< Demodocus >

1 Origin

The 12th century AD theologian Eustathius of Thessalonica tells us that Demodocus was a Laconian.

Although Demodocus's family history is completely unknown, the following suggests that he may have been from Amyclae of Laconia.

1) Demodocus was depicted on a throne in Amyclae with Phaeacian dancers.

2) Amyclae was inhabited by Peisander, son of the daughter of Melanippus, an immigrant from Thebes.

3) Demodocus wrote the History of Heracles.

2 Career

According to Eustathius, Demodocus became a pupil of Automedes and Perimedes of Argos, won a prize at the Pythian games, and then followed Agamemnon to Mycenae.

Demodocus then went to Corcyra, where he was employed by Alcinous, son of Phaeax.

Demodocus was a poet who is mentioned alongside Linus, Thamyris, and Orpheus.

3 Others

Demodocus is thought to have written the original versions of the Iliad and the Odyssey.

The Iliad contains information that would have been unknown to anyone other than those who belonged to the Trojan royal family.

For example, the genealogy from Dardanus to Hector. This genealogy is not something that later poets could have heard from the descendants of the Trojans.

It is thought that the author heard it directly from a member of the Trojan royal family during the Trojan War.

The Trojan royal was Helenus, son of Priam, who lived in Buthroutum, very close to Corcyra, where Demodocus lived.

In 1186 BC, Helenus had fled from Ilium to the land of the Molossians with Neoptolemus, son of Achilles.

Furthermore, Demodocus was the author of The Destruction of Troy.

In 1170 BC, Helenus gave an army to the sons of Hector to recapture Ilium, which had been occupied by the sons of Antenor.

Demoducus must have known about the recapture of Ilium by the sons of Hector.

It is believed that Demodocus created a story with Agamemnon as the main character after hearing about the battle at Ilium from Helenus and those who participated in the expedition of the sons of Hector.

Also, Nausicaa, the daughter of Alcinous, employer of Demodocus, was married to Telemachus, the son of Odysseus.

It is believed that Demodocus wrote the original version of the Odyssey after getting a lot of information from Odysseus and Telemachus.