462 PEOCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY. 



found in Book XXI, 193 ff.^^ where Odysseus reveals himself to Phi- 

 loetius, the neatherd, and Eumaeus, the swineherd. In this case the 

 ' primary ' delay is obvious ; the poet purposely delayed this scene 

 until it suited his purpose best, which was to prove the loyalty of these 

 servants and to secure their services for the work in hand against the 

 suitors. Here also a ' secondary ' delay occurs, though it is short ^^ 

 and pointed. Odysseus makes sure of their loyalty, declares himself, 

 and produces the scar as evidence. 



Again, in Book XXII, 35,1'* Odysseus reveals himself to the suitors, a 

 recognition long delayed by the poet. This recognition is momentarily 

 expected from the time that Odysseus strung the mighty bow (XXI, 

 409, •'•^ and in 412, jxviqcmqpcnv 8' ap a-^0% yiuero fieya), but the poet in- 

 terposes a slight delay until Odysseus has slain Antinous. Then he 

 declares himself to the suitors and predicts their destruction. ^^ 



Finally, we have to consider the recognition scene between Odysseus 

 and Penelope, which is consummated in Book XXIII. How skilfully 

 did the poet pass by many opportunities and delay this scene until the 

 serious business of housecleaning had been finished ! ^^ In the begin- 

 ning of Book XXIII Eurycleia, under orders from Odysseus, goes to 

 awake ^^ Penelope and to announce that her husband is present. Here 

 begins the ' secondary ' delay, which is rather longer than in the cases 

 noted above, the conclusive evidence beginning at 183 w ywai, ktX., and 

 concluding at 204^^ — an account of Odysseus' massive bed in his 

 chamber fashioned about an olive shrub. It will be observed that the 

 poet has made more of this recognition scene than any of the others. 

 Penelope is rather obstinate and hard to convince ; she will not accept 

 the statements of the old nurse, even when she hears of the scar, — an 

 evidence of the poet's good taste, — but must test him according to 

 signs 20 hidden from the rest. Thereupon Odysseus convinces her by 

 his story of the bed mentioned above. In this case it appears that 

 Penelope reasoned thus : only Odysseus could have such knowledge 



^^ j3oii(co'\e Kal <tv, av(pop&4, tiros ti ne fivOriarat/jLyjv kt\. 



13 193-206. 



1* S> Kvves, ov fx' (T^ ((pdaKed' vTrorpoirov oiKaS' 'iKiffQai ktK. 



15 XXI, 409 : . . . rdwa-ev ixiya t61ov 'OSutrcreiys. 



18 Od. XXII, 41 : vvv v/uv Kol TTaffiv oKldpov Treipar' ecprfirrai. 



" I maintain that our poet in thus delaying this recognition scene displays no 

 little knowledge of human nature. 



1* XXIIT, 5 ff. : eypeo, H-qveKoirtia, (pi\ov reKOi, 6(f)pa i5i]ai, ktX. 



1^ 203-204 : . . . Af'xos, t)/ tis ^Stj | avSpHv aWoae 6fJKf, ra/xiiv vno TrvOfxtv 

 e'Aaiijs. 



2" Od. XXIII, 109-110 : ecrri yap i^ixlv \ ff7)fj.ad' & 5?; Kal vuii KfKpvfifi^va tSfifP 

 cltt' ^Wo;;'. 



