The politeness of Achilles : off-record conversation strategies in Homer and the meaning of kertomia

This article examines social interaction in Homer in the light of modern conversation analysis, especially Grice's theory of conversational implicature. Some notoriously problematic utterances are explained in terms of their 'off-record' significance. One particular off-record conversation strategy is characterized by Homer as kertomia, and this is discussed in detail. The article focusses on social problems at the end of Achilles' meeting with Priam in Iliad XXIV, and in particular on the much-discussed word epikertomeon (24.649).Not applicabl