Greek Myths XS: Odysseus vs Palamedes

When Sokrates got the question who had been the smartest of all the Greeks thus far, he named Palamedes. This Euboean prince invented useful things like weights, measures and coinage when he was still a kid. As well as board games and dice, with an “Aphrodite’s throw” as the most desirable outcome: all dice showing a different number. As an adult, he joined the Greek army in the battle of Troy and he was the one that saw through Odysseus’ scheme to avoid being enlisted. Odysseus had feigned insanity, by hooking a donkey and an ox to his plough and sowing a section of the beach with salt. When Palamedes put Odysseus’ baby boy in the plough’s path though, he veered it away and betrayed himself. Odysseus never forgave him and falsely exposed him as a traitor. Palamedes was sentenced to death, but was revenged by his father when the troops returned home. He lit beacons on a treacherous coast, causing the ships to perish. By doing so, he effectively invented lighthouses, albeit not the most reliable ones.

Palamedes, Antonio Canova, Villa Carlotta, Tremezzo, Italy

Odysseus fakes insanity, tapestry, Ptuj Ormoz Regional Museum, Slovenia

Did you know?

• Palamedes would have added some letters to the alphabet, first introduced by Kadmos/Cadmus, cfr. “A Testament of Love”.

• Palamedes would have been of extraordinary length.

• Palamedes’ father was king Nauplius, son of Poseidon/Neptunus and the Danaïd Amymone (who is sometimes confused with Hypermnestra, the only one that did not kill her husband, cfr. “Dysfunctional”).