Alcinous in the ancient sources

Ancient Sources / Figures / Alcinous

21 passages from 4 ancient authors that tell of Alcinous, in the original with English translation, author by author in the order the Greeks read them. Alcinous is the king of the Phaeacians in Greek mythology, known for hosting Odysseus in his palace and assisting him in his journey home. He is married to Arete and father of Nausicaa. For the story in one place, read our article on Alcinous.

Homer (17)

Homer, Odyssey 13.1–121Farewell to the Phaeacians; the voyage homeThe Phaeacians sit spellbound until Alcinous promises that Odysseus shall be sent home and that the elders will add more gifts, a tripod and a cauldron each. Next day, after a sacrifice to Zeus and a feast, Odysseus prays that Arete and her family be happy and then goes aboard. He sleeps as the ship flies over the sea, faster than a falcon, and the Phaeacians lay him on the shore of Ithaca with his gifts before dawn.
Homer, Odyssey 8.370–453The dance; gifts for the strangerHalius and Laodamas dance a ball dance, and Odysseus praises their skill. Alcinous bids the twelve kings of the Phaeacians each give a cloak, a tunic and a talent of gold, and Euryalus offers a bronze sword with a silver hilt by way of apology, which Odysseus accepts. Arete has a chest brought, and Odysseus ties the lid with a knot that Circe once taught him, and then goes to the bath.
Homer, Odyssey 7.133–239Odysseus before Arete and AlcinousOdysseus passes through the hall unseen and clasps the knees of Arete, begging her and her husband for help in reaching home, and sits down in the ashes of the hearth. The old lord Echeneus tells Alcinous to raise the stranger to a seat, and Alcinous does so and promises him a ship. After the meal Arete recognises the cloak and tunic and asks him who he is and where he got them.
Homer, Odyssey 7.1–77Athena guides Odysseus to the palaceNausicaa reaches home, and Odysseus walks to the city, where Athena in the shape of a young girl with a pitcher meets him and offers to show him Alcinous' house. She covers him with a mist so that no Phaeacian sees him, tells him of the line of Alcinous, and tells him to approach the queen Arete first.
Homer, Odyssey 8.1–92The assembly; Demodocus singsAt dawn Alcinous leads Odysseus to the assembly of the Phaeacians, where he calls for a ship to be made ready and fifty-two young men chosen to row it. The company goes to the palace for a feast, and the blind bard Demodocus sings of a quarrel between Odysseus and Achilles. Odysseus covers his head and weeps, unseen by the others.
Homer, Odyssey 11.333–384Alcinous asks for moreThe Phaeacians sit spellbound, and Arete is the first to speak, praising the stranger and bidding them not to hurry his departure or stint their gifts. Echeneus and Alcinous agree, and Alcinous urges Odysseus to go on with the story and to tell of any of his companions he saw in Hades. Odysseus says that he is willing to go on, and speaks of the woes of his comrades.
Homer, Odyssey 7.240–347Odysseus tells of CalypsoOdysseus tells how he stayed seven years with Calypso on Ogygia, built a raft and was wrecked, and how Nausicaa found him and helped him. Alcinous says his daughter erred in not bringing him to the house herself, and Odysseus excuses her. Alcinous wishes that such a man might be his son-in-law, promises a ship on the morrow, and they go to rest.
Homer, Odyssey 7.78–132The palace and gardens of AlcinousAthena leaves for Athens, and Odysseus stands before the high-roofed house of Alcinous, with its bronze walls, golden doors and silver posts, and the golden and silver dogs that guard it. Inside, seats along the walls are spread with robes and fifty women work at the household tasks. Outside lies a great orchard of pear, pomegranate, apple, fig and olive trees that bear fruit all the year round, with a vineyard and two springs.
Homer, Odyssey 8.93–130Odysseus weeps; the games beginOdysseus hides his tears with his cloak, but Alcinous sees them and proposes that they go out to the games, so that the stranger may tell his friends at home how well the Phaeacians do in boxing, wrestling, jumping and running. The young men compete in the foot-race, wrestling, jumping, the discus and boxing.
Homer, Odyssey 8.131–255Euryalus' taunt; Odysseus throws the discusLaodamas invites Odysseus to take part in the games. Odysseus declines, being heavy with troubles, but Euryalus taunts him, saying that he looks like a merchant counting his cargo and not an athlete. Odysseus answers him sharply, picks up a larger discus than any yet thrown and hurls it far beyond the marks. He challenges the Phaeacians in everything but running, and Alcinous smooths things over and says that the Phaeacians are better at the dance and the feast.
Homer, Odyssey 8.454–586Demodocus sings of the wooden horseNausicaa meets Odysseus as he comes from the bath and says that she hopes he will remember her in his own country, for to her he owes his life. At the meal he gives Demodocus a piece of meat from his own portion and asks him to sing of the wooden horse. The bard sings of the sack of Troy, and Odysseus weeps again, and Alcinous asks him to say who he is and why he grieves.
Homer, Odyssey 6.1–84Athena sends a dream to NausicaaWhile Odysseus lies asleep, Athena goes to the house of Alcinous in Scheria and comes in a dream to his daughter Nausicaa, in the likeness of one of her friends. She tells the princess that her wedding day is near and that she should take the family's clothes to the river to wash. Nausicaa wakes and asks her father for a mule-wagon, her mother packs food and wine and oil, and the girl drives off with her maids.

5 more passages of Homer that name Alcinous

Apollodorus (1)

Apollodorus, The Library (Bibliotheca), with the Epitome 1.9.23–28Jason and Medea: the Golden Fleece, the return and CorinthAt Colchis Aeetes sets Jason the tasks of yoking the fire-breathing bulls and sowing dragon's teeth, and Medea's drugs bring him through; she then helps him take the fleece. Medea kills her brother Apsyrtus to delay pursuit, and the Argo sails on to Circe, the Sirens, the Phaeacians, Crete (where Talos is killed) and Iolcus. Medea tricks the daughters of Pelias into boiling him, and when Jason marries Glauce at Corinth she destroys the bride and her father and kills her own sons. She flees to Athens and marries Aegeus, bears Medus, and finally returns to Colchis to restore Aeetes.

Apollonius Rhodius (2)

Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 4.982–1123Medea appeals to Arete on DrepaneArgo comes to the Phaeacian island of Drepane, but a Colchian fleet follows. Medea begs Arete and the heroes for protection, and Arete urges Alcinous to protect her. Alcinous declares that, if she is already Jason's wife, he will not give her up, and Arete sends word to Jason.
Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 4.1124–1227The marriage of Jason and Medea in Macris' caveJason and Medea are married that night in the sacred cave of Macris, with the Golden Fleece spread on the couch. At dawn Alcinous declares his judgement that the marriage stands, the Colchians ask to stay on the island, and the Argonauts leave with gifts from Alcinous and Arete.

Pausanias (1)

Pausanias, Description of Greece 8.48.1–8Tegea: the market-place, the women's victory over Charillus and AugePausanias describes the brick-shaped market-place of Tegea, with its temple of Aphrodite, reliefs of the lawgivers and of the Olympic victor Iasius, and a digression on the palm and other crowns given to victors. He covers the relief of Ares, called Entertainer of Women because the women of Tegea, under Marpessa, routed the Spartan king Charillus in ambush and kept the sacrifice to themselves. He also mentions the altar of Full-grown Zeus, the tombs of Tegeates and Maera, and the temple of Ilithyia, called Auge on her Knees, with the two tales of the birth of Telephus.