The unusual nature of Odysseus’ bath in this passage raises lots of questions and will, I think, lead to various conclusions for people who read these threads. It is, by my count, one of thirteen bathing episodes in the Odyssey compared with five in the Iliad (two of which are the washing of corpses). Seneca introduced liminal spaces to the discussion last week - the bath in Homer is often a moment of transformation and rebirth which seems to mark the passage between states.
So far, we’ve had Telemachus’ bath in Pylos, given by Polycaste, from which he emerges looking godlike (δέμας ἀθανάτοισιν ὁμοῖος 3.468), marking his coming of age. Tellingly, this is quickly followed by his bath in Sparta (Book 4) where no further transformation occurs. Also in Book 4, we’ve had a description of Helen bathing Odysseus at Troy when he was in disguise as a beggar (giving us a glimpse of later events), and Calypso gives Odysseus a bath before he leaves Ogygia. Nausicaa’s bath is, I think, the only example of a female character bathing apart from Aphrodite in Book 8, and doesn’t seem to have any special significance attached to it - make of this what you will.
Odysseus’ bath here in Book 6 is the only example in Homer of a character refusing to be bathed by someone else. Sending the ἀμφίπολοι away has the advantage for the plot that Odysseus can be ‘beautified’ without them seeing, leading to his big reveal. His own reason, feeling ashamed of his nakedness, doesn’t seem to make sense as there are lots of other examples of men being bathed by young women. As we learn later, his journey from Ogygia to Scheria really seems to have taken it out of him and he’s completely filthy, so maybe it’s more shame over his physical appearance. Others have suggested that he has bad memories of being bathed by Circe and Calypso, so he’s being extra careful with these unknown women.
My take on this scene is that it’s important that he bathes himself here and that it has huge significance within the Odyssey as a whole. Like the warriors who return from battle in the Iliad and wash away blood and gore, Odysseus doesn’t just bathe here (λούω) but washes himself (νίζω), a word normally used in the Odyssey to refer to the washing of hands (and never in bathing scenes, I don’t think). It is tellingly used again in another pivotal cleansing (but not bathing) scene when he is washed and recognised by Eurycleia. I risk over-reading here perhaps, but it seems to me that Odysseus is ritually and literally washing away the gore (i.e. ἅλμη) of his battle with the sea using fresh water (he doesn’t sail again himself after this point and the Phaeacians’ ships are more like teleportation than sailing) and preparing himself for his old life. The baths that others have given him (Circe, Calypso) have failed to renew him, so he has to do it himself - although, as usual, with Athena sprinkling the magic dust.
I also think there is much to be said about the significance of his bathing where clothes have just been washed and Nausicaa’s role as launderer, but this post is already too long.
