Odysseus in the Iliad: The Killer Smile

This video considers the role and character of Odysseus in Homer's Iliad, an epic in which the hero smiles only once. We'll take a look at Odysseus' character and physical attributes, as presented in the Iliad (focusing on the Teichoskopia, the Doloneia and Odysseus' own aristeia). We witness his cunning, charisma, and (perhaps) psychopathy. But when all is said and done, Odysseus is a martial epic hero, capable of excelling on the battlefield as well as any of his peers, bar Achilles. 0:00 Introduction 0:43 All of Odysseus' appearances in the Iliad 2:22 πολύμητις Odysseus - charismatic, cunning and cruel 3:35 the Doloneia - cold-blooded murder 4:29 Odysseus smiles only once and never cries in the Iliad 5:40 Physical description, the Teichoskopia 8:25 Odysseus as a martial epic hero 9:30 Odysseus' aristeia in Book 11 of the Iliad Sources: Iliad: Books 3, 10, 11 and passim Coleman-Norton, P. R. “Odysseus in the Iliad.” The Classical Weekly 21, no. 10 (1927): 73–78. https://doi.org/10.2307/4389055. Haft, Adele J. “Odysseus’ Wrath and Grief in the ‘Iliad’: Agamemnon, the Ithacan King, and the Sack of Troy in Books 2, 4, and 14.” The Classical Journal 85, no. 2 (1989): 97–114. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3297409. Hainsworth, Bryan. The Iliad: A Commentary Volume III: books 9 - 12 Pache, Corinne Ondine. “War Games: Odysseus at Troy.” Harvard Studies in Classical Philology 100 (2000): 15–23. https://doi.org/10.2307/3185206. #Odysseus #Iliad #GreekMythology #Homer #Doloneia #TrojanWar #ClassicalLiterature #odyssey AI-gen video summary: Odysseus is the central hero of the Odyssey, while Achilles serves as the primary hero of the Iliad. In the Iliad, Achilles appears only as a ghost in the Odyssey. Odysseus features prominently in the Iliad across 15 of its 24 books and plays key roles at several major plot points. In Book 1, Odysseus returns Chryses’ daughter to her father to end the plague on the Achaean army. In Book 2, he rallies the army after Agamemnon’s test of their resolve. He leads the embassy to Achilles in Book 9 to persuade him to rejoin the fighting. In Book 19, Odysseus insists the troops eat before battle, creating a pause before the later fighting. The video examines Odysseus’ character in the Iliad. He is described with the epithets πολυμήχανος (of many stratagems) and πολύμητις (of many wiles), though not polytropos as in the Odyssey. His traits include charisma, cunning, eloquence as a diplomat, ability to challenge Agamemnon, and cold brutality. The Doloneia in Book 10 (possibly interpolated) shows Odysseus and Diomedes capturing the Trojan scout Dolon, interrogating him, and killing him. Odysseus smiles at Dolon during the interrogation, aware of his impending death. Unlike other heroes, Odysseus does not weep in the Iliad. The Teichoskopia in Book 3 presents a physical and rhetorical portrait of Odysseus. Helen identifies him to Priam as the son of Laertes from Ithaca, a man of many wiles. Antenor recalls Odysseus and Menelaus’s earlier embassy to Troy. Odysseus appears shorter than Agamemnon but broader in shoulders and chest. When speaking, he initially stands still and seems unimpressive, but his words flow like winter snow, unmatched by others. In Book 11, Odysseus fights alone when encircled by Trojans, engaging in a minor aristeia. He kills Deïopites, Thoön, Ennomus, and Chersidamas, then faces Charops and Sokos. Despite being wounded, he kills Sokos and exults over the victory. The script discusses whether the Iliad’s Odysseus derives from the same tradition as the Odyssey’s hero or represents a composite figure. It notes the proximity of charisma, wit, and brutality in his character across both epics. The video concludes with the Book 11 combat scene as an example of Odysseus performing as a standard martial epic hero. This analysis draws on Coleman-Norton’s catalogue of Odysseus’ appearances and references scholarly observations by Pache and Hainsworth. It addresses questions about the development of the Odysseus character and his integration into the Iliad’s martial tradition.