Odyssey, fearing that he has made Nausicca the target of his father's anger, tries to take the blame for himself. To which Alcinous categorically replies: “I am certainly not a man of reckless and idle anger. / Balance is best in all things” (Homer 7:355-354). What a calm and peace-loving man! If only we could all respond the same way to the mistakes of others and ourselves. Yet this great example of correct behavior is hardly the subject of a stir in the book. It is simply taken at face value and the narrative moves on