Démodocos (in Greek old Δημοδόκος / Dêmodókos ) is a character of the Odyssey of Homère.

It is Aède at the court of Alcinoos and appears with song VIII of the epopee. In front of Ulysses, invited honor, he sings episodes of the Trojan War: quarrel between Ulysses and Achilles (scene which does not appear in Iliade ) and the Trojan horse. He also sings the adulterous loves of Arès and Aphrodite.

Démodocos with the characteristic to be blind (v.  63-64):

“A herald advanced, leading faithful the aède
With which it MUSE which liked it gave well and badly,
He having taken its eyes, but given the softness of the song. ”
(Transl. Philippe Jaccottet)

On this passage, like on two worms of the Homeric Anthems , the Old ones were pressed to declare that Homère was blind. Martin  P. Nilsson however notices in Homer and Mycenæ (1933) that in certain areas Slaves, the bards are ritually qualified “blind men”, because the loss of the sight is supposed to stimulate the memory.

See too

• Phémios, other aède of the Odyssey