The Phaeacian Games — Athletic contests and Demodocus sings

Book 8 of The Odyssey by Homer

When the child of morning, rosy-fingered Dawn, appeared, Alcinous rose from his bed and Odysseus likewise arose. Alcinous led the way to the Phaeacian assembly ground beside the ships. They sat down on the polished stone seats, and Athena went through the town in the likeness of a herald, speaking to each man and bidding him come to the assembly to learn about the stranger who had arrived at the palace. The people gathered swiftly, and they marvelled at Odysseus, for Athena had shed a divine grace upon his head and shoulders, making him taller and broader to behold. Alcinous addressed the assembly, declaring that this stranger had come to his house begging for passage home, and he proposed that they should fit out a ship with two and fifty of their best young oarsmen to send him on his way. In the meantime, let them all come to the palace for a feast.

So they went to the palace and the feast was prepared. Alcinous sent for the bard Demodocus, to whom the Muse had given the gift of song beyond all other men, though she had taken away his eyesight. The herald Pontonous led the blind singer in and set him in a silver-studded chair in the midst of the feasters, hanging the lyre from a peg above his head and showing him how to find it with his hands. When Demodocus had eaten and drunk, the Muse prompted him to sing the tale of the quarrel between Odysseus and Achilles, son of Peleus — how they had striven with one another at a royal banquet with violent words, and Agamemnon had secretly rejoiced, for the oracle at Pytho had told him that the fall of Troy would come when the two best of the Achaeans quarrelled.

As the bard sang these things, Odysseus drew his purple cloak over his head and covered his face, for he was ashamed to let the Phaeacians see him weeping. Every time Demodocus paused in his song, Odysseus wiped his eyes and uncovered his head and took the double-handled cup and poured a libation to the gods. But when the bard began again, and the Phaeacian lords urged him on because they delighted in his words, Odysseus again covered his head and wept. No one marked his tears except Alcinous, who sat beside him and heard his deep groaning. Alcinous at once called out to the company and proposed that they leave off feasting and go outside to try their skill in games and sports, so that their guest might tell his friends when he returned home that the Phaeacians excelled all men in boxing, wrestling, leaping, and running.