s: "The stranger," said Telemachus, "shall show me a light; when


s: people eat my bread they must earn it, no matter where they come


s: Euryclea did as she was told, and bolted the women inside their


s: room. Then Ulysses and his son made all haste to take the


s: helmets, shields, and spears inside; and Minerva went before


s: them with a gold lamp in her hand that shed a soft and brilliant


s: radiance, whereon Telemachus said, "Father, my eyes behold a


s: great marvel: the walls, with the rafters, crossbeams, and the


s: supports on which they rest are all aglow as with a flaming


s: fire. Surely there is some god here who has come down from


s: "Hush," answered Ulysses, "hold your peace and ask no questions,


s: for this is the manner of the gods. Get you to your bed, and


s: leave me here to talk with your mother and the maids. Your


s: mother in her grief will ask me all sorts of questions."


s: On this Telemachus went by torch-light to the other side of the


s: inner court, to the room in which he always slept.  There he lay


s: in his bed till morning, while Ulysses was left in the cloister


s: pondering on the means whereby with Minerva's help he might be


s: Then Penelope came down from her room looking like Venus or


s: Diana, and they set her a seat inlaid with scrolls of silver and


s: ivory near the fire in her accustomed place. It had been made by


s: Icmalius and had a footstool all in one piece with the seat


s: itself; and it was covered with a thick fleece: on this she now


s: sat, and the maids came from the women's room to join her. They


s: set about removing the tables at which the wicked suitors had


s: been dining, and took away the bread that was left, with the


s: cups from which they had drunk. They emptied the embers out of


s: the braziers, and heaped much wood upon them to give both light


s: and heat; but Melantho began to rail at Ulysses a second time


s: and said, "Stranger, do you mean to plague us by hanging about


s: the house all night and spying upon the women? Be off, you


s: wretch, outside, and eat your supper there, or you shall be


s: Ulysses scowled at her and answered, "My good woman, why should


s: you be so angry with me? Is it because I am not clean, and my


s: clothes are all in rags, and because I am obliged to go begging


s: about after the manner of tramps and beggars generally? I too


s: was a rich man once, and had a fine house of my own; in those


s: days I gave to many a tramp such as I now am, no matter who he


s: might be nor what he wanted. I had any number of servants, and


s: all the other things which people have who live well and are


s: accounted wealthy, but it pleased Jove to take all away from me;


s: therefore, woman, beware lest you too come to lose that pride


s: and place in which you now wanton above your fellows; have a


s: care lest you get out of favour with your mistress, and lest


s: Ulysses should come home, for there is still a chance that he


s: may do so. Moreover, though he be dead as you think he is, yet


s: by Apollo's will he has left a son behind him, Telemachus, who


s: will note anything done amiss by the maids in the house, for he


s: Penelope heard what he was saying and scolded the maid,


s: "Impudent baggage," said she, "I see how abominably you are


s: behaving, and you shall smart for it. You knew perfectly well,


s: for I told you myself, that I was going to see the stranger and


s: ask him about my husband, for whose sake I am in such continual


s: Then she said to her head waiting woman Eurynome, "Bring a seat


s: with a fleece upon it, for the stranger to sit upon while he


s: tells his story, and listens to what I have to say. I wish to


s: Eurynome brought the seat at once and set a fleece upon it, and


s: as soon as Ulysses had sat down Penelope began by saying,


s: "Stranger, I shall first ask you who and whence are you? Tell me


s: "Madam," answered Ulysses, "who on the face of the whole earth


s: can dare to chide with you? Your fame reaches the firmament of


s: heaven itself; you are like some blameless king, who upholds


s: righteousness, as the monarch over a great and valiant nation:


s: the earth yields its wheat and barley, the trees are loaded with


s: fruit, the ewes bring forth lambs, and the sea abounds with fish


s: by reason of his virtues, and his people do good deeds under


s: him.  Nevertheless, as I sit here in your house, ask me some


s: other question and do not seek to know my race and family, or


s: you will recall memories that will yet more increase my sorrow.


s: I am full of heaviness, but I ought not to sit weeping and


s: wailing in another person's house, nor is it well to be thus


s: grieving continually. I shall have one of the servants or even


s: yourself complaining of me, and saying that my eyes swim with


s: Then Penelope answered, "Stranger, heaven robbed me of all


s: beauty, whether of face or figure, when the Argives set sail for


s: Troy and my dear husband with them. If he were to return and


s: look after my affairs I should be both more respected and should


s: show a better presence to the world.  As it is, I am oppressed


s: with care, and with the afflictions which heaven has seen fit to


s: heap upon me. The chiefs from all our islands--Dulichium, Same,


s: and Zacynthus, as also from Ithaca itself, are wooing me against


s: my will and are wasting my estate. I can therefore show no


s: attention to strangers, nor suppliants, nor to people who say


s: that they are skilled artisans, but am all the time


s: broken-hearted about Ulysses. They want me to marry again at


s: once, and I have to invent stratagems in order to deceive them.


s: In the first place heaven put it in my mind to set up a great


s: tambour-frame in my room, and to begin working upon an enormous


s: piece of fine needlework.  Then I said to them, 'Sweethearts,


s: Ulysses is indeed dead, still, do not press me to marry again


s: immediately; wait--for I would not have my skill in needlework


s: perish unrecorded--till I have finished making a pall for the


s: hero Laertes, to be ready against the time when death shall take


s: him. He is very rich, and the women of the place will talk if he


s: is laid out without a pall.' This was what I said, and they


s: assented; whereon I used to keep working at my great web all day


s: long, but at night I would unpick the stitches again by torch


s: light. I fooled them in this way for three years without their


s: finding it out, but as time wore on and I was now in my fourth


s: year, in the waning of moons, and many days had been


s: accomplished, those good for nothing hussies my maids betrayed


s: me to the suitors, who broke in upon me and caught me; they were


s: very angry with me, so I was forced to finish my work whether I


s: would or no. And now I do not see how I can find any further


s: shift for getting out of this marriage. My parents are putting


s: great pressure upon me, and my son chafes at the ravages the


s: suitors are making upon his estate, for he is now old enough to


s: understand all about it and is perfectly able to look after his


s: own affairs, for heaven has blessed him with an excellent


s: disposition.  Still, notwithstanding all this, tell me who you


s: are and where you come from--for you must have had father and


s: mother of some sort; you cannot be the son of an oak or of a


s: Then Ulysses answered, "Madam, wife of Ulysses, since you


s: persist in asking me about my family, I will answer, no matter


s: what it costs me: people must expect to be pained when they have


s: been exiles as long as I have, and suffered as much among as


s: many peoples. Nevertheless, as regards your question I will tell


s: you all you ask. There is a fair and fruitful island in


s: mid-ocean called Crete; it is thickly peopled and there are


s: ninety cities in it: the people speak many different languages


s: which overlap one another, for there are Achaeans, brave


s: Eteocretans, Dorians of three-fold race, and noble Pelasgi.


s: There is a great town there, Cnossus, where Minos reigned who


s: every nine years had a conference with Jove himself. {152} Minos


s: was father to Deucalion, whose son I am, for Deucalion had two


s: sons Idomeneus and myself. Idomeneus sailed for Troy, and I, who


s: am the younger, am called Aethon; my brother, however, was at


s: once the older and the more valiant of the two; hence it was in


s: Crete that I saw Ulysses and showed him hospitality, for the


s: winds took him there as he was on his way to Troy, carrying him


s: out of his course from cape Malea and leaving him in Amnisus off


s: the cave of Ilithuia, where the harbours are difficult to enter


s: and he could hardly find shelter from the winds that were then


s: raging.  As soon as he got there he went into the town and asked


s: for Idomeneus, claiming to be his old and valued friend, but


s: Idomeneus had already set sail for Troy some ten or twelve days


s: earlier, so I took him to my own house and showed him every kind


s: of hospitality, for I had abundance of everything. Moreover, I


s: fed the men who were with him with barley meal from the public


s: store, and got subscriptions of wine and oxen for them to


s: sacrifice to their heart's content. They stayed with me twelve


s: days, for there was a gale blowing from the North so strong that


s: one could hardly keep one's feet on land. I suppose some


s: unfriendly god had raised it for them, but on the thirteenth day


s: Many a plausible tale did Ulysses further tell her, and Penelope


s: wept as she listened, for her heart was melted.  As the snow


s: wastes upon the mountain tops when the winds from South East and


s: West have breathed upon it and thawed it till the rivers run


s: bank full with water, even so did her cheeks overflow with tears


s: for the husband who was all the time sitting by her side.


s: Ulysses felt for her and was sorry for her, but he kept his eyes


s: as hard as horn or iron without letting them so much as quiver,


s: so cunningly did he restrain his tears. Then, when she had


s: relieved herself by weeping, she turned to him again and said:


s: "Now, stranger, I shall put you to the test and see whether or


s: no you really did entertain my husband and his men, as you say


s: you did. Tell me, then, how he was dressed, what kind of a man


s: he was to look at, and so also with his companions."


s: "Madam," answered Ulysses, "it is such a long time ago that I


s: can hardly say. Twenty years are come and gone since he left my


s: home, and went elsewhither; but I will tell you as well as I can


s: recollect. Ulysses wore a mantle of purple wool, double lined,


s: and it was fastened by a gold brooch with two catches for the


s: pin. On the face of this there was a device that shewed a dog


s: holding a spotted fawn between his fore paws, and watching it as


s: it lay panting upon the ground. Every one marvelled at the way


s: in which these things had been done in gold, the dog looking at


s: the fawn, and strangling it, while the fawn was struggling


s: convulsively to escape. {153} As for the shirt that he wore next


s: his skin, it was so soft that it fitted him like the skin of an


s: onion, and glistened in the sunlight to the admiration of all


s: the women who beheld it. Furthermore I say, and lay my saying to


s: your heart, that I do not know whether Ulysses wore these


s: clothes when he left home, or whether one of his companions had


s: given them to him while he was on his voyage; or possibly some


s: one at whose house he was staying made him a present of them,


s: for he was a man of many friends and had few equals among the


s: Achaeans. I myself gave him a sword of bronze and a beautiful


s: purple mantle, double lined, with a shirt that went down to his


s: feet, and I sent him on board his ship with every mark of


s: honour. He had a servant with him, a little older than himself,


s: and I can tell you what he was like; his shoulders were hunched,


s: {154} he was dark, and he had thick curly hair.  His name was


s: Eurybates, and Ulysses treated him with greater familiarity than


s: he did any of the others, as being the most like-minded with


s: Penelope was moved still more deeply as she heard the


s: indisputable proofs that Ulysses laid before her; and when she


s: had again found relief in tears she said to him, "Stranger, I


s: was already disposed to pity you, but henceforth you shall be


s: honoured and made welcome in my house. It was I who gave Ulysses


s: the clothes you speak of.  I took them out of the store room and


s: folded them up myself, and I gave him also the gold brooch to


s: wear as an ornament. Alas! I shall never welcome him home again.


s: It was by an ill fate that he ever set out for that detested


s: city whose very name I cannot bring myself even to mention."


s: Then Ulysses answered, "Madam, wife of Ulysses, do not disfigure


s: yourself further by grieving thus bitterly for your loss, though


s: I can hardly blame you for doing so. A woman who has loved her


s: husband and borne him children, would naturally be grieved at


s: losing him, even though he were a worse man than Ulysses, who


s: they say was like a god.  Still, cease your tears and listen to


s: what I can tell you. I will hide nothing from you, and can say


s: with perfect truth that I have lately heard of Ulysses as being


s: alive and on his way home; he is among the Thesprotians, and is


s: bringing back much valuable treasure that he has begged from one


s: and another of them; but his ship and all his crew were lost as


s: they were leaving the Thrinacian island, for Jove and the


s: sun-god were angry with him because his men had slaughtered the


s: sun-god's cattle, and they were all drowned to a man. But


s: Ulysses stuck to the keel of the ship and was drifted on to the


s: land of the Phaeacians, who are near of kin to the immortals,


s: and who treated him as though he had been a god, giving him many


s: presents, and wishing to escort him home safe and sound. In fact


s: Ulysses would have been here long ago, had he not thought better


s: to go from land to land gathering wealth; for there is no man


s: living who is so wily as he is; there is no one can compare with


s: him. Pheidon king of the Thesprotians told me all this, and he


s: swore to me--making drink-offerings in his house as he did


s: so--that the ship was by the water side and the crew found who


s: would take Ulysses to his own country. He sent me off first, for


s: there happened to be a Thesprotian ship sailing for the


s: wheat-growing island of Dulichium, but he showed me all the


s: treasure Ulysses had got together, and he had enough lying in


s: the house of king Pheidon to keep his family for ten


s: generations; but the king said Ulysses had gone to Dodona that


s: he might learn Jove's mind from the high oak tree, and know


s: whether after so long an absence he should return to Ithaca


s: openly or in secret. So you may know he is safe and will be here


s: shortly; he is close at hand and cannot remain away from home


s: much longer; nevertheless I will confirm my words with an oath,


s: and call Jove who is the first and mightiest of all gods to


s: witness, as also that hearth of Ulysses to which I have now


s: come, that all I have spoken shall surely come to pass. Ulysses


s: will return in this self same year; with the end of this moon


s: and the beginning of the next he will be here."


s: "May it be even so," answered Penelope; "if your words come true


s: you shall have such gifts and such good will from me that all


s: who see you shall congratulate you; but I know very well how it


s: will be. Ulysses will not return, neither will you get your


s: escort hence, for so surely as that Ulysses ever was, there are


s: now no longer any such masters in the house as he was, to


s: receive honourable strangers or to further them on their way


s: home. And now, you maids, wash his feet for him, and make him a


s: bed on a couch with rugs and blankets, that he may be warm and


s: quiet till morning. Then, at day break wash him and anoint him


s: again, that he may sit in the cloister and take his meals with


s: Telemachus. It shall be the worse for any one of these hateful


s: people who is uncivil to him; like it or not, he shall have no


s: more to do in this house. For how, sir, shall you be able to


s: learn whether or no I am superior to others of my sex both in


s: goodness of heart and understanding, if I let you dine in my


s: cloisters squalid and ill clad? Men live but for a little


s: season; if they are hard, and deal hardly, people wish them ill


s: so long as they are alive, and speak contemptuously of them when


s: they are dead, but he that is righteous and deals righteously,


s: the people tell of his praise among all lands, and many shall


s: Ulysses answered, "Madam, I have foresworn rugs and blankets


s: from the day that I left the snowy ranges of Crete to go on


s: shipboard. I will lie as I have lain on many a sleepless night


s: hitherto. Night after night have I passed in any rough sleeping


s: place, and waited for morning. Nor, again, do I like having my


s: feet washed; I shall not let any of the young hussies about your


s: house touch my feet; but, if you have any old and respectable


s: woman who has gone through as much trouble as I have, I will


s: To this Penelope said, "My dear sir, of all the guests who ever


s: yet came to my house there never was one who spoke in all things


s: with such admirable propriety as you do. There happens to be in


s: the house a most respectable old woman--the same who received


s: my poor dear husband in her arms the night he was born, and


s: nursed him in infancy. She is very feeble now, but she shall


s: wash your feet." "Come here," said she, "Euryclea, and wash your


s: master's age-mate; I suppose Ulysses' hands and feet are very


s: much the same now as his are, for trouble ages all of us


s: On these words the old woman covered her face with her hands;


s: she began to weep and made lamentation saying, "My dear child, I


s: cannot think whatever I am to do with you. I am certain no one


s: was ever more god-fearing than yourself, and yet Jove hates you.


s: No one in the whole world ever burned him more thigh bones, nor


s: gave him finer hecatombs when you prayed you might come to a


s: green old age yourself and see your son grow up to take after


s: you: yet see how he has prevented you alone from ever getting


s: back to your own home. I have no doubt the women in some foreign


s: palace which Ulysses has got to are gibing at him as all these


s: choosing to let them wash you after the manner in which they


s: have insulted you; I will wash your feet myself gladly enough,


s: as Penelope has said that I am to do so; I will wash them both


s: for Penelope's sake and for your own, for you have raised the


s: most lively feelings of compassion in my mind; and let me say


s: this moreover, which pray attend to; we have had all kinds of


s: strangers in distress come here before now, but I make bold to


s: say that no one ever yet came who was so like Ulysses in figure,


s: "Those who have seen us both," answered Ulysses, "have always


s: said we were wonderfully like each other, and now you have


s: Then the old woman took the cauldron in which she was going to


s: wash his feet, and poured plenty of cold water into it, adding


s: hot till the bath was warm enough. Ulysses sat by the fire, but


s: ere long he turned away from the light, for it occurred to him


s: that when the old woman had hold of his leg she would recognise


s: a certain scar which it bore, whereon the whole truth would come


s: out. And indeed as soon as she began washing her master, she at


s: once knew the scar as one that had been given him by a wild boar


s: when he was hunting on Mt. Parnassus with his excellent


s: grandfather Autolycus--who was the most accomplished thief and


s: perjurer in the whole world--and with the sons of Autolycus.


s: Mercury himself had endowed him with this gift, for he used to


s: burn the thigh bones of goats and kids to him, so he took


s: pleasure in his companionship. It happened once that Autolycus


s: had gone to Ithaca and had found the child of his daughter just


s: born. As soon as he had done supper Euryclea set the infant upon


s: his knees and said, "Autolycus, you must find a name for your


s: grandson; you greatly wished that you might have one."


s: "Son-in-law and daughter," replied Autolycus, "call the child


s: thus: I am highly displeased with a large number of people in


s: one place and another, both men and women; so name the child


s: 'Ulysses,' or the child of anger. When he grows up and comes to


s: visit his mother's family on Mt.  Parnassus, where my


s: possessions lie, I will make him a present and will send him on


s: Ulysses, therefore, went to Parnassus to get the presents from


s: Autolycus, who with his sons shook hands with him and gave him


s: welcome. His grandmother Amphithea threw her arms about him, and


s: kissed his head, and both his beautiful eyes, while Autolycus


s: desired his sons to get dinner ready, and they did as he told


s: them. They brought in a five year old bull, flayed it, made it


s: ready and divided it into joints; these they then cut carefully


s: up into smaller pieces and spitted them; they roasted them


s: sufficiently and served the portions round. Thus through the


s: livelong day to the going down of the sun they feasted, and


s: every man had his full share so that all were satisfied; but


s: when the sun set and it came on dark, they went to bed and


s: When the child of morning, rosy-fingered Dawn, appeared, the


s: sons of Autolycus went out with their hounds hunting, and


s: Ulysses went too. They climbed the wooded slopes of Parnassus


s: and soon reached its breezy upland valleys; but as the sun was


s: beginning to beat upon the fields, fresh-risen from the slow


s: still currents of Oceanus, they came to a mountain dell. The


s: dogs were in front searching for the tracks of the beast they


s: were chasing, and after them came the sons of Autolycus, among


s: whom was Ulysses, close behind the dogs, and he had a long spear


s: in his hand. Here was the lair of a huge boar among some thick


s: brushwood, so dense that the wind and rain could not get through


s: it, nor could the sun's rays pierce it, and the ground


s: underneath lay thick with fallen leaves. The boar heard the


s: noise of the men's feet, and the hounds baying on every side as


s: the huntsmen came up to him, so he rushed from his lair, raised


s: the bristles on his neck, and stood at bay with fire flashing


s: from his eyes. Ulysses was the first to raise his spear and try


s: to drive it into the brute, but the boar was too quick for him,


s: and charged him sideways, ripping him above the knee with a gash


s: that tore deep though it did not reach the bone. As for the


s: boar, Ulysses hit him on the right shoulder, and the point of


s: the spear went right through him, so that he fell groaning in


s: the dust until the life went out of him. The sons of Autolycus


s: busied themselves with the carcass of the boar, and bound


s: Ulysses' wound; then, after saying a spell to stop the bleeding,


s: they went home as fast as they could.  But when Autolycus and


s: his sons had thoroughly healed Ulysses, they made him some


s: splendid presents, and sent him back to Ithaca with much mutual


s: good will. When he got back, his father and mother were rejoiced


s: to see him, and asked him all about it, and how he had hurt


s: himself to get the scar; so he told them how the boar had ripped


s: him when he was out hunting with Autolycus and his sons on Mt.


s: As soon as Euryclea had got the scarred limb in her hands and


s: had well hold of it, she recognised it and dropped the foot at


s: once. The leg fell into the bath, which rang out and was


s: overturned, so that all the water was spilt on the ground;


s: Euryclea's eyes between her joy and her grief filled with tears,


s: and she could not speak, but she caught Ulysses by the beard and


s: said, "My dear child, I am sure you must be Ulysses himself,


s: only I did not know you till I had actually touched and handled


s: As she spoke she looked towards Penelope, as though wanting to


s: tell her that her dear husband was in the house, but Penelope


s: was unable to look in that direction and observe what was going


s: on, for Minerva had diverted her attention; so Ulysses caught


s: Euryclea by the throat with his right hand and with his left


s: drew her close to him, and said, "Nurse, do you wish to be the


s: ruin of me, you who nursed me at your own breast, now that after


s: twenty years of wandering I am at last come to my own home


s: again? Since it has been borne in upon you by heaven to


s: recognise me, hold your tongue, and do not say a word about it


s: to any one else in the house, for if you do I tell you--and it


s: shall surely be--that if heaven grants me to take the lives of


s: these suitors, I will not spare you, though you are my own


s: nurse, when I am killing the other women."


s: "My child," answered Euryclea, "what are you talking about?  You


s: know very well that nothing can either bend or break me. I will


s: hold my tongue like a stone or a piece of iron; furthermore let


s: me say, and lay my saying to your heart, when heaven has


s: delivered the suitors into your hand, I will give you a list of


s: the women in the house who have been ill-behaved, and of those


s: And Ulysses answered, "Nurse, you ought not to speak in that


s: way; I am well able to form my own opinion about one and all of


s: them; hold your tongue and leave everything to heaven."


s: As he said this Euryclea left the cloister to fetch some more


s: water, for the first had been all spilt; and when she had washed


s: him and anointed him with oil, Ulysses drew his seat nearer to


s: the fire to warm himself, and hid the scar under his rags. Then


s: "Stranger, I should like to speak with you briefly about another


s: matter. It is indeed nearly bed time--for those, at least, who


s: can sleep in spite of sorrow. As for myself, heaven has given me


s: a life of such unmeasurable woe, that even by day when I am


s: attending to my duties and looking after the servants, I am


s: still weeping and lamenting during the whole time; then, when


s: night comes, and we all of us go to bed, I lie awake thinking,


s: and my heart becomes a prey to the most incessant and cruel


s: tortures. As the dun nightingale, daughter of Pandareus, sings


s: in the early spring from her seat in shadiest covert hid, and


s: with many a plaintive trill pours out the tale how by mishap she


s: killed her own child Itylus, son of king Zethus, even so does my


s: mind toss and turn in its uncertainty whether I ought to stay


s: with my son here, and safeguard my substance, my bondsmen, and


s: the greatness of my house, out of regard to public opinion and


s: the memory of my late husband, or whether it is not now time for


s: me to go with the best of these suitors who are wooing me and


s: making me such magnificent presents. As long as my son was still


s: young, and unable to understand, he would not hear of my leaving


s: my husband's house, but now that he is full grown he begs and


s: prays me to do so, being incensed at the way in which the


s: suitors are eating up his property. Listen, then, to a dream


s: that I have had and interpret it for me if you can. I have


s: twenty geese about the house that eat mash out of a trough,


s: {155} and of which I am exceedingly fond.  I dreamed that a


s: great eagle came swooping down from a mountain, and dug his


s: curved beak into the neck of each of them till he had killed


s: them all. Presently he soared off into the sky, and left them


s: lying dead about the yard; whereon I wept in my dream till all


s: my maids gathered round me, so piteously was I grieving because


s: the eagle had killed my geese. Then he came back again, and


s: perching on a projecting rafter spoke to me with human voice,


s: and told me to leave off crying. 'Be of good courage,' he said,


s: 'daughter of Icarius; this is no dream, but a vision of good


s: omen that shall surely come to pass. The geese are the suitors,


s: and I am no longer an eagle, but your own husband, who am come


s: back to you, and who will bring these suitors to a disgraceful


s: end.' On this I woke, and when I looked out I saw my geese at


s: "This dream, Madam," replied Ulysses, "can admit but of one


s: interpretation, for had not Ulysses himself told you how it


s: shall be fulfilled? The death of the suitors is portended, and


s: not one single one of them will escape."


s: And Penelope answered, "Stranger, dreams are very curious and


s: unaccountable things, and they do not by any means invariably


s: come true. There are two gates through which these unsubstantial


s: fancies proceed; the one is of horn, and the other ivory. Those


s: that come through the gate of ivory are fatuous, but those from


s: the gate of horn mean something to those that see them. I do not


s: think, however, that my own dream came through the gate of horn,


s: though I and my son should be most thankful if it proves to have


s: done so. Furthermore I say--and lay my saying to your heart--the


s: coming dawn will usher in the ill-omened day that is to sever me


s: from the house of Ulysses, for I am about to hold a tournament


s: of axes. My husband used to set up twelve axes in the court, one


s: in front of the other, like the stays upon which a ship is


s: built; he would then go back from them and shoot an arrow


s: through the whole twelve. I shall make the suitors try to do the


s: same thing, and whichever of them can string the bow most


s: easily, and send his arrow through all the twelve axes, him will


s: I follow, and quit this house of my lawful husband, so goodly


s: and so abounding in wealth. But even so, I doubt not that I


s: Then Ulysses answered, "Madam, wife of Ulysses, you need not


s: defer your tournament, for Ulysses will return ere ever they can


s: string the bow, handle it how they will, and send their arrows


s: To this Penelope said, "As long, sir, as you will sit here and


s: talk to me, I can have no desire to go to bed. Still, people


s: cannot do permanently without sleep, and heaven has appointed us


s: dwellers on earth a time for all things. I will therefore go


s: upstairs and recline upon that couch which I have never ceased


s: to flood with my tears from the day Ulysses set out for the city


s: She then went upstairs to her own room, not alone, but attended


s: by her maidens, and when there, she lamented her dear husband


s: till Minerva shed sweet sleep over her eyelids.


s: Ulysses slept in the cloister upon an undressed bullock's hide,


s: on the top of which he threw several skins of the sheep the


s: suitors had eaten, and Eurynome {156} threw a cloak over him


s: after he had laid himself down. There, then, Ulysses lay


s: wakefully brooding upon the way in which he should kill the


s: suitors; and by and by, the women who had been in the habit of


s: misconducting themselves with them, left the house giggling and


s: laughing with one another.  This made Ulysses very angry, and he


s: doubted whether to get up and kill every single one of them then


s: and there, or to let them sleep one more and last time with the


s: puppies growls and shows her teeth when she sees a stranger, so


s: did his heart growl with anger at the evil deeds that were being


s: done: but he beat his breast and said, "Heart, be still, you had


s: worse than this to bear on the day when the terrible Cyclops ate


s: your brave companions; yet you bore it in silence till your


s: cunning got you safe out of the cave, though you made sure of


s: Thus he chided with his heart, and checked it into endurance,


s: but he tossed about as one who turns a paunch full of blood and


s: fat in front of a hot fire, doing it first on one side and then


s: on the other, that he may get it cooked as soon as possible,


s: even so did he turn himself about from side to side, thinking


s: all the time how, single handed as he was, he should contrive to


s: kill so large a body of men as the wicked suitors. But by and by


s: Minerva came down from heaven in the likeness of a woman, and


s: hovered over his head saying, "My poor unhappy man, why do you


s: lie awake in this way? This is your house: your wife is safe


s: inside it, and so is your son who is just such a young man as


s: "Goddess," answered Ulysses, "all that you have said is true,


s: but I am in some doubt as to how I shall be able to kill these


s: wicked suitors single handed, seeing what a number of them there


s: always are. And there is this further difficulty, which is still


s: more considerable.  Supposing that with Jove's and your


s: assistance I succeed in killing them, I must ask you to consider


s: where I am to escape to from their avengers when it is all


s: "For shame," replied Minerva, "why, any one else would trust a


s: worse ally than myself, even though that ally were only a mortal


s: and less wise than I am. Am I not a goddess, and have I not


s: protected you throughout in all your troubles? I tell you


s: plainly that even though there were fifty bands of men


s: surrounding us and eager to kill us, you should take all their


s: sheep and cattle, and drive them away with you. But go to sleep;


s: it is a very bad thing to lie awake all night, and you shall be


s: As she spoke she shed sleep over his eyes, and then went back to


s: While Ulysses was thus yielding himself to a very deep slumber


s: that eased the burden of his sorrows, his admirable wife awoke,


s: and sitting up in her bed began to cry. When she had relieved


s: herself by weeping she prayed to Diana saying, "Great Goddess


s: Diana, daughter of Jove, drive an arrow into my heart and slay


s: me; or let some whirlwind snatch me up and bear me through paths


s: of darkness till it drop me into the mouths of over-flowing


s: Oceanus, as it did the daughters of Pandareus. The daughters of


s: Pandareus lost their father and mother, for the gods killed


s: them, so they were left orphans. But Venus took care of them,


s: and fed them on cheese, honey, and sweet wine. Juno taught them


s: to excel all women in beauty of form and understanding; Diana


s: gave them an imposing presence, and Minerva endowed them with


s: every kind of accomplishment; but one day when Venus had gone up


s: to Olympus to see Jove about getting them married (for well does


s: he know both what shall happen and what not happen to every one)


s: the storm winds came and spirited them away to become handmaids


s: to the dread Erinyes. Even so I wish that the gods who live in


s: heaven would hide me from mortal sight, or that fair Diana might


s: strike me, for I would fain go even beneath the sad earth if I


s: might do so still looking towards Ulysses only, and without


s: having to yield myself to a worse man than he was. Besides, no


s: matter how much people may grieve by day, they can put up with


s: it so long as they can sleep at night, for when the eyes are


s: closed in slumber people forget good and ill alike; whereas my


s: misery haunts me even in my dreams. This very night methought


s: there was one lying by my side who was like Ulysses as he was


s: when he went away with his host, and I rejoiced, for I believed


s: that it was no dream, but the very truth itself."


s: On this the day broke, but Ulysses heard the sound of her


s: weeping, and it puzzled him, for it seemed as though she already


s: knew him and was by his side. Then he gathered up the cloak and


s: the fleeces on which he had lain, and set them on a seat in the


s: cloister, but he took the bullock's hide out into the open. He


s: lifted up his hands to heaven, and prayed, saying "Father Jove,


s: since you have seen fit to bring me over land and sea to my own


s: home after all the afflictions you have laid upon me, give me a


s: sign out of the mouth of some one or other of those who are now


s: waking within the house, and let me have another sign of some


s: Thus did he pray. Jove heard his prayer and forthwith thundered


s: high up among the clouds from the splendour of Olympus, and


s: Ulysses was glad when he heard it. At the same time within the


s: house, a miller-woman from hard by in the mill room lifted up


s: her voice and gave him another sign. There were twelve


s: miller-women whose business it was to grind wheat and barley


s: which are the staff of life. The others had ground their task


s: and had gone to take their rest, but this one had not yet


s: finished, for she was not so strong as they were, and when she


s: heard the thunder she stopped grinding and gave the sign to her


s: master. "Father Jove," said she, "you, who rule over heaven and


s: earth, you have thundered from a clear sky without so much as a


s: cloud in it, and this means something for somebody; grant the


s: prayer, then, of me your poor servant who calls upon you, and


s: let this be the very last day that the suitors dine in the house


s: of Ulysses. They have worn me out with labour of grinding meal


s: for them, and I hope they may never have another dinner anywhere


s: Ulysses was glad when he heard the omens conveyed to him by the


s: woman's speech, and by the thunder, for he knew they meant that


s: he should avenge himself on the suitors.


s: Then the other maids in the house rose and lit the fire on the


s: hearth; Telemachus also rose and put on his clothes.  He girded


s: his sword about his shoulder, bound his sandals on to his comely


s: feet, and took a doughty spear with a point of sharpened bronze;


s: then he went to the threshold of the cloister and said to


s: Euryclea, "Nurse, did you make the stranger comfortable both as


s: regards bed and board, or did you let him shift for


s: himself?--for my mother, good woman though she is, has a way of


s: paying great attention to second-rate people, and of neglecting


s: others who are in reality much better men."


s: "Do not find fault child," said Euryclea, "when there is no one


s: to find fault with. The stranger sat and drank his wine as long


s: as he liked: your mother did ask him if he would take any more


s: bread and he said he would not. When he wanted to go to bed she


s: told the servants to make one for him, but he said he was such a


s: wretched outcast that he would not sleep on a bed and under


s: blankets; he insisted on having an undressed bullock's hide and


s: some sheepskins put for him in the cloister and I threw a cloak


s: Then Telemachus went out of the court to the place where the


s: Achaeans were meeting in assembly; he had his spear in his hand,


s: and he was not alone, for his two dogs went with him. But


s: Euryclea called the maids and said, "Come, wake up; set about


s: sweeping the cloisters and sprinkling them with water to lay the


s: dust; put the covers on the seats; wipe down the tables, some of


s: you, with a wet sponge; clean out the mixing-jugs and the cups,


s: and go for water from the fountain at once; the suitors will be


s: here directly; they will be here early, for it is a feast day."


s: Thus did she speak, and they did even as she had said:  twenty


s: of them went to the fountain for water, and the others set


s: themselves busily to work about the house. The men who were in


s: attendance on the suitors also came up and began chopping


s: firewood. By and by the women returned from the fountain, and


s: the swineherd came after them with the three best pigs he could


s: pick out. These he let feed about the premises, and then he said


s: good-humouredly to Ulysses, "Stranger, are the suitors treating


s: you any better now, or are they as insolent as ever?"


s: "May heaven," answered Ulysses, "requite to them the wickedness


s: with which they deal high-handedly in another man's house


s: Thus did they converse; meanwhile Melanthius the goatherd came


s: up, for he too was bringing in his best goats for the suitors'


s: dinner; and he had two shepherds with him. They tied the goats


s: up under the gatehouse, and then Melanthius began gibing at


s: Ulysses. "Are you still here, stranger," said he, "to pester


s: people by begging about the house?  Why can you not go


s: elsewhere? You and I shall not come to an understanding before


s: we have given each other a taste of our fists. You beg without


s: any sense of decency: are there not feasts elsewhere among the


s: Ulysses made no answer, but bowed his head and brooded.  Then a


s: third man, Philoetius, joined them, who was bringing in a barren


s: heifer and some goats. These were brought over by the boatmen


s: who are there to take people over when any one comes to them. So


s: Philoetius made his heifer and his goats secure under the


s: gatehouse, and then went up to the swineherd. "Who, Swineherd,"


s: said he, "is this stranger that is lately come here? Is he one


s: of your men? What is his family? Where does he come from? Poor


s: fellow, he looks as if he had been some great man, but the gods


s: give sorrow to whom they will--even to kings if it so pleases


s: As he spoke he went up to Ulysses and saluted him with his right


s: hand; "Good day to you, father stranger," said he, "you seem to


s: be very poorly off now, but I hope you will have better times by


s: and by. Father Jove, of all gods you are the most malicious. We


s: are your own children, yet you show us no mercy in all our


s: misery and afflictions. A sweat came over me when I saw this


s: man, and my eyes filled with tears, for he reminds me of


s: Ulysses, who I fear is going about in just such rags as this


s: man's are, if indeed he is still among the living. If he is


s: already dead and in the house of Hades, then, alas! for my good


s: master, who made me his stockman when I was quite young among


s: the Cephallenians, and now his cattle are countless; no one


s: could have done better with them than I have, for they have bred


s: like ears of corn; nevertheless I have to keep bringing them in


s: for others to eat, who take no heed to his son though he is in


s: the house, and fear not the wrath of heaven, but are already


s: eager to divide Ulysses' property among them because he has been


s: away so long. I have often thought--only it would not be right


s: while his son is living--of going off with the cattle to some


s: foreign country; bad as this would be, it is still harder to


s: stay here and be ill-treated about other people's herds. My


s: position is intolerable, and I should long since have run away


s: and put myself under the protection of some other chief, only


s: that I believe my poor master will yet return, and send all


s: "Stockman," answered Ulysses, "you seem to be a very


s: well-disposed person, and I can see that you are a man of sense.


s: Therefore I will tell you, and will confirm my words with an


s: oath. By Jove, the chief of all gods, and by that hearth of


s: Ulysses to which I am now come, Ulysses shall return before you


s: leave this place, and if you are so minded you shall see him


s: killing the suitors who are now masters here."


s: "If Jove were to bring this to pass," replied the stockman, "you


s: should see how I would do my very utmost to help him."


s: And in like manner Eumaeus prayed that Ulysses might return


s: Thus did they converse. Meanwhile the suitors were hatching a


s: plot to murder Telemachus: but a bird flew near them on their


s: left hand--an eagle with a dove in its talons. On this


s: Amphinomus said, "My friends, this plot of ours to murder


s: Telemachus will not succeed; let us go to dinner instead."


s: The others assented, so they went inside and laid their cloaks


s: on the benches and seats. They sacrificed the sheep, goats,


s: pigs, and the heifer, and when the inward meats were cooked they


s: served them round. They mixed the wine in the mixing-bowls, and


s: the swineherd gave every man his cup, while Philoetius handed


s: round the bread in the bread baskets, and Melanthius poured them


s: out their wine.  Then they laid their hands upon the good things


s: Telemachus purposely made Ulysses sit in the part of the


s: cloister that was paved with stone; {158} he gave him a shabby


s: looking seat at a little table to himself, and had his portion


s: of the inward meats brought to him, with his wine in a gold cup.


s: "Sit there," said he, "and drink your wine among the great


s: people. I will put a stop to the gibes and blows of the suitors,


s: for this is no public house, but belongs to Ulysses, and has


s: passed from him to me.  Therefore, suitors, keep your hands and


s: your tongues to yourselves, or there will be mischief."


s: The suitors bit their lips, and marvelled at the boldness of his


s: speech; then Antinous said, "We do not like such language but we


s: will put up with it, for Telemachus is threatening us in good


s: earnest. If Jove had let us we should have put a stop to his


s: Thus spoke Antinous, but Telemachus heeded him not.  Meanwhile


s: the heralds were bringing the holy hecatomb through the city,


s: and the Achaeans gathered under the shady grove of Apollo.


s: Then they roasted the outer meat, drew it off the spits, gave


s: every man his portion, and feasted to their heart's content;


s: those who waited at table gave Ulysses exactly the same portion


s: as the others had, for Telemachus had told them to do so.


s: But Minerva would not let the suitors for one moment drop their


s: insolence, for she wanted Ulysses to become still more bitter


s: against them. Now there happened to be among them a ribald


s: fellow, whose name was Ctesippus, and who came from Same. This


s: man, confident in his great wealth, was paying court to the wife


s: of Ulysses, and said to the suitors, "Hear what I have to say.


s: The stranger has already had as large a portion as any one else;


s: this is well, for it is not right nor reasonable to ill-treat


s: any guest of Telemachus who comes here. I will, however, make


s: him a present on my own account, that he may have something to


s: give to the bath-woman, or to some other of Ulysses' servants."


s: As he spoke he picked up a heifer's foot from the meat-basket in


s: which it lay, and threw it at Ulysses, but Ulysses turned his


s: head a little aside, and avoided it, smiling grimly Sardinian


s: fashion {159} as he did so, and it hit the wall, not him. On


s: this Telemachus spoke fiercely to Ctesippus, "It is a good thing


s: for you," said he, "that the stranger turned his head so that


s: you missed him. If you had hit him I should have run you through


s: with my spear, and your father would have had to see about


s: getting you buried rather than married in this house. So let me


s: have no more unseemly behaviour from any of you, for I am grown


s: up now to the knowledge of good and evil and understand what is


s: going on, instead of being the child that I have been


s: heretofore. I have long seen you killing my sheep and making


s: free with my corn and wine: I have put up with this, for one man


s: is no match for many, but do me no further violence. Still, if


s: you wish to kill me, kill me; I would far rather die than see


s: such disgraceful scenes day after day--guests insulted, and men


s: dragging the women servants about the house in an unseemly way."


s: They all held their peace till at last Agelaus son of Damastor


s: said, "No one should take offence at what has just been said,


s: nor gainsay it, for it is quite reasonable. Leave off,


s: therefore, ill-treating the stranger, or any one else of the


s: servants who are about the house; I would say, however, a


s: friendly word to Telemachus and his mother, which I trust may


s: commend itself to both.  'As long,' I would say, 'as you had


s: ground for hoping that Ulysses would one day come home, no one


s: could complain of your waiting and suffering {160} the suitors


s: to be in your house. It would have been better that he should


s: have returned, but it is now sufficiently clear that he will


s: never do so; therefore talk all this quietly over with your


s: mother, and tell her to marry the best man, and the one who


s: makes her the most advantageous offer. Thus you will yourself be


s: able to manage your own inheritance, and to eat and drink in


s: peace, while your mother will look after some other man's house,


s: To this Telemachus answered, "By Jove, Agelaus, and by the


s: sorrows of my unhappy father, who has either perished far from


s: Ithaca, or is wandering in some distant land, I throw no


s: obstacles in the way of my mother's marriage; on the contrary I


s: urge her to choose whomsoever she will, and I will give her


s: numberless gifts into the bargain, but I dare not insist point


s: blank that she shall leave the house against her own wishes.


s: Minerva now made the suitors fall to laughing immoderately, and


s: set their wits wandering; but they were laughing with a forced


s: laughter. Their meat became smeared with blood; their eyes


s: filled with tears, and their hearts were heavy with forebodings.


s: Theoclymenus saw this and said, "Unhappy men, what is it that


s: ails you? There is a shroud of darkness drawn over you from head


s: to foot, your cheeks are wet with tears; the air is alive with


s: wailing voices; the walls and roof-beams drip blood; the gate of


s: the cloisters and the court beyond them are full of ghosts


s: trooping down into the night of hell; the sun is blotted out of


s: heaven, and a blighting gloom is over all the land."


s: Thus did he speak, and they all of them laughed heartily.


s: Eurymachus then said, "This stranger who has lately come here


s: has lost his senses. Servants, turn him out into the streets,


s: But Theoclymenus said, "Eurymachus, you need not send any one


s: with me. I have eyes, ears, and a pair of feet of my own, to say


s: nothing of an understanding mind. I will take these out of the


s: house with me, for I see mischief overhanging you, from which


s: not one of you men who are insulting people and plotting ill


s: deeds in the house of Ulysses will be able to escape."


s: He left the house as he spoke, and went back to Piraeus who gave


s: him welcome, but the suitors kept looking at one another and


s: provoking Telemachus by laughing at the strangers. One insolent


s: fellow said to him, "Telemachus, you are not happy in your


s: guests; first you have this importunate tramp, who comes begging


s: bread and wine and has no skill for work or for hard fighting,


s: but is perfectly useless, and now here is another fellow who is


s: setting himself up as a prophet. Let me persuade you, for it


s: will be much better to put them on board ship and send them off


s: to the Sicels to sell for what they will bring."


s: Telemachus gave him no heed, but sate silently watching


s: his father, expecting every moment that he would begin his


s: Meanwhile the daughter of Icarius, wise Penelope, had had a rich


s: seat placed for her facing the court and cloisters, so that she


s: could hear what every one was saying. The dinner indeed had been


s: prepared amid much merriment; it had been both good and


s: abundant, for they had sacrificed many victims; but the supper


s: was yet to come, and nothing can be conceived more gruesome than


s: the meal which a goddess and a brave man were soon to lay before


s: them--for they had brought their doom upon themselves.


s: Minerva now put it in Penelope's mind to make the suitors try


s: their skill with the bow and with the iron axes, in contest


s: among themselves, as a means of bringing about their


s: destruction. She went upstairs and got the store-room key, which


s: was made of bronze and had a handle of ivory; she then went with


s: her maidens into the store-room at the end of the house, where


s: her husband's treasures of gold, bronze, and wrought iron were


s: kept, and where was also his bow, and the quiver full of deadly


s: arrows that had been given him by a friend whom he had met in


s: Lacedaemon--Iphitus the son of Eurytus. The two fell in with one


s: another in Messene at the house of Ortilochus, where Ulysses was


s: staying in order to recover a debt that was owing from the whole


s: people; for the Messenians had carried off three hundred sheep


s: from Ithaca, and had sailed away with them and with their


s: shepherds. In quest of these Ulysses took a long journey while


s: still quite young, for his father and the other chieftains sent


s: him on a mission to recover them. Iphitus had gone there also to


s: try and get back twelve brood mares that he had lost, and the


s: mule foals that were running with them. These mares were the


s: death of him in the end, for when he went to the house of Jove's


s: son, mighty Hercules, who performed such prodigies of valour,


s: Hercules to his shame killed him, though he was his guest, for


s: he feared not heaven's vengeance, nor yet respected his own


s: table which he had set before Iphitus, but killed him in spite


s: of everything, and kept the mares himself. It was when claiming


s: these that Iphitus met Ulysses, and gave him the bow which


s: mighty Eurytus had been used to carry, and which on his death


s: had been left by him to his son. Ulysses gave him in return a


s: sword and a spear, and this was the beginning of a fast


s: friendship, although they never visited at one another's houses,


s: for Jove's son Hercules killed Iphitus ere they could do so.


s: This bow, then, given him by Iphitus, had not been taken with


s: him by Ulysses when he sailed for Troy; he had used it so long


s: as he had been at home, but had left it behind as having been a


s: Penelope presently reached the oak threshold of the store-room;


s: the carpenter had planed this duly, and had drawn a line on it


s: so as to get it quite straight; he had then set the door posts


s: into it and hung the doors. She loosed the strap from the handle


s: of the door, put in the key, and drove it straight home to shoot


s: back the bolts that held the doors; {161} these flew open with a


s: noise like a bull bellowing in a meadow, and Penelope stepped


s: upon the raised platform, where the chests stood in which the


s: fair linen and clothes were laid by along with fragrant herbs:


s: reaching thence, she took down the bow with its bow case from


s: the peg on which it hung. She sat down with it on her knees,


s: weeping bitterly as she took the bow out of its case, and when


s: her tears had relieved her, she went to the cloister where the


s: suitors were, carrying the bow and the quiver, with the many


s: deadly arrows that were inside it.  Along with her came her


s: maidens, bearing a chest that contained much iron and bronze


s: which her husband had won as prizes. When she reached the


s: suitors, she stood by one of the bearing-posts supporting the


s: roof of the cloister, holding a veil before her face, and with a


s: maid on either side of her. Then she said:


s: "Listen to me you suitors, who persist in abusing the


s: hospitality of this house because its owner has been long


s: absent, and without other pretext than that you want to marry


s: me; this, then, being the prize that you are contending for, I


s: will bring out the mighty bow of Ulysses, and whomsoever of you


s: shall string it most easily and send his arrow through each one


s: of twelve axes, him will I follow and quit this house of my


s: lawful husband, so goodly, and so abounding in wealth. But even


s: so I doubt not that I shall remember it in my dreams."


s: As she spoke, she told Eumaeus to set the bow and the pieces of


s: iron before the suitors, and Eumaeus wept as he took them to do


s: as she had bidden him. Hard by, the stockman wept also when he


s: saw his master's bow, but Antinous scolded them. "You country


s: louts," said he, "silly simpletons; why should you add to the


s: sorrows of your mistress by crying in this way? She has enough


s: to grieve her in the loss of her husband; sit still, therefore,


s: and eat your dinners in silence, or go outside if you want to


s: cry, and leave the bow behind you. We suitors shall have to


s: contend for it with might and main, for we shall find it no


s: light matter to string such a bow as this is. There is not a man


s: of us all who is such another as Ulysses; for I have seen him


s: and remember him, though I was then only a child."


s: This was what he said, but all the time he was expecting to be


s: able to string the bow and shoot through the iron, whereas in


s: fact he was to be the first that should taste of the arrows from


s: the hands of Ulysses, whom he was dishonouring in his own


s: house--egging the others on to do so also.


s: Then Telemachus spoke. "Great heavens!" he exclaimed, "Jove must


s: have robbed me of my senses. Here is my dear and excellent


s: mother saying she will quit this house and marry again, yet I am


s: laughing and enjoying myself as though there were nothing


s: happening. But, suitors, as the contest has been agreed upon,


s: let it go forward. It is for a woman whose peer is not to be


s: found in Pylos, Argos, or Mycene, nor yet in Ithaca nor on the


s: mainland. You know this as well as I do; what need have I to


s: speak in praise of my mother? Come on, then, make no excuses for


s: delay, but let us see whether you can string the bow or no. I


s: too will make trial of it, for if I can string it and shoot


s: through the iron, I shall not suffer my mother to quit this


s: house with a stranger, not if I can win the prizes which my


s: As he spoke he sprang from his seat, threw his crimson cloak


s: from him, and took his sword from his shoulder.  First he set


s: the axes in a row, in a long groove which he had dug for them,


s: and had made straight by line. {162} Then he stamped the earth


s: tight round them, and everyone was surprised when they saw him


s: set them up so orderly, though he had never seen anything of the


s: kind before. This done, he went on to the pavement to make trial


s: of the bow; thrice did he tug at it, trying with all his might


s: to draw the string, and thrice he had to leave off, though he


s: had hoped to string the bow and shoot through the iron. He was


s: trying for the fourth time, and would have strung it had not


s: Ulysses made a sign to check him in spite of all his eagerness.


s: "Alas! I shall either be always feeble and of no prowess, or I


s: am too young, and have not yet reached my full strength so as to


s: be able to hold my own if any one attacks me. You others,


s: therefore, who are stronger than I, make trial of the bow and


s: On this he put the bow down, letting it lean against the door


s: top of the bow. Then he sat down on the seat from which he had


s: "Come on each of you in his turn, going towards the right from


s: the place at which the cupbearer begins when he is handing round


s: The rest agreed, and Leiodes son of Oenops was the first to


s: rise. He was sacrificial priest to the suitors, and sat in the


s: corner near the mixing-bowl. {163} He was the only man who hated


s: their evil deeds and was indignant with the others. He was now


s: the first to take the bow and arrow, so he went on to the


s: pavement to make his trial, but he could not string the bow, for


s: his hands were weak and unused to hard work, they therefore soon


s: grew tired, and he said to the suitors, "My friends, I cannot


s: string it; let another have it, this bow shall take the life and


s: soul out of many a chief among us, for it is better to die than


s: to live after having missed the prize that we have so long


s: striven for, and which has brought us so long together. Some one


s: of us is even now hoping and praying that he may marry Penelope,


s: but when he has seen this bow and tried it, let him woo and make


s: bridal offerings to some other woman, and let Penelope marry


s: whoever makes her the best offer and whose lot it is to win


s: On this he put the bow down, letting it lean against the door,


s: {164} with the arrow standing against the tip of the bow.  Then


s: he took his seat again on the seat from which he had risen; and


s: "Leiodes, what are you talking about? Your words are monstrous


s: and intolerable; it makes me angry to listen to you. Shall,


s: then, this bow take the life of many a chief among us, merely


s: because you cannot bend it yourself?  True, you were not born to


s: be an archer, but there are others who will soon string it."


s: Then he said to Melanthius the goatherd, "Look sharp, light a


s: fire in the court, and set a seat hard by with a sheep skin on


s: it; bring us also a large ball of lard, from what they have in


s: the house. Let us warm the bow and grease it--we will then make


s: trial of it again, and bring the contest to an end."


s: Melanthius lit the fire, and set a seat covered with sheep skins


s: beside it. He also brought a great ball of lard from what they


s: had in the house, and the suitors warmed the bow and again made


s: trial of it, but they were none of them nearly strong enough to


s: string it. Nevertheless there still remained Antinous and


s: Eurymachus, who were the ringleaders among the suitors and much


s: Then the swineherd and the stockman left the cloisters together,


s: and Ulysses followed them. When they had got outside the gates


s: and the outer yard, Ulysses said to them quietly:


s: "Stockman, and you swineherd, I have something in my mind which


s: I am in doubt whether to say or no; but I think I will say it.


s: What manner of men would you be to stand by Ulysses, if some god


s: should bring him back here all of a sudden? Say which you are


s: disposed to do--to side with the suitors, or with Ulysses?"


s: "Father Jove," answered the stockman, "would indeed that you


s: might so ordain it. If some god were but to bring Ulysses back,


s: you should see with what might and main I would fight for him."


s: In like words Eumaeus prayed to all the gods that Ulysses might


s: return; when, therefore, he saw for certain what mind they were


s: of, Ulysses said, "It is I, Ulysses, who am here. I have


s: suffered much, but at last, in the twentieth year, I am come


s: back to my own country. I find that you two alone of all my


s: servants are glad that I should do so, for I have not heard any


s: of the others praying for my return. To you two, therefore, will


s: I unfold the truth as it shall be. If heaven shall deliver the


s: suitors into my hands, I will find wives for both of you, will


s: give you house and holding close to my own, and you shall be to


s: me as though you were brothers and friends of Telemachus. I will


s: now give you convincing proofs that you may know me and be


s: assured. See, here is the scar from the boar's tooth that ripped


s: me when I was out hunting on Mt.  Parnassus with the sons of


s: As he spoke he drew his rags aside from the great scar, and when


s: they had examined it thoroughly, they both of them wept about


s: Ulysses, threw their arms round him, and kissed his head and


s: shoulders, while Ulysses kissed their hands and faces in return.


s: The sun would have gone down upon their mourning if Ulysses had


s: "Cease your weeping, lest some one should come outside and see


s: us, and tell those who are within. When you go in, do so


s: separately, not both together; I will go first, and do you


s: follow afterwards; let this moreover be the token between us;


s: the suitors will all of them try to prevent me from getting hold


s: of the bow and quiver; do you, therefore, Eumaeus, place it in


s: my hands when you are carrying it about, and tell the women to


s: close the doors of their apartment. If they hear any groaning or


s: uproar as of men fighting about the house, they must not come


s: out; they must keep quiet, and stay where they are at their


s: work. And I charge you, Philoetius, to make fast the doors of


s: the outer court, and to bind them securely at once."


s: When he had thus spoken, he went back to the house and took the


s: seat that he had left. Presently, his two servants followed him


s: At this moment the bow was in the hands of Eurymachus, who was


s: warming it by the fire, but even so he could not string it, and


s: he was greatly grieved. He heaved a deep sigh and said, "I


s: grieve for myself and for us all; I grieve that I shall have to


s: forgo the marriage, but I do not care nearly so much about this,


s: for there are plenty of other women in Ithaca and elsewhere;


s: what I feel most is the fact of our being so inferior to Ulysses


s: in strength that we cannot string his bow. This will disgrace us


s: in the eyes of those who are yet unborn."


s: "It shall not be so, Eurymachus," said Antinous, "and you know


s: it yourself. Today is the feast of Apollo throughout all the


s: land; who can string a bow on such a day as this?  Put it on one


s: side--as for the axes they can stay where they are, for no one


s: is likely to come to the house and take them away: let the


s: cupbearer go round with his cups, that we may make our


s: drink-offerings and drop this matter of the bow; we will tell


s: Melanthius to bring us in some goats tomorrow--the best he has;


s: we can then offer thigh bones to Apollo the mighty archer, and


s: again make trial of the bow, so as to bring the contest to an


s: The rest approved his words, and thereon men servants poured


s: water over the hands of the guests, while pages filled the


s: mixing-bowls with wine and water and handed it round after


s: giving every man his drink-offering. Then, when they had made


s: their offerings and had drunk each as much as he desired,


s: "Suitors of the illustrious queen, listen that I may speak even


s: as I am minded. I appeal more especially to Eurymachus, and to


s: Antinous who has just spoken with so much reason. Cease shooting


s: for the present and leave the matter to the gods, but in the


s: morning let heaven give victory to whom it will. For the moment,


s: however, give me the bow that I may prove the power of my hands


s: among you all, and see whether I still have as much strength as


s: I used to have, or whether travel and neglect have made an end


s: This made them all very angry, for they feared he might string


s: the bow, Antinous therefore rebuked him fiercely saying,


s: "Wretched creature, you have not so much as a grain of sense in


s: your whole body; you ought to think yourself lucky in being


s: allowed to dine unharmed among your betters, without having any


s: smaller portion served you than we others have had, and in being


s: allowed to hear our conversation. No other beggar or stranger


s: has been allowed to hear what we say among ourselves; the wine


s: must have been doing you a mischief, as it does with all those


s: who drink immoderately. It was wine that inflamed the Centaur


s: Eurytion when he was staying with Peirithous among the Lapithae.


s: When the wine had got into his head, he went mad and did ill


s: deeds about the house of Peirithous; this angered the heroes who


s: were there assembled, so they rushed at him and cut off his ears


s: and nostrils; then they dragged him through the doorway out of


s: the house, so he went away crazed, and bore the burden of his


s: crime, bereft of understanding. Henceforth, therefore, there was


s: war between mankind and the centaurs, but he brought it upon


s: himself through his own drunkenness. In like manner I can tell


s: you that it will go hardly with you if you string the bow: you


s: will find no mercy from any one here, for we shall at once ship


s: you off to king Echetus, who kills every one that comes near


s: him: you will never get away alive, so drink and keep quiet


s: without getting into a quarrel with men younger than yourself."


s: Penelope then spoke to him. "Antinous," said she, "it is not


s: right that you should ill-treat any guest of Telemachus who


s: comes to this house. If the stranger should prove strong enough


s: to string the mighty bow of Ulysses, can you suppose that he


s: would take me home with him and make me his wife? Even the man


s: himself can have no such idea in his mind: none of you need let


s: that disturb his feasting; it would be out of all reason."


s: "Queen Penelope," answered Eurymachus, "we do not suppose that


s: this man will take you away with him; it is impossible; but we


s: are afraid lest some of the baser sort, men or women among the


s: Achaeans, should go gossiping about and say, 'These suitors are


s: a feeble folk; they are paying court to the wife of a brave man


s: whose bow not one of them was able to string, and yet a beggarly


s: tramp who came to the house strung it at once and sent an arrow


s: through the iron.' This is what will be said, and it will be a


s: "Eurymachus," Penelope answered, "people who persist in eating


s: up the estate of a great chieftain and dishonouring his house


s: must not expect others to think well of them.  Why then should


s: you mind if men talk as you think they will? This stranger is


s: strong and well-built, he says moreover that he is of noble


s: birth. Give him the bow, and let us see whether he can string it


s: or no. I say--and it shall surely be--that if Apollo vouchsafes


s: him the glory of stringing it, I will give him a cloak and shirt


s: of good wear, with a javelin to keep off dogs and robbers, and a


s: sharp sword. I will also give him sandals, and will see him sent


s: Then Telemachus said, "Mother, I am the only man either in


s: Ithaca or in the islands that are over against Elis who has the


s: right to let any one have the bow or to refuse it.  No one shall


s: force me one way or the other, not even though I choose to make


s: the stranger a present of the bow outright, and let him take it


s: away with him. Go, then, within the house and busy yourself with


s: your daily duties, your loom, your distaff, and the ordering of


s: your servants. This bow is a man's matter, and mine above all


s: others, for it is I who am master here."


s: She went wondering back into the house, and laid her son's


s: saying in her heart. Then going upstairs with her handmaids into


s: her room, she mourned her dear husband till Minerva sent sweet


s: The swineherd now took up the bow and was for taking it to


s: Ulysses, but the suitors clamoured at him from all parts of the


s: taking the bow to? Are you out of your wits? If Apollo and the


s: other gods will grant our prayer, your own boarhounds shall get


s: you into some quiet little place, and worry you to death."


s: Eumaeus was frightened at the outcry they all raised, so he put


s: the bow down then and there, but Telemachus shouted out at him


s: from the other side of the cloisters, and threatened him saying,


s: "Father Eumaeus, bring the bow on in spite of them, or young as


s: I am I will pelt you with stones back to the country, for I am


s: the better man of the two. I wish I was as much stronger than


s: all the other suitors in the house as I am than you, I would


s: soon send some of them off sick and sorry, for they mean


s: Thus did he speak, and they all of them laughed heartily, which


s: put them in a better humour with Telemachus; so Eumaeus brought


s: the bow on and placed it in the hands of Ulysses. When he had


s: done this, he called Euryclea apart and said to her, "Euryclea,


s: Telemachus says you are to close the doors of the women's


s: apartments. If they hear any groaning or uproar as of men


s: fighting about the house, they are not to come out, but are to


s: keep quiet and stay where they are at their work."


s: Euryclea did as she was told and closed the doors of the women's


s: Meanwhile Philoetius slipped quietly out and made fast the gates


s: of the outer court. There was a ship's cable of byblus fibre


s: lying in the gatehouse, so he made the gates fast with it and


s: then came in again, resuming the seat that he had left, and


s: keeping an eye on Ulysses, who had now got the bow in his hands,


s: and was turning it every way about, and proving it all over to


s: see whether the worms had been eating into its two horns during


s: his absence. Then would one turn towards his neighbour saying,


s: "This is some tricky old bow-fancier; either he has got one like


s: it at home, or he wants to make one, in such workmanlike style


s: Another said, "I hope he may be no more successful in other


s: things than he is likely to be in stringing this bow."


s: But Ulysses, when he had taken it up and examined it all over,


s: strung it as easily as a skilled bard strings a new peg of his


s: lyre and makes the twisted gut fast at both ends. Then he took


s: it in his right hand to prove the string, and it sang sweetly


s: under his touch like the twittering of a swallow. The suitors


s: were dismayed, and turned colour as they heard it; at that


s: moment, moreover, Jove thundered loudly as a sign, and the heart


s: of Ulysses rejoiced as he heard the omen that the son of


s: He took an arrow that was lying upon the table {165}--for those


s: which the Achaeans were so shortly about to taste were all


s: inside the quiver--he laid it on the centre-piece of the bow,


s: and drew the notch of the arrow and the string toward him, still


s: seated on his seat. When he had taken aim he let fly, and his


s: arrow pierced every one of the handle-holes of the axes from the


s: first onwards till it had gone right through them, and into the


s: outer courtyard.  Then he said to Telemachus:


s: "Your guest has not disgraced you, Telemachus. I did not miss


s: what I aimed at, and I was not long in stringing my bow. I am


s: still strong, and not as the suitors twit me with being. Now,


s: however, it is time for the Achaeans to prepare supper while


s: there is still daylight, and then otherwise to disport


s: themselves with song and dance which are the crowning ornaments


s: As he spoke he made a sign with his eyebrows, and Telemachus


s: girded on his sword, grasped his spear, and stood armed beside


s: Then Ulysses tore off his rags, and sprang on to the broad


s: pavement with his bow and his quiver full of arrows. He shed the


s: arrows on to the ground at his feet and said, "The mighty


s: contest is at an end. I will now see whether Apollo will


s: vouchsafe it to me to hit another mark which no man has yet


s: On this he aimed a deadly arrow at Antinous, who was about to


s: take up a two-handled gold cup to drink his wine and already had


s: it in his hands. He had no thought of death--who amongst all


s: the revellers would think that one man, however brave, would


s: stand alone among so many and kill him? The arrow struck


s: Antinous in the throat, and the point went clean through his


s: neck, so that he fell over and the cup dropped from his hand,


s: while a thick stream of blood gushed from his nostrils. He


s: kicked the table from him and upset the things on it, so that


s: the bread and roasted meats were all soiled as they fell over on


s: to the ground. {166} The suitors were in an uproar when they saw


s: that a man had been hit; they sprang in dismay one and all of


s: them from their seats and looked everywhere towards the walls,


s: but there was neither shield nor spear, and they rebuked Ulysses


s: very angrily. "Stranger," said they, "you shall pay for shooting


s: people in this way: you shall see no other contest; you are a


s: doomed man; he whom you have slain was the foremost youth in


s: Ithaca, and the vultures shall devour you for having killed


s: Thus they spoke, for they thought that he had killed Antinous by


s: mistake, and did not perceive that death was hanging over the


s: head of every one of them. But Ulysses glared at them and said:


s: "Dogs, did you think that I should not come back from Troy?  You


s: have wasted my substance, {167} have forced my women servants to


s: lie with you, and have wooed my wife while I was still living.


s: You have feared neither God nor man, and now you shall die."


s: They turned pale with fear as he spoke, and every man looked


s: round about to see whither he might fly for safety, but


s: "If you are Ulysses," said he, "then what you have said is just.


s: We have done much wrong on your lands and in your house. But


s: Antinous who was the head and front of the offending lies low


s: already. It was all his doing. It was not that he wanted to


s: marry Penelope; he did not so much care about that; what he


s: wanted was something quite different, and Jove has not


s: vouchsafed it to him; he wanted to kill your son and to be chief


s: man in Ithaca.  Now, therefore, that he has met the death which


s: was his due, spare the lives of your people. We will make


s: everything good among ourselves, and pay you in full for all


s: that we have eaten and drunk. Each one of us shall pay you a


s: fine worth twenty oxen, and we will keep on giving you gold and


s: bronze till your heart is softened. Until we have done this no


s: one can complain of your being enraged against us."


s: Ulysses again glared at him and said, "Though you should give me


s: all that you have in the world both now and all that you ever


s: shall have, I will not stay my hand till I have paid all of you


s: in full. You must fight, or fly for your lives; and fly, not a


s: Their hearts sank as they heard him, but Eurymachus again spoke


s: "My friends, this man will give us no quarter. He will stand


s: where he is and shoot us down till he has killed every man among


s: us. Let us then show fight; draw your swords, and hold up the


s: tables to shield you from his arrows. Let us have at him with a


s: rush, to drive him from the pavement and doorway: we can then


s: get through into the town, and raise such an alarm as shall soon


s: As he spoke he drew his keen blade of bronze, sharpened on both


s: sides, and with a loud cry sprang towards Ulysses, but Ulysses


s: instantly shot an arrow into his breast that caught him by the


s: nipple and fixed itself in his liver. He dropped his sword and


s: fell doubled up over his table. The cup and all the meats went


s: over on to the ground as he smote the earth with his forehead in


s: the agonies of death, and he kicked the stool with his feet


s: Then Amphinomus drew his sword and made straight at Ulysses to


s: try and get him away from the door; but Telemachus was too quick


s: for him, and struck him from behind; the spear caught him


s: between the shoulders and went right through his chest, so that


s: he fell heavily to the ground and struck the earth with his


s: forehead. Then Telemachus sprang away from him, leaving his


s: spear still in the body, for he feared that if he stayed to draw


s: it out, some one of the Achaeans might come up and hack at him


s: with his sword, or knock him down, so he set off at a run, and


s: immediately was at his father's side. Then he said:


s: "Father, let me bring you a shield, two spears, and a brass


s: helmet for your temples. I will arm myself as well, and will


s: bring other armour for the swineherd and the stockman, for we


s: "Run and fetch them," answered Ulysses, "while my arrows hold


s: out, or when I am alone they may get me away from the door."


s: Telemachus did as his father said, and went off to the store


s: room where the armour was kept. He chose four shields, eight


s: spears, and four brass helmets with horse-hair plumes. He


s: brought them with all speed to his father, and armed himself


s: first, while the stockman and the swineherd also put on their


s: armour, and took their places near Ulysses. Meanwhile Ulysses,


s: as long as his arrows lasted, had been shooting the suitors one


s: by one, and they fell thick on one another: when his arrows gave


s: out, he set the bow to stand against the end wall of the house


s: by the door post, and hung a shield four hides thick about his


s: shoulders; on his comely head he set his helmet, well wrought


s: with a crest of horse-hair that nodded menacingly above it,


s: {168} and he grasped two redoubtable bronze-shod spears.


s: Now there was a trap door {169} on the wall, while at one end of


s: the pavement {170} there was an exit leading to a narrow


s: passage, and this exit was closed by a well-made door.  Ulysses


s: told Philoetius to stand by this door and guard it, for only one


s: person could attack it at a time. But Agelaus shouted out,


s: "Cannot some one go up to the trap door and tell the people what


s: is going on? Help would come at once, and we should soon make an


s: "This may not be, Agelaus," answered Melanthius, "the mouth of


s: the narrow passage is dangerously near the entrance to the outer


s: court. One brave man could prevent any number from getting in.


s: But I know what I will do, I will bring you arms from the


s: store-room, for I am sure it is there that Ulysses and his son


s: On this the goatherd Melanthius went by back passages to the


s: store-room of Ulysses' house. There he chose twelve shields,


s: with as many helmets and spears, and brought them back as fast


s: as he could to give them to the suitors.  Ulysses' heart began


s: to fail him when he saw the suitors {171} putting on their


s: armour and brandishing their spears. He saw the greatness of the


s: danger, and said to Telemachus, "Some one of the women inside is


s: helping the suitors against us, or it may be Melanthius."


s: Telemachus answered, "The fault, father, is mine, and mine only;


s: I left the store room door open, and they have kept a sharper


s: look out than I have. Go, Eumaeus, put the door to, and see


s: whether it is one of the women who is doing this, or whether, as


s: I suspect, it is Melanthius the son of Dolius."


s: Thus did they converse. Meanwhile Melanthius was again going to


s: the store room to fetch more armour, but the swineherd saw him


s: and said to Ulysses who was beside him, "Ulysses, noble son of


s: Laertes, it is that scoundrel Melanthius, just as we suspected,


s: who is going to the store room. Say, shall I kill him, if I can


s: get the better of him, or shall I bring him here that you may


s: take your own revenge for all the many wrongs that he has done


s: Ulysses answered, "Telemachus and I will hold these suitors in


s: check, no matter what they do; go back both of you and bind


s: Melanthius' hands and feet behind him. Throw him into the store


s: room and make the door fast behind you; then fasten a noose


s: about his body, and string him close up to the rafters from a


s: high bearing-post, {172} that he may linger on in an agony."


s: Thus did he speak, and they did even as he had said; they went


s: to the store room, which they entered before Melanthius saw


s: them, for he was busy searching for arms in the innermost part


s: of the room, so the two took their stand on either side of the


s: door and waited. By and by Melanthius came out with a helmet in


s: one hand, and an old dry-rotted shield in the other, which had


s: been borne by Laertes when he was young, but which had been long


s: since thrown aside, and the straps had become unsewn; on this


s: the two seized him, dragged him back by the hair, and threw him


s: struggling to the ground. They bent his hands and feet well


s: behind his back, and bound them tight with a painful bond as


s: Ulysses had told them; then they fastened a noose about his body


s: and strung him up from a high pillar till he was close up to the


s: rafters, and over him did you then vaunt, O swineherd Eumaeus


s: saying, "Melanthius, you will pass the night on a soft bed as


s: you deserve. You will know very well when morning comes from the


s: streams of Oceanus, and it is time for you to be driving in your


s: There, then, they left him in very cruel bondage, and having put


s: on their armour they closed the door behind them and went back


s: to take their places by the side of Ulysses; whereon the four


s: men stood in the cloister, fierce and full of fury;


s: nevertheless, those who were in the body of the court were still


s: both brave and many. Then Jove's daughter Minerva came up to


s: them, having assumed the voice and form of Mentor. Ulysses was


s: glad when he saw her and said, "Mentor, lend me your help, and


s: forget not your old comrade, nor the many good turns he has done


s: But all the time he felt sure it was Minerva, and the suitors


s: from the other side raised an uproar when they saw her. Agelaus


s: was the first to reproach her. "Mentor," he cried, "do not let


s: Ulysses beguile you into siding with him and fighting the


s: suitors. This is what we will do:  when we have killed these


s: people, father and son, we will kill you too. You shall pay for


s: it with your head, and when we have killed you, we will take all


s: you have, in doors or out, and bring it into hotch-pot with


s: Ulysses' property; we will not let your sons live in your house,


s: nor your daughters, nor shall your widow continue to live in the


s: This made Minerva still more furious, so she scolded Ulysses


s: very angrily. {173} "Ulysses," said she, "your strength and


s: prowess are no longer what they were when you fought for nine


s: long years among the Trojans about the noble lady Helen. You


s: killed many a man in those days, and it was through your


s: stratagem that Priam's city was taken. How comes it that you are


s: so lamentably less valiant now that you are on your own ground,


s: face to face with the suitors in your own house? Come on, my


s: good fellow, stand by my side and see how Mentor, son of


s: Alcimus shall fight your foes and requite your kindnesses


s: But she would not give him full victory as yet, for she wished


s: still further to prove his own prowess and that of his brave


s: son, so she flew up to one of the rafters in the roof of the


s: cloister and sat upon it in the form of a swallow.


s: Demoptolemus, Pisander, and Polybus son of Polyctor bore the


s: brunt of the fight upon the suitors' side; of all those who were


s: still fighting for their lives they were by far the most


s: valiant, for the others had already fallen under the arrows of


s: Ulysses. Agelaus shouted to them and said, "My friends, he will


s: soon have to leave off, for Mentor has gone away after having


s: done nothing for him but brag. They are standing at the doors


s: unsupported. Do not aim at him all at once, but six of you throw


s: your spears first, and see if you cannot cover yourselves with


s: glory by killing him. When he has fallen we need not be uneasy


s: They threw their spears as he bade them, but Minerva made them


s: all of no effect. One hit the door post; another went against


s: the door; the pointed shaft of another struck the wall; and as


s: soon as they had avoided all the spears of the suitors Ulysses


s: said to his own men, "My friends, I should say we too had better


s: let drive into the middle of them, or they will crown all the


s: harm they have done us by killing us outright."


s: They therefore aimed straight in front of them and threw their


s: spears. Ulysses killed Demoptolemus, Telemachus Euryades,


s: Eumaeus Elatus, while the stockman killed Pisander. These all


s: bit the dust, and as the others drew back into a corner Ulysses


s: and his men rushed forward and regained their spears by drawing


s: The suitors now aimed a second time, but again Minerva made


s: their weapons for the most part without effect. One hit a


s: bearing-post of the cloister; another went against the door;


s: while the pointed shaft of another struck the wall.  Still,


s: Amphimedon just took a piece of the top skin from off


s: Telemachus's wrist, and Ctesippus managed to graze Eumaeus's


s: shoulder above his shield; but the spear went on and fell to the


s: ground. Then Ulysses and his men let drive into the crowd of


s: suitors. Ulysses hit Eurydamas, Telemachus Amphimedon, and


s: Eumaeus Polybus. After this the stockman hit Ctesippus in the


s: breast, and taunted him saying, "Foul-mouthed son of


s: Polytherses, do not be so foolish as to talk wickedly another


s: time, but let heaven direct your speech, for the gods are far


s: stronger than men. I make you a present of this advice to repay


s: you for the foot which you gave Ulysses when he was begging


s: Thus spoke the stockman, and Ulysses struck the son of Damastor


s: with a spear in close fight, while Telemachus hit Leocritus son


s: of Evenor in the belly, and the dart went clean through him, so


s: that he fell forward full on his face upon the ground. Then


s: Minerva from her seat on the rafter held up her deadly aegis,


s: and the hearts of the suitors quailed. They fled to the other


s: end of the court like a herd of cattle maddened by the gadfly in


s: early summer when the days are at their longest. As


s: eagle-beaked, crook-taloned vultures from the mountains swoop


s: down on the smaller birds that cower in flocks upon the ground,


s: and kill them, for they cannot either fight or fly, and lookers


s: on enjoy the sport--even so did Ulysses and his men fall upon


s: the suitors and smite them on every side. They made a horrible


s: groaning as their brains were being battered in, and the ground


s: Leiodes then caught the knees of Ulysses and said, "Ulysses I


s: beseech you have mercy upon me and spare me. I never wronged any


s: of the women in your house either in word or deed, and I tried


s: to stop the others. I saw them, but they would not listen, and


s: now they are paying for their folly. I was their sacrificing


s: priest; if you kill me, I shall die without having done anything


s: to deserve it, and shall have got no thanks for all the good


s: Ulysses looked sternly at him and answered, "If you were their


s: sacrificing priest, you must have prayed many a time that it


s: might be long before I got home again, and that you might marry


s: my wife and have children by her.  Therefore you shall die."


s: With these words he picked up the sword that Agelaus had dropped


s: when he was being killed, and which was lying upon the ground.


s: Then he struck Leiodes on the back of his neck, so that his head


s: fell rolling in the dust while he was yet speaking.


s: The minstrel Phemius son of Terpes--he who had been forced by


s: the suitors to sing to them--now tried to save his life. He was


s: standing near towards the trap door, {174} and held his lyre in


s: his hand. He did not know whether to fly out of the cloister and


s: sit down by the altar of Jove that was in the outer court, and


s: on which both Laertes and Ulysses had offered up the thigh bones


s: of many an ox, or whether to go straight up to Ulysses and


s: embrace his knees, but in the end he deemed it best to embrace


s: Ulysses' knees. So he laid his lyre on the ground between the


s: mixing bowl {175} and the silver-studded seat; then going up to


s: Ulysses he caught hold of his knees and said, "Ulysses, I


s: beseech you have mercy on me and spare me. You will be sorry for


s: it afterwards if you kill a bard who can sing both for gods and


s: men as I can. I make all my lays myself, and heaven visits me


s: with every kind of inspiration. I would sing to you as though


s: you were a god, do not therefore be in such a hurry to cut my


s: head off. Your own son Telemachus will tell you that I did not


s: want to frequent your house and sing to the suitors after their


s: meals, but they were too many and too strong for me, so they


s: Telemachus heard him, and at once went up to his father.


s: "Hold!" he cried, "the man is guiltless, do him no hurt; and we


s: will spare Medon too, who was always good to me when I was a


s: boy, unless Philoetius or Eumaeus has already killed him, or he


s: has fallen in your way when you were raging about the court."


s: Medon caught these words of Telemachus, for he was crouching


s: under a seat beneath which he had hidden by covering himself up


s: with a freshly flayed heifer's hide, so he threw off the hide,


s: went up to Telemachus, and laid hold of his knees.


s: "Here I am, my dear sir," said he, "stay your hand therefore,


s: and tell your father, or he will kill me in his rage against the


s: suitors for having wasted his substance and been so foolishly


s: Ulysses smiled at him and answered, "Fear not; Telemachus has


s: saved your life, that you may know in future, and tell other


s: people, how greatly better good deeds prosper than evil ones.


s: Go, therefore, outside the cloisters into the outer court, and


s: be out of the way of the slaughter--you and the bard--while I


s: The pair went into the outer court as fast as they could, and


s: sat down by Jove's great altar, looking fearfully round, and


s: still expecting that they would be killed. Then Ulysses searched


s: the whole court carefully over, to see if anyone had managed to


s: hide himself and was still living, but he found them all lying


s: in the dust and weltering in their blood. They were like fishes


s: which fishermen have netted out of the sea, and thrown upon the


s: beach to lie gasping for water till the heat of the sun makes an


s: end of them. Even so were the suitors lying all huddled up one


s: Then Ulysses said to Telemachus, "Call nurse Euryclea; I have


s: Telemachus went and knocked at the door of the women's room.


s: "Make haste," said he, "you old woman who have been set over all


s: the other women in the house. Come outside; my father wishes to


s: When Euryclea heard this she unfastened the door of the women's


s: room and came out, following Telemachus. She found Ulysses among


s: the corpses bespattered with blood and filth like a lion that


s: has just been devouring an ox, and his breast and both his


s: cheeks are all bloody, so that he is a fearful sight; even so


s: was Ulysses besmirched from head to foot with gore. When she saw


s: all the corpses and such a quantity of blood, she was beginning


s: to cry out for joy, for she saw that a great deed had been done;


s: but Ulysses checked her, "Old woman," said he, "rejoice in


s: silence; restrain yourself, and do not make any noise about it;


s: it is an unholy thing to vaunt over dead men. Heaven's doom and


s: their own evil deeds have brought these men to destruction, for


s: they respected no man in the whole world, neither rich nor poor,


s: who came near them, and they have come to a bad end as a


s: punishment for their wickedness and folly. Now, however, tell me


s: which of the women in the house have misconducted themselves,


s: "I will tell you the truth, my son," answered Euryclea.  "There


s: are fifty women in the house whom we teach to do things, such as


s: carding wool, and all kinds of household work. Of these, twelve


s: in all {177} have misbehaved, and have been wanting in respect


s: to me, and also to Penelope. They showed no disrespect to


s: Telemachus, for he has only lately grown and his mother never


s: permitted him to give orders to the female servants; but let me


s: go upstairs and tell your wife all that has happened, for some


s: "Do not wake her yet," answered Ulysses, "but tell the women who


s: have misconducted themselves to come to me."


s: Euryclea left the cloister to tell the women, and make them come


s: to Ulysses; in the meantime he called Telemachus, the stockman,


s: and the swineherd. "Begin," said he, "to remove the dead, and


s: make the women help you. Then, get sponges and clean water to


s: swill down the tables and seats. When you have thoroughly


s: cleansed the whole cloisters, take the women into the space


s: between the domed room and the wall of the outer court, and run


s: them through with your swords till they are quite dead, and have


s: forgotten all about love and the way in which they used to lie


s: On this the women came down in a body, weeping and wailing


s: bitterly. First they carried the dead bodies out, and propped


s: them up against one another in the gatehouse.  Ulysses ordered


s: them about and made them do their work quickly, so they had to


s: carry the bodies out. When they had done this, they cleaned all


s: the tables and seats with sponges and water, while Telemachus


s: and the two others shovelled up the blood and dirt from the


s: ground, and the women carried it all away and put it out of


s: doors. Then when they had made the whole place quite clean and


s: orderly, they took the women out and hemmed them in the narrow


s: space between the wall of the domed room and that of the yard,


s: so that they could not get away: and Telemachus said to the


s: other two, "I shall not let these women die a clean death, for


s: they were insolent to me and my mother, and used to sleep with


s: So saying he made a ship's cable fast to one of the


s: bearing-posts that supported the roof of the domed room, and


s: secured it all around the building, at a good height, lest any


s: of the women's feet should touch the ground; and as thrushes or


s: doves beat against a net that has been set for them in a thicket


s: just as they were getting to their nest, and a terrible fate


s: awaits them, even so did the women have to put their heads in


s: nooses one after the other and die most miserably. {178} Their


s: feet moved convulsively for a while, but not for very long.


s: As for Melanthius, they took him through the cloister into the


s: inner court. There they cut off his nose and his ears; they drew


s: out his vitals and gave them to the dogs raw, and then in their


s: fury they cut off his hands and his feet.


s: When they had done this they washed their hands and feet and


s: went back into the house, for all was now over; and Ulysses said


s: to the dear old nurse Euryclea, "Bring me sulphur, which


s: cleanses all pollution, and fetch fire also that I may burn it,


s: and purify the cloisters. Go, moreover, and tell Penelope to