Who Is Demodocus in the Odyssey by Homer?

Q: Who is Demodocus in the Odyssey by Homer?

Demodocus (/dI'mad@k@s/; Greek: Demodokos, Demodokos) is a poet in Homer's Odyssey who frequently attends the court of Alcinous, king of the Phaeacians on the island of Scherie. Demodocus plays three narrative songs during Odysseus' sojourn on Scherie. The first two songs describe the suffering of Achilles and Priam, respectively. The third song celebrates Odysseus' return from war. Demodocus is one of the few mortals to have access to the realm of the gods. He is also one of the only mortals to have lived such an extensive life that his age is not known exactly. However, since he is described as a "senior citizen" by Alcinous, he must have been alive when Odysseus left for Troy (around 10 years before the Iliad was written). Perhaps even more remarkably, it is also likely that Demodocus was still alive when Odysseus returned home ten years later because Alcinous says that he has not yet finished singing about Odysseus' victory over the Trojan hero Achilles. In modern interpretations, Demodocus is usually given a physical disability which prevents him from singing live but does not dull his intellect. Since he can neither move nor speak, he uses a wax cylinder to record his poems instead. These recordings are then used by other singers at court when they want to commemorate great events from history or myth.

Demodocus (/dI'[email protected]@s/; Greek: Demodokos, Demodokos) is a poet in Homer's Odyssey who frequently attends the court of Alcinous, king of the Phaeacians on the island of Scherie. Demodocus plays three narrative songs during Odysseus' sojourn on Scherie. The first two songs describe the suffering of Achilles and Priam, respectively. The third song celebrates Odysseus' return from war.

Demodocus is one of the few mortals to have access to the realm of the gods. He is also one of the only mortals to have lived such an extensive life that his age is not known exactly. However, since he is described as a "senior citizen" by Alcinous, he must have been alive when Odysseus left for Troy (around 10 years before the Iliad was written). Perhaps even more remarkably, it is also likely that Demodocus was still alive when Odysseus returned home ten years later because Alcinous says that he has not yet finished singing about Odysseus' victory over the Trojan hero Achilles.

In modern interpretations, Demodocus is usually given a physical disability which prevents him from singing live but does not dull his intellect. Since he can neither move nor speak, he uses a wax cylinder to record his poems instead. These recordings are then used by other singers at court when they want to commemorate great events from history or myth.

Who is Demodocus in the Odyssey by Homer?
What did Demodocus sing at the end of the Odyssey?
Who is the Phaeacian King in the Odyssey?
When does Demodokos sing a song in Odyssey 8?

What did Demodocus sing at the end of the Odyssey?

Demodocus returns to the stage, this time singing a pleasant song about a tryst between Ares and Aphrodite. Following that, Alcinous and the other young Phaeacian men, including Broadsea, present Odysseus with presents to take with him on his return home.

Who is the Phaeacian King in the Odyssey?

Alcinous is the monarch of the Phaeacians (on the mythological island of Scheria) in Greek mythology, the son of Nausithous, and the grandson of the deity Poseidon. In the Odyssey (Books VI–XIII), he entertained Odysseus, who had been thrown into the island's coast by a storm. Alcinous gave him shelter and food and asked him to tell what had happened to him. When Odysseus explained that he was looking for wood and weather goods to sell in order to return home, Alcinous invited him to stay with his people. He also gave Odysseus an outfit and some food, which included wine. The Phaeacians were known for their wealth and hospitality; they even sent ships regularly to the Trojan War, but were always defeated by the Greeks.

In other words, Alcinous is the king of the Phaeacians, and they are one of the main characters in the Odyssey. The name "Alcinous" means "king of heaven" in Greek, so it is reasonable to assume that he was associated with weather events. However, other than this fact, very little is known about him. He has been identified with several real-life individuals, including Admetus of Pherae, Alcinous II of Phaeacia, and Alcinous III. It is possible that there were three kings of the Phaeacians named Alcinous; this could be the reason why the identity of Alcinous IV is unknown.

When does Demodokos sing a song in Odyssey 8?

Later in Odyssey 8, when Demodokos performs a new song about the Trojan War, Odysseus dissolves into tears all over again, exactly as he did when he first heard the song.

If you've played through Odyssey 6 before, you know that Demodokos sings a song about Oedipus every time you visit his taverna. On these occasions, Odysseus also gets emotional and leaves cash on the table.

If you haven't played through Odyssey 6 before, there's no need to worry - this event occurs after you complete the main story line of Odyssey 8, so you can replay it any time after you beat that game.

Demodokos is located near the town of Phaselis in western Turkey. He's been singing about Oedipus for several years now, but only recently has he started including details about the Trojan War. According to some sources, he got the idea from listening to tourists at a nearby archaeological site who were singing songs about Troy. Maybe they saw him watching them from his window and told their friends about this great singer? I don't know. What I do know is that once you find him, he'll be waiting outside his taverna with more information about the Trojan War than you could ever hope for.