What happens in Book XVII of The Odyssey?
At dawn, Telemachus gets ready to head to town and tells Eumaeus to bring Ulysses, who is disguised as a beggar, to the city. Ulysses agrees, explaining that he’s too old to stay at the station and would rather beg in town. Telemachus arrives home first, where Nurse Euryclea and the maids greet him, followed by a tearful Penelope, who is relieved to see him back. Telemachus urges her to make offerings to the gods before he heads to the assembly, where he meets Piraeus and Theoclymenus. He takes Theoclymenus home, and after they’ve eaten, Penelope inquires about news of Ulysses. Telemachus shares his visits to Nestor and Menelaus, mentioning that Menelaus heard from the old man of the sea that Ulysses is being held captive by Calypso. Theoclymenus then predicts that Ulysses is already in Ithaca planning his revenge.
Meanwhile, Ulysses and Eumaeus make their way to town. On their path, the goatherd Melanthius insults and kicks Ulysses, who manages to hold back from striking back. Once they arrive at the house, Ulysses admires the building and decides to enter after Eumaeus. Inside the courtyard, Ulysses spots his old dog Argos lying on a dung heap; the dog recognizes him and dies. Ulysses steps inside and takes a seat at the threshold. Telemachus sends him some food, and Minerva nudges Ulysses to beg from the suitors. When Ulysses approaches Antinous, the suitor gets angry and throws a footstool that hits Ulysses on the shoulder. The other suitors disapprove. Penelope hears about what happened and sends for the stranger, but Ulysses asks to wait until evening.
Analysis
This chapter uses dramatic irony as its main technique, allowing readers to know Ulysses' identity while most characters do not. The story shifts between three locations—the swineherd's station, Telemachus's home, and the journey to town—creating parallel threads that ultimately connect at the palace. Homer employs physical objects as tools for revelation and violence: the footstool thrown by Antinous serves as both a literal weapon and a representation of the suitors' arrogance, while the dung heap where Argos lies starkly contrasts with the dog's former glory, symbolizing the household's decline.
The chapter reaches its emotional high point during the recognition scene with Argos, where Homer condenses years of separation into a single moment: the dog recognizes his master, wags his tail, and dies. Ulysses' solitary tear, concealed from Eumaeus, is one of the rare instances when his disguise nearly falters. Tension builds throughout the chapter with accumulating insults—Melanthius's kick, Antinous's blow—as Ulysses consistently opts for restraint over immediate revenge. His silence "as he brooded on his revenge" heightens anticipation for future actions.
Penelope's parallel scenes frame the narrative: she questions Telemachus about his journey, hears Theoclymenus's prophecy, and learns of the stranger's mistreatment, each step bringing her closer to the disguised Ulysses. The chapter concludes with a sense of deferral rather than resolution, as their meeting is postponed until sundown.
Key quotes from Book XVII
“As soon as he saw Ulysses standing there, he dropped his ears and wagged his tail, but he could not get close up to his master.”
The narrator describes Argos recognizing Ulysses after years of separation, though the dog is too weak to approach him.
“Ulysses stood firm as a rock and the blow did not even stagger him, but he shook his head in silence as he brooded on his revenge.”
The narrator describes Ulysses' reaction after Antinous throws a footstool that strikes him on the shoulder blade.
“A man knows neither ache nor pain if he gets hit while fighting for his money, or for his sheep or his cattle; and even so Antinous has hit me while in the service of my miserable belly”
Ulysses speaks to the suitors after being struck by Antinous, explaining why the blow matters while maintaining his beggar disguise.
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Create an accountSign inVocabulary in Book XVII
- banqueting-cloister
- A covered walkway or columned hall where feasts and meals are held. An architectural space within a building designed for dining and entertainment.
- shoulder-blade
- The flat, triangular bone at the back of the shoulder, also called the scapula. The upper back area where the arm connects to the torso.
- case-hardened
- Made tough and resilient through difficult experiences; hardened by exposure to harsh conditions. Toughened so thoroughly by hardship that one can endure almost anything.