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BogdanBurliga
GdańskUniversity
TheReturnoftheKing,
OrHowtoHangUpaWoman
TheExecutionoftheMaid-Servants
intheOdyssey,XXII457—473
oἱἄνGρωπoi[ł]tipωρoύpενoiδ’ἥδoνtoi(‘People[…]feel
pleasure[…]whentheytakerevenge’).
Aristotle,Eth.Nic.1117a,619
Andrevengelentmeafeelingofcomfortandjustice.
OrhanPamuk,MyNameIsRed
Abstract:ThesubjectofthepaperistheverygloomyandtouchingsceneintheOdyssey,XXII
4571473,presentingthecapitalpunishmentreceivedbythehandmaidsinIthacawhowereconcu-
binestothesuitorsduringtheOdysseus’longabsenceathomeland.Theauthorofthepresentarticle
triedtolookatthispassagefromtheperspectiveofHomericaudiencewhichwasevidentlyeagerto
hearsuch(andsimilar)scenes:aboundingwiththethemesofviolence,crueltyanddeath.Giventhe
inevitabledifficultieswiththesituatingofthepoemsinahistoricalreality(theDarkAgesorthe
earlyarchaicperiod)andwiththeidentificationoftheso-called“Homericsociety,”theauthortried
topaymoreattentiontotheconnectionbetweenthecontentofthepoemandtheexpectationsofits
hearers.Theseexpectationsmaybedetected(orseen,atleast)inthewaythepoetnarratesthepas-
sagecontainingtheviolentdeathpenaltyinOdyssey,XXII4571473.Theexecutionpassageallows
ustolookatHomer’sliterarytechniqueandtospeculateaboutthesourcesofitsrepresentation.The
passagemayalsoserveasapointofdeparturefortheconsiderationsofthedifferencesbetweenthe
Greeksocietyofthearchaiceraandthatoftheclassicalperiod.Aboveall,italsoallowsustoseethe
uniquenatureofbothHomericsocietyanditsvalues.
Keywords:Homer,theOdyssey,Odysseus,femaleservants,punishment,cruelty
