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Odysseus Close Reading

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Submitted By want2crowns
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When Odysseus slaughtered the suitors, he spared the lives of Medon the herald and the minstrel Phemios (xxii, 320). However, he didn’t spare the life of the priest Leiodes. Why didn’t
Odysseus spare Leiodes’ life? According to The Odyssey, “he [Leiodes] was the only man to whom their [the suitors] evil deeds were hateful and indignant with the others” (xxi, 146). He also tried to stop the suitors from courting Odysseus’ wife, although unsuccessful (xxii, 315).
Leiodes was the “sacrificial priest’’, why didn’t Odysseus take pity on him (xxi, 146)? Leiodes saw the error in the ways of the suitors, but he was killed all the same. Yes, he did partake in the courting and eating at Odysseus’ house, but was it really justified to murder him? Sparing Medon the herald I can understand, he was a loyal servant, like Eurykleia. The situation with the bard would be understandable, too. Phemios said to Odysseus that “your own son will tell you that I did not want to frequent your house and sing to the suitors after their meals, but they were too many and too strong for me, so they made me”, and Telemakhos did confirm the bard’s statement
(xxii, 350).
Maybe the priest also didn’t want to partake in the activities of the suitors; maybe he was forced to participate, just like Phemios. What really puzzles me is when Odysseus said to the herald “…that you may know in the future, and tell other people, how greatly better good deeds prosper than evil ones” (xxii, 371). If because Medon was spared from his good deeds outweighing his evil ones, shouldn’t Leiodes also be spared, considering that, as a priest, he must have had done numerous good deeds.
It could possibly be that, despite Leiodes’ contempt for the suitors and altruistic work in the past, he still possesses desire for Penelope. After he failed to string the bow and arrow, he had said to the suitors “…for

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