Odysseus, master of many exploits, praised the singer:
"I respect you, Demodocus, more than any man alive –
surely the Muse has taught you, Zeus’s daughter,
or god Apollo himself. How true to life,
all too true…you sing the Achaeans, fate,
all they did and suffered, all they soldiered through,
as if you were there yourself or heard from one who was."
– Homer
The Odyssey, Book 8, lines 545-551. Odysseus sings the praises of Demodocus for his storytelling skills. He is impressed that the bard sings of the Achaean soldiers’ exploits as if he had been there himself. Demodocus is seen as having a special gift from the gods for telling stories through song.