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REFERENCES
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XENIA IN SOPHOCLES' PHILOCTETES
Philia and its betrayals are among the central issues of Sophocles'
Philoctetes. Deserted by his Greek friends, Philoctetes has been left on
Lemnos with only his powerful bow, the gift of his friend Heracles, t
save him from starvation. When a prophecy reveals that Philoctetes,
or his bow, or both, are necessary to the conquest of Troy, Odysseus i
determined to persuade or trick Philoctetes, who now hates his former
friends, into rejoining the Greek army.1 Odysseus persuades Neop-
tolemus, the son of Philoctetes' friend Achilles, to gain Philoctetes'
confidence (bOtXia ... itozl, 70-71) by pretending to hate the Greeks
as much as Philoctetes does (EX0og A %0paq; ya, 59).2 After gaining
control of the bow by pretending to be Philoctetes' friend, Neop-
tolemus is overcome with disgust at his role of false friend. He return
' Scholars have long debated the question of whether Philoctetes, his bow, or
both are needed. Useful surveys of the controversy are given by P. E. Easterling,
"Philoctetes and Modern Criticism," ICS 3 (1978) 27-39, and A. Machin, Cohdrence et
continuitt dans le thadtre de Sophocle (Quebec 1981) 61-103. I agree with D. Seale
that Sophocles deliberately keeps the audience in a state of "suspended uncertainty":
"The Element of Surprise in Sophocles' Philoctetes," BICS 19 (1972) 97.
Hereafter, these and the following works will be referred to by author's last
name, or last name and short title: H. C. Avery, "Heracles, Philoctetes, Neoptolemus,"
Hermes 93 (1965) 279-97; M. W. Blundell, Helping Friends and Harming Enemies
(Cambridge 1989); C. Gill, "Bow, Oracle, and Epiphany in Sophocles' Philoctetes,"
G&R 27 (1980) 137-46; J. Gould, "Hiketeia," JHS 93 (1973) 74-103; C. Greengard
Theatre in Crisis (Amsterdam 1987); G. Herman, Ritualised Friendship and the Greek
City (Cambridge 1987); J. A. Johnson, "Sophocles' Philoctetes: Deictic Language an
the Claims of Odysseus," Eranos 86 (1988) 117-21; R. C. Jebb, ed., Sophocles: The
Plays and Fragments, vol. 4, The Philoctetes (Cambridge 1932); J. C. Kamerbeek, The
Plays of Sophocles, vol. 6, The Philoctetes (Leiden 1980); B. M. W. Knox, The Heroi
Temper (Berkeley 1964); J. Kott, The Eating of the Gods (New York 1970); R. New
man, "Heroic Resolution: A Note on Sophocles, Philoctetes 1405-1406," CJ 86 (1991
305-10; P. W. Rose, "Sophocles' Philoctetes and the Teachings of the Sophists," HSC
80 (1976) 49-105; D. Seale, Vision and Stagecraft in Sophocles (London 1982); C. Segal,
Tragedy and Civilization (Cambridge, MA 1981); W. Steidle, Studien zum antiken
Drama (Munich 1968); 0. Taplin, Greek Tragedy in Action (Berkeley 1978), and
"Significant Actions in Sophocles' Philoctetes," GRBS 12 (1971) 25-44; T. B. L
Webster, ed., Sophocles: Philoctetes (Cambridge 1970); R. P. Winnington-Ingram,
Sophocles: An Interpretation (Cambridge 1980).
2 All citations are from Lloyd-Jones and Wilson's 1990 Oxford Classical Text. All
translations are my own unless otherwise noted.
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114 ELIZABETH BELFIORE
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XENIA IN SOPHOCLES' PHILOCTETES 115
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116 ELIZABETH BELFIORE
10 Herman 59.
" The accent on the first syllable distinguishes this word from the term for the
xenia relationship; see Herman 60.
12On these characteristics of xdnia gifts see Herman 60-63. The quotation is from p. 63.
13 Herman 58-61. The historical example is cited from Xenophon, Hellenica 4.1.39.
14 For example, the Greeks and the Macronians exchanged lances as pista:
Xenophon, Anabasis 4.8.7, cited by Herman 50.
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XENIA IN SOPHOCLES' PHILOCTETES 117
15s Herman 60, n. 56. On the Iliad passage see also E. Benveniste, Le vocabulaire
des institutions indo-europeens, vol. 1 (Paris 1969) 343.
16M. Sicherl, "The Tragic Issue in Sophocles' Ajax," YCS 25 (1977) 88, writes that
the sword is "the hero's own symbol, the embodiment of the heroic friend-foe
morality." On the symbolism of the sword and its use as a prop in this play, see also
D. Cohen, "The Imagery of Sophocles: A Study of Ajax's Suicide," G&R 25 (1978) 24-
36, and Taplin, Greek Tragedy in Action 85-87.
17The Greek tragedians make frequent use of ambiguities, in language and in
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118 ELIZABETH BELFIORE
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XENIA IN SOPHOCLES' PHILOCTETES 119
(dptyLvot ...now
Neoptolemus ~votC,
tells 317-18).23 Inof
a false story answer tomaltreatment
his own Philoctetes' questions,
by
Odysseus and the Atridae. He addresses Philoctetes as xenos, again
using the word in the sense of "stranger" (348). Neoptolemus uses
the word philos for the first time at the end of the story (390). It is
important to note, however, that he does not directly address Philoc-
tetes as "friend," but makes the general statement that whoever hates
the Atridae is a friend of his (cf. 585-86). It is Philoctetes who applies
this general principle to himself, for, as he thinks (405-6), he and
Neoptolemus have both suffered at the hands of the Atridae and
Odysseus.24 Philoctetes answers, "Having, as it seems, a clear sum-
bolon of pain, you have sailed to us, o xenoi" (403-4). The prominent
position of these words, coming immediately after a brief choral
interlude, emphasizes the importance of the new concept they express.
These xenoi, unlike the previously arriving strangers who pitied
only in words, can be compared to ritual friends who carry half of a
token (sumbolon). The comparison suggests not only warm emotion,
21 This aspect of the relationship between the two men is discussed by Avery.
22 Kamerbeek on 248 notes the cruelty of Neoptolemus's pretense of ignorance.
23b (qtoIEvoq can mean "the stranger, newcomer": LSJ s.v. &qtucyvopat. On the
irony of the Chorus's words see Blundell 194-95.
2 On this beginning of friendship, based on common hate, see Segal 332;
Blundell 196.
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120 ELIZABETH BELFIORE
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XENIA IN SOPHOCLES' PHILOCTETES 121
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122 ELIZABETH BELFIORE
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XENIA IN SOPHOCLES' PHILOCTETES 123
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124 ELIZABETH BELFIORE
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XENIA IN SOPHOCLES' PHILOCTETES 125
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126 ELIZABETH BELFIORE
By the gods, if you have any reverence for a xenos who approaches
in all good will, approach (1163-64).47
Here, the xenos who is an object of reverence can only be a ritual friend,
as commentators have suggested.48
Neoptolemus actually completes the initiation of a xenia
relationship with Philoctetes when he returns the bow, at 1287-
92. Philoctetes has retreated into his cave, having given up all hope
that Neoptolemus will keep his promise. When Neoptolemus calls him
out, Philoctetes addresses him and the Chorus as xenoi, using the word
in the sense of "enemy strangers," who have come to do further evil to
him (1264-66). He calls Neoptolemus "most hated" (1284), and curses
him, this time without his previous hesitation (6Ooto0', 1285; contrast
961). In response, Neoptolemus tells Philoctetes to take the weapons
from his hand, and he swears by Zeus that he is no longer "enslaving"
Philoctetes, words the older man calls XptXhza', "most friendly" (1287-
90). Neoptolemus then tells Philoctetes to stretch out his right hand
and take the bow: 8e?t&V tp6oreV XEipa (1291-92). The gesture recalls
that by means of which Philoctetes gave the bow to Neoptolemus, and
the language reminds us of that used by Philoctetes to allude to this
46 Jebb, Kamerbeek, and Webster ad loc. note that this refers to Zeus who punishes
those who harm suppliants, but do not see that Zeus Xenios is also in question. The
appeal to xenoi at 1184 supports my interpretation.
47 For this reading of nikaaaov see Jebb ad loc., followed by H. Lloyd-Jones and
N. G. Wilson, Sophoclea: Studies on the Text of Sophocles (Oxford 1990) 208.
48 Jebb ad loc. quotes Arndt's translation of xenos as "guest-friend." Webster ad
loc. writes that if Cvov is construed with apl the words mean: "if you have any
reverence for a stranger', i.e. you have been my host since my arrival and that should
constitute a bond."
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XENIA IN SOPHOCLES' PHILOCTETES 127
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128 ELIZABETH BELFIORE
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XENIA IN SOPHOCLES' PHILOCTETES 129
54 On the negative aspects of the bow see Kamerbeek ad loc.; Blundell 204-5,
who cites Kott 176.
55 On Neoptolemus's unfinished story see D. H. Roberts, "Different Stories:
Sophoclean Narrative(s) in the Philoctetes," TAPA 119 (1989) 173-75.
I am indebted to Mary Blundell for helpful discussions about the Philoctetes, to
Pat Easterling and Richard Seaford for insightful criticisms of an earlier draft of this
article, and to John Miller for editorial assistance.
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