Character · Individual
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Eurymachus sat on the levelled ground before Ulysses’ house.
“Meanwhile the suitors were throwing discs or aiming with spears at a mark on the levelled ground in front of Ulysses’ house, and were behaving with all their old insolence. Antinous and Eurymachus, who were their ringleaders and much the foremost among them all, were sitting together when Noemon son of Phronius came up and said to Antinous,”
Eurymachus spoke at the suitors’ council near the main entrance.
“The suitors were surprised and angry at what had happened, so they went outside the great wall that ran round the outer court, and held a council near the main entrance. Eurymachus, son of Polybus, was the first to speak. ”
Eurymachus was physically present inside Ulysses’ house.
“With this he left them to come on at their leisure, while he went quickly forward and soon reached the house of his master. When he got there he went in and took his seat among the suitors opposite Eurymachus, who liked him better than any of the others. The servants brought him a portion of meat, and an upper woman servant set bread before him that he might eat. Presently Ulysses and the swineherd came up to the house and stood by it, amid a sound of music, for Phemius was just beginning to sing to the suitors. Then Ulysses took hold of the swineherd’s hand, and said: ”
Ulysses represented Eurymachus trying to flee through the doors of Ulysses’ house.
“‘Eurymachus,’ answered Ulysses, ‘if you and I were to work one against the other in early summer when the days are at their longest—give me a good scythe, and take another yourself, and let us see which will last the longer or mow the stronger, from dawn till dark when the mowing grass is about. Or if you will plough against me, let us each take a yoke of tawny oxen, well-mated and of great strength and endurance: turn me into a four acre field, and see whether you or I can drive the straighter furrow. If, again, war were to break out this day, give me a shield, a couple of spears and a helmet fitting well upon my temples—you would find me foremost in the fray, and would cease your gibes about my belly. You are insolent and cruel, and think yourself a great man because you live in a little world, and that a bad one. If Ulysses comes to his own again, the doors of his house are wide, but you will find them narrow when you try to fly through them.’ ”
Eurymachus threw a footstool in the covered cloister.
“Eurymachus was furious at all this. He scowled at him and cried, ‘You wretch, I will soon pay you out for daring to say such things to me, and in public too. Has the wine been getting into your head or do you always babble in this way? You seem to have lost your wits because you beat the tramp Irus.’ With this he caught hold of a footstool, but Ulysses sought protection at the knees of Amphinomus of Dulichium, for he was afraid. The stool hit the cupbearer on his right hand and knocked him down: the man fell with a cry flat on his back, and his wine-jug fell ringing to the ground. The suitors in the covered cloister were now in an uproar, and one would turn towards his neighbour, saying, ‘I wish the stranger had gone somewhere else, bad luck to him, for all the trouble he gives us. We cannot permit such disturbance about a beggar; if such ill counsels are to prevail we shall have no more pleasure at our banquet.’ ”
Eurymachus acknowledges Telemachus as master of his house and possessions and promises that no Ithacan will harm or rob him.
“you shall be master in your own house and over your own possessions; no one while there is a man in Ithaca shall do you violence nor rob you”
Eurymachus boasts that he reads omens better, dismisses the bird omen, claims Ulysses is dead, and threatens Halitherses and Telemachus with retaliation and a heavy fine.
“I can read these omens myself much better than you can; birds are always flying about in the sunshine somewhere or other, but they seldom mean anything. Ulysses has died in a far country, and it is a pity you are not dead along with him, instead of prating here about omens and adding fuel to the anger of Telemachus which is fierce enough as it is. I suppose you think he will give you something for your family, but I tell you—and it shall surely be—when an old man like you, who should know better, talks a young one over till he becomes troublesome, in the first place his young friend will only fare so much the worse—he will take nothing by it, for the suitors will prevent this—and in the next, we will lay a heavier fine, sir, upon yourself than you will at all like paying, for it will bear hardly upon you.”
Eurymachus is a foremost ringleader of the suitors.
“Antinous and Eurymachus, who were their ringleaders and much the foremost among them all”
Eurymachus becomes very angry on learning of Telemachus’s voyage.
“Antinous and Eurymachus were very angry”
Eurymachus has outgiven the other suitors and keeps increasing his wedding presents to Penelope.
“Eurymachus, who has given her more than any of the others, and has been greatly increasing his wedding presents”
Eurymachus, son of Polybus, is highly esteemed throughout Ithaca and described as the best and most persistent wooer.
“Eurymachus the son of Polybus, who is held in the highest estimation by every one in Ithaca. He is much the best man and the most persistent wooer”
Eurymachus, son of Polybus, speaks first at the suitors’ council.
“held a council near the main entrance. Eurymachus, son of Polybus, was the first to speak”
Eurymachus proposes launching a ship and crew to recall the ambush party quickly.
“let us draw a ship into the water, and get a crew together to send after the others and tell them to come back as fast as they can”
Eurymachus falsely reassures Penelope while secretly plotting against Telemachus.
“He said this to quiet her, but in reality he was plotting against Telemachus”
Eurymachus favors Melanthius more than any other suitor does.
“Eurymachus, who liked him better than any of the others”
Telemachus states that Eurymachus supports his protection of the stranger during the fight.
“the other chiefs, Antinous and Eurymachus, both of them men of understanding, are of the same mind as I am”
Eurymachus praises Penelope as supremely admirable in beauty and understanding and says all Argos would swell her suitors.
“Queen Penelope, daughter of Icarius, if all the Achaeans in Iasian Argos could see you at this moment, you would have still more suitors in your house by tomorrow morning, for you are the most admirable woman in the whole world both as regards personal beauty and strength of understanding”
Eurymachus personally brings Penelope a magnificent gold-and-amber chain gleaming like sunlight.
“Eurymachus immediately brought her a magnificent chain of gold and amber beads that gleamed like sunlight”
Eurymachus is Melantho’s lover and partner in misconduct.
“misconduct herself with Eurymachus, with whom she was in love”
Eurymachus mocks Ulysses as completely bald and jokes that his head supplies the light.
“I believe the light has not been coming from the torches, but from his own head—for his hair is all gone, every bit of it”
Eurymachus offers Ulysses paid farm work with food, shoes, and clothing, then accuses him of laziness and begging to fill his belly.
“will you work as a servant, if I send you to the wolds and see that you are well paid? Can you build a stone fence, or plant trees? I will have you fed all the year round, and will find you in shoes and clothing. Will you go, then? Not you; for you have got into bad ways, and do not want to work; you had rather fill your belly by going round the country begging”
Ulysses calls Eurymachus insolent and cruel, inflated by power within a small and corrupt world.
“You are insolent and cruel, and think yourself a great man because you live in a little world, and that a bad one”
Eurymachus scowls furiously and seizes a footstool after Ulysses’s challenge.
“Eurymachus was furious at all this. He scowled at him and cried, ‘You wretch, I will soon pay you out for daring to say such things to me, and in public too. Has the wine been getting into your head or do you always babble in this way? You seem to have lost your wits because you beat the tramp Irus.’ With this he caught hold of a footstool”
Eurymachus calls Theoclymenus senseless and orders servants to cast him into the street for finding the house dark.
“Eurymachus then said, ‘This stranger who has lately come here has lost his senses. Servants, turn him out into the streets, since he finds it so dark here”
Theoclymenus tells Eurymachus that he needs no escort to leave.
“Eurymachus, you need not send any one with me”
Evidence records not already represented by a claim.
“Eurymachus, son of Polybus”
“Eurymachus son of Polybus then said”
“Antinous and Eurymachus, who were their ringleaders”
“Eurymachus, who has given her more than any of the others”
“Eurymachus, son of Polybus, was the first to speak”
“opposite Eurymachus”
“Eurymachus then came up and said”
“Eurymachus then said”
“the bow was in the hands of Eurymachus”
“answered Eurymachus”
“but Eurymachus alone spoke”