batch.motif.greek-odyssey-butler-gutenberg-l8533-l8618
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-odyssey-butler-gutenberg-l8533-l8618
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
passage_locator:
label: ULYSSES REVEALS HIMSELF TO TELEMACHUS. / BOOK XVII / BOOK XVIII / BOOK XIX;
lines 8533-8618
start: '8533'
end: '8618'
translation: The Odyssey
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: In conversation with Penelope, Ulysses, still treated as a stranger, describes
garments and a servant associated with Ulysses. Penelope recognizes the details
and weeps. Ulysses then tells her that Ulysses is alive, recounts the loss of
his ship and crew after divine anger over the sun-god’s cattle, reports news from
Thesprotia, mentions consultation at Dodona’s oak, and swears by Jove and Ulysses’
hearth that Ulysses will soon return.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Penelope weeps while listening to Ulysses, and Ulysses restrains his own tears
while sitting beside her.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Penelope tests the stranger by asking him to describe Ulysses’ dress, appearance,
and companions.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: Ulysses describes a purple wool mantle, a gold brooch with two catches, a
device showing a dog holding a spotted fawn, and a soft glistening shirt.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: Ulysses says he gave Ulysses a bronze sword, a purple mantle, and a shirt,
and describes a servant named Eurybates.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:5
text: Penelope says she herself gave Ulysses the clothes and gold brooch described
by the stranger.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:6
text: Ulysses says he has heard that Ulysses is alive, among the Thesprotians, and
on his way home with treasure.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:7
text: Ulysses says Ulysses’ ship and crew were lost after Jove and the sun-god were
angered because the men slaughtered the sun-god’s cattle.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:8
text: Ulysses says Ulysses survived by clinging to the ship’s keel and was carried
to the Phaeacians, who treated him with honor and gave gifts.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:9
text: Ulysses reports that Pheidon swore with drink-offerings that a ship and crew
were ready to take Ulysses home.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:10
text: Ulysses says Ulysses went to Dodona to learn Jove’s mind from a high oak tree
about whether to return openly or secretly.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: obs:11
text: Ulysses swears by Jove and by Ulysses’ hearth that Ulysses will return within
the stated time.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Ulysses
description: He sits beside Penelope while appearing to her as a stranger, describes
Ulysses’ garments and servant, reports that Ulysses is alive, and swears that
Ulysses will return soon.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:6
- ev:11
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Penelope
description: Wife of Ulysses; she weeps, tests the stranger’s account, recognizes
the described clothing and brooch, and laments Ulysses’ absence.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:5
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Eurybates
description: A servant of Ulysses, described as older than Ulysses, hunched, dark,
and thick-haired; Ulysses treated him familiarly because he was like-minded.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Jove
description: A god said to have been angry over the slaughter of the sun-god’s cattle;
also invoked as witness to Ulysses’ oath.
role_refs:
- role:5
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:11
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: sun-god
description: A god whose cattle were slaughtered by Ulysses’ men, causing anger
against them.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Ulysses’ crew
description: The men who slaughtered the sun-god’s cattle and were drowned after
the ship was lost.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Phaeacians
description: A people near of kin to the immortals who received Ulysses, treated
him as though he had been a god, gave presents, and wished to escort him home.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Pheidon king of the Thesprotians
description: A king who reportedly told the stranger about Ulysses and swore with
drink-offerings that a ship and crew were ready for Ulysses’ return.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Thesprotians
description: The people among whom Ulysses is said to be staying while gathering
treasure for return.
role_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:9
roles:
- id: role:1
label: concealed returning husband
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Ulysses is beside Penelope while she speaks to him as a stranger, and he
withholds direct self-disclosure in this passage.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: role:2
label: oath-giving messenger of return
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: He reports that Ulysses is alive and swears that Ulysses will return soon.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:11
- id: role:3
label: testing and grieving wife
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Penelope weeps for her husband and tests the stranger’s claim by asking for
identifying details.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:5
- id: role:4
label: trusted servant
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: Eurybates is named as Ulysses’ servant and as especially familiar to him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:5
label: divine punisher
assigned_to:
- fig:4
- fig:5
basis: Jove and the sun-god are said to have been angry after the cattle were slaughtered,
and the ship and crew were lost.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:6
label: divine oath witness
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Jove is invoked as witness to the oath about Ulysses’ return.
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: role:7
label: transgressing lost companions
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: The crew slaughter the sun-god’s cattle and are drowned after the ship is
lost.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:8
label: honoring hosts
assigned_to:
- fig:7
basis: The Phaeacians treat Ulysses as though divine, give him presents, and wish
to escort him home.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: role:9
label: royal informant and oath-maker
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: Pheidon is said to have provided the report and sworn over drink-offerings
about Ulysses’ return arrangements.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: tears compared to thawing snow and water
literal_form: snow melting on mountain tops into rivers running full with water
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: sym:2
label: recognition garments
literal_form: purple wool mantle, gold brooch, and soft glistening shirt
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- id: sym:3
label: dog and fawn brooch device
literal_form: gold device showing a dog holding and strangling a spotted fawn while
the fawn struggles
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:4
label: sun-god’s cattle
literal_form: cattle belonging to the sun-god
associated_figures:
- fig:5
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: sym:5
label: ship keel survival object
literal_form: keel of the ship to which Ulysses clings after the ship and crew are
lost
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: sym:6
label: Dodona oak
literal_form: high oak tree at Dodona from which Ulysses seeks to learn Jove’s mind
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: sym:7
label: oath hearth
literal_form: hearth of Ulysses invoked in an oath
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: sym:8
label: drink-offerings
literal_form: drink-offerings made by Pheidon while swearing
associated_figures:
- fig:8
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Penelope’s grief and test
summary: Penelope weeps while Ulysses restrains his tears; she then tests the stranger
by asking for details about Ulysses and his companions.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: scene:2
label: Tokens of clothing and recognition
summary: Ulysses describes Ulysses’ clothing, brooch, and servant Eurybates; Penelope
recognizes the clothing and brooch as items she gave to Ulysses.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:2
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: scene:3
label: Report of survival, divine anger, and return
summary: Ulysses reports that Ulysses is alive, narrates the loss of ship and crew
after the slaughter of the sun-god’s cattle, says Ulysses survived and received
gifts, and swears that he will soon return.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:4
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:7
- fig:8
- fig:9
symbol_refs:
- sym:4
- sym:5
- sym:7
- sym:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
- ev:11
- id: scene:4
label: Consultation at Dodona
summary: Ulysses says Ulysses went to Dodona to learn Jove’s mind from the high
oak tree about whether to return openly or secretly.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: concealed homecoming and delayed recognition
taxonomy_refs:
- return
basis: Ulysses is physically beside Penelope while she treats him as a stranger;
the conversation centers on whether and how Ulysses will return.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:11
confidence: high
cautions: The broader recognition plot lies outside this extracted range; within
this passage the concealment and promised return are evident, but full revelation
is not included.
- id: motif:2
label: recognition by personal tokens
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Penelope tests the stranger with details about Ulysses, and the described
clothes and brooch are recognized as items she personally gave him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: No supplied taxonomy family exactly names token recognition, so taxonomy_refs
is left empty.
- id: motif:3
label: divine punishment for violation of sacred cattle
taxonomy_refs:
- divine_judgment
basis: Jove and the sun-god are said to become angry after the crew slaughter the
sun-god’s cattle; the ship and all crew are lost.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
confidence: high
cautions: The passage reports this event retrospectively rather than narrating the
slaughter directly.
- id: motif:4
label: survival after shipwreck by clinging to wreckage
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Ulysses is said to survive the ship’s loss by sticking to the keel and drifting
to the Phaeacians.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
confidence: high
cautions: No supplied taxonomy family directly corresponds to shipwreck survival.
- id: motif:5
label: oracle consultation at sacred tree
taxonomy_refs:
- sacred_tree_axis
- wisdom
basis: Ulysses is said to go to Dodona to learn Jove’s mind from a high oak tree
about the manner of his return.
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
confidence: medium
cautions: The text mentions an oracular consultation through an oak, but does not
elaborate ritual context in this passage.
- id: motif:6
label: oath by divine and household powers
taxonomy_refs:
- covenant
basis: Ulysses confirms his words with an oath invoking Jove and Ulysses’ hearth
as witnesses.
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
confidence: medium
cautions: The oath is explicit, but mapping it to covenant is a broad taxonomy fit.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: 8533-8542
quote_or_summary: Penelope weeps as she listens, compared to snow thawing into water-filled
rivers; Ulysses feels pity but restrains his tears while sitting beside her.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary from supplied passage.
- id: ev:2
type: quote
locator: 8542-8547
quote_or_summary: "“I shall put you to the test... Tell me, then, how he was dressed,
what kind of a man he was to look at, and so also with his companions.”"
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short excerpt from supplied passage.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: 8548-8565
quote_or_summary: Ulysses describes Ulysses’ purple double-lined wool mantle, gold
brooch with two catches, dog-and-fawn device, and soft glistening shirt.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary from supplied passage.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: 8565-8575
quote_or_summary: Ulysses says he gave Ulysses a bronze sword, purple mantle, and
long shirt, and describes the servant Eurybates as older, hunched, dark, curly-haired,
and like-minded with Ulysses.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary from supplied passage.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: 8576-8586
quote_or_summary: Penelope is moved by the proofs and says she herself took the
clothes from the store room, folded them, and gave Ulysses the gold brooch; she
laments that she will not welcome him home again.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary from supplied passage.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: 8587-8597
quote_or_summary: Ulysses tells Penelope not to grieve and says he has heard that
Ulysses is alive, on his way home, among the Thesprotians, and bringing treasure.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary from supplied passage.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: 8597-8601
quote_or_summary: Ulysses says the ship and crew were lost leaving Thrinacia because
Jove and the sun-god were angry that the men had slaughtered the sun-god’s cattle;
all the men were drowned.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary from supplied passage.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: 8601-8606
quote_or_summary: Ulysses says Ulysses clung to the keel, drifted to the Phaeacians,
and was treated as though divine, given presents, and offered escort home.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary from supplied passage.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: 8606-8612
quote_or_summary: Ulysses reports that Pheidon king of the Thesprotians swore with
drink-offerings that a ship and crew were ready to take Ulysses home, and showed
the treasure gathered for him.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary from supplied passage.
- id: ev:10
type: quote
locator: 8612-8615
quote_or_summary: "“Ulysses had gone to Dodona that he might learn Jove’s mind from
the high oak tree” and learn whether to return openly or secretly."
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short excerpt from supplied passage.
- id: ev:11
type: summary
locator: 8615-8618
quote_or_summary: Ulysses says Ulysses is close at hand and swears by Jove and by
Ulysses’ hearth that all he has said will come to pass, with Ulysses returning
by the end of the moon and beginning of the next.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek/project-gutenberg/odyssey-butler.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summary from supplied passage.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Literal extraction is well supported by the supplied passage. Motif labels
are candidate classifications based only on this passage and the supplied taxonomy;
several motifs have no exact taxonomy match.
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 external sources or comparisons were used. Comparison claims are left empty because the passage does not itself make a cross-textual or cross-traditional comparison.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-odyssey-butler-gutenberg__l8533-l8618
passage_sha256=fd177ecc3727dfd07a048dbf1bf070882964da85fd4f9645e2e3ea9d85b0a614