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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/6370.txt b/6370.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a59700f --- /dev/null +++ b/6370.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5264 @@ +Project Gutenberg's The Story Of The Odyssey, by The Rev. Alfred J. Church + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing +this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. + +This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project +Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the +header without written permission. + +Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the +eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is +important information about your specific rights and restrictions in +how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** + + +Title: The Story Of The Odyssey + +Author: The Rev. Alfred J. Church + +Release Date: August, 2004 [EBook #6370] +[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] +[This file was first posted on December 2, 2002] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY *** + + + + +Produced by Liz Hanks, Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks +and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. + + + + + +THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY + +BY THE REV. ALFRED J. CHURCH, M.A. + + + + +CONTENTS + + +INTRODUCTION + +THE ODYSSEY: + +I. THE COUNSEL OF ATHENE + +II. THE ASSEMBLY + +III. NESTOR'S TALE + +IV. IN SPARTA + +V. MENELAUS'S TALE + +VI. ULYSSES ON HIS RAFT + +VII. NAUSICAA + +VIII. ALCINOUS + +IX. THE PHAEACIANS + +X. THE CYCLOPS + +XI. AEOLUS; THE LAESTRYGONS; CIRCE + +XII. THE DWELLINGS OF THE DEAD + +XIII. THE SIRENS; SCYLLA; THE OXEN OF THE SUN + +XIV. ITHACA + +XV. EUMAEUS, THE SWINEHERD + +XVI. THE RETURN OF TELEMACHUS + +XVII. ULYSSES AND TELEMACHUS + +XVIII. ULYSSES IN HIS HOME + +XIX. ULYSSES IN HIS HOME (_continued_) + +XX. ULYSSES IS DISCOVERED BY HIS NURSE + +XXI. THE TRIAL OF THE BOW + +XXII. THE SLAYING OF THE SUITORS + +XXIII. THE END OF THE WANDERING + +XXIV. THE TRIUMPH OF ULYSSES + +PRONUNCIATION OF PROPER NAMES + + + + +INTRODUCTION + + +Three thousand years ago the world was still young. The western +continent was a huge wilderness, and the greater part of Europe +was inhabited by savage and wandering tribes. Only a few nations +at the eastern end of the Mediterranean and in the neighbouring +parts of Asia had learned to dwell in cities, to use a written +language, to make laws for themselves, and to live in a more +orderly fashion. Of these nations the most brilliant was that of +the Greeks, who were destined in war, in learning, in government, +and in the arts, to play a great part in the world, and to be the +real founders of our modern civilization. While they were still a +rude people, they had noble ideals of beauty and bravery, of duty +and justice. Even before they had a written language, their +singers had made songs about their heroes and their great deeds; +and later these songs, which fathers had taught to children, and +these children to their children, were brought together into two +long and wonderful poems, which have ever since been the delight +of the world, the _Iliad_ and the _Odyssey_. + +The _Iliad_ is the story of the siege of Ilium, or Troy, on +the western coast of Asia Minor. Paris, son of the king of Troy, +had enticed Helen, the most beautiful of Grecian women, and the +wife of a Grecian king, to leave her husband's home with him; and +the kings and princes of the Greeks had gathered an army and a +fleet and sailed across the Aegean Sea to rescue her. For ten +years they strove to capture the city. According to the fine old +legends, the gods themselves took a part in the war, some siding +with the Greeks, and some with the Trojans. It was finally through +Ulysses, a famous Greek warrior, brave and fierce as well as wise +and crafty, that the Greeks captured the city. + +The second poem, the _Odyssey_, tells what befell Ulysses, or +Odysseus, as the Greeks called him, on his homeward way. Sailing +from Troy with his little fleet of ships, which were so small that +they used oars as well as sails, he was destined to wander for ten +years longer before he could return to his rocky island of Ithaca, +on the west shore of Greece, and to his faithful wife, Penelope. + +He had marvellous adventures, for the gods who had opposed the +Greeks at Troy had plotted to bring him ill-fortune. Just as his +ships were safely rounding the southern cape of Greece, a fierce +storm took them out of their course, and bore them to many strange +lands--lands of giants, man-eating monsters, and wondrous +enchantments of which you will delight to read. Through countless +perils the resolute wanderer forced his way, losing ship after +ship from his little fleet, and companion after companion from his +own band, until he reached home friendless and alone, and found +his palace, his property, and his family all in the power of a +band of greedy princes. These he overcame by his cunning and his +strength, and his long trials were ended. + +As you read these ancient tales, you must forget what knowledge +you have of the world, and think of it as the Greeks did. It was +only a little part of the world that they knew at all,--the +eastern end of the Mediterranean,--but even that seemed to them a +great and marvellous region. Beyond its borders were strange and +mysterious lands, in which wonders of all kinds were found, and +round all ran the great world-river, the encircling stream of +Ocean. + +In the mountains of Olympus, to the northward, lived the gods. +There was Zeus, greatest of all, the god of thunder and the wide +heavens; Hera, his wife; Apollo, the archer god; Athene, the wise +and clever goddess; Poseidon, who ruled the sea; Aphrodite, the +goddess of love; Hephaestus, the cunning workman; Ares, the god of +war; Hermes, the swift messenger; and others still, whom you will +learn to know as you read. All these were worshipped by men with +prayer and sacrifice; and, as in the early legends of many races, +the gods often took the shape of men and women; they had their +favourites and those whom they hated; and they ruled the fate of +mortals as they chose. + +If you let yourselves be beguiled into this old, simple way of +regarding earth and heaven, you will not only love these ancient +tales yourself, but you will see why, for century after century, +they have been the longest loved and the best loved of all tales-- +beloved by old and young, by men and women and children. For they +are hero-tales,--tales of war and adventure, tales of bravery and +nobility, tales of the heroes that mankind, almost since the +beginning of time, have looked to as ideals of wisdom and strength +and beauty. + + + + +THE ODYSSEY + +CHAPTER I + +THE COUNSEL [Footnote: counsel, advice.] OF +ATHENE [Footnote: A-the'-ne.] + + +When the great city of Troy had been taken, all the chiefs who had +fought against it set sail for their homes. But there was wrath in +heaven against them, so that they did not find a safe and happy +return. For one was shipwrecked, and another was shamefully slain +by his false wife in his palace, and others found all things at +home troubled and changed, and were driven to seek new dwellings +elsewhere; and some were driven far and wide about the world +before they saw their native land again. Of all, the wise Ulysses +[Footnote: U-lys'-ses.] was he that wandered farthest and suffered +most, for when ten years had well-nigh passed, he was still far +away from Ithaca [Footnote: Ith'-a-ca.], his kingdom. + +The gods were gathered in council in the hall of Olympus [Footnote: O- +lym'-pus.], all but Poseidon, [Footnote: Po-sei'-don.] the god of the +sea, for he had gone to feast with the Ethiopians. Now Poseidon was he +who most hated Ulysses, and kept him from his home. + +Then spake Athene among the immortal gods: "My heart is rent for +Ulysses. Sore affliction doth he suffer in an island of the sea, +where the daughter of Atlas keepeth him, seeking to make him +forget his native land. And he yearns to see even the smoke rising +up from the land of his birth, and is fain [Footnote: is fain, +wishes to] to die. And thou regardest it not at all. Did he not +offer thee many sacrifices in the land of Troy? Wherefore hast +thou such wrath against him?" To her Zeus, the father of the gods, +made reply: "What is this that thou sayest, my daughter? It is +Poseidon that hath great wrath against Ulysses, because he blinded +his son Polyphemus [Footnote: Pol-y-phe'-mus.] the Cyclops. +[Footnote: Cy'-clops.] But come, let us take counsel together that +he may return to his home, for Poseidon will not be able to contend +against us all." + +Then said Athene: "If this be thy will, then let us speed Hermes +[Footnote: Her'-mes.] the messenger to the island of Calypso +[Footnote: Ca-lyp'-so.], and let him declare to the goddess our +purpose that Ulysses shall return to his home. And I will go to +Ithaca, and stir up the spirit of his son Telemachus [Footnote: +Te-lem'-a-chus.], that first he speak out his mind to the suitors +of his mother who waste his substance, [Footnote: substance, +property.] and next that he go to Sparta and to Pylos [Footnote: +Py'-los.], seeking tidings of his father. So shall the youth win +good report among men." + +So she went to Ithaca, and there she took upon her the form of +Mentes [Footnote: Men'-tes.], who was chief of the Taphians. +[Footnote: Ta'-phi-ans.] + +Now there were gathered in the house of Ulysses many princes from +the islands, suitors of the Queen Penelope [Footnote: Pe-nel'-o- +pe.], for they said that Ulysses was dead, and that she should +choose another husband. These were gathered together, and were +sitting playing draughts [Footnote: draughts, checkers.] and +feasting. And Telemachus sat among them, vexed at heart, for they +wasted his substance; neither was he master in his house. But when +he saw the guest at the door, he rose from his place, and welcomed +him, and made him sit down, and commanded that they should give +him food and wine. And when he had ended his meal, Telemachus +asked him his business. + +Thereupon the false Mentes said: "My name is Mentes, and I am King +of the Taphians, and I am sailing to Cyprus for copper, taking +iron in exchange. Now I have been long time the friend of this +house, of thy father and thy father's father, and I came trusting +to see thy father, for they told me that he was here. But now I +see that some god hath hindered his return, for that he is yet +alive I know full well. But tell me, who are these that I see? Is +this the gathering of a clan, or a wedding feast?" + +Telemachus made answer: "O sir, while my father was yet alive, our +house was rich and honoured; but now that he is gone, things are +not well with me. I would not grieve so much had he fallen in +battle before Troy; for then the Greeks would have builded a great +burial mound for him, and he would thus have won great renown, +even for his son. But now the storms of the sea have swept him +away, and I am left in sore distress. For these whom thou seest +are the princes of the islands that come here to woo my mother. +She neither refuseth nor accepteth; and meanwhile they sit here, +and waste my substance." + +Then said the false Mentes: "Now may the gods help thee! Thou art +indeed in sore need of Ulysses. But now hearken to my counsel. +First call an assembly of the people. Bid the suitors go back, +each man to his home; and as for thy mother, if she be moved to +wed, let her return to her father's house, that her kinsfolk may +furnish a wedding feast, and prepare gifts such as a well-beloved +daughter should have. Afterwards do thou fit up a ship with twenty +oars, and go, inquire concerning thy father; perhaps some man may +give thee tidings of him; or, may be, thou wilt hear a voice from +Zeus concerning him. Go to Pylos first, and afterwards to Sparta, +where Menelaus [Footnote: Me-ne-la'-us.] dwelleth, who of all the +Greeks came back the last to his home. If thou shouldest hear that +he is dead, then come back hither, and raise a mound for him, and +give thy mother to a husband. And when thou hast made an end of +all these things, then plan how thou mayest slay the suitors by +force or craft, for it is time for thee to have the thoughts of a +man." + +Then said Telemachus: "Thou speakest these things out of a +friendly heart, as a father might speak to his son, nor will I +ever forget them. But now, I pray thee, abide here for a space, +that I may give thee a goodly gift, such as friends give to +friends, to be an heirloom in thy house." + +But the false Mentes said, "Keep me no longer, for I am eager to +depart; give me thy gift when I shall return." + +So the goddess departed; like to an eagle of the sea was she as +she flew. And Telemachus knew her to be a goddess as she went. + +Meanwhile Phemius [Footnote: Phe'-mi-us.] the minstrel sang to the +suitors, and his song was of the unhappy return of the Greeks from +Troy. + +When Penelope heard the song, she came down from the upper chamber +where she sat, and two handmaids bare her company. And when she +came to where the suitors sat, she stood by the gate of the hall, +holding her shining veil before her face. Then spake she to the +minstrel, weeping, and said: "Phemius, thou knowest many songs +concerning the deeds of gods and men; sing, therefore, one of +these, and let the guests drink the wine in silence. But stay this +pitiful strain, for it breaketh my heart to hear it. Surely, of +all women I am the most unhappy, so famous was the husband for +whom I mourn." + +But Telemachus made reply: "Why dost thou grudge the minstrel, my +mother, to make us glad in such fashion as his spirit biddeth him? +It is no blame to him that he singeth of the unhappy return of the +Greeks, for men most prize the song that soundeth newest in their +ears. Endure, therefore, to listen, for not Ulysses only missed +his return, but many a famous chief besides. Go, then, to thy +chamber, and mind thy household affairs, and bid thy handmaids ply +their tasks. Speech belongeth unto men, and chiefly to me that am +the master in this house." + +Then went she back to her chamber, for she was amazed at her son, +with such authority did he speak. Then she bewailed her lord, till +Athene sent down sleep upon her eyes. + +When she was gone, Telemachus spake to the suitors, saying: "Let +us now feast and be merry, and let there be no brawling among us. +It is a good thing to listen to a minstrel that hath a voice as +the voice of a god. But in the morning let us go to the assembly, +that I may declare my purpose, to wit, that ye leave this hall, +and eat your own substance. But if ye deem it a better thing that +ye should waste another man's goods, and make no recompense, then +work your will. But certainly Zeus shall repay you." + +So he spake, and they all marvelled that he used such boldness. +And Antinous [Footnote: An-ti'-no-us.] answered: "Surely, +Telemachus, it is by the bidding of the gods that thou speakest so +boldly. Therefore I pray that Zeus may never make thee King in +Ithaca." + +Then said Telemachus: "It is no ill thing to be a king, for his +house groweth rich, and he himself is honoured. But there are +others in Ithaca, young and old, who may have the kingship, now +that Ulysses is dead. Yet know that I will be lord of my own house +and of the slaves which Ulysses won for himself with his own +spear." + +Thereupon spake Eurymachus [Footnote: Eu-rym'-a-chus.], saying: +"It is with the gods to say who shall be King in Ithaca; but no +man can deny that thou shouldest keep thine own goods and be lord +in thine own house. Tell me, who is this stranger that came but +just now to thy house? Did he bring tidings of thy father? Or came +he on some matter of his own? In strange fashion did he depart, +nor did he tarry that we might know him." + +Telemachus made answer: "Verily, Eurymachus, the day of my +father's return hath gone by forever. As for this stranger, he +said that he was Mentes, King of the Taphians." + +So spake Telemachus, but in his heart he knew that the stranger +was Athene. Then the suitors turned them to the dance and to the +song, making merry till the darkness fell. Then went they each to +his own house to sleep. + +But Telemachus went to his chamber, pondering many things in his +heart. And Eurycleia, [Footnote: Eu-ry-clei'-a] who had nursed him +when he was little, went with him, bearing torches in her hands. +He opened the door of the chamber, and took off his doublet, and +put it in the wise woman's hands. She folded it, and smoothed it, +and hung it on a pin, and went forth from the room, and pulled to +the door, and made it fast. And all the night Telemachus thought +in his heart of the journey which Athene had showed him. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +THE ASSEMBLY + + +When the morning came, Telemachus bade the heralds call the people +to the assembly. So the heralds called them, and they came in +haste. And when they were gathered together, he went his way to +the place of meeting, holding in his hand a spear, and two dogs +followed him. Then did Athene shed a marvellous grace upon him, so +that all men wondered at him, as he sat him down in his father's +place. + +First spake Aegyptus [Footnote: AE-gyp'-tus.], who was bowed with +many years, and was very wise. Four sons he had. One had gone with +Ulysses to Troy, and one was among the suitors of the Queen, and +two abode with their father in the field. He said: "Hearken to me, +men of Ithaca! Never hath an assembly been called in Ithaca since +Ulysses departed. Who now hath called us together? If it be +Telemachus, what doth he want? Hath he heard any tidings of the +coming back of the host? He, methinks, is a true man. May Zeus be +with him and grant him his heart's desire!" + +So spake the old man, and Telemachus was glad at his speech. Then +he rose up and said:-- + +"I have great trouble in my heart, men of Ithaca, for first my +father, whom ye all loved, is dead; and next the princes of the +islands come hither, making suit to my mother, but she waits ever +for the return of her husband. And they devour all our substance; +nor is Ulysses here to defend it, and I, in truth, am not able. +And this is a grievous wrong, and not to be borne." + +Then he dashed his sceptre on the ground, and sat down weeping. +And Antinous, who was one of the suitors, rose up and said:-- + +"Nay, Telemachus, blame not us, but blame thy mother, who indeed +is crafty above all women. For now this is the fourth year that we +have come suing for her hand, and she has cheated us with hopes. +Hear now this that she did. She set up a great web for weaving, +and said to us: 'Listen, ye that are my suitors. Hasten not my +marriage till I finish this web to be a burial cloth for Laertes +[Footnote: La-er'-tes.], the father of Ulysses, for indeed it +would be foul shame if he who has won great possessions should +lack this honour.' So she spake, and for three years she cheated +us, for what she wove in the day she unravelled at night. But when +the fourth year was come, one of her maidens told us of the +matter, and we came upon her by night and found her unravelling +what she had woven in the day. Then did she finish it, much +against her will. Send away, therefore, thy mother, and bid her +marry whom she will. But till this be done we will not depart." + +Then answered Telemachus: "How can I send away against her will +her who bare me and brought me up? I cannot do this thing." + +So he spake; and there came two eagles, which flew abreast till +they came over the assembly. Then did they wheel in the air, and +shook out from each many feathers, and tare each other, and so +departed. + +Then cried Alitherses [Footnote: A-li-ther'-ses.], the prophet: +"Beware, ye suitors, for great trouble is coming to you, and to +others also. And as for Ulysses, I said when he went to Troy that +he should return after twenty years; and so it shall be." + +And when the suitors would not listen, Telemachus said: "Give me a +ship and twenty rowers, that I may go to Pylos and to Sparta; +perhaps I may hear news of my father. And if I hear that he is +dead, then will I come back hither and raise up a mound for him +and give my mother to a husband." + +Having thus spoken, he sat down, and Mentor [Footnote: Men'-tor.], +whom Ulysses, when he departed, set over his household, rose up in +the midst, and spake, saying: "Now henceforth never let any king +be kind and gentle in his heart or minded to work righteousness. +Let him rather be a hard man and unrighteous. For now no man of +all the people whose lord he was remembereth Ulysses. Yet he was +gentle as a father. If the suitors are minded to do evil deeds, I +hinder them not. They do them at the peril of their own heads. It +is with the people that I am wroth, to see how they sit +speechless, and cry not shame upon the suitors; and yet they are +many in number, and the suitors are few." + +Then Leocritus [Footnote: Le-oc'-ri-tus.], who was one of the +suitors, answered: "Surely thy wits wander, O Mentor, that thou +biddest the people put us down. Of a truth, if Ulysses himself +should come back, and should seek to drive the suitors from the +hall, it would fare ill with him. An evil fate would he meet, if +he fought with them. As for the people, let them go to their own +houses. Let Mentor speed the young man's voyage, for he is a +friend of his house. Yet I doubt whether he will ever accomplish +it." + +So he spake, and the assembly was dismissed. + +But Telemachus went apart to the shore of the sea, and he washed +his hands in the water of the sea, and prayed to Athene, saying: +"Hear me, thou who didst come yesterday to the house, and bid me +take a ship, and sail across the sea, seeking tidings of my +father! The people delay my purpose, and the suitors stir them up +in the wickedness of their hearts." + +And while he prayed, Athene stood by him, like to Mentor in shape +and speech. She spake, saying: "Thou art not without spirit, and +art like to be a true son of Ulysses and Penelope. Therefore, I +have good hopes that this journey of which thou speakest will not +be in vain. But as for the suitors, think not of them, for they +talk folly, and know not of the doom that is even now close upon +them. Go, therefore, and talk with the suitors as before, and get +ready food for a journey, wine and meal. And I will gather men who +will offer themselves freely for the journey, and I will find a +ship also, the best in Ithaca." + +Then Telemachus returned to the house, and the suitors were +flaying goats and singeing swine in the court. And Antinous caught +him by the hand and said, "Eat and drink, Telemachus, and we will +find a ship and rowers for thee, that thou mayest go where thou +wilt, to inquire for thy father." + +But Telemachus answered: "Think ye that I will eat and drink with +you, who so shamefully waste my substance? Be sure of this, that I +will seek vengeance against you, and if ye deny me a ship, I will +even go in another man's." + +So he spake, and dragged his hand from the hand of Antinous. + +And another of the suitors said, "Now will Telemachus go and seek +help against us from Pylos or from Sparta, or may be he will put +poison in our cups, and so destroy us." + +And another said: "Perchance he also will perish, as his father +has perished. Then we should divide all his substance, but the +house we should give to his mother and to her husband." + +So they spake, mocking him. But he went to the chamber of his +father, in which were ranged many casks of old wine, and gold and +bronze, and clothing and olive oil; and of these things the +prudent Eurycleia, who was the keeper of the house, had care. To +her he spake: "Mother, make ready for me twelve jars of wine, not +of the best, but of that which is next to it, and twenty measures +of barley-meal. At even will I take them, when my mother sleeps, +for I go to Pylos and Sparta; perchance I may hear news of my +father." + +But the old woman said, weeping: "What meanest thou, being an only +son, thus to travel abroad? Wilt thou perish, as thy father has +perished? For this evil brood of suitors will plot to slay thee +and divide thy goods. Thou hadst better sit peaceably at home." + +Then Telemachus said: "'Tis at the bidding of the gods I go. Only +swear that thou wilt say naught to my mother till eleven or twelve +days be past, unless, perchance, she should ask concerning me." + +And the old woman sware that it should be so. And Telemachus went +again among the suitors. But Athene, meanwhile, taking his shape, +had gathered together a crew, and also had borrowed a ship for the +voyage. And, lest the suitors should hinder the thing, she caused +a deep sleep to fall upon them, so that they slept where they sat. +Then she came in the shape of Mentor to the palace, and called +Telemachus forth, saying: + +"The rowers are ready; let us go." + +Then Athene led the way, and they found the ship's crew upon the +shore. To them spake Telemachus, saying, "Come now, my friends, +let us carry the food on board, for it is all in the chamber, and +no one knoweth of the matter; neither my mother, nor any of the +maidens, but one woman only." + +So they went to the house with him, and carried all the provision, +and stowed it in the ship. Then Telemachus climbed the ship and +sat down on the stern, and Athene sat by him. + +And when he called to the crew, they made ready to depart. They +raised the pine tree mast, and set it in the hole that was made +for it, and they made it fast with stays. Then they hauled up the +white sails with ropes of ox-hide. And the wind filled out the +sail, and the water seethed about the stem of the ship, as she +hasted through the water. And when all was made fast in the ship, +then they mixed wine in the bowl, and poured out drink offerings +to the gods, especially to Zeus. + +So all the night, and till the dawn, the ship sped through the +sea. + + + + +CHAPTER III + +NESTOR + + +At sunrise the ship came to Pylos, where Nestor dwelt. Now it so +chanced that the people were offering a great sacrifice upon the +shore to Poseidon. Nine companies there were, and in each company +five hundred men, and for the five hundred there were nine bulls. +And they had tasted of the inner parts and were burning the slices +of flesh on the thigh-bones to the god, when Telemachus's company +moored the ship and came forth from it to the shore. Athene spake +to Telemachus, saying: "Now thou hast no need to be ashamed. Thou +hast sailed across the sea to hear tidings of thy father. Go, +therefore, to Nestor, and learn what counsel he hath in the deep +of his heart." + +But Telemachus answered, "How shall I speak to him, being so +untried and young?" + +"Nay," said the goddess; "but thou shalt think of something +thyself, and something the gods will put into thy mouth." + +So saying she led the way, and they came to where Nestor sat, with +his sons, and a great company round him, making ready the feast. +When these saw the strangers, they clasped their hands, and made +them sit down on soft fleeces of wool. And Nestor's son +Peisistratus [Footnote: Pei-sis'-tra-tus] brought to them food, +and wine in a cup of gold. To Athene first he gave the wine, for +he judged her to be the elder of the two, saying, "Pray now to the +Lord Poseidon, and make thy drink offering, and when thou hast so +done, give the cup to thy friend that he may do likewise." + +Then Athene took the cup and prayed to Poseidon, saying: "Grant +renown to Nestor and his son, and reward the men of Pylos for this +great sacrifice. And grant that we may accomplish that for which +we have come hither." + +And the son of Ulysses prayed in like manner. + +When they had eaten and drunk their fill, Nestor said: "Strangers, +who are ye? Sail ye over the seas for trade, or as pirates that +wander at hazard of their lives?" + +To him Telemachus made reply, Athene putting courage into his +heart: "We come from Ithaca, and our errand concerns ourselves. I +seek for tidings of my father, who in old time fought by thy side, +and sacked the city of Troy. Of all the others who did battle with +the men of Troy, we have heard, whether they have returned, or +where they died; but even the death of this man remains untold. +Therefore am I come hither to thee; perchance thou mayest be +willing to tell me of him, whether thou sawest his death with +thine own eyes, or hast heard it from another. Speak me no soft +words for pity's sake, but tell me plainly what thou hast seen." + +Nestor made answer: "Thou bringest to my mind all that we endured, +warring round Priam's mighty town. There the best of us were +slain. Valiant Ajax [Footnote: A'-jax.] lies there, and there +Achilles [Footnote: A-chil'-les], and there Patroclus [Footnote: +Pa-tro'-clus], and there my own dear son. Who could tell the tale +of all that we endured? Truly, no one, not though thou shouldst +abide here five years or six to listen. For nine whole years we +were busy, devising the ruin of the enemy, which yet Zeus brought +not to pass. And always Ulysses passed the rest in craft, thy +father Ulysses, if indeed thou art his son, and verily thy speech +is like to his; one would not think that a younger man could be so +like to an elder. But listen to my tale. When we had sacked the +town, I returned across the sea without delay, leaving behind the +others, so that I know not of my own knowledge which of the Greeks +was saved and which was lost. But wander not thou, my son, far +from home, while strangers devour thy substance. Go to Menelaus, +for he hath but lately come back from a far country; go and ask +him to tell thee all that he knoweth. If thou wilt, go with thy +ships, or, if it please thee better, I will send thee with a +chariot and horses, and my sons shall be thy guides." + +Then said Athene: "Let us cut up the tongues of the beasts, and +mix the wine, and pour offerings to Poseidon and the other gods, +and so bethink us of sleep, for it is the time." + +So she spake, and they hearkened to her words. And when they had +finished, Athene and Telemachus would have gone back to their +ship. But Nestor stayed them, saying: "Now Zeus and all the gods +forbid that ye should depart to your ships from my house, as +though it were the dwelling of a needy man that hath not rugs and +blankets in his house, whereon his guests may sleep! Not so; I +have rugs and blankets enough. Never shall the son of my friend +Ulysses lay him down on his ship's deck, while I am alive, or my +children after me, to entertain strangers in my hall." + +Thereupon said the false Mentor: "This is good, dear father. Let +Telemachus abide with thee; but I will go back to the ship, and +cheer the company, and tell them all. There I will sleep this +night, and to-morrow I go to the Cauconians [Footnote: Cau-co'-ni- +ans.], where there is owing to me a debt neither small nor of +yesterday. But do thou send this man on his way in thy chariot." + +Then the goddess departed in the semblance of a sea-eagle, and all +that saw it were amazed. + +Then the old man took Telemachus by the hand, and said: "No coward +or weakling art thou like to be, whom the gods attend even now in +thy youth. This is none other than Athene, daughter of Zeus, the +same that stood by thy father in the land of Troy." + +After this the old man led the company to his house. Here he mixed +for them a bowl of wine eleven years old; and they prayed to +Athene, and then lay down to sleep. Telemachus slept on a bedstead +beneath the gallery, and Peisistratus slept by him. + +The next day, as soon as it was morning, Nestor and his sons +arose. And the old man said: "Let one man go to the plain for a +heifer, and let another go to the ship of Telemachus, and bid all +the company come hither, leaving two only behind. And a third +shall command the goldsmith to gild the horns of the heifer, and +let the handmaids prepare all things for a feast." + +They did as the old man commanded; and after they had offered +sacrifice, and had eaten and drunk, old Nester said, "Put now the +horses in the chariot, that Telemachus may go his way." + +So they yoked the horses, and the dame that kept the stores put +into the chariot food and wine and dainties, such as princes eat. +And Peisistratus took the reins, and Telemachus rode with him. And +all that day they journeyed; and when the land grew dark they came +to the city of Pherae [Footnote: Phe'-rae.], and there they rested; +and the next day, travelling again, came to Lacedaemon [Footnote: +La-ce-dae'-mon.], to the palace of King Menelaus. + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +IN SPARTA + + +Now it chanced that Menelaus had made a great feast that day, for +his daughter, the child of the fair Helen, was married to the son +of Achilles, to whom she had been promised at Troy; and his son +had also taken a wife. And the two wayfarers stayed their chariot +at the door, and the steward spied them, and said to Menelaus:-- + +"Lo! here are two strangers who are like the children of kings. +Shall we keep them here, or send them to another?" + +But Menelaus was wroth, and said: "Shall we, who have eaten so +often of the bread of hospitality, send these strangers to +another? Nay, unyoke their horses and bid them sit down to meat." +So the squires loosed the horses from the yoke, and fastened them +in the stall, and gave them grain to eat and led the men into the +hall. Much did they marvel at the sight, for there was a gleam as +of the sun or moon in the palace of Menelaus. And when they had +gazed their fill, they bathed them in the polished baths. After +that they sat them down by the side of Menelaus. Then a handmaid +bare water in a pitcher of gold, and poured it over a basin of +silver that they might wash their hands. Afterwards she drew a +polished table to their side, and a dame brought food, and set it +by them, laying many dainties on the board, and a carver placed by +them platters of flesh, and set near them golden bowls. + +Then said Menelaus: "Eat and be glad; afterwards I will ask you +who ye are, for ye seem like to the sons of kings." + +And when they had ended the meal, Telemachus, looking round at the +hall, said to his companion:-- + +"See the gold and the amber, and the silver and the ivory. This is +like the hall of Zeus." + +This he spake with his face close to his comrade's ear, but +Menelaus heard him and said:-- + +"With the halls of the gods nothing mortal may compare. And among +men also there may be the match of these things. Yet I have +wandered far, and got many possessions in many lands. But woe is +me! Would that I had but the third part of this wealth of mine, +and that they who perished at Troy were alive again! And most of +all I mourn for the great Ulysses, for whether he be alive or dead +no man knows." + +But Telemachus wept to hear mention of his father, holding up his +purple cloak before his eyes. This Menelaus saw, and knew who he +was, and pondered whether he should wait till he should himself +speak of his father, or should rather ask him of his errand. But +while he pondered there came in the fair Helen, and three maidens +with her, of whom one set a couch for her to sit, and one spread a +carpet for her feet, and one bare a basket of purple wool; but she +herself had a distaff of gold in her hand. And when she saw the +strangers she said:-- + +"Who are these, Menelaus? Never have I seen such likeness in man +or woman as this one bears to Ulysses. Surely 'tis his son +Telemachus, whom he left an infant at home when ye went to Troy +for my sake!" + +Then said Menelaus: "It must indeed be so, lady. For these are the +hands and feet of Ulysses, and the look of his eyes and his hair. +And but now, when I made mention of his name, he wept, holding his +mantle before his face." + +Then said Peisistratus: "King Menelaus, thou speakest truth. This +is indeed the son of Ulysses who is come to thee; perchance thou +canst help him by word or deed." + +And Menelaus answered: "Then is he the son of a man whom I loved +right well. I thought to give him a city in this land, bringing +him from Ithaca with all his goods. Then should naught have +divided us but death itself. But these things the gods have +ordered otherwise." + +At these words they all wept--the fair Helen and Telemachus and +Menelaus; nor could Peisistratus refrain himself, for he thought +of his dear brother who was slain at Troy. + +Then said Menelaus: "Now we will cease from weeping; and to-morrow +there is much that Telemachus and I must say one to the other." + +Then the fair Helen put a mighty medicine in the wine whereof they +drank--nepenthe [Footnote: ne-pen'-the], men call it. So mighty is +it that whoever drinks of it, weeps not that day, though father +and mother die, and though men slay brother or son before his +eyes. + +And after this she said: "It would take long to tell all the wise +and valiant deeds of Ulysses. One thing, however, ye shall hear, +and it is this: while the Greeks were before Troy he came into the +city, having disguised himself as a beggar-man, yea, and he had +laid many blows upon himself, so that he seemed to have been +shamefully treated. I alone knew who he was, and questioned him, +but he answered craftily. And I swore that I would not betray him. +So he slew many Trojans with the sword, and learnt many things. +And while other women in Troy lamented, I was glad, for my heart +was turned again to my home." + +Then Menelaus said: "Thou speakest truly, lady. Many men have I +seen, and travelled over many lands, but never have I seen one who +might be matched with Ulysses. Well do I remember how, when I and +other chiefs of the Greeks sat in the horse of wood, thou didst +come. Some god who loved the sons of Troy put the thing into thy +heart. Thrice didst thou walk round our hiding-place and call by +name to each one of the chiefs, speaking marvellously like his +wife. Then would we have risen from our place or answered thee +straightway. But Ulysses hindered us, and thus saved all the +Greeks." + +But Telemachus said: "Yet all these things have not kept him, for +he has perished." + +And after that they slept. + + + + +CHAPTER V + +MENELAUS'S TALE + + +The next day Menelaus said to Telemachus: "For what end hast thou +come hither to fair Lacedaemon?" + +Then Telemachus said: "I have come to ask if thou canst tell me +aught of my father. For certain suitors of my mother devour my +goods, nor do I see any help. Tell me truly, therefore; knowest +thou anything thyself about my father, or hast thou heard anything +from another?" + +And Menelaus answered:-- + +"In the river AEgyptus I was stayed long time, though I was eager +to get home; the gods stayed me, for I had not offered to them due +sacrifice. Now there is an island in the wash of the waves over +against the land of Egypt--men call it Pharos [Footnote: Pha'- +ros.], and it is distant one day's voyage for a ship, if the wind +bloweth fair in her wake. Here did the gods keep me twenty days, +nor did the sea winds ever blow. Then all my corn would have been +spent, and the lives also of my men lost, if the daughter of +Proteus [Footnote: Pro'-teus.]had not taken pity on me. Her heart +was moved to see me when I wandered alone, apart from my company, +for they all roamed about the island, fishing with hooks because +hunger gnawed them. So she stood by me and spake, saying: 'Art +thou foolish, stranger, and feeble of mind, or dost thou sit still +for thine own pleasure, because it is sweet to thee to suffer? +Verily, thou stayest long in this place, and canst find no escape, +while the heart of thy people faileth within them.' Then I +answered: 'I will tell thee the truth, whosoever thou art. It is +not my own will that holdeth me here; I must have sinned against +the gods. Tell me now which of the gods have I offended, and how +shall I contrive to return to my own home?' So I spake, and +straightway the goddess made answer: 'I will tell thee all. To +this place comes Proteus, my father, who knoweth the depths of all +the sea. If thou canst lay an ambush for him and catch him, he +will declare to thee thy way, and tell thee how thou mayest return +across the deep.' So she spake, and I made reply, 'Plan for me +this ambush, lest by any chance he see me first and avoid me, for +it is hard for a man to overcome a god.' Then said the goddess: +'When the sun in his course hath reached the midheaven, then +cometh the old man from the sea; before the breath of the west +wind he cometh, and the ripple covereth him. And when he is come +out of the sea, he lieth down in the caves to sleep, and all about +him lie the seals, the brood of ocean, and bitter is the smell of +the salt water that they breathe. Thither will I lead thee at +break of day, thee and three of thy companions. Choose them from +thy ships, the bravest that thou hast. And now I will tell thee +the old man's ways. First, he will count the seals, and then will +lie down in the midst, as a shepherd in the midst of his flock. +Now, so soon as ye shall see him thus laid down, then remember +your courage, and hold him there. And he will take all manner of +shapes of creatures that creep upon the earth, and of water +likewise, and of burning fire. But do ye grasp him fast, and press +him hard, and when he shall return to his proper shape, then let +him go free, and ask him which of the gods is angry with thee, and +how thou mayest return across the deep.' Thereupon she dived +beneath the sea, and I betook me to the ships; but I was sorely +troubled in heart. The next morning I took three of my comrades, +in whom I trusted most, and lo! she had brought from the sea the +skins of four sea-calves, which she had newly flayed, for she was +minded to lay a snare for her father. She scooped hiding-places +for us in the sand, and made us lie down therein, and cast the +skin of a sea-calf over each of us. It would have been a grievous +ambush, for the stench of the skins had distressed us sore,--who, +indeed, would lay him down by a beast of the sea?--but she wrought +a deliverance for us. She took ambrosia [Footnote: ambrosia, the +food of the gods.], very sweet, and put it under each man's +nostrils, that it might do away with the stench of the beast. + +"So all the morning we waited with steadfast hearts. And the seals +came forth from the brine, and ranged them in order upon the +shore. And at noon the old man came forth out of the sea, and went +along the line of the sea-beasts, and counted them. Us, too, he +counted among them, and perceived not our device; and after that +he laid him down to sleep. Then we rushed upon him with a cry, and +held him fast; nor did he forget his cunning, for he became a +bearded lion, and a snake, and a leopard, and a great wild boar. +Also he took the shape of running water, and of a flowering tree. +And all the while we held him fast. When at last he was weary, he +said, 'Which of the gods, son of Atreus [Footnote: A'-treus.], +bade thee thus waylay me?' But I answered him: 'Wherefore dost +thou beguile me, old man, with crooked words? I am held fast in +this isle, and can find no escape therefrom. Tell me now which of +the gods hindereth me, and how I may return across the sea?' The +old man made reply: 'Thou shouldst have done sacrifice to Zeus and +the other gods before embarking, if thou wouldst have reached thy +native country with speed. But now thou must go again to the river +AEgyptus, and make offerings to the gods; then they will grant +that which thou desirest.' Then was my spirit broken within me, +when I heard that I must cross again this weary way, but I said: +'Old man, I will do all thy bidding. But tell me now, I pray thee, +did the other Greeks, whom Nestor and I left behind us in Troy, +return safe to their homes, or perished any by an evil death on +board of his ship or among his friends?' To this the old man made +reply: 'Thou doest ill to ask such things, for thou wilt weep to +hear them. Thy brother indeed escaped from the fates of the sea; +but the storm-wind carried him to the land where Aegisthus dwelt. +And when Agamemnon [Footnote: Ag-a-mem'-non.]set foot upon his +native land, he kissed it, weeping hot tears, so glad was he to +see it again. And Aegisthus set an ambush for him, and slew him +and all his companions.' Then I wept sore, caring not to live any +more. But the old man said: 'Weep not, son of Atreus, for there is +no help in tears. Rather make haste to return, that thou mayest +take vengeance on AEgisthus.'[Footnote: AE-gis'-thus.] So he +spake, and my heart was comforted within me, and I said: 'There is +yet another of whom I would fain hear. Is he yet alive, wandering +on the deep, or is he dead? Speak, though it grieve me to hear.' +Straightway the old man answered: 'It is the son of Laertes of +whom thou speakest. Him I saw in an island, even in the dwelling +of Calypso; and he was shedding great tears, because the nymph +keeps him there by force, so that he may not come to his own +country, for he hath neither ship nor comrades.' So spake Proteus, +and plunged into the sea. The next day we went back to the river +AEgyptus, the stream that is fed from heaven, and offered +sacrifice to the gods. And I made a great burial mound for +Agamemnon, my brother, that his name might not be forgotten among +men. And when these things had been duly performed, I set sail, +and came back to my own country, for the gods gave me a fair wind. +But do thou tarry now in my halls. And when thou art minded to go, +I will give thee a chariot and three horses with it, and a goodly +cup also, from which thou mayest pour offerings to the gods." + +To him Telemachus made reply: "Keep me not long, son of Atreus, +for my company wait for me in Pylos, though indeed I would be +content to stay with thee for a whole year, nor would any longing +for my home come over me. And let any gift thou givest me be a +thing for me to treasure. But I will take no horses to Ithaca. +Rather let them stay here and grace thy home, for thou art lord of +a wide plain where there is wheat and rye and barley. But in +Ithaca there is no meadow land. It is a pasture land of goats, yet +verily it is more pleasant to my eyes than as if it were a fit +feeding-place for horses." + +Then said Menelaus: "Thou speakest well, as becometh the son of +thy father. Come, now, I will change the gifts. Of all the +treasures in my house, I will give thee the goodliest, especially +a bowl which the King of the Sidonians gave me. Of silver it is, +and the lips are finished with gold." + +Now it had been made known meanwhile to the suitors in Ithaca that +Telemachus was gone upon this journey seeking his father, and the +thing displeased them much. And after they had held counsel about +the matter, it seemed best that they should lay an ambush against +him, and should slay him as he came back to his home. So Antinous +took twenty men and departed, purposing to lie in wait in the +strait between Ithaca and Samos.[Footnote: Sa'-mos.] + +Nor was this plan unknown to Penelope, for the herald Medon +[Footnote: Me'-don.]had heard it, and he told her how Telemachus +had gone seeking news of his father, and how the suitors purposed +to slay him as he returned. And she called her women, old and +young, and rebuked them, saying: "Wicked ye were, for ye knew that +he was about to go, and did not rouse me from my bed. Surely I +would have kept him, eager though he was, from his journey!" + +Then said Eurycleia: "Slay me, if thou wilt, but I will hide +nothing from thee. I knew his purpose, and I furnished him with +such things as he needed. But he made me swear that I would not +tell thee till the eleventh or the twelfth day was come. But go +with thy maidens and make thy prayer to Athene that she will save +him, from death; for this house is not altogether hated by the +gods." + +Then Penelope, having duly prepared herself, went with her maidens +to the upper chamber, and prayed aloud to Athene that she would +save her son. And the suitors heard her praying, and said, "Surely +the Queen prays, thinking of her marriage, nor knows that death is +near to her son." + +Then she lay down to sleep, and while she slept Athene sent her a +dream in the likeness of her sister. And the vision stood over her +head and spake: "Sleepest thou, Penelope? The gods would not have +thee grieve, for thy son shall surely return." + +And Penelope said: "How camest thou here, my sister? For thy +dwelling is far away. And how can I cease to weep when my husband +is lost? And now my son is gone, and I am sore afraid for him, +lest his enemies slay him." + +But the vision answered: "Fear not at all; for there is a mighty +helper with him, even Athene, who hath bid me tell thee these +things." + +Then Penelope said: "If thou art a goddess, tell me this. Is my +husband yet alive?" + +But the vision answered, "That I cannot say, whether he be alive +or dead." And so saying, it vanished into air. + +And Penelope woke from her sleep, and her heart was comforted. + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +ULYSSES ON HIS RAFT + + +Again the gods sate in council on high Olympus, and Athene spake +among them, saying: + +"Now let no king be minded to do righteously, for see how there is +no man that remembereth Ulysses, who was as a father to his +people. And he lieth far off, fast bound in Calypso's isle, and +hath no ship to take him to his own country. Also the suitors are +set upon slaying his son, who is gone to Pylos and to Lacedaemon, +that he may get tidings of his father." + +To her Zeus made answer: "What is this that thou sayest? Didst not +thou thyself plan this in order that the vengeance of Ulysses +might be wrought upon the suitors? As for Telemachus, guide him by +thy skill, as well thou mayest, so that he may come to his own +land unharmed, and the suitors may have their labour in vain." + +Also he said to Hermes: "Hermes, go to the nymph Calypso, and tell +her my sure purpose that Ulysses shall now come back to his home." + +So Hermes put on his golden sandals, and took his wand in his +hand, and came to the island of Ogygia [Footnote: O-gyg'-i-a.], +and to the cave where Calypso dwelt. A fair place it was. In the +cave was burning a fire of sweet-smelling wood, and Calypso sat at +her loom, and sang with a lovely voice. And round about the cave +was a grove of alders and poplars and cypresses, wherein many +birds, falcons and owls and sea crows, were wont to roost; and all +about the mouth of the cave was a vine with purple clusters of +grapes; and there were four fountains which streamed four ways +through meadows of parsley and violet. Very fair was the place, so +that even a god might marvel at it, and Hermes stood and +marvelled. Then went he into the cave, and Calypso knew him when +she saw him face to face, for the gods know each other, even +though their dwellings be far apart. But Ulysses was not there, +for he sat, as was his wont, on the seashore, weeping and +groaning, because he might not see wife and home and country. + +Then Calypso said to Hermes: "Wherefore hast thou come hither, +Hermes of the golden wand? Welcome thou art, but it is long since +thou hast visited me. Tell me all thy thought, that I may fulfil +it if I may, but first follow me, that I may set food before +thee." + +So she spread a table with ambrosia, and set it by him, and mixed +the ruddy nectar [Footnote: nectar, the drink of the gods.]for +him, and the messenger ate and drank. So, when he had comforted +his soul with food, he spake, saying:-- + +"Thou questionest of my coming, and I will tell thee the truth. It +is by no wish of mine own that I come, for who would of his free +will pass over a sea so wide, wherein is no city of men that do +sacrifice to the gods? Zeus bade me come, and none may go against +the commands of Zeus. He saith that thou hast with thee a man more +wretched than all his companions who fought against Troy for nine +years and in the tenth year departed homeward. All the rest of his +company were lost, but him the waves carried thither. Now, +therefore, send him home with what speed thou mayest; for it is +not fated that he should die away from his friends. He shall see +again the high roof of his home and his native country." + +It vexed Calypso much to hear this, for she would fain have kept +Ulysses with her always, and she said:-- + +"Ye gods are always jealous when a goddess loves a mortal man. And +as for Ulysses, did not I save him when Zeus had smitten his ship +with a thunderbolt, and all his comrades had perished? And now let +him go--if it pleases Zeus. Only I cannot send him, for I have +neither ship nor rowers. Yet will I willingly teach him how he may +safely return." + +And Hermes said, "Do this thing speedily, lest Zeus be wroth with +thee." + +So he departed. And Calypso went seeking Ulysses, and found him on +the shore of the sea, looking out over the waters, and weeping, +for he was weary of his life, so much did he desire to see Ithaca +again. She stood by him and said:-- + +"Weary not for thy native country, nor waste thyself with tears. +If thou wilt go, I will speed thee on thy way. Take, therefore, +thine axe and cut thee beams, and join them together, and make a +deck upon them, and I will give thee bread and water and wine, and +clothe thee also, so that thou mayest return safe to thy native +country, for the gods will have it so." + +"Nay," said Ulysses, "what is this that thou sayest? Shall I pass +in a raft over the dreadful sea, over which even ships go not +without harm? I will not go against thy will; but thou must swear +the great oath of the gods that thou plannest no evil against me." + +Then Calypso smiled and said: "These are strange words. I swear +that I plan no harm against thee, but only such good as I would +ask myself, did I need it; for indeed my heart is not of iron, but +rather full of compassion." + +Then they two went to the cave and sat down to meat, and she set +before him food such as mortal men eat, but she herself ate +ambrosia and drank nectar. And afterwards she said:-- + +"Why art thou so eager for thy home? Surely if thou knewest all +the trouble that awaits thee, thou wouldst not go, but wouldst +rather dwell with me. And though thou desirest all the day long to +see thy wife, surely I am not less fair than she." + +"Be not angry," Ulysses made reply. "The wise Penelope cannot, +indeed, be compared to thee, for she is a mortal woman and thou +art a goddess. Yet is my home dear to me, and I would fain see it +again. Yea, and if some god should wreck me on the deep, yet would +I endure it with patient heart. Already have I suffered much, and +toiled much in perils of war and perils of the sea. And as to what +is yet to come, let it be added to what hath been." + +The next day Calypso gave him an axe with a handle of olive wood, +and an adze, and took him to the end of the island, where there +were great trees, long ago sapless and dry, alder and poplar and +pine. Of these he felled twenty, and lopped them and worked them +by the line. Then the goddess brought him an auger, and he made +holes in the logs and joined them with pegs. And he made decks and +side planking also; also a mast and a yard, and a rudder wherewith +to turn the raft. And he fenced it about with a bulwark of willow +twigs against the waves. The sails Calypso wove, and Ulysses +fitted them with braces and halyards and sheets. Last of all he +pushed the raft down to the sea with levers. + +On the fourth day all was finished, and on the fifth day he +departed. And Calypso gave him goodly garments, and a skin of +wine, and a skin of water, and rich food in a bag of leather. She +sent also a fair wind blowing behind, and Ulysses set his sails +and proceeded joyfully on his way; nor did he sleep, but watched +the stars, the Pleiades [Footnote: Plei'-a-des.] and Bootes +[Footnote: Bo-o'-tes.], and the Bear, which turneth ever in one +place, watching Orion.[Footnote: O-ri'-on.] For Calypso had said +to him, "Keep the Bear ever on thy left as thou passest over the +sea." + +Seventeen days he sailed; and on the eighteenth day appeared the +shadowy hills of the island of the Phaeacians. [Footnote: Phae-a'- +ci-ans.] But now Poseidon, coming back from feasting with the +Ethiopians, spied him as he sailed, and it angered him to the +heart. He shook his head, and spake to himself, saying: "Verily, +the gods must have changed their purpose concerning Ulysses while +I was absent among the Ethiopians; and now he is nigh to the +island of the Phaeacians, and if he reach it, he will escape from +his woes. Yet even now I will send him far enough on a way of +trouble." + +Thereupon he gathered the clouds, and troubled the waters of the +deep, holding his trident in his hand. And he raised a storm of +all the winds that blow, and covered the land and the sea with +clouds. + +Sore troubled was Ulysses, and said to himself: "It was truth that +Calypso spake when she said that I should suffer many troubles +returning to my home. Would that I had died that day when many a +spear was cast by the men of Troy over the dead Achilles. Then +would the Greeks have buried me; but now shall I perish +miserably." + +And as he spake a great wave struck the raft and tossed him far +away, so that he dropped the rudder from his hand. Nor for a long +time could he rise, so deep was he sunk, and so heavy was the +goodly clothing which Calypso had given him. Yet at the last he +rose, and spat the salt water out of his mouth, and sprang at the +raft, and caught it, and sat thereon, and was borne hither and +thither by the waves. But Ino [Footnote: I'-no.] saw him and +pitied him--a woman she had been, and was now a goddess of the +sea,--and rose from the deep like to a sea-gull upon the wing, and +sat upon the raft, and spake, saying:-- + +"Luckless mortal, why doth Poseidon hate thee so? He shall not +slay thee, though he fain would do it. Put off these garments, and +swim to the land of Phaeacia, putting this veil under thy breast. +And when thou art come to the land, loose it from thee, and cast +it into the sea." + +Then the goddess gave him the veil, and dived again into the deep +as a sea-gull diveth, and the waves closed over her. Then Ulysses +pondered the matter, saying to himself: "Woe is me! can it be that +another of the gods is contriving a snare for me, bidding me leave +my raft? Verily, I will not yet obey her counsel, for the land, +when I saw it, seemed a long way off. I am resolved what to do; so +long as the raft will hold together, so long will I abide on it; +but when the waves shall break it asunder, then will I swim, for +nothing better may be done." + +But while he thought thus within himself, Poseidon sent another +great wave against the raft. As a stormy wind scattereth a heap of +husks, so did the wave scatter the timbers of the raft. But +Ulysses sat astride on a beam, as a man sitteth astride of a +horse; and he stripped off from him the goodly garments which +Calypso had given him, and put the veil under his breast, and so +leapt into the sea, stretching out his hands to swim. + +And Poseidon, when he saw him, shook his head, and said: "Even so +go wandering over the deep, till thou come to the land. Thou wilt +not say that thou hast not had trouble enough." + +But Athene, binding up the other winds, roused the swift north +wind, that so Ulysses might escape from death. + +So for two days and two nights he swam. But on the third day there +was a calm, and he saw the land from the top of a great wave, for +the waves were yet high, close at hand. But when he came near he +heard the waves breaking along the shore, for there was no harbour +there, but only cliffs and rugged rocks. + +Then at last the knees of Ulysses were loosened with fear, and his +heart was melted within him, and in heaviness of spirit he spake +to himself: "Woe is me! for now, when beyond all hope Zeus hath +given me the sight of land, there is no place where I may win to +shore from out of the sea. For the crags are sharp, and the waves +roar about them, and the smooth rock riseth sheer from the sea, +and the water is deep, so that I may gain no foothold. If I should +seek to land, then a great wave may dash me on the rocks. And if I +swim along the shore, to find some harbour, I fear lest the winds +may catch me again and bear me out into the deep; or it may be +that some god may send a monster of the sea against me; and verily +there are many such in the sea-pastures, and I know that Poseidon +is very wroth against me." + +While he pondered these things in his heart a great wave bare him +to the rocks. Then would his skin have been stripped from him and +all his bones broken, had not Athene put a thought into his heart. +For he rushed in towards the shore, and clutched the rock with +both his hands, and clung thereto till the wave had passed. But as +it ebbed back, it caught him, and carried him again into the deep. +Even as a cuttle-fish is dragged from out its hole in the rock, so +was he dragged by the water, and the skin was stripped from his +hand against the rocks. Then would Ulysses have perished, if +Athene had not put a plan in his heart. He swam outside the +breakers, along the shore, looking for a place where the waves +might be broken, or there should be a harbour. At last he came to +where a river ran into the sea. Free was the place of rocks, and +sheltered from the wind, and Ulysses felt the stream of the river +as he ran. Then he prayed to the river-god:-- + +"Hear me, O King, whosoever thou art. I am come to thee, fleeing +from the wrath of Poseidon. Save me, O King." + +Thereupon the river stayed his stream, and made the water smooth +before Ulysses, so that at last he won his way to the land. His +knees were bent under him, and his hands dropped at his side, and +the salt water ran out from his mouth and nostrils. Breathless was +he, and speechless; but when he came to himself, he loosed the +veil from under his breast, and cast it into the salt stream of +the river and the stream bare it to the sea, and Ino came up and +caught it in her hands. + +Then he lay down on the rushes by the bank of the river and kissed +the earth, thinking within himself: "What now shall I do? for if I +sleep here by the river, I fear that the dew and the frost may +slay me; for indeed in the morning-time the wind from the river +blows cold. And if I go up to the wood, to lay me down to sleep in +the thicket, I fear that some evil beast may devour me." + +But it seemed better to go to the wood. So he went. Now this was +close to the river, and he found two bushes, one of wild olive, +and the other of fruitful olive. So thickly grown together were +they that the winds blew not through them, nor did the sun pierce +them, nor yet the rain. Ulysses crept thereunder, and found a +great pile of leaves, shelter enough for two or three, even in +winter time, when the rain is heavy. Then did Ulysses rejoice, +laying himself in the midst, and covering himself with leaves. And +Athene sent down upon his eyelids deep sleep, that might ease him +of his toil. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +NAUSICAA [Footnote: Nau-sic'-a-a.] + + +Meanwhile Athene went to the city of Phaeacians, to the palace of +Alcinous [Footnote: Al-cin'-o-us.], their King. There she betook +her to the chamber where slept Nausicaa, daughter of the King, a +maiden fair as are the gods. The goddess stood above the maiden, +in the likeness of a girl that was of equal age with her, and had +found favour in her sight. + +Athene spake, saying: "Why hath thy mother so careless a child, +Nausicaa? Lo! thy raiment lieth unwashed, and yet the day of thy +marriage is at hand, when thou must have fair clothing for +thyself, and to give to them that shall lead thee to thy +bridegroom's house; for thus doth a bride win good repute. Do thou +therefore arise with the day, and go to wash the raiment, and I +will go with thee. Ask thy father betimes in the morning to give +thee mules and a wagon to carry the raiment and the robes. Also it +is more becoming for thee to ride than to go on foot, for the +washing places are far from the city." + +And when the morning was come, Nausicaa awoke, marvelling at the +dream, and went seeking her parents. Her mother she found busy +with her maidens at the loom, spinning yarn dyed with purple of +the sea, and her father she met as he was going to the council +with the chiefs of the land. Then she said: "Give me, father, the +wagon with the mules, that I may take the garments to the river to +wash them. Thou shouldest always have clean robes when thou goest +to the council; and there are my five brothers also, who love to +have newly washed garments at the dance." + +But of her own marriage she said nothing. And her father, knowing +her thoughts, said: "I grudge thee not, dear child, the mules or +aught else. The men shall harness for thee a wagon with strong +wheels and fitted also with a frame." + +Then he called to the men, and they made ready the wagon, and +harnessed the mules; and the maiden brought the raiment out of her +chamber, and put it in the wagon. Also her mother filled a basket +with all manner of food, and poured wine in a goat-skin bottle. +Olive oil also she gave her, that Nausicaa and her maidens might +anoint themselves after the bath. And Nausicaa took the reins, and +touched the mules with the whip. Then was there a clatter of +hoofs, and the mules went on with their load, nor did they grow +weary. + +When they came to the river, where was water enough for the +washing of raiment, the maidens loosed the mules from the chariot, +and set them free to graze in the sweet clover by the river-bank. +Then they took the raiment from the wagon, and bare it to the +river, and trod it in the trenches. And when they had cleansed all +the garments, they laid them on the shore of the sea, where the +waves had washed the pebbles clean. After that they bathed, and +anointed themselves; and then they sat down to eat and drink by +the river-side; and after the meal they played at ball, singing as +they played, and Nausicaa led the song. And Nausicaa was fairer +than all the maidens. And when they had ended their play, and were +yoking the mules, and folding up the raiment, then Athene +contrived that the princess, throwing the ball to one of her +maidens, cast it so wide that it fell into the river. Thereupon +they all cried aloud, and Ulysses awoke. And he said to himself: +"What is this land to which I have come? Are they that dwell +therein fierce or kind to strangers? Just now I seemed to hear the +voice of nymphs [Footnote: nymphs, spirits of the woods and +waters], or am I near the dwellings of men?" + +Then he twisted a leafy bough about his loins, and rose up and +went towards the maidens, who were frightened to see him (for he +was wild-looking), and fled hither and thither. But Nausicaa stood +and fled not. Then Ulysses cried, saying:-- + +"O Queen, whether thou art a goddess, I know not. But if thou art +a mortal, happy are thy father and mother, and happy thy brothers, +and happiest of all he who shall win thee in marriage. Never have +I seen man or woman so fair. Thou art like a young palm tree that +but lately I saw springing by the temple of the god. But as for +me, I have been cast on this shore, having come from the island of +Ogygia. Pity me, then, and lead me to the city, and give me +something, a wrapper of this linen, maybe, to put about me. So may +the gods give thee all blessings!" + +And Nausicaa made answer: "Thou seemest, stranger, to be neither +evil nor foolish. Thou shalt not lack clothing or food, and I will +take thee to the city. Know also that this land is Phaeacia, and +that I am daughter to Alcinous, who is king thereof." + +Then she called to her maidens: "What mean ye to flee when ye see +a man? No enemy comes hither to harm us, for we are dear to the +gods, and also we live in an island of the sea, so that men may +not approach to work us wrong. If one cometh here overcome by +trouble, it is well to help him. Give this man, therefore, food +and drink, and wash him in the river, where there is shelter from +the wind." + +So they brought him down to the river, and gave him clothing, and +also olive-oil in a flask of gold. Then, at his bidding, they +departed a little space, and he washed the salt from his skin and +out of his hair, and anointed himself, and put on the clothing. +And Athene made him taller and fairer to see, and caused the hair +to be thick on his head, in colour as a hyacinth. Then he sat down +on the seashore, right beautiful to behold, and the maiden said:-- + +"Not without the bidding of the gods comes this man to our land. +Before, indeed, I deemed him uncomely, but now he seems like to +the gods. I should be well content to have such a man for a +husband, and maybe he might will to abide in this land. Give him, +ye maidens, food and drink." + +So they gave him, and he ate ravenously, having fasted long. Then +Nausicaa bade yoke the mules, and said to Ulysses:-- + +"Arise, stranger, come with me, that I may bring thee to the house +of my father. But do thou as I shall tell thee. So long as we +shall be passing through the fields, follow quickly with the +maidens behind the chariot. But when we shall come to the city, +--thou wilt see a high wall and a harbour on either side of the +narrow way that leadeth to the gate,--then follow the chariot no +more. Hard by the wall is a grove of Athene, a grove of poplars, +with a spring in the midst, and a meadow round about; there abide +till I have reached the house of my father. For I would not that +the people should speak lightly of me. And I doubt not that were +thou with me some one would say: `Who is this stranger, tall and +fair, that cometh with Nausicaa? Will he be her husband? Perchance +it is some god who has come down at her prayer, or a man from far +away; for she scorns us men of Phaeacia.' It would be a shame that +such words should be spoken. But when thou shalt judge that I have +come to the palace, then go up thyself and ask for my father's +house. Any one, even a child, can show it thee, for the other +Phaeacians dwell not in such. And when thou art come within the +doors, pass quickly through the hall to where my mother sits. +Close to the hearth is her seat, and my father's hard by, where he +sits with the wine-cup in his hand as a god. Pass him by, and +kneel to my mother, and pray her that she give thee safe return to +thy country." + +Then she smote the mules with the whip. Quickly did they leave the +river behind them; but the maiden was heedful to drive them so +that Ulysses and the maidens might be able to follow on foot. At +sunset they came to the sacred grove of Athene, and there Ulysses +sat him down, and prayed to Athene, saying, "Hear me, now, O +daughter of Zeus, and grant that this people may look upon me with +pity." + +So he spake, and Athene heard him, but showed not herself to him, +face to face, for she feared the wrath of her uncle Poseidon. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +ALCINOUS + + +Nausicaa came to her father's house, and there her brothers +unyoked the mules from the wagon, and carried the garments into +the house; and the maiden went to her chamber, where a nurse +kindled for her a fire, and prepared a meal. + +At the same time Ulysses rose to go to the city; and Athene spread +a mist about him, for she would not that any of the Phaeacians +should see him and mock him. And when he was now about to enter +the city, the goddess took upon herself the shape of a young +maiden carrying a pitcher, and met him. + +Then Ulysses asked her: "My child, canst thou tell me where dwells +Alcinous? for I am a stranger in this place." + +She answered: "I will show thee, for he dwells near to my own +father. But be thou silent, for we Phaeacians love not strangers +over much." + +Then Athene led the way, and Ulysses followed after her; and much +he marvelled, as he went, at the harbours, and the ships, and the +places of assembly, and the walls. And when they came to the +palace, Athene said: "This is the place for which thou didst +inquire. Enter in; here thou shalt find kings at the feast; but be +not afraid; the fearless man ever fares the best. And look thou +first for Queen Arete.[Footnote: A-re'-te.] If she be well +disposed to thee, doubtless thou wilt see thy native country +again." + +Having thus spoken, Athene departed, and Ulysses entered the +palace. In it there was a gleam as of the sun or the moon. + +A wondrous place it was, with walls of brass and doors of gold, +hanging on posts of silver; and on either side of the door were +dogs of gold and silver, and against the wall, all along from the +threshold to the inner chamber, were set seats, on which sat the +chiefs of the Phaeacians, feasting; and youths wrought in gold +stood holding torches in their hands, to give light in the +darkness. Fifty women were in the house, grinding corn and weaving +robes, for the women of the land are no less skilled to weave than +are the men to sail the sea. And round about the house were +beautiful gardens, with orchards of fig, and apple, and pear, and +pomegranate, and olive. Drought hurts them not, nor frost, and +harvest comes after harvest without ceasing. Also there was a +vineyard; and some of the grapes were parching in the sun, and +some were being gathered, and some again were but just turning +red. And there were beds of all manner of flowers; and in the +midst of all were two fountains which never failed. + +These things Ulysses regarded for a space, and then passed into +the hall. And there the chiefs of Phaeacia were drinking their +last cup to Hermes. Quickly he passed through them, and put his +hands on the knees of Arete and said--and as he spake the mist +cleared from about him, and all that were in the hall beheld +him:-- + +"I implore thee, and thy husband, and thy guests, to send me home +to my native country. The gods bless thee and them, and grant you +to live in peace, and that your children should come peacefully +after you!" + +And he sat down in the ashes of the hearth. Then for a space all +were silent, but at the last spake Echeneus [Footnote: E-che-ne'- +us.], who was the oldest man in the land:-- + +"King Alcinous, this ill becomes you that this man should sit in +the ashes of the hearth. Raise him and bid him sit upon a seat, +and let us pour out an offering to Father Zeus, who is the friend +of strangers, and let the keeper of the house give him meat and +drink." + +And Alcinous did so, bidding his eldest born, Laodamas [Footnote: +La-o'-da-mas.], rise from his seat. And an attendant poured water +on his hands, and the keeper of the house gave him meat and drink. +Then, when all had poured out an offering to Father Zeus, King +Alcinous spake, saying: "In the morning we will call an assembly +of the people, and consider how we may take this stranger to his +home, so that he may reach it without trouble or pain. Home will +we take him without hurt, but what things may befall him there, we +know not; these shall be as the Fates spun his thread. But, if he +is a god and not a man, then is this a new device of the gods. For +heretofore they have shown themselves openly in our midst, when we +offer sacrifice, and sit by our sides at feasts. Yea, and if a +traveller meet them on the way, they use no disguise, for indeed +they are near of kin to us." + +Then spake Ulysses: "Think not such things within thy heart, O +King! I am no god but one that is most miserable among the sons of +men. Of many woes might I tell. Nevertheless, suffer me to eat; +for, however sad a man may be, yet he must eat and drink. But when +the day cometh, bestir yourselves, and carry me to my home. Fain +would I die if I could see my home again!" + +And they answered that it should be so, and went each to his home. +Only Ulysses was left in the hall, and Alcinous and Arete with +him. And Arete recognized his clothing, and said:-- + +"Whence art thou, stranger? and who gave thee these garments?" + +So Ulysses told her how he had come from the island of Calypso, +and what he had suffered, and how Nausicaa had found him on the +shore, and had guided him to the city. + +And Alcinous blamed the maiden because she had not herself brought +him to the house. "Nay," said Ulysses, "she would have brought me, +but I would not, fearing thy wrath." For he would not have the +maiden blamed. + +Then said Alcinous: "I am not one to be angered for such cause. +Gladly would I have such a one as thou art to be my son-in-law, +and I would give him house and wealth. But no one would I hold +against his will. As for sending thee to thy home, that is easy; +thou shalt lay thee down to sleep, and my men shalt smite the sea +with oars, and take thee whithersoever thou wilt, even though it +be to the furthest of all lands. For verily my ships are the best +that sail the sea, and my young men the most skilful of all that +ply the oar." + +So he spake, and Ulysses rejoiced to hear his words. And he prayed +within himself, "Grant, Father Zeus, that Alcinous may fulfil all +that he hath said, and that I may come to my own land!" + +Then Arete bade her handmaids prepare a bed for the stranger. So +they went from the hall, with torches in their hands, and made it +ready. And when they had ended they called Ulysses, saying, "Up, +stranger, and sleep, for thy bed is ready." + +Right glad was he to sleep after all that he had endured. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +THE PHAEACIANS + + +The next day the King arose at dawn, as also did Ulysses, and the +King led the way to the place of assembly. Meanwhile Athene, +wearing the guise of the King's herald, went throughout the city, +and to each man she said, "Come to the assembly, captains and +counsellors of the Phaeacians, that ye may learn concerning this +stranger, who hath lately come to the hall of Alcinous." + +So she roused their desire, and the place of assembly was filled +to the utmost; much did the men marvel to see Ulysses, for Athene +had poured marvellous grace upon him, making him fairer and taller +and stronger to see. + +Then the King rose up and spake: "Hearken, captains and +counsellors of the people, to what I say. This stranger hath come +to my hall; I know not who he is or whence he comes, whether it be +from the rising or the setting of the sun; and he prays that he +may be safely carried to his home. Let us therefore choose a ship +that hath never sailed before, and two and fifty youths that are +the best to ply the oar; and when ye have made ready the ship, +then come to my house and feast; I will provide well for all. Bid. +also, Demodocus [Footnote: De-mod'-o-cus.] the minstrel to come, +for the gods have given to him above all others the gift of song +wherewith to rejoice the hearts of men." + +Then they did as the King counselled. They made ready the ship, +and moored her by the shore, and after that they went to the +palace of the King. From one end thereof to the other it was +crowded, for many were there, both young and old. And Alcinous +slew for them twelve sheep, and eight swine, and two oxen; and his +men prepared for the people a goodly feast. + +Then came the servants of the King, leading the blind minstrel by +the hand. The servants set him in a silver chair, in the midst of +the guests, and hung a harp above his head, and showed him how he +might reach his hand to take it. And close by his side they placed +a table and a basket and a cup of wine, that he might drink at his +pleasure. + +So the Phaeacians feasted in the hall; and when they had had +enough of meat and drink, then the minstrel sang. He sang a song, +the fame of which had reached to heaven, of the quarrel between +Ulysses and Achilles, when they were fighting to capture Troy. + +But as the minstrel sang, Ulysses held his purple cloak before his +face, for he was ashamed to weep in the sight of the people. +Whensoever the singer ceased from his song, then did Ulysses wipe +away the tears; but when he began again, for the chiefs loved to +hear the song, then again he covered his face and wept. But none +noted the thing but Alcinous. + +Then the King said to the chiefs, "Now that we have feasted and +delighted ourselves with song, let us go forth, that this stranger +may see that we are skilful in boxing and wrestling and running." + +Then stood up many Phaeacian youths, and the fairest and strongest +of them all was Laodamas, eldest son to the King, and they ran a +race, and wrestled, and threw quoits, and leaped. + +Then Laodamas said to Ulysses, "Wilt thou not try thy skill in +some game, and put away the trouble from thy heart?" + +But Ulysses answered: "Why askest thou this? I think of my +troubles rather than of sport, and care only that I may see again +my home." + +Then said another: "And in very truth, stranger, thou hast not the +look of a wrestler or boxer. Rather would one judge thee to be +some trader, who sails over the sea for gain." + +"Nay," answered Ulysses, "this is ill said. True it is that the +gods give not all gifts to all men, beauty to one, and sweet +speech to another. Fair of form art thou; no god could better +thee; but thou speakest idle words. I am not unskilled in these +things, but stood among the first in the old days; but since have +I suffered much in battle and shipwreck. Yet will I make trial of +my strength, for thy words have angered me." + +Whereupon, clad in his mantle as he was, he took a quoit, heavier +far than such as the Phaeacians were wont to throw, and sent it +with a whirl. It flew through the air, so that the brave +Phaeacians crouched to the ground in fear, and it fell far beyond +all the rest. + +Then Athene, for she had taken upon herself the guise of a +Phaeacian man, marked the place where it fell, and spake, saying: +"Stranger, verily, even a blind man might find this token of thy +strength, for it is not lost among the others, but lies far beyond +them. Be of good courage, therefore, in this contest; none of the +Phaeacians shall surpass thee." + +Then was Ulysses glad, seeing that he had a friend among the +people, and he said: "Now match this throw, young men, if ye can. +Soon will I cast another after it, as far, or further yet. And, if +any man is so minded, let him rise up and contend with me, for I +will match myself in wrestling or boxing, or even in the race, +with any man in Phaeacia, save Laodamas only, for he is my friend. +I can shoot with the bow; and I can cast a spear as far as other +men can shoot an arrow. But as for the race, it may be that some +one might outrun me, for I have suffered much on the sea." + +But they were all silent, till the King stood up and said: "Thou +hast spoken well. But we men of Phaeacia are not mighty to wrestle +or to box; only we are swift of foot and skilful to sail upon the +sea. And we love feasts, and dances, and the harp, and gay +clothing, and the bath. In these things no man may surpass us." + +Then the King bade Demodocus the minstrel to sing again. And when +he had done so, the King's two sons danced together; and +afterwards they played with the ball, throwing it into the air, +cloud high, and catching it right skilfully. + +And afterwards the King said: "Let us each give this stranger a +mantle and a tunic and a talent of gold." + +Then all the princes brought their gifts. And Alcinous said to the +Queen: "Lady, bring hither a chest, the best that thou hast, and +put therein a robe and a tunic. And I will give our guest a fair +golden cup of my own, that he may remember me all the days of his +life, when he poureth out offerings to the gods." + +Then the Queen brought from her chamber a fair chest, and put +therein the gifts which the princes had given; also with her own +hands she put therein a robe and a tunic. And she said:-- + +"Look now to the lid, and tie a knot, that no man rob thee by the +way, when thou sleepest in the ship." + +So Ulysses fixed well the lid, and tied it with a cunning knot +which Circe had taught him. After that he went to the bath. As he +came from the bath Nausicaa met him by the entering in of the +hall, and marvelled at him, so fair was he to look upon. And she +spake, saying: "Stranger, farewell. But when thou comest to thine +own country, think upon me once and again, for indeed thou owest +to me the price of thy life." + +Ulysses made answer to her, "Nausicaa, if Zeus grant me safe +return to my home, I will do honour to thee as to a goddess, +forever; for indeed I owe thee my life." + +Then he went into the hall, and sat down by the side of the King, +and the squire came leading the blind minstrel by the hand. Now +Ulysses had cut off a rich portion from the chine [Footnote: +chine, backbone.] of a boar that had been set before him, and he +said to the squire: "Take this and give it to Demodocus, for the +minstrel should be held in honour by men." + +So the squire bare the dish, and set it on the knees of the +minstrel, rejoicing his heart. + +When they all had had enough of food and drink, then Ulysses spake +to the minstrel, saying: "Demodocus, I know not whether the gods +have taught thee, but of a truth thou singest of all the toil and +trouble that the Greeks endured before the great city of Troy as +if thou hadst thyself been there. Come, now, sing to us of the +Horse of Wood, and how Ulysses contrived that it should be taken +up into the citadel of Troy when he had filled it with the bravest +of the chiefs. Sing me this aright, and I will bear witness for +thee that thou art indeed a minstrel whom the gods have taught." + +Then did the minstrel sing this song. He told how one part of the +Greeks set fire to their camp, and embarked upon their ships, and +sailed away; and how the other part--Ulysses and his comrades--sat +hidden in the Horse which the men of Troy had dragged with their +own hands into their place of assembly. All about sat the people, +and three counsels were given. The first was to cleave the wood, +and the second to drag it to the brow of the hill and cast it down +thence, and the third to leave it as an offering to the gods; and +the third counsel prevailed, for it was the doom of the city that +it should perish through the Horse. + +Also the minstrel sang how the chiefs came forth from the Horse, +and went through the city, wasting it; and much also of Ulysses +and his brave deeds. + +Thus did the minstrel sing, and the heart of Ulysses was melted +within him as he listened, and the tears ran down his cheeks. + +But none of the company, save King Alcinous only, noticed this. +Then the King spake, saying: "Hearken, ye princes of the +Phaeacians, and let Demodocus cease from his singing, for since he +set his hand to the harp, this stranger hath not ceased to weep. +Let, therefore, the minstrel cease, and let us make merry and +rejoice as it is fitting to do. Are we not met together that we +may give gifts to this stranger, and send him to his home? And +hide not thou, stranger, from us aught that I shall ask thee. Tell +us by what name they call thee at home, for no man lacketh a name. +Tell us also of thy land and thy city, that our ships may shape +their course to take thee thither. For these are not as the ships +of other men, that have steersmen and rudders. They have an +understanding of their own, and know all the cities of men, and +they pass over the deep, covered with cloud, and have no fear of +wreck. But my father was wont to say that Poseidon bore a grudge +against us because we carry all men safely to their homes; and +that one day he would smite a ship of ours as it came home from +such an errand, changing it to a rock that should overshadow our +city. But thou, stranger, tell us of thyself,--whither thou hast +wandered, and what cities thou hast seen, be they cities of the +unrighteous, or cities of them that are hospitable to strangers +and fear the gods. Tell us, too, why thou didst weep at hearing of +the tale of Troy. Hadst thou, perchance, a kinsman, or a friend-- +for a wise friend is ever as a brother--among those that perished +at Troy?" + + + + +CHAPTER X + +THE CYCLOPS + +(THE TALE OF ULYSSES) + + +Then Ulysses answered the King, saying: "What shall I tell thee +first, and what last, for many sorrows have the gods laid upon me? +First, I will tell my name, that ye may know it, and that there +may be friendship between us, even when I shall be far away. I am +ULYSSES, SON OF LAERTES. In Ithaca I dwell. Many islands lie about +it, but Ithaca is furthest to the west, and the others face the +sun-rising. Very rugged is this island of Ithaca, but it is the +mother of brave men; verily, there is nothing dearer to a man than +his own country. Calypso, the fair goddess, would have had me +abide with her, to be her husband; but she did not prevail, +because there is nothing that a man loves more than his country +and his parents. But now I will tell thee of all the troubles that +the gods laid upon me as I journeyed from Troy. + +"The wind that bare me from Troy brought me to Ismarus [Footnote: +Is'-ma-rus.], which is a city of the Cicones.[Footnote: Ci'-co- +nes.] This I sacked, slaying the people that dwelt therein. But +the people of the city fetched their kinsmen that dwelt in the +mountains, and they overcame us, and drave us to our ships. Six +from each ship perished, but the remainder of us escaped from +death. + +"Then we sailed, stricken with grief for our dear comrades, yet +rejoicing that we had escaped from destruction. When we had sailed +a little space, Zeus sent the north wind against us with a mighty +storm, covering with clouds both land and sea, and the ships were +driven before it. So we lowered the sails, and rowed the ships to +the land with all our might. For two days we endured much distress +and sorrow, but on the third, when the morning light appeared, we +hoisted the sails and rested. Then I should have come to my own +country, but the north wind and the sea drave me from my course. +For nine days did the wind carry us before it. + +"And on the tenth day we came to the land where the lotus grows--a +wondrous fruit, for whoever eats of it cares not to see country or +wife or children again. Now the Lotus-eaters, for so the people of +the land are called, were a kindly folk, and gave of the fruit to +some of the sailors, not meaning them any harm, but thinking it to +be the best that they had to give. These, when they had eaten, +said that they would not sail any more over the sea; and, when I +heard this, I bade their comrades bind them and carry them, sadly +complaining, to the ships. + +"Then, the wind having abated, we took to our oars, and rowed for +many days till we came to the country where the Cyclopes +[Footnote: Cy-clo'-pes.] dwell. Now a mile or so from the shore +there was an island, very fair and fertile, but no man dwells +there or tills the soil, and in the island a harbour where a ship +may be safe from all winds, and at the head of the harbour a +stream falling from a rock, and whispering alders all about it. +Into this the ships passed safely, and were hauled up on the +beach, and the crews slept by them, waiting for the morning. + +"When the dawn appeared, we wandered through the island; and the +Nymphs of the land started the wild goats, that my company might +have food to eat. Thereupon we took our bows and our spears from +the ships, and shot at the goats; and the gods gave us plenty of +prey. Twelve ships I had in my company, and each ship had nine +goats for its share, and my own portion was ten. + +"Then all the day we sat and feasted, drinking sweet wine which we +had taken from the city of the Cicones, and eating the flesh of +the goats; and as we sat we looked across to the land of the +Cyclops, seeing the smoke and hearing the voices of the men and of +the sheep and of the goats. And when the sun set and darkness came +over the land, we lay down upon the seashore and slept. + +"The next day I gathered my men together, and said, 'Abide ye +here, dear friends; I with my own ship and my own company will go +and find whether the folk that dwell in yonder island are just or +unjust.' + +"So I climbed into my ship, and bade my company follow me: so we +came to the land of the Cyclops. Close to the shore was a cave, +with laurels round about the mouth. This was the dwelling of the +Cyclops. Alone he dwelt, a creature without law. Nor was he like +to mortal men, but rather to some wooded peak of the hills that +stands out apart from all the rest. + +"Then I bade the rest of my comrades abide by the ship, and keep +it, but I took twelve men, the bravest that there were in the +crew, and went forth. I had with me a goat-skin full of the wine, +dark red, and sweet, which the priest of Apollo [Footnote: A-pol'- +lo.] at Ismarus had given me. So precious was it that none in his +house knew of it saving himself and his wife. When they drank of +it they mixed twenty measures of water with one of wine, and the +smell that went up from it was wondrous sweet. No man could easily +refrain from drinking it. With this wine I filled a great skin and +bore it with me; also I bare corn in a pouch, for my heart within +me told me that I should need it. + +"So we entered the cave, and judged that it was the dwelling of +some rich and skilful shepherd. For within there were pens for the +young of the sheep and of the goats, divided all according to +their age, and there were baskets full of cheeses, and full +milkpails ranged along the wall. But the Cyclops himself was away +in the pastures. Then my companions besought me that I would +depart, taking with me, if I would, a store of cheeses and some of +the lambs and of the kids. But I would not, for I wished to see +what manner of host this strange shepherd might be, and, if it +might be, to take a gift from his hand, such as is the due of +strangers. Verily, his coming was not to be a joy to my company. + +"It was evening when the Cyclops came home, a mighty giant, very +tall of stature, and when we saw him we fled into the cave in +great fear. On his shoulder he bore a vast bundle of pine logs for +his fire, and threw them down outside the cave great crash, and +drove the flocks within, and closed the entrance with a huge rock, +which twenty wagons and more could not bear. Then he milked the +ewes and all the she-goats, and half of the milk he curdled for +cheese, and half he set ready for himself, when he should sup. +Next he kindled a fire with the pine logs, and the flame lighted +up all the cave, showing to him both me and my comrades. + +"'Who are ye?' cried Polyphemus [Footnote: Pol-y-phe'-mus.], for +that was the giant's name. 'Are ye traders or pirates?' + +"I shuddered at the dreadful voice and shape, but bare me bravely, +and answered: 'We are no pirates, mighty sir, but Greeks sailing +back from Troy, and subjects of the great King Agamemnon, whose +fame is spread from one end of heaven to the other. And we are +come to beg hospitality of thee in the name of Zeus, who rewards +or punishes hosts and guests according as they be faithful the one +to the other, or no.' + +"'Nay,' said the giant; 'it is but idle talk to tell me of Zeus +and the other gods. We Cyclopes take no account of gods, holding +ourselves to be much better and stronger than they. But come, tell +me where have you left your ship?' + +"But I saw his thought when he asked about the ship, for he was +minded to break it, and take from us all hope of flight. Therefore +I answered him craftily:-- + +"Ship have we none, for that which was ours King Poseidon brake, +driving it on a jutting rock on this coast, and we whom thou seest +are all that are escaped from the waves." + +"Polyphemus answered nothing, but without more ado caught up two +of the men, as a man might catch up the pups of a dog, and dashed +them on the ground, and tare them limb from limb, and devoured +them, with huge draughts of milk between, leaving not a morsel, +not even the very bones. But we that were left, when we saw the +dreadful deed, could only weep and pray to Zeus for help. And when +the giant had filled his maw with human flesh and with the milk of +the flocks, he lay down among his sheep and slept. + +"Then I questioned much in my heart whether I should slay the +monster as he slept, for I doubted not that my good sword would +pierce to the giant's heart, mighty as he was. But my second +thought kept me back, for I remembered that if I should slay him, +I and my comrades would yet perish miserably. For who could move +away the great rock that lay against the door of the cave? So we +waited till the morning, with grief in our hearts. And the monster +woke, and milked his flocks, and afterwards, seizing two men, +devoured them for his meal. Then he went to the pastures, but put +the great rock on the mouth of the cave, just as a man puts down +the lid upon his quiver. + +"All that day I was thinking what I might best do to save myself +and my companions, and the end of my thinking was this. There was +a mighty pole in the cave, green wood of an olive tree, big as a +ship's mast, which Polyphemus purposed to use, when the smoke +should have dried it, as a walking-staff. Of this I cut off a +fathom's length, and my comrades sharpened it and hardened it in +the fire, and then hid it away. At evening the giant came back, +and drove his sheep into the cave, nor left the rams outside, as +he had been wont to do before, but shut them in. And having duly +done his shepherd's work, he took, as before, two of my comrades, +and devoured them. And when he had finished his supper, I came +forward, holding the wine-skin in my hand, and said:-- + +"'Drink, Cyclops, now that thou hast feasted. Drink, and see what +precious things we had in our ship. But no one hereafter will come +to thee with such, if thou dealest with strangers as cruelly as +thou hast dealt with us.' + +"Then the Cyclops drank, and was mightily pleased, and said: 'Give +me again to drink, and tell me thy name, stranger, and I will give +thee a gift such as a host should give. In good truth this is a +rare liquor. We, too, have vines, but they bear not wine like +this, which, indeed, must be such as the gods drink in heaven.' + +"Then I gave him the cup again, and he drank. Thrice I gave it to +him, and thrice he drank, not knowing what it was, and how it +would work within his brain. + +"Then I spake to him: 'Thou didst ask my name, Cyclops. My name is +No Man. And now that thou knowest my name, thou shouldest give me +thy gift.' + +"And he said: 'My gift shall be that I will eat thee last of all +thy company.' + +"And as he spake, he fell back in a drunken sleep. Then I bade my +comrades be of good courage, for the time was come when they +should be delivered. And they thrust the stake of olive wood into +the fire till it was ready, green as it was, to burst into flame, +and they thrust it into the monster's eye; for he had but one eye +and that was in the midst of his forehead, with the eyebrow below +it. And I, standing above, leaned with all my force upon the +stake, and turned it about, as a man bores the timber of a ship +with a drill. And the burning wood hissed in the eye, just as the +red-hot iron hisses in the water when a man seeks to temper steel +for a sword. + +"Then the giant leapt up, and tore away the stake, and cried +aloud, so that all the Cyclopes who dwelt on the mountain-side +heard him and came about his cave, asking him: `What aileth thee, +Polyphemus, that thou makest this uproar in the peaceful night, +driving away sleep? Is any one robbing thee of thy sheep, or +seeking to slay thee by craft or force?' And the giant answered, +`No Man slays me by craft.' + +"`Nay, but,' they said, `if no man does thee wrong, we cannot help +thee. The sickness which great Zeus may send, who can avoid? Pray +to our father, Poseidon, for help.' + +"So they spake, and I laughed in my heart when I saw how I had +deceived them by the name that I had given. + +"But the Cyclops rolled away the great stone from the door of the +cave, and sat in the midst, stretching out his hands, to feel +whether perchance the men within the cave would seek to go out +among the sheep. + +"Long did I think how I and my comrades should best escape. At +last I lighted upon a plan that seemed better than all the rest, +and much I thanked Zeus because this once the giant had driven the +rams with the other sheep into the cave. For, these being great +and strong, I fastened my comrades under the bellies of the +beasts, tying them with willow twigs, of which the giant made his +bed. One ram I took, and fastened a man beneath it, and two others +I set, one on either side. So I did with the six, for but six were +left out of the twelve who had ventured with me from the ship. And +there was one mighty ram, far larger than alt the others, and to +this I clung, grasping the fleece tight with both my hands. So we +all waited for the morning. And when the morning came, the rams +rushed forth to the pasture; but the giant sat in the door and +felt the back of each as it went by, nor thought to try what might +be underneath. Last of all went the great ram. And the Cyclops +knew him as he passed, and said:-- + +"'How is this, thou who art the leader of the flock? Thou art not +wont thus to lag behind. Thou hast always been the first to run to +the pastures and streams in the morning, and the first to come +back to the fold when evening fell; and now thou art last of all. +Perhaps thou art troubled about thy master's eye, which some +wretch--No Man, they call him--has destroyed. He has not escaped, +and I would that thou couldest speak, and tell me where he is +lurking. Of a truth, I would dash out his brains upon the ground, +and avenge me on this No Man.' + +"So speaking, he let the ram pass out of the cave. But when we +were now out of reach of the giant, I loosed my hold of the ram, +and then unbound my comrades. And we hastened to our ship, not +forgetting to drive the sheep before us, and often looking back +till we came to the seashore. Right glad were those that had abode +by the ship to see us. Nor did they lament for those that had +died, though we were fain to do so, for I forbade, fearing lest +the noise of their weeping should betray where we were to the +giant. Then we all climbed into the ship, and sitting well in +order on the benches smote the sea with our oars, laying to right +lustily, that we might the sooner get away from the accursed land. +And when we had rowed a hundred yards or so, so that a man's voice +could yet be heard by one who stood upon the shore, I stood up in +the ship and shouted:-- + +"'He was no coward, O Cyclops, whose comrades thou didst so foully +slay in thy den. Justly art thou punished, monster, that devourest +thy guests in thy dwelling. May the gods make thee suffer yet +worse things than these!' + +"Then the Cyclops in his wrath brake off the top of a great hill, +a mighty rock, and hurled it where he had heard the voice. Right +in front of the ship's bow it fell, and a great wave rose as it +sank, and washed the ship back to the shore. But I seized a long +pole with both hands, and pushed the ship from the land, and bade +my comrades ply their oars, nodding with my head, for I would not +speak, lest the Cyclops should know where we were. Then they rowed +with all their might and main. + +"And when we had gotten twice as far as before, I made as if I +would speak again; but my comrades sought to hinder me, saying: +'Nay, my lord, anger not the giant any more. Surely we thought +before that we were lost, when he threw the great rock, and washed +our ship back to the shore. And if he hear thee now, he may still +crush our ship and us.' + +"But I would not be persuaded, but stood up and said: 'Hear, +Cyclops! If any man ask who blinded thee, say that it was the +warrior Ulysses, son of Laertes, dwelling in Ithaca.' + +"And the Cyclops answered with a groan: 'Of a truth, the old +prophecies are fulfilled; for long ago there came to this land a +prophet who foretold to me that Ulysses would rob me of my sight. +But I looked for a great and strong man, who should subdue me by +force, and now a weakling has done the deed, having cheated me +with wine.' + +"Then the Cyclops lifted up his hands to Poseidon and prayed: +'Hear me, Poseidon, if I am indeed thy son and thou my father. May +this Ulysses never reach his home! or, if the Fates have ordered +that he should reach it, may he come alone, all his comrades lost, +and come to find sore trouble in his house!' + +"And as he ended, he hurled another mighty rock, which almost +lighted on the rudder's end, yet missed it as by a hair's breadth. +And the wave that it raised was so great that it bare us to the +other shore. + +"So we came to the island of the wild goats, where we found our +comrades, who, indeed, had waited long for us in sore fear lest we +had perished. Then I divided amongst my company all the sheep +which we had taken from the Cyclops. And all, with one consent, +gave me for my share the great ram which had carried me out of the +cave, and I sacrificed it to Zeus. And all that day we feasted +right merrily on the flesh of sheep and on sweet wine, and when +the night was come, we lay down upon the shore and slept. + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +AEOLUS;[Footnote: AE'-o-lus.] +THE LAESTRYGONS;[Footnote: Laes'-try-gons.] +CIRCE [Footnote: Cir'-ce.] + +(THE TALE OF ULYSSES) + + +"The next morning we set sail, and came, after a while, to the +island where dwelleth AEolus. A floating island it is, and it hath +about it an unbroken wall of bronze. For a whole month did the +King entertain me in friendly fashion, and I told him the whole +story of the things that had been done at Troy. + +"Afterwards I told him of my journey, and asked help of him. And +he gave me the skin of an ox nine years old, in which he had bound +all the winds that were contrary to me, for Zeus hath made him +keeper of the winds, that he may rouse them or put them to rest as +he will. This pouch of ox-hide he bound fast to the deck of the +ship with a thong of silver, that not a wind might escape from it. +But he let a gentle west wind blow, that it might carry me and my +comrades to our home. For nine days it blew, and now we were near +to Ithaca, our country, so that we saw the men that tended the +beacon-lights, for it was now near to the dawn on the tenth day. + +"But now, by an ill chance, I fell asleep, being wholly wearied +out, for I had held the helm for nine days, nor trusted it to any +of my comrades. And while I slept my comrades, who had cast eyes +of envy on the great ox-hide, said one to another:-- + +"`Strange it is how men love and honour this Ulysses whithersoever +he goes. And now he comes back from Troy with much spoil, but we +with empty hands. Let us see what it is that AEolus hath given +him, for doubtless in this ox-hide is much silver and gold.' + +"So they loosed the great bag of ox-hide, and lo! all the winds +rushed out, and carried us far away from our country. And I, +waking with the tumult, doubted much whether I should not throw +myself into the sea and so die. But I endured, thinking it better +to live. Only I veiled my face and so lay still while the ships +drave before the winds, till we came again to the island of +AEolus. Then we landed, and fetched water, and ate our meal by the +side of our ships. And when our meal was ended, I took a herald +and one of my company, and went to the palace of the King, and +found him feasting with his wife and children, and I sat down on +the threshold. Much did they wonder to see me, saying, 'What evil +power has hindered thee, that thou didst not reach thy country and +home?' + +"Then I answered: 'Blame not me, but the evil counsels of my +comrades, and sleep, which mastered me to my hurt. But do ye help +me again.' + +"But he said, 'Begone! we may not help him whom the gods hate; and +hated of them thou surely art.' + +"So AEolus sent me away. Then again we launched our ships and set +forth, toiling wearily at the oars, and sad at heart. + +"Six days we rowed, nor rested at night; and on the seventh we +came to Lamos [Footnote: La'-mos.], which was a city of the +Laestrygons, in whose land the night is as the day, so that a man +might earn double wages, if only he wanted not sleep. There was a +fair haven with cliffs about it, and a narrow mouth with great +rocks on either side. And within are no waves. + +"Now I made fast my ship to the rocks that were without, but the +others entered the haven. Then I sent two men, and a herald with +them, and these came upon a smooth road by which wagons brought +down wood from the mountain to the city. Here they met a maiden, +the daughter of the king of the land, and asked of her who was +lord of that country. Thereupon she showed them her father's lofty +palace. And they, entering this, saw the maiden's mother, big as a +mountain, and horrible to behold, who straightway called to her +husband. Then the messengers fled to the ships; but he made a +great shout, and the giant Laestrygons came flocking about him. +And these broke off great stones from the cliffs, each stone as +much as a man could carry, and cast them at the ships, so that +they were broken. And the men they speared, as if they were +fishes, and devoured them. So it happened to all the ships in the +haven. I only escaped, for I cut the hawser with my sword, and +bade my men ply their oars, which indeed they did right willingly. + +"After a while we came to the island where Circe dwelt, who is the +daughter of the Sun. Two days and nights we lay upon the shore in +great trouble and sorrow. On the third I took my spear and sword +and climbed a hill, for I wished to see to what manner of land we +had come. And having climbed it, I saw the smoke rising from the +palace of Circe, where it stood in the midst of a wood. Then I +thought awhile: should I go straightway to the palace that I saw, +or first return to my comrades on the shore. And it seemed the +better plan to go to the ship and bid my comrades make their +midday meal, and afterwards send them to search out the place. But +as I went, some god took pity on me, and sent a great stag, with +mighty antlers, across my path. The stag was going down to the +river to drink, for the sun was now hot; and casting my spear at +it I pierced it through. Then I fastened together the feet with +green withes and a fathom's length of rope, and slinging the beast +round my neck, so carried it to the ship, leaning on my spear; for +indeed it was heavy to bear, nor was it possible for me to carry +it on my shoulder with one hand. And when I was come to the ship, +I cast down my burden. Now the men were sitting with their faces +muffled, so sad were they. But when I bade them be of good cheer, +they looked up and marvelled at the great stag. And all that day +we feasted on deer's flesh and sweet wine, and at night lay down +to sleep on the shore. But when morning was come, I called my +comrades together, and spake: 'I know not, friends, where we are. +Only I know, having seen smoke yesterday from the hill, that there +is a dwelling in this island.' + +"It troubled the men much to hear this, for they thought of the +Cyclops and of the Laestrygons; and they wailed aloud. Then I +divided them into two companies. I set Eurylochus [Footnote: Eu- +ryl'-o-chus.] over the one, and I myself took command of the +other, and I shook lots in a helmet to see who should go and +search out the island, and the lot of Eurylochus leapt out. So he +went, and comrades twenty and two with him. And in an open space +in the wood they found the palace of Circe. All about were wolves +and lions; yet these harmed not the men, but stood up on their +hind legs, fawning upon them, as dogs fawn upon their master when +he comes from his meal, because he brings the fragments with him +that they love. And the men were afraid. And they stood in the +porch and heard the voice of Circe as she sang with a lovely voice +and plied the loom. Then said Polites [Footnote: Po-li'-tes.], who +was dearest of all my comrades to me, in whom also I most trusted: +'Some one within plies a great loom, and sings with a loud voice. +Some goddess is she or a woman. Let us make haste and call.' + +"So they called to her, and she came out and beckoned to them that +they should follow. So they went, in their folly, all except +Eurylochus. And she bade them sit, and mixed for them red wine and +barley-meal and cheese and honey, and mighty drugs, of which, if a +man drank, he forgot all that he loved. And when they had drunk, +she smote them with her wand. And lo! they had of a sudden the +heads and the voices and the bristles of swine, but the heart of a +man was in them still. And Circe shut them in sties, and gave them +acorns to eat. + +"But Eurylochus fled back to the ship, bringing tidings of what +had befallen his comrades. For a time he could not speak a word, +so full was his heart of grief, and his eyes of tears. But, at +last, when we had asked him many questions, he told us his tale. + +"Thereupon I cast about my shoulder my silver-studded sword, and +took my bow also, and bade him lead me by the way by which he had +gone. But he caught me by both my hands, and besought me, saying: +'Take me not thither against my will; for I am persuaded that thou +thyself wilt not return again, nor bring any of thy comrades. Let +us that remain flee, and escape death.' Then I said, 'Stay here by +the ship, eating and drinking, if it be thy will, but I must go.' + +"And when I had come to the house, there met me Hermes of the +golden wand, the messenger of the gods, in the shape of a fair +youth, who said to me:-- + +"'Art thou come to rescue thy comrades that are now swine in +Circe's house? Nay, but thou shalt never go back thyself. Yet +stay; I will give thee a drug which shall give thee power to +resist all her charms. For when she shall have mixed thee drink, +and smitten thee with her wand, then do thou rush upon her with +thy sword, as if thou wouldest slay her. And when she shall pray +for peace, do thou make her swear by the great oath that binds the +gods that she will not harm thee.' + +"Then Hermes showed me a certain herb, whose root was black, but +the flower white as milk. 'Moly,' the gods call it, and very hard +it is for mortal man to find; but to the gods all things are +possible. + +"Thereupon Hermes departed to Olympus, but I went on to the palace +of the goddess, much troubled in heart. When I came thither I +stood in the porch and called, and Circe came, and opened the +doors, and bade me come in. + +"Then she set me on a great chair, skilfully carven, with a +footstool for my feet. Afterward she gave me drink in a cup of +gold, but she had mixed in it a deadly charm. This I drank, but +was not bewitched, for the herb saved me. Then she smote me with +her wand, saying: 'Go now to the sty and lie there with thy +fellows.' Thereto upon I drew my sword, and rushed upon her, as +though I would have slain her. Then she caught me by the knees, +and cried aloud: 'Who art thou? What is thy race? I marvel that +thou couldest drink of this drink that I have charmed, and yet +take no hurt. I thought that there was no mortal man that could so +do. Thou must have a soul against which there is no enchantment. +Verily, thou must be that Ulysses who was to come to this island +as he returned from Troy, for so Hermes told me. But come, let us +be friends.' Then I said to her: 'Nay, goddess, but how can we two +be friends, when thou hast turned my companions into swine. I fear +thee that thou hast some deceit in thy heart, and thou wilt take +me unawares, and do me a great mischief. But swear a mighty oath, +even the oath by which the gods are bound, that thou wilt not harm +me.' + +"Then Circe sware the mighty oath, even the oath by which the gods +are bound. + +"After this her handmaids, who were fair women born of the springs +and streams and woods, prepared a feast. One set coverlets of +purple on the chairs, and another brought up tables of silver to +the chair, and set on the tables baskets of gold. A third mixed +sweet wine in a bowl of silver, and set thereby cups of gold; and +the fourth filled a great kettle with water, and put fire under +it. And when it boiled, she prepared a bath, and the bath took +away the weariness from my limbs. And when I had bathed, a +handmaid bare water in a pitcher of gold, and poured it over a +basin of gold, that I might wash my hands. Then the housekeeper +brought me wheaten bread, and set many dainties on the table; and +Circe bade me eat; but I sat silent and sorrowful, having other +thoughts in my mind. + +"And when the goddess perceived that I was silent and ate not, she +said: 'Why dost thou sit, Ulysses, as though thou wert dumb? +Fearest thou any craft of mine? Nay, but that may not be, for have +I not sworn the great oath that binds the gods?' + +"Then I made answer, 'Nay, but who could think of meat and drink +when such things had befallen his companions?' + +"Then Circe led the way, holding her wand in her hand, and opened +the doors of the sties, and drove out the swine that had been men. +Then she rubbed on each another mighty drug, and the bristles fell +from their bodies and they became men, only younger and fairer +than before. And when they saw me, they clung to me and wept for +joy, and Circe herself was moved with pity. + +"Then said she to me: 'Go, Ulysses, to thy ship, and put away all +the goods and tackling in the caves that are on the shore, but +come again hither thyself, and bring thy comrades with thee.' + +"Then I went. Right glad were they who had stayed to see me, glad +as are the calves who have been penned in the fold-yard when their +mothers come back in the evening. + +"So we went to the dwelling of Circe, who feasted us royally, so +that we remained with her for a whole year, well content. + +"But when the year was out my companions said to me, 'It is well +to remember thy country, if it is indeed the will of the gods that +thou shouldest return thither.' + +"Then I besought Circe that she would send me on my way homewards, +as indeed she had promised to do. And she answered, saying:-- + +"'I would not have you abide in my house unwillingly. Yet must +thou first go on another journey, even to the dwellings of the +dead, there to speak with the seer [Footnote: seer, prophet] +Teiresias [Footnote: Tei-re'-si-as].' + +"But I was sore troubled to hear such things, and wept aloud, +saying, 'Who shall guide us in this journey?--for never yet did +ship make such a voyage as this.' + +"Then Circe made answer: 'Son of Laertes, trouble not thyself +because thou hast no guide, only set up the mast in thy ship, and +spread out the sails, and sit thee down with thy companions, and +the north wind shall carry thee to the place whereto thou art +bound. When thou shalt have sailed across the stream of ocean, +thou shalt come to a waste shore, where are many tall poplar trees +and willows. Beach there thy ship on the shore of ocean, and go +thyself to the dwelling of Hades.[Footnote: Ha'-des] There is a +certain rock, and near to it meet two streams, the river of fire, +and the river of wailing. Dig there a trench; it shall be a cubit +[Footnote: cubit, a foot and a half] long and a, cubit broad; pour +out therein a drink-offering to the dead; and sprinkle white +barley thereon. And as thou doest these things, entreat the dead, +and promise that when thou shalt come again to Ithaca, thou wilt +offer a barren heifer, even the best thou hast, and that thou wilt +sacrifice to Teiresias alone a black ram, the goodliest in the +flock. And after thou hast made thy prayers to the dead, offer up +a black ram and a black ewe. Then will come many spirits of the +dead, but suffer them not to drink of the blood till thou shalt +have spoken to Teiresias. Speedily will the seer come to thee, and +will tell thee how thou mayest return to thy home.' The next +morning I roused my companions, saying, 'Sleep no more; we will go +on our way, for Circe hath shown to me the whole matter.' + +"So I spake, and they consented to my words. Yet did not I take +all my company safe from the dwelling of the goddess. There was a +certain Elpenor [Footnote: El-pe'-nor.], who was the youngest of +them all, and was neither valiant nor of an understanding mind. He +was sleeping apart from his fellows, on the housetop, for he had +craved for the coolness of the air. He, hearing our voices, and +the sound of the men's feet, as they moved hither and thither, +leapt up of a sudden, and thought not to come down by the ladder +by which he had gone up, but fell down from the roof, so that his +neck was broken, and he went down to the dwellings of the dead. + +"But as my men were on their way, I spake to them, saying: 'Ye +think that ye are going to your native country; not so, for Circe +hath showed me another journey that we must take, even to the +dwelling of Hades, that I may speak with the spirit of Teiresias +the seer.' + +"So I spake, and their spirit was broken within them, and they sat +down where they were, and mourned, and tare their hair. But their +weeping profited nothing. + +"Meanwhile Circe had gone, and made fast a ram and a black ewe to +the ship, passing on as we went, for none may mark the goings of +the immortal gods." + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +THE DWELLINGS OF THE DEAD + +(THE TALE OF ULYSSES) + + +"After this we made ready the ship for sailing, and put the black +sheep on board, and so departed; and Circe sent a wind from behind +that filled the sails; and all the day through our ship passed +quickly over the sea. + +"And when the sun had set we came to the utmost border of the +ocean. Then I bade two of my comrades make ready the sheep for +sacrifice; and I myself dug a pit of a cubit every way, and poured +in it a drink-offering of honey and milk, and sweet wine, and +water, and sprinkled barley upon the drink-offering. Afterwards I +took the sheep and slew them, so that their blood ran into the +trench. And the dead were gathered to the place,--maidens, and old +men who had borne the sorrows of many years, and warriors that had +been slain in battle, having their arms covered with blood. All +these gathered about the pit with a terrible cry; and I was sore +afraid. Then I bade my comrades burn the carcasses of the sheep +and pray to the gods of the dead; but I myself sat down by the +pit's side, and would not suffer the souls of the dead to come +near unto the blood until I had inquired of Teiresias. + +"First of all came the soul of my comrade Elpenor. Much did I +wonder to see him, and I asked, 'How comest thou hither, Elpenor, +to the land of darkness? and how have thy feet outstripped my +ship?' Then said Elpenor: 'I fell from the roof of the palace of +Circe, not bethinking me of the ladder, and so brake my neck. But +now, I pray thee, if thou lovest wife and father and son, forget +me not, when thou returnest to the island of Circe. Burn me with +fire and my arms with me; and make a mound for me by the shore of +the sea, that men may hear of me and of my fate in after time. And +set up my oar upon my tomb, even the oar which I was wont to ply +among my comrades.' + +"Then I said to him, 'All this shall be done as thou desirest.' + +"And we sat on either side of the trench as we talked, and I held +my sword over the blood. + +"After him came to me the soul of my mother, whom I had left alive +when I sailed to Troy. Sorely I wept to see her, yet suffered her +not to come near and drink of the blood till I had inquired of +Teiresias. Then came Teiresias, holding a golden sceptre in his +hand, and spake, saying: 'Why hast thou left the light of day, and +come hither to this land of the dead, wherein is no delight? But +come, depart from the pit, and take away thy sword, that I may +come near and tell thee true.' + +"So I thrust my sword into the scabbard; and Teiresias drank of +the blood; and when he had drunk, he spake: 'Thou seekest to hear +of thy going back to thy home. Know, therefore, that it shall be +with peril and toil. For Poseidon will not easily lay aside his +wrath against thee, because thou didst take from his dear son, the +Cyclops, the sight of his eye. Yet for all this ye may yet come +safe to your home, if only thou canst restrain thyself and thy +comrades when ye come to the island of the Three Capes, and find +there the oxen and the sheep of the Sun. If ye let them be and +harm them not, then may ye yet return to Ithaca, though after +dreadful toil. But if not, then shall ye perish. And if thou +escape thyself, after long time shalt thou return, having lost all +thy comrades, and the ship of strangers shall carry thee; and thou +shalt find trouble in thy house, men of violence who devour thy +substance while they seek thy wife in marriage.' + +"To him I made answer: 'So be it, Teiresias. All these things the +gods have ordered after their own will. But tell me this. Here I +see the soul of my mother that is dead; and she sits near the +blood, but regards me not, nor speaks to me. How can she know that +I am indeed her son?' + +"Then said Teiresias: 'Whomsoever of the dead thou shalt suffer to +drink of the blood, he will speak to thee; but whomsoever thou +sufferest not, he will depart in silence.' + +"So I abode in my place; and the soul of my mother came near and +drank of the blood. And when she had drunk, she knew her son, and +said: 'My son, why hast thou come into the land of darkness, being +yet alive? Hast thou not yet returned to thy home?' + +"To her I made answer: 'I came hither to inquire of Teiresias of +Thebes, and my home have I not seen. Truly trouble hath followed +me from the day that I first went with King Agamemnon to the land +of Troy. But tell me, how didst thou die? Did a wasting disease +slay thee, or did Artemis [Footnote: Ar'-te-mis] smite thee with a +sudden stroke of her arrow? And my father and my son, have they +enjoyment of that which is mine, or have others taken it from +them? And my wife, is she true to me, or hath she wedded some +prince among the Greeks?' + +"Then said my mother: 'Thy wife is true, and sits weeping for thee +day and night. And thy son hath enjoyment of thy possessions, and +hath his due place at the feasts of the people. But thy father +cometh no longer to the city, but abideth in the country. Nor hath +he any couch for his bed, but in winter-time he sleeps, even as +sleep the slaves, in the ashes near unto the fire, and when the +summer comes, in the corner of the vineyard upon leaves. Greatly +doth he sorrow, waiting for thy return, and the burden of old age +lies heavy upon him. But as for me, no wasting disease slew me, +nor did Artemis smite me with her arrows; but I died of longing +for thee, so sorely did I miss thy wisdom and thy love.' + +"Then I was fain to lay hold upon the soul of my mother. Thrice I +sprang forward, eager to embrace her, and thrice she passed from +out my hands, even as passeth a shadow. And when I said, 'How is +this, my mother? art thou then but a phantom that the queen of the +dead hath sent me?' my mother answered me: 'Thus it is with the +dead, my son. They have no more any flesh and bones; for these the +fire devours; but their souls are even as dreams, flying hither +and thither. But do thou return so soon as may be to the light, +and tell all that thou hast seen and heard to thy wife.' + +"Thereupon I departed from the place, and bade my comrades embark +upon the ships and loose the ropes. And we embarked and sat upon +the benches; and the great stream of Ocean bare us onward, rowing +at the first, and afterwards hoisting the sails." + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +THE SIRENS; SCYLLA;[Footnote: Scyl'-la] THE OXEN OF THE SUN + +(THE TALE OF ULYSSES) + + +"It was now evening when we came back to the island of Circe. +Therefore we beached the ship, and lay down by the sea, and slept +till the morning. And when it was morning we arose, and went to +the palace of Circe, and fetched thence the body of our comrade +Elpenor. We raised the funeral pile where the farthest headland +runs out into the sea, and burned the dead man and his arms; then +we raised a mound over his bones, and put a pillar on the top of +the mound, and on the top of the pillar his oar. + +"But Circe knew of our coming, and of what we had done, and she +came and stood in our midst, her handmaids coming with her, and +bearing flesh and bread and wine in plenty. Then she spake, +saying: 'Overbold are ye, who have gone down twice into the house +of death which most men see but once. Come now, eat and drink this +day; to-morrow shall ye sail again over the sea, and I will tell +you the way, and declare all that shall happen, that ye may suffer +no hindrance as ye go.' + +"So all that day we ate and feasted. And when the darkness came +over the land, my comrades lay them down by the ship and slept. +But Circe took me by the hand, and led me apart from my company, +and inquired of what I had seen and done. And when I had told her +all my tale, she spake, saying: 'Hearken now to what I shall tell +thee. First of all thou shalt come to the Sirens, who bewitch all +men with their singing. For whoever cometh nigh to them, and +listeneth to their song, he seeth not wife or children any more; +for the Sirens enchant him, and draw him to where they sit, with a +great heap of dead men's bones about them. Speed thy ship past +them, and first fill the ears of thy comrades with wax, lest any +should hear the song; but if thou art minded thyself to hear the +song, let them bind thee fast to the mast. So shalt thou hear the +song, and take no harm. And if thou shalt entreat thy comrades to +loose thee, they must bind the bonds all the faster. + +"'When thou shalt have passed the island of the Sirens, then thou +must choose for thyself which path thou shalt take. On the one +side are the rocks that men call the Wandering Rocks. By these not +even winged creatures can pass unharmed. No ship can pass them by +unhurt; all round them do the waves toss timbers of broken ships +and bodies of men that are drowned. One ship only hath ever passed +them by, even the ship Argo, and even her would the waves have +dashed upon the rocks, but that Hera [Footnote: He'-ra], for love +of Jason [Footnote: Ja'-son], caused her to pass by. + +"'These there are on the one side, and on the other are two rocks. +The first rock reacheth with a sharp peak to the heavens, and +about the peak is a dark cloud that passeth not away from it, no, +not in summer time or harvest. This rock no man could climb, even +though he had twenty hands and feet, for it is steep and smooth. +In the midst of this cliff is a cave wherein dwelleth Scylla, the +dreadful monster of the sea. Her voice is but as the voice of a +new-born dog, and her twelve feet are small and ill-grown, but she +hath six necks, exceeding long, and on each a head dreadful to +behold, and in each head three rows of teeth, thick set and full +of death. She is hidden up to her middle in the cave, but she +putteth her heads out of it, fishing for dolphins, or sea-dogs, or +other creatures of the sea, for indeed there are countless flocks +of them. No ship can pass her by unharmed, for with each head she +carrieth off a man, snatching them from the ship's deck. Hard by, +even a bow-shot off, is the other rock, lower by far, and with a +great fig tree growing on the top. Beneath it Charybdis [Footnote: +Cha-ryb'-dis] thrice a day sucketh in the water, and thrice a day +spouteth it forth. If thou chance to be there when she sucks it +in, not even Poseidon's help could save thee. See, therefore, that +thou guide thy ship near to Scylla rather than to the other, for +it is better 'for thee to lose six men out of thy ship than all +thy company together.' + +"So Circe spake, and I said: 'Tell me, goddess, can I by any means +escape from Charybdis on the one hand, and. on the other, avenge +me on this monster, when she would take my comrades for a prey?' + +"But the goddess said: 'Overbold thou art, and thinkest ever of +deeds of battle. Verily, thou wouldest do battle with the gods +themselves; and surely Scylla is not of mortal race, and against +her there is no help. Thou wilt do better to flee. For if thou +tarry to put on thy armour, then will she dart forth again, and +take as many as before. Drive on thy ship, therefore, with what +speed may be. + +"'After this, thou wilt come to the island of the Three Capes, +where are the herds and the flocks of the Sun. Seven herds of kine +there are and seven flocks of sheep, and fifty in each. These +neither are born, nor die, and they have two goddesses to herd +them. If ye do these no hurt, then shall ye return, all of you, to +Ithaca, but if ye harm them, then shall thy ship be broken, and +all thy company shall perish, and thou shalt return alone and +after long delay.' + +"Having so spoken, the goddess departed. Then I roused my men and +they launched the ship, and smote the water with their oars, and +the goddess sending a favourable wind, we hoisted the sails, and +rested. + +"But, as we went, I spake to my companions, saying: 'Friends, it +is not well that one or two only should know the things that Circe +prophesied to me. Therefore I will declare them to you, that we +may know beforehand the things that shall come to pass, and so +either die or live.' + +"And first I told them of the Sirens; and while I spake we came to +the Sirens' Island. Then did the breeze cease, and there was a +windless calm. So my comrades took down the sails and put out the +oars, and I cleft a great round of wax with my sword, and, melting +it in the sun, I filled the ears of my men; afterwards they bound +me by hands and feet, as I stood upright by the mast. And when we +were so near the shore that the shout of a man could be heard +therefrom, the Sirens perceived the ship, and began their song. +And their song was this:-- + +"'Hither, come hither, renowned Odysseus, great glory of the +Greeks. Here stay thy bark that thou mayest listen to the voice of +us twain. For none hath ever driven by this way in his black ship, +till he hath heard from our lips the voice sweet as the honeycomb, +and hath had joy thereof and gone on his way the wiser. For lo, we +know all things, all that the Greeks and the Trojans have suffered +in wide Troy-land, yea, and we know all that shall hereafter be +upon the fruitful earth.' + +"Then I motioned my men to loose me, for their ears were stopped; +but they plied their oars, and Eurylochus put new bonds upon me. +And when we had passed by the island, then they took the wax from +their ears, and loosed my bonds. + +"After this they saw a smoke and surf, and heard a mighty roar, +and their oars dropped out of their hands for fear; but I bade +them be of good heart, because by my counsel they had escaped +other dangers in past time. And the rowers I bade row as hard as +they might. But to the helmsman I said: 'Steer the ship outside +the smoke and the surf, and steer close to the cliffs.' But of +Scylla I said nothing, fearing lest they should lose heart, and +cease rowing altogether. Then I armed myself, and stood in the +prow waiting till Scylla should appear. + +"So we sailed up the strait; and there was sore trouble in my +heart, for on the one side was Scylla, and on the other Charybdis, +sucking down the water in a terrible fashion. Now would she vomit +it forth, boiling the while as a great kettle boils upon the fire, +and the spray fell on the very tops of the cliffs on either side. +And then again she gulped the water down, so that we could see to +her very depths, even the white sand that was at the bottom of the +sea. Towards her we looked, fearing destruction, and while we +looked, Scylla caught out of my ship six of my companions, the +strongest and bravest of them all. When I looked to my ships to +find my crew, then I saw their feet and hands, and I heard them +call me by name, speaking to me for the last time. Even as a +fisher, standing on some headland, lets down his long line with a +bait, that he may ensnare the fishes of the sea, and each, as he +catches it, he flings writhing ashore, so did Scylla bear the men +writhing up the cliff to her cave. There did she devour them; and +they cried to me terribly the while. Verily, of all the things +that I have seen upon the sea, this was the most piteous of all. + +"After this we came to the island of the Three Capes; and from my +ship I heard the lowing of the kine and the bleating of the sheep. +Thereupon I called to mind the saying of Teiresias, how he charged +me to shun the island of the Sun. So I spake to my comrades, +saying: 'Hear now the counsels of Teiresias and Circe. They +charged me to sail by the island of the Sun; for they said that +there the most dreadful evil would overtake us. Do ye then row the +ship past.' + +"So I spake; but Eurylochus made answer in wrath: 'Surely, +Ulysses, thou knowest not weariness, and art made of iron, +forbidding us, weary though we be with toil and watching, to land +upon this island, where we might well refresh ourselves. Rash, +also, art thou in that thou commandest us to sail all night; at +night deadly winds spring up, and how shall we escape, if some +sudden storm from the west or the south smite our ship, and break +it in pieces? Rather let us stay, and take our meal and sleep by +the ship's side, and to-morrow will we sail again across the sea.' + +"Thus he spake, and all consented to his speech. Then I knew that +the gods were minded to work us mischief, and I made answer: 'Ye +force me, being many against one. But swear ye all an oath, that +if ye find here either herd or flock, ye will not slay either +bullock or sheep, but will rest content with the food that Circe +gave us.' + +"Then they all made oath that they would so do; and when they had +sworn, they moored the ship within a creek, where there was a +spring of fresh water; and so we took our meal. But when we had +enough of meat and drink, we remembered our comrades whom Scylla +had snatched from the ship and devoured and we mourned for them +till slumber fell upon us. + +"The next morning I spake to my company, saying: 'Friends, we have +yet food, both bread and wine. Keep, therefore, your hands from +the flocks and herds, lest some mischief overtake us, for they are +the flocks and herds of the Sun, a mighty god whose eye none may +escape.' + +"With these words I persuaded them. But for a month the south wind +blew without ceasing; there was no other wind, unless it were +haply the east. So long, indeed, as the bread and wine failed not +the men, they harmed not the herds, fearing to die. And +afterwards, when our stores were consumed, they wandered about the +island, and searched for food, snaring fishes and birds with +hooks, for hunger pressed them sorely. But I roamed by myself, +praying to the gods that they would send us deliverance. So it +chanced one day that slumber overcame me, and I slept far away +from my companions. + +"Meanwhile Eurylochus spake to the others, using fatal craft: +'Friends, listen to one who suffers affliction with you. Always is +death a thing to be avoided; but of all deaths the most to be +feared is death by hunger. Come, therefore, let us sacrifice to +the gods in heaven the best of the oxen of the Sun. And we will +vow to build to the Sun, when we shall reach the land of Ithaca, a +great temple which we will adorn with gifts many and precious. But +if he be minded to sink our ship, being wroth for his oxen's sake, +verily I would rather drown than waste slowly to death upon this +island.' + +"To this they all gave consent. Then Eurylochus drave the fattest +of the kine,--for they grazed near the ship,--and the men +sacrificed it to the gods. + +"And one of the nymphs that herded the kine flew to the Sun with +tidings of that which had been done. Then spake the Sun among the +other gods: 'Avenge me now on the guilty comrades of Ulysses; for +they have slain the herds which I delight to see both when I mount +the heavens and when I descend therefrom. Verily, if they pay not +the due penalty for their wrong-doing, I will go down and give my +light to the regions of the dead.' + +"Then Zeus made answer: 'Shine, thou Sun, as aforetime, on the +earth. Verily, my thunderbolt can easily reach the bark of these +sinners, and break it in the middle of the sea.' + +"All these things I heard afterwards from the nymph Calypso, and +she had heard them from Hermes, the messenger. + +"With angry words did I rebuke my comrades, but found no remedy +for their wrong-doing, seeing that the kine were dead. For six +days my friends feasted on the cattle of the Sun; but when the +seventh day came, we launched our ship upon the sea, and set sail. + +"When we were now out of sight of the island of the Three Capes, +and no other land appeared, Zeus hung a dark cloud over us, and +suddenly the west wind came fiercely down upon the ship, and +snapped the shrouds on either side. Thereupon the mast fell +backward and brake the skull of a pilot, so that he plunged, as a +diver plunges, into the sea. Meantime Zeus hurled his thunderbolt +into the ship, filling it with sulphur from end to end. Then my +comrades fell from the ship; I saw them carried about it like sea- +gulls. But I still abode on the ship, till the sides were parted +from the keel; then I bound myself with a leathern thong to the +mast and the keel--for these were fastened together. On these I +sat, being driven by the wind. All night long was I driven; and +with the morning I came again to Scylla and to Charybdis. It was +the time when she sucked in the waves; but I, borne upward by a +wave, took fast hold of the branches of the wild fig tree that +grew upon the rock. To this I clung for a long time, but knew not +how to climb higher up. So I watched till she should vomit forth +again the keel and the mast, for these she had swallowed up. And +when I saw them again, then I plunged down from the rock, and +caught hold of them, and seated myself on them; I rowed hard with +the palms of my hands; and the father of the gods suffered not +Scylla to espy me, or I should surely have perished. For nine days +I floated, and on the tenth the gods carried me to the island of +Calypso." + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +ITHACA + + +When Ulysses had ended his tale there was silence for a space +throughout the hall. And after a while King Alcinous spake, +saying: "Ulysses, now thou art come to my house, thou shalt no +longer be kept from thy return. And on you, chiefs of the +Phaeacians, I lay this command. Garments and gold are already +stored for this stranger in a chest. Let us now, also, give him +each a gift." + +This saying pleased the princes, and they went each man to his +house; and the next day they brought the gifts; and the King +himself bestowed them under the benches, that the rowers might not +be hindered in their rowing. + +When these things were finished, the princes betook them to the +palace of the King; and he sacrificed an ox to Zeus, and they +feasted, and the minstrel sang. But still Ulysses would ever look +to the sun, as if he would have hastened his going down; for +indeed he was very desirous to return as a man desireth his +supper, when he hath been driving the plough all day through a +field with a yoke of oxen before him, and is right glad when the +sun sinketh in the west, so Ulysses was glad at the passing of the +daylight. And he spake, saying:-- + +"Pour out, now, the drink-offering, my lord the King, and send me +on my way. Now do I bid you farewell, for ye have given me all +that my heart desired, noble gifts and escort to my home. May the +gods give me with them good luck, and grant, also, that I may find +my wife and my friends in my home unharmed! And may ye abide here +in joy with your wives and children, and may ye have all manner of +good things and may no evil come near you." + +Then spake the King to his squire: "Mix, now, the bowl, and serve +out the wine, that we may pray to Zeus, and send the stranger on +his way." + +So the squire mixed the wine, and served it out; and they all made +offering, and prayed. + +Then Ulysses rose in his place, and placed the cup in the hand of +Arete, the Queen, and spake: "Fare thee well, O Queen, till old +age and death, which no man may escape, shall come upon thee! I go +to my home; and do thou rejoice in thy children and in thy people, +and in thy husband, the King." + +When he had so said, he stepped over the threshold. And Alcinous +sent with him a squire to guide him to the ship, and Arete sent +maidens, bearing fresh clothing, and bread and wine. When they +came to the ship, the rowers took the things, and laid them in the +hold. Also they spread for Ulysses a rug and a linen sheet in the +hinder part of the ship, that his sleep might be sound. + +When these things were ended Ulysses climbed on board, and lay +down; and the men sat upon the benches, and unbound the hawser. +And it came to pass that so soon as they touched the water with +the oars, a deep sleep fell upon him. As four horses carry a +chariot quickly over the plain, so quick did the ship pass over +the waves Not even a hawk, that is the swiftest of all flying +things, could have kept pace with it. + +And when the star that is the herald of the morning came up in the +heaven, then did the ship approach the island. There is a certain +harbour in Ithaca, the harbour of Phorcys [Footnote: Phor'-cys], +the sea-god, where two great cliffs on either side break the force +of the waves; a ship that can win her way into it can ride safely +without moorings. And at the head of this harbour there is an +olive tree, and a cave hard by which is sacred to the nymphs. Two +gates hath the cave, one looking towards the north, by which men +may enter, and one towards the south, which belongeth only to the +gods. To this place the Phaeacians guided the ship, for they knew +it well. Half the length of the keel did they run her ashore, so +quickly did they row her. Then they lifted Ulysses out of the +stern as he lay in the sheet and the rug which the Queen had given +him. And still he slept. They took out also the gifts which the +princes of the Phaeacians had given him, and laid them in a heap +by the trunk of the olive tree, a little way from the road, lest +some passer-by should rob him while he slept. After this they +departed homeward. + +But Poseidon still remembered his anger, and said to Zeus: "Now +shall I be held in dishonour among the gods, for mortal men, even +these Phaeacians, who are of my own kindred, pay me no regard. I +said that this Ulysses should return in great affliction to his +home; and now they have carried him safely across the sea, with +such a store of gifts as he never would have won out of Troy, even +had he come back unharmed with all his share of the spoil." + +To him Zeus made answer: "What is that thou sayest, lord of the +sea? How can the gods dishonour thee, who art the eldest among +them? And if men withhold from thee the worship that is due, thou +canst punish them after thy pleasure. Do, therefore, as thou +wilt." + +Then said Poseidon: "I would have done so long since, had not I +feared thy wrath. But now I will smite this ship of the Phaeacians +as she cometh back from carrying this man to his home. So shall +they learn henceforth not to send men homeward; and their city +will I overshadow with a great mountain." + +And Zeus made answer to him, "Do as thou wilt." + +Then Poseidon came down to the land of the Phaeacians, and there +he tarried till the ship came near, speeding swiftly on her way. +Thereupon he struck her, changing her into a stone, and rooting +her to the bottom of the sea. + +But the Phaeacians said one to another: "Who is this that hath +hindered our ship, as she journeyed homeward? Even now she was +plain to see." + +But King Alcinous spake, saying: "Now are the prophecies fulfilled +which my father was wont to speak. For he said that Poseidon was +wroth with us because we carried men safely across the sea, and +that one day the god would smite one of our ships, and change it +into a stone, and that he would also overshadow our city with a +great mountain. Now, therefore, let us cease from conveying men to +their homes, and let us do sacrifice to Poseidon, slaying twelve +bulls, that he overshadow not our city with a great mountain." + +So the King spake, and the princes did as he commanded them. + +Meanwhile Ulysses awoke in the land of Ithaca, and he knew not the +place, for Athene had spread a great mist about it, doing it, as +will be seen, with a good purpose, that he might safely accomplish +that which it was in his heart to do. Then Ulysses started up, and +made lament, saying: "Woe is me! To what land am I come? Are the +men barbarous and unjust, or are they hospitable and righteous? +Whither shall I carry these riches of mine? And whither shall I go +myself? Surely the Phaeacians have dealt unfairly with me, for +they promised that they would carry me back to my own country, but +now they have taken me to a strange land. May Zeus punish them +therefor! But let me first see to my goods, and reckon them up, +lest the men should have taken some of them." + +Thereupon he numbered the treasure and found that nothing was +wanting. But not the less did he bewail him for his country. + +But as he walked, lamenting, by the shore, Athene met him, having +the likeness of a young shepherd, fair to look upon, such as are +the sons of kings. Ulysses was glad when he saw her, though he +knew her not, and said: "Friend, thou art the first man that I +have seen in this land. Now, therefore, I pray thee to save my +substance, and myself also. But first, tell me true--what land is +this to which I am come, and what is the people? Is it an island, +or a portion of the mainland?" + +And the false shepherd said: "Thou art foolish, or, may be, hast +come from very far, not to know this country. Many men know it, +both in the east and in the west. Rocky it is, not fit for horses, +nor is it very broad; but it is fertile land, and good for wine; +nor does it want for rain, and a good pasture it is for oxen and +goats; and men call it Ithaca. Even in Troy, which is very far, +they say, from this land of Greece, men have heard of Ithaca." + +This Ulysses was right glad to hear. Yet he was not minded to say +who he was, but rather to feign a tale. + +So he said: "Yes, of a truth, I heard of this Ithaca in Crete, +from which I am newly come, with all this wealth, leaving also as +much behind for my children. For I slew the son of the King, +because he would have taken from me my spoil. And certain +Phoenicians [Footnote: Phoe-ni'-ci-ans] agreed to take me to Pylos +or to Elis;[Footnote: E'-lis] but the wind drave them hither, and +while I slept they put me upon the shore, and my possessions with +me, and departed." + +This pleased Athene much, and she changed her shape, becoming like +to a woman, tall and fair, and said to Ulysses:-- + +"Right cunning would he be who could cheat thee. Even now in thy +native country thou dost not cease thy cunning words and deceits! +But let these things be; for thou art the wisest of mortal men, +and I excel among the gods in counsel. For I am Athene, daughter +of Zeus, who am ever wont to stand by thee and help thee. And now +we will hide these possessions of thine; and thou must be silent, +nor tell to any one who thou art, and endure many things, so that +thou mayest come to thine own again," + +To her Ulysses made answer: "It is hard for a mortal man to know +thee, O goddess, however wise he may be, for thou takest many +shapes. While I was making war against Troy with the other Greeks, +thou wast ever kindly to me. But from the time that we took the +city of Priam, and set sail for our homes, I saw thee not, until +thou didst meet me in the land of the Phaeacians, comforting me, +and guiding me thyself into the city. And now I beseech thee, by +thy Father Zeus, to tell me truly: is this Ithaca that I see, for +it seems to me that I have come to some other country, and that +thou dost mock me. Tell me, therefore, whether in very deed I am +come to mine own country." + +Then Athene answered him: "Never will I leave thee, for indeed +thou art wise and prudent above all others. For any other man, so +coming back after many wanderings, would have hastened to see his +wife and his children; but thou will first make trial of thy wife. +Come now, I wilt show thee this land of Ithaca, that thou mayest +be assured in thy heart. Lo! here is the harbour of Phorcys; here +at the harbour's head is the olive tree; here also is the pleasant +cave that is sacred to the nymphs, and there, behold, is the +wooded hill." + +Then the goddess scattered the mist, so that he saw the land. +Then, indeed, he knew it for Ithaca, and he kneeled down and +kissed the ground, and prayed to the nymphs, saying: "Never did I +think to see you again; but now I greet you lovingly. Many gifts +also will I give you, if Athene be minded, of her grace, to bring +me to my own again." Then said Athene: "Take heart, and be not +troubled. But first let us put away thy goods safely in the secret +place of the cave." + +Then Ulysses brought up the brass, and the gold, and the raiment +that the Phaeacians had given him, and they two stored it in the +cave, and Athene laid a great stone upon the mouth. + +And Athene said: "Think, man of many devices, how thou wilt lay +hands on these men, suitors of thy wife, who for three years have +sat in thy house devouring thy substance. And she hath answered +them craftily, making many promises, but still waiting for thy +coming." + +Then Ulysses said: "Truly I should have perished but for thee. But +do thou help me, as of old in Troy, for with thee at my side I +would fight with three hundred men." + +Then said Athene: "Lo! I will cause that no man shall know thee, +for I will wither the fair flesh on thy limbs, and take the bright +hair from thy head, and make thine eyes dull. And the suitors +shall take no account of thee, neither shall thy wife nor thy son +know thee. But go to the swineherd Eumaeus [Footnote: Eu-mae'- +us.], where he dwells by the fountain of Arethusa [Footnote: A-re- +thu'-sa.], for he is faithful to thee and to thy house. And I will +hasten to Sparta, to the house of Menelaus, to fetch Telemachus, +for he went thither, seeking news of thee." + +But Ulysses said to the goddess: "Why didst thou not tell him, +seeing that thou knewest all? Was it that he too might wander over +the seas in great affliction, and that others meanwhile might +consume his goods?" + +Then Athene made reply: "Trouble not thyself concerning him. I +guided him myself that he might earn a good report, as a son +searching for his father. Now he sitteth in peace in the hall of +Menelaus. And though there are some that lie in wait for him to +slay him, yet shall they not have their will. Rather shall they +perish themselves and others with them that have devoured thy +goods." + +Then she touched him with her rod. She caused his skin to wither, +and wasted the hair upon his head, and made his skin as the skin +of an old man, and dimmed his eyes. His garments she changed so +that they became torn and filthy and defiled with smoke. Over all +she cast the skin of a great stag from which the hair was worn. A +staff also she gave him, and a tattered pouch, and a rope +wherewith to fasten it. + + + + +CHAPTER XV + +EUMAEUS, THE SWINEHERD + + +Athene departed to Lacedaemon that she might fetch Telemachus, and +Ulysses went to the house of Eumaeus, the swineherd. A great +courtyard there was, and twelve sties for the sows, and four +watch-dogs, fierce as wild beasts. In each sty were penned fifty +swine; but the hogs were fewer in number, for the suitors ever +devoured them at their feasts. There were but three hundred and +threescore in all. The swineherd himself was shaping sandals, and +of his men three were with the swine in the fields, and one was +driving a fat beast to the city, to be meat for the suitors. But +when Ulysses came near, the dogs ran upon him, and he dropped his +staff and sat down, and yet would have suffered harm, even on his +own threshold; but the swineherd ran forth and drave them away +with stones, and spake unto his lord, though, indeed, he knew him +not, saying:-- + +"Old man, the dogs came near to killing thee. That would, indeed, +have been a shame and a grief to me; and, verily, I have other +griefs in plenty. Here I sit and sorrow for my lord, and rear the +fat swine for others to devour, while he, perchance, wanders +hungry over the deep, or in the land of strangers, if, indeed, he +lives. But come now, old man, to my house, and tell me who thou +art, and what sorrows thou hast thyself endured." + +Then the swineherd led him to his dwelling, and set him down on a +seat of brushwood, with the hide of a wild goat spread on it. The +hide was both large and soft, and he was wont himself to sleep on +it. + +Greatly did Ulysses rejoice at this welcome, and he said, "Now may +Zeus and the other gods grant thee thy heart's desire, with such +kindness hast thou received me!" + +The swineherd made answer: "It were a wicked thing in me to slight +a stranger, for the stranger and the beggar are from Zeus. But +from us that are thralls and in fear of our master, even a little +gift is precious. And the gods have stayed the return of my +master. Had he come back he would surely have given me a house, +and a portion of land, and a fair wife withal; for such things do +lords give to servants that serve them well. Well would my lord +have rewarded me, had he tarried at home. But now he hath +perished. For he, too, went to Troy, that Agamemnon and Menalaus, +his brother, might take vengeance on the Trojans." + +Then he went away to the sties, and brought from thence two young +pigs, and singed them, and cut them into pieces, and broiled them +upon spits. And when he had cooked them, he set them before the +beggar man. He also mixed wine in a bowl of ivy-wood, and sat down +opposite his guest, and bade him eat, saying: "Eat now such food +as I can give thee; as for the fat hogs, them the suitors devour. +Truly these men have no pity, nor fear of the gods. They must have +heard that my lord is dead, so wickedly do they behave themselves. +They do not woo as other suitors woo, nor do they go back to their +own houses, but they sit at ease, and devour our wealth without +stint. Once my lord had possessions beyond all counting; none in +Ithaca nor on the mainland had so much. Hear now the sum of them: +on the mainland twenty herds of kine, and flocks of sheep as many, +and droves of swine as many, and as many herds of goats. Also here +at this island's end he had eleven flocks of goats. Day by day do +they take one of the goats for the suitors, and I take for them +the best of the hogs." + +So he spake, and Ulysses ate flesh and drank wine the while; but +not a word did he speak, for he was planning the suitors' death. +But at the last he spake: "My friend, who was this, thy lord, of +whom thou speakest? Thou sayest that he perished, seeking to get +vengeance for King Menelaus. Tell me now, for it may be that I +have seen him, for I have wandered far." + +But Eumaeus said: "Nay, old man, thus do all wayfarers talk, yet +we hear no truth from them. Not a vagabond fellow comes to this +island but our Queen must see him, and ask him many things, +weeping the while. And thou, I doubt not, would tell a wondrous +tale. But Ulysses, I know, is dead, and either the fowls of the +air devour him, or the fishes of the sea." + +But the false beggar said: "Hearken now, I swear to thee that +Ulysses will return. And so soon as this shall come to pass thou +shalt let me have the reward of good tidings. A mantle and a tunic +shalt thou give me. But before it shall happen, I will take +nothing, though my need be sore. Now Zeus be my witness, and this +hospitable hearth of Ulysses to which I am come, that all these +things shall come to pass even as I have said. This year shall +Ulysses return; yea, while the moon waneth he shall come, and take +vengeance on all who dishonour his name." + +But Eumaeus made answer: "It is not I, old man, that shall ever +pay the reward of good tidings. Truly, Ulysses will never more +come back to his home. But let us turn our thought to other +things. Bring thou not these to my remembrance any more; for, +indeed, my heart is filled with sorrow, if any man put me in mind +of my lord. As for thine oath, let it be. Earnestly do I pray that +Ulysses may indeed return; for this is my desire, and the desire +of his wife, and of the old man Laertes, and of Telemachus. And +now I am troubled concerning Telemachus also. I thought that he +would be no worse a man than his father; but some one, whether it +were god or man I know not, took away his wits, and he went to +Pylos, seeking news of his father. And now the suitors lie in wait +for him, desiring that the race of Ulysses may perish utterly out +of the land. Come now, old man, and tell me who art thou, and +whence? On what ship did thou come, for that by ship thou earnest +to Ithaca I do not doubt." + +Then Ulysses answered: "Had we food and wine to last us for a +year, and could sit quietly here and talk, while others go to +their work, so long I should be in telling thee fully all my +troubles that I have endured upon the earth." + +Then he told a false tale,--how he was a Cretan who had been +shipwrecked, and after many sufferings had reached Thesprotia +[Footnote: Thes-pro'ti-a.], where he had heard of Ulysses. And +when he sailed thence, the sailors were minded to sell him as a +slave, but he had broken his bonds, and swam ashore, when they +were near the island, and had hidden himself in the woods. + +Then said the swineherd: "Stranger, thou hast stirred my heart +with the tale of all that thou hast suffered. But in this thing, I +fear, thou speakest not aright, saying that Ulysses will return. +Well I know that he was hated of the gods, because they smote him +not when he was warring against the men of Troy, nor afterwards +among his friends, when the war was ended. Then would the host +have builded for him a great mound; and he would have won great +renown for himself and for his children. But now he hath perished +ingloriously by the storms of the sea. As for me, I dwell apart +with the swine, and go not into the city, save when there have +been brought, no man knows whence, some tidings of my master. Then +all the people sit about the bringer of news, and question him, +both those who desire their lord's return, and those who delight +in devouring his substance without recompense. But I care not to +ask questions, since the time when a certain AEtolian [Footnote: +AE-to'-li-an.] cheated me with his story. He too had slain a man, +and had wandered over many lands, and when he came to my house, I +dealt kindly with him. This fellow said that he had seen my lord +with the King of Crete, and that he was mending his ships which +the storm had broken. Also he said that he would come home when it +was summer, or harvest time, and would bring much wealth with him. +But thou, old man, seek not to gain my favour with lies, nor to +comfort me with idle words." + +But Ulysses answered: "Verily, thou art slow of heart to believe. +Even with an oath have I not persuaded thee. But come, let us make +an agreement together, and the gods shall be our witnesses. If thy +lord shall return, then shalt thou give me a mantle and a tunic, +and send me on my way, whither I desire to go. But if he come not +back according to my word, then let thy men throw me down from a +great rock, that others may fear to deceive." + +Then the swineherd said: "Much credit, truly, should I gain among +men, if, having entertained thee in my house, I should turn and +slay thee; and with a good heart, hereafter, should I pray to +Zeus. But it is time for supper, and I would that my men were +returned that we might make ready a meal." + +While he spake, the swine and the swineherds drew near; and +Eumaeus called to his fellows, saying: "Bring the best of the +swine, for I would entertain a guest who comes from far. Verily, +we endure much toil for these beasts, while others devour them, +and make no return." + +So they brought a hog of five years old; and the swineherd kindled +a fire, and when he had cast bristles from the hog into the fire, +to do honour to the gods, he slew the beast, and made ready the +flesh. Seven portions he made; one he set apart for the nymphs and +for Hermes, and of the rest he gave one to each. But Ulysses had +the chief portion, even the chine. + +Then was Ulysses glad, and spake, saying, "Eumaeus, mayest thou be +dear to Zeus, for thou hast dealt kindly with me." + +And Eumaeus answered: "Eat, stranger, and make merry with what +thou hast. The gods give some things, and some things they +withhold." + +Now the night was cold, and it rained without ceasing; for the +west wind, that ever bringeth rain, was blowing; and Ulysses was +minded to try the swineherd, whether he would give him his own +mantle, or bid another do so. Therefore, when they were about to +sleep, he said:-- + +"Listen to me. O that I was young, and my strength unbroken, as in +the days when we fought before the city of Troy. + +"Once upon a time we laid an ambush near to the city of Troy. And +Menelaus and Ulysses and I were the leaders of it. In the reeds we +sat, and the night was cold, and the snow lay upon our shields. +Now all the others had cloaks, but I had left mine behind at the +ships. So, when the night was three parts spent, I spake to +Ulysses, 'Here am I without a cloak; soon, methinks, shall I +perish with the cold.' Soon did he bethink him of a remedy, for he +was ever ready with counsel. Therefore he said: 'Hush, lest some +one hear thee; and to the others, 'I have been warned in a dream. +We are very far from the ships, and in peril. Therefore, let some +one run to the ships, to King Agamemnon, that he send more men to +help.' Then one rose up and ran, casting off his cloak; and this I +took, and slept warmly therein. Were I this night such as then I +was, I should not lack such kindness even now." + +Then said Eumaeus: "This is well spoken, old man. Thou shalt have +a cloak to cover thee. But in the morning thou must put on thy own +rags again. Yet, perchance, when the son of Ulysses shall come, he +will give thee new garments." + +Thereupon he arose, and set a bed for Ulysses, making it with +sheepskins and goatskins, near to the fire; and when Ulysses lay +down, he cast a thick cloak over him, that he had in case a great +storm should arise. But he himself slept beside the boars, to +guard them; and Ulysses was glad to see that he was very careful +for his master's substance, even though he was so long time away. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +THE RETURN OF TELEMACHUS + + +Now all this time Telemachus tarried in Sparta with King Menelaus, +and the son of Nestor was with him. To him, therefore, Athene +went. Nestor's son she found overcome with slumber, but Telemachus +could not sleep for thoughts of his father. And Athene stood near +him, and spake:-- + +"It is not well, Telemachus, that thou shouldest tarry longer away +from thy home, for there are some who spoil and devour thy +substance. Come, therefore, rouse thy host Menelaus, and pray him +that he send thee on thy way. For thy mother's father and her +brethren urge her to take Eurymachus [Footnote: Eu-rym'-a-chus.] +for her husband, seeing that he hath far surpassed all the other +suitors in his gifts. Hearken also to another matter. The bravest +of the suitors lie in wait for thee in the strait that is between +Ithaca and Samos, desirous to slay thee before thou shalt come +again to thy home. Keep thy ship, therefore, far from the place, +and sail both by night and by day, and one of the gods shall send +thee a fair breeze. Also, when thou comest to the land of Ithaca, +send thy ship and thy company to the city, but seek thyself the +swineherd Eumaeus, for he hath been ever true to thee. Rest there +the night, and bid him go to the city on the day following, and +carry tidings to thy mother of thy safe return." + +Then Telemachus woke the son of Nestor, touching him with his +heel, and saying: "Awake, son of Nestor, bring up thy horses, and +yoke them to the chariot, that we may go upon our way." + +But Peisistratus made answer: "We may not drive through the +darkness, how eager soever we be to depart. Soon will it be dawn. +Tarry thou till Menelaus shall bring his gifts and set them on the +car, and send thee on thy way, for a guest should take thought of +the host that showeth him kindness." + +And when the morning was come, and Menelaus was risen from his +bed, Telemachus spake to him, saying, "Menelaus, send me now with +all speed to my own country, for I am greatly desirous to go +there." + +To him Menelaus made answer: "I will not keep thee long, seeing +that thou desirest to return. But stay till I bring my gifts and +set them in the chariot. Let me also bid the women prepare the +meal in my hall, for it is both honour to me and a profit to you +that ye should eat well before ye set forth on a far journey. But +if thou wilt go further through the land, then let me go with +thee; to many cities will we go, and none will send us empty +away." + +But Telemachus said: "Not so, Menelaus; rather would I go back +straightway to mine own land, for I left none to watch over my +goods. It were ill done were I to perish seeking my father, or to +lose some precious possession out of my house." + +Then Menelaus bade his wife and the maids prepare the meal, and +his squire he bade kindle a fire and roast flesh; and he himself +went to his treasury, and Helen and his son with him. He himself +took therefrom a double cup, and bade his son bear a mixing-bowl +of silver; as for Helen, she took from her chests a robe that she +had wrought with her own hands. The fairest it was of all, and +shone as shines a star, and it lay beneath all the rest. + +Then said Menelaus: "Take this mixing-bowl; it is wrought of +silver, but the lips are finished with gold; the god Hephaestus +[Footnote: He-phaes'-tus.] wrought it with his own hands, and the +King of the Sidonians [Footnote: Si-do'-ni-ans.] gave it me. This +cup also I give thee." + +And beautiful Helen came, holding the robe in her hands, and +spake, saying: "Take, dear child, this memorial of Helen's +handiwork; keep it against thy marriage day, for thy bride to +wear. Meanwhile, let thy mother have charge of it. And now mayest +thou return with joy to thy native country and thy home!" + +Then they sat down to eat and drink; and when they had finished, +then did Telemachus and Nestor's son yoke the horses and climb +into the chariot. + +But Menelaus came forth bringing wine in a cup of gold, that they +might pour out an offering to the gods before they departed. And +he stood before the horses, and spake, saying:-- + +"Farewell, gallant youths, and salute Nestor for me; verily, he +was as a father to me, when we were waging war against Troy." + +To him Telemachus made answer: "That will we do; and may the gods +grant that I find my father at home and tell him what grace I have +found in thy sight!" + +But even as he spake there flew forth at his right hand an eagle, +carrying a goose in his claws, that he had snatched from the yard, +and men and women followed it with loud shouting. Across the +horses it flew, still going to the right; and they were glad when +they saw it. + +Then said Nestor's son: "Think, Menelaus! Did Zeus send this sign +to us or thee?" + +But while Menelaus pondered the matter, Helen spake, saying: "Hear +me while I say what the gods have put in my heart. Even as this +eagle came down from the hill where he was bred, and snatched away +the goose from the house, so shall Ulysses come back to his home +after many wanderings, and take vengeance; yea, even now he is +there, plotting evil for the suitors." + +Then they departed and sped across the plain. But when they came +the next day to Pylos, Telemachus said to Peisistratus: "Son of +Nestor, wilt thou be as a friend to me, and do my bidding? Leave +me at my ship; take me not past, lest the old man, thy father, +keep me out of his kindness against my will, for, indeed, I am +desirous to go home." + +And Nestor's son did so. He turned his horses towards the shore +and the ship. And coming there, he took out the gifts, and laid +them in the hinder part of the ship. This done, he called +Telemachus and said: "Climb now into thy ship, and depart, ere I +can reach my home. Well I know that my father will come down, and +bid thee return with him to his house; nor, indeed, if he find +thee here, will he go back without thee, so wilful is he of +heart." + +And Telemachus bade his companions climb on the ship; and they did +so. + +So they departed; and Athene sent a wind that blew from behind, +and they sped on their way. + +Meanwhile Ulysses sat with the swineherd and his men, and supped. +And Ulysses, willing to try the man's temper, said: "In the +morning I would fain go to the city, to the house of Ulysses, for +I would not be burdensome to thee. Perchance the suitors might +give me a meal. Well could I serve them. No man can light a fire, +or cleave wood, or carve flesh, or pour out wine, better than I." + +"Nay," said the swineherd, "thou hadst best not go among the +suitors, so proud and lawless are they. They that serve them are +not such as thou. They are young, and fair, and gaily clad, and +their heads are anointed with oil. Abide here; thou art not +burdensome to us; and when the son of Ulysses shall come, he will +give thee, may be, a mantle and a tunic." + +Ulysses answered: "Now may Zeus bless thee for thy kindness, for +thou makest me to cease from my wanderings. Surely, nothing is +more grievous to a man than to wander; but hunger compels him. +Tell me now about the mother of Ulysses and about his father. Are +they yet alive?" + +Then said the swineherd: "I will tell thee all. Laertes, the +father of Ulysses, yet lives; yet doth he daily pray to die, for +he sorroweth for his son, who is far away from his home, and for +his wife, who is dead. Verily, it was her death that brought him +to old age before his time. And it was of grief for her son that +she died. Much kindness did I receive at her hands, while she yet +lived; but now I lack it. As for my lady Penelope, a great trouble +hath fallen upon her house, even a plague of evil-minded men." + + + + +CHAPTER XVII + +ULYSSES AND TELEMACHUS + + +Telemachus in his ship came safe to the island of Ithaca, at the +place that was nearest to the swineherd's house. There they +beached the ship, and made it fast with anchors at the fore part +and hawsers at the stern, and they landed, and made ready a meal. + +When they had had enough of meat and drink, Telemachus said: "Take +now the ship to the city. I will come thither in the evening, +having first seen my farm; and then I will pay you your wages." + +Now the herdsman and Ulysses had kindled a fire, and were making +ready breakfast. + +And Ulysses heard the steps of a man, and, as the dogs barked not, +he said to Eumaeus, "Lo! there comes some comrade or friend, for +the dogs bark not." + +And as he spake, Telemachus stood in the doorway; and the +swineherd let fall from his hand the bowl in which he was mixing +wine, and ran to him and kissed his head and his eyes and his +hands. As a father kisses his only son, coming back to him from a +far country after ten years, so did the swineherd kiss Telemachus. +And when Telemachus came in, the false beggar, though indeed he +was his father, rose, and would have given place to him; but +Telemachus allowed him not to do so. And when they had eaten and +drunk, Telemachus asked of the swineherd who this stranger might +be. + +Then the swineherd told him what he had heard, and afterwards +said, "I hand him to thee; do as thou wilt." + +But Telemachus answered: "Nay, Eumaeus. For am I master in my +house? Do not the suitors devour it? And does not my mother doubt +whether she will abide with me, remembering the great Ulysses, who +was her husband, or will follow some one of those who are suitors +to her? I will give this stranger, indeed, food and clothing and a +sword, and will send him whithersoever he will, but I would not +that he should go among the suitors, so haughty are they and +violent." + +Then said Ulysses: "But why dost thou bear with these men? Do the +people hate thee, that thou canst not avenge thyself on them? and +hast thou not kinsmen to help thee? As for me, I would rather die +than see such shameful things done in a house of mine." + +And Telemachus answered: "My people hate me not; but as for +kinsmen, I have none, for my grandfather had but one son, Laertes, +and he but one, Ulysses, and Ulysses had none other but me. +Therefore do these men spoil my substance, and, it may be, will +take my life also. These things, however, the gods will order. But +do thou, Eumaeus, go to Penelope, and tell her that I am returned; +and let no man know thereof, for they plan evil against me; but I +will stay here meanwhile." + +So Eumaeus departed. And when he had gone, Athene came, like a +woman tall and fair; but Telemachus saw her not, for it is not +given to all to see the immortal gods; but Ulysses saw her, and +the dogs saw her, and whimpered for fear. She signed to Ulysses, +and he went forth, and she said:-- + +"Hide not the matter from thy son, but plan with him how ye may +slay the suitors, and lo! I am with you." + +Then she touched him with her golden wand. First she put about him +a fresh robe of linen and new tunic. Also she made him larger and +fairer to behold. More dark did he grow, and his cheeks were +rounded again, and the beard spread out black upon his chin. + +Having so done, she passed away. But when Ulysses went into the +hut, his son looked at him, greatly marvelling. Indeed, he feared +that it might be some god. + +"Stranger," he said, "surely thou art not what thou wast but a +moment since; other garments hast thou, and the colour of thy skin +is changed. Verily, thou must be some god from heaven. Stay +awhile, that we may offer to thee sacrifice, so shalt thou have +mercy on us!" + +Ulysses made answer, "I am no god; I am thy father, for whom thou +hast sought with much trouble of heart." + +So saying, he kissed his son, and let fall a tear, but before he +had kept in his tears continually. + +But Telemachus, doubting yet whether this could indeed be his +father, made reply: "Thou canst not be my father; some god +deceiveth me that I may have sorrow upon sorrow. No mortal man +could contrive this, making himself now young, now old, at his +pleasure. A moment since thou wast old, and clad in vile garments; +now thou art as one of the gods in heaven." + +But Ulysses answered him, saying: "Telemachus, it is not fitting +for thee to marvel so much at thy father's coming home. It is +indeed my very self who am come, now at last in the twentieth +year, having suffered many things and wandered over many lands. +And this at which thou wonderest is Athene's work; she it is that +maketh me now like to an old man and a beggar and now to a young +man clad in rich raiment." + +So speaking, he sat him down again, and Telemachus threw himself +upon his father's neck and wept, and his father wept also. And +when they had dried their tears, Telemachus said, "Tell me how +thou camest back, my father?" + +So Ulysses told him, saying: "The Phaeacians brought me back from +their country while I slept. Many gifts did they send with me. +These have I hidden in a cave. And to this place have I come by +the counsel of Athene, that we may plan together for the slaying +of the suitors. But come, tell me the number of the suitors, how +many they are and what manner of men. Shall we twain be able to +make war upon them or must we get the help of others?" + +Then said Telemachus: "Thou art, I know, a great and wise warrior, +my father, but this thing we cannot do; for these men are not ten, +no, nor twice ten, but from Dulichium [Footnote: Du-lich'-i-um.] +come fifty and two, and from Samos four and twenty, and from +Zacynthus [Footnote: Za-cyn'-thus.] twenty, and from Ithaca +twelve; and they have Medon, the herald, and a minstrel also, and +attendants." + +Then said Ulysses: "Go thou home in the morning and mingle with +the suitors, and I will come as an old beggar; and if they treat +me shamefully, endure to see it, yea, if they drag me to the door. +Only, if thou wilt, speak to them prudent words; but they will not +heed thee, for indeed their doom is near. Heed this also: when I +give thee a sign, take all the arms from the dwelling and hide +them in thy chamber. And when they shall ask thee why thou doest +thus, say that thou takest them out of the smoke, for that they +are not such as Ulysses left behind him when he went to Troy, but +that the smoke has soiled them. Say, also, that perchance they +might stir up strife sitting at their cups, and that it is not +well that arms should be at hand, for that the very steel draws on +a man to fight. But keep two swords and two spears and two +shields--these shall be for thee and me. Only let no one know of +my coming back--not Laertes, nor the swineherd; no, nor Penelope +herself." + +Meanwhile the ship of Telemachus came to the city, and a herald +went to the palace with tidings for Penelope, lest she should be +troubled for her son. So these two, the herald and the swineherd, +came together, having the same errand. The herald spake out among +the handmaids, saying: "O Queen, thy son is returned from Pylos!" +But the swineherd went up to Penelope by herself, and told her all +that Telemachus had bidden him to say. When he had so done, he +turned about, and went home to his house and to the swine. + +But the suitors were troubled in heart; and Eurymachus said: "This +is a bold thing that Telemachus hath done. He hath accomplished +his journey, which we said he never would accomplish. Let us, +therefore, get rowers together, and send a ship, that we may bid +our friends come back with all the speed they may." + +But even while he spake, Amphinomus [Footnote: Am-phi'-no-mus.] +turned him about, and saw the ship in the harbour, and the men +lowering the sails. Then he laughed and said: "No need is there to +send a message, for the men themselves have come. Maybe some god +hath told them; maybe they saw the ship of Telemachus go by, and +could not overtake it." + +Then all the suitors went together to the place of assembly, and +Antinous stood up and spake: "See how the gods have delivered this +man! All day long our scouts sat and watched upon the headlands, +one man taking another's place; and at sunset we rested not on the +shore, but sailed on the sea, waiting for the morning. Yet some +god hath brought him home. Nevertheless, we will bring him to an +evil end, for so long as he liveth we shall not accomplish our +end. Let us make haste before he assemble the people and tell them +how we plotted against him. Then will they hate us, and we shall +be driven forth from the land. Let us slay him, therefore, either +in the field or by the way; and let us divide his possessions, but +his house will we give to his mother and to him who shall marry +her." + +Then spake Amphinomus,--not one of the suitors was of a more +understanding heart than he,--"Friends, I would not that +Telemachus should be slain; it is a fearful thing to slay the son +of a king. First, let us ask counsel of the gods. If the oracles +of Zeus approve, then will I slay him with mine own hand; but if +they forbid, then I would have you refrain." + +Thereupon they departed from the place of assembly, and went to +the house of Ulysses. + +Now Penelope had heard from Medon, the herald, how the suitors had +plotted to slay her son; therefore she went to the hall, and her +maidens with her, and stood in the door, holding her veil before +her face, and spake, saying:-- + +"Antinous, men say that thou art the best in counsel and speech of +all the princes of Ithaca. But, in truth, I do find thee thus. +Dost thou plot against the life of my son, having no regard for +the gods, nor any memory of good deeds? Dost thou not remember how +thy father fled to this house, fearing the anger of the people? +Yet it is this man's house that thou dost waste, and his son that +thou wouldest slay." + +But Eurymachus made answer: "Take courage, wise Penelope, and let +not thy heart be troubled. The man is not, nor shall be born, who +shall raise a hand against Telemachus, so long as I live upon the +earth. Many a time hath Ulysses set me upon his knees, and given +me roasted flesh, and held the wine-cup to my lips. Therefore +Telemachus is the dearest of men to me. Fear not death for him +from the suitors." + +So he spake, as if he would comfort her; but all the while he +plotted the death of her son. + +After this she went to her chamber, and wept for her lord till +Athene dropped sweet sleep upon her eyes. + +Meanwhile the swineherd went back to his home. But before he came +Athene changed Ulysses again into the likeness of a beggar man, +lest he should know him and tell the matter to Penelope. + +Telemachus spake to him, saying: "What news is there in the city? +Are the suitors come back from their ambush, or do they still +watch for my ship?" + +Eumaeus answered: "I did not think to go about the city asking +questions; but I will tell what I know. The messenger from thy +company joined himself to me, and, indeed, was the first to tell +the news to the Queen. This also I know, that I saw a ship +entering the harbour, and that there were many men in her, and +spears, and shields. These, perchance, were the suitors, but I +know not of a certainty." + +Then Telemachus looked to his father, but the swineherd's eye he +shunned. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + +ULYSSES IN HIS HOME + + +When the morning came, Telemachus said to the swineherd: "I go to +the city, for my mother will not be satisfied till she see my very +face. And do thou lead this stranger to the city, that he may +there beg his bread from any that may have the mind to give." + +Thereupon Ulysses spake, saying, "I too, my friend, like not to be +left here. It is better for a man to beg his bread in the town +than in the fields. Go thou, and I will follow, so soon as the sun +shall wax hot, for my garments are exceeding poor, and I fear lest +the cold overcome me." + +So Telemachus went his way, devising evil against the suitors all +the while. And when he came to the house his nurse Eurycleia saw +him first, and kissed him. Penelope also came down from her +chamber, and cast her arms about him, and kissed him on the face, +and on both the eyes, and spake, saying: "Thou art come, +Telemachus, light of mine eyes! I thought not ever to see thee +again. But tell me, what news didst thou get of thy father?" + +And Telemachus related what Nestor and Menelaus had told him. + +Meanwhile the suitors were disporting themselves, casting weights +and aiming with spears in a level place. And when it was the time +for supper, Medon, the herald, said, "Come now, let us sup; meat +in season is a good thing." + +So they made ready a feast. + +Now in the meanwhile Eumaeus and the false beggar were coming to +the city. And when they were now near to it, Melanthius [Footnote: +Me-lan'-thi-us.], the goatherd, met them, and spake evil to +Eumaeus, rebuking him because he brought this beggar to the city. +And he came near and smote Ulysses with his foot on the thigh, but +moved him not from the path. And Ulysses thought awhile, should he +smite him with his club and slay him, or dash him on the ground. +But it seemed to him better to endure. + +So they went on to the palace. And at the door of the court there +lay the dog Argus, whom in the old days Ulysses had reared with +his own hand. But ere the dog grew to his full, Ulysses had sailed +to Troy. And while he was strong, men used him in the chase, +hunting wild goats and roe-deer and hares. But now he lay on a +dunghill, and vermin swarmed upon him. Well he knew his master, +and, although he could not come near to him, he wagged his tail +and drooped his ears. + +And Ulysses, when he saw him, wiped away a tear, and said, "Surely +this is strange, Eumaeus, that such a dog of so fine a breed +should lie here upon a dunghill." + +And Eumaeus made reply: "He belongeth to a master who died far +away. For, indeed, when Ulysses had him of old, he was the +strongest and swiftest of dogs; but now my dear lord has perished +far away, and the careless women tend him not. For when the master +is away the slaves are careless of their duty. Surely a man, when +he is made a slave, loses half the virtue of a man." + +And as he spake the dog Argus died. Twenty years had he waited, +and saw his master at the last. After this the two entered the +hall. And Telemachus, when he saw them, took from the basket bread +and meat, as much as his hands could hold, and bade carry them to +the beggar, and also to tell him that he might go round among the +suitors, asking alms. So he went, stretching out his hand, as +though he were wont to beg; and some gave, having compassion upon +him, and some asked who he was. But of all, Antinous was the most +shameless. For when Ulysses came to him and told him how he had +had much riches and power in former days, and how he had gone to +Egypt, and had been sold a slave into Cyprus, Antinous mocked him, +saying:-- + +"Get thee from my table, or thou shalt find a worse Egypt and a +harder Cyprus than before." + +Then Ulysses said, "Surely thy soul is evil though thy body is +fair; for though thou sittest at another man's feast, yet wilt +thou give me nothing." + +Then Antinous caught up the footstool that was under his feet, and +smote Ulysses therewith. But he stood firm as a rock; and in his +heart he thought on revenge. So he went and sat down at the door. +And being there, he said:-- + +"Hear me, suitors of the Queen! Antinous has smitten me because +that I am poor. May the curse of the hungry light on him therefor, +ere he come to his marriage day!" + +Then spake Antinous, "Sit thou still, stranger, and eat thy bread +in silence, lest the young men drag thee from the house, or strip +thy flesh from off thy bones." + +So he spake in his insolence; but the others blamed him, saying: +"Antinous, thou didst ill to smite the wanderer; there is a doom +on such deeds, if there be any god in heaven. Verily, the gods oft +times put on the shape of men, and go through cities, spying out +whether there is righteous dealing or unrighteous among them." + +But Antinous heeded not. As for Telemachus, he nursed a great +sorrow in his heart to see his father so smitten; yet he shed not +a tear, but sat in silence, meditating evil against the suitors. + +When Penelope also heard how the stranger had been smitten in the +hall, she spake to her maidens, saying, "So may Apollo, the +archer, smite Antinous!" + +Then Eurynome [Footnote: Eu-ryn'-o-me.], that kept the house, made +answer: "O that our prayers might be fulfilled! Surely not one of +these evil men should see another day." + +To her replied Penelope: "Yea, nurse, all are enemies, but +Antinous is the worst. Verily, he is as hateful as death." + +Then Penelope called to the swineherd and said: "Go now, and bring +this stranger to me; I would greet him, and inquire of him whether +he has heard tidings of Ulysses, or, it may be, seen him with his +eyes, for he seems to have wandered far." + +Eumaeus made answer: "Truly this man will charm thy heart, O +Queen! Three days did I keep him in my dwelling, and he never +ceased from telling of his sorrows. As a singer of beautiful songs +charmeth men, so did he charm me. He saith that he is a Cretan, +and that he hath heard of Ulysses, that he is yet alive, and that +he is bringing much wealth to his home." + +Then said Penelope: "Go, call the man, that I may speak with him. +O that Ulysses would indeed return! Soon would he and his son +avenge them of these men, for all the wrong that they have done!" + +And as she spake, Telemachus sneezed, and all the house rang with +the noise. And Penelope said again to Eumaeus: "Call now this +stranger; didst thou not mark the good omen, how my son sneezed +when I spake? Verily, this vengeance shall be wrought, nor shall +one escape from it. And as for this stranger, if I shall perceive +that he hath spoken truth, I will give him a new mantle and +tunic." + +So the swineherd spake to the stranger, saying: "Penelope would +speak with thee, and would inquire concerning her husband. And if +she find that thou hast spoken truth, she will give thee a mantle +and a tunic, and thou shalt have freedom to beg throughout the +land." + +But the false beggar said: "Gladly would I tell to Penelope the +story of her husband, for I know him well. But I fear these +suitors. Even now, when this man struck me, and for naught, none +hindered the blow, no, not Telemachus himself. Go, therefore, and +bid the Queen wait till the setting of the sun." + +So the swineherd went, and as he crossed the threshold Penelope +said: "Thou bringest him not! What meaneth the wanderer? A beggar +that is shamefaced knoweth his trade but ill." + +But the swineherd answered: "He doeth well, O lady, in that he +fearest the wrong-doing of these insolent men. He would have thee +wait till the setting of the sun, and indeed it is better for thee +to have speech with him alone." + +Then said Penelope: "It is well; the stranger is a man of +understanding. Verily, these men are insolent above all others." + +Then the swineherd went into the throng of the suitors, and spake +to Telemachus, holding his head close that none should hear: "I go +to see after matters at the farm. Take thou heed of what befalleth +here. Many of the people have ill-will against us. May Zeus +confound them!" + +Telemachus made answer, "Go, as thou sayest and come again in the +morning, bringing beasts for sacrifice." + +So the swineherd departed; and the suitors made merry in the hall. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX + +ULYSSES IN HIS HOME (_continued_) + + +After awhile there came a beggar from the city, huge of bulk, +mighty to eat and drink, but his strength was not according to his +size. The young men called him Irus [Footnote: I'-rus], because he +was their messenger, after Iris [Footnote: I'-ris], the messenger +of Zeus. He spake to Ulysses:-- + +"Give place, old man, lest I drag thee forth; the young men even +now would have it so, but I think it shame to strike such an one +as thee." + +Then said Ulysses, "There is room for thee and for me; get what +thou canst, for I do not grudge thee aught, but beware lest thou +anger me, lest I harm thee, old though I am." + +But Irus would not hear words of peace, but still challenged him +to fight. + +And when Antinous saw this he was glad, and said: "This is the +goodliest sport that I have seen in this house. These two beggars +would fight; let us haste and match them." + +And the saying pleased them; and Antinous spake again: "Hear me, +ye suitors of the Queen! We have put aside these paunches of the +goats for our supper. Let us agree, then, that whosoever of these +two shall prevail, shall have choice of these, that which pleaseth +him best, and shall hereafter eat with us, and that no one else +shall sit in his place." + +Then said Ulysses: "It is hard for an old man to fight with a +young. Yet will I do it. Only do ye swear to me that no one shall +strike me a foul blow while I fight with this man." + +Then Telemachus said that this should be so, and they all +consented to his words. And after this Ulysses girded himself for +the fight. And all that were there saw his thighs, how great and +strong they were, and his shoulders, how broad, and his arms, how +mighty. And they said one to another, "There will be little of +Irus left, so stalwart seems this beggar man." But as for Irus +himself, he would have slunk out of sight, but they that were set +to gird him compelled him to come forth. + +Then said Antinous: "How is this, thou braggart, that thou fearest +this old man, all woebegone as he is?" + +So the two came together. And Ulysses thought whether he should +strike the fellow and slay him, or fell him to the ground. And +this last seemed the better of the two. So when Irus had dealt him +his blow, he smote him on the jaw, and brake the bone, so that he +fell howling on the ground, and the blood poured from his mouth. + +Then all the suitors laughed aloud. But Ulysses dragged the fellow +out of the hall, and propped him by the wall of the courtyard, +putting a staff in his hand, and saying, "Sit there, and keep dogs +and swine from the door, but dare not hereafter to lord it over +men, no, not even ov'r strangers and beggars, lest some worse +thing befall thee." + +Then Antinous gave Ulysses a great paunch, and Amphinomus gave two +loaves, and pledged him in a cup, saying, "Good luck to thee, +hereafter, though now thou seemest to have evil fortune!" + + + + +CHAPTER XX + +ULYSSES IS DISCOVERED BY HIS NURSE + + +And when the suitors had departed, Ulysses spake to Telemachus, +saying: "Come now, let us hide away the arms that are in the hall. +And if any of the suitors ask concerning them, thou shalt say, 'I +have put them away out of the smoke, for they are not such as they +were when Ulysses departed, for the breath of fire hath marred +them. And for this cause also have I put them away, lest ye should +quarrel and wound one another when ye are heated with wine; for +the sight of iron tempteth a man to strike.' So shalt thou speak +to the suitors." + +Then said Telemachus to Eurycleia, the nurse, "Shut up the women +in their chambers, till I have put away in the armoury the weapons +of my father, for the smoke in the hall hath made them dim." + +The nurse made answer: "I wish, my child, that thou wouldest ever +have such care for thy father's possessions! But say, who shall +bear the light, if thou wilt not have any of the women to go +before thee?" + +Then said Telemachus, "This stranger shall do it, for I will not +have any man eat my bread in idleness." + +So the nurse shut up the women in their chambers, and Ulysses and +his son set themselves to carry the shields and the helmets and +the spears, from the hall into the armoury. And Athene went ever +before them, holding a lamp of gold, that shed a very fair light. +Thereupon said Telemachus: "Surely, my father, this is a great +wonder that I behold! See the walls, and the beams, and the +pillars are bright, as it were with flames of fire. This must be +the doing of a god." + +But Ulysses made answer: "Hold thy peace; keep the matter in thine +heart, and inquire not concerning it. And now lie down and sleep, +for I would talk with thy mother." + +So Telemachus went to his chamber, and slept, and Ulysses was left +alone in the hall, devising in his heart how he might slay the +suitors. + +And now Penelope came down, and sat by the fire, on a chair +cunningly wrought of silver and ivory, with a footstool that was +part of the chair. And soon the maidens came in, and took away the +fragments of food that were left, and the cups from which the +suitors drank, and piled fresh logs on the fire. + +Then Penelope called to the nurse, saying, "Nurse, bring me now a +settle with a fleece upon it, that the stranger may sit and tell +me his story." + +So the nurse brought the settle and the fleece, and Ulysses sat +him down; and Penelope spake, saying: "Stranger, I will ask thee +first who art thou? Whence didst thou come? What is thy city and +thy father's name?" + +Ulysses made answer: "Ask me now other things as thou wilt; but +ask me not of my name, or my race, or my native country, lest I +weep as I think thereon, for I am a man of many sorrows; and it is +not fitting to mourn and weep in the house of another." + +To him Penelope made reply: "Stranger, I am sore beset with +troubles. For the princes of the islands round about, yea and of +Ithaca itself, woo me against my will, and devour my house. Vainly +have I sought to escape their wooing. For Athene put this into my +heart that I should say to them: 'Noble youths that would wed me, +now that Ulysses is dead, abide patiently, though ye be eager to +hasten the marriage, till I shall have finished this winding-sheet +for Laertes; for it were a shame, if he, having had great wealth, +should lie in his grave without a winding-sheet.' So I spake, and +they gave consent. Three years did I deceive them, weaving the web +by day, and by night unravelling it; but in the fourth year my +handmaids betrayed me. And now I have no escape from marriage, for +my parents urge me, and my son is vexed because these men devour +his substance, and he is now of an age to manage his own house. +But come, tell me of what race thou art; thou art not born of an +oak tree or a rock, as the old fables have it." + +Then said Ulysses: "If thou wilt still ask me of my race, then +will I tell thee; but thou wilt so bring sorrow upon me beyond +that to which I am bound; for it is grief to a man who hath +wandered far and suffered much to speak of the matter." + +So Ulysses told his tale. False it was, but it seemed to be true. +And Penelope wept to hear it. As the snow melts upon the hills +when the southeast wind bloweth, and the streams run full, so did +Penelope weep for her lord. And Ulysses had compassion on his +wife, when he saw her weep; but his own eyes he kept as if they +had been horn or iron. + +But Penelope said: "Friend, suffer me to make trial of thee, +whether this was indeed my husband Ulysses. Tell me now with what +raiment he was clothed, and what manner of man he was, and what +his company." + +Then Ulysses made answer: "I remember that he had a mantle, +twofold, woollen, of sea-purple, clasped with a brooch of gold, +whereon was a dog that held a fawn by the throat; marvellously +wrought was the dog and the fawn. Also he had a tunic, white and +smooth, even as the skin of an onion when it is dry, which the +women much admired to see. But whether some one had given him +these things I know not, for, indeed, many gave him gifts, and I +also, even a sword and a tunic. Also he had a herald with him, one +Eurybates [Footnote: Eu-ryb'-a-tes.], older than he, dark-skinned, +round in the shoulders, with curly hair." + +When Penelope heard this she wept yet more, for she knew by these +tokens that this man was indeed her lord. "This is true," she +said, "O stranger, for I myself gave him these garments, and I +folded them myself, and I also gave him the jewel. And now, alas! +I shall see him no more." + +But Ulysses made answer: "Nay, wife of Ulysses, say not so. Cease +from thy mourning, for Ulysses is yet alive. Near at hand is he, +in the land of the Thesprotians, and is bringing many gifts with +him. So the king of the land told me, and showed me the gifts +which he had gathered; many they were and great, and will enrich +his house to the tenth generation. But Ulysses himself, when I was +there, had gone to Dodona [Footnote: Do-do'-na.], to inquire of +Zeus--for there is the oracle of the god in the midst of an oak +tree--whether he shall return to his home openly or by stealth. +Be sure, O lady, that in this tenth year Ulysses shall come, even +when the old moon waneth and the new is born." + +Then said Penelope: "May thy words be accomplished, O stranger! +Verily, thou shouldest have much kindness at my hands and many +gifts. Yet I have a boding in my heart that it shall not be. But +now the handmaids shall spread a bed for thee with mattress and +blankets that thou mayest sleep warm till morning shall come. And +they shall wash thy feet." + +But Ulysses spake, saying: "Mattress and blankets have been +hateful to me since I left the land of Crete. I will lie as I have +been wont to lie for many nights, sleepless and waiting for the +day. And I have no delight in the bath; nor shall any of these +maidens touch my feet. Yet if there be some old woman, faithful of +heart, her I would suffer to touch my feet." + +Then said Penelope: "Such an one there is, even the woman who +nursed my lord, and cherished him, and carried him in her arms, +from the time when his mother bare him. She is now weak with age, +but she will wash thy feet." + +And she spake to the nurse, saying, "Up, now, and wash this man, +who is of like age with thy master." + +Then the old woman covered her face with her hands and wept, +saying: "Willingly will I wash thy feet both for Penelope's sake +and thine own. Many strangers, worn with travel, have come hither, +but never saw I one that was so like to Ulysses in voice and in +feet." + +And Ulysses made answer, "Even so have I heard before; men said +ever that we were most like one to the other." + +But when she had made ready the bath, then Ulysses sat aloof from +the hearth, and turned his face to the darkness, for he feared in +his heart lest, when the old woman should handle his leg, she +might know a great scar thereon, where he had been rent by the +tusks of a wild boar. + +By this scar, then, the old nurse knew that it was Ulysses +himself, and said, "O Ulysses, O my child, to think that I knew +thee not!" + +And she looked towards the Queen, as meaning to tell the thing to +her. But Ulysses laid his hand on her throat and said softly: +"Mother, wouldest thou kill me? I am returned after twenty years, +and none must know till I shall be ready to take vengeance." + +And the old woman held her peace. And after this Penelope talked +with him again, telling him her dreams, how she had seen a flock +of geese in her palace, and how that an eagle had slain them, and +when she mourned for the geese, lo! a voice that said, "These +geese are thy suitors, and the eagle thy husband." + +And Ulysses said that the dream was well. And then she said that +on the morrow she must make her choice, for she had promised to +bring forth the great bow of Ulysses, and whosoever should draw it +most easily, and shoot an arrow best at a mark, he should be her +husband. + +And Ulysses made answer to her: "It is well, lady. Put not off +this trial of the bow, for before one of them shall draw the +string, the great Ulysses shall come and duly shoot at the mark +that shall be set." + +After this Penelope slept. + + + +CHAPTER XXI + +THE TRIAL OF THE BOW + + +Ulysses laid him down to sleep in the gallery of the hall. On a +bull's hide he lay, and over him he put fleeces of sheep that had +been slain for sacrifice and feast, and the dame that kept the +house threw a mantle over him. + +And he slept not, for he had many thoughts in his heart, but +turned him from side to side, thinking how, being one against +many, he might slay the suitors in his hall. + +Then Athene came down from Olympus, and stood over his head, +having taken upon herself the likeness of a woman. And she spake, +saying: "Wakest thou still, man of many troubles? Is not this thy +house? And is not thy wife within, and thy son, a noble lad?" + +Ulysses made answer: "This is true, O goddess. But I think how I, +being one against many, can slay the suitors in my hall." + +Then answered the goddess: "Verily, thou art weak in faith. Some +put trust in men, yet men are weaker than the gods; why trustest +not thou in me? Verily, I am with thee, and will keep thee to the +end. But now sleep, for to watch all the night is vexation of +spirit." + +So saying, she poured sleep upon his eyes and went back to +Olympus. + +When the morning came Ulysses awoke, and he took up the fleeces, +and set them on a seat in the hall, and the bull's hide he carried +without. Then he lifted up his hands to Zeus, and prayed, saying, +"O Father Zeus, if thou hast led me to mine own country of good +will, then give me a sign." + +And even as he spake Zeus thundered from Olympus; and Ulysses +heard it, and was glad. Also a woman at the mill spake a word of +omen. Twelve women there were that ground the meal, wheat, and +barley. Eleven of these were now sleeping, for they had finished +their task; but this one, being weakest of all, was still +grinding. And now she stayed her work, and said: "Surely, Father +Zeus, this is a sign, for thou hast thundered in a clear sky. +Grant now that this be the last meal that I shall grind for the +suitors in the house of Ulysses!" + +Afterwards came Telemachus, and spake to the nurse, saying, "Hast +thou given to the guest food and bedding, or doth he lie uncared +for?" + +The nurse made answer: "The stranger drank as much as he would, +and ate till he said that he had had enough; but blankets and a +mattress he would not have; on an hide he slept, with fleeces of +sheep above. Also we cast a mantle over him." + +Next came the swineherd, leading three fatted hogs, the best of +all the herd. And he said. "Stranger, do these men treat thee +well?" + +Ulysses made answer, "May the gods repay them as they have dealt +insolently with me!" + +Afterwards came Melanthius, the goatherd, having goats for the +feast of the day. And he spake to Ulysses bitter words: "Wilt thou +still plague us, stranger, with thy begging? Verily, I think that +we shall not part till we have made trial of each other with our +fists. Thy begging is not to be borne; and there are other feasts +whither thou mightest go." + +But Ulysses answered him not a word. + +Last came Philoetius [Footnote: Phi-loe'-ti-us.], the cattleherd, +bringing a heifer for the feast of the suitors. He spake to +Ulysses, saying: "May happiness come to thee, stranger, hereafter! +Now thou art encompassed with sorrows. Mine eyes are full of tears +as I behold thee, for it may be that Ulysses is clad in vile +garments like to these, wandering about among men, if, indeed, he +is yet alive. But if he is dead, that, indeed, is a great sorrow. +For he set me over his cattle, and these are now increased beyond +all counting; never have herds increased more plentifully. +Nevertheless, it vexeth my heart because strangers are ever +devouring them in his hall. Verily, I would have fled long since, +for the thing is past all enduring, but that I hope to see Ulysses +yet come again to his own." + +Then Ulysses made answer: "Cattleherd, thou art a man of an +understanding heart. Now hearken to what I shall say. While thou +art still in this place, Ulysses shall come home, and thou shalt +see it with thine eyes, yea, and the slaying of the suitors also." + +And after awhile the suitors came and sat down, as was their wont, +to the feast. And the servants bare to Ulysses, as Telemachus had +bidden, a full share with the others. And when Ctesippus, a prince +of Samos, saw this (he was a man heedless of right and of the +gods), he said: "Is it well that this fellow should fare even as +we? Look now at the gift that I shall give him." Thereupon he +took a bullock's foot out of a basket wherein it lay, and cast +it at Ulysses. + +But he moved his head to the left and shunned it, and it flew on, +marking the wall. And Telemachus cried in great wrath:-- + +"It is well for thee, Ctesippus [Footnote: Cte-sip'-pus.], that +thou didst not strike this stranger. For surely, hadst thou done +this thing, my spear had pierced thee through, and thy father had +made good cheer, not for thy marriage, but for thy burial." + +Then said Agelaus [Footnote: A-ge-la'-us.]: "This is well said. +Telemachus should not be wronged, no, nor this stranger. But, on +the other hand, he must bid his mother choose out of the suitors +whom she will, and marry him, nor waste our time any more." + +Telemachus said: "It is well. She shall marry whom she will. But +from my house I will never send against her will." + +After this Penelope went to fetch the great bow of Ulysses. From +the peg on which it hung she took it with its sheath, and, sitting +down, she laid it on her knees and wept over it, and after this +rose up and went to where the suitors sat feasting in the hall. +The bow she brought, and also the quiver full of arrows, and, +stalling by the pillar of the dome, spake thus:-- + +"Ye suitors, who devour this house, lo! here is a proof of your +skill. Here is the bow of the great Ulysses. Whoever shall bend it +easiest in his hands, and shoot an arrow most easily through the +holes in the heads of the twelve axes that Telemachus shall set +up, him will I follow, leaving this house, which I shall remember +only in my dreams." + +Then she bade Eumaeus bear the bow and the arrows to the suitors. +And the good swineherd wept to see his master's bow, and +Philoetius, the herdsman of the kine, wept also, for he was a good +man, and loved the house of Ulysses. + +Then Telemachus planted in order the axes wherein were the holes, +and was minded himself to draw the bow; and indeed would have done +the thing, but Ulysses signed to him that he should not. Therefore +he said, "Methinks I am too weak and young; ye that are elder +should try the first." + +Then first Leiodes [Footnote: Lei-o'-des.], the priest, who alone +among the suitors hated their evil ways, made trial of the bow. +But he moved it not, but wearied his hands with it, for they were +tender, and unaccustomed to toil. And he said, "I cannot bend this +bow; let some other try; but I think that it shall be grief and +pain to many this day." + +And Antinous was wroth to hear such words, and bade Melanthius +bring forth a roll of fat, that they might anoint the string and +soften it. So they softened the string with fat, but still could +they not bend it, for they all of them tried in vain, till only +Antinous and Eurymachus were left, who, indeed, were the bravest +and the strongest of them all. + +Now the swineherd and the herdsman of the kine had gone forth out +of the yard, and Ulysses came behind them and said: "What would ye +do if Ulysses were to come back to his home? Would ye fight for +him or for the suitors?" + +And both said that they would fight for him. + +And Ulysses said: "It is even I who am come back in the twentieth +year, and ye, I know, are glad at heart that I am come; nor know I +of any one besides. And if ye will help me as brave men to-day, +wives shall ye have, and possessions and houses near to mine own. +And ye shall be brothers and comrades to Telemachus. And for a +sign, behold this scar which the wild boar made." + +Then they wept for joy and kissed Ulysses, and he also kissed +them. And he said to Eumaeus that he should bring the bow to him +when the suitors had tried their fortune therewith; also that he +should bid the women keep within doors, nor stir out if they +should hear the noise of battle. And Philoetius he bade lock the +doors of the hall, and fasten them with a rope. + +After this he came back to the hall, and Eurymachus had the bow in +his hands, and sought to warm it at the fire. Then he essayed to +draw it, but could not. And he groaned aloud, saying: "Woe is me! +not for loss of this marriage only, for there are other women to +be wooed in Greece, but that we are so much weaker than the great +Ulysses. This is, indeed, shame to tell." + +Then said Antinous: "Not so; to-day is a holy day of the god of +archers; therefore we could not draw the bow. But to-morrow will +we try once more, after sacrifice to Apollo." + +And this saying pleased them all; but Ulysses said, "Let me try +this bow; for I would fain know whether I have such strength as I +had in former days." + +At this all the suitors were wroth, and chiefly Antinous, but +Penelope said that it should be so, and promised the man great +gifts if he could draw this bow. + +But Telemachus spake thus: "Mother, the bow is mine to give or to +refuse. And no man shall say me nay, if I will that this stranger +make trial of it. But do thou go to thy chamber with thy maidens, +and let men take thought for these things." + +And this he said because he would have her depart from the hall +forthwith, knowing what should happen therein. But she marvelled +to hear him speak with such authority, and answered not, but +departed. And when Eumaeus would have carried the bow to Ulysses, +the suitors spake roughly to him, but Telemachus constrained him +to go. Therefore he took the bow and gave it to his master. Then +went he to Eurycleia, and bade her shut the door of the women's +chambers and keep them within, whatsoever they might hear. + +Then Ulysses handled the great bow, trying it, whether it had +taken any hurt, but the suitors thought scorn of him. Then, when +he had found it to be without flaw, just as a minstrel fastens a +string upon his harp and strains it to the pitch, so he strung the +bow without toil; and holding the string in his right hand, he +tried its tone, and the tone was sweet as the voice of a swallow. +Then he took an arrow from the quiver, and laid the notch upon the +string and drew it, sitting as he was, and the arrow passed +through every ring, and stood in the wall beyond. Then he said to +Telemachus:-- + +"There is yet a feast to be held before the sun go down." + +And he nodded the sign to Telemachus. And forthwith the young man +stood by him, armed with spear and helmet and shield. + + + + +CHAPTER XXII + +THE SLAYING OF THE SUITORS + + +Then spake Ulysses among the suitors: "This labour has been +accomplished. Let me try at yet another mark." + +And he aimed his arrow at Antinous. But the man was just raising a +cup to his lips, thinking not of death, for who had thought that +any man, though mightiest of mortals, would venture on such a +deed, being one among many? Right through the neck passed the +arrow-head, and the blood gushed from his nostrils, and he dropped +the cup and spurned the table from him. + +And all the suitors, when they saw him fall, leapt from their +seats; but when they looked, there was neither spear nor shield +upon the wall. And they knew not whether it was by chance or of +set purpose that the stranger had smitten him. But Ulysses then +declared who he was, saying:-- + +"Dogs, ye thought that I should never come back! Therefore have ye +devoured my house, and made suit to my wife while I yet lived, and +feared not the gods nor regarded men. Therefore a sudden +destruction is come upon you all." + +Then when all the others trembled for fear, Eurymachus said: "If +thou be indeed Ulysses of Ithaca, thou hast said well. Foul wrong +has been done to thee in the house and in the field. But lo! he +who was the mover of it all lieth here, even Antinous. Nor was it +so much this marriage that he sought, as to be king of this land, +having destroyed thy house. But we will pay thee back for all that +we have devoured, even twenty times as much." + +But Ulysses said: "Speak not of paying back. My hands shall not +cease from slaying till I have taken vengeance on you all." + +Then said Eurymachus to his comrades: "This man will not stay his +hands. He will smite us all with his arrows where he stands. But +let us win the door, and raise a cry in the city; soon then will +this archer have shot his last." + +And he rushed on, with his two-edged knife in his hand. But as he +rushed, Ulysses smote him on the breast with an arrow, and he fell +forwards. And when Amphinomus came on, Telemachus slew him with +his spear, but drew not the spear from the body, lest some one +should smite him unawares. + +Then he ran to his father and said, "Shall I fetch arms for us and +our helpers?" + +"Yea," said he, "and tarry not, lest my arrows be spent." + +So he fetched from the armoury four shields and four helmets and +eight spear. And he and the servants, Eumaeus and Philoetius, +armed themselves. Also Ulysses, when his arrows were spent, donned +helmet and shield, and took a mighty spear in each hand. But +Melanthius, the goatherd, crept up to the armoury and brought down +there from twelve helmets and shields, and spears as many. And +when Ulysses saw that the suitors were arming themselves, he +feared greatly, and said to his son:-- + +"There is treachery here. It is one of the women, or, it may be, +Melanthius, the goatherd." + +And Telemachus said, "This fault is mine, my father, for I left +the door of the chamber unfastened." + +And soon Eumaeus spied Melanthius stealing up to the chamber +again, and followed him, and Philoetius with him. There they +caught him, even as he took a helmet in one hand and a shield in +the other, and bound his feet and hands, and fastened him aloft by +a rope to the beams of the ceiling. + +Then these two went back to the hall, and there also came Athene, +having the shape of Mentor. Still, for she would yet further try +the courage of Ulysses and his son, she helped them not as yet, +but, changing her shape, sat on the roof-beam like unto a swallow. + +And then cried Agelaus: "Friends, Mentor is gone, and helps them +not. Let us not cast our spears at random, but let six come on +together; perchance we may prevail against them." + +Then they cast their spears, but Athene turned them aside, one to +the pillar, and another to the door, and another to the wall. But +Ulysses and Telemachus and the two herdsmen slew each his man; and +yet again they did so, and again. Only Amphimedon [Footnote: Am- +phim'-e-don.]wounded Telemachus, and Ctesippus grazed the shoulder +of Eumaeus. But Telemachus struck down Amphimedon, and the +herdsman of the kine slew Ctesippus, saying: "Take this, for the +ox-foot which thou gavest to our guest." And all the while Athene +waved her flaming shield from above and the suitors fell as birds +are scattered and torn by eagles. + +Then Leiodes, the priest, made supplication to Ulysses, saying: "I +never wrought evil in this house, and would have kept others from +it, but they would not. Naught have I done save serve at the +altar; wherefore, slay me not." + +And Ulysses made reply, "That thou hast served at the altar of +these men is enough, and also that thou wouldest wed my wife." + +So he slew him; but Phemius, the minstrel, he spared, for he had +sung among the suitors in the hall because he had been compelled, +and not of his own will; and also Medon, the herald, bidding them +go into the yard without. There they sat, holding by the altar and +looking fearfully every way, for they still feared that they +should die. + +So the slaughtering of the suitors was ended; and now Ulysses bade +cleanse the hall and wash the benches and the tables with water, +and purify them with sulphur; and when this was done, that +Eurycleia, the nurse, should go to Penelope and tell her that her +husband was indeed returned. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII + +THE END OF THE WANDERING + + +Eurycleia went to the chamber of her mistress, bearing the glad +tidings. She made haste in her great joy, and her feet stumbled +one over the other. And she stood by the head of Penelope, and +spake, saying: "Awake, dear child, and see with thine eyes that +which thou hast desired so long. For, indeed, Ulysses hath come +back, and hath slain the men that devoured his substance." + +But Penelope made answer: "Surely, dear nurse, the gods have +bereft thee of thy sense; and verily, they can make the wisdom of +the wise to be foolishness, and they can give wisdom to the +simple. Why dost thou mock me, rousing me out of my sleep, the +sweetest that hath ever come to my eyes since the day when Ulysses +sailed for Troy, most hateful of cities? Go, get thee to the +chamber of the women! Had another of the maids roused me in this +fashion, I had sent her back with a sharp rebuke, But thine old +age protects thee." + +Then said the nurse: "I mock thee not, dear child. In very truth +Ulysses is here. He is the stranger to whom such dishonour was +done. But Telemachus knew long since who he was, and hid the +matter, that they might take vengeance on the suitors." + +Then was Penelope glad, and she leapt from bed, and fell upon the +neck of the old woman, weeping, and saying, "Tell me now the +truth, whether, indeed, he hath come home, and hath slain the +suitors, he being but one man, and they many." + +The nurse made answer: "How it was done I know not; only I heard +the groaning of men that were slain. Amazed did we women sit in +our chamber till thy son called me. Then I found Ulysses standing +among the dead, who lay one upon another. Verily, thou hadst been +glad at heart to see him, so like to a lion was he, all stained +with blood and the labour of the fight. And now the suitors lie in +a heap, and he is purifying his house with brimstone. But come, +that ye may have an end of all the sorrow that ye have endured, +for thy desire is fulfilled. Thy husband hath come back, and hath +avenged him to the full on these evil men." + +But Penelope said: "Dear nurse, be not too bold in thy joy. Thou +knowest how gladly I would see him. But this is not he; it is one +of the gods that hath slain the suitors, being wroth at their +insolence and wrong-doing. But Ulysses himself hath perished." + +Then the nurse spake, saying: "What is that thou sayest? That thy +husband will return no more, when he is even now in his own house? +Nay, thou art, indeed, slow to believe. Hear now this manifest +token that I espied with mine eyes,--the scar of the wound that +long since a wild boar dealt him with his tusk. I saw it when I +washed his feet, and would fain have told thee, but he laid his +hand upon my mouth, and in his wisdom suffered me not to speak." + +To her Penelope made answer: "It is hard for thee to know the +purposes of the gods. Nevertheless, I will go to my son, that I +may see the suitors dead, and the man that slew them." + +So she went and sat in the twilight by the other wall, and Ulysses +sat by a pillar, with eyes cast down, waiting till his wife should +speak to him. But she was sore perplexed; for now she seemed to +know him, and now she knew him not, for he had not suffered that +the women should put new robes upon him. + +And Telemachus said: "Mother, evil mother, sittest thou apart from +my father, and speakest not to him? Surely thy heart is harder +than a stone." + +But Ulysses said: "Let be, Telemachus. Thy mother will know that +which is true in good time. But now let us hide this slaughter for +awhile, lest the friends of these men seek vengeance against us. +Wherefore, let there be music and dancing in the hall, so that men +shall say, 'This is the wedding of the Queen, and there is joy in +the palace,' and know not of the truth." + +So the minstrel played and the women danced. And meanwhile Ulysses +went to the bath, and clothed himself in bright apparel, and came +back to the hall, and Athene made him fair and young to see. Then +he sat him down as before, over against his wife, and said:-- + +"Surely, O lady, the gods have made thee harder of heart than all +other women. Would another wife have kept away from her husband, +coming back now after twenty years?" + +And when she doubted yet, he spake again: "Hear thou this, +Penelope, and know that it is I indeed. I will tell thee of the +fashion of my bed. There grew an olive in the inner court, with a +stem of the bigness of a pillar. Round this did I build the +chamber, and I roofed it over, and put doors upon it. Then I +lopped off the boughs of the olive, and made it into the bedpost. +Afterwards, beginning from this, I wrought the bedstead till I had +finished it, inlaying the work with gold and silver and ivory. And +within I fastened a band of ox-hide that had been dyed with +purple. Whether the bedstead be now fast in its place, or whether +some one hath moved it--and verily, it was no light thing to move +--I know not. But this was its fashion of old." + +Then Penelope knew him, that he was her husband indeed, and ran to +him, and threw her arms about him and kissed him, saying: "Pardon +me, my lord, if I was slow to know thee; for ever I feared that +some one should deceive me, saying that he was my husband. But now +I know this, that thou art he and not another." + +And they wept over each other and kissed each other. So did +Ulysses come back to his home after twenty years. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIV + +THE TRIUMPH OF ULYSSES + + +Meanwhile, Ulysses went forth from his palace to the dwelling of +Laertes, that was in the fields. There the old man dwelt, and a +woman of Sicily cared for him. And Ulysses spake to his son and to +the shepherds, saying: "Go ye into the house and prepare a meal of +swine's flesh, as savoury as may be; and I will make trial of my +father, whether he will know me. For it may well be that he hath +forgotten me, seeing that I have been now a long time absent." + +So spake Ulysses, and gave also his arms to the men to keep for +him. So they went into the house. And Ulysses went to the orchard, +making search for his father. There he found not Dolius [Footnote: +Do'-li-us.], that was steward to Laertes, nor any one of his +servants, nor of his sons, for they were gone to make a fence +about the field. Only the old man he found; and he was busy +digging about a tree. Filthy was the tunic that he had about him +and sewn with thread; and he had coverings of ox-hide on his legs +to keep them from the thorns, and gloves upon his hands, and a cap +of dog-skin on his head. And when Ulysses saw him, how that he was +worn with old age and very sorrowful, he stood under a pear tree +and wept. Then for awhile he took counsel with himself, whether he +should kiss his father and embrace him, and make himself known, +and tell him how he had come back to his home, or should first +inquire of him, and learn all that he would know. And he judged it +best first to inquire. So he came near to the old man; and the old +man was digging about a tree, having his head bent down. + +Then said Ulysses: "Verily, old man, thou lackest not skill to +deal with an orchard. And truly, neither fig, nor vine, nor olive, +nor pear may flourish in a garden without care. But yet another +thing will I say to thee, and be not thou wroth when thou hearest +it. Thy garden, indeed, is well cared for, but thou thyself art in +evil plight. For old age lieth heavy upon thee, and thou art clad +in filthy garments. Yet truly it is not because thou art idle that +thy master thus dealeth with thee; nor, indeed, art thou in any +wise like unto a slave; for thy face and thy stature are as it +might be of a king. Such an one as thou art should wash himself, +and sit down to meat, and sleep softly; for such is the right of +old age. But come, tell me truly, whose servant art thou? Whose +orchard dost thou tend? Tell me this also: is this, indeed, the +land of Ithaca to which I am come? This, indeed, a certain man +that I met as I came hither told me, but he seemed to be but of +simple mind, nor would he listen to my words, nor tell me of a +friend that I have who dwelleth in this place, whether he be alive +or dead. I entertained him a long time since in my house, and +never was there stranger whom I loved more than him. And he said +that he was the son of Laertes, and that he came from the land of +Ithaca." + +To him Laertes made answer, weeping the while: "Doubt not, +stranger, that thou art come to the land of which thou inquirest. +But unrighteous and violent men have it in possession. But as for +the son of Laertes, hadst thou found him here, verily, he would +have sent thee away with many gifts. But tell me truly, is it long +time since thou didst give him entertainment? For, indeed, he is +my son, unhappy man that I am. Surely either he hath been drowned +in the sea, and the fishes have devoured him, or wild beasts and +birds of the air have eaten him upon the land. And neither father +nor mother, nor his wife, Penelope, most prudent of women, could +make lamentation for him and lay him out for his burial. But tell +me, who art thou? Where is thy city, and what thy parentage? Did +thine own ship bring thee hither, and thy companions with thee, or +didst thou come as a trader upon the ship of another?" + +Then said Ulysses: "All this I will tell thee truly. My name is +Eperitus.[Footnote: E-per'-i-tus.] It was of the doing of the gods +that I came hither from the land of Sicily, and not of mine own +will. And my ship is moored hard by. As for Ulysses, it is now the +fifth year since he left me. Yet verily, the omens were good when +he went forth on his journey, so that we both rejoiced, thinking +that he would journey safely, and that we should be friends the +one to the other in the time to come." + +So spake Ulysses; and when the old man, his father, heard these +words, great grief came upon him, and he took up the dust in his +hands and poured it upon the white hairs of his head. And the +heart of Ulysses was moved within him as he saw it, and he was +ready to weep when he beheld his father. Then he threw his arms +about him and kissed him, and said: "My father, here am I, thy son +for whom thou weepest. Lo! I am come back to my native country +after twenty years, and I have avenged myself on them that sought +my wife in marriage, slaying them all." + +To him the old man made answer, "If thou art my very son Ulysses, +tell me some clear sign whereby I may know thee." + +Then said Ulysses: "See, now, this scar upon my thigh where the +wild boar wounded me on Mount Parnassus.[Footnote: Par nas'-sus.] +For thou and my mother sent me to my grandfather, and I was +wounded in the hunting. And let this also be a sign to thee. I +will tell thee what trees of the orchard thou gavest me long +since, when I was a boy and walked with thee, inquiring of thee +their names. Thirteen pear trees didst thou give me, and ten apple +trees, and of fig trees two score. Fifty rows also of vines didst +thou promise to give me when the time of grapes should come." + +And the old man's heart was moved within him, and his knees failed +him, for he knew that the signs were true. And he threw his arms +about his son, and the spirit of the old man revived, and he said: +"Now I know that there are gods in heaven when I hear that these +evil men have been punished for their wrong-doing. Nevertheless, I +fear much lest their kinsmen shall stir up the men of Ithaca and +of the islands round about against us." + +Then said Ulysses: "Trouble not thyself with these matters, my +father. Let us go rather to the house. There are Telemachus and +Eumaeus, and the keeper of the herds, and they have made ready, +that we may dine." + +So they went to the house, and found Telemachus and his companions +cutting flesh for the dinner and mixing the wine. Then the woman +of Sicily washed the old man Laertes and anointed him with oil, +and clad him in a fair cloak. And Athene also stood by him, and +made him taller and sturdier to look on than before. And his son +marvelled to behold him, so fair he was and like to the gods that +live forever, so that he spake to him, saying, "O my father, +surely one of the gods that live forever hath made thee fair to +look upon and tall!" + +And Laertes made answer: "Would to God that I had stood by you +yesterday, taking vengeance on the suitors, with the strength I +had of old. Many a man would I have slain with my spear, and thou +wouldest have rejoiced in thy heart." + +Thus spake they together. And when the dinner was ready they sat +down to meat; and the old man Dolius, with his sons, approached, +coming in from their labour; for the woman of Sicily, that was the +mother of the lads, had called them. And when they saw Ulysses, +they stood amazed and speechless. And Ulysses said, "Cease to +wonder, old man, at this sight, and sit down to meat; truly we are +ready for our meat, and have waited long time for you." + +Then Dolius ran to him, stretching forth both his hands, and +caught the hand of Ulysses and kissed it on the wrist. And he +spake, saying: "Right glad are we at thy coming, for we looked not +for thee. Surely it is of the gods that thou hast returned. May +all things be well with thee. But tell me this. Knoweth Queen +Penelope of thy coming, or shall I send a messenger to tell her?" + +"Verily, she knoweth it," said Ulysses. Then the old man sat down +to meat, and his sons also, when they had greeted Ulysses. + +In the meanwhile there spread through the city the tidings how the +suitors had been slain; and the kindred of the men came to the +house of Ulysses with many groans and tears, and carried away the +dead bodies and buried them. But such as came from other lands +they put on shipboard, that they might carry them to the +sepulchres of their fathers. And when these things were ended they +gathered themselves together in the marketplace; and Eupeithes +[Footnote: Eu-pei'-thes.] stood up amongst them, being sore +troubled in his heart for his son Antinous, whom Ulysses had slain +first of all the suitors. He stood up, therefore, in the midst, +and spake: "Surely this man hath wrought great evils in this land. +First he took comrades with him to Troy, many in number and brave. +These all he lost, and their ships also. And now he hath come +hither and slain the princes of the people. Shame it were to us, +yea, among the generations to come, if we avenge not ourselves on +them that have slain our sons and our brothers. Verily, I desire +not life, if such should go unpunished. Come, therefore, let us +make haste, lest they cross over the sea and so escape." + +So Eupeithes spake, weeping the while. And all the people had pity +to hear him. But Medon, the herald, stood up in the assembly and +spake, saying: "Hear me, men of Ithaca! Verily, Ulysses did not +all these things without the helping of the gods that live +forever. I, indeed, saw with mine own eyes one of the gods +standing by Ulysses, being like to Prince Mentor in shape. By +Ulysses there stood a god, and strengthened him; and another was +there among the suitors, troubling them so that they fell." + +Thus spake Medon, the herald, and after him stood up Alitherses +[Footnote: A-li-ther'-ses.], the seer, that knew all things that +had been and should be hereafter, and spake, saying: "It is of +your folly, ye men of Ithaca, that all these things have come to +pass. Ye would not hearken to me, no, nor to Mentor, nor would ye +restrain your sons from their folly. Great wickedness did they +work, wasting the goods of a brave man, and making suit to his +wife, for they thought not that he would return. Come now, hearken +unto me, lest some worse evil befall you." + +Then some indeed rose up and made haste to depart; and these were +the greater part; but the others remained in their places, for +they liked not the counsel of Medon and the seer, but regarded the +words of Eupeithes. Then they clad themselves in their armour and +marched to the city, Eupeithes leading them. + +Then spake Athene to Zeus: "Tell me, my father, what dost thou +purpose in thy heart? Wilt thou that there be strife or friendship +between these two?" + +To her Zeus made answer: "Why dost thou inquire this thing of me? +Was it not of thy contriving that Ulysses slew the suitors in his +palace? Order it as thou wilt. But let there be peace and +friendship in the end, that Ulysses may prosper in the land, and +the people dwell in happiness about him." + +Then Athene departed, and came to the land of Ithaca. + +And when Ulysses and they that sat with him had made an end of +eating and drinking, the King said, "Let some one go forth and see +whether these men are near at hand." + +So the son of Dolius went forth. And as he stood on the threshold +he saw them approaching, and cried: "They are even now close at +hand; let us arm ourselves in all haste." + +So they armed themselves. With Ulysses were Telemachus, and +Eumaeus, and the keeper of the herds. Also there stood with him +six sons of Dolius; and the two old men also, Laertes and Dolius, +though their heads were white with age. And as they went forth +from the house Athene came near, having the form and the voice of +Prince Mentor. And when Ulysses saw her, he was glad at heart, and +spake to Telemachus, saying, "I know thee well, my son, that thou +wilt bear thyself bravely, and do no dishonour to the house of thy +fathers, that have ever been famous in the land for courage and +manhood." + +Telemachus answered, "This, my father, thou shalt see for thyself, +if thou wilt." + +And Laertes was glad at heart, and said, "How happy is this day, +in the which my son and my grandson contend one with the other in +valour." + +Then Athene came near to the old man, and said, "Laertes, pray +thou first to Athene and Father Zeus, and then cast thy spear." + +So she spake, and breathed great strength into his heart. And +having prayed, he cast his spear, and smote Eupeithes through the +helmet, so that he fell dead upon the ground. Then Ulysses and his +son fell upon the men of Ithaca with swords and two-handed spears. +Verily, they had slain them all, but that Athene cried aloud, +saying: "Cease, men of Ithaca, from the battle, for it is too hard +for you." + +And the men were sore afraid when they heard her voice, and threw +their arms upon the ground and fled, if haply they might escape to +the city. And when Ulysses would have pursued after them, Zeus +cast a thunderbolt from heaven, so that it fell before the feet of +Athene. And Athene cried, "Cease from the battle, son of Laertes, +lest Zeus be wroth with thee." + +So Ulysses was stayed from the battle; and Zeus and Athene made +peace between the King and the men of Ithaca. + + + + +PRONUNCIATION OF PROPER NAMES + + +Pronounce _ae_, as in _Caesar_; _ei_ as _i_ in _island_; _oe_ as ae; +_y_, when accented, as _i_ in _island_; when unaccented, as _i_ in +_till_. + +Pronounce _ch_ as _k_. _C_ and _g_ are soft (as _s_ and _j_) before +_ei_, _i_, _ae_, _oe_, _eu_; otherwise, hard, as _k_; and _g_ (in +_gas_). + +A-chil'-les. AE-gis'-thus. AE-gyp'-tus. AE'-o-lus. AE-to'-li-an. +Ag-a-mem'-non. A-ge-la'-us. A'-jax. Al-cin'-o-us. A-li-ther'-ses. +Am-phim'-e-don. Am-phin'-o-mus. An-tin'-o-us. A-pol'-lo. A-re'-te. +A-re-thu'-sa. Ar'-te-mis. A-the'-ne. A'-treus. + +Bo-o'-tes. + +Ca-lyp'-so. Cau-co'-ni-ans. Cha-ryb'-dis. Ci'-co-nes. Cir'-ce. +Cte-sip'-pus. Cy-clo'-pes. Cy'-clops. + +De-mod'-e-cus. Do-do'-na. Do'-li-s. Du-lich'-i-um. + +E-che-ne'-us. E'-lis. El-pe'-nor. E-per'-i-tus. Eu-mae'-us +Eu-pei'-thes. Eu-ryb'-a-tes. Eu-ry-clei'-a. Eu-ryl'-o-dus. +Eu-rym'-a-chus. Eu-ryn'-o-me. + +Ha'-des. He'-ra. Her'-mes. He-phaes-tus. + +I'-no. I'-ris. I-rus. Ith'-a-ca. + +Ja'-son. + +La-ce-dae'-mon. La-er'-tes. La'-mos. Laes'-try-gons. La-o'-da-mas. +Lei-o'-des. Le-oc'-ri-tus. + +Me'-don. Me-lan'-thi-us. Me-ne-la'-us. Men'-tes. Men'-tor. + +Nau-sic'-a-a. + +O-gyg'-i-a. O-lym'-pus. O-ri'-on. + +Par-nas'-sus. Pa-tro'-clus. Pei-sis'-tra-tus. Pe-nel'-o-pe. +Phae-a'-ci-aus. Pha'-ros. Phe'-mi-us. Phe'-rae. Phi-loe'-ti-us. +Phoe-ni'-ci-aus. Phor'-cys. Plei'-a-des. Po-li'-des. +Pol-y-phe'-mus. Po-sei'-don. Pro'-teus. Py'-los. + +Sa'-mos. Si-do'-ni-ans. Scyl'-la. + +Ta'-phi-ans. Tei-re'-si-as. Te-lem'-a-chus. Thes-pro'-ti-a. + +U-lys'-ses. + +Za-cyn'-thus. + +As many of the Greek gods are better known under the names given +to them by the Romans, the following list is given:-- + +_Greek_ _Latin_ + +Zeus. Jupiter. +Hera. Juno. +(Pallas) Athene. Minerva. +Aphrodite. Venus. +Poseidon. Neptune. +Ares. Mars. +Hephaestus. Vulcan. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Story Of The Odyssey +by The Rev. Alfred J. Church + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE STORY OF THE ODYSSEY *** + +This file should be named 6370.txt or 6370.zip + +Produced by Liz Hanks, Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks +and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. 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