The Odyssey Nausicaa Quotes

"Nausicaa,
how could your mother bear a careless girl like you?
Look at your fine clothes, lying here neglected –
with your marriage not far off,
…let’s go wash these clothes at the break of day –
I’ll help you, lend a hand, and the work will fly!
You won’t stay unwed long."

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 6, lines 27-30, 35-37. Athena makes a surprise visit in young Phaeacian princess Nausicaa’s dream disguised as one of her friends. She tells her to wash her clothes in the washing pools, so that she will find Odysseus who has washed up onto the island shore there. This is an example of Athena interfering in human affairs to help Odysseus.

White-armed Nausicaa led their singing, dancing beat…
as lithe as Artemis with her arrows striding down
from a high peak – Taygetus’ towering ridge or Erymanthus –
thrilled to race with the wild boar or bounding deer,
and nymphs of the hills race with her,
daughters of Zeus whose shield is storm and thunder,
ranging the hills in sport, and Leto’s heart exults
as head and shoulders over the rest her daughter rises,
unmistakable – she outshines them all, though all are lovely.
So Nausicaa shone among her maids, a virgin, still unwed.

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 6, lines 112-121. As Nausicaa leads her handmaids in dancing and singing by the sea, the Phaeacian princess is momentarily glorified as a goddess. A Homeric simile compares her to the powerful goddess Artemis racing with her attending nymphs. So Nausicaa is said to outshine all her maidens.

clear-eyed Pallas thought of what came next,
to make Odysseus wake and see this young beauty
and she would lead him to the Phaeacians’ town.
The ball –
the princess suddenly tossed it to a maid
but it missed the girl, it splashed in a deep swirling pool
and they all shouted out –
and that woke great Odysseus.

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 6, lines 124-129. Odysseus is wakened from his sleep when Nausicaa throws a ball to her handmaids and it splashes in a pool near him. This was done at Athena’s prompting, for she wants Nausicaa to lead Odysseus to the Phaeacians’ town. Here we have another example of gods controlling the fate of humans.

Only Alcinous’ daughter held fast, for Athena planted
courage within her heart, dissolved the trembling in her limbs,
and she firmly stood her ground and faced Odysseus, torn now –
Should he fling his arms around her knees, the young beauty,
plead for help, or stand back, plead with a winning word,
beg her to lead him to the town and lend him clothing?

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 6, lines 148-158. Athena inspires Nausicaa with the courage to face the brine-caked and naked Odysseus. This is despite her maids fleeing at the terrifying sight of him.

"Here I am at your mercy, princess –
are you a goddess or a mortal? If one of the gods
who rule the skies up there, you’re Artemis to the life,
the daughter of mighty Zeus – I see her now – just look
at your build, your bearing, your lithe flowing grace…
But if you’re one of the mortals living here on earth,
three times blest are your father, your queenly mother,
three times over your brothers too. How often their hearts
must warm with joy to see you striding into the dances –
such a bloom of beauty. True, but he is the one
more blest than all other men alive, that man
who sways you with gifts and leads you home, his bride!"

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 6, lines 163-174. The shipwrecked Odysseus flatters Nausicaa in a bid to gain her assistance, even comparing her to the goddess Artemis. He compliments her beauty and compares it in a metaphor to a blooming flower.

"Show me the way to town, give me a rag for cover,
just some cloth, some wrapper you carried with you here.
And may the good gods give you all your heart desires:
husband, and house, and lasting harmony too.
No finer, greater gift in the world than that…
when man and woman possess their home, two minds,
two hearts that work as one. Despair to their enemies,
a joy to all their friends. Their own best claim to glory."

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 6, lines 196-203. Stripped of his pride and dignity, a naked shipwrecked Odysseus begs Phaeacian princess Nausicaa for help. He pleads for rags to cover him and assistance to get to the town. He prays that the gods will grant her heart’s desires and an ideal marriage. Here Odysseus appears to be flattering and even flirting with her.

"But here’s an unlucky wanderer strayed our way
and we must tend him well. Every stranger and beggar
comes from Zeus, and whatever scrap we give him
he’ll be glad to get. So, quick, my girls,
give our newfound friend some food and drink
and bathe the man in the river."

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 6, lines 226-231. Nausicaa asks her handmaids to give the wanderer Odysseus food and drink and to bathe him in the river. By doing this she is honoring the ancient Greek code of hospitality to strangers and also the god of hospitality Zeus. She shows courage by coming to the aid of a complete stranger, who happens to be male and naked. The princess may also be developing an attraction to Odysseus.

"The gods of Olympus can’t be all against this man
who’s come to mingle among our noble people.
At first he seemed appalling, I must say –
now he seems like a god who rules the skies up there!
Ah, if only a man like that were called my husband,
lived right here, pleased to stay forever…
Enough.
Give the stranger food and drink, my girls."

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 6, lines 266-272. After Athena transforms Odysseus’ appearance, making him more handsome and attractive, the improvement is not lost on Nausicaa. Gazing in wonder at Odysseus, she wishes that she could marry a man like Odysseus. Nausicas shows great kindness to the stranger, asking her attendants to provide him with food and drink.

"But I shrink from all our sea-dogs’ nasty gossip.
Some old salt might mock us behind our backs –
we have our share of insolent types in town
and one of the coarser sort, spying us, might say,
‘Now who’s that tall, handsome stranger Nausicaa has in tow?
Where’d she light on him? Her husband-to-be, just wait!’"

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 6, lines 299-304. Nausicaa wonders what some of the gossips would say about her walking into town together with Odysseus. They might mistake the stranger for her husband-to-be, she suggests. To avoid scandal, she decides that she and her maids will walk to her father’s palace ahead of him.

"Your majesty," diplomatic Odysseus answered,
don’t find fault with a flawless daughter now,
not for my sake, please.
She urged me herself to follow with her maids.
I chose not to, fearing embarrassment in fact –
what if you took offense, seeing us both together?
Suspicious we are, we men who walk the earth."

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 7, lines 346-350. When Alcinous criticizes his daughter for failing to escort her guest Odysseus to the palace and letting him walk in alone, Odysseus lies. But his deception is a commendable one. He doesn’t reveal that it was Nausicaa herself told him not to accompany her in case it would cause scandal. Instead he takes the blame by saying that he told her not to, for fear it would embarrass and offend the king.

"Farewell, my friend! And when you are at home,
home in your own land, remember me at times.
Mainly to me you owe the gift of life."

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 8, lines 518-520. Nausicaa asks Odysseus to remember that when he is home he owes her the gift of life. Essentially she saved the shipwrecked Odysseus after he was washed up on the Phaeacian shore and is one of the key people to help him get back on his way home. This is one of those gentle and poignant moments in a story that has its fair share of slaughter and violence.

Odysseus rose to the moment deftly, gently:
"Nausicaa, daughter of generous King Alcinous,
may Zeus the Thunderer, Hera’s husband, grant it so –
that I travel home and see the dawn of my return.
Even at home I’ll pray to you as a deathless goddess
all my days to come. You saved my life, dear girl."

– Homer

The Odyssey, Book 8, lines 521-526. Odysseus thanks Nausicaa for saving his life and says that he will be always be grateful to her. We know that Nausicaa would like someone like Odysseus to be her husband. But Odysseus is determined to leave Phaeacia and the princess and he prays to Zeus that he makes it home to Ithaca.
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