batch.motif.greek-odyssey-butler-gutenberg-l3801-l3898
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-odyssey-butler-gutenberg-l3801-l3898
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
passage_locator:
label: BOOK VII / RECEPTION OF ULYSSES AT THE PALACE OF KING ALCINOUS. / BOOK VIII
/ BOOK IX; lines 3801-3898
start: '3801'
end: '3898'
translation: The Odyssey
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: 'Ulysses answers King Alcinous, praises the feast and bard, reveals his
name and homeland, recalls Calypso and Circe, and begins narrating the hazardous
return from Troy: the sack of Ismarus, losses to the Cicons, storms that drive
the ships off course, the Lotus-eaters whose food makes men forget home, and the
land of the cave-dwelling Cyclopes.'
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Ulysses speaks in response to King Alcinous and says that Alcinous has asked
for the story of his sorrows.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Ulysses identifies himself as the son of Laertes, known for subtlety, and
says he lives in Ithaca near Mount Neritum and neighboring islands.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: Ulysses says Calypso kept him in her cave and wanted him to marry her, and
that Circe also wanted him to marry her, but neither persuaded him.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: Ulysses states that nothing is dearer than one's own country and parents,
even if one has a splendid foreign home.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:5
text: After leaving Troy, Ulysses' ships are driven to Ismarus, where his men sack
the city of the Cicons, kill people, take wives and booty, and divide the spoils.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: Ulysses advises immediate departure from Ismarus, but his men remain drinking
wine and killing sheep and oxen on the shore.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:7
text: Inland Cicons come to aid the city, fight near the ships, and eventually overcome
Ulysses' force; six men from each ship are lost before the survivors escape.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:8
text: The survivors invoke the dead comrades three times before leaving.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:9
text: Jove raises a North wind that becomes a hurricane, hides land and sky, tears
the sails, and drives the ships into prolonged distress.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:10
text: Foul winds drive Ulysses for nine days; on the tenth day the fleet reaches
the land of the Lotus-eaters.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:11
text: The Lotus-eaters do no harm to the scouts but give them lotus to eat.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:12
text: Those who eat the lotus stop caring about home or return and want to remain
eating lotus; Ulysses forces them back to the ships and ties them under the benches.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:13
text: Ulysses orders the rest of the crew aboard quickly so none taste lotus and
lose the desire to return home.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: obs:14
text: The Cyclopes are described as lawless and inhuman, without planting, ploughing,
laws, or assemblies; they live in caves on high mountains, each ruling his own
family.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Ulysses
description: Speaker who identifies himself as son of Laertes, from Ithaca, and
narrates his return from Troy.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:4
- ev:8
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: King Alcinous
description: The king addressed by Ulysses, who has asked for the story of Ulysses'
sorrows.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: bard
description: A singer praised by Ulysses for a divine voice during the feast.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Laertes
description: Named as Ulysses' father.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: Calypso
description: Goddess who kept Ulysses in her cave and wanted him to marry her.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Circe
description: Cunning Aeaean goddess who also wanted Ulysses to marry her.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Ulysses' men / comrades
description: Crew members who take part in the sack of Ismarus, suffer losses, and
include men who eat lotus and are forced back to the ships.
role_refs:
- role:8
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Cicons
description: People of Ismarus and inland allies who battle Ulysses' forces near
the ships.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Jove
description: Deity whose will is associated with Ulysses' adventures and who raises
the North wind against the ships.
role_refs:
- role:11
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:7
- id: fig:10
name_or_label: Lotus-eaters
description: People who live on food from a flower and give lotus to Ulysses' scouts
without harming them.
role_refs:
- role:12
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: fig:11
name_or_label: Cyclopes
description: Lawless, inhuman people who live without agriculture, laws, or assemblies,
dwelling in caves on high mountains.
role_refs:
- role:13
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
roles:
- id: role:1
label: first-person narrator
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Ulysses answers Alcinous and begins telling his own story.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: returning wanderer
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: He says he will tell of hazardous adventures met on his return from Troy.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:3
label: Ithacan son
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: He names Laertes as his father and Ithaca as his home.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:4
label: royal listener
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Ulysses addresses him as king and responds to his request for the tale.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:5
label: feast singer
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Ulysses praises the bard's divine voice in the setting of a communal feast.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:6
label: father of Ulysses
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Ulysses calls himself son of Laertes.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:7
label: divine would-be spouse
assigned_to:
- fig:5
- fig:6
basis: Both goddesses are said to have wanted Ulysses to marry them.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: role:8
label: disobedient crew
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: Ulysses says his men foolishly refused to leave Ismarus at once.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:9
label: endangered companions
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: Some comrades die among the Cicons, and lotus-eating scouts must be forced
back to the ships.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:9
- id: role:10
label: local opponents
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: The Cicons fight Ulysses' force and kill men from every ship.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: role:11
label: divine sender of storm
assigned_to:
- fig:9
basis: Jove raises the North wind against Ulysses' fleet.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:12
label: hosts of forgetfulness-inducing food
assigned_to:
- fig:10
basis: They give lotus to the scouts, and its eaters cease caring about return.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: role:13
label: cave-dwelling lawless people
assigned_to:
- fig:11
basis: They are described as having no laws or assemblies and living in caves on
high mountains.
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: feast table and wine cup
literal_form: Loaded table with bread and meat; cup-bearer drawing wine for each
man.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: Ithacan mountain
literal_form: High mountain Neritum, covered with forests.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs:
- mountain
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: sym:3
label: goddess's cave
literal_form: Cave where Calypso kept Ulysses.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:5
taxonomy_refs:
- cave
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:4
label: ships
literal_form: Ships used by Ulysses and his crew in the return voyage from Troy.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:7
- ev:10
- id: sym:5
label: storm wind
literal_form: North wind raised by Jove, becoming a hurricane that tears sails and
hides land and sky.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:7
- fig:9
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: sym:6
label: sea water
literal_form: Sea crossed by Ulysses' ships; shore where crews land for water and
meals.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:10
- id: sym:7
label: lotus
literal_form: Delicious food from a flower eaten by the Lotus-eaters and given to
Ulysses' scouts.
associated_figures:
- fig:7
- fig:10
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: sym:8
label: Cyclopes' mountain caves
literal_form: Caves on the tops of high mountains where the Cyclopes live.
associated_figures:
- fig:11
taxonomy_refs:
- cave
- mountain
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Ulysses begins his tale at Alcinous' feast
summary: Ulysses praises the bard and feast, then says Alcinous has asked him to
recount his sorrows.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Self-identification and longing for Ithaca
summary: Ulysses names himself, describes Ithaca and surrounding islands, recalls
Calypso and Circe, and asserts the value of home and parents.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:3
label: Sack of Ismarus and battle with the Cicons
summary: Ulysses' men sack Ismarus and delay on the shore; reinforced Cicons attack
and kill men from every ship before the fleet escapes.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:7
- fig:8
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: scene:4
label: Storm-driven voyage
summary: After the survivors depart, Jove raises a North wind; the ships endure
storm, torn sails, delay, and are driven away from their route toward home.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:7
- fig:9
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
- sym:5
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: scene:5
label: Lotus-eaters and loss of desire for return
summary: Scouts sent among the Lotus-eaters eat lotus and no longer wish to return;
Ulysses compels them back to the ships and orders departure.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:7
- fig:10
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
- sym:6
- sym:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: scene:6
label: Arrival at the land of the Cyclopes
summary: The narrative reaches the land of the Cyclopes, who are described as lawless,
cave-dwelling, and without communal assemblies or agriculture.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:11
symbol_refs:
- sym:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: hazardous return voyage from war
taxonomy_refs:
- return
basis: Ulysses frames the following adventures as events met on his return from
Troy, including hostile encounters, storms, and delay before reaching later lands.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:7
- ev:8
confidence: high
cautions: The larger epic context strengthens the return motif, but this record
uses only the supplied passage.
- id: motif:2
label: home-longing resisting foreign divine marriage
taxonomy_refs:
- return
- divine_beloved
basis: Ulysses says Calypso and Circe wanted marriage, but he was not persuaded
and emphasizes country and parents as dearer than a splendid foreign home.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage mentions the goddesses' desire for marriage but does not narrate
the full episodes here.
- id: motif:3
label: disobedience after victory brings losses
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Ulysses urges immediate departure after the sack of Ismarus, but his men
remain; reinforced Cicons then attack and kill men from every ship.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: No supplied taxonomy reference exactly matches this episode-level pattern.
- id: motif:4
label: divinely sent storm diverts the traveler
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Jove raises a North wind that tears the sails and, with later winds and currents,
keeps Ulysses from returning directly home.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
confidence: high
cautions: The storm is literal within the narrative; broader theological interpretation
should be reviewed.
- id: motif:5
label: enchanted or dangerous food causing forgetfulness of home
taxonomy_refs:
- return
basis: Lotus makes its eaters stop caring about home or return, requiring Ulysses
to force the affected men back to the ships.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
confidence: high
cautions: The passage describes the effect of lotus but does not call it magic.
- id: motif:6
label: lawless cave-dwelling outsiders
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The Cyclopes are introduced as lawless and inhuman, living separately in
caves on high mountains without laws or assemblies.
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
confidence: high
cautions: Only the introductory description of the Cyclopes is included in the supplied
passage.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 3801-3817
quote_or_summary: Ulysses answers King Alcinous, praises the bard's divine voice
and the feast with loaded tables and wine, and says Alcinous has asked for the
story of his sorrows.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 3818-3828
quote_or_summary: Ulysses names himself as son of Laertes, renowned for subtlety,
and describes Ithaca, Mount Neritum, and nearby islands.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 3829-3840
quote_or_summary: Calypso kept Ulysses in her cave and wanted marriage; Circe also
wanted marriage; Ulysses says home and parents are dearer than a splendid foreign
home, and he will tell of adventures on his return from Troy by Jove's will.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 3841-3850
quote_or_summary: After sailing from Troy to Ismarus, Ulysses' force sacks the city
of the Cicons, takes wives and booty, but the men ignore his advice to leave and
remain drinking wine and slaughtering livestock on the shore.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 3851-3861
quote_or_summary: Inland Cicons arrive in greater number, fight near the ships,
and by sunset prevail; Ulysses loses six men from every ship before escaping.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 3862-3865
quote_or_summary: The survivors sail onward in sorrow and do not leave until they
have invoked each fallen comrade three times.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 3865-3875
quote_or_summary: Jove raises the North wind into a hurricane; clouds hide land
and sky, the wind tears the sails, and the crew rows toward land, remaining there
two days and nights in distress.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 3875-3882
quote_or_summary: After setting sail again, adverse wind and currents drive Ulysses
off course near Cape Malea and Cythera; after nine days of foul winds, the fleet
reaches the land of the Lotus-eaters and lands for water and food.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summarized.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 3883-3891
quote_or_summary: Ulysses sends three men to learn about the people; the Lotus-eaters
do not harm them but give them lotus, after which the eaters stop caring about
home or reporting back and want to remain eating lotus.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summarized.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: lines 3891-3894
quote_or_summary: Ulysses forces the lotus-eaters among his men back to the ships,
ties them under the benches, and orders the rest aboard lest they taste lotus
and stop wanting to go home.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summarized.
- id: ev:11
type: summary
locator: lines 3895-3898
quote_or_summary: The fleet reaches the land of the lawless, inhuman Cyclopes, who
do not plant or plough, rely on wild growth, have no laws or assemblies, and live
in caves on high mountains with each ruling his own family.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain source text; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: high
notes: The passage is clear for literal episode extraction. Motif labels are candidate
abstractions from the supplied text and require human review, especially where
taxonomy fit is broad.
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 supplied passage itself does not support an explicit cautious comparison to another tradition or motif family beyond local motif candidates.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-odyssey-butler-gutenberg__l3801-l3898
passage_sha256=cfd0dbdf36b3bc50a26a2d0397a69f0221394111bb7e1a7f8839d0f4ae32c735