Truth Gets Stoned
Now that the siege of Troy was underway in earnest and the Achæans had firmly established their position on the Trojan plain, Odysseus decided it was time to settle a few personal grudges. His biggest outstanding grudge was against the three men responsible for getting him involved in this war in the first place: Agamemnon, Menelaos, and Palamedes [see Chapter Six]. He had already exacted his revenge against the Atreidæ at Aulis by forcing their hand into sacrificing Iphigeneia [see Chapter Eight], but Palamedes had been the one who actually outsmarted him at Ithaka. Since Odysseus prided himself on his cleverness, that particular affront truly rankled him and he felt the need for a particularly brutal way to punish Palamedes for his impudence.
This would not be easy since Palamedes was very popular among the other Achæans. Although he was somewhat frail in build and thus not among the top ranked warriors, Palamedes was a noted musician and inventor, and he had done much to ease the tedium of what promised to be a protracted siege. He would often entertain the Danaän warriors with impromptu lyre concerts, and had invented dice to keep the troops amused during the long hours of waiting. Other inventions with which Palamedes was credited include the alphabet, by which the Achæan warriors were able to communicate with each other and with those they had left at home, and the art of posting sentries, which increased the army’s security. All this won Palamedes the respect and admiration of his fellow Achæans.
For Odysseus, the final straw came after his raiding expedition into Thrace. The journey was unsuccessful and Odysseus’ ships returned with empty holds. Palamedes was particularly critical of this failure, asking Odysseus what he had been wasting his time on rather than gathering supplies. Odysseus replied that all of Thrace was empty of supplies and no one could have done better. Palamedes refused to accept this answer and sailed for Thrace himself, further embarrassing Odysseus when he returned a few weeks later with ships brimming with grain. It was at that moment that Odysseus decided Palamedes must die.
In order to strike at Palamedes, Odysseus first needed to discredit him in the eyes of his fellow Achæans. Towards this end Odysseus recruited a Phrygian prisoner of war, threatening the man with immediate death if he didn’t follow his instructions. Odysseus then dictated a letter which the Phrygian set down on parchment, using letters in the Phrygian mode. Then Odysseus removed the prisoner’s chains and told him to deliver the letter to Troy. The unfortunate Phrygian was shot near the outskirts of the camp by an archer. That archer was none other than Odysseus, who then left the body to be discovered in the morning.
At first light a sentry discovered the corpse and the note it carried. Thinking the man was a spy, the sentry brought the "secret message" to Agamemnon, who sent for Palamedes and his other chief advisors as soon as he read it. As soon as he arrived Palamedes was asked to explain why King Priam of Troy was sending him secret letters thanking him for betraying the Achæans and asking if he had sent enough gold as payment for his services.
Of course Palamedes was completely dumbfounded by this accusation and claimed it was a Trojan trick designed to sow dissension within the ranks of their besiegers. The other Achæan lords remained skeptical, but were uncertain about how to proceed until Odysseus helpfully suggested that the easiest way to resolve the question would be to search Palamedes’ tent for any other incriminating evidence. Still suspecting nothing, Palamedes readily agreed.
The Argive lords reconvened at Palamedes’ tent and began searching immediately. Very soon, Diomedes noticed that on particular patch of earth looked as if it had been recently disturbed. Digging a little soon uncovered a large quantity of gold for which Palamedes could offer no suitable explanation, gold which Odysseus had buried there when Palamedes was summoned before Agamemnon that morning. Since a gold payment was mentioned specifically in the incriminating letter this was taken as proof positive of Palamedes guilt and Odysseus pointed out that the only suitable punishment for treason was death. At last realizing the truth of what had happened, Palamedes also realized that any explanation he offered now would not be believed. Still Palamedes railed against the Danaäns, telling them they had been deceived by a crow into killing a nightingale. His accusers just laughed at his desperate ravings.
Palamedes was taken out of the camp and onto the field before Troy where his "employers" could see his punishment. Then the brilliant Palamedes was stoned to death by the entire Achæan army. At the end he didn’t mourn for himself, but for the truth which had preceded him into death. From atop their walls, the Trojans only looked on in confusion.