telling her "I am here now"?! And also because of Penelope insisting and not letting him go that easily with his denial to speak due to fear for the intense emotions of his memories, he is now forced to cook up another story. He has to make sure that his story is believable and that is what he does. Ironically by keeping throwing crumbs like he did before. He now tells his tale of fall by using different locations and different names but overall using the main skeleton of his own painful journey.

But first and foremost; he says how he took care of Odysseus in Crete, how Odysseus turned from Cape Maleas on his way to Troy. That was literally the cape that Odysseus missed because of the storm and couldn't make the turn for Ithaca and had to go down to the land of Lotus Eaters in north Africa. But it is also the place where Odysseus probably had turned from in the past on his way for Troy just as Odysseus says now. Ironically he also mentions that Odysseus was delayed "in his home" because they waited for 13 days before the winds stopped howling and then he could leave (now interestingly this could hint both to the leaving from Troy but also the delay in places like Aulis, if we assume that Homer was hinting that) either way both of these seem to be used as crumbs of the actual story that Odysseus went through

As expected, Penelope took the bait and threw one of her own. She tries to test if the man is telling the truth or not so she asks him to have some sort of proof especially how Odysseus seems to go on and on with his story that seems elaborate enough so Penelope must make sure that he is telling the truth but also consequently she still needs to know.

So what does Odysseus do? He describes his clothes that she had folded in for him plus his herald, Eurybates! Honestly that is a big give away and that is not only because of the obvious details that he gives about the outfit even if that was supposed to be 20 years ago but please come to consider this possibility;

Odysseus describes others because seriously who truly is familiar to such extent with their own reflection?

We speak on the bronze age now. The greatest idea people had on mirrors was a polished piece of bronze, water etc. We do not have yet clear mirrors from glass that can give you absolutely detailed image of someone's look. Odysseus deliberately chose to describe another person (someone that seemingly shared several similarities with Odysseus himself) and an outfit. He is not just randomly picking stuff. For once he picks the things he truly has seen with his own two eyes whilst his reflection and detailed appearance would be done as descriptions of what others saw and that would betray him because he would have to parrot other people's words and some might not have been the things Penelope remembered or knew (what other people describe might not be what Penelope herself described when she saw him plus if he parroted Penelope's words she would know he is lying)

On the other hand he doesn't wanna stop his own game of recognition with her so by describing a detailed outfit that Penelope herself had made and folded for him, he is again hinting her that he is there! That he is looking at her right there and then. Without being obvious though. He doesn't wanna betray his secret but at the same time he wants to give hope to Penelope who was crying before. At the same time he is still testing her like she tested him Because when Penelope asked for proof she wanted to make sure that he wasn't lying that he saw her husband but at the same time if something was nagging inside her about that man, she wanted to make sure and so she set a trap in one way on whether or not he would trip on his words

Odysseus dodged her trap by avoiding describing himself but he described an outfit instead. Giving away both the essence of his identity and verifying his story without telling who he is. He also wishes to distract Penelope from inquiring further from him in regards to the identity of Odysseus he supposedly met so that he will not have to make up more stuff to keep dodging her questions.

This has a small effect for one can say it distracts Penelope a bit and she is delighted that this man truly saw her husband and forgot that Odysseus dodged the subject by not making a full description of how Odysseus looked like when he supposedly met him. She is delighted but also sad so now Odysseus decides to drop another trap on top of the one she set on him. He more or less knows that she is totally loyal as she says (no rather he is almost 100% sure at that stage) but he wants to be certain of everything and at the same time prepare the ground. If Penelope truly wants him back and she truly was enduring for him all these years then he should do that to confirm.

And so he tells her how he supposedly heard from the land of the Thesprotians that Odysseus is alive. That he lost all his men but that he is coming back to reclaim his house. Now Odysseus enters the realms of truth. That yes he IS alive and yes he DID come to claim his throne but he is not there yet. In my head the revelation has two possible outcomes; console Penelope if she is true, or cause her panic if she lied. And Penelope responds!

αἲ γάρ τοῦτο, ξεῖνε, ἔπος τετελεσμένον εἴη· τῷ κε τάχα γνοίης φιλότητά τε πολλά τε δῶρα ἐξ ἐμεῦ, ὡς ἄν τίς σε συναντόμενος μακαρίζοι. ἀλλά μοι ὧδ᾽ ἀνά θυμόν ὀΐεται, ὡς ἔσεταί περ· οὔτ᾽ Ὀδυσεύς ἔτι οἶκον ἐλεύσεται, οὔτε σύ πομπῆς τεύξῃ, ἐπεί οὐ τοῖοι σημάντορές εἰσ᾽ ἐνί οἴκῳ οἷος Ὀδυσσεύς ἔσκε μετ᾽ ἀνδράσιν, εἴ ποτ᾽ ἔην γε, ξείνους αἰδοίους ἀποπεμπέμεν ἠδέ δέχεσθαι. If only, stranger, what you said comes true. If yes, then you would have all my love and you would receive many gifts of such kind that anyone that might encounter you might deem you so lucky. However my heart tells me otherwise; neither will Odysseus return nor will you be sent away properly because in this house there are no longer hosts like Odysseus who knew how to both accept and see guests off as it is appropriate

(Translation by me)

Essentially Penelope does not allow herself to hope. Maybe is also the reason why in the final recognition scene after she falls in the arms of her husband she excuses herself for being so cautious because she has in mind that some deity or other wishes to play with her and deceive her so that she will be unfaithful. She now seems to double-think that even if she did suspect something, it is too good to be true. That all this game of breadcrumbs and constant hints was either in her head because of her expectations or someone wishes to play a nasty game with her. She doesn't want to dismiss this man she has before her now because one part of hers tells her that she can trust him but the other part of hers seems to be contradicting that especially with all the crumbs that he has sent her or the hints she sent and got answered. So she calls Euryclea to wash his feet

Interesting though isn't it? Why Euryclea? Why not her other maids? Why specifically the arguably only woman that theoretically knows her husband better than what she does because she literally breastfed him as a baby? Did she expect to extract more answers that maybe only Euryclea would give her? Did she think that bring another person who knew her husband so intimately might as well double-confirm that nagging feeling inside her that there was something familiar with that stranger? If you think about it that description she gives of Euryclea is not a coincidence in my mind; ἔστι δέ μοι γρηῢς πυκινὰ φρεσὶ μήδε᾽ ἔχουσα, ἣ κεῖνον δύστηνον ἐῢ τρέφεν ἠδ᾽ ἀτίταλλε δεξαμένη χείρεσσ᾽, ὅτε μιν πρῶτον τέκε μήτηρ, ἥ σε πόδας νίψει, ὀλιγηπελέουσά περ ἔμπης I have here one old woman who is really smart and wise in council someone that nursed and raised that poor man accepting him in her arms right after his mother gave birth to him this woman will wash your feet, even if she has little strength left (Translation by me)

Man did Odysseus break a sweat now or what? Hahaha I am sure he did because even if he did hope that he managed to distract Penelope (and that was a big if already), he knew there was little to no chance he would do that to Euryclea, the woman that was literally his second mother. The motherly instinct was strong with her even if she didn't birth him herself. He knew then that maybe just maybe, Penelope was on his tail or that her intuition was telling her so even if she herself was not totally there yet. I am almost sure that this was a test and both Penelope and Odysseus knew it. This is further supported by the fact that Penelope once more comments on the way Odysseus/beggar speaks and how knowledgeable or lordly he appears so what does she do? She sends him a woman that raised a lord. What is more she states that Euryclea is old and weak and feeble and yet she sends her anyways! That is not a coincidence. Not to mention the emphasis on how long she knew Odysseus (aka literally his whole life!)

And man he was right to be worried! At first Euryclea seems to think the reason the old her is sent to Odysseus is because the other servants of Penelope are too high and mighty to touch him and that they should be ashamed for it and she sympathizes with him and how he fell from grace and how nobody who honors the gods deserves it and then she drops the bomb! First she says how she is willing to do it for him and she doesn't do it just because Penelope ordered her but then she says what Odysseus feared would happen;

ἀλλ᾽ ἄγε νῦν ξυνίει ἔπος, ὅττι κεν εἴπω· πολλοί δή ξεῖνοι ταλαπείριοι ἐνθάδ᾽ ἵκοντο, ἀλλ᾽ οὔ πώ τινά φημι ἐοικότα ὧδε ἰδέσθαι ὡς σύ δέμας φωνήν τε πόδας τ᾽ Ὀδυσῆϊ ἔοικας. But listen now to my words, stranger, and what I have to say; many strangers beaten by fate had come to this house but no one ever looked so much like Odysseus in his voice, his form or even his feet like you do!

(Translation by me)

Mind you Euryclea has not yet seen his scar! She barely knelt down before him and she already noticed his body type, his feet shape and heard his voice even if he is transformed! She literally is a mother recognizing her child right there! I know Odysseus must have had a mini-heart attack then because he rushed to cover this by saying;

ὦ γρηῦ, οὕτω φασίν ὅσοι ἴδον ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἡμέας ἀμφοτέρους, μάλα εἰκέλω ἀλλήλοιϊν ἔμμεναι, ὡς σύ περ αὐτή ἐπιφρονέουσ᾽ ἀγορεύεις. Old woman, indeed others have said that too that laid eyes upon us that we are indeed very much similar like you have just now confessed yourself

(Translation by me)

Odysseus never before during his fake story with Penelope did he mention that he was "similar to Odysseus" and if I may say it was a rather clumsy cover up compared to the skillful speech he had given to Penelope before. Obviously he had to avoid that excuse because the last thing he wanted was Penelope to focus on him and notice the similarities (we have also to say again that Odysseus hardly could be aware of his looks at that stage. He doesn't know how much Athena changed him and whether he looks similar to his normal self but aged up or not.) The only thing he can tell is that his scars and general essence of physique are left untouched but indeed he couldn't fully tell how much he changed or not so not only did he want Penelope to notice any similarities that might still be there but also he had no way of knowing that his current appearance bore similarities to his real form so by exposing some wrong piece of information would make his entire story collapse. And Penelope seemed to suspect or question rather than realizing

But Euryclea now straight out spells it out that he looks similar! She even confirms that to the moment after she touched his scar

ἦ μάλ᾽ Ὀδυσσεύς ἐσσι, φίλον τέκος· οὐδέ σ᾽ ἐγώ γε πρίν ἔγνων, πρίν πάντα ἄνακτ᾽ ἐμόν ἀμφαφάασθαι. Oh gods, it is you, Odysseus, my beloved child! I knew it was you from the very beginning! Even before I touched my king!

(Translation by me)

Of course that confirmation was not even needed at that stage but it simply spells out how much aware Euryclea was from the very beginning! And Odysseus realized that. That means that he must cover that up now otherwise he would be betrayed. So he randomly makes that up to cover any sort of questions but as I said seems rather fast or clumsy and rather last minute excuse if you ask me. And maybe Odysseus knew it and that is why he was on guard and reacted fast when Euryclea was ready to yelp he grabbed her and gagged her immediately because he knew that game was over with Euryclea and all he could do was to make sure she wouldn't speak and even had to threaten her for it in his own panic essentially as well as his distrust of everyone at that specific moment.

But that also means that he also dodged a potential "trap" that Penelope sent him because now he made Euryclea realize beyond any doubt that absolutely under no circumstances was she allowed to talk and inform Penelope so in a way he was safe. The last stage was again that Odysseus tried to once more reassure Penelope by essentially interpreting her dream that Odysseus were to return and that he essentially would clear this place. Penelope also knows she cannot stall so she also drops her final bomb; the impossible challenge that only Odysseus was known to have fulfilled.

Conclusions

Sorry for the very long reply and I hope you are still with me. Now how do I feel about thinking Penelope recognized Odysseus. I don't think she truly truly did but all her braincells could recognize a pattern. It was enough to cause her more than just suspicion but she was not fully sure yet. Maybe part of her as she said later was thinking it was some god or goddess or something that was playing tricks with her. Or maybe that was her fear that prevented her from completely accepting what her instincts and intuition were telling her was right all along But I think Odysseus made enough points to make sure that Penelope suspected and Penelope threw enough hints back to de facto confirm that she did suspect at least

So yeah I wouldn't say she fully recognized him because of her overthinking and all but she definitely began suspecting from the very beginning Odysseus began to speak and throwing her hints.

For starters is great to show the tremors that come from the typhoid fever (body feeling cold) but also seemingly combined with some withdrawal symptoms or how someone who is not in their right mind would be mumbling things or demanding things but not able to move. Also the fact that he is too sick to drink as he usually does shows indeed where his health is at and that is impactful way enough to start a story! Also Ptolemy one of his closest friends and companions and generals be by his side at his worst seems really realistically placed. Also yeah of course you would have him speak to Hephaestion. Honestly I think some of his lost companions along the way either by his hand or by indirect reasons, would have been his biggest regrets that would come to the surface during his darkest hours before the end. Not the conquest that was cut in half, not the loss of his health itself but the people who got lost along the way and the losses he suffered. I will be honest with you I would expect to see him speak also to his loyal horse Voukephalas or his loyal dog Peritas which both cost so much to him when he lost them.

I think some of my favorite parts of this are the delirious words of Alexander because on one hand they make no sense because they have no cohesion but they make a lot of sense if combined with his life and conquest but also on his immediate and direct needs that surface while he is sick.

Also it is interesting how you avoid the famous last words "to the strongest" when he mentioned his kingdom (unless you imagine them being said a little before his worsening). Of course historically there is a lot of debate on whether he actually said these words or if these are more to the sphere of legend than history. Either way it is always touching to see people add the last moments of clarity to the dying person's story because man it is creepily realistic how many people have that last moment where they are completely clear after their terrible sickness or ordeal and you know it is their final moment

I also love it how you leave it totally unclear as to what he says as in who was right and about what? Was it his teacher Aristotle that tried to teach him? Was it Hephaestion that tried to warn him? Was it his father? Hard to tell and honestly all seem impactful to me.