Perimedes

Perimedes is a member of Odysseus's crew who appears in several of the most perilous episodes of the hero's homeward voyage. Though he never speaks or initiates action on his own, his repeated presence in moments of extreme danger marks him as one of the more steadfast companions, one whom Odysseus trusts to carry out critical tasks. He is named alongside Eurylochus as one of the two men who assist Odysseus during the necromantic rites in the Underworld, and he is also one of the two who bind Odysseus more tightly to the mast when the hero begs to be released from the Sirens' song. These recurring appearances, always in the company of Eurylochus, suggest that Perimedes was considered a reliable and capable sailor, one of the few whom Odysseus could count on in the most trying circumstances.

Role in the Cyclops Episode

Perimedes is first mentioned among the crew during the encounter with the Cyclops Polyphemus. When Odysseus and his twelve chosen men enter the Cyclops's cave, Perimedes is among them. After Polyphemus has devoured several of the men and fallen into a drunken sleep, Odysseus selects four men to help him drive the red-hot olive-wood stake into the monster's single eye. The lot falls upon the very four whom Odysseus would have chosen, and he himself makes the fifth. Perimedes is one of these four, standing alongside Eurylochus and the others as they bore the sharpened beam into Polyphemus's eye, blinding him and enabling the survivors to escape. This episode establishes Perimedes as one of the bravest and most trusted members of the crew, chosen by lot for the most dangerous and decisive act of the entire adventure.

Role in the Underworld and the Sirens Episode

Perimedes's most clearly defined role comes during the Nekyia, the visit to the Underworld. When Odysseus and his men reach the shore of the river Oceanus and the land of the Cimmerians, Odysseus digs a trench and pours drink-offerings to the dead. He then instructs Perimedes and Eurylochus to hold the sacrificial victims—a ram and a black ewe—while he cuts their throats and lets the blood flow into the trench. This is a task of considerable gravity, for the blood is what attracts the ghosts and enables Odysseus to question them. Perimedes and Eurylochus stand holding the animals while the shades of the dead gather, and Odysseus sits with his drawn sword to prevent them from approaching the blood before the prophet Teiresias has spoken. Later, during the passage past the Sirens, Perimedes is again paired with Eurylochus. After Odysseus has stopped the ears of all his men with wax and been bound to the mast, the Sirens begin to sing. Odysseus, overwhelmed by the sweetness of their voices, makes signs by frowning that his men should set him free. But Perimedes and Eurylochus, instead of releasing him, bind him with still stronger bonds, keeping him fast until the ship has passed out of hearing. This act of disobedience—disobeying the explicit command of their captain in order to save his life—demonstrates a level of loyalty and good judgment that sets Perimedes apart from the more rebellious members of the crew.

Significance and Fate

Perimedes is never mentioned again after the Sirens episode, and his ultimate fate is not recorded. He may have perished along with the rest of the crew when they slaughtered the cattle of the Sun-god Helios and were struck by Zeus's thunderbolt, or he may have been among those eaten by Scylla. His silence as a character—he never speaks a single line in the entire poem—makes him a representative figure rather than an individual. He stands for the anonymous, loyal sailor who follows his captain into danger without question, who holds the sacrificial victims in the land of the dead, and who binds his leader tighter when the leader's own judgment fails. In a poem filled with vivid and often disobedient crew members, Perimedes is notable for his quiet reliability. His presence in the most critical scenes—the blinding of Polyphemus, the consultation of the dead, and the passage of the Sirens—marks him as one of the few men whom Odysseus could truly trust, even if that trust was ultimately unable to save any of them from destruction.