They then laid their hands on the good things that were before them, and as soon as they had had to eat and drink, Ulysses said to Demodocus, "Demodocus, there … Start studying The Odyssey book 8. Only Alcinous notices his tears, and he asks the bard to stop singing. The famous bard of the Odyssey, who according to the fashion of the heroic ages delighted the guests of king Alcinous during their repast by singing about the feats of the Greeks at Troy, of the love of Ares and Aphrodite, and of the wooden horse. The servant carried the pork in his fingers over to Demodocus, who took it and was very much pleased. The scenes with Demodocus give a glimpse into the role of the bard in ancient Greek society. The thematic exploration of narrative is established further by the second bard that appears in the Odyssey. These storytellers related the adventures of the gods and heroes, passing on Greek values—as well as providing considerable entertainment. The bard Demodocus describes how the wooden horse full of Achaean soldiers secretly entered Troy, and how the Achaeans burst from the horse and defeated the Trojans; the bard mentions the particular courage of Odysseus and Menelaus. The Odyssey (/ ˈ ɒ d ə s i /; Greek: Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia; Attic Greek: [o.dýs.sej.ja]) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer.It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still read by contemporary audiences. agrees to tell his tale (Note that books 9-12 are the tale of Odysseus, not in the voice of the narrator!) Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The first word of The Odyssey in the original Greek text is andra, which means “man.” (By contrast, the first word of The lliad is menin, meaning wrath.) Demodocus, whose name means "beloved of the people," has several important functions in book 8, not the least of which is that Demodocus gives us … The Odyssey is a character-focused epic poem. Odysseus cries to hear the tale. Principal new characters: Demodocus. Demodocus sings the story of Aphrodite's "affair" with Ares, and Hephaestus' punishment; Demodocus sings of the wooden horse; Finally, Alcinous asked Odysseus, "Who are you" and Od. Demodocus is a blind poet who performs three songs while Odysseus is at the home of Alcinous on the island of Scheria. This tension between reality and illusion is part of the deception theme that is woven through The Odyssey. - demodocus is present if this needs validation - now he can trust the phaeacians and diffuses the situation / argument and boosts his kleos so he can get more valuable xenia: "these words delighted od who was happy to find a real FRIEND in the arena and now addressed them with a lighter heart: now beat that you young men! The characters of The Odyssey include royalty, deities, war heroes, monsters, witches, nymphs and more, spread all over the Mediterranean Sea. The bard Demodocus appears during “Book 8: A Day for Songs and Contests.” In this chapter of the poem Odysseus has washed up on Phaecia and is being feasted as a celebrated guests and Demodocus is brought in to recite a poem. 1 He is also mentioned as the bard who advised Agamemnon to guard Clytemnestra, and to expose Aegisthus in a desert island. At the feast, the bard Demodocus sings the tale of the infamous quarrel between Odysseus and Achilles, which took place during the Trojan War. 2