dais 'feast, division of portions (of meat); sacrifice'

In these first four verses of the speech spoken by Odysseus to Achilles, there is an evocative reference to the dais as a ‘feast’ where portions of meat are being divided in an equ ... Continue reading

The theme expressed by the verb daiesthai ‘feast, divide, apportion, allot’ at I.01.368 is at work in the Strife Scene at the beginning of the Iliad—although a ‘feast’ as expressed ... Continue reading

When the Olympian gods are away from their home situated on Mount Olympus, they customarily attend a dais ‘feast’, Ι.01.424, in the Land of the Aithiopes ‘Aethiopians’, Ι.01.423, w ... Continue reading

The idea of ‘division’ latent in contexts where dais refers to a ‘feast’ becomes overt in expressions like δαιτὸς ἐίσης ‘equitable dais’ referring to an ‘equitable’ (adjective isos ... Continue reading

A deeper meaning of the noun dais is revealed here in the wording of Zeus, who says that his bōmos ‘altar’—which is ‘mine’, he adds—has never lacked an equitable dais or ‘portion’ ... Continue reading

analysis of the notion of division latent in dais and meaning of eisē “equal” shareThe theme of awarding the choice cut of meat to the foremost warrior in the context of a dais ‘fe ... Continue reading

By blaming or insulting his fellow Achaeans for not daring to stand up to the onslaught of Hector, Agamemnon is goading them into action. His insulting words recall a scene that to ... Continue reading

analysis of Achilles’ special relationship to the dais, proper allotments and dikēThis reference made by Achilles to workers whose work it is to divide meat at feasts is relevant t ... Continue reading

analysis of Achilles’ special relationship to the dais, proper allotments and dikēThe wording of Odysseus here refers to the special relationship of Achilles to the dais ‘feast’, I ... Continue reading

The Olympians habitually go to the realm of the Aethiopians, situated on the banks of the cosmic river Ōkeanos, to dine with them there. The Aethiopians simultaneously inhabit the ... Continue reading

See the comments on I.01.423–425 and I.04.048. See the comments on I.01.423–425 and I.04.048. See the comments on I.01.423–425 and I.04.048. See the comments on I.01.423–425 and I. ... Continue reading

The derivation of the noun dais ‘feast, division of portions (of meat); sacrifice’ from the verb daiesthai ‘feast, divide, apportion’ is re-enacted here by way of a figura etymolog ... Continue reading

Alkinoos the king is addressing his subjects, the Phaeacians, and he speaks of the ‘escort’ that he plans to provide for the stranger who has not yet identified himself as Odysseus ... Continue reading

As we will see, the dais ‘feast’ that is planned by king Alkinoos for his guest will be rethought as a stylized festival, centering on a sacrifice that leads to a division of meat ... Continue reading

The king Alkinoos ‘sacrifices’, as indicated by the verb hiereuein at O.08.059, a number of sacrificial animals. They are twelve sheep, eight pigs and two head of cattle, as indica ... Continue reading

[Epitomized from MoM 4§73:] The noun dais ‘feast’, as we see it used here at O.08.061, is derived from the verb daiesthai in the sense of ‘distribute’, which is used in contexts of ... Continue reading

Before the singer starts singing, the Phaeacians and their unidentified guest are already feasting: they partake of both food and drink, O.08.072. The eating and drinking had begun ... Continue reading

The narrative subject of the epic that is being paraphrased here is a neikos ‘quarrel’ between Odysseus and Achilles, O.08.075. And the setting for this quarrel is a dais ‘feast’ t ... Continue reading

Alkinoos pauses the dining and the singing, though the dais at O.08.098 and at O.08.098 in the general sense of ‘feasting’ can continue. But now, instead of dining and singing, wha ... Continue reading

Once again, as at O.08.076, the epithet thaleiēi (θαλείῃ) ‘celebratory’ is used to describe the ongoing dais ‘feast’ (δαιτί), O.08.099. On the meaning of this epithet, see the comm ... Continue reading

Alkinoos wishes that the feasting should continue and that Odysseus should continue to ‘feel delight’, as expressed by terpesthai, while he hears at this feast the ‘weaving’ of the ... Continue reading

The mention of dais ‘feast’ here at O.13.023 takes us all the way back to the dais ‘feast’ that is planned by king Alkinoos for his guest back at O.08.038. See the comments at O.08 ... Continue reading

See further details in the comment on O.08.061; also in the comment on I.03.059. See further details in the comment on O.08.061; also in the comment on I.03.059. See further deta ... Continue reading

To beg for a meal is to engage at ground zero, as it were, in the protocols of the dais as a ‘feast’. But even at ground zero, a dais is a dais, and such feasting requires the mora ... Continue reading

Again, a dais is a dais, even for beggars. Again, a dais is a dais, even for beggars. Again, a dais is a dais, even for beggars. Again, a dais is a dais, even for beggars. ... Continue reading

The feasting that we see being described here at O.20.276–280 involves the whole astu ‘city’ of Ithaca, O.20.276, and, as we see in the wording of O.20.276–277, all this feasting c ... Continue reading

The wording here at O.21.429–430 is a reference to the festival of Apollo, picking up from O.20.276–280. See the anchor comment on those lines. After having successfully accomplish ... Continue reading