NEW VOICES IN CLASSICAL RECEPTION STUDIES Issue 1 (2006)

N O S TO S

AN D TH E I MP O S S I BI L I TY O F F R O M H O ME R TO

A RE TU RN S E F E RI S

TO THE S AM E :

Marigo Alexopoulou, Open University of Greece

Home is where one starts from. T. S. Eliot, East o!er The notion of return (nostos in Greek) is explored with var in! ela"oration throu!hout #u$h of Greek literature. The earliest Greek tradition in$luded several variants of the nostos stor % in "oth epi$ and in l ri$ versions. The O"yssey is the #ost fa#ous exa#ple% "ut other exa#ples of this the#e were also well&known in anti'uit % su$h as the #ostoi as$ri"ed " (ro$lus to one )!ias of Troe*en and the three fra!#ents of the +esiodi$ $atalo!ue that treat various features of the stor of )!a#e#non,s fatal return% while Stesi$horus wrote a poe# $alled #ostoi and a poe# $alled Oresteia.1 Thus it is $lear that the -eturns of the Greek veterans fro# Tro was a #a!neti$ the#e in poeti$ tradition% "oth epi$ and l ri$. 2 There are a#ple instan$es of the treat#ent of the $lassi$al the#es in #odern Greek writin!. The followin! stud therefore is far fro# $o#prehensive. I atte#pt to $o##ent onl on the parti$ular kind of nostos that see#s to "e at work in one of Seferis, poe#s% /The -eturn of the Exile, 0O gyrismos tou xenitemenou1% relatin! it to the $lassi$al tradition and to the folklori$ ele#ents of Greek $ulture. The parti$ular the#e I will explore here in "rief is how the 2d ssean nostos with its traditional feature of re$o!nition "e$o#es a !reat #etaphor for the $on$ept of $han!e and serves to $hara$teri*e Seferis, vision of a $onte#porar Greek realit . Seferis, poe# $an "e read within a literar s ste# that well de#onstrates how the poet #er!es the present with the past. +is new perspe$tive on the treat#ent of nostos in literature $an "e illustrated " $o#parin! his the#es% #otifs% and lan!ua!e with those of his forerunners who dealt with a nostos&stor in Greek $ulture. In parti$ular Seferis, poe# pro$eeds fro# that of +o#er and ele#ents of the folkson! tradition espe$iall a popular "allad in a version $olle$ted in (olitis (1314) /The return of the lon!&a"sent hus"and,% no. 54 0O gyrismos tou xenitemenou1.6 The title #akes o"vious the $onne$tion "etween the two #odern Greek poe#s. I $hoose to translate xenitemenou as /exile, in Seferis, title "ut as /the lon! a"sent hus"and, in the folkson! version "e$ause a different waitin! person wel$o#es the returnin! hero. In parti$ular% in "oth poe#s the returnin! hero $o#es "a$k after a lon! a"sen$e% in Seferis, poe# he is wel$o#ed " his old friend "ut in the de#oti$ son!% he is re$eived " his estran!ed wife. +ere I exa#ine i#portant points of $onver!en$e and diver!en$e "etween the #odern text and its sour$es on the su"7e$t of ho#e$o#in!. In the O"yssey% the locus classicus of return% the re$o!nition si!ns re$on$ile 2d sseus and (enelope. The ele#ent of testin! and tokens is asso$iated with a happ endin! in the +o#eri$ #odel and in the #odern Greek "allad. +owever in Seferis, poe# there is no 'uestion of #arital re$o!nition% onl the failed /re$o!nition, of ho#eland. To explore further Seferis, #anipulation of nostos one should take into a$$ount the treat#ent of this the#e in the +o#eri$ return and the popular "allad. The de#oti$ son! exhi"its interestin! si#ilarities with the O"yssey% with referen$e espe$iall to the pairin! nostos$anagnorisis 0ho#e$o#in!&re$o!nition1. The lon! a"sent hus"and of the #odern Greek "allad% like 2d sseus% a$hieves his return throu!h tokens and testin! of

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re$o!nition. 8ikolaus (olitis (1314)4 was the first to su!!est that this de#oti$ son! is related to the re$o!nition&s$ene of 2d sseus and (enelope. 9et us $onsider the "asi$ ele#ents of this de#oti$ son!. ) #an #eets a wo#an% and after !ettin! into $onversation reveals that he is her lon!&a"sent hus"and. she asks for tokens and she eventuall re$o!ni*es hi#. I will 'uote the lines that refer to the dialo!ue "etween the returnin! hus"and and his wife: ; < !ood stran!er% if ou are # hus"and% # "eloved #an% tell #e of #arks in the $ourt ard% and then I will "elieve ou. (60) ; )n apple&tree !rows " our door% a vine !rows in our $ourt ard. ex$ellent are the !rapes it "ears and <us$at is their wine% and he who drinks it is refreshed and asks to drink a!ain% ; There are #arks in # $ourt ard and ever "od knows the#. a passer&" ou were and passed% ou tell #e what ou saw% (6=) Tell #e of #arks inside the house% and then I will "elieve ou. ; -i!ht in the #idst of the "edroo# there "urns a !olden la#p. it !ives ou li!ht while ou undress and while ou plait our tresses. it !ives ou li!ht at sweet da "reak% as ou dress in our "est. ; ) wi$ked nei!h"our it #ust "e% who told ou what ou know. (40) Tell #e of #arks on # "od % !ive #e tokens of love. ;>ou have a dark spot on our $hest% a dark spot in our ar#pit% and "etween our "reasts ou wear our hus"and?s a#ulet ; Good stran!er% ou are # hus"and% and ou are # "eloved #an@ = In the O"yssey the nu#"er of #arks are% as in the de#oti$ son!% three and of the sa#e kind: apple trees and vines ((olitis 60: 24.640 ff)% des$ription of the "ed $ha#"er ((olitis 6=: 26.154ff.) and the s$ar of 2d sseus fro# a wound on his thi!h ((olitis 40: 24.62A ff.). )part fro# these affinities "etween the #arks of the #odern Greek "allad and the +o#eri$ re$o!nition&s$enes there is also a lin!uisti$ si#ilarit . The #odern Greek sema"i 0token1 (see (olitis 60) of the #odern Greek "allad is na#ed after the an$ient Greek sema 0token1 of the O"yssey (for exa#ple% O"yssey 24.623). Bhatever the de!ree of the $onne$tion "etween the O"yssey and the de#oti$ son! it is $lear that the the#e of the return is a ver old and panhelleni$ one% and the si#ilarities "etween the two works provide a $o##on fra#e of referen$e useful for stud in! the treat#ent of the nostos&the#e in Greek literature. In parti$ular% this de#oti$ son! illu#inates the +o#eri$ s$enes of re$o!nition and offers a valua"le wa of interpretin! the use of the treat#ent of a return in dis!uise that involves de$eit. Ela"orate re$o!nition se'uen$es presuppose an audien$eCreaders attuned to appre$iate variation on the fa#iliar patterns of this the#e. Seferis is $ons$ious of "ein! part of a lon!&lived poeti$ tradition. In produ$in! the /The -eturn of the Exile, he is $ontinuin! the the#e of the return as far as #otif and lan!ua!e !oes. This traditional the#e of return helps to shape his perspe$tive on nostos as an i#a!e of the present ti#es. )part fro# adoptin! the title of the de#oti$ son! Seferis exploits the#ati$ features of nostos whose presen$e is $lear in the O"yssey.6 In parti$ular% as in the O"yssey% a nostos&plot re'uires two t pi$al roles: the a"sent #ale fi!ure and the waitin! (usuall fe#ale) fi!ure. The nostos&the#e in Seferis, poe# is related to the returnin! exile% who has "een a"sent fro# his $ountr like 2d sseus% and his old friend. A The exile in Seferis, poe# #eets his old friend and hopes to find the pla$e of his $hildhood: /; I,# lookin! for # old house% the tall windows darkened " iv ., (/The -eturn of the Exile,% 22&24).5

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+is old friend tries to wel$o#e the exile ho#e and asks " what si!ns he will re$o!ni*e it. In the de#oti$ son!% the narrative tension leads to the happ reunion of hus"and and wife;as in +o#er. In Seferis, poe#% althou!h the se'uen$e of /#arks, sou!ht " the returnin! exile (the old !arden% the old house) follows the de#oti$ son! of the sa#e na#e% nostos and re$o!nition are #utuall re7e$ted. The happ reunion of the returnin! hus"and and the waitin! wife has "een inverted. The nostos&the#e does not assi#ilate the ele#ent of re$o!nition% as in the poeti$ forerunners of Seferis, poe#. the returnin! exile and his old friend re#ain two separate persons who are " no #eans reunited. The exile,s friend #erel repeats the reassurin! words: / ou,ll !et used to it little " little,% (/The -eturn of the Exile,% 1=D66). )s the poe# pro$eeds there is an undertone of loss and death. Instead of a happ reunion "etween the exile and his friend the exile noti$es that the voi$e of his friend "e$o#es distant and that as he speaks he !rows s#aller: /as thou!h ou,re sinkin! into the !round, (/The -eturn of the Exile,% 46). Thus the pro!ress of Seferis,s poe# reveals that the re$o!nition&s$ene is not re$ipro$al% as in the O"yssey or in the de#oti$ son!. )s the narrative pro$eeds there is an undertone of death that "reaks down the traditional pairin! of nostos&re$o!nition. This is well illustrated " the two final lines of the poe#: /+ere a thousand s$ the&"earin! $hariots !o past C and #ow ever thin! down, that underline the prospe$t of war asso$iated with the date (sprin! 1365) that Seferis has appended at the end of the poe#. E puttin! his extra&poeti$ infor#ation% the date% at the "otto# Seferis has #ade a state#ent here a"out his own ti#es. The prospe$t of war is what frustrates the nostimon hemar 0the da of the ho#e$o#in!1. #ostos serves here to $hara$teri*e the poet,s vision of a $onte#porar Greek realit . The destru$tive effe$ts of war are added to the #isfortunes of the 7ourne ho#e. Spe$ifi$all % in the final lines of the poe# the old friend sa s to the returnin! exile that he has allowed nostal!ia to prevent the attain#ent of nostos: / our nostal!ia has $reated C a non&existent land% with laws C alien to the earth and #an., (/The -eturn of the Exile,% 46&45). The #e#or of a lost ho#e or the hope of a ho#e$o#in! $an ena$t the feelin! of nostal!ia. This word in its nor#ative 8eohelleni$ usa!e refle$ts the essen$e of earnin! to return. Algos is sufferin!. So nostal!ia is the sufferin! for an unappeased earnin! to return. This parti$ular kind of earnin! for the ho#e$o#in! is not fulfilled " the exile who% like Seferis% has "een a"sent for a lon! ti#e and has $reated an i#a!e of ho#e that does not #eet his expe$tations on his return. 2ne #a think here that the idealisti$ nature of nostos was part of the poet,s personal experien$e. It is noteworth that Seferis% a Greek fro# )sia <inor% $ould not return to his "irthpla$e% S# rna. <ost i#portantl at the ti#e of the poe#,s $o#position Seferis was experien$in! his own nostos to Gree$e. +e was appointed as a vi$e&$onsul in 9ondon in 1361% and in 1365 he #oved to )thens in order to work for the (ress 2ffi$e of the Greek !overn#ent. +is feelin! of the i#possi"ilit of nostos as a return to a pla$e of fixit is depi$ted in the poet,s personal diar : /Suddenl I fa$ed;whether war or pea$e awaited;a world that was $han!in! fro# #o#ent to #o#ent and a$'uirin! wrinkles different fro# those one had foreseen. 9ike our own $hild% that ou left when he was oun!% and ou #eet hi# a!ain after #an ears "ut ou $annot re$o!ni*e hi# an #ore,. ( Meres 04ays1 1354: 104). Thus% I would like to su!!est that the sense of loss and $han!e experien$ed " the poet at the ti#e of the poe#,s $o#position has affe$ted his writin!. The poe# reveals the #isfortunes of the 7ourne ho#e to a pla$e that is not the sa#e and ends with the threat of the i##inent Borld Bar II. Be have seen so far that in Seferis, poe# the two traditions of +o#er and the folk son!s are intertwined in a for# with sinister asso$iations% drawin! attention to the politi$s of the poe#,s $o#position. +owever% unlike the happ reunion of 2d sseus with (enelope and the #arital re$o!nition "etween hus"and and estran!ed wife in the de#oti$ son!% the ho#e$o#in! of the returnin! exile in Seferis, poe# turns into disillusion#ent. This treat#ent 6

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of nostos " Seferis provides an interestin! analo! to the essen$e of nostos in Greek tra!ed . Fnlike 2d sseus% who eventuall ad7usts to the life of Itha$a% the return in Greek tra!ed is linked with a sense of loss and death (see )lexopoulou 2004). 2ne #a think here of the wel$o#e&s$ene of )!a#e#non in )es$h lus, text% where Gl tae#nestra re$eives her lon!&a"sent hus"and and $on$eives his death in a #anner whi$h fun$tions as a variant of the t pi$al #otif of the "ath. The $o##onpla$e and inno$ent event of the "ath (see O"yssey 26.1=6D=. $f. S$heria O"yssey 6.216 ff.) is transfor#ed to )!a#e#non,s own ritual of death ()es$h lus, Agamemnon 1125D3: /she !ores hi# and !ores hi# C "uttin! and "uttin! with "lood&$rusted horn C slu#ps into "ath "lood "loodsplash,).3 In parti$ular the wel$o#e&s$ene in )es$h lus, text with its o#inous effe$t $learl de#onstrates that the hus"and and the wife of this nostos&stor will not "e reunited as in the +o#eri$ #odel ($f. Sopho$les, 5rachiniae where +era$les is re$eived " a fatal $ere#onial ro"e sent " his wife% Heianeira). 2ne #a feel that tra!ed is under$uttin! the utopian notion of nostos that one $an return to the sa#e% unaltered pla$e. In the sa#e wa the frustration of nostos in Seferis, poe# re#inds us of the sourin! of tra!i$ nostoi. )lthou!h the old friend pro#ises to the returnin! exile that he will "e soon wel$o#ed "a$k " his friends and relatives at his ho#e$o#in! (/The -eturn of the Exile,% 62D6A) it is the feelin! of nostal!ia and loss that prevail in the final lines of the poe#. The returnin! exile is not tenderl re$eived as he is pro#ised "ut he is fa$ed with the disappearan$e of his last friend: /8ow I $an,t hear a sound. C < last friend has sunk, (/The -eturn of the Exile,% 43D=0). )ll this su!!ests that there is an undertone of death in the $on$lusive nostos of the returnin! exile. Seferis exploits the the#e of nostos to illu#inate an i#a!e of the present. #ostos with its traditional feature of re$o!nition is frustrated not onl as a ho#eward 7ourne to a pla$e that has $han!ed "ut also " the destru$tive effe$ts of the i##inent Borld Bar II. This treat#ent of the the#e of nostos with its traditional feature of re$o!nition #a espe$iall "ear $o#parison to the tra!i$ a$$ounts of 2restes, return whi$h $ontain a re$o!nition with death alon! the wa . )s in Seferis, poe# so also in the 2restes&plots the text #a entertain a return to the sa#e "ut $annot a$hieve it. The e#otional i#pa$t of the #odern poe# and the tra!i$ treat#ent of 2restes, return is distin$t. >et "oth the #odern and an$ient a$$ount of the ho#e$o#in!&the#e is stru$tured around the effe$t of a"sen$e and the return and in all $ases the ho#e$o#in! is #ore tra!i$ than it had "een anti$ipated. This notion of the return in ter#s of nostal!ia is e#"odied in all nostos&stories "ut espe$iall in 2restes&dra#a and in Seferis, poe# the re$o!nition&the#e that nor#all fulfills the hero,s return is inverted and leads to disappoint#ent. Thus the the#e of re$o!nition that would nor#all si!nif the reinte!ration of the returnin! hero in the O"yssey and the de#oti$ son! is presented as perverted in 2restes& dra#a and Seferis, poe#. In parti$ular all three tra!i$ a$$ounts of 2restes, return (na#el )es$h lus, hoephori% Sopho$les, and Euripides, Electra) $ontain a flawed nostos of the returnin! hero. 2restes, return o$$urs with var in! ela"oration "ut in ea$h of the 2restes&pla s the si!n that proves the identit of the returnin! hero fi!ures at the end of a $arefull prepared dra#ati$ develop#ent whi$h so#ehow see#s to #ove toward the re$o!nition as its natural telos 0$on$lusion1. +owever% the expe$tations aroused " the re$o!nition s$ene "etween 2restes and Ele$tra% with its si#ple #ove#ent towards a$hieve#ent of the return of the a"sent hero% are #odified. Ele$tra expe$ts 2restes to $o#e ho#e% in Sopho$les, pla % pre$isel so that he $an #urder their #other. +e is spe$ifi$all expe$ted as an athleti$ vi$tor (for exa#ple% Sopho$les Electra 45D=0. 652 ff)% where the 3ai"agogus of 2restes narrates a de$eptive stor a"out the supposed death of the hero as a $harioteer (Euripides Electra 614% A=1% A61D 2 ). +owever% he is polluted after the #urder&plots of Gl tae#nestra and her lover )i!isthus and so he has to leave a!ain. This su!!ests that in 2restes&dra#a the ironi$ trea#ent of the athleti$ i#a!er reinfor$es the readin! of nostos as the i#possi"le&return&to&the&sa#e. The 4

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lon!ed for vi$tor (see hoephori 145% 566D5) turns out to "e no vi$tor at all. 2restes is not envia"le% as one would expe$t in the $ase of a vi$torious athlete% sin$e he is polluted , /I,ve won this "out "ut the laurels are "lood&s#ir$hed, ()es$h lus hoephori 101A).10 The ironi$al treat#ent of the returnin! hero "rin!s Seferis, poe# and 2restes&dra#a in $lose relation. Eoth )es$h lus and Seferis exploit the ho#e$o#in! the#e whi$h is nor#all a$$o#panied " a series of dis!uises and de$eits. +owever% unlike 2d sseus% 2restes and Seferis, returnin! exile are not restored to their house. In the 2restes&dra#a 2restes, nostimon hemar 0da of his ho#e$o#in!1 is frustrated " his a$t of reven!e. The #o#entar re7oi$in! of Ele$tra when she re$o!ni*es her "rother is followed " the #urder&plots. This use of the returnin! hero in 2restes&dra#a re#inds us of the exile in Seferis, poe#. 2d sseus, Itha$a "e$o#es in his poetr the s #"ol that $annot "e seen as the ho#e of our drea#s. In the sa#e wa % althou!h 2restes, return in 2restes&dra#a is expe$ted with an opti#isti$ feelin! " Ele$tra (see for exa#ple% hoephori 165) and the Ghorus (see for exa#ple% hoephori 11=)% the notion of the heroi$ vi$tor returnin! see#s to "e under#ined in the 2restes&pla s. The 2restes&fi!ure $o#es forward as a poeti$ s #"ol on other o$$asions in Seferis, work. Tra!i$ influen$e was $ru$ial in the $reation of his poetr . 2ne #a think here of the (oe# 16 in his $olle$tion Mythistorema (Ii$tion) where Seferis exploits the athleti$ i#a!er of 2restes, representation in Sopho$les, Electra (see espe$iall Sopho$les, Electra 634). This su!!ests that Seferis was aware of the +elleni$ tradition "oth in re!ard to the epi$ and the tra!i$ representations of 2restes. To $on$lude% the treat#ent of nostos in Seferis, poe# under $onsideration de#onstrates that /a return to the sa#e, is onl an ideal. I have ar!ued that Seferis in produ$in! the poe# /The -eturn of the Exile, is $ontinuin! the the#e of nostos as the i#possi"le&return&to&the sa#e% whi$h is $entral to the tra!i$ nostoi% espe$iall the return of 2restes whose happ reunion with his sister is #arred " his a$t of reven!e. The knowled!e of the $lassi$al the#es deepens one,s appre$iation of Seferis% and Seferis, re$eption of +o#er and tra!ed tells us i#portant thin!s a"out +o#er and Greek tra!ed . There are a#ple instan$es of this diale$ti$ relationship in Greek poetr "ut here $ontinuit is de#onstrated within Seferis, treat#ent of the $lassi$al the#e of nostos. Seferis is invokin! the feel and the i#a!e of the well&known #otif of re$o!nition in order to $o##ent upon the politi$al $onditions of the ti#e (see <aronitis 1354% and -i$ks 1353:1=6). 11 /+e (s$. Seferis) lives with the e#otional life of the poeti$ texts he loves% and sear$hes for an e'uall live presen$e in his own poetr and the Gree$e of his own da ., ((adel 135=: 32). 12 The poetr of +o#er and ele#ents of popular poeti$ tradition are here in$orporated in order to illustrate that nostos $annot "e fulfilled. This treat#ent of nostos " Seferis provides an analo! to the essen$e of nostos in Greek tra!ed . #ostos "e$o#es in Seferis, use of tra!i$ the#es a !reat #etaphor for the $on$ept of $han!e in life and illustrates that return $annot "e a return to a pla$e of fixit .

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-EIE-E8GES
)es$h lus (1351)% 5he Oresteia, tr. Ton +arrison (9ondon: -ex Gollin!s). )lexopoulou% <. (2004) /#ostos and Heath in Greek Tra!ed ,% in (eds.) H. 8aou#% G. <uskett and <. Geor!iadis% ult an" 4eath, (ro$eedin!s of the Third )nnual <eetin! of (ost!raduate -esear$hers% The Fniversit of 9iverpool% <a 2002% 9iverpool Interdis$iplinar S #posiu# in )nti'uit (9iverpool: )r$haeopress). Eaud&Eov % S. (1366)% /9a Ghanson populaire !re$'ue du HodJ$anKse, 0The popular Greek son! of the Lodekanese1 So$iJtJ d,Jdition: M9es Eelles 9ettresN% I ((aris: Golle$tion de l?Institut nJo&hellJni'ue de l?FniversitJ de (aris) 22AD66. Eerna"J% ). (135A)% 3oetarum epicorum Graecorum testimonia et fragmenta . 0Gree! epic poetry testimonies an" gragments1 (9eip*i!: Teu"ner). Havies% <. (1355)% Epicorum Graecorum fragmenta 0Gree! epic fragments1 (GOttin!en: Pandenhoe$k Q -upre$ht). Eliot% T.S. (13A3 013441)% 6our 7uartets (9ondon: Ia"er) Lakridis% R. (13A1)% Homer revisite" -9und: Gleerup). Leele % E. (1336)% /#ostos and the poet,s vision in Seferis and -itsos,% in (. <a$krid!e (ed.) Ancient Gree! myth in mo"ern Gree! poetry (9ondon: Irank Gass (u"lishers) 51D36. Lundera% <. (2002)% +gnorance% tr. 9inda )sher (9ondon: Ia"er Q Ia"er) A0. <aronitis% H. (13A1)% Ana8etese !ai nostos tou O"yssea 0*earch an" homecoming of O"ysseus1. ()thens: Ledros). ;; (1354)%5he 3oetry of George *eferis ()thens: +er#es). ;; (1333)% Homeri!a Megathemata 0Homeric Megathemes1 ()thens: Ledros). 8ikolarei*is% H. (1362) E parousia tou Omerou ste nea elleni!e poise 05he presence of Homer in mo"ern Gree! poetry1. ()thens: G. Iexi). (adel% -. (135=)% /+o#er,s reader: a readin! of Geor!e Seferis,% 3 3h* 61: A4D162. (olitis% 8. (1314)% e!logai apo ta tragou"ia tou hell9ni!ou laou 0) selection from the songs of the Gree! people1 ()thens: )kadi#ia )thinon). -ho#aios% L. (13=2)% 4emoti!a tragou"ia *er%on !ai :oulgaron "aneismena apo elleni!a protypa; Archeion tou 5hra!i!ou laographi!ou !ai glossi!ou thesaurou 06ol! songs of *er%ians an" :olgarians %orrowe" %y the Gree! patterns; Archive of the 5hracian fol!lore an" linguistic thesaurus1 1A: 664D=4. -i$ks% H. (1353)% 5he *ha"e of Homer; A stu"y in mo"ern Gree! poetry (Ga#"rid!e: Ga#"rid!e Fniversit (ress).

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Marigo Alexopoulou same'

#ostos an" the impossi%ility of &a return to the

Seferis% G. (133=)% ollecte" poems% rev. edn% trs E. Leele and (. Sherrard ((rin$eton and 9ondon: (rin$eton Fniversit (ress) 166D=. ;;(1356)% Meres% 04ays1% 6% 16 )pril 1364 4D14 He$e#"er 1340 ()thens: Ikaros). ;;(1351) 013431% <ia skenothesia !ia thn Li$hle% 0*tage "irections for 5hrush 1% in Hoki#es% 2: 60D=6 ()thens: Ikaros). ;;(13A4)% A 3oet's <ournal, 4ays of ,=>?@,=?, tr. )than )na!nostopoulos (Ga#"rid!e% <ass.: +arvard Fniversit (ress). Tho#pson% S. (13==D5)% Motif$+n"ex of 6ol! Aiterature % 6 vols% rev. edn (Gopenha!en: -osenkilde Q Ea!!er).

Vitti M. (1978) Ithora kai lo!os% eisa!o!e sten poiese tou Gior!ou Seferis% 0Bar an"
speech in the poetry of George *eferis1 ()thens: Estia% I.H. Lollarou)

IF-T+E-

-E)HI8G

L riakidis% S. (13=4)% Ai istorikai archai tes demodous Historical routes of the fol! neohellenic poetry1

neoellenikes poieseos 05he

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Marigo Alexopoulou same'

#ostos an" the impossi%ility of &a return to the

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82TES

The i#portan$e of the hero,s return is not $onfined to the O"yssey and the stories #entioned a"ove. Teiresias, prophe$ % in +o#er,s narrative% alludes to so#e later adventures of 2d sseus and his death. The 5elegony (Eerna"J 135A: 100D10= and Havies 1355: A1D4) $redited to Eu!a##on of G rene as the $losin! part of the Epi$ $ $le deals with these adventures. 2d sseus, death at the hands of his son Tele!onus results fro# the latter,s i!noran$e. In the sa#e wa that 2d sseus in the O"yssey is thou!ht to "e far awa and possi"l dead% unre$o!ni*ed " the suitors and his wife in his own house% Tele!onus fails to re$o!ni*e his father. The O"yssey also alludes to the Argonautica ()r!o% O"yssey 12.A0. Gir$e% sister of )ietes% O"yssey 10.16AD63).
2 3

Gf. Euripides% 5roa"es A5D56. )es$h lus% Agamemnon 62A% 66=% 6=0D=A. Euripides% Helen 40AD10.

I use the variant of (olitis (1314: 8o. 54% Introdu$tion) of the de#oti$ son! of the /-eturn of the lon! a"sent hus"and, in order to $o#pare this t pe of son! with the O"yssey and Seferis, poe#.
4

In (olitis, opinion this "allad has a superfi$ial $onne$tion with the $orrespondin! s$ene of "ook 26 of the O"yssey% while it has #an #ore si#ilarities with ho#e$o#in!&"allads of other $ountries. )t a later date% S. Eaud&Eov (1366) re7e$ted an $onne$tion of this de#oti$ son! with the re$o!nition&s$ene of 2d sseus and (enelope. I a# $onvin$ed " -ho#aios, ar!u#entation that the O"yssey and the #odern Greek "allad are $losel related. 2n the $lose $onne$tion "etween the O"yssey and the de#oti$ son! see -ho#aios% (13=2: 664D=4). $f. Lakridis (13A1: 1=6D66). $ontra Eaud&Eov (1366: 22AD66). The nostos&the#e is not $onfined to the Greek tradition. It was as prevalent a#on! other $ultures. see Tho#pson (13==D5: 8 651). The the#e of return re#ains to this da a re$urrin! #otif in literature. Its survival depends on the funda#ental i#portan$e of nostos as a life event% espe$iall in the $ase of the overlappin! and related the#e of exile. see for exa#ple the des$ription of the feelin!s of the returnin! exile in <. Lundera,s novel +gnorance (2002: A0): /+e had the sense he was $o#in! "a$k into the world as #i!ht a dead #an e#er!in! fro# his to#" after twent ears: tou$hin! at the !round with a ti#id foot that,s lost the ha"it of walkin!. "arel re$o!nisin! the world he had lived in "ut $ontinuall stu#"lin! over the leavin!s fro# his life...,
5

(olitis% (1314). I 'uote the translation of these lines fro# Lakridis% (13A1: 1=6).

Glearl % the O"yssey is the #ost influential poeti$ forerunner for versions of a ho#e$o#in!&stor in Greek literature fro# anti'uit to the present. see e.!. STUVWXYZ[\]% (1362). -i$ks (1353) has dis$ussed thorou!hl the use of the 2d sseus&fi!ure " Seferis as the ar$het pe of the poe#,s exile. <aronitis (1354) has also re$o!ni*ed the affinities "etween the exile and the 2d ssean&fi!ure and he has advan$ed our understandin! of the $onne$tion of Seferis, poe# with folklore ele#ents.
7

Be #i!ht addu$e the view that the two interlo$utors are two halves of the poet hi#self. see <ario Pitti % (13A5: 162D6).
8

Seferis (133=: 166D=)% 2 ! ris#os tou xenite#enou ( 5he )eturn of the exile )% 1. The 'uotations fro# Seferis, poe# in$luded in this paper are translated " Leele and Sherrard.
9

The translation is " Ton +arrison. The translation is " Ton +arrison.

1! 11

Gf. the use of nostos in -itsos, poe#: 3enelope's 4espair% (see Leele 1336: 34). The +o#eri$ reunion "etween 2d sseus and (enelope is the lands$ape into whi$h the new poe# adventures "ut in -itsos, poe# the lon! waitin! of (enelope is not #ade to appear vindi$ated " 2d sseus, return. )s Leele points out /It is the "lood&soaked% white&"earded hero hi#self who fri!htens her and "rin!s upon her the kind of "itter re$o!nition that we don,t find in +o#er: a sudden per$eption of the ears that have "een used up " 2d sseus,s a"sen$e and those desires of hers that have "een killed in the pro$ess% here "rilliantl evoked in an i#a!e that $o#pares the# to the dead suitors on the floor in front of her.,
12