In this essay, I argue that in Odyssey 19, when Eurycleia recognizes Odysseus despite his disguise, she does so not simply because she sees the scar but because she has shared with Odysseus a meaningful experience in the past. The recollection of this experience plays a central role in the larger scheme of disguise and recognition that is fundamental to the second half of the Odyssey, serving especially to re-establish the master-servant relationship that is necessary for the recovery of Odysseus’ identity. This connection to the larger plot and to other recognition scenes, I argue, is critical to for reading the full meaning of the vivid but unspoken recollection shared between Odysseus and Eurycleia.