Odyssey 8.474 · Book 8, lines 474–476
The hero’s portion for the poet
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δὴ τότε κήρυκα προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς, νώτου ἀποπροταμών, ἐπὶ δὲ πλεῖον ἐλέλειπτο, ἀργιόδοντος ὑός, θαλερὴ δʼ ἦν ἀμφὶς ἀλοιφή·
Just then resourceful Odysseus addressed the herald, cutting off from the chine — more was left on it — of a white-tusked boar, and rich fat lay on either side:
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The setting
At the feast in Alcinous’s hall, Odysseus decides to honour the blind singer Demodocus. He carves a choice piece of roast pork to send across to him.
A note on this passage
Odysseus calls the herald over and cuts a portion from the chine of a white-tusked boar — the fat-rich back, with the larger share still left on the joint. He is sending the best cut across the room.
The undercurrent is the honour in the gesture. The chine was a hero’s portion, the γέρας a man of rank is given first. Odysseus takes his own place of honour and spends it on the singer — hero deferring to poet, the guest who wept at the song now feeding the man who sang it.
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Odyssey 8.474 — The Great Library Project interlinear edition · greatlibraryproject.com/book/odyssey/8.474/