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Book Nine
bT opine that the heralds are there iva 8T|AGOOT) OTI 8rmocria f\ 7Tp£(j|3Eia
ECTTi, but it is hardly possible to distinguish what was 8rm6onov and what
was !8iov in the relations of the Achaean chiefs. Odysseus will bring in the
sufferings of the other Achaeans, a public point, but Akhilleus will have
none of it. A Greek Odios (or rather Hodios, heralds being great travellers
and go-betweens) is otherwise unknown. (There is a Trojan ally Odios,
leader of the Alizones, 2.856, 5.39.) For other appropriately named heralds
see 17.322-6^ A Eurubates is Agamemnon's herald at 1.320, but has
a Doppelgdnger, Eurubates 'lOoncrjaios, in Odysseus' contingent at 2.184.
Presumably it is the latter, or Eurubates in the latter capacity, that the
poet here has in mind. It is interesting, whether as a traditional detail or as
Odyssean knowledge of the Iliad, that Eurubates is mentioned, and his personal
appearance described, at Od. 19.244-8. The presence of Talthubios,
Agamemnon's usual herald, might in this delicate situation have appeared
provocative. — ETTECTOGOV is naturally taken as 3rd plural imperative, but
could equally well be dual in view of the duals of i82ff.
171-6 These verses list the essentials of formal prayer, whether or not
a sacrifice follows; for informal prayer cf. 5.1 i4n. Washing the hands (08cop
Em X 6 *P a S *=X 6U0CV *74) i s an essential preliminary, cf. 6.266-8 (Hektor
speaking) X 6 P a i §' dcvbiroKJiv Ail Aei|3eiv aiOoira oTvov | a£ouar OU8E TTT) EOTI
KeAoavscpei Kpovicovi | aiucrn KOU AuOpco TreTraAayiievov euxeT&aaOca. The
Odyssey but not the Iliad has a technical term xepviy, 'lustral water', Od.
1.136 etc. sucpriiaficTai denotes the ritual silence, the avoidance of ill-omened
speech (pAaacpriiJiia, cf. Plato, Leg. 8OOA). A libation of wine or an offering
of barley (OUAOXUTOU) is then made and the prayer uttered, cf. 16.230-47
and Arend, Scenen 76-8.
171-2 The poet suppresses the Achaeans' prayer to Zeus. If that were a
prayer for the success of the embassy, as it appears to be, then it would be
difficult to avoid some such comment as ETEpov \xkv SGOKE 7ronT|p, ETEpov 8 s
OCVEVEUCTE (16.250, in response to Akhilleus' prayer for Patroklos). As it is, the
reaction of Akhilleus is a shock, to the ambassadors certainly (430-1) and
also to the audience. — su^iifjaai has its ritual sense, 'keep silent', for any
word in such circumstances might be ill-omened. ETT-EucpriJETv (1.22, 1.376)
has a quite a different meaning, 'to cry "E5" at something'.
173 EOC86TOC occurs only in this formular verse (= Od. 18.422). The -d- is
presumably an Aeolism.
174-7 A short typical scene in heavily formular style: 174 = Od. 1.146
etc. (3X ), 175-6 = 1.470-1 and 3X Od., 176-7 = Od. 7.183-4, 177 = Od.
3.342 etc. (6x); see 24.281-321, Od. 18.418-26 for a fuller account of
the ritual. Prayer and libation (preceded by ritual washing) are the regular
prelude to departure; the ambassadors are invoking a blessing on their
enterprise. The movement from Agamemnon's quarters to those of Akhilleus
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