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The narrative of Odysseus, contained in bb. 9-12, was called, as early as the time of Plato, “Ἀλκίνου ἀπόλογος” or “ἀπόλογοι”, i. e. ‘the story told to Alcinous.’ Plato quotes the title in Rep.614 B, where he introduces the myth of Er the Armenian—a story like the “Νέκυια” in Od.11—as being not “Ἀλκίνου γε ἀπόλογον, ἀλλ᾽ ἀλκίμου μὲν ἀνδρός”. Aristotle also uses the same phrase in Rhet.3. 16. 7, and Poet. 16. 5; though, as Mayor remarks, his reference is rather to b. 8. vv. 83-95, and 521-534. The time of the action of this book is the evening of the second day after the arrival in Scheria. The words of Odysseus from vv. 1-15 refer back to what Alcinous had said in b. 8. 536 foll. At v. 16 he complies with the request in 8. 550 “εἴπ᾽ ὄνομα”.

3, 4. ἦ τοι … αὐδήν. These lines are repeated from Od.1. 370 Od., 1.

Homer's Odyssey. W. Walter Merry. James Riddell. D. B. Monro. Oxford. Clarendon Press. 1886-1901.

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hide References (6 total)
  • Commentary references from this page (6):
    • Aristotle, Poetics, 1454b
    • Aristotle, Rhetoric, 3.16.7
    • Homer, Odyssey, 1
    • Homer, Odyssey, 11
    • Homer, Odyssey, 1.370
    • Plato, Republic, 614b
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