I’d be interested to explore your view that the treatment of slaves in the ancient world is represented fairly here (a topic we covered earlier in the comments of book 6). Whilst the poem does show respect and loyalty between Eumaeus and his masters I’m not sure if we should trust that this is a truthful view without considering the general audience of the Homeric epics.
If their origins are from oral poets it is likely they were employed by aristocratic people, and once written down it is likely those who bought the manuscripts were also likely to be wealthy. The assumption could be made that these wealthy patrons are also likely to own people and so possibly want to believe their property respects and is loyal to them.
I’m not sure many humans who have been forcibly taken from their home and had their freedom stolen would actually view their relationship with their owner in the same way. This is in fact demonstrated in this same book, by the story of the Phoenician woman. As soon as she is actually given an option to escape she takes it. Although this is explained away by women being blinded by sex (which was breathtaking in it’s misogyny given the amount of philandering that is done by men and gods in ancient literature), it’s a clear counter narrative to that of Eumaeus.
Are there any more concrete historical records that informed your view of slave/master relationships?
Your reading captures both the grandeur and intimacy of Book 15, showing Homer’s timeless grasp of what it means to find one’s way home in every sense. So good.
I’d be interested to explore your view that the treatment of slaves in the ancient world is represented fairly here (a topic we covered earlier in the comments of book 6). Whilst the poem does show respect and loyalty between Eumaeus and his masters I’m not sure if we should trust that this is a truthful view without considering the general audience of the Homeric epics.
If their origins are from oral poets it is likely they were employed by aristocratic people, and once written down it is likely those who bought the manuscripts were also likely to be wealthy. The assumption could be made that these wealthy patrons are also likely to own people and so possibly want to believe their property respects and is loyal to them.
I’m not sure many humans who have been forcibly taken from their home and had their freedom stolen would actually view their relationship with their owner in the same way. This is in fact demonstrated in this same book, by the story of the Phoenician woman. As soon as she is actually given an option to escape she takes it. Although this is explained away by women being blinded by sex (which was breathtaking in it’s misogyny given the amount of philandering that is done by men and gods in ancient literature), it’s a clear counter narrative to that of Eumaeus.
Are there any more concrete historical records that informed your view of slave/master relationships?
Your reading captures both the grandeur and intimacy of Book 15, showing Homer’s timeless grasp of what it means to find one’s way home in every sense. So good.