Indecisive

Odyssey Book 16 line 354-390 Barry B Powell

Sunset over Ithaca bay

Some spirit must have guided him home.

They seem to think he must've been lucky and they're planning their next step.

So, let us here devise a different destruction for Telemachos-and may he not escape this one! For I do not think that our work will prosper so long as he is alive. He is shrewd in counsel and planning, and the people no longer show friendly feelings toward us.

But come, we must act before he assembles the Achaeans into the place of gathering -for I don't think he will be slow to act.

So let us take him in the countryside and kill him, far from the city or on the road. Then we will poses his livelihood and property, dividing it fairly among ourselves, and we will give the house to his mother and to whomever she marries.

And when the people hear of this evil deeds, they will not praise us! I fear that they will do us some evil and drive us out of our land, so that we have to settle in a foreign country.

It's quite a pickle.

Some remain very keen on killing, but another of the suitors says:

"My friends, I would rather not kill Telemachos. It is a grave matter to kill a member of the chief's family. Let us first find out the will of the gods."

The suitors promptly stood up and went into the house of Odysseus, and after entering they sat down on the polished chairs.

We left the suitors on their way to the place of assembly, where they discuss Telemachos' remarkable escape:

Not just luck then, they acknowledge Telemachos' cunning and they're also aware that the natives are turning against them, so they see no alternative but to kill Telemachos.

If they fear a decision by the assembly, it's a decision that can't be made by Telemachos or the queen or anyone alone, so it won't be for something minor.

They're not plannning to hang about either, they want to act before Telemachos has a chance to rally the rest of the Achaeans (an overarching name for Greeks).

Chances are killing the son of Odysseus won't go down too well either, so they end up making no decision but leaving it to the gods. Then:

After they're done plotting to get rid of their chief's son, they get up and merrily enter his house for an evening of feasting on his food and wine. But wait a second, didn't I just determine the place of gathering can't have been so close to the palace?