In Homer's The Odyssey, Odysseus promises his two servants, Eumaeus the swineherd and Philoetius the cowherd, three great things: marriages, cattle, houses near his own, and to be "brother-in-arms" of Telemachus, Odysseus' son.
"If Zeus brings down the suitors by my hand I promise marriages to both, and cattle, and houses built near mine. And you shall be brothers-in-arms of my Telemachus."
For two servants, this is a great reward for their assistance and...
In Homer's The Odyssey, Odysseus promises his two servants, Eumaeus the swineherd and Philoetius the cowherd, three great things: marriages, cattle, houses near his own, and to be "brother-in-arms" of Telemachus, Odysseus' son.
"If Zeus brings down the suitors by my hand I promise marriages to both, and cattle, and houses built near mine. And you shall be brothers-in-arms of my Telemachus."
For two servants, this is a great reward for their assistance and loyalty. A marriage arranged by Odysseus, a lord, would mean upward movement for these two men in terms of social status. Similarly, livestock and land near Odysseus would also serve as social and economical improvement. Finally, to see these two as equals to his son is truly the highest honor Odysseus could afford them.
Also, to better understand the weight of these rewards, it's important to understand that Odysseus isn't offering these rewards to just anyone: he is offering these rewards to these two servants who have continuously served his home and his wife during the many years that he was away. That is to say, he is rewarding them for years of loyalty and service alongside their steadfast help when he reveals himself and attempts to reclaim his home.
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