I started listening to an audiobook of The Odyssey. Not far into it there is an account of Odysseus sneaking into Troy and wandering around dressed as a beggar. The goal is to steal the Palladium, an object sacred to Athena. He scouts out the city, goes back to the ships and comes back with a friend, and together they get the Palladium. On their way back, Odysseus attempts to stab his buddy in the back so he could get all the credit. Now, I always assumed Odysseus was sort of a noble, chivalrous kind of guy, but I could handle some character flaws. This is a flaw and a half. It does make him appear somewhat human.
No, Odysseus is not remotely noble, he’s more of a forceful, clever man without conscience. He will sacrifice others to advance himself and to satisfy the gods.
I would bet a tidy sum that NO movie, tv, comics, or novelization version of the story includes this ‘stab the co-thief in the back’ incident.
Because when people adapt these stories they DO want audiences/readers to admire Odysseus, as close to whole-heartedly as possible.
The version with the back-stabbing would excite the admiration of only a small group of humans (the sociopaths).
Where in the Odyssey does this scene supposedly occur?
I did find a summary of a story where
Diomedes and Odysseus are sent to steal the Palladion, and Diomedes climbs on the wall, standing on the shoulders of Odysseus. But he doesn’t pull up Odysseus although he reaches up his hands; he goes to the Palladion and takes it and turns back toward Odysseus. And as they go down through the plain, when Odysseus questions him Diomedes knows the cunning of the man and answers that he didn’t take the Palladion Helenos had said but a different one. Then the Palladion moved, by some daimon, and Odysseus understood it was that one, and a little later draws his sword, wanting to kill Diomedes and bring the Palladion to the Achaians himself. But as he is about to strike (there was a moon), Diomedes saw the glint of the sword. Odysseus was prevented from killing him, since he too drew his sword, and reproaching him for cowardice for not wanting to go in front, Diomedes drove him along striking his back with the flat of his sword. From this comes the proverb “Diomedean Necessity” used for everything done unwillingly.
I don’t think it’s in the Odyssey. It’s been a while since I read it, but I don’t remember that scene at all. But I like Diomedes better than I do Odysseus, so go Diomedes, go!
Interesting detail there (about the ‘pulling up’ and the differing Palladiums).
But I bet it still doesn’t make any adaptation, because that ‘following Diomedes and pulling out his sword to strike him in the back’ is never going to fit the “heroic Odysseus” image that modern audiences expect.
Wikipedia says it’s in Virgil’s Aeneid “and other works.” (They’d likely mention if one of those other works were the Odyssey.)
Something similar worked in Andor.
I’d love to see Andor—it has a great reputation. (Alas: tight budget; no streaming.)
Which is basically Odyssey fanfiction.
Heh. And then in turn Virgil got turned into a fictional character operated by Dante.