7th+Odyssei+Book+14

Book 14 By: The Odyssei **Important Characters ** Odysseus Eumaius

**Developing Themes** Hospitality: Odysseus complains about wandering in the forest and being left to die, so Eumaius welcomes Odysseus into his hut, and Odysseus blesses Eumaius. Importance of prophecy: Odysseus predicts that Eumaius will see his master again Justice of the gods: Odysseus talks about how the gods are going to help him find his way back to Ithica. Sacrifice to the gods: Eumaius makes an offering to the gods for the return of Odysseus.

**Vocabulary**


 * Vagabond: A wandering person, usually a hobo **

**//Concubine:// a woman in an ongoing, matrimonial-like relationship with a man, whom she cannot marry for any reason.**
 **Prowess: Valor in combat, courage** //**Spoils: Treasure of some sort Pretext: Something put forward to conceal a true purpose**// // **Misgivings: Feelings of doubt** //

**Summary XIV** Odysseus goes to Eumaius in disguise as a tattered old man. The dogs attacked Odysseus when he got to the farm. Eumaius takes the dogs away from Odysseus, brings him into his house, and feeds him. Eumaius treats Odysseus with great hospitality. Odysseus asks Eumaius where he got all of his wealth. Eumaius then speaks of his master, a great man who was lost after the Trojan War. This man was Odysseus. Eumaius tells Odysseus how Penelope and Telemachus no longer trust anyone but themselves. Odysseus tells Eumaius that he will come to avenge his family against the suitors but Eumaius doesn't believe him. Eumaius asked Odysseus to tell his story and he did. After hearing the story, Eumaius felt bad for Odysseus, but didn't think that the gread Odysseus would return. He talked about how someone got his hopes up that Odysseus would return and than getting his hopes crushed. Odysseus makes a pact with Eumaius and says that once Odysseus arrives Eumaius will give him a tunic and cloak, but if he doesn't Eumaius' slaves will throw him down a cliff. Eumaius doesn't agree with it because he believed the host should'nt make that kind of pact with a guest. Eumaius makes a sacrifice to the gods in prayer that Odyseus will return. Odysseus gives Eumaius a blessing in thanksgiving for the hospitality Eumaius showed him. Eumaius gives Odysseus a cloak to help him stay warm.

**Eumaeus** Eumaius is the only person in the Odyssey that is used in the second person. It is not known why Homer did it, but as most people know, it is very rare to see something written in the second person.He is also called the "noble swineherd" and "prince of swineherds", according to some scholars, Eumaius is referred to in the second person because Homer feels a real affinity for this character.

//** Detective Work **//

A swineherd is a person who looks after pigs. Eumaeus used to be Odysseus' slave. He is also the first mortal that Odysseus meets after he returns to Ithica. Eumaeus' father was the King of the island of Seria. At a young age, a group of Phoenician sailors seduced his nurse, who was a Phoenician slave, who agreed to bring Eumaeus among their treasures in return for them helping her escape. Eumaeus' nurse was killed on her journey at sea, but the sailors got to Ithaca, where Odysseus' father bought Eumaeus as a slave