Odyssey 8.109 · Book 8, lines 109–114
The catalogue of Phaeacian athletes
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βὰν δʼ ἴμεν εἰς ἀγορήν, ἅμα δʼ ἕσπετο πουλὺς ὅμιλος, μυρίοι· ἂν δʼ ἵσταντο νέοι πολλοί τε καὶ ἐσθλοί. ὦρτο μὲν Ἀκρόνεώς τε καὶ Ὠκύαλος καὶ Ἐλατρεύς, Ναυτεύς τε Πρυμνεύς τε καὶ Ἀγχίαλος καὶ Ἐρετμεύς, Ποντεύς τε Πρωρεύς τε, Θόων Ἀναβησίνεώς τε Ἀμφίαλός θʼ, υἱὸς Πολυνήου Τεκτονίδαο·
They set out to go to the assembly, and together with them followed a great throng, past counting; and up stood young men, many and noble. Up rose Acroneos and Ocyalus and Elatreus, Nauteus and Prymneus, Anchialus and Eretmeus, Ponteus and Proreus, Thoon and Anabesineos, and Amphialus, son of Polyneos, Tekton's son.
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The setting
The Phaeacians gather at the assembly-ground, and the young men rise to contend. Homer gives the roll of competitors — a small catalogue of names.
A note on this passage
The crowd streams out and the poem does what epic loves: it names names. A catalogue of young Phaeacian athletes rises to compete, closing with Amphialus and his line traced back through his father to Tekton, the Shipwright.
Listen to the names. Nauteus is Sailor, Prymneus Stern-man, Eretmeus Oarsman, Anchialus Seaside, Ponteus Man-of-the-deep, Proreus Prow-man — a whole roster built from the parts of a ship. The Phaeacians are a people defined by the sea, and Homer stamps that identity onto the very names of the boys lining up to race. Their world is one long coastline.
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