How does eumaeus treat the beggar in the odyssey

In Books 15 and 16 , the plot becomes much more complicated, as Homer plants details and characters crucial for bringing the story to its climax. For the first time in the poem, the paths of Odysseus and Telemachus converge. They are not simply the emotionless figures of established and budding hero, respectively, but rather emotional individuals with interior lives.

Just as these rapacious birds swoop down upon their unsuspecting prey, so too, the interpretations imply, will Odysseus pounce upon the suitors without warning. Ancient Greek culture revered omens as indications of unalterable divine will, and the prophet Theoclymenus, whom Telemachus finds, begins to play an important role. Over the next few books, the number of omens in need of interpretation rises dramatically, as Homer increasingly depicts the suitors as condemned men and ever more explicitly foreshadows their impending doom.

His evasion is justified by his prioritizing of practical considerations—the need to return home quickly—over decorum and other formal considerations.

Ace your assignments with our guide to The Odyssey! SparkTeach Teacher's Handbook. Why does Telemachus go to Pylos and Sparta? How does Odysseus escape Polyphemus? Why does Odysseus kill the suitors? How does Penelope test Odysseus? What is happening at the beginning of The Odyssey?

Why does Athena help Odysseus so much? Why does Nestor invite Telemachus to the feast before knowing his identity? Why does Calypso allow Odysseus to leave her island? Symbols All Symbols. Theme Wheel. Everything you need for every book you read.

The way the content is organized and presented is seamlessly smooth, innovative, and comprehensive. LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Odyssey , which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Odysseus , still disguised as a beggar, walks to the swineherd's house. Eumaeus invites Odysseus in to eat and drink and tell his story.

Odysseus thanks the swineherd for his hospitality, and Eumaeus answers that Zeus decrees that everyone be kind to beggars and strangers. He serves Odysseus two pigs, barley, and wine. He complains that the suitors eat all the best hogs without fearing the revenge of the gods, who honor the just acts of men. The suitors must think Odysseus is dead, says the swineherd, because they shamelessly deplete what was once the richest realm in this part of the world. We see right away that Eumaeus lives piously and respects custom.

He has also remained fiercely loyal to Odysseus, and has therefore grown to hate the suitors. He is amazed that the suitors can disregard the rules of honor so blithely — yet he continues to believe in the gods, and sees the suitors as foolish not to fear retribution.

In this world, it seems that people always get their just deserts. Active Themes. Piety, Customs, and Justice. Odysseus -the-beggar tells Eumaeus that he was born in Crete, the unlawful son of a rich man and a concubine. As a young man he loved adventure and war but not home and family: he won honor in battle and took a lot of treasure from foreign lands. Then he led a fleet in the Trojan war, battled for ten years and came home; but only a month after homecoming he set out again for Egypt to seek more treasure.

However, his men killed and plundered in the Egyptian farms against his will, and an army from the Egyptian city came and killed or enslaved the whole crew, though he escaped by begging the king for mercy. Odysseus' account of his wanderings is complete.

The Phaeacians know the rest. They are silent for a few seconds until Alcinous speaks to assure Odysseus that he will be returned safely to his home and to insist on even more gifts for the guest.

Odysseus will arrive in Ithaca with treasure surpassing his fair share from Troy, which has long since been lost.

Consistent with their custom, the Phaeacians provide the wanderer safe passage home. This annoys Poseidon who complains to Zeus. The gods agree on Poseidon's vengeance against the Phaeacians.

Athena meets Odysseus on Ithaca and disguises him as an old beggar so that he can gain information without being recognized. He meets his loyal swineherd, Eumaeus, and is pleased with the man's hospitality as well as his devotion to his master, whom he does not recognize. The pace slows as the story returns from the fantastic world of the wanderings.

These books serve to return Odysseus, at last, to Ithaca; in addition, they further consider two of the most important themes in the epic: hospitality and loyalty. One of the controversies in this section of the tale is that the Phaeacians, who are models of hospitality, apparently are to be punished by the gods for their kindness and generosity.

Poseidon The overriding conflict here is that Poseidon wants to punish the Phaeacians for granting safe passage to wayfaring strangers, a custom that is an exceptional virtue in Homer's world.

The situation is further complicated because Zeus is the protector of wayfaring strangers and suppliants. As the introduction to Fagles and Knox puts it p.