The Odyssey Alcinous Quotes

A radiance strong as the moon or rising sun came flooding
through the high-roofed halls of generous King Alcinous.
Walls plated in bronze, crowned with a circling frieze
glazed as blue as lapis, ran to left and right
from outer gates to the deepest court recess,
and solid golden doors enclosed the palace.

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 7, lines 98-103. Homer describes the opulence and riches at the splendid palace of King Alcinous. A simile compares the radiance flooding through the halls to that of the moon or rising sun.

Outside the courtyard, fronting the high gates,
a magnificent orchard stretches four acres deep
with a strong fence running round it side-to-side.
Here luxuriant trees are always in their prime,
pomegranates and pears, and apples glowing red,
succulent figs and olives swelling sleek and dark.
And the yield of all these trees will never flag or die.

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 7, lines 129-135. Here the magnficent gardens of King Alcinous are described. They are befitting a Phaeacian leader who has such a reputation for greatness that he is said to be "obeyed like a god."

Hearing that,
Alcinous, poised in all his majesty, took the hand
of the seasoned, worldly-wise Odysseus, raised him up
from the hearth and sat him down in a burnished chair,
displacing his own son, the courtly Lord Laodamas
who had sat beside him, the son he loved the most.
A maid brought water soon in a graceful golden pitcher
and over a silver basin tipped it out
so the guest might rinse his hands,
then pulled a gleaming table to his side.
A staid housekeeper brought on bread to serve him,
appetizers aplenty too, lavish with her bounty.
As long-suffering great Odysseus ate and drank.

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 7, lines 198-210. Odysseus is given the royal treatment by Alcinous, who give him pride of place in his son Laodamas’ seat. A maid provides water so that Odysseus can wash his hands, while a housekeeper serves him food and drink on a shining table.

"But at dawn we call the elders in to full assembly,
host our guest in the palace, sacrifice to the gods
and then we turn our minds to his passage home,
so under our convoy our new friend can travel back
to his own land – no toil, no troubles – soon,
rejoicing, even if his home’s a world away."

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 7, lines 224-229. Alcinous makes an important announcement to the lords and captains of Phaeacia. He tells his people that they will meet first thing in the morning to help Odysseus get back to his homeland. Alcinous shows himself to be a very generous host, even before he knows Odysseus’ identity.

"There in the future he must suffer all that Fate
and the overbearing Spinners spun out on his life line
the very day his mother gave him birth."

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 7, lines 232-234. Alcinous, speaking about Odysseus, says that what happens in a person’s life is pre-determined and cannot be changed. In a metaphor, he compares the Fates to weavers and Odysseus’ life to a thread that they finished spinning the day he was born. The Greek Fates, or Moirai, were three ancient weaving goddesses who spun out the thread of life for mortals at their birth.

"This stranger here, our guest –
I don’t know who he is, or whether he comes
from sunrise lands or the western lands of evening,
but he has come in his wanderings to my palace;
he pleads for passage, he begs we guarantee it.
So now, as in years gone by, let us press on
and grant him escort. No one, I tell you, no one
who comes to my house will languish long here,
heartsick for convoy home."

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 8, lines 30-38. In The Odyssey Alcinous is one of those characters who religiously observes the ancient Greek rules of a good host. Addressing the people of Phaeacia, he urges them to provide passage to Ithaca for Odysseus who is heartsick for home.

"Come, my people!
Haul a black ship down to the bright sea,
rigged for her maiden voyage –
enlist a crew of fifty-two young sailors,
the best in town, who’ve proved their strength before.
Let all hands lash their oars to the thwarts then disembark,
come to my house and fall in for a banquet, quickly.
I’ll lay on a princely feast for all."

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 8, lines 38-45. Even though this at point Alcinous doesn’t know who his guest Odysseus is, he asks his people to prepare a ship with a crew of fifty-two sailors for him. He then summons everyone back to his palace for a princely banquet in honor of Odysseus.

"Hear me, my lords and captains of Phaeacia!
By now we’ve had our fill of food well-shared
and the lyre too, our loyal friend at banquets.
Now out we go again and test ourselves in contests,
games of every kind – so our guest can tell his friends,
when he reaches home, how far we excel the world
at boxing, wrestling, jumping, speed of foot."

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 8, lines 115-121. When Alcinous sees Odysseus crying at the bard’s song, he comes up with something to distract Odysseus from whatever is upsetting him. The king calls on everyone to go outside and play some sports. The proud Alcinous boasts about his people’s world-beating skills in boxing, wrestling and running.

"Hear me, my lords and captains of Phaeacia!
Let Demodocus rest his ringing lyre now –
this song he sings can hardly please us all.
Ever since our meal began and the stirring bard
launched his song, our guest has never paused
in his tears and throbbing sorrow.
Clearly grief has overpowered his heart.
Break off this song! Let us all enjoy ourselves,
the hosts and guest together. Much the warmer way."

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 8, lines 603-611. Alcinous asks Demodocus to stop his song about Odysseus’ exploits in the Trojan war, pointing out their visitor’s sorrow and tears. Odysseus, who becomes emotional during the song, hasn’t revealed who he is to the Phaeacians.

"But come, my friend,
tell us your own story now, and tell it truly.
Where have your rovings forced you?
What lands of men have you seen, what sturdy towns,
what men themselves? Who were wild, savage, lawless?
Who were friendly to strangers, god-fearing men? Tell me,
why do you weep and grieve so sorely when you hear
the fate of the Argives, hear the fall of Troy?"

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 8, lines 641-648. Alcinous wants to know the cause of Odysseus’ sorrow at the singing of bard Demodocus’ song about the Trojan War. He asks his guest to tell his own story, what lands has he seen, and why he grieves when he hears of the fall of Troy. The war would have painful memories for Odysseus because of the comrades-in-arms he lost in it.

"And tell me your land, your people, your city too,
so our ships can sail you home – their wits will speed them there.
For we have no steersmen here among Phaeacia’s crews
or steering-oars that guide your common craft.
Our ships know in a flash their mates’ intentions,
know all ports of call and all the rich green fields.
With wings of the wind they cross the sea’s huge gulfs,
shrouded in mist and cloud – no fear in the world of foundering,
fatal shipwreck."

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 8, lines 623-631. King Alcinous personifies the magical ships in his fleet, as he offers one of them to take Odysseus and his men home. Alcinous suggests that his ships have minds of their own, can read the intentions of their crew, and know all the ports of call. The gift of the ship is an example of the extraordinary hospitality offered to Odysseus when he lands on the island of the Phaeacians. Hospitality is one of the most important themes in The Odyssey.

"Tell me,
why do you weep and grieve so sorely when you hear
the fate of the Argives, hear the fall of Troy?
That is the gods’ work, spinning threads of death
through the lives of mortal men,
and all to make a song for those to come."

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 8, lines 646-651. Alcinous asks why Odysseus weeps at the minstrel Demodocus’ song about the fall of Troy and fate of the Greeks in the war to take the city. He explains that such tragedies are fated by the gods so that storytellers can sing about them. In a metaphor he compares gods who spin threads of death through the lives of humans to weavers.

"And so it will be" –
Alcinous stepped in grandly – "sure as I am alive
and rule our island men who love their oars!
Our guest, much as he longs for passage home,
must stay and wait it out here till tomorrow,
till I can collect his whole array of parting gifts.
His send-off rests with every noble here
but with me most of all:
I hold the reins of power in the realm."

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 11, lines 394-402. Alcinous commands that Odysseus rest in Phaeacia one more day before leaving for Ithaca. The hospitable king promises him many fine parting gifts.

"Ah Odysseus," Alcinous replied, "one look at you
and we know that you are no one who would cheat us –
no fraud, such as the dark soil breeds and spreads
across the face of the earth these days. Crowds of vagabonds
frame their lies so tightly none can test them. But you,
what grace you give your words, and what good sense within!
You have told your story with all a singer’s skill,
the miseries you endured, your great Achaeans too."

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 11, lines 411-418. Alcinous is impressed by Odysseus’ storytelling skills, after he regales the Phaeacians with his tales from the underworld and the characters he meets on his journey there. The king has high praise for Odysseus’ honesty. But his words about Odysseus being "no fraud" must sound ironic to the reader. For we know that Odysseus sometimes invents false stories to test people or get the better of them. However, in this instance, he happens to be telling the truth.

"Alcinous, majesty, shining among your island people,
make your libations, launch me safely on my way –
to one and all, farewell!
All is now made good, my heart’s desire,
your convoy home, your precious, loving gifts,
and may the gods of Olympus bless them for me!
May I find an unswerving wife when I reach home,
and loved ones hale, unharmed."

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 13, lines 42-49. Odysseus’ ally King Alcinous helps him by providing him with a ship to sail home to Ithaca. Odysseus thanks Alcinous for the passage home and his generous gifts. He looks forward to being reunited with his unswervingly loyal wife Penelope when he reaches Ithaca. Loyalty is one of the most important virtues in Homer’s epic poem.

"Oh no – my father’s prophecy years ago…
it all comes home to me with a vengeance now!
He used to say Poseidon was vexed with us because
we escorted all mankind and never came to grief.
He said that one day, as a well-built ship of ours
sailed home on the misty sea from such a convoy,
the god would crush it, yes,
and pile a huge mountain round about our port."

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 13, lines 194-201. The Phaeacians’ ship has been turned to stone by Poseidon and is rooted to the ocean floor. Alcinous interprets this as fulfilment of a prophecy made by his father years ago. In other words, it was fated.

"Hurry, friends, do as I say, let us all comply:
stop our convoys home for every castaway
chancing on our city! As for Poseidon,
sacrifice twelve bulls to the god at once –
the pick of the herds. Perhaps he’ll pity us,
pile no looming mountain ridge around our port."

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 13, lines 203-208. King Alcinous calls for his people to make a sacrifice to Poseidon to appease the sea god. Poseidon has turned their ship to stone, and Alcinous wants to stop the god blocking their harbor’s access to the sea by piling a mountain around it, as forecast in a prophecy.
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