Odyssey 8.398-405 gifts of friendship

主題: 禮物

吟唱詩歌，跳舞，在Alcinous宮殿中，無比歡愉。這時，Alcinous盡地主之誼，看眼前這位客人(Odysseus)相貌堂堂，能言善道，體育競技又大獲全勝，要十二位王公，致贈相當的禮物，加上自己也準備一份，共十三份，在古代這就是締結友誼的象徵(οἱ δῶμεν ξεινήιον, the gifts of friendship, Odyssey 8.389)，如今天國際重大場合，元首與各重要首長贈致佳賓或是外交人員的禮物。在《奧德賽》第四卷Menelaus送給來訪的Telemachus 很特別的一個碗(the Phoenician bowl) (Odyssey 4.615-619)。

   因為剛剛Euryalus和Odysseus有些口角，會表示和好，他拿出特別的禮物，是一把劍(sword)，青銅打造，刀把鑲銀，用上等的象牙做刀鞘，珍貴無比。

 

http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0135%3Abook%3D8%3Acard%3D385

ὣς ἔφαθ᾽, οἱ δ᾽ ἄρα πάντες ἐπῄνεον ἠδ᾽ ἐκέλευον,

δῶρα δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ οἰσέμεναι πρόεσαν κήρυκα ἕκαστος.

τὸν δ᾽ αὖτ᾽ Εὐρύαλος ἀπαμείβετο φώνησέν τε:

‘Ἀλκίνοε κρεῖον, πάντων ἀριδείκετε λαῶν,

τοιγὰρ ἐγὼ τὸν ξεῖνον ἀρέσσομαι, ὡς σὺ κελεύεις.

δώσω οἱ τόδ᾽ ἄορ παγχάλκεον, ᾧ ἔπι κώπη

ἀργυρέη, κολεὸν δὲ νεοπρίστου ἐλέφαντος

ἀμφιδεδίνηται: πολέος δέ οἱ ἄξιον ἔσται. (Odyssey 8.398-405)

字彙

δῶρον: gift, present, gift of honor

κῆρυξ: herald

ἀριδείκετος: famous, glorious

παγχάλκεος: all-brazen

ἄορ: hanger or sword

κώπη: handle

ἀργύρεος: of silver

κολεόν sheath, scabbard

νεόπριστος: fresh-sawn

ἐλέφας elephant

http://records.viu.ca/~johnstoi/homer/odyssey8.htm

Alcinous spoke. All those present agreed with him

and said it should be done. Then every one of them

sent an attendant out to bring back presents.

And Euryalus addressed the king and said:  

“Lord Alcinous, most renowned among all men,

to this stranger I will indeed apologize,

as you instruct me. And I’ll give him

a sword completely made of bronze,

with a silver hilt, and scabbard, too,

of fresh-carved ivory which fits around it,

a gift worth a great deal, and just for him.”

下面圖片與資料出處: http://www.salimbeti.com/micenei/weapons1.htm

Some medium size early Minoan swords are also represented on a cup dated around 1700-1550 BC.

下面圖片出處: http://www.renderosity.com/mod/bcs/7-ancient-greek-
swords/14847

下面圖片與資料出處: http://www.larp.com/hoplite/greekweapons.html

Tafel 66 from Holger Baitinger's catalog of weapon finds from Olympia.  I have added (approximate) scales in inches and centimeters.  Items 1335 and 1336 are identified as pommels, the larger being hollow-cast bronze and the smaller one wood.  Note that both would be secured by a pair of nails driven into the grip (presumably on either side of the flat tang). The three items at right are scabbard throats ("mouths"), though the middle one at least would only fit a very narrow blade.  1337 is bronze, 1338 is ivory, and 1339 is bone, a winged style clearly visible in at least one vase painting.     Item 1340 is identified as a scabbard chape, and while I was dubious at first it actually does match a surprising number of those shown in artwork.  So that's what I based my own chape on.  Item 1341 is also said to be a chape but is clearly a strap terminal of some sort.