batch.motif.greek-odyssey-butler-gutenberg-l11859-l11864
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-odyssey-butler-gutenberg-l11859-l11864
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
passage_locator:
label: BOOK XXII / BOOK XXIII / BOOK XXIV / FOOTNOTES:; lines 11859-11864
start: '11859'
end: '11864'
translation: The Odyssey
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: A footnote says Dolius is to be understood as not yet knowing that his
son Melanthius had been tortured, mutilated, and left to die by Ulysses’ orders,
or that his daughter Melantho had been hanged. It further suggests Dolius was
simple-minded and that his name was ironic, comparing this to a man on Mt. Eryx
called “Guileless” though regarded as cunning.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Dolius is described as not yet knowing what had happened to his children.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: obs:2
text: Melanthius is described as Dolius’ son and as having been tortured, mutilated,
and left to die by Ulysses’ orders on the preceding day.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: Melantho is described as Dolius’ daughter and as having been hanged.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: Dolius is characterized by the commentator as probably exceptionally simple-minded,
with an ironic name.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: The commentator reports being shown a man on Mt. Eryx who was called Sonza
Malizia, translated as “Guileless,” while being regarded as exceptionally cunning.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Dolius
description: A man said not yet to know of the punishments of his son Melanthius
and daughter Melantho; described by the commentator as probably simple-minded.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Melanthius
description: Dolius’ son, described as tortured, mutilated, and left to die by Ulysses’
orders on the preceding day.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Melantho
description: Dolius’ daughter, described as having been hanged.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Ulysses
description: Named as the person whose orders led to Melanthius being tortured,
mutilated, and left to die.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Sonza Malizia / “Guileless”
description: A man on Mt. Eryx said to be called “Guileless” while being held exceptionally
cunning.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
roles:
- id: role:1
label: unaware father
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Dolius is said not yet to know of his son’s and daughter’s fates.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: role:2
label: punished son
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Melanthius is identified as Dolius’ son and as tortured, mutilated, and left
to die.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:3
label: hanged daughter
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Melantho is identified as Dolius’ daughter and as hanged.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:4
label: order-giver
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: The violence against Melanthius is said to have occurred by Ulysses’ orders.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:5
label: ironically named cunning man
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: The man is called “Guileless” but is regarded as exceptionally cunning.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: Mt. Eryx
literal_form: mountain place-name
associated_figures:
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs:
- mountain
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: sym:2
label: ironic name
literal_form: name or epithet meaning the opposite of the attributed character
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Footnote on Dolius’ ignorance of his children’s deaths or punishments
summary: The note explains that Dolius should be understood as not yet knowing that
Melanthius had been tortured, mutilated, and left to die by Ulysses’ orders, and
that Melantho had been hanged.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: scene:2
label: Comparison of ironic naming
summary: The commentator suggests Dolius’ name was ironic and compares this with
a Mt. Eryx man called “Guileless” despite being considered cunning.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: unaware kin after punishment of family members
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Dolius is presented as not yet knowing that his son and daughter have suffered
severe punishments or death.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
confidence: medium
cautions: This is a brief explanatory footnote rather than a developed narrative
episode.
- id: motif:2
label: ironic or contrary name
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The note explicitly describes Dolius’ name as ironical and compares it with
a man called “Guileless” though considered cunning.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
confidence: high
cautions: The motif is drawn from commentator explanation and anecdote, not from
direct epic narration in this passage.
comparison_claims:
- id: claim:1
claim: The passage itself compares Dolius’ allegedly ironic name with a Mt. Eryx
example of a man called “Guileless” despite being regarded as cunning.
claim_level: same_function
target: ironic or contrary naming pattern
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
counter_evidence_refs: []
confidence: medium
limitations: The comparison is an editor-translator’s anecdotal note and does not
establish historical contact or shared tradition.
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: 11859-11862
quote_or_summary: The note says Dolius is to be supposed not yet to know that his
son Melanthius had been tortured, mutilated, and left to die by Ulysses’ orders
on the preceding day.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: 11862-11863
quote_or_summary: The note says Dolius’ daughter Melantho had been hanged.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
- id: ev:3
type: quote
locator: '11863'
quote_or_summary: "“Dolius was probably exceptionally simple-minded, and his name
was ironical.”"
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: 11863-11864
quote_or_summary: The commentator says that on Mt. Eryx he was shown a man called
Sonza Malizia or “Guileless,” though he was held to be exceptionally cunning.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary supplied.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: medium
notes: Literal extraction is straightforward, but motif relevance is limited because
the passage is a translator’s footnote and not direct epic narration.
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 available motif-family taxonomy reference was assigned because the passage primarily concerns punitive aftermath and ironic naming, which are not listed among the supplied motif families.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-odyssey-butler-gutenberg__l11859-l11864
passage_sha256=f1c96922321a2dcdb578a5ea2bd61957c38d666889a8f272ba9d8448996189e0