Table of Contents - OurStoryWorld.com · 2.ii odysseus reaches land 2.iii odysseus is made welcome 2.iv cyclops 2.v odysseus meets circe 2.vi scylla and charybdis 2.vii odysseus reaches

Table of Contents

Copyright

Part 1

I. ODYSSEUS

II A STRANGER APPEARS

III TELEMACHUS ENTERTAINS GUESTS

IV TELEMACHUS MEETS THE COUNCIL

V ATHENE APPEARS

VI TROY

VII NESTOR

VIII MENELAUS AND HELEN

IX THE ANCIENT ONE OF THE SEA

X ACHILLES

XI AGAMEMNON

XII ODYSSEUS PLEADS WITH ACHILLES

XIII NESTOR SAVES MACHAON

XIV PATROKLOS ENTERS THE BATTLE

XV HECTOR KILLS PATROKLOS

XVI HEPHAISTOS MAKES ARMOUR FOR ACHILLES

XVII ACHILLES CHALLENGES HECTOR

XVIII HELEN WEEPS

XIX KING PRIAM LOSES A SON

XX PRIAM VISITS ACHILLES

XXI HECTOR COMES HOME

XXII THE WOODEN HORSE

XXIII TELEMACHUS HEADS FOR HOME

Part 2

2.I CALYPSO

2.II ODYSSEUS REACHES LAND

2.III ODYSSEUS IS MADE WELCOME

2.IV CYCLOPS

2.V ODYSSEUS MEETS CIRCE

2.VI SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS

2.VII ODYSSEUS REACHES ITHAKA

2.VIII EUMÆUS

2.IX FATHER AND SON ARE REUNITED

2.X A BEGGAR IN HIS OWN HOME

2.XI ODYSSEUS MEETS PENELOPE

2.XII ODYSSEUS PREPARES FOR A FIGHT

2.XIII ZEUS SENDS A SIGN

2.XIV PENELOPE CHALLENGES THE SUITORS

2.XV A MASSACRE

2.XVI ODYSSEUS REVEALS HIMSELF TO PENELOPE

2.XVII PEACE AT LAST

Copyright

The Adventures of Odysseus

Retold by Patrick Healy

October 2013

* * *

Part 1

I. ODYSSEUS

This is the story of Odysseus, the most famous of all the Greekheroes, of his wars and his wanderings. This story of Odysseus beginswith his son, the youth who was called Telemachus.

It was when Telemachus was just a month old that a messenger camefrom Agamemnon, the Great King, ordering Odysseus to come tofight in the war against Troy that the Kings and Princes of Greecewere about to wage. The wise Odysseus, foreseeing the disasters thatwould happen to everyone who entered that war, was reluctant to go.So when Agamemnon’s messenger came to the island of Ithaka wherehe was King, Odysseus pretended to be mad. The messenger,Palamedes, almost believed he was mad indeed, because he didsomething that no man ever saw being done before. He took a donkeyand an ox and yoked them together to the same plough and began toplough a field. When he had ploughed a furrow he sowed it, not withseeds that would grow, but with salt. When Palamedes saw him doingthis he was nearly persuaded that Odysseus was mad. But to test himhe took the child Telemachus and laid him down in the field in theway of the plough. Odysseus, when he came near to where the childwas lying, turned the plough aside and thereby showed that he was nota mad man. Then he had to take King Agamemnon’s summons.Agamemnon’s order was that Odysseus should go to Aulis where theships of the Kings and Princes of Greece were being gathered. Butfirst he was to go into another country to seek the hero Achilles andpersuade him also to enter the war against Troy.

So Odysseus said goodbye to his infant son, Telemachus, and to hisyoung wife Penelope, and to his father, old Laertes. He said goodbyeto his house and his lands and to the island of Ithaka where he wasKing. He summoned a council of the chief men of Ithaka and told

them to look after his wife and his child and all his household, andthen he took his sailors and his soldiers with him and sailed away.The years went by and Odysseus did not return. After ten years theCity was taken by the Kings and Princes of Greece and the war cameto an end. But still Odysseus did not return. Then minstrels came toIthaka with word of the deaths or the homecomings of the heroes whohad fought in the war against Troy. But no minstrel brought any wordof Odysseus, of his death or of his appearance in any land known tomen. Ten years more went by. By this time that infant sonTelemachus who he had left behind, had grown up and was a strongand determined young man.

II A STRANGER APPEARS

One day, as he sat sad and unhappy in the house of his father,Telemachus saw a stranger come to the outer gate. There were manyin the court outside, but no one went to receive the newcomer. Then,because he would never let a stranger stand at the gate withouthurrying out to welcome him, and because, too, he had hopes thatsomeday such a person would bring him news of his father,Telemachus rose up from where he was sitting and went down the halland through the court and to the gate where the stranger stood.

‘Welcome to the house of Odysseus,’ said Telemachus giving him hishand. The stranger shook it. ‘Thank you, Telemachus,’ he said, ‘foryour welcome, and I am glad to enter the house of your father, thefamous Odysseus.’

The stranger looked like someone who would be a captain amongstsoldiers. His eyes were blue and clear and shone brightly. In his handhe carried a great bronze spear. He and Telemachus went togetherthrough the court and into the hall. The stranger left his spear in thespearst and Telemachus took him to a seat and put a footstool underhis feet.

He had brought him to a place in the hall where the crowd would notcome. There were many people in the court outside and Telemachusdid not want his guest disturbed by questions or noise. A maidbrought water to wash his hands, and poured it over them from agolden jug into a silver basin. A polished table was left at his side.Then the servant brought bread and many cakes. Other servants setdown dishes of meat with golden cups, and afterwards the maids cameinto the hall and filled up the cups with wine.

But the servants who waited on Telemachus and his guest were

disturbed by the crowd of men who now came into the hall. Theyseated themselves at tables and shouted out their orders. Great dishesof meat and jugs of wine were brought to them, and the men ate ,drank and talked loudly to each other and stared at the stranger whosat with Telemachus.

‘Is there a wedding feast in the house?’ the stranger asked, ‘or do themen of your clan meet here to drink with each other?’

Telemachus looked embarrassed. ‘There is no wedding feast here,’ hesaid, ‘nor do the men of our clan meet here to drink with each other.Listen to me, my guest. Because you look so wise and because youseem so friendly to my father’s name I will tell you who these menare and why they trouble this house.’

Then, Telemachus told the stranger how his father had not returnedfrom the war of Troy although it had finished ten years before. ‘Alas,’Telemachus said, ‘he must have died on his way back to us, and Imust think that his bones lie under some nameless strait or channel ofthe ocean. If he had died in the fight at Troy the Kings and Princeswould have given him a tomb worthy of his name and his deeds. Hismemory would have been revered amongst men, and I, his son, wouldhave a name, and would not be forced to face such men as you seehere—men who are feasting and giving orders in my father’s house.’

‘Why are they here?’ asked the stranger. Telemachus told him aboutthis also. When, seven years after the fall of Troy, and Odysseus stilldid not return there were those who thought he was dead and wouldnever return to Ithaka. Then many of the young lords of the landwanted Penelope, Telemachus’ mother, to marry one of them. Theycame to the house to woo her for marriage. But she, mourning for theabsence of Odysseus and always hoping that he would return, wouldgive no answer to them. For three years now they have been coming

to the house of Odysseus to woo the wife whom he had left behind.‘They want to put my mother into a difficult situation,’ saidTelemachus, ‘either to promise to marry one of them or to see thewealth of our house wasted by them. Here they come and eat the foodfrom our fields, and kill the animals of our flocks and herds, anddrink the wine that in the old days my father stored, and exhaust ourservants with their orders.’

When he had told him all this Telemachus raised his head and lookedat the stranger: ‘My guest,’ he said, ‘wisdom and power shine out ofyour eyes. Speak to me now and tell me what I should do to save thehouse of Odysseus from ruin. And tell me too if you think it possiblethat my father should still be alive.’

The stranger looked at him with his bright blue, shining eyes. ‘Areyou really the son of Odysseus?’ he said.

‘Yes, I am the son of Odysseus,’ said Telemachus.

‘As I look at you,’ said the stranger, ‘I notice your head and eyes, andI know they are the same head and eyes as Odysseus had. Well, beingthe son of such a man, and of such a woman as the lady Penelope,your spirit surely shall find a way of destroying those wooers whowould destroy your house.’

‘Already,’ said Telemachus, ‘your gaze and your speech make me feelequal to the task of dealing with them.’

‘I think,’ said the stranger, ‘that Odysseus, your father, has not passedaway. He still might return home despite many difficulties. But youshould try to find news of him. Listen to me now and I shall tell youwhat to do.

‘Tomorrow summon a council of all the important men of the land of

Ithaka, and stand up in that council and declare that the time has comefor the wooers who waste your wealth to leave, each man to his ownhome. After the council has been you must go on a voyage to find outnews of your father, whether he still lives and where he might be. Goto Pylos first, to the home of Nestor, that old King who was with yourfather in the war of Troy. Beg Nestor to give you whatever news hehas of Odysseus. Then from Pylos go to Sparta, to the home ofMenelaus and Helen, and beg news of your father from them too. Ifyou get news of his being alive, return. It will be easy for you then toput up with another year of the wasting of your wealth by thosewooers. But if you learn that your father, the famous Odysseus, isindeed dead and gone, then come back and make a great tomb to hismemory. Then let your mother choose a good man to be her husbandand let her marry him, knowing for a certainty that Odysseus willnever come back to his own house. After that something will remainfor you to do: You will have to punish those wooers who destroy thegoods your father gathered and who insult his house by their presence.When all these things have been done, you, Telemachus, will be freeto seek out your own fortune. You will rise to fame, for I can see thatyou are handsome and strong and most likely to be a wise and braveman. But now I must continue on my journey.’

The stranger rose up from where he sat and went with Telemachusfrom the hall and through the court and to the outer gate. Telemachussaid, ‘What you have told me I shall not forget. I know you havespoken out of a wise and a friendly heart, and as a father to his son.’

The stranger shook his hands and went through the gate. Then, as helooked after him Telemachus saw the stranger change his shape. Hefirst became a woman, tall, with fair hair and a spear of bronze in herhand. Then the form of the woman changed too. It changed into agreat sea eagle that rose up on wide wings and flew high through theair. Telemachus knew then that his visitor was an immortal and no

other than the goddess Athene who had been his father’s friend.

III TELEMACHUS ENTERTAINS GUESTS

When Telemachus went back to the hall those who were feasting anddrinking called out for Phemius, the minstrel, to come and sing sometale to entertain them. As he went amongst them one of the wooerssaid to another, ‘The guest who was with him has told Telemachussomething that has changed him. Now he walks more proudly andconfidently. Maybe he has spoken to him of the return of his father,the famous Odysseus.’

Phemius came and the wooers asked him to sing them a tale. Theminstrel began the tale of the return of the Kings and Princes fromTroy, and of how some god or goddess made trouble for them as theyleft the City they had taken. As the minstrel began the tale, Penelope,Telemachus’ mother, was coming down the stairs with two maidsbeside her. She heard the words he sang, and she stood still in hergrief and drew her veil across her face. ‘Oh Phemius,’ she cried, ‘stoptelling that story that ever hurts my heart—the story that has broughtme sorrow and that makes me miserable all the time! Phemius, don’tyou know any other tales of men and gods that you could sing in thishall for the entertainment of my guests?’

The minstrel would have stopped when Penelope said this, butTelemachus went to the stairway where his mother stood, and said,‘Mother, why don’t you let the minstrel entertain the guests with anysongs he feels like singing? It is not his fault if he sings songs that aresad to us. As for you, my mother, you must learn to endure that story,for it will be sung for a long time and in many places. You are not theonly one who is bereaved. Many other men besides Odysseus didn’tcome home from the war of Troy.’

Penelope, his mother, looked in surprise at her son who spoke to her

so wisely. Was this indeed Telemachus who before had hardly liftedhis head? As she looked at him again she saw that he carried his head,which was so like Odysseus’, high and proudly. She saw that her sonwas now indeed a man. Penelope said nothing to him, for she had anew idea. She turned round on the stairs and went back with her maidsto the room where her loom was. As she went up the stairway andaway from them her wooers muttered one to the other that she wouldsoon have to choose one of them for her husband.

Telemachus turned to those who were standing at the tables andaddressed them. ‘Wooers of my mother,’ he said, ‘I have a word tosay to you.’

‘Goodness,’ said one of the wooers, ‘you must tell us first who it iswho has made you so high and proud.’

‘Surely,’ said another, ‘the person who did that is the stranger whowas with him. Who is he? Why did he come here, and where does hecome from?’

‘Why didn’t he stay so that we could look at him and speak to him?’said another of the wooers.

‘This is what I want to say to you. Let us feast now in peace, withoutany fighting and listen to the tale that the minstrel sings to us,’ saidTelemachus. ‘But tomorrow let us have a council made up of theimportant men of this land of Ithaka. I shall go to the council andspeak there. I shall ask that you leave this house of mine and feast ongoods that you yourselves have gathered. Let the council judgewhether I speak fairly to you or not. If you do not listen to what I willsay openly at the council, then what happens to you is your ownfault.’

All the wooers marveled that Telemachus spoke so boldly. One said,

‘Because his father, Odysseus, was king, this youth thinks he shouldbe king by inheritance. But may Zeus, the god, never let him be king.’

Then said Telemachus, ‘If the god Zeus lets me be King, I am readyto take up the Kingship of the land of Ithaka with all its work and allits dangers.’ When Telemachus said that he looked like a young kingindeed.

But they sat in peace and listened to what the minstrel sang. Whenevening came the wooers left the hall and went to their own homes.Telemachus rose and went to his room. In front of him went anelderly woman called Eurycleia who had nursed him as a child. Shecarried burning torches to light his way. When they were in his roomTelemachus took off his soft jacket and put it in Eurycleia’s hands,and she smoothed it out and hung it up. Then she went out and sheclosed the door behind. All night long Telemachus lay wrapped in hisfleece of wool and thought about what he would say at the council thenext day, and about the goddess Athene and what she had put into hisheart to do, and about the journey that was before him to Nestor inPylos and to Menelaus and Helen in Sparta.

IV TELEMACHUS MEETS THE COUNCIL

As soon as it was dawn Telemachus rose from his bed. He gotdressed, hung his sharp sword across his shoulder, and took in hishand a bronze spear. Then he went to where the Council was beingheld in the open air.

The men of the land of Ithaka had gathered already for the council.When everyone was there, the man who was oldest amongst them, thelord Ægyptus, stood up and spoke. He had sons, and two of them wereworking in his fields. But one, Eurynomous was one of the wooers ofTelemachus’ mother. Ægyptus had had another son. He had gone onOdysseus’ ship to the war of Troy, and Ægyptus knew he had died onhis way back. He constantly mourned for this son, and thinking abouthim as he spoke, Ægyptus had tears in his eyes.

‘Never since Odysseus summoned us together before he set sail forthe war of Troy have we met in council,’ said he. ‘Why have we beenbrought together now? Has someone heard news of the return ofOdysseus? If so, may the god Zeus give luck to him who tells us ofsuch good fortune.’

Telemachus was glad because of the kindly speech of the old man. Hestood up to speak and the herald put a staff into his hands as a signthat he was to be listened to with respect. Telemachus then spoke,addressing the old lord Ægyptus.

‘I will tell you who it is,’ he said, ‘who has called the men of Ithakatogether in council, and for what purpose. Lord Ægyptus, I havecalled you together, but not because I have had news of the return ofmy father, Odysseus, nor because I want to speak to you about someaffair of our country. No. I want to speak to you all because I sufferand because I am at a loss. Odysseus has been away from Ithaka for a

long time, and I believe that he will never return. You have lost yourKing. But you can choose another King to rule over you. I have lostmy father, and I can never have another father . And that is not myonly loss, as I will show you now, men of Ithaka.

‘For three years now my mother has been plagued by men who cometo woo her to be wife for one of them. Day after day they come to ourhouse and kill and devour our animals and drink the wine that wasstored for my father’s return. They waste our goods and our wealth. IfI were an adult I would defend my house against them. But as yet Iam not able to do it, and so I have to stand by and see our house andwealth being destroyed.’

When his speech was ended Antinous, who was one of the wooers,stood up.

‘Telemachus,’ he said, ‘why do you try to put us to shame in thisway? I tell all here that it is not us, but your mother who is to blame.We, knowing her husband Odysseus is no longer alive, have asked herto become the wife of one of us. She gives us no honest answer.Instead she has come up with a cunning trick to keep us still waiting.

‘I will tell you of the council what this trick is. The lady Penelope setup a great loom in her house and began to weave a wide piece ofcloth. To each of us she sent a message saying that when the shroudshe was working at was woven, she would choose a husband fromamongst us. “Laertes, the father of Odysseus, is alone with none tocare for him living or dead,” said she to us. “I must weave a shroudfor him for when old Laertes dies. Do not bother me while I do this.For if he should die and there is no winding sheet to wrap him in allthe women of the land would blame me greatly.”

‘We were not unreasonable and we left the lady Penelope to weavethe shroud, and the months have gone by and still the shroud is not

finished. But we have heard from one of her maids how Penelope triesto finish her task. What she weaves in the daytime she unravels atnight. Never, then, can the shroud be finished and this is how she triesto cheat us.

‘ People have praised her for doing this. “How wise Penelope is,”they say, “with her tricks.” Let her be satisfied with their praise then,and leave us alone. We too have our tricks. We will live at her houseand eat and drink there and give orders to her servants and we shallsee which will satisfy her best—to give an answer or to let the wealthof her house be wasted.

‘As for you, Telemachus, I have these words to say to you. Lead yourmother from your father’s house and to the house of her father,Icarius. Tell Icarius to give her in marriage to the one she choosesfrom amongst us. Do this and no more goods will be wasted in thehouse that will be yours,’

Then Telemachus rose and said, ‘ I will never lead my mother out of ahouse that my father brought her into. Leave my father’s house, or the day may come when a doom will fall upon you there for yourinsolence in it.’

Even as Telemachus spoke, two eagles from a mountain flew over theplace where the council was being held. They wheeled above andflapped their wings and looked down on the crowd with destruction intheir gaze. They tore each other with their talons, and then flew awayacross the City.

An old man who was there, named Halitherses who was skilled in thesigns made by birds, told those who were around what was foretold bythe combat of the eagles in the air. ‘Odysseus,’ he said, ‘is not farfrom his friends. He will return, and his return will mean trouble forthose who insult his house. Now let them end their mischief.’ But the

wooers only laughed at the old man, telling him he should go homeand prophesy to his children.

Then another old man, whose name was Mentor stood .He wassomeone who had been a friend of Odysseus. He spoke to the councilsaying,’ Never again need a King be gentle in his heart. Your King,Odysseus was kind and gentle to you all. And now his son asks youfor help and you do not give it to him. It is not so much upsetting tome that these wooers waste his goods as that you do not rise up toforbid it. But let them persist in doing it and see what happens tothem at last. For a doom will come on them, I say. And I say again toyou of the council, you are many and the wooers are few. Why thendon’t you drive them away from the house of Odysseus?’

But no one in the council took the side of Telemachus and Halithersesand Mentor—so powerful were the wooers and so afraid of them werethe men of the council. The wooers looked at Telemachus and hisfriends with mockery. Then for the last time Telemachus stood up andspoke to the council.

‘I have spoken in the council, and the men of Ithaka know, and thegods know, the rights and wrongs of my case. All I ask of you now isthat you give me a swift ship with twenty youths to be my crew sothat I may go to Pylos and to Sparta to seek news of my father. If Ifind he is alive and that he is returning, then I can endure waitinganother year in the house and accept what you do there.’

They even mocked this speech. One of them called Leocritus said,‘Even if Odysseus is alive and one day came into his own hall thatwould not frighten us. He is one, and we are many, and if he shouldfight with those who outnumber him, why then, let his doom be on hisown head. And now, men of the council, go home, and let Mentor andHalitherses help Telemachus to get a ship and a crew.’

Leocritus said that knowing that Mentor and Halitherses were old andhad few friends, and that they could do nothing to help Telemachus toget a ship. The council broke up. But the wooers went together back tothe house of Odysseus.

V ATHENE APPEARS

Telemachus went alone to the shore of the sea. He dipped his handsinto the sea water and prayed, saying, ‘Oh Goddess Athene, I havetried to do as you told me. But still the suitors of my mother preventme from taking a ship to seek news of my father.’

He spoke in prayer and then he saw someone who looked very muchlike the old man Mentor coming towards him. But by the blue, clear,brightly shining eyes he knew that the figure was none other than thegoddess Athene.

‘Telemachus,’ she said, ‘if you have indeed one drop of your father’sblood in you or one portion of his spirit, if you are as he was, ready tofulfill both word and work, your voyage shall not be in vain. If youare different from what he was, I have no hope that you will achieveyour aim. But I have seen in you something of the wisdom and thecourage of Odysseus. Listen to my advice then, and do as I tell you.Go back to your father’s house and spend a little more time with thesuitors. Gather corn , barley flour and wine in jars. While you aredoing all this I will find a crew for your ship. There are many ships inthe harbor of Ithaka and I shall choose the best for you and we willprepare her quickly and then set sail.’

When Telemachus heard this he hurried back to the house and wentdown into the treasure vault. It was a spacious room filled with goldand bronze and chests of fine robes and casks of wine. The doors ofthat vault were closed night and day and Eurycleia, the the nurse ofTelemachus when he was little, guarded the place. He spoke to her,’My nurse,’ he said, ‘no one but yourself must know what I do now,and you must swear not to speak of it to my mother until twelve dayshave passed. Fill twelve jars with wine for me now, and pour twelve

measures of barley flour into well-sewn bags. Leave them all togetherfor me, and when my mother goes into the dining room, I shall havethem carried away. I go to Pylos and to Sparta to seek news fromNestor and Menelaus of Odysseus, my father.’

When she heard him say this, the nurse Eurycleia cried. ‘Ah, howcould you think such a thing? How can you survive over wide seasand through strange lands, when you have never been away from yourhome? Stay here where you are loved. As for your father, he died along time ago so why should you put yourself in danger to find outthat he is no longer living? No, do not go, Telemachus, but stay inyour own house and in your own country.’

Telemachus said, ‘Dear nurse, it has been shown to me that I shouldgo by a goddess. Is not that enough for you and for me? Now geteverything ready for me as I have asked you, and swear to me that youwill say nothing of it to my mother until twelve days from now.’

Having sworn as he asked her, the nurse Eurycleia poured the wineinto jars and put the barley flour into the well-sewn bags. Telemachusleft the vault and went back into the hall. He sat with the suitors andlistened to the minstrel Phemius sing about the voyages of Odysseusand the wars of Troy.

While these things were happening the goddess Athene went throughthe town disgused as Telemachus. She went to different young menand told them of the voyage and asked them to get ready and go downto the beach where the boat would be. Then she went to a man calledNoëmon, and begged him for a swift ship, and Noëmon gave it to her.

When the sun sank and when the roads were dark Athene dragged theship to where it should be launched. The youths whom Athene hadsummoned were all about the same age as Telemachus. Athenearoused them with talk of the voyage. When the ship was ready she

went to the house of Odysseus. She made the suitors who were still inthe hall fall asleep. They lay their heads on the tables and slumberedbeside the wine cups. Then Athene sent a whisper through the hall andTelemachus heard and came to where she stood. Now she appearedlike old Mentor, the friend of his father Odysseus.

‘Come,’ said she, ‘your friends are already at the oars. We must notdelay them.’

But some of the youths had come with the person they thought wasold Mentor. They carried the bags of corn and the casks of wine. Theycame to the ship, and Telemachus with a cheer climbed into it. Thenthe youths released the ropes and sat down at the benches to pull theoars. Athene, looking like old Mentor, sat at the helm.

A wind came and filled out the sails, and the youths pulled at the oars,and the ship sailed away. All night long Telemachus and his friendssat at the oars and under the sails, and felt the ship carrying themswiftly onward through the dark water. Phemius, the minstrel, waswith them, and, as the night went by, he sang to them about Troy andof the heroes who had waged war against it.

VI TROY

Troy, the minstrel sang, was the greatest of the Cities of men. It hadbeen built when the gods walked the earth.Its walls were so strong andso high that enemies could not break nor climb them. Troy had hightowers and great gates. In its citadels there were strong men wellarmed, and in its treasuries there were stores of gold and silver. TheKing of Troy was Priam. He was old then, but he had sons that weregood Captains. The best of them all was Hector.

Hector, the minstrel sang, was a match for any warrior the nationscould send against Troy. Because he was noble and generous as wellas brave, the people were devoted to him. Hector, Priam’s son, wascommander of the City.

But Priam had another son who was not a Captain. His name wasParis. When Paris was a baby, an oracle told King Priam that hewould bring disaster to Troy. Then King Priam had the child sentaway from the City. Paris was brought up amongst country people,and when he was a youth he herded sheep.

Then the minstrel sang about Peleus, the King of Phthia, and about hismarriage to the river nymph, Thetis. All the gods and goddesses cameto their wedding feast, Only one of the immortals was not invited—Eris, who is Discord. She came, however. At the games that followedthe wedding feast she threw a golden apple amongst the guests, andon the apple was written “For the fairest.”

Each of the three goddesses who was there wished to be known as thefairest and each claimed the golden apple—Aphrodite who inspiredlove, Athene who gave wisdom and Hera who was the wife of Zeus,the greatest of the gods. But no one at the wedding would judge

between the goddesses and say which was the fairest. Then theshepherd Paris came by and the guests asked him to give judgment.

Hera said to Paris, ‘Award the apple to me and I will give you a greatkingship.’ Athene said, ‘Award the golden apple to me and I willmake you the wisest of men.’ Aphrodite came to him and whispered,‘Paris, dear Paris, let me be called the fairest and I will make youbeautiful, and the fairest woman in the world will be your wife.’ Parislooked at Aphrodite and in his eyes she was the fairest. He gave thegolden apple to her and ever since she was his friend. But Hera andAthene departed from the company in a rage.

The minstrel sang how Paris went back to his father’s City and wasmade a prince of Troy. Through help from Aphrodite he was the mostbeautiful of youths. Then Paris left the City again. Sent by his fatherhe went to Tyre. And coming back to Troy from Tyre he went throughGreece.

Now the fairest woman in the world was in Greece. She was Helen,and was married to King Menelaus. Paris saw her and loved her forher beauty. Aphrodite caused Helen to fall in love with Paris. He tookher from the house of Menelaus and brought her into Troy.

King Menelaus sent to a message to Troy demanding that his wife begiven back to him. But the people of Troy, thinking no King in theworld could defeat them, and wanting to boast that the fairest womanin the world was in their city, were not willing to give Menelaus backhis wife. Priam and his son, Hector, knew that a wrong had been done,and knew that Helen and all that she had brought with her should begiven back. But in the council there were vain men who went againstthe word of Priam and Hector, declaring that they would not give upHelen, the fairest woman in all the world for some little King ofGreece.

Then the minstrel sang of Agamemnon. He was King of rich Mycenæ,and his name was so high and his deeds were so famous that all theKings of Greece looked up to him. Agamemnon, seeing Menelaus, hisbrother, defied by the Trojans, vowed to destroy Troy. He spoke to theKings and Princes of Greece, saying that if they all united theirstrength they would be able to take the great city of Troy and avengeMenelaus and win great glory and riches for themselves.

The Kings and Princes of Greece supported Agamemnon and wereeager to make war on Troy. They vowed to take the City. ThenAgamemnon sent messages to the heroes whose lands were far away,to Odysseus, and to Achilles, who was the son of Peleus and Thetis,telling them also to enter the war.

In two years the ships of all the Kings and Princes were gathered inAulis and the Greeks, with their leaders, Agamemnon, Aias,Diomedes, Nestor, Idomeneus, Achilles and Odysseus, sailed for thecoast of Troy. One hero after another defeated the cities and nationsthat were the allies of the Trojans, but they did not take Troy. Theminstrel sang to Telemachus and his fellow voyagers how year afteryear went by, and how the armies of the Greeks still remainedbetween their ships and the walls of the City, and how in the ninthyear there a plague came that killed more men than the Trojans did.

So the ship went on through the dark water, very swiftly, with thegoddess Athene, disguised as old Mentor, guiding it, and with theyouths listening to the song that Phemius the minstrel sang.

VII NESTOR

The sun rose and Telemachus and his fellow voyagers drew near tothe shore of Pylos and to the steep citadel built by Neleus, the fatherof Nestor, the famous King. They saw on the shore men in companiesmaking sacrifice to Poseidon, the dark-haired god of the sea. Therewere nine companies there and each company had nine black oxen forthe sacrifice, and the number of men in each company was fivehundred. They killed the oxen and they lay parts of it to burn on thealtars of the god, and then the men sat down to feast.

The voyagers brought their ship to the shore and Telemachus sprangfrom it. But the goddess, Athene, in the likeness of the old man,Mentor went before him. The goddess told Telemachus that Nestor,the King that he had come to see, was on the shore. She told him nowgo and ask Nestor for news of his father, Odysseus.

But Telemachus said to her, ‘Mentor, how can I bring myself to speakto one who is of such a high position? How should I greet him? Andhow can I, a young man, question someone like Nestor, the old King?’

The goddess Athene, encouraged him. The right words, she said,would come and so Telemachus went with the goddess. Nestor wasseated on the shore with his sons around him. When they saw the twostrangers approach, the sons of Nestor stood up to greet them. One,Peisistratus, took the hand of Telemachus and the hand of the goddessand led them both to where Nestor was.

A golden cup was put into the hand of each and wine was poured intothe cups, and Nestor’s son, Peisistratus, asked Telemachus and thegoddess to pray that the sacrifice they were making to Poseidon, thegod of the sea, would bring good to them and to their people. Then thegoddess Athene in the likeness of old Mentor held the cup in her hand

and prayed,’Hear me, Poseidon, shaker of the earth. First, give honourto Nestor and his sons. Then reward the people of Pylos for thesacrifice of oxen they have made. Also allow Telemachus and I toreturn safely when what we have come in our swift ship to do hasbeen achieved.’

Telemachus prayed in the words of the goddess and then the sons ofNestor made them both sit on the fleeces that were spread on theshore. Dishes of meat were brought to them and cups of wine, andwhen they had eaten and drunk, the old King, Nestor, spoke to them.

‘It is not courteous to ask of strangers who they are and where they gountil they have had food and drink,’ he said. ‘But now, my guests, Iwill ask you what your land is, what your quest is, and what yournames are.’

Then Telemachus said,’Nestor, renowned King of the Greeks, wecome from Ithaka and we seek news of my father Odysseus, who, longago, fought by your side in the war of Troy. Men say, he defeated thegreat City of the Trojans with you. But that was the last I heard ofhim. I have come to you, Oh King, to beg you to give me news of him—whether he died and you saw his death, or whether you heard of hisdeath from somebody else’. Then Nestor, the old King said, ‘Honestlymy son, you make me sad. Ah, where are they who were with me inour war against the mighty City of Troy? Where is Aias and Achillesand Patroklos and my own dear son, Antilochos, who was so nobleand so strong? And where is Agamemnon now? He returned to hisown land, to be killed in his own hall by a most treacherous enemy.And now you ask me of Odysseus, the man who was dearer to me thanany of the others—Odysseus, who was always of the same mind asme! We never disagreed in the assembly or in the council.

‘You tell me that you are the son of Odysseus! Surely you are. I am

amazed as I listen and look at you, for you look as he looked and youspeak as he spoke. But please tell me about your homeland and ofhow things are in Ithaka.’

Then he told the old King of the evil done by the wooers of hismother, and when he had told of them Telemachus cried out, ‘Oh, Iwish that the gods would give me strength that I could take revengeon them for their many crimes.’

Then old Nestor said, ‘Who knows if Odysseus will return home andstop the violence of these suitors and the insults they have made toyour house. The goddess Athene could help in this matter. She wasvery fond of your father, and never before did the gods show suchfavour to a mortal as the goddess showed to Odysseus, your father.’

But Telemachus answered, ‘What you say is impossible, King.’

Then Athene, in the likeness of old Mentor, spoke to him saying,‘What do you mean, Telemachus? If it should please them, any one ofthe gods could bring a man home from afar. The only thing the godscannot do is save a man who is doomed to die.’

Telemachus answered her by saying, ‘Mentor, let’s not talk about thisanymore. Nestor, the renowned King, has been very gracious to me,but he has nothing to tell me of my father. I believe now thatOdysseus will never return.’

‘Go to Menelaus,’ said Nestor. ‘Go to Menelaus in Sparta. He hasrecently come from a far and strange country and it may be that hehas heard of Odysseus in his wanderings. You can go to Sparta in yourship. But if you want to go by land then I will give you a chariot andhorses, and my son will go with you to be a guide for you into Sparta.’

Then Telemachus, with Athene, the goddess in the likeness of old

Mentor, would have gone back to their ship, but Nestor the King said,You two should not go back to the ship to rest while there is a guestroom in my hall. Come with me to a place where you can liecomfortably. Come with me now.’

Then the goddess Athene in the likeness of old Mentor said, ‘Youhave spoken as a true King. Telemachus should go with you. But it isbetter that the young men who came with him should have an elderwith them on the ship tonight. I shall stay with them.’

The goddess, Athene, in the likeness of old Mentor went back to theship, and Telemachus went with Nestor and his sons to the highcitadel of Neleus. There he was given a bath, and the maidenPolycaste, the youngest daughter of King Nestor, looked after him.She gave him new clothes to wear and then he slept in a room withPeisistratus, the youngest of Nestor’s sons.

In the morning they feasted and did sacrifice, and when he had givenjudgments to the people, the old King Nestor spoke to his sons, ‘Now,my sons, yoke the horses to the chariot for Telemachus so that he cango on his way to Sparta.’

The sons of Nestor yoked the swift horses to the chariot and theservants came from the hall and placed in the chariot wine and food.Telemachus got into the chariot and Peisistratus sat in front of him.Then Peisistratus touched the horses with the whip and they sprangforward, and the chariot went swiftly over the plain. Soon they leftbehind the steep citadel of Neleus and the land of Pylos. When the sunsank and the roads were dark, they came to Pheræ and to the house ofDiocles and there they rested for the night.

In the morning as soon as the sun rose they yoked the horses and gotin the chariot, and for another day they journeyed across the plain.They had gone far and the roads were again dark around them.

VIII MENELAUS AND HELEN

They came to Sparta, to a country lying low amongst the hills, andthey left the chariot outside the gate of the King’s home. That dayMenelaus was sending his daughter into Phthia, with horses andchariots, as a bride for Achilles’ son. And a bride was being broughtinto the house for Megapenthes, his own son. Because of these twomarriages there was feasting in the palace and kinsmen andneighbours were gathered there. A minstrel was singing to the guestsand two acrobats were whirling round the hall to entertain them.

Eteoneus, the steward came to the King in his hall. ‘RenownedMenelaus,’ said Eteoneus, ‘there are two strangers outside, men wholook like heroes. What do you want me to do with them? Shall I havetheir horses unyoked, and ask them to enter the Palace, or shall I letthem go somewhere else?’

‘Why do you ask such a question, Eteoneus?’ said Menelaus in anger.Didn’t we eat the food of other men on our journeys, and didn’t werest in other men’s houses? Knowing this you have no right to askwhether you should ask strangers to enter or let them go past the gateof my home. Go now and ask them to come and feast with us.’

Then Eteoneus left the hall, and while he had servants unyoke thehorses from their chariot he led Telemachus and Peisistratus into thepalace. First they were brought to the bath, and when they had comefrom the bath refreshed, they were given new clothes. Then they wereled into the King’s hall. They seated themselves there, and a maidbrought water in a golden jug and poured it over their hands into asilver basin. Then a table was put beside them, and the servant placedbread and meat and wine on it so that they could eat.

Menelaus came to where they sat and said to Telemachus and

Peisistratus, ‘By your looks I can see you are the sons of Kings. Eatnow, and when you have refreshed yourselves I will ask who you areand where you come from.’

But before they had finished their meal, and while Menelaus the kingwas showing them the treasures that were near, the lady Helen cameinto the high hall—Helen for whom the Kings and Princes of Greecehad gone to war. Her maids were with her, and they set a chair for hernear where Menelaus was and they put a rug of soft wool under herfeet. Then a maid brought a silver basket filled with colored yarn toher. Helen sat in her chair and worked the yarn. She asked Menelausabout what had happened during the day, and as she did she watchedTelemachus.

Then Helen said, ‘Menelaus, I have to tell you who one of thesestrangers is. No one was ever more like another than this youth is likeOdysseus. I know that he is no other than Telemachus, whomOdysseus left as a child, when, for my sake, the Greeks began theirwar against Troy.’

Then said Menelaus, ‘I also noticed his resemblane to Odysseus. Theshape of his head, the glance of his eye, remind me of Odysseus. Butcan it indeed be that Telemachus has come into my house?’

‘Renowned Menelaus,’ said Peisistratus, ‘this is indeed the son ofOdysseus. I am myself the son of another comrade of yours, Nestor,who was with you at the war of Troy. I have been sent withTelemachus to be his guide to your house.’

Menelaus stood up and took the hand of Telemachus. ‘You are mostwelcome’, he said. Odysseus endured much suffering and manyadventures for my sake. If he had come to my country I would havegiven him a city to rule over, and I think that nothing would haveseparated us from each other. But Odysseus, I know, has not returned

to his own land of Ithaka.’

Then Telemachus, thinking about his father, dead, or wanderingthrough the world, wept. Helen, too, shed tears, remembering thingsthat had happened. And Menelaus, thinking about Odysseus and on allhis suffering, was silent and sad. Peisistratus was also sad as hethought about Antilochos, his brother, who had died in the war ofTroy.

But Helen, wishing to turn their minds to other thoughts, put into thewine a drug that took away pain and brought forgetfulness. This drughad been given to her in Egypt by Polydamna, the wife of KingTheon. When they had drunk the wine their sorrowful memories leftthem, and they spoke to each other without sadness. Then KingMenelaus told of his adventure with the Ancient One of the Sea—theadventure that had brought him the last news of Odysseus.

IX THE ANCIENT ONE OF THE SEA

Menelaus said ‘Near Egypt there is an island that men call Pharos. Icame to that island with my ships when we, the heroes who hadfought at Troy, were separated from each other. There I was held, dayafter day, by the will of the gods. Our supply of corn was exhaustedand my men were in danger of dying of hunger. Then one day whilemy companions were trying desperately to catch fish from the sea, Imet on the shore someone who had pity for our plight.

‘She was an immortal, Eidothëe, a daughter of the Ancient One of theSea. I begged her to tell me how we might get away from that place,and she advised me to ambush her father, the Ancient One of the Sea,who is also called Proteus, “You can make him tell you,” she said,“for he knows what you must do to get away from this island ofPharos. Also, he can tell to you what happened to the heroes you havebeen separated from, and what has taken place in your own home.”

‘Then said I to that kind nymph Eidothëe, “Show me how I canambush your immortal father, the Ancient One of the Sea.”‘

‘ Eidothëe said, “My father, Proteus, comes out of the sea when thesun is highest in the sky. Then he lies down to sleep in the caves thatare along the shore. But before he goes to sleep he counts, as ashepherd counts his flock, the seals that come up out of the ocean andlie round where he lies. If there is one too many, or one less than thereshould be, he will not go to sleep in the cave. But I will show you howyou and some of your companions may be near without the AncientOne of the Sea being aware of your presence. Take three of your men—the three you trust more than all the others and as soon as it is dawntomorrow meet me by the edge of the sea.”‘

‘Then the nymph Eidothëe plunged into the sea and I left anxious, but

with hope in my heart.

‘Now as soon as it was dawn I walked by the sea shore with the threecompanions that I trusted the most. The daughter of the Ancient Oneof the Sea, Eidothëe, came to us. In her arms she had the skins ofseals just killed, one for each of us. At the cave where the seals layshe scooped holes in the sand and told us to lie there, coveringourselves with the skins. Then she spoke to me saying,’ “When myfather, the Ancient One of the Sea, comes here to sleep, seize him andhold him with all the strength you have. He will change himself intomany shapes, but do not let go of him. When he changes back into theshape he had at first you may release him. Question him then as tohow you may leave this place, or question him as to any other matterthat may be on your mind, and he will answer you, speaking thetruth.”‘

‘We lay down in the holes she had scooped in the sand and shecovered each of us with one of the skins she had brought. The sealscame out of the sea and lay all around us.. Then the nymph went backto the sea.

‘We lay there amongst the herd of seals until the sun was at itshighest in the sky. The Ancient One of the Sea came out of the oceandepths. He went amongst the seals and counted them, and us four menhe counted amongst his herd. Then in great contentment he laidhimself down to sleep.

‘We rushed at him with a cry and seized him with all our strength.But we had no sooner grabbed him than his shape changed. Hebecame a lion and faced us. Yet we did not let go. He became aserpent, yet we still held him. He became a leopard and then a mightyboar. He became a stream of water and then a flowering tree. Yet stillwe held to him with all our might and we were not afraid of the

shapes he changed into before our eyes. Then, seeing that he could notescape from our hold, the Ancient One of the Sea, who was calledProteus, stopped changing and became as we had seen him first.

‘”Son of Atreus,” he said, speaking to me, “who was it who showedyou how to lay this ambush for me?”‘

‘”It is for you who know everything,” I said, “to answer our questions.Tell me now why it is that I am held on this island? Which of the godsholds me here and for what reason?”‘

‘Then the Ancient One of the Sea answered me, speaking truthfully,“Zeus, the greatest of all the gods holds you here. You neglected tomake sacrifice to the gods and for that reason you are held on thisisland.”

‘”Then,” I said, “What must I do to win back the favor of the gods?”‘

‘He told me, “Before setting sail for your own land,” he said, “youmust return to the river Ægyptus that flows out of Africa, and offersacrifice there to the gods.”‘

‘When he said this I was disheartened. I would have to sail a long andterrible way to make that sacrifice, turning back from my own land.Yet the will of the gods would have to be done. Then I questioned theAncient One of the Sea for news of the men who were my companionsin the wars of Troy.

‘Ah, son of Odysseus, I was indeed sad when he told me of their fates.Then I heard how my brother, great Agamemnon, reached his ownland happily. But his wife hated him, and in his own home she andÆgisthus murdered him. I sat and wept on the sands, but still Iquestioned the Ancient One of the Sea. He told me about strong Aiasand how he was killed by the falling rock after he had boasted that

Poseidon, the god of the Sea, could not harm him anymore. And aboutyour father, the renowned Odysseus, the Ancient One had a tale totell.

‘Then, and maybe even now, Odysseus was on an island far awayfrom all mankind. “There he lives in the hall of the nymph Calypso,”the Ancient One of the Sea told me. “I saw him weep because hecould not leave that place. But he has no ship and no companions andthe nymph Calypso holds him there. He longs to return to his owncountry, to the land of Ithaka.” After he had told me about Odysseus,he left us and plunged into the sea.

‘Then I went back to the river Ægyptus and moored my ships andmade a sacrifice to the gods. A fair wind came to us and we set out forour own country. We arrived back home, and now you see me thehappiest of all those who set out to wage war against Troy. Now, dearson of Odysseus, you know what an immortal said about your father—how he is still alive, but how he is prevented from returning to hisown home.’

At last the youth Telemachus got news of his father. When the Kingstopped speaking they left the hall with torches in their hands andcame to the room where Helen’s servants had prepared beds forTelemachus and Peisistratus. As he lay there the son of Odysseusthought about his father, still alive, but held captive in that unknownisland by the nymph Calypso.

X ACHILLES

His ship and his fellow voyagers waited at Pylos but Telemachusstayed in Sparta for a while longer, because he wanted to hear fromMenelaus and Helen the tale of Troy. He stayed many days, and onthe first day Menelaus told him of Achilles, the greatest of the heroeswho had fought against Troy and on another day the lady Helen toldhim of Hector, the noblest of all the men who defended King Priam’sCity.

‘Achilles,’ said King Menelaus, ‘came from a race that was favouredby the immortals. Peleus, the father of Achilles, was friends withCheiron, the wisest of the Centaurs, those immortals who are halfmen and half horse. It was Cheiron who gave Peleus his great spearand when Peleus wanted to marry an immortal, Zeus, the greatest ofthe gods, made the nymph Thetis marry him, even though marriagewith a mortal was against her will. All the gods came to the weddingof Thetis and Peleus. For wedding gifts Zeus gave armour that nomortal had ever worn before. It was wonderfully bright and strong,and he also gave two immortal horses.

‘Achilles was the child of Thetis and Peleus; the son of an immortalwoman and a mortal hero. He grew up strong and fast. When he was ayoung man he was sent to Cheiron, and his father’s friend instructedhim in all the ways of war. He became the greatest of spearmen, andon the mountain with the Centaur he gained in strength and in speed.

‘After he returned to his father’s hall the war against Troy began to beprepared for. Agamemnon, the king, wanted Achilles to join the army.But Thetis, knowing that great disasters would fall on those who wentto that war, feared for Achilles. She decided to hide him so that noword from King Agamemnon could reach him. And how did the

nymph Thetis hide her son? She sent him to King Lycomedes andasked the King to hide Achilles amongst his daughters.

‘So the youth Achilles was dressed as a maiden and stayed with thedaughters of the King. The messengers of Agamemnon searchedeverywhere for him. Many of them came to the court of KingLycomedes, but not finding anyone like Achilles amongst the King’ssons they went away.

‘Odysseus, by Agamemnon’s order, came to find Achilles. He knewthat the youth was not amongst the King’s sons. He saw the King’sdaughters in their father’s orchard, but could not tell if Achilles wasamongst them, for they were all veiled and dressed alike.

‘Then Odysseus went away and returned as a peddler carrying in hispack things that maidens admire—veils and ornaments and mirrors.But under the veils and ornaments and mirrors the wise Odysseus lefta gleaming sword. When he came to the maidens in the King’sorchard he laid down his peddler’s pack. The mirrors and veils andornaments were picked up and examined eagerly. But one of thempicked up the gleaming sword and looked at it with flashing eyes.Odysseus knew that this was Achilles, King Peleus’ son.

‘He gave the youth the summons of King Agamemnon, telling himjoin the war that the Kings and Princes of Greece were about to wageagainst Troy. Achilles was glad to get the summons and glad to go.He returned to Phthia, to his father’s citadel. There he prepared to goto Aulis where the ships were being gathered. He took with him hisfather’s famous warriors, the Myrmidons who had never been beatenin battle. Also his father gave him him the armour and the horses thathad been the gift of Zeus;the two immortal horses Xanthos andBalios.

‘But what pleased Achilles more than the gift of marvellous armour

and immortal horses was that his dear friend, Patroklos, was to gowith him as his companion in war. Patroklos had come into Phthiaand into the hall of Peleus when he was a young boy. In his owncountry he had killed another boy by accident. His father, to save himfrom the punishment, fled with him to King Peleus. Achilles’ fathergave them refuge and took Patroklos into his house and brought himup with his own son. These two grew up together and they loved eachother more than brothers.

‘Achilles said goodbye to Phthia, and to his hero father and hisimmortal mother, and he and Patroklos with the Myrmidons wentover the sea to Aulis and joined the armies of the Kings and Princeswho had made a vow not to return from war until they had taken KingPriam’s famous city.’

XI AGAMEMNON

Achilles became the most renowned of all the heroes who foughtagainst Troy in the years the fighting went on. Faced with him,wearing the flashing armour that was the gift of Zeus and standing inthe chariot drawn by the immortal horses, the Trojan soldiers wouldflee back to the gate of their city. Many smaller cities and townsaround Troy were taken with the help of Achilles.

‘There was a quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon because oftwo maidens taken captive from some of these cities. One of themaidens was called Chryseis and the other Briseis. Chryseis wasgiven to Agamemnon and Briseis to Achilles.

‘The father of Chryseis was a priest of Apollo, and when the maiden,his daughter, was not given back to him, he went and prayed to thegod to avenge him. Apollo listened to his prayer, and straightway thegod left his mountain peak with his bow of silver in his hands. Hestood behind the ships and shot his arrows into the army. Theclanging of his silver bow was terrible. He killed the animals of thecamp first, the dogs and the mules and the horses, and then he killedthe men, and those whom his arrows hit were stricken by the plague.

‘The warriors began to die, and every day more died by the plaguethan were killed by the spears and swords and arrows of the Trojans.Now a council was summoned and the chiefs debated what was to bedone to save the army. At the council there was a oracle namedKalchas.He stood up and declared that he knew the cause of theplague, and he knew too how the remainder of the army might besaved from it.

‘It was because of the anger of Apollo, Kalchas said and that angercould only be ended by Agamemnon sending back to his father, the

priest of Apollo, the maiden Chryseis.

Agamemnon was furious. “You see only evil,” he said to Kalchas,“You have never seen anything good for me. I greatly prize Chryseis,the maiden given to me. Yet rather than see my people die I shall lether be taken from me. But I will tell you all this. Some other prizemust be given to me that the whole army will know that Agamemnonis not insulted.”‘

‘Then Achilles said, “Agamemnon, of all the Kings you are thegreediest. The best of us struggle and battle so that you can come andtake what prize may please you. Stop being so greedy. Let this maidengo back to her father and afterwards we will give you some otherprize.”‘

‘ Agamemnon said, “The council here must promise to give somecompensation.”‘

‘”Still you speak of compensation, Agamemnon,” answered Achilles.“No one gains more than you gain. I had no quarrel with the men ofTroy, and yet I have come here, and my hands bear the burden of thewar.”‘

‘”You who are captains must give me compensation,” saidAgamemnon, “or else I shall go to the tent of Achilles and take awaythe maiden given to him, Briseis of the Fair Cheeks.”‘

‘”I am tired of making war for you,” answered Achilles. “Though Iam always in the battle little of the reward comes to my tent. Now Iwill depart to my own land, to Phthia, for I do not want to stay hereand be dishonoured by you.”‘

‘”Go,” said Agamemnon, “if you want to, go. But do not think thatthere aren’t any captains and heroes here who can make war without

you. Go with your Myrmidons. We shall never ask your help. And sothat everyone will know I am greater than you, Achilles, I shall go toyour tent and take away the maiden Briseis.”‘

‘When he heard Agamemnon’s speech the heart within Achilles’chest was divided, and he did not know whether he should remain stilland silent in his anger, or, thrusting the council aside, go up toAgamemnon and kill him with the sword. His hand was upon thesword hilt when an immortal appeared to him; the goddess Athene.No one in the company but Achilles was aware of her presence. “Donot draw not the sword on Agamemnon,” she said, “for you are bothequally dear to the gods.” Then Achilles drew back and thrust hisheavy sword into its sheath again. But although he put the sword backit did not stop him from speaking angry and bitter words. He threwdown on the ground the staff that had been put into his hands as a signthat he was to be listened to in the council. “I swear that longing forAchilles’ help shall come to the army of Agamemnon, but that noAchilles shall come to their help. I swear that I shall let Hectortriumph over you.”‘

‘Then the council broke up and Achilles with Patroklos, his dearfriend, went back to their tent. A ship was launched and the maidenChryseis was put aboard and Odysseus was placed in command. Theship set out for Chryse. There on the beach they found the priest ofApollo, and Odysseus placed his daughter in the old man’s arms.They made sacrifice to Apollo, and then the plague came to an end.

‘But the messengers of the King came to Achilles’ tent, and they tookBriseis of the Fair Cheeks and led her away. Achilles, in bitter anger,sat by the sea, hard in his determination not to help Agamemnon’smen, no matter what defeat great Hector had over them.’

XII ODYSSEUS PLEADS WITH ACHILLES

‘Because of the quarrel between King Agamemnon and Achillesmany brave men and great captains went down to their deaths!’

‘But before long Agamemnon relented and he sent three messengersto end the hostility between himself and Achilles. The messengerswere Odysseus, Aias and the old man Phoinix who had been a foster-father to Achilles. When these three went into his hut they foundAchilles sitting with a lyre in his hands, singing to the music he hadcomposed. His song was about what Thetis, his goddess-mother, hadtold him concerning his own fate and how, if he remained in the waragainst Troy, he would achieve great renown but would soon lose hislife, and how, if he left the war, he would live for a long time but beforgotten at last. Patroklos, his dear friend, listened to what Achillessang. Achilles sang about what kingdom he would have if he gave upthe war against the Trojans and went back to his father’s halls. OldPeleus would welcome him, and would seek a bride for him fromamongst the loveliest of the Greek maidens. “In three days,” he sang,“can Poseidon, God of the Sea, bring me to my own land and to myfather’s royal castle.”‘

‘”You sing well Achilles,” Odysseus said to him, “and it would bepleasant to hear your song if our hearts were not filled with sadness.Nine years have passed since we came here to make war on Troy andmany of our warriors think in their hearts how their wives andchildren have waiting so long for their return. And still the walls ofTroy rise up before us as high and as unconquerable as ever! Nowonder our hearts are filled with grief. And now Achilles, the greatestof our heroes, and the Myrmidons, the best of our warriors, have leftthe fight.”‘

‘”Even today the great Hector turned back our battalions that were ledby Agamemnon and Aias and Diomedes, driving us to the wall thatwe have built around our ships. We halted behind that wall and calledeach other to find out who had escaped and who had fallen in theattack Hector made. Only when he had driven us behind our wall didHector turn his chariot back and take away his men.”‘

But Hector has not gone through the gates of the City. Look now,Achilles! His chariots remain on the plain. See now, his watch-fires!You can see a thousand fires and beside each sits fifty warriors withtheir horses beside their chariots. They eagerly wait for the light ofthe dawn when they will come against us again, hoping this time tooverthrow the wall we have built, and come to our ships and burnthem, and so destroy all hope of our return.”‘

‘”We are all stricken with grief and fear. Even Agamemnon weeps.What else could he do but weep tears? Tomorrow he may have to takehis army and board the ships and depart from the coast of Troy. Thenhis name will forever be dishonoured because of defeat and the loss ofso many warriors.”‘

‘”Do you think I care about Agamemnon’s problems, Odysseus?” saidAchilles. “But even though you talk about Agamemnon, you and yourcompanions are welcome. Even in my anger you three are still dear tome.”‘

‘He brought them into the hut and ordered a feast be prepared forthem. Wine cups were handed to Odysseus, Aias and Phoinix. Whenthey had feasted and drunk wine, Odysseus turned to where Achillessat on his bench in the light of the fire, and said,’” Achilles, we arehere as messengers from King Agamemnon. He wants to be friendswith you again. He has offended and insulted you, but he will doeverything he can to make it up to you. He will let the maiden Briseis

come back. Also he will give you many gifts, Achilles. If we defeatTroy he will let you load your ship with treasure from the city—withgold and bronze and precious things. Then, if we return home he willtreat you as his own royal son and will give you seven cities to ruleover. If you want to marry there are three daughters in his hall—threeof the fairest maidens of the Greeks—and the one you choose he willgive for your wife, Chrysothemis, or Laodike, or Iphianassa.”‘

‘Then Aias said, “Think, Achilles, and stop being so angry. If you stillhate Agamemnon and if you don’t like his gifts, think about yourfriends and companions and have pity on them. Even for our sakes,Achilles, come now and go into battle and stop the attack of theterrible Hector.”‘

‘Achilles did not answer. His lion’s eyes were fixed on those who hadspoken and his look did not change at all for all that was said.’

‘Then the old man Phoinix who had brought him up went over to him.He could not speak, for tears had burst from him. But at last, holdingAchilles’ hands, he said, ‘”I brought you up to be great Achilles. Withme and with no other would you go into the feast hall, and, as a child,you would stay by my side and eat the food I gave, and drink from thecup that I put to your lips. I brought you up, and I suffered andworked so that you would have strength and skill and quickness. Showsome mercy, Achilles. Don’t be angry anymore. Put aside yourfeelings and save the army. Come now. The gifts Agamemnon wouldgive you are very great, and no king nor prince would not want them.But if you don’t want the gifts then at least the army would honor youabove all others.”‘

‘Achilles answered Phoinix gently and said, “The honour the armywould give me I have no need of, for I am honoured by Zeus, thegreatest of the gods, and while I still live that honour remains. But,

Phoinix, stay with me, and I shall give you many things even the halfof my kingdom. However do not urge me to help Agamemnon,because if you do I shall look upon you as a friend to Agamemnon,and I shall hate you, my foster-father, as I hate him.”‘

Then Achilles spoke to Odysseus, saying, “Son of Laertes, wisest ofmen, listen now to what I say to you. I should have stayed here andwon the renown that my goddess-mother told me of, even at the costof my young life if Agamemnon had not aroused the rage that nowpossesses me. I cannot forgive him. How often did I spend my days inbloody battle for the sake of Agamemnon’s and his brother’s cause!Why are we here if not because of the lovely Helen? And yet onewhom I loved as Menelaus loved Helen has been taken from me byorder of this King! He would let her go now! But no, I do not want tosee Briseis ever again, for everything that comes from Agamemnon’shand is hateful to me. All the gifts he would give me are hateful, andhe and his treasures have no value to me. I have chosen. Tomorrow Ishall have my Myrmidons take my ships out to sea, and I shall departfrom Troy for my own land.”‘

‘ Aias said, “Have the gods, Achilles, put into your chest anunforgiving heart?”‘

‘”Yes, Aias,” said Achilles. “My spirit cannot contain my anger.Agamemnon has treated me, not as a leader of armies who won manybattles for him, but as a lowly dog in his camp. Go now and tell himwhat I said. I shall never again think about his war.”‘

‘As he spoke, each man picked up a cup and poured out wine as anoffering to the gods. Then Odysseus and Aias left the hut sadly. ButPhoinix remained, and for him Patroklos, the dear friend of Achilles,spread a couch of fleeces and rugs.’

‘Odysseus and Aias went along the shore of the sea and by the line of

the ships and they came to where Agamemnon was with the greatestof the warriors of the army. Odysseus told them that Achilles wouldnot join in the battle, and they were all silent with grief. ThenDiomedes, the great horseman, stood up and said, “Let Achilles stayor go, fight or not fight, as it pleases him. But it is for us who havemade a vow to take Priam’s city, to fight on. Let us take food and restnow, and tomorrow let us go against Hector’s army, and you,Agamemnon, take the leading place in the battle.”‘

‘The warriors applauded what Diomedes said, and they all poured outofferings of wine to the gods, and then they went to their huts andslept. But for Agamemnon, the King, there was no sleep that night.Before his eyes was the blaze of Hector’s thousand watch-fires and inhis ears were the sound of pipes and flutes that made war music forthe Trojan army camped upon the plain.’

XIII NESTOR SAVES MACHAON

When dawn came the King prepared himself for the battle, putting onhis great breast-plate and his helmet that had a high plume of horse-hair and hanging round his shoulders a great sword that shone withgold. This sword that had a silver scabbard fitted with golden chains.Over his shoulders he put a great lion’s skin, and he put on his arm ashield that covered the whole of a man. Next he took in his hands twostrong spears of bronze, and so prepared and so armed he was ready totake the main place in the battle.’

‘He cried aloud and told the Greeks arm themselves, and theyimmediately did so and poured from behind the wall that guardedtheir ships into the Trojan plain. Then the chiefs mounted theirchariots, and their charioteers turned the horses towards the place ofbattle.’

‘The Trojans had gathered their battalions on the high ground in frontof them and the figure of great Hector was plain to Agamemnon andhis men. Like a star that now and then was hidden by a cloud, so heappeared as he went through the battalions, all covered with shiningbronze. Spears and arrows fell on both sides. Footmen kept killingfootmen and horsemen kept killing horsemen with the sword, and thedust of the plain rose up, stirred by the thundering hooves of thehorses. From dawn till morning and from morning till noon the battleraged, but at midday the Greeks broke through the Trojan lines. ThenAgamemnon in his chariot rushed through a gap in the line. Heinstantly killed two men, and dashing onward he killed two warriorswho were sons of King Priam. Like fire falling on a wood KingAgamemnon went through the Trojan ranks. Agamemnon wentthrough the men and up to the high walls of Troy, killing Trojanwarriors with his spear. Hector did not go toward him, for the gods

had warned Hector not to lead any attack until Agamemnon hadturned back from battle.’

‘But a Trojan warrior hit King Agamemnon on the forearm, below theelbow, and the point of his spear went clean through. Still he wentthrough the ranks of the Trojans, killing with spear and sword. Thenthe blood dried on his wound and he felt a sharp pain and he cried out,“Oh friends and captains! It is not possible for me to fight foreveragainst the Trojans, but you must fight on to keep the enemy from ourships.” His charioteer turned his horses, and they dashed back acrossthe plain carrying the wounded King from that day’s battle.’

‘Then Hector attacked. Leaping into his chariot he led the Trojans on.In the first attack he killed nine captains of the Greeks. Their rankswould have been broken, and the Greeks would have fled back to theirships if Odysseus had not been on that side of the battle withDiomedes, the great horseman. Odysseus cried out, “Come here,Diomedes, or Hector will sweep us across the plain and bring thebattle down to our ships.”‘

‘Then these two forced themselves through the press of battle andheld back the attack of Hector until the Greeks had their chance torally. Hector saw them and rode towards them. Diomedes lifted hisgreat spear and hurled it at Hector. The bronze of the spear struck thebronze of his helmet. The blow dazed Hector. He, stumbled from hischariot, stayed amongst the press of warriors, and rested himself onhis hands and knees. He got his breath back again, and leaping backinto his chariot drove away from that dangerous place.’

‘Then Diomedes himself was wounded by Paris who shot an arrow athim. It went clean through his right foot. Odysseus put his shield infront of his friend and comrade, and Diomedes was able to pull thearrow from his flesh. But Diomedes was forced to get back into his

chariot and command his charioteer to drive from the battle.’

‘Now Odysseus was the only one of the captains who stayed on thatside of the battle, and the Trojans came on and surrounded him. Onewarrior struck at the centre of his shield and the strong Trojan spearpassed through the shield and wounded Odysseus. He killed thewarrior who had wounded him and he pulled the spear from his body,but he had to give ground. Odysseus cried out to the other captains..Strong Aias heard him and came, holding his famous shield that waslike a tower. The Trojan warriors that were round him drew back atthe coming of Aias and Odysseus left the battle, and mounting hischariot drove away.’

‘ Aias fought through the Trojans, and on that side of the battle theywere being driven back towards the City. But suddenly Aias becamefearful. He threw his great shield behind him, and he stood like a wildbull, turning this way and that, and slowly retreating before those whopressed towards him. But now and again his courage would comeback and he would stand steadily and, with his great shield, hold atbay the Trojans who were pressing towards the ships. Arrows fellthick on his shield, confusing his mind. Aias might have died beneaththe arrows if his comrades had not pulled him to where they stoodwith shields sloping for a shelter, and so saved him.’

‘All this time Hector was fighting on the left wing of the battleagainst the Greeks, who were led by Nestor and Idomeneus. On thisside Paris let fly an arrow that brought trouble to the enemies of hisfather’s City. He struck Machaon who was the most skilled healer ofwounds in the whole of the army. Those who were around Machaonwere fearful that the Trojans would seize the wounded man and carryhim away. Then Idomeneus said, “Nestor, get up. Get Machaon intoyour chariot and drive swiftly from the battle. A healer like him isworth the lives of many men. Save him so that we may still have him

to draw the arrows from our flesh and put medicines into ourwounds.” Then Nestor lifted the healer into his chariot, and thecharioteer turned the horses and they too drove from the battle andtowards the ships.’

XIV PATROKLOS ENTERS THE BATTLE

Achilles, standing by the stern of his great ship, saw the battle as itwent this way and that way, but his heart was not at all moved withpity for the destruction brought upon the Greeks. He saw the chariotof Nestor go dashing by, dragged by sweating horses, and he knewthat a wounded man was in the chariot. When it had passed he spoketo his dear friend Patroklos.

‘”Go now, Patroklos,” he said, “and ask Nestor who it is that he hascarried away from the battle.”‘

‘”I shall go, Achilles,” Patroklos said, and even as he spoke he startedto run along the line of the ships to the hut of Nestor.’

‘He stood in front of the door, and when old Nestor saw him he told tohim enter. “Achilles sent me to you, Nestor,” said Patroklos, “to askwho it was you carried out of the battle wounded. But I don’t need toask, for I see that it is none other than Machaon, the best of ourhealers.”‘

‘”Why should Achilles concern himself with those who are woundedin the fight with Hector?” said old Nestor. “He does not care at allwhat evils happen to the Greeks. But you, Patroklos, will be sad toknow that Diomedes and Odysseus have been wounded, as well asMachaon who you see here. Ah, but Achilles will have cause to besorry when the army is defeated beside our burning ships and whenHector triumphs over all the Greeks.”‘

‘Then the old man stood up and taking Patroklos by the hand led himinto the hut, and brought him to a bench beside which Machaon, thewounded man lay.’

‘”Patroklos,” said Nestor, “speak to Achilles. Your father told you togive advice to Achilles. Didn’t he tell you to persuade Achilles fromharsh courses by gentle words’? Remember the words of your father,Patroklos, and if ever you were ever going to speak to Achilles withgentle wisdom speak to him now. Who knows, but your words mightstir up his spirit to take part in the battle we have to fight withHector?”‘

‘”No, no, old man,” said Patroklos, “I cannot ask Achilles for such athing.”‘

Then,” said Nestor, “you yourself enter the war and bring Achilles’Myrmidons with you. Then we ,who are wearied with fighting, cantake a breath. Beg Achilles to give you his armor so that you can wearit in the battle. If you appeared wearing Achilles’ bronze armor theTrojans would think that he had entered the war again and they wouldflee.”‘

‘What old Nestor said seemed like a good idea to Patroklos and heleft the hut and went back along the ships. On his way he metEurypylos, a wounded man, dragging himself from the battle, andPatroklos helped him back to his hut and chatted with him and puthealing herbs on his wounds.’

‘Even as he left old Nestor’s hut, Hector was at the wall the Greekshad built to guard their ships. The Trojans attacked that wall, holdingtheir shields of in front of them. From the towers that were along thewall the Greeks hurled great stones on the attackers.’

‘An eagle flew over the army, holding in its talons a blood-redserpent. The serpent struggled with the eagle and the eagle with theserpent, and both had wounded each other. But as they flew over thehost of Greeks and Trojans the serpent struck at the eagle with hisfangs, and the eagle, wounded in the chest, dropped the serpent. Then

the Trojans were terrified, seeing the blood-red serpent across theirpath, for they thought it was an omen from Zeus. They would haveturned back from the wall in fear of this omen if Hector had notpressed them on. “One omen is best, I know,” he cried, “to fight agood fight for our country. Forward then and bring the battle to thoseships that came to our coast against the will of the gods.”‘

‘Then he lifted up a stone so heavy that two of the strongest of mencould not raise it from the ground—and he hurled this stone at thestrong gate. It broke the hinges and the bars, and the great gate fellunder the weight of the tremendous stone. Then Hector leaped acrossit with two spears in his hands. No warrior could withstand him now.And as the Trojans scaled the walls and poured across the brokengate, the Greeks fled to their ships in terror and dismay.’

‘Patroklos saw the gate go down and the Trojans pour towards theships in a mass that was like a great rock rolling down a cliff.Idomeneus and Aias led the Greeks who fought to hold them back.Hector cast a spear at Aias and struck him where the belt of his shieldand the belt of his sword crossed. Aias was not wounded. Then Aiasthrew at Hector a great stone. He struck him on the chest, just over therim of his shield. Under the weight of that blow great Hector spunround like a top. The spear fell from his hands and the bronze of hisshield and helmet rang as he fell on the ground.’

‘Then the Greeks dashed up to where Hector lay, hoping to capturehim but his comrades placed their shields around him and drove backthe warriors that were pressing round. They lifted Hector into hischariot, and his charioteer drove him from the place of battlegroaning heavily from the hurt of that terrible blow.’

‘Now the Greeks rallied and came on with a shout, driving the Trojansback before them. The swift horses under Hector’s chariot brought

him out on the plain. They who were with him lifted him out, andHector lay gasping for breath and with black blood gushing from him.Then as he lay there injured he heard the voice of Apollo saying,“Hector, son of Priam, why do you lie fainting, away from the army?Don’t you know that the battle is desperate? Tell your charioteer todrive you towards the ships of the Greeks.”‘

‘Then Hector rose and went amongst the ranks of his men and raisedtheir spirits and led them back to the wall. When the Greeks sawHector fighting again, going up and down the ranks of his men, theywere afraid.’

‘He mounted his chariot and he shouted to the others, and the Trojancharioteers lashed their horses and they came on like a great wave.They crossed the broken wall again and came near the ships. Thenmany of the Greeks got into their ships and struck at those who camenear with long pikes.’

‘ All around the ships companies of Greek warriors stood like rocksthat the sea breaks against in vain. Nestor cried out to the Greeks,telling them fight like heroes, or else lose in the burning ships allhope of return to their native land. Aias, a long pike in his hand, drovemany Trojans back, while, in a loud voice, he put courage into theGreeks. Hector fought his way forward crying to the Trojans to burnthe ships that had come to their coast against the will of the gods,’

‘He came to the first of the ships and placed his hand on its stern.Many fought against him there. Swords and spears and armour fell onthe ground, some from the hands, some off the shoulders of warringmen, and the black earth was red with blood. But Hector was notdriven away from the ship. He shouted “Bring fire so that we mayburn the ships that have brought the enemy to our land. The troubleswe have suffered were because of the cowardice of the elders of the

City. They would not let me bring my warriors here and bring battledown to the ships when they first came to our beach. Do not let usreturn to the City until we have burned the ships.”‘

‘But whoever brought fire near the ship was killed by strong Aias whostood there with a long pike in his hands. Now all this time Patroklossat in the hut of Eurypylos, the wounded man he had looked after bylaying healing herbs on his wounds. But when he saw fire beingbrought to the ships he stood up and said, “Eurypylos, although youneed me, I cannot stay here. I must get help for our warriors.”Straightway he ran from the hut and went to where Achilles was.’

‘”If your heart, Achilles,” he said, “is still hard against the Greeks,and if you will not come to their aid, let me go into the fight and letme take with me your company of Myrmidons. Achilles, grant meanother thing. Let me wear your armour and helmet so that theTrojans will believe for a while that Achilles has come back into thebattle. Then they will flee before me and our warriors would be givena rest.”‘

‘ Achilles said, “I have declared that I shall not stop being angry untilthe Trojans come to my own ships. But you, Patroklos, dear friend,may go into the battle. All you have asked shall be given to you—myMyrmidons to lead and my armour to wear, and even my chariot andmy immortal horses. Drive the Trojans from the ships. But when youhave driven them from the ships, return to this hut. Do not go near theCity. Return, I tell you, Patroklos, when the Trojans are no longeraround the ships, and leave it to others to battle on the plain.”‘

‘Then Patroklos put on the armour that Zeus had given to Achilles’father, Peleus. Round his shoulders he hung the sword of bronze andupon his head he put the helmet with its high horse hair crest—theterrible helmet of Achilles. Then Achilles told the charioteer to yoke

the horses to the chariot—the horses, Xanthos and Balios, that werealso gifts from the gods. While all this was being done Achilles wentamongst the Myrmidons, making them ready for the battle and tellingthem to remember all the threats they had uttered against the Trojansin the time when they had been kept from the fight.’

‘Then he went back to his hut and opening the chest that his mother,Thetis, had given him he took from it a cup that no one drank out ofbut Achilles himself. Then pouring wine into this cup and holding ittowards Heaven, Achilles prayed to Zeus, the greatest of the gods,” Isend my comrade to the war, Oh far-seeing Zeus. May his heart bestrengthened, Oh Zeus, and that victory be his.But when he has driventhe spear of our enemies from the ships, may he return to me out ofthe turmoil of battle.”

‘So Achilles prayed, and the Myrmidons beside their ships shouted intheir eagerness to join in the battle.’

XV HECTOR KILLS PATROKLOS

Who was the first of the great Trojan champions to go down beforethe attack of Patroklos? The first was Sarpedon who had come with anarmy to help Hector from a City beyond Troy. He saw the Myrmidonsfight round the ships and break the ranks of the Trojans and put out afire on a half-burnt ship. He saw that the warrior who looked likeAchilles frightened the Trojans so that they turned their horses’ headstowards the City. The Myrmidons swept on with Patroklos at theirhead. When he saw him rushing down from the ships Sarpedon threwa spear at Patroklos. The spear did not strike him. Then Patroklosthrew a spear and struck Sarpedon in the heart. He fell dead from hischariot and there began a battle for his body.the Trojans wanted tocarry it into the City, so that they could bury with all honour the manwho had helped them, and the Greeks wanted to carry it away, so that,having his body and his armour, the killing of Sarpedon might bemore of a triumph for them.’

‘So a battle for his body went on. Now Sarpedon’s comrade, Glaukos,looked for Hector, who was fighting in another part of the battle field,and he spoke to him reproachfully. “Hector,” he said, “have youcompletely forgotten those who came from their own country to helpyou protect your father’s City? Sarpedon has fallen, and Achilles’Myrmidons want to strip him of his armour and bring his body to theships so that their triumph over him may be greater still. It will bedisgraceful to you, Hector, if they succeed.”‘

‘When Hector heard this he did not delay, but came straight to thespot where Sarpedon had been killed. He instantly killed the Greekwho had his hands on the body. But as he fought on it suddenlyseemed to Hector that the gods had decided to give victory to theGreeks, and his spirit grew weary and hopeless. He turned his horses’

heads towards the City and galloped from the battle. Then the Trojanswho were fighting round it fled from the body of Sarpedon, and theGreeks took it and stripped it of its armour and carried the body totheir ships.’

‘It was then that Patroklos forgot the command of Achilles—thecommand that he was not to bring the battle beyond the ships and thathe was to return when the Trojans were beaten towards their City.Patroklos forgot all that, and he shouted to the immortal horses,Xanthos and Balios, that drew his chariot, and, killing warrior afterwarrior he swept across the plain and came to the very gates of Troy.’

‘ Hector was inside the gates and had not yet left his chariot. ThenApollo appeared before him as a mortal. “Hector,” he said, “why haveyou fled from the fight? Look, Patroklos is outside the gate of yourfather’s City. Turn your horses against him now and try to kill him,and may the gods give you glory.”‘

‘Then Hector told his charioteer drive his horses through the gate andinto the battle. He drew near to Patroklos, and Patroklos, leapingdown from his chariot, seized a great stone and threw it at Hector’scharioteer. It struck him on the head and knocked him from thechariot.’

‘Hector too leaped from the chariot and took his sword in hand. Theirmen joined Patroklos and Hector and the battle began beside the bodyof Hector’s charioteer. Three times Patroklos charged the ranks of theTrojans and he killed nine warriors each time. But the doom ofPatroklos was near. A warrior hit him in the back and struck thehelmet from his head. With its high horse-hair crest it rolled beneaththe hooves of the horses. Who was it who hit Prince Patroklos then?Men said it was the god Apollo who would not allow the sacred Cityof Troy taken until the time the gods had willed it to fall.’

‘The spear fell from his hands, the great shield that Achilles hadgiven him dropped on the ground, and Patroklos stood in amazement.He retreated towards his comrades. Then Hector struck the blow thatfinished him. With his great spear he struck and drove it through thebody of Patroklos.’

‘Then Hector cried out, “Patroklos, you swore that you would take oursacred city and that you would take from our people their freedom.Now you have fallen and our city need not fear you ever again!”‘

‘Then Patroklos said, “You may boast now, Hector, although it wasnot you that hurt me. It was Apollo that sent me down. Boast of myslaying if you like, but remember this, your fate too is measured andAchilles will kill you.”‘

But Hector did not listen to what the dying Patroklos said. He took thearmour of Achilles that had been a gift from the gods from his body.He would have brought the body too inside the city so that histriumph might be greater, but now Aias came to where Patroklos hadfallen and he placed his great shield over the body. The fight went onand Hector put on the armour he had stripped off the body ofPatroklos. The armour fitted every limb and joint and as he put it onmore courage and strength than ever yet he had felt came into the soulof Hector.’

‘The immortal horses that Patroklos had driven, having galloped fromthe battle, stood apart and would not move despite all that theircharioteer did. They stood apart with their heads bowed, and tearsflowed from their eyes down on the ground. Zeus, the greatest of thegods, saw them and had pity upon them and spoke to himself saying,“Ah, immortal horses, why did I give you to king Peleus, whosegenerations die while you remain young and undying? Was it so thatyou should know the sorrows that befall mortal men? Pitiful, indeed,

is the lot of all men on the earth. Even Hector now, who boasts in thearmour that the gods once gave, will shortly go down to his death andthe city he defends will be burned with fire.”‘

‘He put courage into the hearts of the immortal horses and they wentwhere the charioteer wanted them to go, and they came safely out ofthe battle.’

‘ Hector, with the armour of Achilles on him, gathered his companiestogether and brought them up to the battle to win and carry away thebody of Patroklos. But anyone who tried to seize that body wasinstantly killed by Aias. All day the battle went on, and the Greekssaid to each other, “Comrades, let the earth yawn and swallow usrather than let the Trojans carry off the body of Patroklos.” And ontheir side the Trojans would say, “Friends, it would be better for all ofus to be killed together beside this man than let one of us go backwardnow.”‘

‘ Nestor’s son, Antilochos, who was fighting on the left of thebattlefield, heard of the killing of Patroklos. His eyes filled with tearsand his voice was choked with grief and he dashed out of the battle tobring the bad news to the hut of Achilles. ” Patroklos is fallen,” hecried, “and Greeks and Trojans are fighting around his body. His bodyis naked now, for Hector has stripped the armor from it.”‘

Then Achilles fainted away. He woke again and moaned terribly. Hisgoddess-mother heard the sound of his grief as she sat within thedepths of the Ocean. She came to him as he was still moaningterribly. She took his hand and said, “My child, why do you weep?”Achilles stopped his moaning and answered, “Patroklos, my dearfriend, has been killed. Now I shall have no joy in my life except thejoy of killing Hector who killed my friend.”‘

‘Thetis, his goddess-mother, wept when she heard such speech from

Achilles. “You will be short lived, my son,” she said, “for it has beendecided by the gods that after the death of Hector your death willcome.”‘

‘” Then let me die straightway,” said Achilles, “since I let my frienddie without giving him help. I wish I had not let my anger overcomemy spirit! Here I stayed, a useless burden on the earth, while mycomrades and my own dear friend fought for their country. I, who amthe best of all the Greeks, stayed here. But now let me go into thebattle and let the Trojans know that Achilles has come back.”‘

“But your armour, my son,” said Thetis. “You have no armour now toprotect you in the battle. Do not go into battle until you see me again.In the morning I shall return and I shall bring you armour thatHephaistos, the smith of the gods, will make for you.”‘

‘Then she turned from her son, and went to Olympus where the godslive.’

‘Darkness had come down on those who battled round the body ofPatroklos, and in that darkness more Greeks than Trojans were killed.It seemed to the Greeks that Zeus had decided to give the victory tothe Trojans and not to them, and they were dismayed. But four Greekheroes lifted up the body and put it on their shoulders, and Aias andhis brother stood facing the Trojans, holding them back while the fourtried to carry the body away. The Trojans pressed on, striking withswords and axes, but Aias and his brother held their ground.’

‘Achilles still lay in his hut, moaning in his grief. The day went onand the battle continued and Hector fought against Aias and hisbrother. Then the figure of a goddess appeared before Achilles as helay on the ground. “Get up, Achilles,” she said, “or Hector will dragthe body of your friend Patroklos into Troy.”‘

‘Achilles said, “Goddess Iris, how can I go into the battle since theTrojans hold the armour that should protect me?”‘

‘ Iris, the Messenger of the gods ,said, “Go down to the wall as youare and show yourself to the men of Troy, and it may be that they willflee on seeing you and hearing your voice, and so give those whodefend the body of Patroklos a breathing space.”‘

‘Then she departed. Achilles arose and went down to the wall that hadbeen built around the ships. He stood on the wall and shouted acrossthe trench, and friends and foes saw him and heard his voice. Aroundhis head a flame of fire arose such as was never seen before aroundthe head of a mortal man. Seeing the flame of fire around his headand hearing his terrible voice the Trojans were frightened and stoodstill. Then the Greeks picked up the body of Patroklos and carried itout of the battle.’

XVI HEPHAISTOS MAKES ARMOUR FORACHILLES

Thetis, the mother of Achilles, went to Olympus where the gods livedand to the house of Hephaistos, the smith of the gods. That houseshone brighter than all the houses on Olympus because Hephaistoshimself had made it of shining bronze. Inside the house there werewonders; servants that were not living but that were made out of goldand made with such marvelous skill that they waited on Hephaistosand served and helped him as though they were alive.’

‘Hephaistos was lame and limped when he walked. He and Thetiswere old friends, because when his mother abandoned him because ofhis crooked foot, Thetis and her sister brought him up in one of theOcean’s caves and it was while he was with them that he began towork in metals. So the lame god was pleased to see Thetis in his homeand he welcomed her and took her hand and asked her what he coulddo for her.’

‘Then Thetis, weeping, told him about her son Achilles, how he hadlost his dear friend and how he wanted to go into the battle to fightwith Hector, and how he was without armour to protect his life, seeingthat the armour that the gods had once given his father was now in thehands of his enemy. Thetis begged Hephaistos to make new armourfor her son that he could go into the battle.’

‘No sooner had she finished speaking than Hephaistos went to hiswork bench and set his bellows working. The twenty bellows blewinto the crucibles and made bright and hot fires. Then Hephaistosthrew into the fires bronze and tin and silver and gold. He set on theanvil-stand a great anvil, and took in one hand his hammer and in theother hand his tongs.’

‘For the armour of Achilles he made first a shield and then chestarmor that gleamed like fire. Next he made a strong helmet to go onthe head and shining armor to wear on the ankles. The shield wasmade with five folds, one fold of metal upon the other, so that it wasso strong and thick that no spear or arrow could pierce it and uponthis shield he hammered out images that were a wonder to men.’

‘The first were images of the sun and the moon and of the stars thatthe shepherds and the seamen watch—the Pleiades and Hyads andOrion and the Bear. Below he hammered out the images of two cities:in one there were people going to feasts and playing music anddancing and giving judgments in the market-place: the other was acity besieged: there were warriors on the walls and there was an armymarching out of the gate to give battle to those that besieged them.Below the images of the cities he made a picture of a ploughed field,with ploughmen driving their oxen through the field, and with menbringing them cups of wine. He made a picture of another field wheremen were reaping and boys were gathering the corn, where there wasa servant beneath an oak tree preparing a feast, and women preparingbarley for a supper for the men who were reaping, and a Kingstanding to one side watching all, holding a staff in his hands andrejoicing at all he saw.’

‘He made another image of a vineyard, with black grapes and with thevines hanging from silver poles. He showed maidens and youths inthe vineyard, gathering the grapes into baskets, and amongst them, aboy, who played on the violin. Beside the image of the vineyard hemade images of cattle, with herdsmen, and with nine dogs guardingthem. But he showed two lions that had come up and had seized thebull of the herd, and the dogs and men struggled to drive them awaybut were frightened. Beside the image of the oxen he made the imageof a field, with sheep in it and roofed huts.’

‘He made yet another picture—a dance hall with youths and maidensdancing, their hands on each others’ hands. The maidens had onbeautiful dresses and wreaths of flowers, and the youths had daggersof gold hanging from their silver belts. A great company stood aroundthose who were dancing, and amongst them there was a minstrel whoplayed on the lyre.’

‘Then all around the rim of the shield Hephaistos, the lame god, set animage of Ocean, whose stream goes round the world. He didn’t needlong to make the shield and the other wonderful pieces of armour. Assoon as the armour was ready Thetis took it, and flying down fromOlympus like a hawk, brought it to Achilles, her son.’

‘ When Achilles saw the splendid armour that Hephaistos the lamegod had made for him, he took the wonderfully made piece in hishands. He began to put the armour upon him, and none of theMyrmidons who were there could bear to look at it, because it shonewith such brightness and because it had all the marks of being thework of a god.’

XVII ACHILLES CHALLENGES HECTOR

When Achilles put his shining armour on it fitted him as though itwere wings. He held the wonderful shield in front of him and he tookin his hands the great spear that Cheiron the Centaur had given toPeleus his father—that spear that no one else but Achilles couldhandle. He told his charioteer to harness the immortal horses Xanthosand Balios. Then as he mounted his chariot Achilles spoke to thehorses. “Xanthos and Balios,” he said, “this time bring the hero thatgoes with you back safely to the ships, and do not leave him dead onthe plain as you left the hero Patroklos.”‘

‘Then Xanthos the immortal horse spoke, answering for himself andhis companion. “Achilles,” he said, with his head bowed and his manetouching the ground, “Achilles, this time we will bring you safelyback from the battle. But a day will come when we shall not bring youback, when you too will lie with the dead before the walls of Troy.”‘

‘ Achilles was troubled by this and he said, “Xanthos, my horse, whydo you remind me by your prophecies what I know already—that mydeath too is fated, and that I am to die here, far from my father andmy mother and my own land.”‘

‘Then he drove his immortal horses into the battle. The Trojans werefrightened when they saw Achilles himself in the fight, blazing in thearmour that Hephaistos had made for him. They went backwardbefore his attack. Achilles shouted to the captains of the Greeks, “Donot run from the men of Troy, but go with me into the battle and leteach man throw his whole soul into the fight.”‘

‘On the Trojan side Hector cried to his captains and said, “Do not letAchilles make you flee. Even though his hands are like fire and hisfierceness as terrible as flashing steel, I shall go against him and face

him with my spear.”‘

‘But Achilles went on, and captain after captain of the Trojans wentdown before him. Now amongst the warriors whom he caught sight ofin the fight was Polydoros, the brother of Hector and the youngest ofall King Priam’s sons. Priam forbade him ever to go into the battlebecause he loved him as he would love a little child. But Polydoroshad gone in this day, trusting his speed to escape with his life.Achilles saw him and pursued him and killed him with the spear.Hector saw the death of his brother. Then he could no longer endurestanding aside to order his army. He came straight up to whereAchilles was brandishing his great spear. When Achilles saw Hectorin front of him he cried out, “Here is the man who most deeplywounded my soul, who killed my dear friend Patroklos. Now we twoshall fight each other and Patroklos will be avenged by me.” Then heshouted to Hector, “Now Hector, your triumph and your life are at anend.”‘

‘But Hector answered him without fear, “You cannot frighten me withwords, Achilles. I know that you are a mighty man and stronger thanme but the fight between us depends upon the will of the gods. I shalldo my best against you.”‘

‘He lifted up his spear and threw it at Achilles. Then the breath of agod turned Hector’s spear aside, for it was not fated that either he orAchilles should be killed then. Achilles charged at Hector to kill himwith his spear. But a god hid Hector from Achilles in a thick mist.’

‘Then in a rage Achilles drove his chariot into the ranks of the warand he killed many great captains. He came to Skamandros, the riverthat flows across the plain in front of the city of Troy. He killed somany men in it that the river rose in anger against him for choking itswaters with the bodies of men.’

‘Then he went on towards the City, like a fire raging through a forest.On a tower of the walls of Troy, Priam the old King stood, and he sawthe Trojans coming towards the City, and he saw Achilles in hisarmour blazing like a star—like that star that is called Orion’s Dog;the star that is the brightest of all stars, but is a sign of evil. The oldman Priam was terribly sad as he stood on the tower and watchedAchilles, because he knew in his heart who this man would slay—Hector, his son, the protector of his city.’

XVIII HELEN WEEPS

Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, heard so much of the story ofAchilles from the lips of King Menelaus as he sat with his comradePeisistratus in the King’s feasting hall. Menelaus would have toldthem more then if Helen, his wife, had not begun weeping. ‘Why doyou weep, Helen?’ said Menelaus. ‘Ah, surely I know. It is because itis sad for you to hear about Hector’s death .’

Helen said, ‘ Prince Hector never spoke a hard or harsh word to me inall the years I was in his father’s house. If anyone scolded me hewould come and speak gently to me. I was terribly sad at the death ofnoble Hector! After his wife and his mother I wept the most for him.And when anyone speaks of his death I cannot help but weep.’

Menelaus said, ‘Relieve your heart of its sorrow, Helen, by praisingHector to this youth and by telling your memories of him.’

‘Tomorrow I shall do so,’ said Helen. She left the hall with her maidsand the servants took Telemachus and Peisistratus to their sleepingplaces.

The next day they sat in the banqueting hall; King Menelaus andTelemachus and Peisistratus, and the lady Helen came too. Her maidsbrought into the hall her silver work-basket and worked on the violetcoloured wool that was in her basket. As she worked she toldTelemachus about Troy and about its guardian, Hector.

Helen said, ‘The old men were at the gate of the City talking overmany things, and King Priam was amongst them. It was in the dayswhen Achilles first quarrelled with King Agamemnon. “Come here,my daughter,” said King Priam to me, “and sit by me and tell me whothe warriors are who now come out on the plain. You have seen them

all before, and I want you to tell me who such and such a one is. Whois that hero who seems so mighty? I have seen men who were tallerthan him by a head, but I have never seen a man who looked moreroyal.”‘

‘I said to King Priam. “The hero you are looking at is the leader of thearmy of the Greeks. He is the renowned King Agamemnon.”‘

‘”He indeed looks like a King,” said Priam. “Tell me now who theother warrior is who is shorter by a head than King Agamemnon, butwho has a broader chest and shoulders.”‘

‘”He is Odysseus,” I said, “who was brought up in rugged Ithaka, butwho is wiser than all the Kings.”‘

‘An old man, Antenor, said, “That is indeed Odysseus. I rememberthat he and Menelaus came to an assembly of the Trojans. When theyboth stood up, Menelaus seemed the greater man, but when they satdown Odysseus seemed by far the most stately. When they spoke inthe assembly, Menelaus was eloquent. Odysseus ,when he spoke, heldhis staff stiffly in his hands and fixed his eyes on the ground. Wethought by the look of him then that he was an ignorant man. Butwhen he began to speak we saw that no one could match Odysseus—his words came like snow-flakes in winter and his voice was verydeep.”‘

‘Then Priam said, “Who is that huge warrior? I think he is taller andbroader than any of the others.”‘

‘”He is great Aias,” I said, “who is like a wall for the Greeks. Besidehim stands Idomeneus, who has come from the Island of Crete.Around him stand the Cretan captains.” As I spoke, my heart wassearching for a sight of my own two brothers. I did not see them inany of the companies. Had they come with the army, I wondered, and

were they ashamed to be seen with the warriors because of my wrongdoing? I wondered as I looked for them. I did not know that even thenmy two dear brothers were dead, and that they were buried in theirown land far from Troy.’

‘Hector came to the gate and the wives and daughters of the Trojanscame running to him, asking for news of their husbands or sons orbrothers, whether they were killed or whether they were coming backfrom the battle. He spoke to them all and then went to his own house.But Andromache, his wife, was not there, and the servant told himthat she had gone to the great tower by the wall of the City to watchthe battle and that the nurse had gone with her, taking their infantchild.

‘So Hector went down the street and came to the gate where we were,and Andromache his wife came to meet him. With her was the nursewho carried the little child that the people of the city namedAstyanax, calling him, ‘King of the City’ because his father was theircity’s protector. Hector stretched out his arms to the little boy whomthe nurse carried. But the child shrank away from him, because hewas frightened of the great helmet on his father’s head with its horse-hair crest. Then Hector laughed and Andromache laughed with him,and Hector took off his great helmet and laid it on the ground. Thenhe picked up his little son and held him in his arms, and prayed, “OhZeus, greatest of the gods, grant that this son of mine may becomecourageous, and that, like me, he may be protector of the City andthen a great King, so that men may say of him as he returns frombattle, ‘Far greater is he than was Hector his father.’” Saying this heleft the child back in his nurse’s arms. He said to Andromache, hiswife, who that day was very afraid, “Dear one, do not worry. You urgeme every day not to go into the battle, but some days to stay behindthe walls. But my own spirit forbids me to stay away from battle, for Ihave taught myself to be courageous and to fight at the front.”‘

‘After saying this he put on his helmet again and went to check hismen. His wife went towards the house, looking back at him often andletting her tears fall. You know from Menelaus’ story what triumphsHector had afterwards, how he drove the Greeks back to their shipsand frightened them with his thousand watch-fires upon the plain,how he drove back the army that Agamemnon led when Diomedesand Odysseus and Machaon the healer were wounded, how he brokethrough the wall that the Greeks had buildt and set fire to their ships,and how he killed Patroklos in the armour of Achilles.’

XIX KING PRIAM LOSES A SON

King Priam, in his tower ,saw Achilles come raging across the plainand he cried out to Hector, “Hector, beloved son, do not wait for thisman’s attack .Come inside the city’s walls so that you will live and bea protection to the men and women of Troy. Come inside so that thatyou can save your father who will die if you are killed.”‘

‘But Hector would not come inside the walls of the city. He stoodoutside and all around him were the Trojans, who came pouring inthrough the gate without waiting to speak to each other. As he stoodthere he was saying in his heart, “It is my fault that the Trojans havebeen defeated on the plain. I kept them from entering the City lastnight against the advice of a wise man, for in my pride I thought itwould be easy to drive Achilles and the Greeks back again and defeatthem and destroy their hopes of return. Now the Trojans are defeatedand dishonoured and many have lost their lives because of my pride.Now the women of Troy will say, ‘Hector has brought destructiondown on the whole army and our husbands and sons and brothers havedied because of him.’ Rather than hear them say this I shall faceAchilles and kill him and save the city, or, if it must be, die by hisspear.”‘

‘When Achilles approached, Hector spoke to him and said, “My hearttells to me stand against you even though you are a stronger man thanme. But before we go into battle let us agree, with the gods to witness,that, if I should kill you, I shall strip you of your armour but I shallnot carry your body into the city but shall give it to your own friendsto treat with all honour, and that, if you should kill me, you give mybody to my friends.”‘

‘But Achilles said, “Between us there can be no agreement. Fight, and

fight with all your might, for now I shall make you pay for all thesorrow you have brought to me because of the killing of Patroklos,my friend.”‘

‘He spoke and raised his spear and threw it. But with his speed Hectoravoided Achilles’ spear. Then he raised his own, saying, “You havemissed me, and so it is not yet the hour of my doom. Now it is yourturn to stand before my spear.”‘

‘He threw it, but the wonderful shield of Achilles stopped Hector’sspear and it fell on the ground. Then Hector was disappointed, for hehad no other spear. He drew his sword and sprang at Achilles but thehelmet and shield of Achilles let none of Hector’s great blows touchhis body. Achilles got back his own great spear, and he stood guardinghimself with his shield and watching Hector for a spot to strike himon. In the armour that Hector wore—the armour that he had strippedoff Patroklos—there was a point at the neck where there was anopening. As Hector attacked, Achilles drove at his neck with his spearand struck him and Hector fell in the dust.’

‘Then Achilles stripped from him the armour that Patroklos had worn.The other captains of the Greeks came up and looked at Hector wherehe lay and all marvelled at his size and strength. Achilles dragged thebody to his chariot and drove away towards the ships.’

‘Hector’s mother, standing on the tower on the wall, saw what hadhappened and she broke into a great cry. All the women of Troy tookup the cry and wailed for Prince Hector who had guarded them andtheir loved ones from the enemy. Andromache, his wife, did not knowwhat terrible thing had happened. She was in an inner room ofHector’s house, weaving a great piece of cloth and embroidering itwith flowers, and she had ordered her maids to heat water for thebath, so that Hector could refresh himself when he came in from the

fight. But now she heard the wail of the women of Troy. She becameafraid, for she knew that such wailing was for the best of theirwarriors.’

‘She ran from her room and out into the street and came to thebattlements where the people stood watching. She saw the chariot ofAchilles dashing off towards the ships and she knew that it draggedthe dead body of Hector. Then she fainted away. Her husband’s sistersand his brothers’ wives crowded round her and lifted her up. At lastshe awoke and she wailed for Hector, “Oh my husband,” she cried,“our lives are such a misery! Now you have been killed by Achillesand I am left without a husband! How sad for our young child! Hewill come weeping to me, his widowed mother, who will live alwayssad, thinking about where you lie, Hector, by the ships of those whokilled you.”‘

‘Andromache spoke and all the women of Troy joined in her grief andwept for great Hector who had protected their city.’

XX PRIAM VISITS ACHILLES

Now that Hector was dead, King Priam, his father, had only onethought in his mind, and that was to get his body from Achilles andbring it into the City so that it might be treated with the honourbefitting the man who had been the guardian of Troy. While he sat inhis grief, thinking of his noble son lying so far from those who wouldhave wept over him, there appeared before him Iris, the messenger ofZeus, the greatest of the Gods. Iris said to him, “King, you canransom from Achilles the body of Hector, your noble son. Go to thehut of Achilles and take with you great gifts to offer him. Take withyou a wagon so that you can bring the body back in it, and let onlyone old man go with you to drive the mules.”‘

‘When Priam heard this, he arose and went into his treasure chamberand took out of his chests twelve beautiful robes; twelve brightlycoloured cloaks; twelve soft quilts and ten pounds of gold. He alsotook a wonderful goblet that the men of Thrace had given him whenthey had come on a visit to his city. Then he called his sons and toldthem to prepare the wagon and load it with the treasures he hadbrought out of his treasure-chamber.’

‘When the wagon was loaded and when Priam and his man hadmounted, Hekabe, the queen, Priam’s wife and the mother of Hector,came with wine and with a golden cup so that they could pour out anoffering to the gods before they went on their journey so they couldknow whether the gods favoured their quest, or whether Priamhimself was going into danger. King Priam took the cup from hiswife and he poured out wine from it, and looking towards heaven heprayed, “Oh Father Zeus, grant that I may find welcome underAchilles’ roof, and send, if you will, a bird of omen, so that seeing itwith my own eyes I may go on my way trusting that no harm will

come to me.”‘

‘He prayed, and straightaway a great eagle was seen with wide wingsspread out above the City, and when they saw the eagle, the hearts ofthe people were glad for they knew that their King would come backsafely and with the body of Prince Hector who had guarded Troy.’

‘Then Priam and his man drove across the plain of Troy and came tothe river that flowed across and there they let their mules drink. Theywere greatly troubled, for night was coming and they did not know theway to the hut of Achilles. They were in fear too that some companyof armed men would find them and kill them for the sake of thetreasures they had in the wagon.’

‘The old man saw a young man coming towards them. When hereached them he spoke to them kindly and offered to guide themthrough the camp and to the hut of Achilles. He mounted the wagonand took the reins in his hands and drove the mules. He brought themto the hut of Achilles and helped Priam from the wagon and carriedthe gifts they had brought into the hut. “Understand, King Priam,” hesaid, “that I am not a mortal, but someone sent by Zeus to help you onthe way. Go inside the hut and speak to Achilles and ask him, for hisfather’s sake, to return the body of Hector, your son, to you.”‘

‘Then he departed and King Priam went into the hut. Great Achilleswas sitting there and King Priam went to him and knelt before himand took the hands of the man who had killed his son. Achilles waspuzzled when he saw him there, for he did not know how anyonecould have come to his hut and entered it without being seen. Heknew then that it was one of the gods who had guided this man. Priamspoke to him and said, “Think Achilles about your own father. He isnow as old as me, and perhaps even now, in your far away country,there are those who make him suffer pain and misery. But however

great the pain and misery he may suffer he is happy compared to me,for he knows that you, his son, are still alive. But I no longer havehim who was the best of my sons. Now for your father’s sake have Icome to you, Achilles, to ask for the body of Hector, my son. I ammore pitiful than your father or than any man, for I have comethrough dangers to take in my hands the hands that killed my son.”‘

‘Achilles remembered his father and felt sorry for the old man whoknelt before him. He took King Priam by the hand and raised him upand seated him on the bench beside him. He wept, remembering oldPeleus, his father.’

‘He called his maids and told them take the body of Hector and washand wrap it in two of the robes that Priam had brought. When they haddone all this he picked up the body of Hector and laid it on the wagonhimself.’

‘Then he came and said to King Priam, “At the break of day you cantake him back to the city. But now eat and rest here for this night.”‘

‘King Priam ate, and he looked at Achilles and he saw how great hewas and Achilles looked at Priam and he saw how noble and majestiche looked. This was the first time that Achilles and Priam the King ofTroy really saw each other.’

‘When they gazed at each other King Priam said, “When you go to liedown, lord Achilles, permit me to lie down also. Not once have myeyelids closed in sleep since my son Hector lost his life. Now I havetasted bread and meat and wine for the first time since, and I couldsleep.”‘

‘Achilles ordered that a bed be made in the porch for King Priam andhis man, but before they went Achilles said, “Tell me, King, and tellme truly, for how many days do you want to make a funeral for

Hector? I will keep back the battle from the City for that many daysso that you can make the funeral in peace.” “We will mourn besideHector’s body for nine days and on the tenth day we will have thefuneral .On the eleventh day we will bury him, and on the twelfth daywe will fight,” King Priam said. ” I will hold the battle back from theCity for twelve days,” Achilles said.’

‘Then Priam and his man went to rest but in the middle of the nightthe young man who had guided him to the hut of Achilles—the godHermes he was—appeared before his bed and told him to arise andgo to the wagon and drive back to the City with the body of Hector.Priam aroused his man and they went out and mounted the wagon, andwith Hermes to guide them they drove back to the City.’

‘ Achilles on his bed thought of his own fate—how he too would diein battle, and how for him there would be no father to mourn. But hewould be laid where he had asked his friends to lay him—besidePatroklos—and over them both the Greeks would raise a tombstonethat would be marveled at for ages to come.’

‘Afterwards the arrow fired by Paris struck him as he fought in frontof the gate of the city, and he was killed at the same place where hekilled Hector. But the Greeks carried off his body and his armour andbrought them back to the ships. Achilles was mourned over, thoughnot by old Peleus, his father. From the depths of the sea came Thetis,his goddess-mother, and with her came the Maidens of the Sea. Theycovered the body of Achilles with wonderful garments and theymourned over it for seventeen days and seventeen nights. On theeighteenth day he was placed in the grave beside Patroklos, his dearfriend, and over them both the Greeks raised a tomb that wasmarveled at for ages to come.’

XXI HECTOR COMES HOME

Hector’s sister was the first to see her father coming in the dawnacross the plain of Troy with the wagon on which Hector’s body waslaid. She came down to the City and she cried through the streets, “Ohmen and women of Troy, you, who often went to the gates to meetHector coming back with victory, now come to the gates to receiveHector‘s corpse.”‘

‘Then every man and woman in the City went outside the gate. Theybrought in the wagon on which Hector was laid, and all day from theearly dawn to the going down of the sun they wailed for him who hadbeen the guardian of their city.’

‘His father took the body to the house where Hector had lived and helaid it on his bed. Then Hector’s wife, Andromache, went to the bedand cried over the body. “Husband,” she cried, “you are gone fromlife, and you have left me a widow in your house. Our child is stilllittle, and he shall not grow to manhood in the halls that were yours,for long before that the City will be taken and destroyed. Ah, how canit stand, when you, who were its best guardian, has died? The folkmourn you, Hector; but for me and for your little son, doomed togrow up amongst strangers and men unfriendly to him, the pain foryour death will stay forever.”‘

‘Hekabe, Hector’s mother, went to the bed and cried “Of all mychildren you, Hector, were the dearest. You were killed because youwere not a coward. You were always protecting the men and womenof Troy and for that you were killed, my son.”‘

‘And I, Helen, went to the bed too, to mourn for noble Hector. “Of allthe friends I had in Troy, you were the dearest, Hector,” I cried.“Never did I hear one harsh word from you to me who brought wars

and troubles to your city. In every way you were like a brother to me.Therefore I mourn you with pain in my heart, for in all Troy there isno one now who is friendly to me.”‘

‘Then the King and the people of the City prepared for Hector’sfuneral. On the tenth day, weeping most bitter tears they carried braveHector away. They made a grave for him, and over the grave they putclose set stones, and over it all they raised a great tombstone. On theeleventh day they feasted at King Priam’s house, and on the twelfthday the battle began again.’

XXII THE WOODEN HORSE

Telemachus and his copanion Peisistratus stayed in the house of KingMenelaus for many days. On the evening before he departedMenelaus told him about the famous deeds of his father, Odysseus.‘Achilles was dead,’ said Menelaus, ‘and his glorious armour wasoffered as a prize for the warrior the Greeks thought the most of. Twomen wanted the prize—Odysseus and his friend Aias. The armour ofAchilles was given to Odysseus, but he was not glad of the prize,because as a result of his getting it, the proud spirit of great Aias waswounded.’

‘It was right that Odysseus was given Achilles’ armour, for no warriorin the army had done better than him. But Odysseus was going to dostill greater things for us. He knew that only one man could use a bowbetter than Paris who had shot Achilles with an arrow, and who afterthat had killed many of our chiefs. That man was Philoctetes. He hadcome with Agamemnon’s army to Troy. But Philoctetes had beenbitten by a water-snake, and his wound was so terrible that none ofour warriors could bear to be near him. He was left on the Island ofLemnos and the army forgot him. But Odysseus remembered, and hetook a ship to Lemnos and brought Philoctetes back. With his greatbow and with the arrows of Hercules, Philoctetes shot at Paris on thewall of Troy and killed him with an arrow.’

‘Then Odysseus came up with the plan by which we took Priam’s cityat last. He made us build a great Wooden Horse. We built it and left itupon the plain of Troy and the Trojans were very curious about it.Odysseus had advised us to take our ships down to the water and toburn our stores and make it seem in every way that we were going todepart from Troy in weariness. We did this, and the Trojans saw thegreat army sail away from their City. But they did not know that a

company of the best of our warriors was inside the Wooden Horse,nor did they know that we had left a spy behind to make a signal forour return.’

‘The Trojans wondered why the great Wooden Horse had been leftbehind. And there were some who considered that it had been leftthere as an offering to the goddess, Pallas Athene, and they thought itshould be brought inside the city. Others were wiser and wanted toleave the Wooden Horse alone. But those who thought that it shouldbe brought inside won and, as the Horse was too great to bringthrough the gate, they knocked down part of the wall so that theycould bring it through. The Wooden Horse was brought through thewalls and left on the streets of the city and the darkness of the nightfell.’

‘ Helen, my wife, came down to where the Wooden Horse was, and,suspecting there were armed men within, she walked around it threetimes, calling to every captain of the Greeks who might be inside inhis own wife’s voice. When the sound of a voice that had not beenheard for so many years was heard each of the captains wanted toanswer. But Odysseus put his hands across the mouth of each and soprevented them from being discovered.’

‘We had left a spy hidden between the beach and the city. When theWooden Horse had been brought within the walls and night hadfallen, the spy lit a great fire that was signal to the ships that hadsailed away. They returned with the army before the sunrise. Then wewho were in the Wooden Horse broke through the boards and cameout on the City with our spears and swords in our hands. We killed theguards at the gates and made a barrier of the Wooden Horse andfought around it. The warriors from the ships came through the wallwhere it was broken down, and we swept through the streets and cameto the fortress of the King. We took Priam’s City and all its treasures,

and I won back my own wife, the lovely Helen.’

‘But after we had taken and destroyed King Priam’s City, we hadmany troubles. Some of us sailed away, and some of us remained onthe shore to make sacrifice to the gods. We separated, and death cameto many of us. I saw Nestor at Lesbos, but I have never seen any ofour other friends since. Agamemnon, my own brother, returned to hisown land. But it would have been happier for him if he had died onthe plain of Troy, and if we had left a great tombstone above him! Hewas killed in his own house by the man who had married the wife hehad left behind. When the Ancient One of the Sea told me of mybrother’s doom I sat down upon the sand and wept, and I did not wantto live anymore or to see the light of the sun.’

‘And about your father, Telemachus, I have told you what I know andwhat I was told by the Ancient One of the Sea—how he is on anIsland where the nymph Calypso holds him against his will. But I donot know where that Island is. Odysseus is there, and he cannot returnto his own country, seeing that he has no ship and no companions tohelp him to make his way across the sea. But Odysseus was alwaysvery clever. Also the goddess, Pallas Athene is very fond of him. Forthese reasons.

XXIII TELEMACHUS HEADS FOR HOME

The goddess, Pallas Athene came to Telemachus where he lay in aroom of Menelaus’ house. His companion, Peisistratus was asleep,but Telemachus was awake, thinking about his father.

Athene stood in front of his bed and said to him, ‘Telemachus, Itstime for you to return. Come, wake Menelaus, and let him send youupon your way.’

Then Telemachus woke Peisistratus out of his sleep and told him thatit was best that they should be going on their journey. But Peisistratussaid, ‘Wait until it is dawn, Telemachus.’

Then when it was light King Menelaus came to them. When he heardthat they would depart he told the lady Helen to tell the maids toprepare a meal for them. He, with Helen his wife, and Megapenthes,his son, went down into his treasure chamber and gave to Telemachusa two-handled cup and a great mixing bowl of silver. Helen took outof a chest a beautiful robe that she herself had made and embroidered.They went to where Telemachus stood by the chariot with Peisistratusready to depart. Then Menelaus gave him the beautiful two-handledcup that had been a gift to himself from the king of the Sidonians.Megapenthes came up with the great bowl of silver and put it in thechariot, and beautiful Helen came to him holding the embroideredrobe.

‘I too have a gift for you dear child ‘ she said. ‘Take this robe homeand give it to your mother to look after. I want you to have it to giveto your bride when you bring her into your father’s home.’

Then Telemachus and Peisistratus said farewell to Menelaus andHelen who had treated them so kindly. As they were ready to go

Menelaus poured out of a golden cup wine as an offering to the gods.And as Menelaus poured it out, Telemachus prayed that he might findOdysseus, his father, in his home.

Now as he prayed a bird flew over the horses’ heads. It was an eagle,and it carried in its talons a goose that belonged to the farmyard.Telemachus asked Menelaus if this was a sign from Zeus, the greatestof the Gods.

Then said Helen, ‘Hear me now, for I will prophesy from this sign toyou. Just as that eagle has flown down from the mountain and killed agoose of the farmyard, so will Odysseus come from far to his homeand kill the wooers who are there.’

‘May Zeus grant that it be so,’ said Telemachus. He spoke and lashedthe horses, and they sped across the plain.

When they came near the city of Pylos, Telemachus spoke to hiscompanion, Peisistratus, and said, ‘Do not take me past my ship,Peisistratus. Your good father expects me to return to his house, but Iam afraid that if I did, he, out of friendliness, would want me to stayfor many days. But I know that I should now return to Ithaka.’

The son of Nestor turned the horses towards the sea and they drovethe chariot to where Telemachus’ ship was anchored. ThenTelemachus gathered his followers, and he told them take on boardthe presents that Menelaus and Helen had given him.

They did this, and they raised the mast and the sails and the rowerstook their seats on the benches. A breeze came and the sails took itand Telemachus and his companions sailed towards home.Telemachus did not know it but, his father, Odysseus, was even thennearing his home.

Part 2

2.I CALYPSO

Pallas Athene always kept an eye on Odysseus even though she couldnot help him openly because he had offended Poseidon, the god of thesea. But she spoke at the council of the gods, and Zeus promised herthat Odysseus would now be allowed to return to his own land. Thatday she went to Ithaka, and, appearing to Telemachus, told him to goon the voyage in search of his father. And on that day too, Zeus toldHermes to go to the island of Ogygia where, as the Ancient One ofthe Sea had shown Menelaus, Odysseus was held by the nymphCalypso.

That Island was indeed beautiful. All round the cave where Calypsolived was a wood. There were alder, poplar and cypress trees, and ontheir branches roosted long-winged birds such as falcons and owls andseagulls. In front of the cave was a soft meadow in which thousandsof violets bloomed, and with four fountains that gushed out of theground and made clear streams through the grass. Across the cavegrew a straggling vine, with clusters of grapes. Calypso was in thecave, and as Hermes came near, he heard her singing one of her magicsongs.

She was at a loom weaving the threads with a golden shuttle. Sheknew Hermes and was pleased to see him on her Island, but as soon ashe spoke of Odysseus and how it was the will of Zeus that he shouldbe allowed to leave the Island, her song stopped and the goldenshuttle fell from her hand.

‘How unfortunate I am,’ she said, ‘and how unfortunate is anyimmortal who loves a mortal, for the gods are always jealous of theirlove. I do not hold him here because I hate Odysseus, but because Ilove him dearly, and want him to live with me here. I want to make

him an immortal so that he would know neither old age nor death.’

‘He does not want to be freed from old age and death,’ said Hermes,‘he wants to return to his own land and to live with his dear wife,Penelope, and his son, Telemachus. Zeus, the greatest of the gods,commands that you let him go on his way.’

‘I have no ship to give him,’ said Calypso, ‘and I have no company ofmen to help him to cross the sea,’

‘He must leave the Island and cross the sea. Zeus commands it,’Hermes said.

‘I must help him to make his way across the sea if it must be so,’Calypso said. Then she bowed her head and Hermes left.

Straightway Calypso left her cave and went down to the sea. Odysseusstayed by the shore, looking across the wide sea with tears in his eyes.

She came to him and she said, Don’t be sad any more, Odysseus. Thetime has come when you may depart from my Island. Come now. Iwill show how I can help you on your way.’

She took him to the side of the Island where great trees grew and sheput in his hands a double-edged axe and a saw. Then Odysseus startedto cut down the trees. He felled twenty trees with his bronze axe, andhe smoothed them and made them straight. Calypso came to him atthe dawn of the next. He built a raft, making it very broad, and set amast on it and fixed a rudder to guide it. Calypso wove him a web ofcloth for sails, and these he made very skillfully. Then he pushed theraft down to the sea.

That was on the fourth day. On the fifth Calypso gave him clothes forthe journey and brought food and drink down to the raft. She showedOdysseus how to find his way by the star that some call the Bear, and

she said farewell to him. He took his place on the raft and set sailaway from Ogygia, the island where Calypso had held him for solong.

But he did not make his way across the sea easily or safely. The windsblew on his raft and the waves smashed against it and then a fierceblast came and broke the mast in the middle. The sail fell into the sea.Then Odysseus was thrown down on the bottom of the raft. For a longtime he lay there overwhelmed by the water that broke over him. Thewinds drove the raft to and fro. The South wind tossed it to the Northto carry along, and the East wind tossed it to the West to chase.

In the depths of the sea there was a Nymph who saw his suffering andhis troubles and who had pity on him. Ino was her name. She rosefrom the waves disguised as a seagull and she sat on the raft andspoke to Odysseus.

‘Unfortunate man,’ she said, ‘Poseidon, the god of the sea, is stillangry with you. Perhaps the waters will destroy your raft. Then therewould be no hope for you. But do what I tell you and you can stillescape. Take of your clothes and take this veil from me and wind itaround your chest. As long as it is on you, you can not drown. Butwhen you reach the mainland take off the veil and throw it into thesea so that it can come back to me.’

She gave him the veil, and then she dived into the sea and the wavesclosed over her. Odysseus took the veil and wound it around his chest,but he would not leave the raft as long as its timbers held together.

Then a great wave came and shattered the raft. He held onto a singlebeam, and then, with the veil around his chest, he threw himself intothe waves.

For two nights and two days he was tossed about on the waters. When

on the third day the dawn came and the winds fell he saw land verynear. He swam eagerly towards it. But when he drew nearer he heardthe crash of waves as they struck against rocks. Then Odysseus wasindeed afraid.

A great wave took hold of him and threw him towards the shore. Hisbones would have been broken on the rocks if he had not been quickwitted enough to rush towards a rock and to cling to it with bothhands until the wave went by. Its backward drag took him and carriedhim back to the deep with the skin stripped from his hands. The wavesclosed over him. When he rose again he swam round looking for aplace where there might be some easy opening into the land.

At last he saw the mouth of a river. He swam towards it until he feltits stream flowing through the water of the sea. Then in his heart heprayed to the river. ‘Hear me, Oh River,’ was what he said, ‘I come toyou, fleeing from the anger of Poseidon, god of the sea. I am a pitifuland unfortunate man. Pity me and help me in my need.’

Now the river water was smooth for his swimming, and he camesafely to its mouth. He came to a place where he could land, but withhis flesh swollen and streams of salt water gushing from his mouthand nostrils. He lay on the ground breathless and terribly weary. Butin a while his breath came back to him and his courage rose. Heremembered the veil that the Sea-nymph had given him and he took itoff and let it fall back into the flowing river. A wave came and carriedit back to Ino who caught it in her hands.

But Odysseus was still afraid, and he said in his heart, ‘Oh what willhappen to me now? Here am I, naked and unhappy, and I do not knowwhere I am. What shall I do when night comes? If I lie by the river inthe frost I may die of the cold. And if I climb up to the woods andseek shelter I may become the prey of wild animals.’

He went from the cold of the river up to the woods, and he found twoolive trees growing side by side, twining together so that they made ashelter against the winds. He went and lay between them on a bed ofleaves, and he covered himself with leaves. There in that shelter, andwith that warmth he lay, and sleep came over him, and at last herested from dangers and suffering.

2.II ODYSSEUS REACHES LAND

While he rested the goddess, Pallas Athene, went to the City of thePhæacians, which was where Odysseus had arrived.

She came to the Palace of the King, and went to the room where theKing’s daughter, Nausicaa slept. She entered into Nausicaa’s dream,appearing to her in it as one of her friends. And in the dream shespoke to the Princess,’Nausicaa,’ she said, your clothes are old, andthe time is near when you will need to have more beautiful clothes.Your marriage day will be soon. You will have to have manygarments ready by that time—garments to bring with you to yourhusband’s house, and garments to give to those who will attend you atyour wedding. There is much to be done, Nausicaa. Be ready at dawn,and take your maidens with you, and take the garments of yourhousehold to the river to be washed. I will help you. Beg your fatherto give you a wagon with mules to carry all the garments that we needto wash.’

So in her dream Pallas Athene spoke to the Princess in the likeness ofher girlfriend. Having put the task of washing into her mind, thegoddess left the Palace of the King and the country of the Phæacians.

, When Nausicaa rose she thought about her dream, and she wentthrough the Palace and found her father. He was going to theassembly of the Phæacians. She came to him, but she was shy aboutspeaking about what had been in her dream—her marriage day—sinceher parents had not spoken to her about such a thing. Saying that shewas going to the river to wash the garments of the household, sheasked for a wagon and for mules. ‘I have so many clothes I need towash,’ she said. ‘Yes and you too, my father, should have freshclothes when you go to the assembly of the Phæacians. In our house

are two unmarried youths, my brothers, who are always eager for newwashed clothes to wear to dances.’

Her father smiled at her and said, ‘ You may have the mules andwagon, Nausicaa, and the servants shall get them ready for you now.’

He called to the servants and told them to get the mules and thewagon ready. Then Nausicaa gathered her maids together and theybrought the dirty clothes of the household to the wagon. So thatNausicaa and her maids might eat while they were away from home,her mother put in a basket filled with food and drink. Also she gavethem a jar of olive oil so that they could rub themselves with oil whenbathing in the river.

Young Nausicaa herself drove the wagon. She mounted it and took thewhip in her hands and started the mules, and they went through fieldsand by farms and came to the river bank.

The girls took the clothes to the stream, and putting them in theshallow parts trod on them with their bare feet. The wagon wasunharnessed and the mules were left to graze along the river side.When they had washed the garments they took them to the sea shoreand left them on the clean pebbles to dry in the sun. Then Nausicaaand her companions went into the river and bathed and played in thewater.

When they had bathed they sat down and ate the meal that had beenput on the wagon for them. The garments were not yet dried andNausicaa called on her companions to play. They took a ball andthrew it from one to the other, each singing a song that went with thegame. As they played in the meadow they made a lovely group, andthe Princess Nausicaa was the tallest and fairest and noblest of themall.

Before they left the river side to load the wagon they played a lastgame. The Princess threw the ball, and the girl whose turn it was tocatch missed it. The ball went into the river and was carried down thestream. They all cried out. It was this cry that woke up Odysseus who,covered with leaves, was then sleeping in the shelter of the two olivetrees.

He crept out from under the trees, covering his nakedness with leafybranches that he broke off the trees. When he saw the girls in themeadow he wanted to go to them to beg for their help but when theylooked at him they were terribly frightened and they ran this way andthat way and hid themselves. Only Nausicaa stood still, for PallasAthene had taken fear from her mind.

Odysseus stood a little way from her and spoke to her in a soft voice.‘I beg you to help me in my bitter need. I would kneel to you and hugyour knees but I fear your anger. Have pity upon me. Yesterday wasthe twentieth day that I was at sea, driven here and there by the wavesand the winds.’

Nausicaa stood still, and Odysseus looking at her was filled withrespect for her because she seemed, so noble. ‘I do not know as I lookat you,’ he said, ‘whether you are a goddess or a mortal maiden. Ifyou are a mortal maiden, your family must be very happy and proudof you. Surely they must be proud and glad to see you dance, for youare the very flower of maidens. The happiest will be the man who willlead you to his home as his bride. Never have my eyes seen one whohad such beauty and such nobleness. I think you are like the youngpalm tree I once saw growing by the altar of Apollo in Delos—a treethat many marvelled to look at. Oh lady, after suffering, you are thefirst person I have come to. I know that you will be gracious to me.Show me the way to the town. Give me some old clothes to wear. Andmay the gods grant you your wish and heart’s desire—a noble

husband who will cherish you.’

She spoke to him as a Princess should, seeing that in spite of thedifficulty he was in, he was a man of worth. ‘Stranger,’ she said,‘since you have come to our land, you will have clothes and anythingelse you need. I will also show you the way to the town.’

He asked what land he was in. ‘This, stranger,’ she said, ‘is the landof the Phæacians, and Alcinous is King. And I am the King’sdaughter, Nausicaa.’

Then she called to her companions. ‘Do not hide yourselves,’ shesaid. ‘This is not an enemy, but a helpless and lost man. We mustbefriend him, for it is said that the stranger and the beggar are fromGod.’

The girls came back and they took Odysseus to a sheltered place andthey made him sit down and gave him some clothes. One brought thejar of olive oil so that he could clean himself when he bathed in theriver. He went into the river and bathed and rubbed himself with theoil. Then he put on the clothes that had been brought to him. Helooked so well that when he came towards them again the Princesssaid to the maids,’ Now look at the man who a while ago seemed soterrifying! He is very handsome and noble. Now, my maidens, bringthe stranger meat and drink.’

They served him with meat and drink and he ate and drank eagerly,for it was a long time since he had tasted food. While he ate, Nausicaaand her companions went down to the seashore and gathered theclothes that were now dried, singing songs while they worked. Theyharnessed the mules and folded the clothes and left them on thewagon.

When they were ready to go Nausicaa went to Odysseus and said to

him, ‘Stranger, if you want to go into the city come with us now, sothat we can show you the way. But first listen to what I say. While weare going through the fields and by the farms walk behind, keepingnear the wagon. But when we enter the ways of the City, you mustleave us. People might speak unkindly about me if they saw me with astranger such as yourself. They might say, “Who does Nausicaa bringto her father’s house? Someone she would like to make her husband,most likely.” So that we do not meet with such rudeness I wouldprefer you to come alone to my father’s house. Listen now and I willtell you how you can do this.’

‘There is a grove kept for the goddess Pallas Athene near the city. Inthat grove is a spring, and when we come near go and rest by it. Thenlater, enter the City and ask the way to the palace of the King. Whenyou have come to it, pass quickly through the court and through thegreat chamber and come to where my mother sits weaving yarn by thelight of the fire. My father will be sitting near, drinking his wine inthe evening. Pass by his seat and come to my mother, and clasp yourhands about her knees and ask for her help. If she likes you, you willbe helped to return to your own land.’

Then she touched the mules with the whip and the wagon went on.Odysseus walked behind with the maids. As the sun set they came tothe grove of Pallas Athene that was outside the City. Odysseus wentinto it and sat by the spring. While he was in her grove he prayed tothe goddess, ‘Hear me, Pallas Athene, and grant that I may comebefore the King of this land as one well worthy of his pity and hishelp.’

2.III ODYSSEUS IS MADE WELCOME

About the time that the maiden Nausicaa arrived at her father’shouse, Odysseus left the spring in the grove of Pallas Athene and wentinto the City. There he met someone who showed him the way to thepalace of King Alcinous. The doors of that palace were golden and thedoorposts were silver. There was a garden by the great door filledwith fruit trees—pear trees and pomegranates; apple trees and treesbearing figs and olives. Below it was a vineyard with thick bunches ofgrapes.

Odysseus stood there with many thoughts on his mind but at last witha prayer to Zeus he went through the door and into the great hall. Onthat particular evening the Captains and the Councillors of thePhæacians sat drinking wine with the King. Odysseus passed by them,and did not stop at the King’s chair, but went to where Arete, theQueen, sat. He knelt before her and clasped her knees with his handsand spoke to her ,’Arete, Queen! After many suffering and perils Ihave come to you and your husband, and to these, your guests! Maythe gods give all who are here a happy life. I have come to you to begthat you help me return home, for I have suffered much, far from myfriends.’

Then, having spoken, Odysseus went and sat down in the ashes of thehearth with his head bowed. No one spoke for a long time. Then anaged Councillor who was there spoke to the King.

‘Oh Alcinous,’ he said, ‘it is not right that a stranger should sit in theashes by your hearth. Tell the stranger to rise now and let a chair begiven to him and supper set before him.’

Then Alcinous took Odysseus by the hand, and raised him from wherehe sat, and told his son Laodamas to give a place to him. He sat on a

chair inlaid with silver and the maid brought him bread and wine andother food. He ate, and King Alcinous spoke to everyone and said,‘Tomorrow I shall call you together and we will entertain thisstranger with a feast in our halls, and we shall see in what way we canhelp him return to his own land.’

The Captains and Councillors agreed to this, and then each one aroseand went to his own house. Odysseus was left alone in the hall withthe King and the Queen. Now Arete, looking closely at Odysseus,recognized the robe he wore, for she herself had made it. When all theguests had gone she spoke to Odysseus and said,’ Stranger, who areyou? Didn’t you say you came to us from across the sea? And if youdid come that way, who gave you the clothes that you have on?’

Odysseus said, ‘Lady, for seventeen days I sailed across the sea, andon the eighteenth day I sighted the hills of your land. But my troubleshad not yet ended. The storm winds shattered my raft, and when Itried to reach land the waves overwhelmed me and smashed meagainst great rocks in a desolate place. At last I came to a river, and Iswam through its mouth and I found a shelter from the wind. There Ilay amongst the leaves all night long and from dawn to midday. Thenyour daughter came down to the river. I was aware of her playing withher friends, and so I asked for her help. She gave me bread and wine,and she gave these clothes to me, and showed an understanding thatwas far beyond her years.’

Then Alcinous the King said, ‘Our daughter should have brought youstraight to our house.’

Odysseus said, ‘My Lord, do not blame your daughter. She told mefollow her group, and she was only careful that no one should haveany reason to gossip about the stranger she found.’

Then Alcinous, the King, praised Odysseus and said that he should

like such a man to stay in his house and that he would give him landand wealth, in the country of the Phæacians. ‘But if you do not wish tolive with us,’ he said, ‘I shall give you a ship and a group of men totake you to your own land, even if that land is as far away as Eubæa,which, our men say, is the farthest of all lands.’ As he said thisOdysseus uttered a prayer in his heart, ‘Oh Father Zeus, grant thatAlcinous the King may fulfil all that he has promised and for thatmay he be rewarded and that I reach my own land.’

Arete now told the maids prepare a bed for Odysseus. This they did,laying warm purple blankets on it. When Odysseus came to the bedand lay in it, after the tossing of the waves, rest in it seemedwonderfully good.

At dawn he went with the King to the assembly of the Phæacians.When the Princes and Captains and Councillors were gatheredtogether, Alcinous spoke to them saying,’Princes and Captains andCouncillors of the Phæacians! This stranger has come to my house inhis wanderings, and he wants us to give him a ship and a group ofmen, so that he can cross the sea and reach his own land. Let us, as wehave done for others, help him on his journey. Let us now take a blackship to the sea, and put fifty- two of our noblest youths on it, and letus prepare it for the voyage. But before he departs, come all of you toa feast that I shall give to this stranger in my house. Moreover, let ustake with us the minstrel of our land, blind Demodocus, so that hissongs may entertain us at the feast.’

So the Princes, Captains and Councillors of the Phæacians went withhim to the palace. At the same time fifty- two youths went down tothe shore of the sea, and took a ship and placed the masts and sails onit, and left the oars in their leathern loops. Having done all this theywent to the palace where the feast was being given and where manymen had gathered.

A man led in the minstrel, blind Demodocus. The gods had given hima good and an evil fortune—the gift of song with the lack of sight.The man led him through the guests, and placed him on a seat inlaidwith silver, and hung his lyre on the pillar above his seat. When theguests and the minstrel had feasted, blind Demodocus took down thelyre and sang about things that were already famous—of the deeds ofAchilles and Odysseus.

When he heard the words that the minstrel sang, Odysseus picked uphis purple cloak and drew it over his head. Tears were falling downhis cheeks and he was ashamed of their being seen. No one noticed hisweeping except the King, and the King wondered why his guestshould be so moved by what the minstrel sang.

When they had feasted and the minstrel had sung to them, Alcinoussaid, ‘Let us go now and engage in games and sports so that our guestcan tell his friends when he is with them again what our young mencan do.’

They all went out from the palace to the place where the games wereplayed. There was a foot race, and a boxing match, and there waswrestling and weight throwing. All the youths present participated inthe games. When the sports were ending Laodamas, the son of KingAlcinous, said to his friends,’Come, my friends, and let us ask thestranger whether he is skilled or practised in any sport,’ He went toOdysseus and said, ‘Friend, come now and try your skill in the games.Don’t worry, your journey won’t be delayed long. Even now the shipis being pulled down to the sea, and we have with us the group ofyouths that is ready to help you to your own land.’

Odysseus said, ‘Sorrow is nearer to my heart than sport, for I haveendured much recently.’

Then a youth who was with Laodamas, Euryalus, who had won in the

wrestling bout, said insolently, ‘Laodamas is surely mistaken inthinking that you would be any good at sports. As I look at you I thinkthat you are someone who makes voyages for profit—a trader whoseonly thought is for his cargo and his money,’

Then Odysseus replied angrily. ‘You are very wrong, young man. Youhave beauty, but you do not have good manners. And you have stirredthe spirit in my heart by speaking such words to me.’

Then, Odysseus sprang up and took a weight that was larger than anyyet lifted, and with one whirl he hurled it from his hands. It flewbeyond all the marks, and someone who was standing far off criedout, ‘Even a blind man can see that none of the Phæacians can dobetter.’

Odysseus, turning to the youths, said, ‘Let anyone who wants to try,pass that throw. And if any of you wants to try me in boxing orwrestling or even in a foot race, let him stand forward—anyoneexcept Laodamas, for he is a member of the house that has befriendedme. Only a rude man would compete with him.’

Everyone was silent. Then Alcinous the King said, ‘So that you havesomething to tell your friends when you are in your own land, weshall show you the games in which we are most skilful. For wePhæacians are not great boxers or wrestlers, but we excel in runningand in dancing and in rowing. Now, you dancers! Come forward andshow your nimbleness, so that the stranger can tell his friends, whenhe is amongst them, how much we surpass others in dancing as wellas in seamanship and speed of foot.’

A place was readied for the dance, and the blind minstrel,Demodocus, took the lyre in his hands and played, while youthsskilled in the dance struck the ground with their feet. Odysseusmarvelled at their grace and spirit. When the dance ended he said to

the King, ‘My Lord Alcinous, you did boast your dancers to be thebest in the world, and you were right. I am amazed as I looked atthem.’

At the end of the day Alcinous spoke to his people and said, ‘Thisstranger, in all that he does and says, shows himself to be a wise andmighty man. Let each of us now give him the stranger’s gift. Herethere are twelve princes of the Phæacians and I am the thirteenth. Leteach of us give him a worthy gift, and then let us go back to my houseand sit down to supper. As for Euryalus, let him apologise to thestranger for his rudeness by offering him a gift.’

All agreed with the King’s words, and Euryalus went to Odysseus andsaid, ‘Stranger, if I have said something that offended you, may thestorm winds snatch it and carry it away. May the gods grant that yousee your wife and reach your own country. You have suffered toomuch and for too long away from your own country.’

Having said this, Euryalus gave Odysseus a sword of bronze with asilver hilt and a sheath of ivory. Odysseus took it and said, ‘And toyou, my friend, may the gods grant all happiness, and may you nevermiss the sword that you have given me. Your gracious speech hasmade full amends.’

Each of the twelve princes gave gifts to Odysseus, and the gifts werebrought to the palace and left by the side of the Queen. Arete herselfgave Odysseus a beautiful coffer with robes and gold in it, andAlcinous, the King, gave him a beautiful cup, all of gold.

In the palace a bath was prepared for Odysseus, and he entered it andwas glad of the warm water, for he had not had a hot bath since he leftthe Island of Calypso. He got out of the bath and put on the beautifulrobe that had been given to him and he walked through the hall,looking like a king amongst men.

The maiden, Nausicaa, stood by a pillar as he passed, and she knewthat she had never seen a man who was more splendid. She hadthought that the stranger she had saved would stay in her father’shouse, and that one day he would be her husband. But now she knewthat by no means would he stay in the land of the Phæacians. As hepassed by, she spoke to him and said, ‘Farewell, Stranger! When youare in your own country, think sometimes of me, Nausicaa, whohelped you.’ Odysseus took her hand and said to her, ‘Farewell,daughter of King Alcinous! May Zeus grant that I may return to myown land. There ,every day I shall remember you, to whom I owe mylife.’

He passed on and he came to where the Princes and Captains andCouncillors of the Phæacians sat. His seat was beside the King’s.Then a man brought in the minstrel, blind Demodocus, and placedhim on a seat by a pillar. When supper was served Odysseus sent toDemodocus a portion of his own meat. He spoke too in praise of theminstrel saying, ‘You are right when you sing of the Greeks and allthey suffered as well, I think, as if you had been present at the war ofTroy. I would ask if you can sing of the Wooden Horse that broughtdestruction to the Trojans. If you can, I shall be a witness amongst allmen how the gods have surely given you the gift of song.’

Demodocus took down the lyre and sang. His song told how theGreeks sailed away in their ships and how others ,with Odysseus tolead them, were now in the center of Priam’s City all hidden in thegreat Wooden Horse which the Trojans themselves had draggedthrough their broken wall. So the Wooden Horse stood there, and thepeople who gathered around talked of what should be done with sucha wonderful thing—whether to break it open, or drag it to a steep hilland hurl it down on the rocks, or leave it there as an offering to thegods. It was left at last as an offering to the gods. Then the minstrelsang how Odysseus and his companions poured out from the horse

and took the City.

As the minstrel sang, tears fell down Odysseus’s cheeks. None of theguests saw him weeping except Alcinous the King. But the King criedout to everyone saying, ‘Let the minstrel stop, for there is oneamongst us to whom his song is not pleasing. Ever since it began thestranger here has wept with tears flowing down his cheeks.’

The minstrel stopped playing, and everyone looked in surprise atOdysseus, who sat with his head bowed. Why did he weep? No onehad asked him his name, for each thought it was more noble to serve astranger without knowing his name.

The King, speaking again said, ‘Tell us what name they call you inyour own land. Tell us, too, of your land and your city. And tell us,too, where you went on your wanderings, and to what lands andpeoples you encountered. Tell us why you weep and mourn over thetale of the Greeks going to the war of Troy. Did you have a kinsmanwho fell before Priam’s City—a daughter’s husband, or a wife’sfather, or someone nearer by blood? Or did you have a loving friendwho fell there?’

The King asked these questions, and Odysseus turned round to facethem all.

2.IV CYCLOPS

When Odysseus spoke to the people saying, ‘Alcinous, famous King,it is good to listen to a minstrel such as Demodocus is. As for me, Iknow of no greater delight than when men feast together with openhearts, when tables are laden with food, when good wine is pouredinto cups, and when a minstrel sings noble songs. This seems to me tobe happiness indeed. But you have asked me to speak of mywanderings and my suffering. Ah, where can I begin that tale? Thegods have given me more troubles than a man can speak of!’

‘But first of all I will tell you my name and my country. I amOdysseus of Laertes and my land is Ithaka, an island around whichmany islands lie. Ithaka is a rugged isle and I have found that there isno place fairer than a man’s own land. But now I will tell you, King,and tell the Princes and Captains and Councillors of the Phæacians,the tale of my wanderings.’

‘The wind carried my ships from the coast of Troy, and with ourwhite sails hoisted we came to the cape that is called Malea. Now ifwe had been able to go round this cape we should soon have come toour own country, safe and sound. But the north wind came and sweptus from our course and drove us past Cythera.’

‘Then for nine days we were carried onward by terrible winds, andaway from all known lands. On the tenth day we came to a strangecountry. Many of my men landed there. The people of that land wereharmless and friendly, but the land itself was most dangerous. Thehoney-sweet fruit of the lotus that makes all men forgetful of theirpast and neglectful of their future grew there. Those of my men whoate the lotus that the people of that land offered them becameforgetful of their country and of the way home. They wanted to live

forever in the land of the lotus. They wept when they thought of allthe suffering to come and of all they had endured. I led them back tothe ships, and I had to place them beneath the benches and tie themup. I commanded those who had eaten the lotus to go at once aboardthe ships. Then, when I had got all my men on the ships, we hurried tosail away.’

‘Later we came to the land of the Cyclôpes, where a giant people live.There is a deserted island near their land, and on it there is a well ofclear water that has poplars growing round it. We reached that emptyisland, and we anchored our ships and took down our sails.’

‘As soon as dawn came we went through the empty island, surprisingthe wild goats that were there in flocks, and shooting them with ourarrows. We killed so many wild goats there that we had nine for eachship. Afterwards we looked across to the land of the Cyclôpes, and weheard the sound of voices and saw the smoke of fires and heard thebleating of flocks of sheep and goats.’

‘I called my companions together and I said, “It would be a good ideafor some of us to go to that other island. I shall go there with my ownship and with the company that is on it. The rest of you stay here. Iwill find out what kind of men live there, and whether they will treatus kindly and give us provisions for our voyage.”‘

We set of and soon reached the land. There was a cave near the sea,and round the cave there were great flocks of sheep and goats. I tooktwelve men with me and I left the rest to guard the ship. We went intothe cave and found no one there. There were baskets filled withcheeses, and containers of yoghurt, and pails and bowls of milk. Mymen wanted me to take some of the cheeses and some of the lambsand kids and leave. But I didn’t want to do this, because I wouldrather that whoever owned the stores give us of his own free will.’

‘While we were in the cave, the owner returned to it. He carried on hisshoulder a great pile of wood for his fire. Never in our lives had weseen a creature as frightful as this Cyclops was. He was a giant and,what made him terrible to look at was that he, had only one eye, andthat single eye was in his forehead. He dropped down on the groundthe pile of wood that he carried, making such a din that we fled interror into the corners of the cave. Next he drove his flocks into thecave and began to milk his ewes and goats. When he had the flocksinside, he picked up a stone that we could not move and set it as adoor to the mouth of the cave.’

‘The Cyclops started his fire, and when it blazed up he saw us in thecorners. He spoke to us. We did not know what he said, but our heartswere shaken with terror at the sound of his deep voice.’

‘I spoke to him saying that we were Agamemnon’s men on our wayhome from the taking of Priam’s City, and I begged him to deal withus kindly, for the sake of Zeus who is always in the company ofstrangers. But he answered me saying, “We Cyclôpes pay no attentionto Zeus, nor to any of your gods. In our strength and our power webelieve that we are mightier than they are. I will not spare you, orgive you anything for the sake of Zeus, but only as my own spirit tellsme. And first I want you to tell me how you reached our land.”‘

‘I knew it would be better not to let the Cyclops know that my shipand my companions were at the harbour of the island. Therefore I toldhim that my ship had been smashed on the rocks, and that I and themen with me were the only ones who had escaped death.’

‘I begged again that he would deal with us as just men deal withguests, but he, without saying a word, seized two of my men, andswinging them by the legs, smashed their brains out on the ground. Hecut them to pieces and ate them before our very eyes. We wept and

prayed to Zeus as we witnessed an act so terrible.’

‘Next the Cyclops stretched himself amongst his sheep and went tosleep beside the fire. Then I debated whether I should take my sharpsword in my hand, and feeling where his heart was, stab him there.But second thoughts held me back from doing this. I might be able tokill him as he slept, but not even with my companions could I rollaway the great stone that closed the mouth of the cave.’

‘Dawn came, and the Cyclops awakened, started his fire and milkedhis flocks. Then he seized two others of my men and made ready forhis midday meal. After that he rolled away the great stone and drovehis flocks out of the cave.’

‘I had pondered on a way of escape, and I had thought of somethingthat might be done to baffle the Cyclops. I had with me a greatcontainer of sweet wine, and I thought that if I could make him drunkwith wine my companions and I might be able to escape from him.But there were other preparations to be made first. On the floor of thecave there was a great piece of wood which the Cyclops had cut tomake a club when the wood was ready. It was still green. Mycompanions and I went and cut off a length of the wood, andsharpened it to a point and took it to the fire and hardened it in theglow. Then I hid the wood in a corner of the cave.’

‘The Cyclops came back in the evening, and opening up the cavedrove in his flocks. Then he closed the cave again with the stone andwent and milked his ewes and his goats. Again he seized two of mycompanions. I went to the terrible creature with a bowl of wine in myhands. He took it and drank it and cried out, “Give me another bowl ofthis, and tell me your name so that I can give you gifts for bringingme this honey tasting drink.”‘

‘Again I spoke to him cunningly saying, “Noman is my name. My

father and my mother call me Noman.”‘

‘”Give me more of the drink, Noman,” he shouted. “The gift that Ishall give you is that I shall make you the last of your fellows to beeaten.”‘

‘I gave him wine again, and when he had taken the third bowl he sankbackwards with his face upturned, and fell asleep. Then I, with fourcompanions, took that wood, now made into a hard and pointed stake,and thrust it into the ashes of the fire. When the pointed end began toglow we drew it out of the flame. Then my companions and I tookhold of the great stake and, rushing at the Cyclops, thrust it into hiseye. He raised a terrible cry that made the rocks ring and we ran awayinto the corners of the cave.’

His cries brought other Cyclôpes to the mouth of the cave, and they,calling him Polyphemus, asked him what made him cry out.“Noman,” he shrieked out, “Noman is killing me by cunning.” Theyanswered him saying, “If no man is killing you, there is nothing wecan do for you, Polyphemus. What troubles you has been sent to youby the gods.” Saying this, they went away from the mouth of the cavewithout attempting to move away the stone.’

‘Polyphemus then, groaning with pain, rolled away the stone and satin front of the mouth of the cave with his hands outstretched, thinkingthat he would catch us as we rushed out. I showed my companionshow we could get past him. I grabbed certain rams of the flock andtied three of them together. Then on the middle ram I put a man of mycompany. Thus every three rams carried a man. As soon as dawn hadcome the rams hurried out to the pasture, and, as they passed,Polyphemus put his hands on the first and the third of each three thatwent by. They passed out and Polyphemus did not guess that a ramthat he did not touch carried out a man.’

‘For myself, I took a ram that was the strongest and fleeciest of thewhole flock and I placed myself under him, clinging to the wool ofhis belly. As this ram, the best of all his flock, went by, Polyphemus,held him saying, “If only you could speak so that you could tell mewhere Noman, who has blinded me, has hidden himself.” The ramwent by him, and when he had gone a little way from the cave I freedmyself from him and went and set my companions free.’

‘We gathered together many of Polyphemus’ sheep and we drovethem down to our ship. The men we had left behind would have weptwhen they heard what had happened to six of their companions. I toldthem take on board the sheep we had brought and pull the ship awayfrom that land. Then when we had drawn a certain distance from theshore I shouted my taunts into the cave of Polyphemus. “Cyclops,” Icried, “you thought that you had the company of a fool and a weaklingto eat. But you have been defeated by me, and your evil deeds havebeen punished.”‘

‘ Polyphemus came to the mouth of the cave with great anger in hisheart. He took up rocks and hurled them at the ship and they fellaround the ship. The men started to row and pulled the ship away or itwould have been broken by the rocks he threw. When we were furtheraway I shouted to him,’”Cyclops, if anyone should ask who it waswho did this to you, say that he was Odysseus, the son of Laertes.”‘

‘Then I heard Polyphemus cry out, “I call upon Poseidon, the god ofthe sea, whose son I am, to avenge me upon you, Odysseus. I callupon Poseidon to grant that you, Odysseus, may never reach yourhome, or if the gods have ordered your return, that you come to itafter much suffering, and in a stranger’s ship, to find sorrow in yourhome.”‘

‘So Polyphemus prayed, and, unfortunately, Poseidon heard his

prayer. But we went on in our ship rejoicing at our escape. We cameto the deserted island where my other ships were. All the companyrejoiced to see us, although they had to mourn for their sixcompanions who were killed by Polyphemus. We divided amongst theships the sheep we had taken from Polyphemus’ flock and wesacrificed to the gods. At the dawn of the next day we raised the sailson each ship and we sailed away.’

2.V ODYSSEUS MEETS CIRCE

We reached the Island where Æolus, the Lord of the Winds, who cangive mariners a good or a bad wind, lives. With his six sons and hissix daughters Æolus lives on a floating island that has all around it awall of bronze. When we reached his island, the Lord of the Windstreated us kindly and kept us at his home for a month. When the timecame for us to leave, Æolus did not try to hold us on the island. Andwhen I was going down to the ships, he gave me a bag made from thehide of an ox, and in that bag were all the winds that blow. He tied themouth of the bag with a silver thong, so that no wind that might driveus from our course could escape. Then he sent the West Wind to blowon our sails so that we could reach our own land as quickly as a shipcould go.’

‘For nine days we sailed with the West Wind driving us, and on thetenth day we came in sight of Ithaka, our own land. We saw its coastand the beacon fires on the coast and the people tending the fires.Then I thought that the curse of the Cyclops was in vain and could notharm us. Thinking there was no danger I went to sleep.’

‘Then ,as I slept, the misfortune that I had guarded against fell on me.My men spoke together and said, “There is our native land, and wecome back to it after ten years’ of struggles and suffering, with emptyhands. It is different from Odysseus. He brings gold and silver fromPriam’s treasure-chamber in Troy. And Aeolus has also given him atreasure in an ox hide bag. Let us take something out of that bag whilehe sleeps.”‘

‘So they opened the bag, and all the winds that were in it burst out.Then the winds drove our ship towards the high seas and away fromour land. What became of the other ships I do not know. I awoke

found that we were being driven here and there by the winds. I did notknow whether I should jump into the sea and so end all my troubles,or whether I should endure this terrible misfortune.’

‘The winds brought us back again to the floating Island. We landedand I went to the home of the Lord of the Winds. I sat by his door andhe came out and spoke to me. “What is it now, Odysseus?” said he.“Why have you returned so soon? Didn’t I give you a fair wind to takeyou to your own country, and did I not tie up all the winds that mighttrouble you?”‘

‘”My evil companions,” I said, “have been my downfall. They haveundone all the good that you did for me, King of the Winds. Theyopened the bag and let all the winds fly out. Now help me, LordÆolus, once again.”‘

‘But Æolus said to me, “I cannot help a man such as yourself; a mansurely cursed by the gods. Leave my Island, for I will do nothing foryou.” Then I left his home and made my way down to the ship.’

We sailed away from the Island of Æolus with heavy hearts. Next wecame to the Æean Island, where we met with Circe, the Enchantress.For two days and two nights we were on that island without seeingany sign of people. On the third day I saw smoke rising up from somehearth. I told my men, and it seemed good that some of our companyshould go to see if there people there who might help us. We drewlots to find out who should go, and it fell to the lot of Eurylochus togo with part of the company, while I remained with the other part.’

‘So Eurylochus went with twenty-two men. In the forest glades theycame upon a house built of polished stones. Wild beasts such aswolves and lions roamed all round that house. But these beasts werenot fierce. As Eurylochus and his men went towards the house thelions and wolves fawned on them.’

‘But the men were frightened and stood round the outer gate of thecourt. They heard a voice inside the house singing, and it seemed tothem to be the voice of a woman, singing as she weaved on a loom.The men shouted, and she who had been singing opened the polisheddoors and came out of the house. She was very fair to see. As sheopened the doors of the house she asked the men to come in and theywent into her home.’

‘But Eurylochus stayed outside. He watched the woman and he sawher give food to the men. But he saw that she mixed a drug with whatshe gave them to eat and with the wine she gave them to drink. Nosooner had they eaten the food and drunk the wine than she struckthem with a wand, and the men turned into pigs. Then the womandrove them out of the house and put them in pig-pens and gave themacorns to eat.’

‘ When Eurylochus saw what happened, he ran back through the forestand told me. Then I took my good sword of bronze, and, tellingEurylochus to stay by the ships, I went through the forest and came tothe house of the enchantress. I stood outside and called out. ThenCirce the Enchantress flung wide the shining doors, and called to meto come in. I entered her home and she brought me a chair and put afootstool under my feet. Then she brought me the wine into which shehad put a harmful drug.’

‘As she handed me the cup I drew my sword and sprang at her. Sheshrank back from me and cried out, “Who are you who are able toguess at my enchantments? Certainly, you are Odysseus, who Hermestold me about. Put away your sword and let us two be friends. I willtreat you well in every way.”‘

‘But I said to her, “No, Circe, you must swear to me first that you willnot treat me with cunning.”‘

‘She swore by the gods that she would not treat me with cunning, andI put away my sword. Then the maids of Circe prepared a bath, and Ibathed and rubbed myself with olive oil, and Circe gave me a newclothes. The maids brought out silver tables, and on them set goldenbaskets with bread and meat in them, and others brought cups ofsweet tasting wine. I sat at a silver table but I had no pleasure in thefood in front of me.’

‘When Circe saw me sitting silent and troubled she said, “Why,Odysseus, do you sit so quietly? Do you think there is a drug in thisfood? I have sworn that I will treat you honestly, and I shall keep thatpromise.”‘

‘I said to her, “Circe, Enchantress, what man of good heart could takemeat and drink while his companions are pigs in pig-pens? If youwant me to eat and drink, first let me see my companions in their ownforms.”‘

‘When Circe heard me say this, she went to the pig-pen and said aspell. As she did, the bristles dropped away and the men werereturned. My companions became men again, and were even tallerand handsomer than they had been before.’

‘After that we lived on Circe’s island in friendship with theenchantress. We feasted in her house for a year.’

‘But in all of us there was a longing to return to our own land. Mymen came to me and asked that I ask Circe to let us go on our wayhome. She allowed us to go and she told us of the many dangers wewould meet on our voyage.’

2.VI SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS

When the sun went down, my men went to lie by the ship. ThenCirce the Enchantress took my hand, and, making me sit down by her,told me of the voyage that was ahead of us.’

‘” You will first come to the Sirens,” she said,” who sit in their fieldof flowers and bewitch all men who come near them. Anyone whocomes near the Sirens and hears the sound of their voices will neveragain see their wife or child, or have a happy home coming. All roundwhere the Sirens sit are great heaps of bones of men. But I will tellyou, Odysseus, how you can pass them.”‘

‘”When you come near put wax over the ears of your company toprevent any of them hearing the Sirens’ song. But if you want to hear,get your company to tie your hands and feet to the mast. And if youbeg them to release you, then must they tie you tighter. When yourcompanions have sailed the ship past where the Sirens sing then youcan be untied.”‘

‘”Past where the Sirens sit there is a dangerous place indeed. On oneside there are great rocks which the gods call the Wandering Rocks.No ship that goes that way ever escapes. And round these rocks theplanks of ships and the bodies of men are tossed by waves of the seaand storms of fire. Only one ship ever passed that way, Jason’s ship,the Argo, and that ship would have been broken on the rocks if Herathe goddess had not helped it to pass, because of her love for the heroJason.”‘

‘”On the other side of the Wandering Rocks are two cliffs which youwill have to take your ship through. One cliff is smooth and sheer andgoes up to the clouds of heaven. In the middle of it there is a cave,and that cave is the den of a monster named Scylla. This monster has

six necks and on each neck there is a hideous head. She holds herheads over the gulf, looking for prey and yelping horribly. No shiphas ever passed that way without Scylla seizing and carrying off ineach mouth of her six heads the body of a man.”‘

‘”The other cliff is near. You could shoot an arrow across to it fromScylla’s den. A fig tree grows out of the cliff, and below that fig treeCharybdis has her den. She sits there sucking down the water andspouting it out. You must not go anywhere near it or else nothing cansave you. Keep nearer to Scylla’s than to Charybdis’s rock. It is betterto lose six of your companions than to lose your ship and all yourcompany. Keep near to Scylla’s rock and sail right on.”‘

‘”If you get past the deadly rocks guarded by Scylla and Charybdisyou will come to the Island of Thrinacia. There the Cattle of the Sungraze with immortal nymphs to guard them. If you go to that Island,do no harm to those herds. If you do harm them I foresee your shipand your men will be destroyed, even though you yourself willescape.”‘

‘After Circe told me these things she went back up the island. Then Iwent to the ship and woke my men. They went aboard, and, havingtaken their seats on the benches, struck the water with their oars. Thenthe sails were hoisted and a breeze came and we sailed away from theIsle of Circe, the Enchantress.’

‘I told my companions what Circe had told me about the Sirens intheir field of flowers. I took a great piece of wax and broke it andkneaded it until it was soft. Then I covered the ears of my men, andthey tied me to the mast of the ship. The wind dropped and the seabecame calm as though a god had stilled the waters. My companytook their oars and pulled away. When the ship was near the Sirenssaw us and raised their song.’

‘”Come here, come here, Odysseus,” the Sirens sang, “stop your shipand listen to our song. No one has ever gone this way on his ship untilhe has heard from our own lips the voice sweet as a honey, and hasenjoyed it, and gone on his way a wiser man. We know everything—all the troubles the Greeks had in the war of Troy, and we knoweverything that will happen after. Odysseus, Odysseus, come to ourfield of flowers, and hear the song that we shall sing to you.”‘

‘My heart desperately wanted to listen to the Sirens. I nodded myhead to the company commanding them to untie me, but they boundme tighter, and bent to their oars and rowed on. When we had gonepast the place of the Sirens the men took the wax from off their earsand released me from the mast.’

No sooner had we passed the island than I saw smoke rising and heardthe roaring of the sea. My company threw down their oars in terror. Iwent amongst them to raise their spirits, and I reminded them how, bymy cunning, we had escaped from the Cave of the Cyclops.

I told them nothing about the monster Scylla, in case the fear of hershould break their hearts. Then we began to sail through that narrowstrait. On one side was Scylla and on the other Charybdis. Feargripped the men when they saw Charybdis gulping down the sea. Butas we sailed by, the monster Scylla seized six of my company—thestrongest of the men who were with me. As they were lifted up in themouths of her six heads they called to me in their agony. ‘But I coulddo nothing to help them. They were carried up to be devoured in themonster’s den. Of all the sights I have seen at sea, that sight was themost pitiful.’

‘Having passed the rocks of Scylla and Charybdis we came to theIsland of Thrinacia. While we were still on the ship I heard the lowingof the Cattle of the Sun. I spoke to my company and told them that we

should sail past that Island and not go on it.’

‘The hearts of my men were greatly disappointed at hearing that andEurylochus answered me, speaking sadly.’

‘”It is easy for you, Odysseus, to speak like that, for you are neverweary, and you have strength beyond measure. But is your heart, too,of iron so that you will not allow your companions to set foot onshore where they may rest themselves from the sea and prepare theirsupper at their ease?”‘

‘ Eurylochus spoke and the rest of the company agreed with what hesaid. Their force was greater than mine. Then said I, “Swear to me amighty oath, one and all of you, that if we go on this Island none ofyou will kill the cattle out of any herd.”‘

‘They swore the oath that I gave them. We brought our ship to aharbour, and landed near a spring of fresh water, and the men got theirsupper ready. Having eaten their supper they began weeping becausethey thought about their companions that Scylla had devoured. Thenthey slept.’

‘The dawn came, but we found that we could not take our ship out ofthe harbour, for the North Wind and the East Wind blew a hurricane.So we stayed on the Island and the days and the weeks went by. Whenthe corn we had brought in the ship was all eaten the men wentthrough the island fishing and hunting. However they couldn’t findenough food.’

‘One day while I slept, Eurylochus gave the men some evil advice.“Every death,” he said, “is hateful to man, but death by hunger is farthe worst. Rather than die of hunger let us kill the best cattle from theherds of the Sun. Then, if the gods wreck us on the sea for that, letthem do it. I would rather perish on the waves than die of hunger.”‘

‘The rest of the men approved of what he said. They slaughtered themand roasted their flesh. It was then that I awoke. As I came down tothe ship the smell of the roasting flesh came to me. Then I knew that aterrible act had been committed and that a dreadful thing wouldhappen to all of us.’

‘For six days my company feasted on the best of the cattle. On theseventh day the winds stopped blowing. Then we went to the ship andset up the mast and the sails and left the island.’

‘But, having left that island, no other land appeared, and only sky andsea were to be seen. A cloud always stayed above our ship andbeneath that cloud the sea was darkened. The West Wind came in arush, and the mast broke, and, in breaking, struck off the head of thepilot, and he fell straight down into the sea. A thunderbolt struck theship and the men were swept from the deck. I never saw one of themagain.’

‘The West Wind stopped blowing but the South Wind came and itdrove the ship back on its course. It rushed towards the terrible rocksof Scylla and Charybdis. All night long I was carried on, and, at dawnI found myself near Charybdis. My ship was sucked down. But Icaught the branches of the fig tree that grew out of the rock and hungto it. There I stayed until the timbers of my ship were thrown up againby Charybdis. I dropped down on them. Sitting on the boards I rowedwith my hands and passed the rock of Scylla without the monsterseeing me.’

‘Then for nine days I was carried along by the waves, and on the tenthday I came to Ogygia where the nymph Calypso lives. She took me toher home and treated me kindly.

2.VII ODYSSEUS REACHES ITHAKA

Odysseus finished, and everyone in the hall sat silent, like menenchanted. Then King Alcinous spoke and said, ‘Never, as far as wePhæacians are concerned, will you, Odysseus, be driven further fromyour home. Tomorrow we will give you a ship and and crew, and wewill land you in Ithaka, your own country.’ The Princes, Captains andCouncillors, marvelling that they had met the renowned Odysseus,went home. At dawn, each carried gifts down to the ship on whichOdysseus was to sail.

When the sun had nearly set they all came back to the King’s hall tosay farewell to him. The King poured out a great bowl of wine as anoffering to the gods. Then Odysseus stood up and placed in theQueen’s hands a two-handled cup, and said, ‘Farewell to you, OhQueen! May you long rejoice in your house and your children, and inyour husband, Alcinous, the renowned King.’

He left the King’s house, and went down to the ship. He went aboardand lay down on the deck on a sheet and rug that had been spread forhim. Straightway the mariners took to their oars, and hoisted theirsails, and the ship sped away. Odysseus slept. The ship sped on,carrying that man who had suffered so much sorrow in passingthrough wars of men and through troubled seas—the ship sped on, andhe slept, and forget all he had passed through.

When the dawn came the ship was near to the Island of Ithaka. Themariners sailed to a harbour near which there was a great cave. Theyran the ship ashore and lifted out Odysseus, wrapped in the sheet andthe rugs, and still sleeping. They left him on the sandy shore of hisown land. Then they took the gifts which the King and Queen, thePrinces, Captains and Councillors of the Phæacians had given him,

and they set them by an olive tree, a little apart from the road, so thatno wandering person might come upon them before Odysseus hadawakened. Then they went back to their ship and departed from Ithakafor their own land.

Odysseus awakened on the beach of his own land. A mist lay overeverything, and he did not know what land he had come to. Hethought that the Phæacians had left him on a strange shore. As helooked around him in his bewilderment he saw someone who lookedlike a King’s son approaching.

The person who came near him was not a young man, but the goddess,Pallas Athene, who had made herself look like a young man.Odysseus stood, and asked her where he was. The goddess answeredhim and said, ‘This is Ithaka, a land good for goats and cattle, a landof woods and wells,’

Even as she spoke she changed from the semblance of a young maninto a tall and fair woman. ‘Don’t you know me, Pallas Athene, thedaughter of Zeus, who has always helped you?’ the goddess said. ‘Iwould have helped you more but I did not want to go openly againstmy brother, Poseidon, the god of the sea, whose son, Polyphemus, youblinded.’

As the goddess spoke the mist that lay on the land lifted and Odysseussaw that he was indeed in Ithaka, his own country—he knew theharbour and the cave, and the hill Neriton all covered with its forest.He knelt down on the ground and kissed the earth of his country.

Then the goddess helped him to put his gifts inside the cave—the goldand the bronze and the woven garments that the Phæacians had givenhim. She made him sit beside her under the olive tree while she toldhim what was happening in his house.

‘There is trouble in your home, Odysseus,’ she said, ‘and it would bebetter for you not to make yourself known for a while. Harden thyheart, so that you can endure for a while longer ill treatment at thehands of men.’ She told him about the suitors of his wife, who filledhis halls all day, and wasted his wealth, and who would kill him, sothat he could not punish them for their insolence. ‘So that whathappened to Agamemnon does not happen to you—your death in yourown home—I will change your appearance so that no one will knowyou,’ the goddess said.

Then she made a change in his appearance that would have been evilbut it was to last for a while only. She made his skin wither, and shedimmed his shining eyes. She made his yellow hair grey. Then shechanged his clothes to a beggar’s rags, torn and stained with smoke.Over his shoulder she placed the hide of a deer, and she put into hishands a beggar’s staff, with a tattered bag and a cord to hang it by.And when she had made this change in his appearance the goddessleft Odysseus and Ithaka.

Then she came to Telemachus in Sparta and advised him to leave thehouse of Menelaus and Helen and so he went with Peisistratus, theson of Nestor, and came to his own ship. A man named Telemachus,who was fleeing for his life ,sought refuge on his ship. He was aoracle and could see the future.

Telemachus, returning to Ithaka, was in peril of his life. The suitors ofhis mother had discovered that he left Ithaka in a ship. Two of thesuitors, Antinous and Eurymachus, were greatly angered at the daringact of the youth. ‘He has gone to Sparta for help,’ Antinous said, ‘andif he finds that there are those who will help him we will not be ableto stand against his pride. He will make us suffer for what we havedone in his house. But let us too act. I will take a ship with twentymen, and lie in wait for him in a strait between Ithaka and Samos, and

put an end to his search for his father.’

Then Antinous took twenty men to a ship, and fixing mast and sailsthey went over the sea. There is a little isle between Ithaka and Samos—Asteris it is called—and he and his men lay in wait for Telemachusin the harbour of that isle.

2.VIII EUMÆUS

Near where Odysseus had landed there lived an old man who was afaithful servant in his house. His name was Eumæus and he was aswineherd. He had made for himself a home in the wildest part of theisland, and had built a wall round it, and had made pens for the swinein the courtyard—twelve pens, and in each pen there were fifty swine.Old Eumæus lived in this place tending the swine with three youngmen to help him. The swine-pens were guarded by four dogs that wereas fierce as the beasts of the forest.

As he came near the dogs rushed at him, snarling and snapping andOdysseus might have been hurt if the swineherd had not run out of thecourtyard and driven the fierce dogs away. Seeing someone wholooked an elderly beggar, Eumæus said, ‘Old man, it is good that mydogs did not bite you, for they might have brought on me the shameof your death. I have grief and pains enough, the gods know, withoutsuch a tragedy. Here I sit, mourning for my noble master, andfattening hogs for others to eat, while he, perhaps, is wandering inhunger through some friendless city. But come in, old man. I havebread and wine to give you.’

The swineherd led the beggar into the courtyard, and he let him sitdown on a heap of brushwood, and spread for him a shaggy goat-skin.Odysseus was glad of his servant’s welcome, and he said, ‘May Zeusand all the other gods grant you your heart’s dearest wish for thewelcome that you have given to me.’

Eumæus the swineherd said, ‘A good man looks on all strangers andbeggars as being from Zeus himself. And my heart’s dearest wish isthat my master Odysseus should return. Ah, if Odysseus were here, hewould give me something which I could hold as my own—a piece of

ground to till, and a wife to comfort me. But my master will notreturn, and we peasants must go in fear when young lords come torule over them.’

He went to the swine-pens and brought out two suckling pigs. Heslaughtered them and roasted the meat. When it was all cooked, hebrought portions to Odysseus sprinkled with barley, and he broughthim wine in a deep bowl of ivy wood. When Odysseus had eaten anddrunken, Eumæus the swineherd said to him, As for Odysseus, nomatter what wanderers or vagrants say, he will never return—dogs, orwild birds, or the fishes of the deep have devoured his body already.Never again shall I find so good a lord, nor would I find one so kindeven if I were back in my own land, and saw the faces of my fatherand my mother.’

Odysseus said, ‘You say that your master will never return, but Inotice that you are slow to believe your own words. Now I tell youthat Odysseus will return and in this same year. And as sure as the oldmoon wanes and the young moon is born, he will take vengeance onthose whom you have spoken of—those who eat his food anddishonour his wife and son. I say that, and I swear it with an oath.’

‘I pay no attention to your oath,’ said Eumæus the swineherd. ‘I donot listen to vagrant’s tales about my master since a stranger camehere and cheated us with a story. He told us that he had seen Odysseusin the land of the Cretans, in the house of the hero Idomeneus,mending his ships that had been broken by the storm, and that hewould be here by summer or by harvest time, bringing with him muchwealth.’

As they were speaking the younger swineherds came back from thewoods, bringing the swine into the courtyard. There was a mighty dinwhilst the swine were being put into their pens. Supper time came,

and Eumæus and Odysseus and the younger swineherds sat down to ameal. Eumæus carved the meat, giving the best portion to Odysseuswhom he treated as the guest of honour. Odysseus said, ‘Eumæus,surely you are advised by Zeus, seeing that you give the best of themeat to somebody like me.’

Eumæus, thinking Odysseus was praising him for treating a strangerkindly, said, ‘Eat, stranger, and be happy.’

The night was cold with rain. Then Odysseus, to test the kindliness ofthe swineherd, said, ‘I wish I were young and could endure this bitternight! I wish I were better off! If only one of you swineherds wouldgive me a wrap to cover myself from the wind and rain! But now,truly, I am an outcast because of my sorry rags.’

Then Eumæus sprang up and made a bed for Odysseus near the fire.Odysseus lay down, and the swineherd covered him with a robe hekept for a covering when great storms came. Then, so that he couldbetter guard the swine, Eumæus, wrapped himself up in a cloak, andtook with him a sword and javelin, to drive off wild beasts shouldthey come near, went to lie nearer to the pens.

When morning came, Odysseus said, ‘I am going to the town to beg,so that I need take nothing more from you. Send someone with me tobe a guide. I will go to the house of Odysseus, and see if I can earn alittle from the suitors who are there. I could serve them well if theywould take me on. There could be no better serving-man than I, whenit comes to chopping wood, and kindling a fire and carving meat.’

‘No, no,’ said Eumæus, ‘do not go there, stranger. You are welcometo stay here. Stay until the son of Odysseus, Telemachus, returns, andhe will do something for you. Do not go near the suitors. They wouldnot let someone like you serve them. Stay with us.’

Odysseus did not go to the town but stayed all day with Eumæus. Andat night, when he and Eumæus and the younger swineherds wereseated at the fire, Odysseus said, ‘You, too, Eumæus, have wanderedfar and had many sorrows. Tell us how you came to be a slave and aswineherd,’

THE STORY OF EUMÆUS THESWINEHERD

There is,’ said Eumæus, ‘a certain island near Ortygia. That island hastwo cities, and my father was king over them both. A ship withmerchants from the land of the Phœnicians came to the city where myfather lived. I was a child then, and there was in my father’s house aPhœnician slave-woman who nursed me. Once, when she was washingclothes, one of the sailors from the Phœnician ship spoke to her andasked her if she would like to go back with them to their own land.’

‘She spoke to that sailor and told him her story. “I am from Sidon inthe Phœnician land,” she said, “and my father was named Artybas,and was famous for his riches. Sea robbers caught me one day as Iwas crossing the fields, and they took me away, and brought me here,and sold me to the master of this house.”‘

‘Then the sailor said to her, “Your father and mother are still alive, Iknow, and they have lost none of their wealth. Why don’t you comewith us and see them again?”‘

‘Then the woman made the sailors swear that they would bring hersafely to the city of Sidon. She told them that when their ship wasready she would come down to it, and that she would bring what goldshe could steal from her master’s house, and that she would also bringthe child whom she nursed. “He is a wise child,” she said, “and you

can sell him for a slave when you come to a foreign land.”‘

‘When the Phœnician ship was ready to depart they sent a message tothe woman. The sailor who brought the message brought too a chainof gold with amber beads strung here and there, for my mother to buy.While my mother and her maids were handling the chain, the sailornodded to the woman, and she went out, taking with her three bags ofgold, and leading me by the hand,’

‘The sun sank and all the roads were dark. But the Phœnician womanwent down to the harbour and came to the ship and went aboard it.When the sailor who had gone to my father’s house came back, theyraised the mast and sails, and took the oars in their hands, and drewthe ship away from our land. We sailed away. For six days we sailedover the sea, and on the seventh day the woman died and her body wasthrown into the sea. The wind and the waves carried us to Ithaka, andthere the merchants sold me to Laertes, the father of Odysseus.’

‘The wife of Laertes treated me kindly, and I grew up with theyoungest of her daughters, the lovely Ctimene. But Ctimene went toSame, and was married to one of the princes of that island.Afterwards Laertes’ lady sent me to work in the fields. But she alwaystreated me kindly. Now Laertes’ lady is dead, she wasted away fromgrief when she heard no news of her only son, Odysseus. Laertes stilllives, but since the death of his noble wife he never leaves his house.All day he sits by his fire, they say, and thinks about his son’s doom,and how his son’s wealth is being wasted, and how his son’s son willhave little to inherit.’

So Odysseus passed part of the night with Eumæus telling him of hiswanderings and his sorrows. While they were speaking, Telemachus,the son of Odysseus, came to Ithaka in his good ship. Antinous hadwaited for him, and had posted sentinels to watch for his

ship.Nevertheless Telemachus had passed by without being seen byhis enemies. And having come to Ithaka, he told one of hiscompanions to bring the ship into the wharf of the city while hehimself went to another place. Leaving the ship he came to the homeof the servant he most trusted—to the home of Eumæus, theswineherd.

2.IX FATHER AND SON ARE REUNITED

In the morning of his fourth day in Ithaka, as he and the swineherdwere eating a meal together, Odysseus heard the sound of footstepsapproaching the hut. The fierce dogs were outside and he expected tohear them snarling at the stranger’s approach. No sound came fromthem. Then he saw a young man come to the entrance of the courtyardand the swineherd’s dogs were pleased to see him.

When Eumæus saw this young man he dropped the plate he wascarrying, and running to him, kissed his head and his eyes and hishands. While he was kissing and weeping over him, Odysseus heardthe swineherd saying, ‘Telemachus, have you come back to us? Like alight in the darkness you have appeared! I never thought that weshould see you again when I heard that you had taken a ship to Pylos!Come in, dear son; come in, so that I can see you once again in myhouse.’

Odysseus raised his head and looked at his son. But neither theswineherd nor Telemachus were aware of Odysseus’ gaze.

‘I have come to see you, my friend,’ said Telemachus, ‘for before I gointo the City I want to know whether my mother is still in the houseof Odysseus, or whether one of the suitors has at last taken her as awife to his own house.’

‘Your mother is still in your father’s house,’ Eumæus answered. ThenTelemachus came into the courtyard. Odysseus in the guise of the oldbeggar rose from his seat, but the young man said to him courteously:‘Be seated, friend. Another seat can be found for me.’

Telemachus seated himself. Next Eumæus fetched a meal for him—oaten cakes and meat and wine. While they were eating, the

swineherd said,’We have here a stranger who has wandered throughmany countries, and who has come to my house as a guest. Can youfind a job for him, Telemachus?’

Telemachus said, ‘How can I support any man? I have not the strengthto defend my own house. But I will do what I can for this stranger. Iwill give him clothes, shoes and a sword to defend himself, and I willsend him on whatever way he wants to go. But, Eumæus, I would notlet him go near my father’s house. The suitors grow more insolenteach day, and they might mock the stranger if he went amongst them.’

Then Odysseus said, speaking for the first time, ‘Young sir, what youhave said seems strange to me. Do you willingly accept insolence inyour own father’s house? But perhaps the people of the City hate youand will not help you against your enemies. Ah, if I had such youth asI have spirit, or if I were the son of Odysseus, I should go to them thisvery day, and make myself the curse of each of them. I would ratherdie in my own halls than see such shame—strangers mocked at, andservants injured, and wine and food wasted.’

Telemachus said, ‘The people of the City do not hate me, and theywould help me if they could. But the suitors of my mother arepowerful men—men to make the City people afraid. If I opposedthem I would certainly be killed in my father’s house, for how could Ihope to overcome so many?’

‘What do you want me to do for you, Telemachus?’ said theswineherd.

‘I want you to go to my mother, friend Eumæus,’ Telemachus said,‘and let her know that I have safely returned from Pylos.’

Eumæus at once put sandals upon his feet and took his staff in hishands. He begged Telemachus to rest himself in the hut, and then he

left the courtyard and went towards the City.

Telemachus lay down on his seat and closed his eyes in weariness. Hesaw, while thinking that he only dreamt it, a woman come to the gateof the courtyard. She was fair and tall and splendid, and the dogsshrank away from her presence with a whine. She touched the beggarwith a golden wand. As she did, the marks of age fell from him andthe man stood up tall and noble looking.

‘Who are you?’ cried Telemachus, starting up. ‘Even a moment agoyou looked old and a beggar! Now you look like a leader of men! Areyou one of the gods?’

Odysseus looked at him and said. I am Odysseus, your father. Aftermuch suffering and much wandering I have come to my own country.’He kissed his son with tears flowing down his cheeks, andTelemachus threw his arms around his father’s neck, but scarcelybelieving that the father he had searched for was indeed before him.

But no doubt was left as Odysseus talked to him, and told him how hehad come to Ithaka on a ship given to him by the Phæacians, and howhe had brought with him gifts of bronze and robes that were hidden inthe cave, and told him, too, how Pallas Athene had changed hisappearance into that of an old beggar.

When his own story was finished he said, ‘Come, my son, tell meabout the suitors who waste the wealth of our house—tell me howmany they are, and who they are, so that we may prepare a way ofdealing with them.’

‘Even though you are a great warrior, my father, you and I cannothope to deal with them. They have come, not from Ithaka alone, butfrom all the islands around—from Dulichium and Same andZacynthus. We two cannot deal with such a crowd.’

Odysseus said, ‘I shall make a plan to deal with them. Go home, andstay with the suitors. Later in the day the swineherd will lead me intothe city, and I shall go into the house in the likeness of an old beggar.If you should see any of the suitors ill-treat me, harden your heart toendure it—even if they drag me by the feet to the door of the house,keep quiet. And let no one—not even your mother, Penelope, nor myfather Laertes, know that Odysseus has returned.’

Telemachus said, ‘My father, you will soon learn what spirit is in meand what wisdom I have.’

While they talked together the ship that Antinous had taken, when hewent to lie in wait for Telemachus, returned. The suitors assembledand debated whether they should kill Telemachus, for now there wasdanger that he would draw the people to his side, and so make up aforce that could drive the suitors out of Ithaka. But they did not agreeto kill him then, for there was one amongst them who was against theidea.

Eumæus brought the news to Telemachus and Odysseus of the returnof Antinous’ ship. He came back to the hut in the afternoon. PallasAthene had again given Odysseus the appearance of an elderly beggarand the swineherd saw no change in his guest.

2.X A BEGGAR IN HIS OWN HOME

It was time for Telemachus to go into the City. He put his sandals onhis feet, and took his spear in his hand, and then speaking to theswineherd he said, ‘Friend Eumæus, I am now going into the City tosee my mother, and to let her hear from my own lips the tale of myjourney. There is something I want you to do for me. Take thisstranger into the City, so that he can go about as he desires, askingalms from the people.’

Odysseus in the guise of a beggar said, ‘I thank you lord Telemachus.I would not stay here, for I am too old to wait about a hut andcourtyard, obeying the orders of a master, even if that master is asgood a man as your swineherd. Go on your way, lord Telemachus, andEumæus will lead me into the City.’

Telemachus ,then left and went into the City. When he went into thehouse, the first person he saw was his nurse, old Eurycleia, whowelcomed him with joy. He told Eurycleia about the guest namedTheoclymenus who had come on his ship. He told her that this guestwould be in the house that day, and that he was to be treated with allhonour and respect. The suitors came into the hall and crowdedaround him, with fair words in their mouths. Then they all sat down attables, and Eurycleia brought wheaten bread and wine.

At that time Odysseus and Eumæus were journeying towards the City.Odysseus, in the guise of a beggar, had a ragged bag over hisshoulders and he carried a staff that the swineherd had given him tohelp him over the slippery ground. They went by a rugged path andthey came to a place where a spring flowed into a basin made for itswater, and where there was an altar to the Nymphs, at which menmade offerings.

As Eumæus and Odysseus were resting at the spring, a servant fromOdysseus’ house came along. He was a goatherd, and Melanthius washis name. He was leading a flock of goats for the suitors to kill, andwhen he saw the swineherd with the beggar he cried out,’Now we seethe vile leading the vile. Say, swineherd, where are you leading thiswretch? It is easy to see the sort of fellow he is! He is the sort to gobegging for scraps. He is good for nothing else. But if you give him tome, swineherd, I would make him watch my fields, and sweep out mystalls, and carry fresh water to the goats. I would feed him. But afellow like this doesn’t want an honest job—he wants to loungethrough the country, filling his belly, without doing anything for thepeople who feed him. If he goes to the house of Odysseus, I pray thathe be chased from the door.’

He said all this as he came up to them with his flock of goats. And ashe went by he gave Odysseus a kick.

Odysseus considered whether he should strike the fellow with hisstaff or throw him to the ground. But in the end he hardened his heartto endure the insult, and let the goatherd go on his way. But turning tothe altar that was by the spring, he prayed,’Nymphs of the Well! Ifever Odysseus made offerings to you, fulfil for me this wish—that he—even Odysseus—may come to his own home, and have power topunish the insolence that is in his house.’

They journeyed on, and when they came near they heard the sound ofthe lyre coming from the house. The suitors were now feasting, andPhemius the minstrel was singing to them. When Odysseus came infront of his own house, he caught the swineherd by the hand suddenlyand with a hard grip, and he said,’ Now, I who have wandered in manylands and have walked in pain through many cities have come at lastto the house of Odysseus. There it is, standing as of old, with buildingbeyond building, with its walls and its battlements, its courts and its

doors. The house of Odysseus! Unwelcome men are entertained in it,and the smoke of their feast rises up and the sound of the lyre is heardplaying for them.’

Eumæus said, ‘What do you want me to do for you friend? Shall Itake you into the hall and before the company of suitors, while Iremain here, or do you want me to go in before you?’

‘I want you to go in before me,’ Odysseus said.

As they went through the courtyard a thing happened that broughttears to Odysseus’ eyes. A hound lay in the dirt of the yard, a houndthat was very old. He lay in the dirt uncared for, old and feeble. Buthe had been a famous hound, and Odysseus himself had trained himbefore he went to the wars of Troy. Argos was his name. Now asOdysseus came near, the hound Argos recognized him, and stood upand whined and dropped his ears, but had no strength to go to him.Odysseus knew the hound and stopped and gazed at him. ‘That is agood hound,’ he said to Eumæus, ‘once, I think, he was so swift thatno beast in the forest could flee from him.’ Then he went on, and thehound Argos lay down in the dirt of the yard, and that same daypassed away.

Behind Eumæus, the swineherd, he came into his own hall, in theappearance of a beggar, wretchedly clad and leaning on an old man’sstaff. Odysseus looked at the young lords who wooed his wife, andthen he sat down at the door and went no further into the hall.

Telemachus was there. Seeing Eumæus he called to him and gave theswineherd bread and meat, and said, ‘Take these, and give them to thestranger at the doorway, and tell him that he can go amongst thecompany and beg alms from each.’

Odysseus ate while the minstrel was finishing his song. When it was

finished he rose up, and went into the hall, begging alms from each ofthe suitors.

Seeing him, Antinous, the most insolent of the wooers, cried out,‘Swineherd, why did you bring this fellow here? Don’t we haveenough vagabonds? Doesn’t it matter to you that worthless fellowscome here and devour your master’s food?’

Hearing Antinous say this, Telemachus had to say, ‘Antinous, do youwant me to drive a stranger from the door? The gods forbid that Ishould do such a thing. No, Antinous. Give the stranger something forthe sake of the house.’

‘If everyone here gives him as much as me, he will have something tokeep him from begging for three months,’ said Antinous, meaning bythat that he would do something to hurt the beggar.

Odysseus came to him. ‘They say that you are the noblest of all thesuitors,’ he said, ‘and for that reason you should give me somethingbetter than any of the others have given me. Look at me. I too had ahouse of my own, and was wealthy, and I had servants to wait on me.Many a time would I welcome a wanderer and give him somethingfrom my store.’

‘Stand far away from my table, you wretched fellow,’ said Antinous.

Then Odysseus said, ‘You have beauty, lord Antinous, but you do nothave wisdom. You won’t give a grain of salt out of your own house toa beggar. And even while you sit at another man’s table you do notfind it in your heart to give something out of the plenty that is beforeyou.’

Antinous became terribly angry. He picked up a footstool, and with ithe struck Odysseus in the back, at the base of the right shoulder. Such

a blow would have knocked another man over, but Odysseus stoodsteadfast under it. He gave one look at Antinous, and then without aword he went over and sat down again at the door.

Telemachus had in his heart a mighty rage because of what had beendone to his father. But he let no tear fall from his eyes and he sat verystill. Odysseus, after a while, lifted his head and spoke, ‘Suitors of therenowned queen,’ he said, ‘hear what the spirit within me tells me tosay to you. There is neither pain nor shame in the blow that a manmay get in battle. But in the blow that Antinous has given me—ablow aimed at a beggar—there is pain and there is shame. And now Icall upon that god who is the avenger of the insult to the poor, tobring, not a wedding to Antinous, but death.’

‘Sit there and eat your food quietly,’ Antinous called out, ‘or else youwill be dragged through the house by your heels, and the flesh will bestripped off your bones,’

The lady Penelope had come into the hall. Hearing that a stranger wasthere, she sent for Eumæus and told the swineherd to bring him to her,so that she might question him as to what he had heard aboutOdysseus. Eumæus came and told him of Penelope’s request. ButOdysseus said, ‘Eumæus, I am willing to tell the truth about Odysseusto the fair and wise Penelope. But now I cannot speak to her. Go toher and tell her that when the suitors have gone I will speak to her.And ask her to give me a seat near the fire, so that I may sit and warmmyself as I speak, for the clothes I wear are uncomfortable.’

As Eumæus gave the message to the lady Penelope, Theoclymenus,the guest who had come in Telemachus’ ship, said, ‘Oh wife of therenowned Odysseus, be sure that your lord will return to his house. AsI came here on the ship of Telemachus, your son, I saw somethingthat is an omen of the return of Odysseus. A hawk flew out on the

right,. In his talons he held a dove, and plucked her and shed thefeathers down on the ship. By that omen I know that the lord of thishigh house will return, and destroy those here in his anger.’

Penelope left the hall and went back to her own room. Next Eumæuswent away to look after his swine. But still the suitors continued tofeast, and still Odysseus sat in the guise of a beggar at the door of hisown house.

2.XI ODYSSEUS MEETS PENELOPE

There was in Ithaka a most greedy beggar nicknamed Irush becausehe used to run errands for the servants of Odysseus’ house. He camein the evening, and seeing a beggar seated at the door, he flew into arage and shouted at him.

‘Get away from here, old man, or else you will be dragged away bythe hand or foot. The lords inside the house are giving me the sign tothrow you out. Get up now and go before I lose my temper.’

Odysseus looked at the fellow and said, ‘I have not harmed you in anyway, and I am not jealous of anything that you may get in this house.The place I sit on is wide enough for two of us.’

‘What words this fellow has!’ said Irus the beggar. ‘I won’t waste anymore words on him. Get up now, and prepare for the fight, for I’mgoing to show all the lords that I can keep the door for them.’

‘Do not provoke me,’ said Odysseus. ‘Old as I seem, I may be able tobeat you.’

But Irush kept on shouting, ‘I’ll knock the teeth out of your jaws.’‘I’ll trounce you.’ Antinous, the most insolent of the suitors, saw thesquabble, and he laughed to see the pair arguing. ‘Friends,’ he said,‘the gods are good to us, and don’t fail to send us entertainment Thebeggar and our own Irush are threatening each other. Let us see thatthey don’t draw back from the fight. Let us match one against theother.’

All the suitors went to the doorway and stood round the ragged men.Antinous thought of something to make the game more amusing.‘There are two great pies in the kitchen,’ he said. ‘Let us offer them

as a prize to these fighters. Come, Irush. Come, stranger. A choice ofpuddings for whichever of you wins the match. Whoever wins will beallowed to eat every day in this hall, and no other beggar shall be letnear the house. Let’s begin now, you mighty men.’ All the suitorscrowded round and clapped the men on to the fight.

Odysseus said, ‘Friends, an old man like me cannot fight someonewho is younger and stronger.’

But they cried to him, ‘Go on, go on. Get into the fight or else we willbeat you.’

Odysseus tied up his rags. When his great arms and shoulders andthighs were seen, the suitors were amazed and Irush was frightened.He would have slipped away if Antinous had not caught him and saidto him, ‘You coward, you! If you do not stand up before this man Iwill have you thrown on my ship and sent over to King Echetus, whowill cut off your nose and ears and give your flesh to his dogs to eat,’He took hold of Irush and dragged him into the ring.

The fighters faced each other. But Odysseus stood for long withoutstriking, for he was pondering whether he should strike Irush a hard ora light blow. It seemed to him better to strike him lightly, so that hisstrength should not be noticed by the suitors and wondered at. Irusstruck first. He struck Odysseus on the shoulder. Then Odysseusaimed a blow at his neck, just below the ear, and the beggar fell to theground, with the blood gushing from his mouth and nose.

The suitors were not sorry for Irush. They laughed until they wereready to fall backwards. Then Odysseus seized Irush by the feet, anddragged him out of the house, and to the gate of the courtyard. Helifted him up and put him standing against the wall. Placing the staffin the beggar’s hands, he said, ‘Sit there, and scare off the dogs andswine. A worse thing might have happened to you you.’

Then he went back to the hall, with his beggar’s bag on his shoulderand his clothes more ragged than ever. When the suitors saw him theyburst into peals of laughter and shouted out,’May Zeus, Oh stranger,give you your dearest wish and your heart’s desire. You will only be abeggar in Ithaka.’ They laughed and laughed again when Antinousbrought out the great pudding that was the prize. Odysseus took itfrom him. And another of the suitors toasted him in a golden cup,saying, ‘May you come to your own, Oh beggar, and may happinessbe yours in time to come.’

While these things were happening, the wife of Odysseus, the ladyPenelope, called to Eurycleia, and said, ‘This evening I will go intothe hall of our house and speak to my son, Telemachus. Tell my twomaids to get ready to come with me, for I am afraid of going amongstthe suitors alone.’

Eurycleia went to tell the maids and Penelope washed off her cheeksthe traces of the tears that she had wept that day. Then she sat down towait for the maids to come to her. As she waited she fell into a deepsleep. As she slept, the goddess Pallas Athene bathed her face in theWater of Beauty and took all weariness away from her body, andrestored all her youthfulness to her. The sound of the handmaidens’voices as they came in awakened her, and Penelope rose up to go intothe hall.

Now when she came amongst them with her two maids, one standingeach side of her, the wooers were amazed, for they had never seenanyone so beautiful. The hearts of all were enchanted with love forher, and each prayed that he might have her for his wife.

Penelope did not look on any of the suitors, but she went to her son,Telemachus, and spoke to him.

‘Telemachus,’ she said, ‘I have heard that a stranger has been ill-

treated in this house. How, my child, did you permit such a thing tohappen?’

Telemachus said, ‘My mother, you have no right to be angry aboutwhat took place in this hall.’

So they spoke to one another, mother and son. Now one of the suitorsnamed Eurymachus, spoke to Penelope, saying, ‘Lady, if any othermen could see the beauty that you have now you will have twice asmany suitors by tomorrow.’

‘Do not say such things to me, lord Eurymachus,’ said Penelope, ‘donot speak of my beauty, which departed in the grief I felt when mylord went to the wars of Troy.’

Odysseus stood up, and gazed at his wife who was standing amongsther suitors. Eurymachus noted him and going to him, said, ‘Stranger,would you come to work for me? If you worked on my farm, I wouldgive you food and clothes. But I think you would prefer to go beggingyour way through the country.’

Odysseus, standing there, said to that proud wooer, ‘LordEurymachus, if there was be a contest of labour between us two, Iknow which of us would come out the better man. If we two stoodtogether, a scythe in the hands of each, and a good stretch of meadowto be mown—then I would match you. Or, if we were set ploughingtogether then you would see who would plough the longest and thebest furrow! Or if we two were in the war then you would see whowould be in the front rank of battle. You think yourself a great manbut if Odysseus should return, that door, wide as it is, would be toonarrow for your escape.’

Eurymachus was so angry at this speech that he would have struckOdysseus if Telemachus had not come between them, saying, ‘That

man must not be struck again in this hall. Sirs, if you have finishedfeasting, then the time has come for you to go to your own homes, goin peace I pray you.’

All were astonished that Telemachus should speak so boldly. No oneanswered him back, for they said to each other, ‘What he has said isright. We have nothing to say against it. To misuse a stranger in thehouse of Odysseus is a shame. Now let us pour out an offering of wineto the gods, and then let each man go to his home.’

The wine was poured out and the suitors departed. Then Penelope andher maids went to her own room and Telemachus was left with hisfather, Odysseus.

2.XII ODYSSEUS PREPARES FOR A FIGHT

Odysseus said to Telemachus, ‘My son, we must now get theweapons out of the hall. Take them down from the walls.’ Telemachusand his father took down the helmets and shields and spears. Then, asthey carried them out Odysseus said, ‘Tomorrow, when the suitorsmiss the weapons and say, “Why have they been removed?” answerthem, saying, “The smoke of the fire dulled them, and they no longerlooked like the weapons that my father left behind him when he wentto the wars of Troy. Besides, I am afraid in case some day the guestsin the hall quarrel, with each other, and snatch the weapons in anger.There has already been conflict here. And iron attracts iron, mensay.”‘

Telemachus carried the armour and weapons out of the hall and hidthem in the women’s rooms. Then when the hall was cleared he wentto his own room.

Then Penelope came back to the hall to speak to the stranger. One ofher maids called Melantho, was there, and she was speaking angrily tohim. This Melantho was proud and hard hearted because Antinousoften talked with her and influenced her. As Penelope approached shewas saying, ‘Stranger, are you still here, grabbing things and spyingon the servants? Be thankful for the food you have got and leave.’

Odysseus, looking fiercely at her, said, ‘Why do you speak to me insuch a way? If I go in ragged clothes and beg through the land it isbecause of necessity. Once I had a house with servants and muchwealth, and the stranger who came there was not abused.’

The lady Penelope called to the maid and said, ‘You, Melantho, heardit from my own lips that I wanted to speak to this stranger and askhim if he had news of my lord. Therefore, it is not right for you to

scold him.’ She spoke to the old nurse who had come with her, andsaid, ‘Eurycleia, bring a bench with a fleece on it to the fire, so thatthis stranger can sit and tell me his story.’

Eurycleia brought over the bench, and Odysseus sat down near thefire. Then the lady Penelope said, ‘First, stranger, will you tell mewho you are, and what your name is, and your race and country?’

Odysseus said, ‘Ask me anything you like, lady, but not my name, orrace, or country, or else you will fill my heart with more pain than Iam able to endure. I am a man of grief. But haven’t you any story totell me? We know of you, Penelope, for your fame goes up to heaven,and no mortal man can find fault with you.’

Then Penelope said, ‘What beauty or good character left me when mylord Odysseus went from this home to the wars of Troy. Since he wentI have had to face many problems. Ah, if only he were here to watchover my life! The lords of all the islands around—Dulichium andSame and Zacynthus and the lords of the land of Ithaka, have comehere and are wooing me against my will. They devour the food of thishouse and my son is being impoverished.’

‘Long ago a god put into my mind a plan to keep marriage with any ofthem away from me. I set up a great cloth upon my loom and I spoketo the suitors, saying, “Odysseus is certainly dead, but I ask that youdon’t be too eager to marry me. Wait until I finish the cloth I amweaving. It is a shroud for Odysseus’ father, and I make it for the daywhen death shall come to him. There will be no woman to care forLaertes when I have left his son’s house, and I would not have such ahero be buried without a shroud, or else the women of our land wouldblame me for neglecting my husband’s father in his last days.’”

‘So they agreed to wait until the shroud was woven. In the daytime Iwove it, but at night I unraveled the cloth. So three years passed. Then

the fourth year came, and my suitors were hard to deal with. Mytreacherous maids brought them to me as I was unraveling the cloth.And now I have no other way to keep the marriage away from me. Myparents command me to marry one of my suitors. My son cannotstand to see the wealth of his house and field being wasted, and thewealth that should be his destroyed. He too wishes that I marry. Thereis no reason why I should not be wed again, for surely Odysseus, mylord, is dead.’

Odysseus Said, ‘Your lord was known to me. On his way to Troy hecame to my land, for the wind blew him out of his course, sendinghim wandering past Malea. For twelve days he stayed in my city, andI gave him good entertainment, and saw that he lacked for nothing incattle, or wine, or food.’

When Odysseus was spoken of, the heart of Penelope melted, andtears ran down her cheeks. Odysseus had pity for his wife when hesaw her weeping for the man who was even then sitting by her. Tearswould have run down his own cheeks only that he was strong enoughto hold them back.

Penelope said, ‘Stranger, I must question you about Odysseus. Whatclothes did he have on when you saw him? And what men were withhim?’

Odysseus said, ‘Lady, it is hard to remember something that happenedso long ago. It is now twenty years since I saw Odysseus. He wore apurple robe that was fastened with a brooch. And this brooch had on itthe image of a hound holding a deer between its paws. Everyonemarveled at this brooch, for it was made of gold, and the deer and thehound were so lifelike. And I remember that there was a man withOdysseus—he was a man somewhat older than his master, roundshouldered and black-skinned and curly headed. His name was

Eurybates, and Odysseus honoured him above the rest of hiscompany.’

When he spoke about Odysseus, Penelope wept again. When she hadwept for a long time she said, ‘Stranger, you were made welcome,but now you will be honoured in this hall. You spoke of the garmentsthat Odysseus wore. It was I who gave him those garments, foldingthem myself and bringing them out of the room. And it was I whogave him the brooch that you described. Ah, it was an evil fate thattook him from me, bringing him to Troy, that place too evil to benamed by me.’

Odysseus leaned towards her, and said, Do not waste your heart withendless weeping, lady. Stop crying because Odysseus is near. He haslost all his companions, and he doesn’t know how to come into thishouse, whether openly or by stealth. I swear it. I swear that Odysseushimself will stand up here before the old moon wanes and the newmoon is born.’

‘Ah, no,’ said Penelope. ‘Often before wanderers have told me suchcomfortable things, and I believed them. I know now that your wordscannot become true. But it is time for you to rest yourself, stranger.My maids will make a bed for you in the room, and then come to youand bathe your feet.’

Odysseus said, ‘Your maids would be unwilling to touch the feet of atramp such as myself. But if there is in the house some old wife whohas had such troubles as I have had, I would have my feet bathed byher.’

Said Penelope, ‘Here is an old woman who nursed and looked afterthat unfortunate man, Odysseus. She took him in her arms in the veryhour he was born. Eurycleia, wash the feet of this man, who knewyour lord and mine.’

Then the nurse, old Eurycleia, fetched water, both hot and cold, andbrought the bath to the hearth. Standing before Odysseus in theflickering light of the fire, she said, ‘I will wash your feet, both forPenelope’s sake and for your own. The heart within me is moved atthe sight of you. Many strangers have come into this hall, but I havenever seen one that so resembled Odysseus.’

Odysseus said, ‘Many people have said that Odysseus and I resembleeach other.’

His feet were in the water, and she put her hand upon one of them. Asshe did so, Odysseus turned his face away to the darkness, for hesuddenly realized that his nurse, old Eurycleia, might recognize thescar that was on that foot.

How did that scar come to be there? It had been made long ago whena boar’s tusk had ripped up the flesh of his foot. Odysseus was then ayouth, and he had gone to the mountain Parnassus to visit hismother’s father.

One morning, with his uncles, young Odysseus went up the slope of mount Parnassus, to hunt with hounds. In a lair a mighty boar waslying. When the sound of the men’s trampling came near him, hesprang up with gleaming eyes and stood in front of them all.Odysseus, holding his spear in his hands, rushed at him. But before hecould strike him, the boar charged, ripping deep into his flesh with histusk. Then Odysseus speared him through the shoulder and the boarwas killed. His uncles looked after the wound and he stayed with themon mount Parnassus, in his grandfather’s house, until the wound washealed.

As Eurycleia, his old nurse, passed her hands along the leg, she let hisfoot drop suddenly. His knee struck against the bath, and the vessel ofwater was overturned. The nurse touched the chin of Odysseus and

she said, ‘You are Odysseus.’

She looked to where Penelope was sitting, so that she could make asign to her. But Penelope had her eyes turned away. Odysseus put hishand on Eurycleia’s mouth, and with the other hand he drew her tohim.

‘Woman,’ he whispered. ‘Say nothing. Be silent, or else my enemieswill learn what you now know.’

‘ I’ll be silent,’ said the nurse Eurycleia. ‘You know me. I am firmand unyielding, and I won’t let anyone know that you have comeunder this roof.’

So she went out of the hall to fetch water to replace that which hadbeen spilt. She came back and finished bathing his feet. ThenOdysseus arranged the rags around his leg to hide the scar, and hedrew the bench closer to the fire.

Penelope turned to him again, ‘You are wise, my guest,’ she said,‘and it may be that you are a man who can interpret a dream thatconstantly comes to me. I have twenty geese in the yard outside. Inmy dream I see them, and then a great eagle flies down from themountains, and breaks their necks and kills them all, and lays them ina heap in this hall. I weep for my geese, but then the eagle comesback, and perching on a beam of the roof speaks to me in the voice ofa man. “Take heart, wife of Odysseus,” the eagle says, “this is nodream but a true vision. For the geese that you have seen are yoursuitors, and I, that appeared as an eagle, am your husband who willswiftly bring death to the suitors.” Then the dream goes, and I wakenand look out on the daylight and see my geese in the courtyardpecking at the wheat in the trough. Can you interpret this dream?’

‘Lady,’ said Odysseus, ‘the dream interprets itself. What you have

dreamed will come true.’

‘Ah,’ said Penelope, ‘but it cannot now, for the day of my misery is athand. I am being forced by my parents to choose a husband from thesuitors, and depart from the house of Odysseus.’

‘And how will you choose from amongst them?’ said Odysseus.

‘ I will make a choice in this way,’ said Penelope. ‘My husband’sgreat bow is still in the house. The one who can bend that bow, andshoot an arrow through the holes in the backs of twelve axes set onebehind the other—him will I choose for my husband.’

Odysseus said, ‘Your plan is good, Penelope, and some god has toldyou to do this. But do not delay the contest of the bow. Let it betomorrow.’

‘Is that your advice, stranger?’ said Penelope.

‘It is my advice,’ said Odysseus.

‘I thank you for your advice,’ she said. ‘And now farewell, for I mustgo to rest. And you please lie down in the room, in the bed that hasbeen made for you.’

So went to her room with her maids. In her bed she thought overeverything the stranger had told her about Odysseus, and she weptagain for him.

2.XIII ZEUS SENDS A SIGN

All night Odysseus lay awake, tossing this way and that, as hepondered on how he might kill the suitors, and save his house fromthem. As soon as the dawn came, he went into the open air and, liftingup his hands, prayed to Zeus, the greatest of the gods, that he might beshown some sign, as to whether he would win victory or meet withdefeat.

Then, as he was going back in the house, he heard the voice of awoman who ground barley flour between stones. She was one oftwelve, but the other women had fallen asleep by the quern-stones.She was an old, wretched woman, covered all over with the dust fromthe grain, and, as Odysseus came near her, she lifted up her hands andprayed in a weak voice,’O Zeus, even for miserable me, fulfill aprayer! May this be the last day that the suitors feast in the house ofOdysseus! They have weakened my knees with the cruel work theyhave made me do, grinding for them the flour for the bread they eat.Oh Zeus, may today be their last meal!’

He was glad of her prayer, for it seemed to him her words were anomen from Zeus, and that vengeance would soon be brought on theproud and hard-hearted men who wasted the goods of the house andoppressed the servants.

Then the maids came into the hall from the women’s rooms and somecleaned the tables and others took pitchers and went to the well forwater. Then men servants came in and chopped the wood for the fire.Other servants came into the courtyard—Eumæus the swineherd,driving fattened swine, the best of his herd, and Philœtius the cattle-herd bringing a calf. The goatherd Melanthius, who Odysseus andEumæus had met on the road the day before, also came, bringing the

best goats of his flock to be killed for the suitors’ feast.

When the cattle-herd, Philœtius, saw a beggar, he called out as hetethered the calf in the yard, ‘Hail, stranger friend! My eyes fill withtears as I look at you. For even now, dressed as you are in rags, youmake me think of my master Odysseus, who may be a wanderer suchas you in friendless lands. Ah, I wish he would return and get rid ofthe suitors in his home.’ Eumæus the swineherd came up to Philœtiusand made the same prayer. These two, and the ancient woman at thequern, were the only ones of his servants who he heard pray for hisreturn.

Then the suitors came into the hall. Philœtius the cattle-herd, andMelanthius the evil goatherd, went amongst them, handing thembread and meat and wine. Odysseus stood outside the hall untilTelemachus went to him and brought him inside.

There was amongst the suitors a man named Ctesippus, and he wasthe rudest and the roughest of them all. When he saw Telemachusbringing Odysseus inside he shouted out, ‘Here is a guest ofTelemachus who should receive some gift from us. It will beunseemly if he should get nothing today. Therefore I will give himthis.’

Saying this, Ctesippus picked up the foot of a slaughtered ox andthrew it at Odysseus. Odysseus drew back, and the ox’s foot struck thewall. Then Odysseus smiled grimly at the wooers.

Telemachus said, ‘Truly, Ctesippus, your throw turned out happily foryourself. For if you had struck my guest, there would have been afuneral feast instead of a wedding banquet in your father’s house.Certainly, I would have driven my spear through you.’

All the suitors were silent when Telemachus spoke these bold words.

But soon they fell laughing at something one of their number said.The guest from Telemachus’ ship, Theoclymenus, was there, and hegot up and went to leave the hall.

‘Why do you go, my guest?’ said Telemachus.

‘I see the walls and the beams of the roof sprinkled with blood,’ saidTheoclymenus, the second-sighted man. ‘I hear the voice of wailing. Isee cheeks wet with tears. The men before me have shrouds on them.The courtyard is filled with ghosts.’

All the wooers laughed at the second-sighted man, for he stumbledabout the hall as if it were in darkness. Then one of the suitors said,‘Lead that man out of the house, for surely he cannot tell day fromnight.’

‘I will leave,’ said Theoclymenus. ‘I see death approaching. Not oneof all the people in front of me will be able to avoid it.’

So saying, the second-sighted man went out of the hall. The suitorslooking at each other laughed again, and one of themsaid,’Telemachus has no luck in his guests. One is a dirty beggar, whothinks of nothing but what he can put from his hand into his mouth,and the other wants to stand up here and play the seer.’ So the suitorsmocked them, but neither Telemachus nor Odysseus paid anyattention to their words, for their minds were on the time when theyshould take vengeance on them.

2.XIV PENELOPE CHALLENGES THESUITORS

Odysseus’ great bow was kept in the treasure chamber of the house.That bow had been given to him by a hero named Iphitus long ago.Odysseus had not taken it with him when he went to the wars of Troy.

Penelope went to the treasure chamber. She carried in her hand thegreat key that opened the doors—a bronze key with a handle of ivory.As she thrust the key into the locks, the doors groaned. She wentinside, and saw the great bow upon its peg. She took it down and put iton her knees, and thought about the man who had bent it.

Beside the bow was its quiver full of bronze weighted arrows. Theservant took the quiver and Penelope took the bow, and they wentfrom the treasure-chamber and into the hall where the suitors were.

When she came in she spoke to the company and said: ‘Lords ofIthaka and of the islands around. You have come here, each wantingto marry me. Now the time has come for me to make my choice of aman from amongst you. Here is how I shall choose.’

‘This is the bow of Odysseus. Whosoever amongst you who can bendthis bow and shoot an arrow from it through the holes in the backs oftwelve axes which I shall have set up, can marry me, and I will go tohis house, giving up the house of my marriage, this house so filledwith treasure and wealth, this house which I shall remember in mydreams.’

As she spoke Telemachus took the twelve axes and set them uprightin an even line, so that one could shoot an arrow through the hole thatwas in the back of each axe-head. Then Eumæus, the old swineherd,

took the bow of Odysseus, and laid it before the suitors.

One of the suitors picked up the bow and tried to bend it. But he couldnot bend it, and he laid it down at the doorway with the arrow besideit. The others picked up the bow, and warmed it at the fire, and rubbedit with lard to make it more pliable. As they were doing this, Eumæus,the swineherd, and Philœtius, the cattleherd, left the hall.

Odysseus followed them into the courtyard. He laid a hand on eachand said, ‘Swineherd and cattleherd, I have a word to say to you. Butwill you keep it to yourselves? First, what would you do to helpOdysseus if he should return? Would you stand on his side, or on theside of the suitors? Answer me now from your hearts.’

Philœtius the cattleherd said, ‘May Zeus fulfill my wish and bringOdysseus back! Then you would know on whose side I would stand.’And Eumæus said, ‘If Odysseus should return I would be on his side,with all the strength that is in me.’

When they said this, Odysseus revealed himself. Lifting up his handto heaven he said, ‘I am your master, Odysseus. After twenty years Ihave come back to my own country, and I find that of all my servants,only you two desire my homecoming. If you need see proof that I amindeed Odysseus, look down at my foot. See there the mark that thewild boar left on me in the days of my youth.’

Straightway he drew the rags from, the scar, and the swineherd andthe cattleherd saw it and recognized it Knowing that it was indeedOdysseus who stood before them, they threw their arms around himand kissed him on the head and shoulders. Odysseus was moved bytheir tears, and he kissed their heads and their hands.

As they went back to the hall, he told Eumæus to bring the bow to himas he was carrying it through the hall. He told him, too, to order

Eurycleia, the faithful nurse, to bar the doors of the women’sapartment at the end of the hall, and to tell the women, even if theyheard a groaning and a din, not to come into the hall. Then he told thecattleherd Philœtius to bar the gates of the courtyard.

As he went into the hall, one of the wooers, Eurymachus, was tryingto bend the bow. As he struggled to do so he groaned aloud, ‘Notbecause I may not marry Penelope do I groan, but because we youthsof today are shown to be weaklings beside Odysseus, whose bow wecannot bend.’

Then Antinous, the proudest of the suitors said, ‘Why should we try tobend the bow today? No, put the bow aside, Eurymachus, and let thewine bearers pour us out a cupful each. In the morning let us makesacrifice to the Archer god, and pray that the bow be fitted to some ofour hands.’

Then Odysseus came forward and said, ‘Sirs, you do well to put thebow aside for today. But will you not let me try to bend it, and judgefor myself whether I have any of the strength that once was mine?’

All the suitors were angry that a beggar should attempt to bend thebow that none of them were able to bend. Antinous spoke to himsharply and said, ‘You wretched beggar! Is it not enough that you areallowed into this hall to pick up scraps, but must you also listen to ourspeech and join in our conversation? If you should bend that bow wewould punish you, I promise. We will put you on a ship and send youover to King Echetus, who will cut you to pieces and give your fleshto his dogs.’

Old Eumæus had picked up the bow. As he went with it to Odysseussome of them shouted to him, ‘Where are you going with the bow,you crazy fellow? Put it down,’ Eumæus was confused by theirshouts, and he put down the bow.

Then Telemachus spoke to him and said, ‘Eumæus, beware of beingthe man who served many masters.’ Eumæus, hearing these words,picked it up again and brought it to Odysseus, and put the bow into hishands.

As Odysseus stood in the doorway of the hall, the bow in his hands,and with the arrows scattered at his feet, Eumæus went to Eurycleia,and told her to bar the door of the women’s rooms at the back. ThenPhilœtius, the cattleherd, went out of the hall and barred the gatesleading out of the courtyard.

For a long time Odysseus stood with the bow in his hands, handling itas a minstrel handles a lyre when he stretches a cord or tightens a peg.Then he bent the great bow; he bent it without any effort, and at histouch the bow-string made a sound that was like the cry of a swallow.The suitors seeing him bend that mighty bow felt a sharp pain in theheart. They saw Odysseus take up an arrow and fit it to the string. Heheld the notch, and he drew the string, and he shot the bronze-weighted arrow straight through the holes in the back of the axe-heads.

Then as Eumæus took up the axes, and took them outside, he said,‘You see, lord Telemachus, that your guest does not shame youthrough foolish boasting. I have bent the bow of Odysseus, and I haveshot the arrow straight. But now it is time to provide the feast for thelords who woo your mother. While it is yet light, the feast must beserved to them, and with the feast they must have music and thedance.’

Saying this he nodded to Telemachus. Telemachus instantly took hissword and his spear in his hands. The thunder of Zeus was heardoutside. Then Odysseus had stripped his rags from him and wasstanding upright, looking like a master of men. The mighty bow was

in his hands, and at his feet were scattered many bronze-weightedarrows.

2.XV A MASSACRE

It is ended,’ Odysseus said, ‘My test is ended. Now will I haveanother mark.’ Saying this, he put the bronze-weighted arrow againstthe string of the bow, and shot at the first of his enemies.

It was at Antinous he pointed the arrow—at Antinous who was eventhen lifting up a golden cup filled with wine, and who was smiling,with death far from his thoughts. Odysseus aimed at him, and hit himwith the arrow in the throat and the point passed out clean through hisneck. The wine cup fell from his hands and Antinous fell dead acrossthe table. Then all the suitors cried out, threatening Odysseus forsending an arrow astray. It did not come into their minds that thisstranger-beggar had aimed to kill Antinous.

But Odysseus shouted back to them, ‘You dogs, you that said in yourhearts that Odysseus would never return to his home, you who wastedmy wealth, and troubled my wife, and injured my servants; you whoshowed no fear of heaven, nor of the just judgments of men; seeOdysseus returned, and know what death is waiting for you!’

Then Eurymachus shouted out, ‘Friends, this man will not stopshooting with the bow, until all of us are dead. Now must we battlewith him. Draw your swords and hold up the tables in front of you forshields and advance on him.’

But even as he spoke Odysseus, with a terrible cry, shot an arrow athim and it went through his chest. He let the sword fall from his hand,and he too fell dead on the floor.

One of them rushed straight at Odysseus with his sword in hand. ButTelemachus was at hand, and he drove his spear through this man’sshoulders. Then Telemachus ran quickly to a room where there were

weapons and armour. The swineherd and the cattleherd joined him,and all three put armour on. Odysseus, as long as he had arrows todefend himself, kept shooting at and killing the wooers. When all thearrows were gone, he put the helmet on his head and took up theshield that Telemachus had brought, and the two great spears.

But now Melanthius, the goatherd who was the enemy of Odysseus,got into the room where the arms were kept, and brought out spearsand shields and helmets, and gave them to the suitors. Seeing thegoatherd go back for more arms, Telemachus and Eumæus rushed intothe room, and caught him and bound him with a rope, and draggedhim up to the roof beams, and left him hanging there. Then theyclosed and bolted the door, and stood on guard.

Many of the suitors lay dead on the floor of the hall. One who wascalled Agelaus told the suitors to throw spears at Odysseus. But notone of the spears they threw struck him, for Odysseus was able toavoid them all.

Then he told Telemachus and Eumæus and Philœtius to throw theirspears. When they threw them with Odysseus, each one struck a man,and four of the suitors fell down. And again Odysseus told them tothrow their spears, and again they threw them, and killed their men.They drove those who remained from one end of the hall to the other,and killed them all.

Straightaway the doors of the women’s rooms were thrown open, andEurycleia appeared. She saw Odysseus standing amongst the bodies ofthe dead, all stained with blood. She would have cried out in triumphif Odysseus had not restrained her. ‘Rejoice within your own heart,’he said, ‘but do not cry aloud, for it is an unholy thing to celebrateover men lying dead. These men the gods themselves have defeated,because of their own hard and unjust hearts.’

As he spoke the women came out of their rooms, carrying torches intheir hands. They fell on Odysseus and embraced him and hugged andkissed his hands. A longing came over him to weep, for heremembered them from long ago—every one of the servants whowere there.

2.XVI ODYSSEUS REVEALS HIMSELF TOPENELOPE

Eurycleia, the old nurse, went upstairs to where Penelope lay in herbed. She bent over her and called out, ‘Awake, Penelope, dear child.Come down and see with your own eyes what has happened. Thesuitors are defeated. And he, who you have longed to see, has comeback. Odysseus, your husband, has returned. He has killed the proudsuitors who have troubled you for so long.’

But Penelope only looked at the nurse, for she thought that she hadgone mad.

Still Eurycleia kept on saying, ‘Indeed Odysseus is here. He is thatguest whom all the suitors mocked in the hall.’

Then hearing Eurycleia say these words, Penelope sprang out of bedand put her arms round the nurse’s neck. ‘Oh tell me,if what you sayis true—tell me how this stranger killed the suitors, who were somany.’

‘I did not see the fight,’ Eurycleia said, ‘but I heard the groaning ofthe men as they were killed. Then I found Odysseus standing amongstmany dead men, and it comforted my heart to see him standing therelike a lion aroused. Come with me now, lady, so that you may both behappy. Your lord has returned home, and he has found his wife andhis son alive and well.’

‘Ah no!’ said Penelope, ‘ah no, Odysseus has not returned. He whokilled the suitors is one of the immortal gods, come down to punishthem for their injustice and their hardheartedness. Odysseus long agolost his way home, and he is lying dead in some far off land.’

‘No, no,’ said Eurycleia. ‘I can show you that it is Odysseus indeedwho is in the hall. The scar that the tusk of a boar gave him long agois on his foot. I saw it when I was washing his feet last night, and Iwould have told you about it, but he put a hand across my mouth tostop me speaking. I promise that it is Odysseus, and none other who isin the hall below.’

Saying this she took Penelope by the hand and led her from the upperroom into the hall. Odysseus was standing by a tall pillar. He waitedthere for his wife to come and speak to him. But Penelope stood still,and gazed for a long time at him, and made no step towards him.

Then said Telemachus, ‘Mother, can it be that your heart is so hard?Here is my father. Won’t you go to him.’

Penelope said, ‘I am dumbfounded and I have no strength to speak,nor to ask him anything, nor even to look at him face to face. If this isindeed Odysseus who has come home, a place has to be prepared forhim.’

Then Odysseus spoke to Telemachus and said, ‘Now go to the bath,and clean yourself of the stains of battle. I will stay and speak withyour mother.’

‘Strange lady,’ he said to Penelope, ‘is your heart indeed so hard? Noother woman in the world, I think, would stand so aloof from herhusband who, after so much toil and so many trials, has come backafter twenty years to his own home. Is there no place for me here, andmust I again sleep in the stranger’s bed?’

Said Penelope, ‘You will not lie in any stranger’s bed, my lord. Come,Eurycleia. Set up for him his own bed outside his bed-chamber.’

Then Odysseus said to her, speaking in anger: ‘How ís it that my bed

can be moved to this place and that? That wasn’t the bed I built formyself. Don’t you know how I built my bed? First, an olive tree grewin the courtyard. Round that olive tree I built a chamber, and I roofedit well and I set doors to it. Then I sheared off all the light wood onthe growing olive tree, and I rough-hewed the trunk with the adze, andI made the tree into a bed post. Beginning with this bed post Iwrought a bedstead, and when I finished it, I inlaid it with silver andivory. Such was the bed I built for myself, and such a bed could not bemoved to this place or that.’

Then Penelope knew assuredly that the man who stood before her wasindeed her husband, the steadfast Odysseus—no one else knew wherethe bed was placed, and how it had been built. Penelope fell weepingand she put her arms round his neck.

‘O Odysseus, my lord,’ she said, ‘don’t bet angry with your wife.Always the fear was in my heart that some guileful stranger shouldcome here professing to be Odysseus, and that I should believe him tobe my husband. How terrible such a thing would be! But now myheart is freed from all doubts. Don’t be angry with me, Odysseus, fornot throwing myself on your neck, as the women of the house did.’

Then husband and wife wept together, and Penelope said, ‘It was thegods that did this to us, Odysseus—the gods who grudged that weshould have joy of the days of our youth.’

Next they told each other of things that happened in the twenty yearsthey were apart; Odysseus speaking of his own toils and sorrows, andPenelope telling what she had endured at the hands of the wooers.And as they told tales, one to the other, slumber came upon them, andthe dawn found them sleeping side by side.

2.XVII PEACE AT LAST

And still many dangers had to be faced. The suitors whomOdysseus had slain were the richest and the most powerful of thelords of Ithaka and the Islands; all of them had fathers and brotherswho would eagerly avenge themselves on their slayer.

Now before anyone in the City knew that he had returned, Odysseuswent to the farm that Laertes, his old father, stayed at. As he drewnear he saw an old man working in the vineyard, digging round aplant. When he came to him he saw that this old man was not a slavenor a servant, but Laertes, his own father.

When he saw him, wasted with age and uncared for, Odysseus stoodstill, leaning his hand against a pear tree and sad in his heart. OldLaertes kept his head down as he stood digging at the plant, and hedid not see Odysseus until he stood before him and said, ‘Old man,you obviously care for this garden well and every things here isflourishing—fig tree, and vine, and olive, and pear. But, if a strangermay say it, you yourself are not cared for well.’

‘Who are you that dares speak to me like this?’ old Laertes said,lifting his head.

‘I am a stranger in Ithaka,’ said Odysseus. ‘I seek a man whom I oncekindly treated—a man whose name was Odysseus. He came to me asa stranger, and he declared that he was from Ithaka, and that one dayhe would give me entertainment for the entertainment I had givenhim. I don’t know if this man is still alive.’

Old Laertes wept before Odysseus. ‘Ah,’ said he, ‘if you had beenable to find him here, the gifts you gave him would not have beenbestowed in vain. You would have received true hospitality from

Odysseus, my son. But he has perished—far from his country’s soilhe has perished, the unfortunate man, and his mother wept not overhim, nor his wife, nor me, his father.’

After saying this he picked up some dust from the ground, and hedropped it over his head in his sorrow. The heart of Odysseus wasmoved with grief. He sprang forward and fell on his father’s neck andhe kissed him, saying:

‘See I am here, my father. I, Odysseus, have come back to my owncountry. Stop grieving while I tell you of the things that havehappened. I have killed the suitors in my hall, and I have avenged alltheir injuries and all their wrongful doings. Don’t you believe this,my father? Then look at what I will show you. See on my foot themark of the boar’s tusk—there it is from the days of my youth.’

Laertes looked down on the bare foot, and he saw the scar, but still hismind was clouded by doubt. But then Odysseus took him through thegarden, and he told him about the fruit trees that Laertes had plantedfor him when he, Odysseus, was a little child, following his fatherabout the garden—thirteen pear trees, and ten apple trees, and fortyfig trees.

When Odysseus showed him these Laertes knew that it was his sonindeed who stood before him—his son come back after twenty years’wandering. He cast his arms around his neck, and Odysseus caughthim fainting, and led him into the house.

Inside the house were Telemachus, and Eumæus the swineherd andPhilœtius the cattleherd. They all clasped the hand of Laertes andtheir words raised his spirits. Then he was bathed, and, when he camefrom the bath, rubbed with olive oil he looked healthy and strong,Odysseus said to him, ‘Father, surely one of the gods has made youbetter and greater than you were a while ago.’

The old hero Laertes said, ‘Ah, my son, I wish I had the strength I hadbefore you were born, I took the Castle of Nericus there on theForeland. I wish I had stood with you yesterday, with that strength,against the suitors

While they were speaking the rumour of the slaying of the suitorswent through the City. Then those who were related to the slain menwent into the courtyard of Odysseus’ house, and brought out thebodies. Those who belonged to Ithaka they buried, and those whobelonged to the Islands they put upon ships, and sent them withfisherfolk, each to his own home. Many were furious with Odysseusfor the slaying of their friends. Eupeithes, the father of Antinous wasthe most enraged.

There was an assembly of the men of the country, and Eupeithesspoke in it, and all who were there pitied him. He told how Odysseushad led away the best of the men of Ithaka, and how he had lost themin his ships. And he told them how, when he returned, he killed thenoblest of the men of Ithaka and the Islands in his own hall. He calledupon them to slay Odysseus saying, ‘If we don’t avenge ourselves onthe slayer of our kin we will be scorned for all time as weak andcowardly men. As for me, life is no longer sweet. I would rather diestraightaway and be with the departed. Up now, and let us attackOdysseus and his followers before they take ship and escape acrossthe sea.’

Many in that assembly put on their armour and went out with oldEupeithes. As they went through the town they met with Odysseus andhis friends as they were coming from the house of Laertes.

Now as the two bands came close to each other—Odysseus withTelemachus and Laertes; with the swineherd and the cattleherd; withDolius, Laertes’ servant, and with the six sons of Dolius—and

Eupeithes with his friends—a great figure came between. It was thefigure of a tall, fair and splendid woman. Odysseus knew she was thegoddess Pallas Athene.

‘Refrain from fierce fighting, you men of Ithaka,’ the goddess calledout in a terrible voice. ‘Hold your hands,’ Straightaway the arms fellfrom each man’s hands. Then the goddess called them together, andshe made them enter into a agreement that all bloodshed and wrongwould be forgotten, and that Odysseus would be left to rule Ithaka asa King, in peace.

So ends the story of Odysseus who went with King Agamemnon to thewars of Troy; who made the plan of the Wooden Horse by whichPriam’s City was taken at last and who missed the way of his return,and came to the Land of the Lotus-eaters; who came to the Country ofthe dread Cyclôpes, to the Island of Æolus and to the house of Circe,the Enchantress; who heard the song of the Sirens, and came to theRocks Wandering, and to the terrible Charybdis, and to Scylla, pastwhom no other man had passed unscathed; who landed on the Islandwhere the Cattle of the Sun grazed, and who stayed on Ogygia, thehome of the nymph Calypso; so ends the story of Odysseus, whowould have been made deathless and ageless by Calypso if he had notyearned always to come back to his own hearth and his own land. Andspite of all his troubles and his toils he was fortunate, for he found aloving wife and a dutiful son and a father still alive to weep over him.