In the nearly 3 millennia since the development of the epic poem ‘Odyssey’ attributed to Homer, it has remained universally read and enjoyed by a broad range of audiences. Despite the changing social and cultural beliefs of history, it remains an intriguing snapshot into a past world that still has the power to inform us. One unintended consequence, however, is that many moments from the story have become quite funny to our modern culture, though it was perhaps not the original intent. As a purveyor of all things humorous in Classics, I couldn’t help but pick out 5 of my favourites for your below. Be warned - spoilers ahead (though it has been out for a while!).
1. The Death of Eurymachus
In the climactic Book 22 of the Odyssey, the long-awaited showdown between the Suitors and Odysseus’ loyal band dominates the narrative. Now armed with his immense bow, Odysseus and his son Telemachus face off against 100+ suitors in the hall of his palace, with only his two loyal servants Eumaeus and Philoetius by his side. Despite these odds, they are able to see off these impudent moochers, with just a little help from Athena.
The conflict is first sparked when Odysseus, his bow now strung, takes aim at the leader of the Suitors, Antinous. When he is shot through the throat and falls to the ground dead, the suitors immediately assume it was a horrific mistake on the part of the man they had thought a mere beggar. They rush for arms but clever Odysseus had removed them earlier, so one can’t help but imagine them barreling around the place, Scooby-Doo style.
What follows is a series of speeches where Odysseus finally reveals his identity, much to the horror of the suitors, and their new de facto leader Eurymachus tried to bargain with him. His attempted bribe is rebuked and Odysseus offers his counter: die fighting or die running away. This is pretty badass, and the suitors are incredibly afraid at this point, but Eurymachus once again steps into his big boy shoes and rallies his comrades
.This next part is where the true comedy lies; Eurymachus makes a calculated and inspired discussion of strategy, urging them use the tables as shields and advance together in formation, driving Odysseus from the room. Not only a thoroughly sensible tactic but a forerunner perhaps of the phalanx! Barely has he finished this speech however, when he lets out a blood-curling cries and rushes singly towards Odysseus, completely ignoring all the advice he had just given. Unsurprisingly, he is immediately shot by Odysseus with an arrow that pierces his nipple and somehow hits his liver (you work that one out!).
I honestly cannot tell why Homer would have this happen, but it is extremely funny - the ancient equivalent of the Leeroy Jenkins (yes that’s an old reference too!). One that never fails to get a laugh when we read it in class.
2. The Cow’s Hoof
Another hilarious moment occurs during the battle in the hall, though it requires some context from earlier in the story to make it funny. When Odysseus arrives home in Ithaca, he takes on the guise of a beggar so as to avoid discovery and bide his time until the right moment to strike. During this reconnaissance, he spends some time in his own house where the suitors are insolently partying and eating all his food. He is generally treated quite poorly whenever he draws their attention, further justifying their now imminent murder.
Odysseus is not alone in his plot, though he chooses wisely when to reveal his true identity. His son Telemachus is first to know, while his old nurse Eurycleia finds out when she recognises his scar. His two loyal servants, Eumaeus the swineherd and Philoetius the cowherd, are also on his side, though he waits until the very last moment to tell them. When he is dining in the hall in Book 20, they are not aware he is more than a beggar, leading to some very ironic conversations about ‘if only Odysseus were somehow to return!’
During that fateful dinner, one of the suitors particularly takes offence at the kind treatment this supposed beggar is receiving (possibly stirred up by Athena trying to egg on Odysseus). This man, Ctesippus, makes a loud speech complaining about him, before promising to give him a gift of his own - at which he “laid his great hand on a cow’s hoof that was in the bowl and hurled it at him.” Homer describes how Oydsseus avoids the hood by ‘tilting his head to one side’, which you can only imagine him doing with minimal fuss or even slowing down time Matrix style to watch it soar past.
Telemachus shouts at Ctesippus for doing this, reminding him that he was well within his rights to kill him if he had hit. But from this point on the moment is forgotten… until the battle in the hall is well under way. While Odysseus and Telemachus pick off many a foe, the loyal swineherd and cowherd get their own shots in. And it is in fact Philoetius, the cowherd, who strikes Ctesippus with the killing blow, adding the savage line “Take that in return for the cow’s hoof you gave godlike Odysseus…”
Yes that’s right, the cowman himself was upset that one of his precious cow’s hooves had been used as a missile and deliberately picked him out in the fight to get revenge. I’m sure Homer meant this to be extremely badass, but it’s just hilarious to think he held onto this ultra-specific grudge for so long, just to get him back.
3. Athena’s Disappearing Act
At multiple points in the story, Athena takes it upon herself to guide the young Telemachus on his journey to discover his father’s fate. Annoyingly, she takes on the form of two different men named Mentes and Mentor, just to make life complicated for all of us. (That same Mentor is the origin of the concept of a ‘mentor’ - there is no verb to ‘ment’ and a ‘mentee’ is a completely made up thing!)
Athena loves a good disguise, much like her protégé Odysseus, and enjoys playing these parts. Telemachus follows her plans and listens to her advice, and is much better off for this. However, Athena has an incredibly funny habit of leaving a scene in a completely obvious way, making it painfully obvious to all involved that a god had been among them.
In Book 1, she plays the part of Mentes to visit Telemachus at home, and advise him of his upcoming journey. When she has finished, instead of just walking outside, she “was gone, vanishing like a bird through a hole in the roof”. Now, on a sympathetic reading she may not have actually flown out, but she disappeared so quickly that Telemachus knows that it was a god he was with.
Not content with doing this once, Athena repeats the dose in Book 3 where she has guided Telemachus as Mentor to the house of Nestor in Pylos. After a long conversation, she suddenly “took the form of a vulture and flew off”. Now this isn’t even subtle; she just flies off when she’s bored of their talking. Nestor and Telemachus share what must be one of the comedy stares as they immediately recognise that a god was with them moments before. It’s not the first or last time she does this, but it’s incredibly funny to imagine this play out in real time.
4. Helen Spikes the Punch
In Book 4, Telemachus continues on his journey to visit Menelaus in Sparta. There he is greeted by the great man who welcomes him into his home as he is celebrating the upcoming weddings of his children. It is a long tale, full of back story and flashback as Menelaus recounts, among other things, the time he lay hidden in the sand dressed as a seal in order to wrestle the shapeshifting ‘Old Man of the Sea’. It’s quite a time.
Before he can get to all of that, however, the entire party share in their recollections of the heroes and deeds of the Trojan War, and in particular weep over the unfair lot of Odysseus. When Menelaus talks of his grief, he sets Helen off crying, which sets Meneleaus himself off, which then sets off Telemachus and his friend from Pylos… Not a dry eye is left in the house by the end of it.
After a little more conversation, Menelaus decides it is time for bed, but the mood is still quite a downer. Helen, therefore, decides to slip a ‘drug’ into their wine which “had the power of robbing grief and anger of their sting and banishing all painful memories.” It turns out it was one she collected during her time in Egypt. She then fills their cups, drinks a toast and decides to tell her own story - without being interrupted by crying.
While it might seem on the face of it a kind and sweet thing to do, the modern audience might perhaps not react so kindly to Helen spiking their drinks - in particular one that erases memories before bed time! Thankfully, they all happily go to bed afterwards and everyone has a pleasant sleep. But Helen certainly hasn’t done her reputation any favours…
5. Leodes is a Weakling
When wise Penelope decides there is need for a new way to forestall her suitors’ advances, she devises a contest which she knows no man among them can win. Their famous task is to string the Great Bow that Odysseus owned, and shoot an arrow through a row of axe heads. While the task is well known, people often assume that the precision shot is the hard part - whereas in fact, Penelope knew that none of them would ever get this far, since stringing the bow was a heroic task too difficult for them to achieve.
In Book 21, the contest begins and the Suitors one by one start the attempt of stringing the bow. Antinous, that doomed and most-insolent leader of these men, carefully avoids his attempt until the last, possibly because of fear or the hope he can learn from the others’ failures. Instead, the Suitors seem to form themselves in a reverse batting order, starting with their weakest member: Leodes.
Poor old Leodes, son of Oenops, he never stood a chance. Homer tells us that he would officiate at the Suitors’ sacrifices and sit nearest the wine bowl; he wasn’t a big fan of their behaviour and was pretty mad about it, though he had done nothing. Unfortunately, when he gets up to have the first go, Homer does not spare his feelings, noting that the task “tired out his delicate, unhardened hands.” Poor Leodes, he’s just a soft little guy who isn’t made for this stuff.
To add insult to injury, Leodes makes a little speech saying how many others are probably going to fail, before Antinous shouts and him for doing just this, clearly implying it’s just Leodes who is a weakling. Unfortunately for them all, Leodes is right… and even more unfortunately for Leodes, when he begs for mercy in the great battle, Odysseus shows him no remorse and cuts off his head while he is still speaking. Poor, poor weak Leodes…
I hope you’ve enjoyed this romp through some funny moments from the Odyssey. If you can think of any, drop a comment below! Look out for more to follow.