Book VIII · Episode 2 of 5

Insult and Ordeal

Euryalus taunts Odysseus, who hurls quoit

Scenes

1. Laodamas’s Challenge — Laodamas invites Odysseus to play
   • Laodamas notes hardship etched on his frame
   • Euryalus urges Laodamas to ask directly
   • True glory lies in hands and feet
   • He notes the ship for home awaits
2. Euryalus’s Taunt — Euryalus mocks Odysseus as a trader
   • Odysseus protests his mind is on sorrows
   • Gifts from the gods fall unevenly
   • He calls Euryalus handsome but shallow-minded
   • Games once counted him among the best
   • The insult spurs him to compete
3. The Quoit Throw — Enraged Odysseus out-throws all rivals
   • Odysseus seizes a heavier quoit than theirs
   • Disguised Athena marks the winning throw
   • Odysseus challenges all but host Laodamas
   • Philoctetes alone rivals his archery skill
   • Hunger has left his legs weak