batch.motif.greek-hesiod-homeric-hymns-evelyn-white-gutenberg-l8170-l8221
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-hesiod-homeric-hymns-evelyn-white-gutenberg-l8170-l8221
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
passage_locator:
label: THE AETHIOPIS / THE LITTLE ILIAD / THE SACK OF ILIUM / THE RETURNS; lines
8170-8221
start: '8170'
end: '8221'
translation: Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns, and Homerica
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: 'The passage summarizes fragments associated with the Returns: disputes
and delayed departures from Troy, sea and overland homecomings, warnings by Achilles''
ghost, storm disaster, deaths and burials, Agamemnon''s murder and Orestes'' vengeance,
Medea''s rejuvenation of Aeson, Antiope''s betrayal of Themiscyra, later marriages
involving Circe''s and Odysseus'' households, a saying about gifts, an account
of Hades'' terrors, and Tantalus'' divine punishment by Zeus.'
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Athena causes a quarrel between Agamemnon and Menelaus about the voyage from
Troy.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Agamemnon stays behind to appease Athena's anger.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Diomedes and Nestor sail away and arrive safely home.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: Menelaus reaches Egypt with five ships after the rest are destroyed on the
high seas.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: Calchas, Leontes, and Polypoetes travel by land to Colophon and bury Teiresias
there after his death.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: The ghost of Achilles appears to Agamemnon and his followers and tries to
prevent their departure by foretelling what will happen to them.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:7
text: A storm at the rocks called Capherides is described together with the end
of Locrian Aias.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:8
text: Neoptolemus, warned by Thetis, travels overland, meets Odysseus at Maronea,
buries Phoenix after Phoenix dies on the way, and is recognized by Peleus among
the Molossi.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:9
text: Agamemnon is murdered by Aegisthus and Clytaemnestra, and Orestes and Pylades
later take vengeance.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:10
text: Medea makes Aeson young again by using a brew of many herbs in golden cauldrons.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:11
text: Antiope, in love with Theseus, betrays Themiscyra while Heracles is besieging
it.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:12
text: Telemachus is said to marry Circe, and Telegonus, Circe's son, is said to
marry Penelope.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: obs:13
text: A fragment states that gifts beguile men's minds and deeds.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: obs:14
text: The Returns is said to contain an account of Hades and its terrors, while
not knowing a spirit named Eurynomus.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
- id: obs:15
text: Tantalus lives with the gods, asks for pleasures and a life like that of the
gods, and Zeus grants the request but hangs a stone over his head to prevent enjoyment.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:13
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Athena
description: Goddess who causes the quarrel and whose anger Agamemnon seeks to appease.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Agamemnon
description: Leader who quarrels with Menelaus, stays to appease Athena, is warned
by Achilles' ghost, and is later murdered.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:4
- ev:7
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Menelaus
description: Figure who quarrels with Agamemnon, sets out after others, reaches
Egypt with five ships, and finally returns home.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:7
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Diomedes
description: One of those who put out to sea and safely reach home.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Nestor
description: One of those who put out to sea and safely reach home.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Calchas, Leontes, and Polypoetes
description: Group who travel by land to Colophon and bury Teiresias.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Teiresias
description: Dead figure buried at Colophon.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Ghost of Achilles
description: Apparition that appears to Agamemnon's followers and foretells what
will happen.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Locrian Aias
description: Figure whose end is associated with the storm at the Capherides rocks.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: fig:10
name_or_label: Neoptolemus
description: Warned by Thetis, travels overland, buries Phoenix, and is recognized
by Peleus among the Molossi.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: fig:11
name_or_label: Thetis
description: Figure who warns Neoptolemus.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: fig:12
name_or_label: Odysseus
description: Met by Neoptolemus at Maronea.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: fig:13
name_or_label: Phoenix
description: Dies on the way and is buried by Neoptolemus.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: fig:14
name_or_label: Peleus
description: Recognizes Neoptolemus when he reaches the Molossi.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: fig:15
name_or_label: Aegisthus and Clytaemnestra
description: Murderers of Agamemnon.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: fig:16
name_or_label: Orestes and Pylades
description: Figures who carry out vengeance after Agamemnon's murder.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: fig:17
name_or_label: Medea
description: Uses cunning skill and an herbal brew in golden cauldrons to make Aeson
young.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: fig:18
name_or_label: Aeson
description: Old man whom Medea makes into a young boy again.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: fig:19
name_or_label: Heracles
description: Besieges Themiscyra on the Thermodon but cannot take it before Antiope's
betrayal.
role_refs:
- role:11
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: fig:20
name_or_label: Antiope
description: In love with Theseus and betrays Themiscyra.
role_refs:
- role:12
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: fig:21
name_or_label: Theseus
description: Present with Heracles on the expedition and loved by Antiope.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: fig:22
name_or_label: Telemachus
description: Said to marry Circe.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: fig:23
name_or_label: Circe
description: Said to marry Telemachus; mother of Telegonus.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: fig:24
name_or_label: Telegonus
description: Son of Circe, said to marry Penelope.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: fig:25
name_or_label: Penelope
description: Said to marry Telegonus.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: fig:26
name_or_label: Tantalus
description: Lives with the gods, asks for pleasures and a divine-like life, and
is punished by a stone hung over his head.
role_refs:
- role:13
evidence_refs:
- ev:13
- id: fig:27
name_or_label: Zeus
description: Grants Tantalus' prayer because of his promise but prevents him from
enjoying the pleasures by hanging a stone over him.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:14
evidence_refs:
- ev:13
roles:
- id: role:1
label: divine agent
assigned_to:
- fig:1
- fig:27
basis: Athena causes a quarrel; Zeus grants and restricts Tantalus' request.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:13
- id: role:2
label: returning traveler
assigned_to:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:10
basis: These figures participate in the return journeys from Troy by sea or land.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:6
- ev:7
- id: role:3
label: warner or prophetic figure
assigned_to:
- fig:8
- fig:11
basis: Achilles' ghost foretells what will befall the travelers; Thetis warns Neoptolemus.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:6
- id: role:4
label: murderer
assigned_to:
- fig:15
basis: Aegisthus and Clytaemnestra murder Agamemnon.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:5
label: doomed figure
assigned_to:
- fig:2
- fig:9
basis: Agamemnon is later murdered; the end of Locrian Aias is associated with the
storm.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:7
- id: role:6
label: burier of the dead
assigned_to:
- fig:6
- fig:10
basis: Calchas, Leontes, and Polypoetes bury Teiresias; Neoptolemus buries Phoenix.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:6
- id: role:7
label: dead figure receiving burial
assigned_to:
- fig:7
- fig:13
basis: Teiresias and Phoenix are described as dead and buried.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:6
- id: role:8
label: avenger
assigned_to:
- fig:16
basis: Orestes and Pylades take vengeance after Agamemnon's murder.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:9
label: rejuvenating practitioner
assigned_to:
- fig:17
basis: Medea uses cunning skill, herbs, and cauldrons to strip old age from Aeson.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: role:10
label: rejuvenated elder
assigned_to:
- fig:18
basis: Aeson is made a sweet young boy and has old age stripped from him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: role:11
label: besieger
assigned_to:
- fig:19
basis: Heracles besieges Themiscyra but cannot take it.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: role:12
label: betrayer of a place
assigned_to:
- fig:20
basis: Antiope betrays Themiscyra because she is in love with Theseus.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: role:13
label: immoderate petitioner
assigned_to:
- fig:26
basis: Tantalus asks for pleasures and a life like that of the gods.
evidence_refs:
- ev:13
- id: role:14
label: punishing grantor
assigned_to:
- fig:27
basis: Zeus grants Tantalus' prayer because of a promise but imposes a stone that
prevents enjoyment.
evidence_refs:
- ev:13
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: sea voyage
literal_form: sea and high seas during the returns from Troy
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:2
label: Capherides rocks and storm
literal_form: storm at the rocks called Capherides
associated_figures:
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:3
label: prophetic ghost
literal_form: ghost of Achilles appearing and foretelling events
associated_figures:
- fig:8
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:4
label: golden cauldrons and herbal brew
literal_form: brew of many herbs in golden cauldrons
associated_figures:
- fig:17
- fig:18
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: sym:5
label: Hades and terrors
literal_form: account of Hades and the terrors there
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
- id: sym:6
label: stone over the head
literal_form: stone hung over Tantalus' head
associated_figures:
- fig:26
- fig:27
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:13
- id: sym:7
label: gifts
literal_form: gifts that beguile men's minds and deeds
associated_figures: []
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Disputed departure from Troy
summary: Athena causes Agamemnon and Menelaus to quarrel over the voyage; Agamemnon
remains to appease Athena.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Divergent returns by sea and land
summary: Some heroes sail safely home, Menelaus reaches Egypt after ship losses,
and others travel by land to Colophon and bury Teiresias.
figure_refs:
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Warning and disaster on the return
summary: Achilles' ghost warns Agamemnon's party; a storm at the Capherides rocks
is linked to the end of Locrian Aias.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:8
- fig:9
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: scene:4
label: Neoptolemus' overland journey
summary: Warned by Thetis, Neoptolemus travels overland, meets Odysseus, buries
Phoenix, and is recognized by Peleus.
figure_refs:
- fig:10
- fig:11
- fig:12
- fig:13
- fig:14
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: scene:5
label: Murder and vengeance in Agamemnon's house
summary: Agamemnon is murdered by Aegisthus and Clytaemnestra; Orestes and Pylades
take vengeance, and Menelaus returns home.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:15
- fig:16
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: scene:6
label: Medea rejuvenates Aeson
summary: Medea uses an herbal brew in golden cauldrons to remove Aeson's old age
and make him young.
figure_refs:
- fig:17
- fig:18
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: scene:7
label: Betrayal of Themiscyra
summary: Heracles besieges Themiscyra, and Antiope betrays the place because she
loves Theseus.
figure_refs:
- fig:19
- fig:20
- fig:21
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: scene:8
label: Later cross-marriages
summary: Telemachus is said to marry Circe, and Telegonus is said to marry Penelope.
figure_refs:
- fig:22
- fig:23
- fig:24
- fig:25
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: scene:9
label: Hades notice
summary: The Returns is described as containing an account of Hades and its terrors,
without a spirit named Eurynomus.
figure_refs: []
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
- id: scene:10
label: Tantalus punished among the gods
summary: Tantalus asks for divine-like pleasures and life; Zeus grants the prayer
but prevents enjoyment by hanging a stone over him.
figure_refs:
- fig:26
- fig:27
symbol_refs:
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:13
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: homecoming after war
taxonomy_refs:
- return
basis: The passage repeatedly describes returns from Troy by sea and land, including
safe arrivals, ship losses, delayed departure, and Menelaus' final homecoming.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:6
- ev:7
confidence: high
cautions: The passage is a summary of contents rather than a continuous narrative.
- id: motif:2
label: divine obstruction and punishment
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_judgment
basis: Athena's anger shapes the departure from Troy, and Zeus punishes Tantalus
by preventing enjoyment of the pleasures he requested.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:13
confidence: medium
cautions: Athena's action is described as anger requiring appeasement, while Zeus'
act is explicitly punitive in effect but summarized briefly.
- id: motif:3
label: prophetic apparition warning travelers
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The ghost of Achilles appears to Agamemnon's followers and foretells what
will befall them in an attempt to stop their departure.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: The fragment gives only the summarized function of the apparition, not
the prophecy's detailed content.
- id: motif:4
label: perilous sea return and storm disaster
taxonomy_refs:
- return
basis: Menelaus' fleet is partly destroyed on the high seas, and the storm at the
Capherides rocks is linked with the end of Locrian Aias.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: The exact causes and sequence of the sea disasters are not elaborated
in the passage.
- id: motif:5
label: magical rejuvenation of an elder
taxonomy_refs:
- death_rebirth
basis: Medea strips Aeson's old age from him and makes him a young boy through an
herbal brew in golden cauldrons.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
confidence: medium
cautions: The literal event is rejuvenation, not death followed by rebirth; the
taxonomy link is approximate.
- id: motif:6
label: betrayal of a besieged city for love
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Antiope betrays Themiscyra while Heracles besieges it because she is in love
with Theseus.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
confidence: high
cautions: The passage does not provide Antiope's motives beyond love for Theseus
or details of the betrayal.
- id: motif:7
label: afterlife realm with terrors
taxonomy_refs:
- afterlife_journey_map
basis: The Returns is said to contain an account of Hades and the terrors there.
evidence_refs:
- ev:12
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage only reports that such an account exists and gives no map,
journey, or detailed afterlife description.
- id: motif:8
label: unfulfilled divine-like desire
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_judgment
- sacred_exchange
basis: Tantalus asks for pleasures and a life like that of the gods; Zeus grants
the request because of a promise but sets a stone over him so he cannot enjoy
what is near.
evidence_refs:
- ev:13
confidence: medium
cautions: The exchange is framed by Zeus' promise and Tantalus' request, but the
passage emphasizes punishment rather than reciprocal sacred exchange.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: 'lines 8170-8221, Fragment #1'
quote_or_summary: Athena causes a quarrel between Agamemnon and Menelaus about the
voyage from Troy; Agamemnon stays to appease Athena's anger.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: 'lines 8170-8221, Fragment #1'
quote_or_summary: Diomedes and Nestor sail and get home safely; Menelaus reaches
Egypt with five ships after the rest are destroyed on the high seas.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: 'lines 8170-8221, Fragment #1'
quote_or_summary: Calchas, Leontes, and Polypoetes go by land to Colophon and bury
Teiresias after his death there.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: 'lines 8170-8221, Fragment #1'
quote_or_summary: The ghost of Achilles appears to Agamemnon and his followers and
tries to prevent them by foretelling what will happen to them.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: 'lines 8170-8221, Fragment #1'
quote_or_summary: A storm at the rocks called Capherides is described together with
the end of Locrian Aias.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: 'lines 8170-8221, Fragment #1'
quote_or_summary: Neoptolemus, warned by Thetis, travels overland, meets Odysseus
at Maronea, buries Phoenix after Phoenix dies, and is recognized by Peleus among
the Molossi.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: 'lines 8170-8221, Fragment #1'
quote_or_summary: Agamemnon is murdered by Aegisthus and Clytaemnestra, vengeance
is taken by Orestes and Pylades, and Menelaus finally returns home.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: 'lines 8170-8221, Fragment #2'
quote_or_summary: Medea makes Aeson a young boy and removes his old age through
a brew of many herbs in golden cauldrons.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: 'lines 8170-8221, Fragment #3'
quote_or_summary: Heracles besieges Themiscyra on the Thermodon but cannot take
it; Antiope, loving Theseus, betrays the place.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: 'lines 8170-8221, Fragment #4'
quote_or_summary: Telemachus is said to marry Circe, while Telegonus, son of Circe,
correspondingly marries Penelope.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:11
type: quote
locator: 'lines 8170-8221, Fragment #5'
quote_or_summary: "“For gifts beguile mens minds and their deeds as well.”"
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation.
- id: ev:12
type: summary
locator: 'lines 8170-8221, Fragment #6'
quote_or_summary: The poetry of Homer and the Returns are said to contain an account
of Hades and its terrors, but no spirit named Eurynomus.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:13
type: summary
locator: lines 8170-8221, Athenaeus 281 B notice
quote_or_summary: Tantalus lives with the gods, asks for pleasures and a life like
theirs; Zeus grants the request due to his promise but hangs a stone over him
so he cannot enjoy nearby pleasures.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/hesiod-homeric-hymns-homerica.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: The passage is an ancient summary and fragment collection, so figures and
events are clear at a high level, while motif assignments beyond literal return,
divine action, and rejuvenation remain interpretive.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
No comparison claims were added because the passage itself does not make an explicit comparative claim beyond references to works and fragment authorities.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
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