Rhexenor

Rhexenor is a shadowy figure in the Odyssey, a Phaeacian prince whose life and death are recounted only in a genealogical summary delivered by Athena to Odysseus. Yet his brief existence has profound consequences for the entire Phaeacian episode: his early death by Apollo's arrow left his daughter Arete as the sole heir of his line, and her subsequent marriage to her uncle Alcinous created the unique power structure that Odysseus must navigate to secure his passage home.

Identity and Background

Rhexenor was the son of King Nausithous, the founder of the Phaeacian city of Scheria, and the brother of Alcinous, who succeeded Nausithous as king. His mother was Periboea, daughter of the giant-king Eurymedon. Rhexenor himself had one child, a daughter named Arete. The goddess Athena, disguised as a young girl, explains to Odysseus that Rhexenor was killed by Apollo while he was still a bridegroom and without male issue, so his line ended with Arete. This detail is crucial: it means that Arete was not merely a princess but the sole surviving representative of her father's branch of the royal house.

The Marriage to Alcinous and Arete's Authority

Because Rhexenor died without a son, his brother Alcinous married Arete, his own niece. This marriage, which would have been unusual in most Greek contexts, is presented in the poem as the foundation of Arete's extraordinary status. Athena tells Odysseus that Alcinous "honours as no other woman is honoured of all those that keep house along with their husbands." Arete is respected beyond measure by her children, by Alcinous himself, and by the whole Phaeacian people, who look upon her as a goddess. When she goes about the city, people greet her, and she has the power to help settle disputes for her friends' husbands. This authority is directly traceable to Rhexenor's death: because Arete inherited her father's standing, she entered the marriage not as a dependent bride but as a co-equal partner, and Alcinous's treatment of her reflects the political necessity of honouring the woman who embodies his brother's legacy.

Narrative Significance: The Key to Odysseus's Return

Athena's detailed explanation of Rhexenor's genealogy is not mere background information; it is a strategic briefing. She tells Odysseus explicitly: "If you can gain her good will, you may have every hope of seeing your friends again, and getting safely back to your home and country." Odysseus follows this advice precisely. When he enters Alcinous's palace, he bypasses the king and goes directly to Arete, clasping her knees in the formal gesture of a suppliant. Arete is the first to speak to him after the feast, recognising the clothes he wears as her own handiwork and questioning him about his identity. It is she who later urges the Phaeacian chiefs not to be hasty in sending him away and to give him generous gifts. Rhexenor's death, therefore, creates the condition for Arete's unique authority, and that authority becomes the mechanism through which Odysseus secures the escort and treasure that finally bring him home to Ithaca.

Thematic Significance: Death, Lineage, and Female Agency

Rhexenor's story exemplifies a recurring pattern in the Odyssey: the death of a male heir reshapes the social order in ways that empower women. Just as Agamemnon's murder leaves Clytemnestra vulnerable to Aegisthus's manipulation, and just as Odysseus's prolonged absence forces Penelope into a position of precarious authority over the suitors, Rhexenor's premature death elevates his daughter to a status she would not otherwise have held. Arete is not a passive recipient of this power; she exercises it with discernment, and Odysseus's success depends on recognising and deferring to her. Rhexenor himself never appears in the poem, but his absence is a structuring absence: it is the gap he leaves that allows Arete to become the most powerful woman in Scheria and the linchpin of Odysseus's return.