“A fellow like this never won a prize for anything in his life, but will go about rubbing his shoulders against every man’s door post, and begging, not for swords and cauldrons like a man, but only for a few scraps not worth begging for.”
~ The Odyssey - Book XVII (Samuel Butler Translation. p279)
In Book 17, the key highlight is Ulysses going into his palace disguised as a beggar. The chapter shows people’s attitudes towards beggars and their general disrespect. On the way to the palace, Ulysses and Eumaeus encounter Melanthius, the goatherd who hurls abuses at them and kicks Ulysses on his hip. At the palace, Antinous, a suitor, gets angry and throws a footstool at Ulysses.
As I was reading the chapter, a couple of thoughts came to mind. One was about begging and how little has changed regarding the perception of beggars. Another was about war and the futility of them.