Odyssey 5.85 · Book 5, lines 85–86
Calypso seats Hermes and asks
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Ἑρμείαν δʼ ἐρέεινε Καλυψώ, δῖα θεάων, ἐν θρόνῳ ἱδρύσασα φαεινῷ σιγαλόεντι·
And Calypso, bright among goddesses, questioned Hermes, when she had seated him on a shining, glittering chair:
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The setting
Back inside the cave, the goddess receives her divine guest with full courtesy before asking why he has come. The intro formula to her speech.
A note on this passage
The scene shifts back to the cave and the etiquette of a divine visit. Before Calypso asks a single question, she settles Hermes on a bright, gleaming chair — hospitality first, inquiry after. The gesture is the proper Homeric welcome, extended here between gods.
The two shining epithets for the chair keep the register glittering and formal. Everything about the reception is gracious and unhurried, which makes the content of the coming exchange land harder: under the courtesy, Hermes carries an order that will break Calypso's heart. Homer often lets perfect manners frame painful news, and the polished chair is the calm surface over that.
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