Valerie Macedo

The Odyssey’s climax of its tale arrives when Odysseus reveals himself in Ithaca. The actions the

suitors took during Odysseus’ time away make them deserving of the slaughter by Odysseus. These

suitors live in Ithaca which is under the rule of Odysseus and is therefore subject to his judgment. The

massacre of the suitors is justified due to the fact the suitors were attempting to take control of Odysseus’

home and their extreme violation of xenia.

Odysseus made his judgment before revealing himself as he returned home, disguised as a beggar

to discover the true nature of what had been occurring in his absence. Odysseus’ conscience judged

everyone to be guilty except Phemius and Medon who appeared to obey the suitors out of fear and duty,

“There were too many of them; they made me come” (Odyssey 22. 378). Since the suitors were lords of

Ithaca, the bard and the herald were at the mercy of their command, and this is why Odysseus spares

them. Odysseus was not on a murderous rampage, and he considered who he was to slaughter. His

deception as of beggar allowed Odysseus to see who was loyal and who was disloyal in his household.

Those who proved to be untrue were marked for death by Odysseus. The suitors’ character was shown

when they mistreated Odysseus as a beggar, “As he spoke he grabbed the footstool and threw it, / hitting

Odysseus under his right shoulder blade” (17. 502-503). By throwing things, yelling, and taunting

Odysseus they proved to be people who mistreated guests in a home that was not even theirs. Odysseus

could not let the suitors’ disrespect of his home and his family remain unpunished.

The suitors disrespected Odysseus, but he must also reestablish his presence in Ithaca. Ithaca has

long been without its ruler and has been in a state of inaction, “Hear me now, men of Ithaca. / We have

never once held assembly or sat / in council since Odysseus left” (2. 25-27). No improvements have been

made to the island and no meetings had been held for over 20 years. These men have been sitting idle and

letting their home waste away. Odysseus as their king has finally returned, but he must reestablish his

authority over the people of Ithaca. For 20 years these young men have disrespected his household. This

results in a need to reclaim his power and honor. Odysseus must set an example for those who disobey

and disrespect him. The killing of the suitors is an act of justice, an act of revenge, and essentially a life
for a life. If Odysseus had not killed the suitors, there is an extreme probability that the suitors, with

reinforcements, would come back and challenge Odysseus’ rule just as they planned to kill Telemachus,

“May Zeus cripple him before he reaches manhood! / All right, now, give me a ship and twenty men / so I

can lie in ambush and watch for him / as he come through the strait between Ithaca / and rocky Samos.

He’ll be sorry / he ever made this voyage in search of his father” (4. 712-717). The suitors were willing to

ambush Telemachus to gain power on the island and they would be just as willing to harm Odysseus. By

constantly planning to undermine Odysseus’ household they brought their deaths upon themselves.

Odysseus lives not only by xenia but also by kleos which values reputation above all else and the

suitors have disrespected both. His reputation/fame is everything to Odysseus, “My fame reaches even to

heaven” (9.22), and he cannot allow this insult to his reputation to go unanswered. In the Greek world,

hosts have an obligation to treat their guests well. Throughout, we see that Odysseus tends to punish the

host who breaks this rule whenever he can which can be seen with Polyphemus when the cyclops

violates xenia, “But a sudden assault upon my men. His hands / reached out, seized two of them, and

smashed them” (9. 280-281). Odysseus proceeds to exact his revenge by blinding Polyphemus. The

suitors have perverted the meaning of xenia which Odysseus has demonstrated is an action he does not

tolerate. The 108 suitors linger at Odysseus’ house for years, overindulging on his food and wine,

tormenting his wife, disrespecting his only son, and mistreating Odysseus when he enters as a beggar.

Their lack of respect for xenia further fuels Odysseus’ justification for his massacre of the suitors.