Irus, Melantho, More Acts of Hubris, and Penelope's Wiles - Book 18 of "The Odyssey" by Homer

Stephen Alexander Beach 

Book 18 opens with another beggar, Irus, showing up and confronting Odysseus, wanting him to leave. 

"Irus - In Homer's Odyssey, Irus is an Ithacan beggar 'famous for his ravening stomach and his incessant eating and drinking'. His real name is Arnaeus, but he ahs been renamed after Iris, the messenger of the gods, because he often carries messages for the Suitors, the young men who have invaded Odysseus' palace in his long absence. When Odysseus at last returns, himself disguised as a beggar, Irus sees him as unwelcome competition and decides to fight him, thinking him old and weak. ... So Odysseus tucks up his rags, displaying a broad and strong body. At this Irus completely changes his tune, but he is forced to fight by Antinous, the most brutal of the suitors, and Odysseus fells him with a single blow." 

More Hubris - Irus
Odysseus and Irus trade words and are going to fight one another. The suitors egg it on as well. When Odysseus takes off his rags for the fight Irus becomes afraid, as he sees the muscle of Odysseus. Antinous and the suitors won't let him back down though. Odysseus makes them swear that they won't help Irus. He then takes Irus down to the ground with one blow, but is ultimately merciful with him. 

Odysseus refers to his hubris in his made up cover story as he says he "...indulged my lust for violence ...". He also gives the lesson from this, "And so, I say, let no man ever be lawless all his life, just take in peace what gifts the gods will send." Forebodings are given to Amphinomus, and Athena is going to ensure their punishment. 

"Amphinomus - In Homer's Odyssey, Amphinomus is the son of Nisus, from Doulichium ... Amphinomus is the least obnoxious of them: he tries to dissuade the others from following Antinous' suggestion to murder Telemachus, and is best liked by Penelope because of his good sense. When Odysseus comes home to the palace disguised as a beggar, Amphinomus is friendly towards him, and Odysseus advises him to leave before disaster falls, waning him as clearly as he can that there is likely to be bloodshed because of the Suitor's behavior. But Amphinomus stays. He is the third Suitor to die in the general massacre, killed by Telemachus." (Cassell's 85) 

Penelope's Wiley Nature In Recouping Her House 

Penelope then has the sense to show herself off to the suitors and make them burn with lust and desire for her. Athena also deepens her beauty as she comes down to the palace hall. "...all the while Athena, luminous goddess, lavished immortal gifts on her to make her suitors lose themselves in wonder... The suitor's knees went slack, their hearts dissolved in lust - all of them lifted prayers to lie beside her, share her bed." Penelope then says that her time has come to marry, as Odysseus said to remarry when the boy grew hair for his beard. She then guilts them for taking from her house, as true courting is to bring presents for the bride's hand. And so the suitors scramble to bring their finest gifts. "And so each suitor in turn laid on a handsome gift. Then the noble queen withdrew to her upper room, her file of waiting ladies close behind her, bearing the gorgeous presents in their arms." 

Act of Hubris, Melantho and Eurymachus

As Penelope is going to bed, Odysseus tells the maids that he will tend to the fires during the night and not to worry about them. Here, Melanthius' sister speaks up, Melantho, and taunts Odysseus just like her brother did. She also was sleeping with one of the suitors at night, Eurymachus. "At that the women burst into laughter, glancing back and forth. Flushed with beauty, Melantho mocked him shamelessly - Dolius was her father but Penelope brought her up; she treated her like her own child and gave her toys to cheer the heart. But despite that, he heart felt nothing for all her mistress' anguish now. She was Eurymachus' lover, always slept with him. She was the one who mocked her king and taunted, 'Cock of the walk, did someone beat your brains out? Why not go bed down at the blacksmith's cozy forge? Or a public place where tramps collect? Why here - blithering on, nonstop, bold as brass in the face of all these lords? No fear in your heart? Wine's to to your wits?- or do you always play the fool and babble nonsense? Lost your head, have you, because you drubbed that hobo Irus? You wait - a better man than Irus will take you on, he'll box both sides of your skull with heavy fists and cart you from the palace gushing blood." 

Eurymachus, likewise, taunts Odysseus. Odysseus points out his hubris saying, "Enough. You're sick with pride, you brutal fool." Eurymachus too throws a stool at Odysseus, but hits the wine-steward. Amphinous helps talk some sense into them and they toast their wine and head to sleep for the night. 

A Note on Athena

One common theme that stands out in books 17 - 20 is that of Athena ratifying the fate of what is set to happen. She enhances the happenings and emotions of the different situations to ensure that what is supposed to happen, justice, does actually take place. This reminds me of God and Pharaoh in Exodus with God hardening Pharaoh's heart after Pharaoh rejects him in order to ensure the outcome for the Israelites. Here Athena hardens the Suitor's hearts and entrenches them in their insults and wicked thinking, and there is going to be no escape for any of them, she has already determined. Likewise, she increases Penelope's beauty as she taunts the suitors. She increases Odysseus strength and appearance in the boxing match. In so many words this is pointing out that our actions have a certain inertia to them and it is not easy to turn and do a 180 and to act or become something different than we have practiced being.