s: "'Let me tell you,' said I, 'whichever of the goddesses you may


s: happen to be, that I am not staying here of my own accord, but


s: must have offended the gods that live in heaven. Tell me,


s: therefore, for the gods know everything, which of the immortals


s: it is that is hindering me in this way, and tell me also how I


s: may sail the sea so as to reach my home.'


s: "'Stranger,' replied she, 'I will make it all quite clear to


s: you.  There is an old immortal who lives under the sea


s: people say he is my father; he is Neptune's head man and knows


s: every inch of ground all over the bottom of the sea. If you can


s: snare him and hold him tight, he will tell you about your


s: voyage, what courses you are to take, and how you are to sail


s: the sea so as to reach your home. He will also tell you, if you


s: so will, all that has been going on at your house both good and


s: bad, while you have been away on your long and dangerous


s: "'Can you show me,' said I, 'some stratagem by means of which I


s: may catch this old god without his suspecting it and finding me


s: out? For a god is not easily caught--not by a mortal man.'


s: "'Stranger,' said she, 'I will make it all quite clear to you.


s: About the time when the sun shall have reached mid heaven, the


s: old man of the sea comes up from under the waves, heralded by


s: the West wind that furs the water over his head. As soon as he


s: has come up he lies down, and goes to sleep in a great sea cave,


s: where the seals--Halosydne's chickens as they call them--come up


s: also from the grey sea, and go to sleep in shoals all round him;


s: and a very strong and fish-like smell do they bring with them.


s: {44} Early to-morrow morning I will take you to this place and


s: will lay you in ambush. Pick out, therefore, the three best men


s: you have in your fleet, and I will tell you all the tricks that


s: "'First he will look over all his seals, and count them; then,


s: when he has seen them and tallied them on his five fingers, he


s: will go to sleep among them, as a shepherd among his sheep. The


s: moment you see that he is asleep seize him; put forth all your


s: strength and hold him fast, for he will do his very utmost to


s: get away from you. He will turn himself into every kind of


s: creature that goes upon the earth, and will become also both


s: fire and water; but you must hold him fast and grip him tighter


s: and tighter, till he begins to talk to you and comes back to


s: what he was when you saw him go to sleep; then you may slacken


s: your hold and let him go; and you can ask him which of the gods


s: it is that is angry with you, and what you must do to reach your


s: "Having so said she dived under the waves, whereon I turned back


s: to the place where my ships were ranged upon the shore; and my


s: heart was clouded with care as I went along.  When I reached my


s: ship we got supper ready, for night was falling, and camped down


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


s: the three men on whose prowess of all kinds I could most rely,


s: and went along by the sea-side, praying heartily to heaven.


s: Meanwhile the goddess fetched me up four seal skins from the


s: bottom of the sea, all of them just skinned, for she meant


s: playing a trick upon her father. Then she dug four pits for us


s: to lie in, and sat down to wait till we should come up. When we


s: were close to her, she made us lie down in the pits one after


s: the other, and threw a seal skin over each of us. Our ambuscade


s: would have been intolerable, for the stench of the fishy seals


s: was most distressing {45}--who would go to bed with a sea


s: monster if he could help it?--but here, too, the goddess helped


s: us, and thought of something that gave us great relief, for she


s: put some ambrosia under each man's nostrils, which was so


s: fragrant that it killed the smell of the seals. {46}


s: "We waited the whole morning and made the best of it, watching


s: the seals come up in hundreds to bask upon the sea shore, till


s: at noon the old man of the sea came up too, and when he had


s: found his fat seals he went over them and counted them. We were


s: among the first he counted, and he never suspected any guile,


s: but laid himself down to sleep as soon as he had done counting.


s: Then we rushed upon him with a shout and seized him; on which he


s: began at once with his old tricks, and changed himself first


s: into a lion with a great mane; then all of a sudden he became a


s: dragon, a leopard, a wild boar; the next moment he was running


s: water, and then again directly he was a tree, but we stuck to


s: him and never lost hold, till at last the cunning old creature


s: became distressed, and said, 'Which of the gods was it, Son of


s: Atreus, that hatched this plot with you for snaring me and


s: seizing me against my will?  What do you want?'


s: "'You know that yourself, old man,' I answered, 'you will gain


s: nothing by trying to put me off. It is because I have been kept


s: so long in this island, and see no sign of my being able to get


s: away. I am losing all heart; tell me, then, for you gods know


s: everything, which of the immortals it is that is hindering me,


s: and tell me also how I may sail the sea so as to reach my home?'


s: "Then,' he said, 'if you would finish your voyage and get home


s: quickly, you must offer sacrifices to Jove and to the rest of


s: the gods before embarking; for it is decreed that you shall not


s: get back to your friends, and to your own house, till you have


s: hecatombs to the immortal gods that reign in heaven. When you


s: have done this they will let you finish your voyage.'


s: "I was broken hearted when I heard that I must go back all that


s: answered, 'I will do all, old man, that you have laid upon me;


s: but now tell me, and tell me true, whether all the Achaeans whom


s: Nestor and I left behind us when we set sail from Troy have got


s: home safely, or whether any one of them came to a bad end either


s: on board his own ship or among his friends when the days of his


s: "'Son of Atreus,' he answered, 'why ask me? You had better not


s: know what I can tell you, for your eyes will surely fill when


s: you have heard my story. Many of those about whom you ask are


s: dead and gone, but many still remain, and only two of the chief


s: men among the Achaeans perished during their return home. As for


s: what happened on the field of battle--you were there yourself. A


s: third Achaean leader is still at sea, alive, but hindered from


s: returning. Ajax was wrecked, for Neptune drove him on to the


s: great rocks of Gyrae; nevertheless, he let him get safe out of


s: the water, and in spite of all Minerva's hatred he would have


s: escaped death, if he had not ruined himself by boasting.  He


s: said the gods could not drown him even though they had tried to


s: do so, and when Neptune heard this large talk, he seized his


s: trident in his two brawny hands, and split the rock of Gyrae in


s: two pieces.  The base remained where it was, but the part on


s: which Ajax was sitting fell headlong into the sea and carried


s: Ajax with it; so he drank salt water and was drowned.


s: "'Your brother and his ships escaped, for Juno protected him,


s: but when he was just about to reach the high promontory of


s: Malea, he was caught by a heavy gale which carried him out to


s: sea again sorely against his will, and drove him to the foreland


s: where Thyestes used to dwell, but where Aegisthus was then


s: living. By and by, however, it seemed as though he was to return


s: safely after all, for the gods backed the wind into its old


s: quarter and they reached home; whereon Agamemnon kissed his


s: native soil, and shed tears of joy at finding himself in his own


s: "'Now there was a watchman whom Aegisthus kept always on the


s: watch, and to whom he had promised two talents of gold. This man


s: had been looking out for a whole year to make sure that


s: Agamemnon did not give him the slip and prepare war; when,


s: therefore, this man saw Agamemnon go by, he went and told


s: Aegisthus, who at once began to lay a plot for him. He picked


s: twenty of his bravest warriors and placed them in ambuscade on


s: one side the cloister, while on the opposite side he prepared a


s: banquet. Then he sent his chariots and horsemen to Agamemnon,


s: and invited him to the feast, but he meant foul play. He got him


s: there, all unsuspicious of the doom that was awaiting him, and


s: killed him when the banquet was over as though he were


s: butchering an ox in the shambles; not one of Agamemnon's


s: followers was left alive, nor yet one of Aegisthus', but they


s: were all killed there in the cloisters.'


s: "Thus spoke Proteus, and I was broken hearted as I heard him. I


s: sat down upon the sands and wept; I felt as though I could no


s: longer bear to live nor look upon the light of the sun.


s: Presently, when I had had my fill of weeping and writhing upon


s: the ground, the old man of the sea said, 'Son of Atreus, do not


s: waste any more time in crying so bitterly; it can do no manner


s: of good; find your way home as fast as ever you can, for


s: Aegisthus may be still alive, and even though Orestes has been


s: beforehand with you in killing him, you may yet come in for his


s: "On this I took comfort in spite of all my sorrow, and said, 'I


s: know, then, about these two; tell me, therefore, about the third


s: man of whom you spoke; is he still alive, but at sea, and unable


s: to get home? or is he dead? Tell me, no matter how much it may


s: "'The third man,' he answered, 'is Ulysses who dwells in Ithaca.


s: I can see him in an island sorrowing bitterly in the house of


s: the nymph Calypso, who is keeping him prisoner, and he cannot


s: reach his home for he has no ships nor sailors to take him over


s: the sea. As for your own end, Menelaus, you shall not die in


s: Argos, but the gods will take you to the Elysian plain, which is


s: at the ends of the world. There fair-haired Rhadamanthus reigns,


s: and men lead an easier life than any where else in the world,


s: for in Elysium there falls not rain, nor hail, nor snow, but


s: Oceanus breathes ever with a West wind that sings softly from


s: the sea, and gives fresh life to all men. This will happen to


s: you because you have married Helen, and are Jove's son-in-law.'


s: "As he spoke he dived under the waves, whereon I turned back to


s: the ships with my companions, and my heart was clouded with care


s: as I went along. When we reached the ships we got supper ready,


s: for night was falling, and camped down upon the beach. When the


s: child of morning, rosy-fingered Dawn appeared, we drew our ships


s: into the water, and put our masts and sails within them; then we


s: went on board ourselves, took our seats on the benches, and


s: smote the grey sea with our oars. I again stationed my ships in


s: full and sufficient. When I had thus appeased heaven's anger, I


s: raised a barrow to the memory of Agamemnon that his name might


s: live for ever, after which I had a quick passage home, for the


s: "And now for yourself--stay here some ten or twelve days longer,


s: and I will then speed you on your way. I will make you a noble


s: present of a chariot and three horses. I will also give you a


s: beautiful chalice that so long as you live you may think of me


s: whenever you make a drink-offering to the immortal gods."


s: "Son of Atreus," replied Telemachus, "do not press me to stay


s: longer; I should be contented to remain with you for another


s: twelve months; I find your conversation so delightful that I


s: should never once wish myself at home with my parents; but my


s: crew whom I have left at Pylos are already impatient, and you


s: are detaining me from them. As for any present you may be


s: disposed to make me, I had rather that it should be a piece of


s: plate. I will take no horses back with me to Ithaca, but will


s: leave them to adorn your own stables, for you have much flat


s: ground in your kingdom where lotus thrives, as also meadow-sweet


s: and wheat and barley, and oats with their white and spreading


s: ears; whereas in Ithaca we have neither open fields nor


s: racecourses, and the country is more fit for goats than horses,


s: and I like it the better for that. {48} None of our islands have


s: much level ground, suitable for horses, and Ithaca least of


s: Menelaus smiled and took Telemachus's hand within his own.


s: "What you say," said he, "shows that you come of good family. I


s: both can, and will, make this exchange for you, by giving you


s: the finest and most precious piece of plate in all my house. It


s: is a mixing bowl by Vulcan's own hand, of pure silver, except


s: the rim, which is inlaid with gold.  Phaedimus, king of the


s: Sidonians, gave it me in the course of a visit which I paid him


s: when I returned thither on my homeward journey. I will make you


s: Thus did they converse [and guests kept coming to the king's


s: house. They brought sheep and wine, while their wives had put up


s: bread for them to take with them; so they were busy cooking


s: Meanwhile the suitors were throwing discs or aiming with spears


s: at a mark on the levelled ground in front of Ulysses' house, and


s: were behaving with all their old insolence. Antinous and


s: Eurymachus, who were their ringleaders and much the foremost


s: among them all, were sitting together when Noemon son of


s: "Have we any idea, Antinous, on what day Telemachus returns from


s: Pylos? He has a ship of mine, and I want it, to cross over to


s: Elis: I have twelve brood mares there with yearling mule foals


s: by their side not yet broken in, and I want to bring one of them


s: They were astounded when they heard this, for they had made sure


s: that Telemachus had not gone to the city of Neleus.  They


s: thought he was only away somewhere on the farms, and was with


s: the sheep, or with the swineherd; so Antinous said, "When did he


s: go? Tell me truly, and what young men did he take with him? Were


s: they freemen or his own bondsmen--for he might manage that too?


s: Tell me also, did you let him have the ship of your own free


s: will because he asked you, or did he take it without your


s: "I lent it him," answered Noemon, "what else could I do when a


s: man of his position said he was in a difficulty, and asked me to


s: oblige him? I could not possibly refuse.  As for those who went


s: with him they were the best young men we have, and I saw Mentor


s: go on board as captain--or some god who was exactly like him. I


s: cannot understand it, for I saw Mentor here myself yesterday


s: morning, and yet he was then setting out for Pylos."


s: Noemon then went back to his father's house, but Antinous and


s: Eurymachus were very angry. They told the others to leave off


s: playing, and to come and sit down along with themselves. When


s: they came, Antinous son of Eupeithes spoke in anger. His heart


s: was black with rage, and his eyes flashed fire as he said:


s: "Good heavens, this voyage of Telemachus is a very serious


s: matter; we had made sure that it would come to nothing, but the


s: young fellow has got away in spite of us, and with a picked crew


s: too. He will be giving us trouble presently; may Jove take him


s: before he is full grown. Find me a ship, therefore, with a crew


s: of twenty men, and I will lie in wait for him in the straits


s: between Ithaca and Samos; he will then rue the day that he set


s: Thus did he speak, and the others applauded his saying; they


s: then all of them went inside the buildings.


s: It was not long ere Penelope came to know what the suitors were


s: plotting; for a man servant, Medon, overheard them from outside


s: the outer court as they were laying their schemes within, and


s: went to tell his mistress. As he crossed the threshold of her


s: room Penelope said: "Medon, what have the suitors sent you here


s: for? Is it to tell the maids to leave their master's business


s: and cook dinner for them? I wish they may neither woo nor dine


s: henceforward, neither here nor anywhere else, but let this be


s: the very last time, for the waste you all make of my son's


s: estate.  Did not your fathers tell you when you were children,


s: how good Ulysses had been to them--never doing anything


s: high-handed, nor speaking harshly to anybody? Kings may say


s: things sometimes, and they may take a fancy to one man and


s: dislike another, but Ulysses never did an unjust thing by


s: anybody--which shows what bad hearts you have, and that there is


s: no such thing as gratitude left in this world."


s: Then Medon said, "I wish, Madam, that this were all; but they


s: are plotting something much more dreadful now--may heaven


s: frustrate their design. They are going to try and murder


s: Telemachus as he is coming home from Pylos and Lacedaemon, where


s: Then Penelope's heart sank within her, and for a long time she


s: was speechless; her eyes filled with tears, and she could find


s: no utterance. At last, however, she said, "Why did my son leave


s: me? What business had he to go sailing off in ships that make


s: long voyages over the ocean like sea-horses? Does he want to die


s: without leaving any one behind him to keep up his name?"


s: "I do not know," answered Medon, "whether some god set him on to


s: it, or whether he went on his own impulse to see if he could


s: find out if his father was dead, or alive and on his way home."


s: Then he went downstairs again, leaving Penelope in an agony of


s: grief. There were plenty of seats in the house, but she had no


s: heart for sitting on any one of them; she could only fling


s: herself on the floor of her own room and cry; whereon all the


s: maids in the house, both old and young, gathered round her and


s: began to cry too, till at last in a transport of sorrow she


s: "My dears, heaven has been pleased to try me with more


s: affliction than any other woman of my age and country.  First I


s: lost my brave and lion-hearted husband, who had every good


s: quality under heaven, and whose name was great over all Hellas


s: and middle Argos, and now my darling son is at the mercy of the


s: winds and waves, without my having heard one word about his


s: leaving home. You hussies, there was not one of you would so


s: much as think of giving me a call out of my bed, though you all


s: of you very well knew when he was starting. If I had known he


s: meant taking this voyage, he would have had to give it up, no


s: matter how much he was bent upon it, or leave me a corpse behind


s: him--one or other. Now, however, go some of you and call old


s: Dolius, who was given me by my father on my marriage, and who is


s: my gardener. Bid him go at once and tell everything to Laertes,


s: who may be able to hit on some plan for enlisting public


s: sympathy on our side, as against those who are trying to


s: exterminate his own race and that of Ulysses."


s: Then the dear old nurse Euryclea said, "You may kill me, Madam,


s: or let me live on in your house, whichever you please, but I


s: will tell you the real truth. I knew all about it, and gave him


s: everything he wanted in the way of bread and wine, but he made


s: me take my solemn oath that I would not tell you anything for


s: some ten or twelve days, unless you asked or happened to hear of


s: his having gone, for he did not want you to spoil your beauty by


s: crying.  And now, Madam, wash your face, change your dress, and


s: go upstairs with your maids to offer prayers to Minerva,


s: daughter of Aegis-bearing Jove, for she can save him even though


s: he be in the jaws of death. Do not trouble Laertes:  he has


s: trouble enough already. Besides, I cannot think that the gods


s: hate the race of the son of Arceisius so much, but there will be


s: a son left to come up after him, and inherit both the house and


s: the fair fields that lie far all round it."


s: With these words she made her mistress leave off crying, and


s: dried the tears from her eyes. Penelope washed her face, changed


s: her dress, and went upstairs with her maids.  She then put some


s: bruised barley into a basket and began praying to Minerva.


s: "Hear me," she cried, "Daughter of Aegis-bearing Jove,


s: unweariable. If ever Ulysses while he was here burned you fat


s: thigh bones of sheep or heifer, bear it in mind now as in my


s: favour, and save my darling son from the villainy of the


s: She cried aloud as she spoke, and the goddess heard her prayer;


s: meanwhile the suitors were clamorous throughout the covered


s: "The queen is preparing for her marriage with one or other of


s: us. Little does she dream that her son has now been doomed to


s: This was what they said, but they did not know what was going to


s: happen. Then Antinous said, "Comrades, let there be no loud


s: talking, lest some of it get carried inside.  Let us be up and


s: do that in silence, about which we are all of a mind."


s: He then chose twenty men, and they went down to their ship and


s: to the sea side; they drew the vessel into the water and got her


s: mast and sails inside her; they bound the oars to the thole-pins


s: with twisted thongs of leather, all in due course, and spread


s: the white sails aloft, while their fine servants brought them


s: their armour. Then they made the ship fast a little way out,


s: came on shore again, got their suppers, and waited till night


s: But Penelope lay in her own room upstairs unable to eat or


s: drink, and wondering whether her brave son would escape, or be


s: overpowered by the wicked suitors. Like a lioness caught in the


s: toils with huntsmen hemming her in on every side she thought and


s: thought till she sank into a slumber, and lay on her bed bereft


s: Then Minerva bethought her of another matter, and made a vision


s: in the likeness of Penelope's sister Iphthime daughter of


s: Icarius who had married Eumelus and lived in Pherae. She told


s: the vision to go to the house of Ulysses, and to make Penelope


s: leave off crying, so it came into her room by the hole through


s: which the thong went for pulling the door to, and hovered over


s: "You are asleep, Penelope: the gods who live at ease will not


s: suffer you to weep and be so sad. Your son has done them no


s: wrong, so he will yet come back to you."


s: Penelope, who was sleeping sweetly at the gates of dreamland,


s: answered, "Sister, why have you come here? You do not come very


s: often, but I suppose that is because you live such a long way


s: off. Am I, then, to leave off crying and refrain from all the


s: sad thoughts that torture me? I, who have lost my brave and


s: lion-hearted husband, who had every good quality under heaven,


s: and whose name was great over all Hellas and middle Argos; and


s: now my darling son has gone off on board of a ship--a foolish


s: fellow who has never been used to roughing it, nor to going


s: about among gatherings of men. I am even more anxious about him


s: than about my husband; I am all in a tremble when I think of


s: him, lest something should happen to him, either from the people


s: among whom he has gone, or by sea, for he has many enemies who


s: are plotting against him, and are bent on killing him before he


s: Then the vision said, "Take heart, and be not so much dismayed.


s: There is one gone with him whom many a man would be glad enough


s: to have stand by his side, I mean Minerva; it is she who has


s: compassion upon you, and who has sent me to bear you this


s: "Then," said Penelope, "if you are a god or have been sent here


s: by divine commission, tell me also about that other unhappy


s: one--is he still alive, or is he already dead and in the house


s: And the vision said, "I shall not tell you for certain whether


s: he is alive or dead, and there is no use in idle conversation."


s: Then it vanished through the thong-hole of the door and was


s: dissipated into thin air; but Penelope rose from her sleep


s: refreshed and comforted, so vivid had been her dream.


s: Meantime the suitors went on board and sailed their ways over


s: the sea, intent on murdering Telemachus. Now there is a rocky


s: islet called Asteris, of no great size, in mid channel between


s: Ithaca and Samos, and there is a harbour on either side of it


s: where a ship can lie. Here then the Achaeans placed themselves


s: And now, as Dawn rose from her couch beside Tithonus--harbinger


s: of light alike to mortals and immortals--the gods met in council


s: and with them, Jove the lord of thunder, who is their king.


s: Thereon Minerva began to tell them of the many sufferings of


s: Ulysses, for she pitied him away there in the house of the nymph


s: "Father Jove," said she, "and all you other gods that live in


s: everlasting bliss, I hope there may never be such a thing as a


s: kind and well-disposed ruler any more, nor one who will govern


s: equitably. I hope they will be all henceforth cruel and unjust,


s: for there is not one of his subjects but has forgotten Ulysses,


s: who ruled them as though he were their father. There he is,


s: lying in great pain in an island where dwells the nymph Calypso,


s: who will not let him go; and he cannot get back to his own


s: country, for he can find neither ships nor sailors to take him


s: over the sea. Furthermore, wicked people are now trying to


s: murder his only son Telemachus, who is coming home from Pylos


s: and Lacedaemon, where he has been to see if he can get news of


s: "What, my dear, are you talking about?" replied her father, "did


s: you not send him there yourself, because you thought it would


s: help Ulysses to get home and punish the suitors?  Besides, you


s: are perfectly able to protect Telemachus, and to see him safely


s: home again, while the suitors have to come hurry-skurrying back


s: When he had thus spoken, he said to his son Mercury, "Mercury,


s: you are our messenger, go therefore and tell Calypso we have


s: decreed that poor Ulysses is to return home. He is to be


s: convoyed neither by gods nor men, but after a perilous voyage of


s: twenty days upon a raft he is to reach fertile Scheria, {50} the


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


s: will honour him as though he were one of ourselves. They will


s: send him in a ship to his own country, and will give him more


s: bronze and gold and raiment than he would have brought back from


s: Troy, if he had had all his prize money and had got home without


s: disaster. This is how we have settled that he shall return to


s: Thus he spoke, and Mercury, guide and guardian, slayer of Argus,


s: did as he was told. Forthwith he bound on his glittering golden


s: sandals with which he could fly like the wind over land and sea.


s: He took the wand with which he seals men's eyes in sleep or


s: wakes them just as he pleases, and flew holding it in his hand


s: over Pieria; then he swooped down through the firmament till he


s: reached the level of the sea, whose waves he skimmed like a


s: cormorant that flies fishing every hole and corner of the ocean,


s: and drenching its thick plumage in the spray. He flew and flew


s: over many a weary wave, but when at last he got to the island


s: which was his journey's end, he left the sea and went on by land


s: till he came to the cave where the nymph Calypso lived.


s: He found her at home. There was a large fire burning on the


s: hearth, and one could smell from far the fragrant reek of


s: burning cedar and sandal wood. As for herself, she was busy at


s: her loom, shooting her golden shuttle through the warp and


s: singing beautifully. Round her cave there was a thick wood of


s: alder, poplar, and sweet smelling cypress trees, wherein all


s: kinds of great birds had built their nests--owls, hawks, and


s: chattering sea-crows that occupy their business in the waters. A


s: vine loaded with grapes was trained and grew luxuriantly about


s: the mouth of the cave; there were also four running rills of


s: water in channels cut pretty close together, and turned hither


s: and thither so as to irrigate the beds of violets and luscious


s: herbage over which they flowed. {51} Even a god could not help


s: being charmed with such a lovely spot, so Mercury stood still


s: and looked at it; but when he had admired it sufficiently he


s: Calypso knew him at once--for the gods all know each other, no


s: matter how far they live from one another--but Ulysses was not


s: within; he was on the sea-shore as usual, looking out upon the


s: barren ocean with tears in his eyes, groaning and breaking his


s: heart for sorrow. Calypso gave Mercury a seat and said: "Why


s: have you come to see me, Mercury--honoured, and ever


s: welcome--for you do not visit me often?  Say what you want; I


s: will do it for you at once if I can, and if it can be done at


s: all; but come inside, and let me set refreshment before you."


s: As she spoke she drew a table loaded with ambrosia beside him


s: and mixed him some red nectar, so Mercury ate and drank till he


s: "We are speaking god and goddess to one another, and you ask me


s: why I have come here, and I will tell you truly as you would


s: have me do.  Jove sent me; it was no doing of mine; who could


s: possibly want to come all this way over the sea where there are


s: no cities full of people to offer me sacrifices or choice


s: hecatombs?  Nevertheless I had to come, for none of us other


s: gods can cross Jove, nor transgress his orders. He says that you


s: have here the most ill-starred of all those who fought nine


s: years before the city of King Priam and sailed home in the tenth


s: year after having sacked it. On their way home they sinned


s: against Minerva, {52} who raised both wind and waves against


s: them, so that all his brave companions perished, and he alone


s: was carried hither by wind and tide. Jove says that you are to


s: let this man go at once, for it is decreed that he shall not


s: perish here, far from his own people, but shall return to his


s: house and country and see his friends again."


s: Calypso trembled with rage when she heard this, "You gods," she


s: exclaimed, "ought to be ashamed of yourselves.  You are always


s: jealous and hate seeing a goddess take a fancy to a mortal man,


s: and live with him in open matrimony. So when rosy-fingered Dawn


s: made love to Orion, you precious gods were all of you furious


s: till Diana went and killed him in Ortygia. So again when Ceres


s: fell in love with Iasion, and yielded to him in a


s: thrice-ploughed fallow field, Jove came to hear of it before so


s: very long and killed Iasion with his thunderbolts. And now you


s: are angry with me too because I have a man here. I found the


s: poor creature sitting all alone astride of a keel, for Jove had


s: struck his ship with lightning and sunk it in mid ocean, so that


s: all his crew were drowned, while he himself was driven by wind


s: and waves on to my island. I got fond of him and cherished him,


s: and had set my heart on making him immortal, so that he should


s: never grow old all his days; still I cannot cross Jove, nor


s: bring his counsels to nothing; therefore, if he insists upon it,


s: let the man go beyond the seas again; but I cannot send him


s: anywhere myself for I have neither ships nor men who can take


s: him.  Nevertheless I will readily give him such advice, in all


s: good faith, as will be likely to bring him safely to his own


s: "Then send him away," said Mercury, "or Jove will be angry with


s: On this he took his leave, and Calypso went out to look for


s: Ulysses, for she had heard Jove's message. She found him sitting


s: upon the beach with his eyes ever filled with tears, and dying


s: of sheer home sickness; for he had got tired of Calypso, and


s: though he was forced to sleep with her in the cave by night, it


s: was she, not he, that would have it so. As for the day time, he


s: spent it on the rocks and on the sea shore, weeping, crying


s: aloud for his despair, and always looking out upon the sea.


s: "My poor fellow, you shall not stay here grieving and fretting


s: your life out any longer. I am going to send you away of my own


s: free will; so go, cut some beams of wood, and make yourself a


s: large raft with an upper deck that it may carry you safely over


s: the sea. I will put bread, wine, and water on board to save you


s: from starving. I will also give you clothes, and will send you a


s: fair wind to take you home, if the gods in heaven so will


s: it--for they know more about these things, and can settle them


s: Ulysses shuddered as he heard her. "Now goddess," he answered,


s: "there is something behind all this; you cannot be really


s: meaning to help me home when you bid me do such a dreadful thing


s: as put to sea on a raft. Not even a well found ship with a fair


s: wind could venture on such a distant voyage: nothing that you


s: can say or do shall make me go on board a raft unless you first


s: solemnly swear that you mean me no mischief."


s: Calypso smiled at this and caressed him with her hand: "You know


s: a great deal," said she, "but you are quite wrong here. May


s: heaven above and earth below be my witnesses, with the waters of


s: the river Styx--and this is the most solemn oath which a blessed


s: god can take--that I mean you no sort of harm, and am only


s: advising you to do exactly what I should do myself in your


s: place. I am dealing with you quite straightforwardly; my heart


s: is not made of iron, and I am very sorry for you."


s: When she had thus spoken she led the way rapidly before him, and


s: Ulysses followed in her steps; so the pair, goddess and man,


s: went on and on till they came to Calypso's cave, where Ulysses


s: took the seat that Mercury had just left. Calypso set meat and


s: drink before him of the food that mortals eat; but her maids


s: brought ambrosia and nectar for herself, and they laid their


s: hands on the good things that were before them. When they had


s: satisfied themselves with meat and drink, Calypso spoke, saying:


s: "Ulysses, noble son of Laertes, so you would start home to your


s: own land at once? Good luck go with you, but if you could only


s: know how much suffering is in store for you before you get back


s: to your own country, you would stay where you are, keep house


s: along with me, and let me make you immortal, no matter how


s: anxious you may be to see this wife of yours, of whom you are


s: thinking all the time day after day; yet I flatter myself that I


s: am no whit less tall or well-looking than she is, for it is not


s: to be expected that a mortal woman should compare in beauty with


s: "Goddess," replied Ulysses, "do not be angry with me about this.


s: I am quite aware that my wife Penelope is nothing like so tall


s: or so beautiful as yourself. She is only a woman, whereas you


s: are an immortal. Nevertheless, I want to get home, and can think


s: of nothing else. If some god wrecks me when I am on the sea, I


s: will bear it and make the best of it. I have had infinite


s: trouble both by land and sea already, so let this go with the


s: Presently the sun set and it became dark, whereon the pair


s: retired into the inner part of the cave and went to bed.


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


s: put on his shirt and cloak, while the goddess wore a dress of a


s: light gossamer fabric, very fine and graceful, with a beautiful


s: golden girdle about her waist and a veil to cover her head. She


s: at once set herself to think how she could speed Ulysses on his


s: way. So she gave him a great bronze axe that suited his hands;


s: it was sharpened on both sides, and had a beautiful olive-wood


s: handle fitted firmly on to it. She also gave him a sharp adze,


s: and then led the way to the far end of the island where the


s: largest trees grew--alder, poplar and pine, that reached the


s: sky--very dry and well seasoned, so as to sail light for him in


s: the water. {53} Then, when she had shown him where the best


s: trees grew, Calypso went home, leaving him to cut them, which he


s: soon finished doing. He cut down twenty trees in all and adzed


s: them smooth, squaring them by rule in good workmanlike fashion.


s: Meanwhile Calypso came back with some augers, so he bored holes


s: with them and fitted the timbers together with bolts and rivets.


s: He made the raft as broad as a skilled shipwright makes the beam


s: of a large vessel, and he fixed a deck on top of the ribs, and


s: ran a gunwale all round it. He also made a mast with a yard arm,


s: and a rudder to steer with. He fenced the raft all round with


s: wicker hurdles as a protection against the waves, and then he


s: threw on a quantity of wood. By and by Calypso brought him some


s: linen to make the sails, and he made these too, excellently,


s: making them fast with braces and sheets. Last of all, with the


s: help of levers, he drew the raft down into the water.


s: In four days he had completed the whole work, and on the fifth


s: Calypso sent him from the island after washing him and giving


s: him some clean clothes. She gave him a goat skin full of black


s: wine, and another larger one of water; she also gave him a


s: wallet full of provisions, and found him in much good meat.


s: Moreover, she made the wind fair and warm for him, and gladly


s: did Ulysses spread his sail before it, while he sat and guided


s: the raft skilfully by means of the rudder. He never closed his


s: eyes, but kept them fixed on the Pleiads, on late-setting


s: Bootes, and on the Bear--which men also call the wain, and which


s: turns round and round where it is, facing Orion, and alone never


s: dipping into the stream of Oceanus--for Calypso had told him to


s: keep this to his left. Days seven and ten did he sail over the


s: sea, and on the eighteenth the dim outlines of the mountains on


s: the nearest part of the Phaeacian coast appeared, rising like a


s: But King Neptune, who was returning from the Ethiopians, caught


s: sight of Ulysses a long way off, from the mountains of the


s: Solymi. He could see him sailing upon the sea, and it made him


s: very angry, so he wagged his head and muttered to himself,


s: saying, "Good heavens, so the gods have been changing their


s: minds about Ulysses while I was away in Ethiopia, and now he is


s: close to the land of the Phaeacians, where it is decreed that he


s: shall escape from the calamities that have befallen him. Still,


s: he shall have plenty of hardship yet before he has done with


s: Thereon he gathered his clouds together, grasped his trident,


s: stirred it round in the sea, and roused the rage of every wind


s: that blows till earth, sea, and sky were hidden in cloud, and


s: night sprang forth out of the heavens. Winds from East, South,


s: North, and West fell upon him all at the same time, and a


s: tremendous sea got up, so that Ulysses' heart began to fail him.


s: "Alas," he said to himself in his dismay, "what ever will become


s: of me? I am afraid Calypso was right when she said I should have


s: trouble by sea before I got back home. It is all coming true.


s: How black is Jove making heaven with his clouds, and what a sea


s: the winds are raising from every quarter at once. I am now safe


s: to perish. Blest and thrice blest were those Danaans who fell


s: before Troy in the cause of the sons of Atreus. Would that I had


s: been killed on the day when the Trojans were pressing me so


s: sorely about the dead body of Achilles, for then I should have


s: had due burial and the Achaeans would have honoured my name; but


s: now it seems that I shall come to a most pitiable end."


s: As he spoke a sea broke over him with such terrific fury that


s: the raft reeled again, and he was carried overboard a long way


s: off. He let go the helm, and the force of the hurricane was so


s: great that it broke the mast half way up, and both sail and yard


s: went over into the sea. For a long time Ulysses was under water,


s: and it was all he could do to rise to the surface again, for the


s: clothes Calypso had given him weighed him down; but at last he


s: got his head above water and spat out the bitter brine that was


s: running down his face in streams. In spite of all this, however,


s: he did not lose sight of his raft, but swam as fast as he could


s: towards it, got hold of it, and climbed on board again so as to


s: escape drowning. The sea took the raft and tossed it about as


s: Autumn winds whirl thistledown round and round upon a road. It


s: was as though the South, North, East, and West winds were all


s: playing battledore and shuttlecock with it at once.


s: When he was in this plight, Ino daughter of Cadmus, also called


s: Leucothea, saw him. She had formerly been a mere mortal, but had


s: been since raised to the rank of a marine goddess. Seeing in


s: what great distress Ulysses now was, she had compassion upon


s: him, and, rising like a sea-gull from the waves, took her seat


s: "My poor good man," said she, "why is Neptune so furiously angry


s: with you? He is giving you a great deal of trouble, but for all


s: his bluster he will not kill you. You seem to be a sensible


s: person, do then as I bid you; strip, leave your raft to drive


s: before the wind, and swim to the Phaeacian coast where better


s: luck awaits you. And here, take my veil and put it round your


s: chest; it is enchanted, and you can come to no harm so long as


s: you wear it. As soon as you touch land take it off, throw it


s: back as far as you can into the sea, and then go away again."


s: With these words she took off her veil and gave it him. Then she


s: dived down again like a sea-gull and vanished beneath the dark


s: But Ulysses did not know what to think. "Alas," he said to


s: himself in his dismay, "this is only some one or other of the


s: gods who is luring me to ruin by advising me to quit my raft. At


s: any rate I will not do so at present, for the land where she


s: said I should be quit of all troubles seemed to be still a good


s: way off. I know what I will do--I am sure it will be best--no


s: matter what happens I will stick to the raft as long as her


s: timbers hold together, but when the sea breaks her up I will


s: swim for it; I do not see how I can do any better than this."


s: While he was thus in two minds, Neptune sent a terrible great


s: wave that seemed to rear itself above his head till it broke


s: right over the raft, which then went to pieces as though it were


s: a heap of dry chaff tossed about by a whirlwind. Ulysses got


s: astride of one plank and rode upon it as if he were on


s: horseback; he then took off the clothes Calypso had given him,


s: bound Ino's veil under his arms, and plunged into the


s: sea--meaning to swim on shore.  King Neptune watched him as he


s: did so, and wagged his head, muttering to himself and saying,


s: "There now, swim up and down as you best can till you fall in


s: with well-to-do people. I do not think you will be able to say


s: that I have let you off too lightly." On this he lashed his


s: horses and drove to Aegae where his palace is.


s: But Minerva resolved to help Ulysses, so she bound the ways of


s: all the winds except one, and made them lie quite still; but she


s: roused a good stiff breeze from the North that should lay the


s: waters till Ulysses reached the land of the Phaeacians where he


s: Thereon he floated about for two nights and two days in the


s: water, with a heavy swell on the sea and death staring him in


s: the face; but when the third day broke, the wind fell and there


s: was a dead calm without so much as a breath of air stirring. As


s: he rose on the swell he looked eagerly ahead, and could see land


s: quite near. Then, as children rejoice when their dear father


s: begins to get better after having for a long time borne sore


s: affliction sent him by some angry spirit, but the gods deliver


s: him from evil, so was Ulysses thankful when he again saw land


s: and trees, and swam on with all his strength that he might once


s: more set foot upon dry ground. When, however, he got within


s: earshot, he began to hear the surf thundering up against the


s: rocks, for the swell still broke against them with a terrific


s: roar. Everything was enveloped in spray; there were no harbours


s: where a ship might ride, nor shelter of any kind, but only


s: headlands, low-lying rocks, and mountain tops.


s: Ulysses' heart now began to fail him, and he said despairingly


s: to himself, "Alas, Jove has let me see land after swimming so


s: far that I had given up all hope, but I can find no landing


s: place, for the coast is rocky and surf-beaten, the rocks are


s: smooth and rise sheer from the sea, with deep water close under


s: them so that I cannot climb out for want of foot hold. I am


s: afraid some great wave will lift me off my legs and dash me


s: against the rocks as I leave the water--which would give me a


s: sorry landing. If, on the other hand, I swim further in search


s: of some shelving beach or harbour, a hurricane may carry me out


s: to sea again sorely against my will, or heaven may send some


s: great monster of the deep to attack me; for Amphitrite breeds


s: many such, and I know that Neptune is very angry with me."


s: While he was thus in two minds a wave caught him and took him


s: with such force against the rocks that he would have been


s: smashed and torn to pieces if Minerva had not shown him what to


s: do. He caught hold of the rock with both hands and clung to it


s: groaning with pain till the wave retired, so he was saved that


s: time; but presently the wave came on again and carried him back


s: with it far into the sea--tearing his hands as the suckers of a


s: polypus are torn when some one plucks it from its bed, and the


s: stones come up along with it--even so did the rocks tear the


s: skin from his strong hands, and then the wave drew him deep down


s: Here poor Ulysses would have certainly perished even in spite of


s: his own destiny, if Minerva had not helped him to keep his wits


s: about him. He swam seaward again, beyond reach of the surf that


s: was beating against the land, and at the same time he kept


s: looking towards the shore to see if he could find some haven, or


s: a spit that should take the waves aslant. By and by, as he swam


s: on, he came to the mouth of a river, and here he thought would


s: be the best place, for there were no rocks, and it afforded


s: shelter from the wind. He felt that there was a current, so he


s: "Hear me, O King, whoever you may be, and save me from the anger


s: of the sea-god Neptune, for I approach you prayerfully. Any one


s: who has lost his way has at all times a claim even upon the


s: gods, wherefore in my distress I draw near to your stream, and


s: cling to the knees of your riverhood. Have mercy upon me, O


s: king, for I declare myself your suppliant."


s: Then the god staid his stream and stilled the waves, making all


s: calm before him, and bringing him safely into the mouth of the


s: river. Here at last Ulysses' knees and strong hands failed him,


s: for the sea had completely broken him. His body was all swollen,


s: and his mouth and nostrils ran down like a river with sea-water,


s: so that he could neither breathe nor speak, and lay swooning


s: from sheer exhaustion; presently, when he had got his breath and


s: came to himself again, he took off the scarf that Ino had given


s: him and threw it back into the salt {54} stream of the river,


s: whereon Ino received it into her hands from the wave that bore


s: it towards her. Then he left the river, laid himself down among


s: the rushes, and kissed the bounteous earth.


s: "Alas," he cried to himself in his dismay, "what ever will


s: become of me, and how is it all to end? If I stay here upon the


s: river bed through the long watches of the night, I am so


s: exhausted that the bitter cold and damp may make an end of


s: me--for towards sunrise there will be a keen wind blowing from


s: off the river. If, on the other hand, I climb the hill side,


s: find shelter in the woods, and sleep in some thicket, I may


s: escape the cold and have a good night's rest, but some savage


s: beast may take advantage of me and devour me."


s: In the end he deemed it best to take to the woods, and he found


s: one upon some high ground not far from the water.  There he


s: crept beneath two shoots of olive that grew from a single


s: stock--the one an ungrafted sucker, while the other had been


s: grafted. No wind, however squally, could break through the cover


s: they afforded, nor could the sun's rays pierce them, nor the


s: rain get through them, so closely did they grow into one


s: another. Ulysses crept under these and began to make himself a


s: bed to lie on, for there was a great litter of dead leaves lying


s: about--enough to make a covering for two or three men even in


s: hard winter weather. He was glad enough to see this, so he laid


s: himself down and heaped the leaves all round him.  Then, as one


s: who lives alone in the country, far from any neighbor, hides a


s: brand as fire-seed in the ashes to save himself from having to


s: get a light elsewhere, even so did Ulysses cover himself up with


s: leaves; and Minerva shed a sweet sleep upon his eyes, closed his


s: eyelids, and made him lose all memories of his sorrows.


s: So here Ulysses slept, overcome by sleep and toil; but Minerva


s: went off to the country and city of the Phaeacians--a people


s: who used to live in the fair town of Hypereia, near the lawless


s: Cyclopes. Now the Cyclopes were stronger than they and plundered


s: them, so their king Nausithous moved them thence and settled


s: them in Scheria, far from all other people. He surrounded the


s: city with a wall, built houses and temples, and divided the


s: lands among his people; but he was dead and gone to the house of


s: Hades, and King Alcinous, whose counsels were inspired of


s: heaven, was now reigning. To his house, then, did Minerva hie in


s: She went straight to the beautifully decorated bedroom in which


s: there slept a girl who was as lovely as a goddess, Nausicaa,


s: daughter to King Alcinous. Two maid servants were sleeping near


s: her, both very pretty, one on either side of the doorway, which


s: was closed with well made folding doors. Minerva took the form


s: of the famous sea captain Dymas's daughter, who was a bosom


s: friend of Nausicaa and just her own age; then, coming up to the


s: girl's bedside like a breath of wind, she hovered over her head


s: "Nausicaa, what can your mother have been about, to have such a


s: lazy daughter? Here are your clothes all lying in disorder, yet


s: you are going to be married almost immediately, and should not


s: only be well dressed yourself, but should find good clothes for


s: those who attend you.  This is the way to get yourself a good


s: name, and to make your father and mother proud of you. Suppose,


s: then, that we make tomorrow a washing day, and start at


s: daybreak. I will come and help you so that you may have


s: everything ready as soon as possible, for all the best young men


s: among your own people are courting you, and you are not going to


s: remain a maid much longer. Ask your father, therefore, to have a


s: waggon and mules ready for us at daybreak, to take the rugs,


s: robes, and girdles, and you can ride, too, which will be much


s: pleasanter for you than walking, for the washing-cisterns are


s: When she had said this Minerva went away to Olympus, which they


s: say is the everlasting home of the gods. Here no wind beats


s: roughly, and neither rain nor snow can fall; but it abides in


s: everlasting sunshine and in a great peacefulness of light,


s: wherein the blessed gods are illumined for ever and ever. This


s: was the place to which the goddess went when she had given


s: By and by morning came and woke Nausicaa, who began wondering


s: about her dream; she therefore went to the other end of the


s: house to tell her father and mother all about it, and found them


s: in their own room. Her mother was sitting by the fireside


s: spinning her purple yarn with her maids around her, and she


s: happened to catch her father just as he was going out to attend


s: a meeting of the town council, which the Phaeacian aldermen had


s: "Papa dear, could you manage to let me have a good big waggon? I


s: want to take all our dirty clothes to the river and wash them.


s: You are the chief man here, so it is only right that you should


s: have a clean shirt when you attend meetings of the council.


s: Moreover, you have five sons at home, two of them married, while


s: the other three are good looking bachelors; you know they always


s: like to have clean linen when they go to a dance, and I have


s: She did not say a word about her own wedding, for she did not


s: like to, but her father knew and said, "You shall have the


s: mules, my love, and whatever else you have a mind for.  Be off


s: with you, and the men shall get you a good strong waggon with a


s: body to it that will hold all your clothes."


s: On this he gave his orders to the servants, who got the waggon


s: out, harnessed the mules, and put them to, while the girl


s: brought the clothes down from the linen room and placed them on


s: the waggon. Her mother prepared her a basket of provisions with


s: all sorts of good things, and a goat skin full of wine; the girl


s: now got into the waggon, and her mother gave her also a golden


s: cruse of oil, that she and her women might anoint themselves.


s: Then she took the whip and reins and lashed the mules on,


s: whereon they set off, and their hoofs clattered on the road.


s: They pulled without flagging, and carried not only Nausicaa and


s: her wash of clothes, but the maids also who were with her.


s: When they reached the water side they went to the washing


s: cisterns, through which there ran at all times enough pure water


s: to wash any quantity of linen, no matter how dirty. Here they


s: unharnessed the mules and turned them out to feed on the sweet


s: juicy herbage that grew by the water side. They took the clothes


s: out of the waggon, put them in the water, and vied with one


s: another in treading them in the pits to get the dirt out. After


s: they had washed them and got them quite clean, they laid them


s: out by the sea side, where the waves had raised a high beach of


s: shingle, and set about washing themselves and anointing


s: themselves with olive oil. Then they got their dinner by the


s: side of the stream, and waited for the sun to finish drying the


s: clothes. When they had done dinner they threw off the veils that


s: covered their heads and began to play at ball, while Nausicaa


s: sang for them. As the huntress Diana goes forth upon the


s: mountains of Taygetus or Erymanthus to hunt wild boars or deer,


s: and the wood nymphs, daughters of Aegis-bearing Jove, take their


s: sport along with her (then is Leto proud at seeing her daughter


s: stand a full head taller than the others, and eclipse the


s: loveliest amid a whole bevy of beauties), even so did the girl


s: When it was time for them to start home, and they were folding


s: the clothes and putting them into the waggon, Minerva began to


s: consider how Ulysses should wake up and see the handsome girl


s: who was to conduct him to the city of the Phaeacians. The girl,


s: therefore, threw a ball at one of the maids, which missed her


s: and fell into deep water. On this they all shouted, and the


s: noise they made woke Ulysses, who sat up in his bed of leaves


s: and began to wonder what it might all be.


s: "Alas," said he to himself, "what kind of people have I come


s: amongst? Are they cruel, savage, and uncivilised, or hospitable


s: and humane? I seem to hear the voices of young women, and they


s: sound like those of the nymphs that haunt mountain tops, or


s: springs of rivers and meadows of green grass. At any rate I am


s: among a race of men and women. Let me try if I cannot manage to


s: As he said this he crept from under his bush, and broke off a


s: bough covered with thick leaves to hide his nakedness.  He


s: looked like some lion of the wilderness that stalks about


s: exulting in his strength and defying both wind and rain; his


s: eyes glare as he prowls in quest of oxen, sheep, or deer, for he


s: is famished, and will dare break even into a well fenced


s: homestead, trying to get at the sheep--even such did Ulysses


s: seem to the young women, as he drew near to them all naked as he


s: was, for he was in great want. On seeing one so unkempt and so


s: begrimed with salt water, the others scampered off along the


s: spits that jutted out into the sea, but the daughter of Alcinous


s: stood firm, for Minerva put courage into her heart and took away


s: all fear from her. She stood right in front of Ulysses, and he


s: doubted whether he should go up to her, throw himself at her


s: feet, and embrace her knees as a suppliant, or stay where he was


s: and entreat her to give him some clothes and show him the way to


s: the town. In the end he deemed it best to entreat her from a


s: distance in case the girl should take offence at his coming near


s: enough to clasp her knees, so he addressed her in honeyed and


s: "O queen," he said, "I implore your aid--but tell me, are you a


s: goddess or are you a mortal woman? If you are a goddess and


s: dwell in heaven, I can only conjecture that you are Jove's


s: daughter Diana, for your face and figure resemble none but hers;


s: if on the other hand you are a mortal and live on earth, thrice


s: happy are your father and mother--thrice happy, too, are your


s: brothers and sisters; how proud and delighted they must feel


s: when they see so fair a scion as yourself going out to a dance;


s: most happy, however, of all will he be whose wedding gifts have


s: been the richest, and who takes you to his own home. I never yet


s: saw any one so beautiful, neither man nor woman, and am lost in


s: admiration as I behold you. I can only compare you to a young


s: palm tree which I saw when I was at Delos growing near the altar


s: of Apollo--for I was there, too, with much people after me, when


s: I was on that journey which has been the source of all my


s: troubles. Never yet did such a young plant shoot out of the


s: ground as that was, and I admired and wondered at it exactly as


s: I now admire and wonder at yourself. I dare not clasp your


s: knees, but I am in great distress; yesterday made the twentieth


s: day that I had been tossing about upon the sea.  The winds and


s: waves have taken me all the way from the Ogygian island, {55}


s: and now fate has flung me upon this coast that I may endure


s: still further suffering; for I do not think that I have yet come


s: to the end of it, but rather that heaven has still much evil in


s: "And now, O queen, have pity upon me, for you are the first


s: person I have met, and I know no one else in this country.  Show


s: me the way to your town, and let me have anything that you may


s: have brought hither to wrap your clothes in.  May heaven grant


s: you in all things your heart's desire--husband, house, and a


s: happy, peaceful home; for there is nothing better in this world


s: than that man and wife should be of one mind in a house. It


s: discomfits their enemies, makes the hearts of their friends


s: glad, and they themselves know more about it than any one."


s: To this Nausicaa answered, "Stranger, you appear to be a


s: sensible, well-disposed person. There is no accounting for luck;


s: Jove gives prosperity to rich and poor just as he chooses, so


s: you must take what he has seen fit to send you, and make the


s: best of it. Now, however, that you have come to this our


s: country, you shall not want for clothes nor for anything else


s: that a foreigner in distress may reasonably look for. I will


s: show you the way to the town, and will tell you the name of our


s: people; we are called Phaeacians, and I am daughter to Alcinous,


s: in whom the whole power of the state is vested."


s: Then she called her maids and said, "Stay where you are, you


s: girls. Can you not see a man without running away from him? Do


s: you take him for a robber or a murderer?  Neither he nor any one


s: else can come here to do us Phaeacians any harm, for we are dear


s: to the gods, and live apart on a land's end that juts into the


s: sounding sea, and have nothing to do with any other people. This


s: is only some poor man who has lost his way, and we must be kind


s: to him, for strangers and foreigners in distress are under


s: Jove's protection, and will take what they can get and be


s: thankful; so, girls, give the poor fellow something to eat and


s: drink, and wash him in the stream at some place that is


s: On this the maids left off running away and began calling one


s: another back. They made Ulysses sit down in the shelter as


s: Nausicaa had told them, and brought him a shirt and cloak. They


s: also brought him the little golden cruse of oil, and told him to


s: go and wash in the stream. But Ulysses said, "Young women,


s: please to stand a little on one side that I may wash the brine


s: from my shoulders and anoint myself with oil, for it is long


s: enough since my skin has had a drop of oil upon it. I cannot


s: wash as long as you all keep standing there. I am ashamed to


s: strip {56} before a number of good looking young women."


s: Then they stood on one side and went to tell the girl, while


s: Ulysses washed himself in the stream and scrubbed the brine from


s: his back and from his broad shoulders. When he had thoroughly


s: washed himself, and had got the brine out of his hair, he


s: anointed himself with oil, and put on the clothes which the girl


s: had given him; Minerva then made him look taller and stronger


s: than before, she also made the hair grow thick on the top of his


s: head, and flow down in curls like hyacinth blossoms; she


s: glorified him about the head and shoulders as a skilful workman


s: who has studied art of all kinds under Vulcan and Minerva


s: enriches a piece of silver plate by gilding it--and his work is


s: full of beauty. Then he went and sat down a little way off upon


s: the beach, looking quite young and handsome, and the girl gazed


s: on him with admiration; then she said to her maids:


s: "Hush, my dears, for I want to say something. I believe the gods


s: who live in heaven have sent this man to the Phaeacians. When I


s: first saw him I thought him plain, but now his appearance is


s: like that of the gods who dwell in heaven. I should like my


s: future husband to be just such another as he is, if he would


s: only stay here and not want to go away. However, give him


s: They did as they were told, and set food before Ulysses, who ate


s: and drank ravenously, for it was long since he had had food of


s: any kind. Meanwhile, Nausicaa bethought her of another matter.


s: She got the linen folded and placed in the waggon, she then


s: yoked the mules, and, as she took her seat, she called Ulysses:


s: "Stranger," said she, "rise and let us be going back to the


s: town; I will introduce you at the house of my excellent father,


s: where I can tell you that you will meet all the best people


s: among the Phaeacians. But be sure and do as I bid you, for you


s: seem to be a sensible person. As long as we are going past the


s: fields and farm lands, follow briskly behind the waggon along


s: with the maids and I will lead the way myself. Presently,


s: however, we shall come to the town, where you will find a high


s: wall running all round it, and a good harbour on either side


s: with a narrow entrance into the city, and the ships will be


s: drawn up by the road side, for every one has a place where his


s: own ship can lie. You will see the market place with a temple of


s: Neptune in the middle of it, and paved with large stones bedded


s: in the earth. Here people deal in ship's gear of all kinds, such


s: as cables and sails, and here, too, are the places where oars


s: are made, for the Phaeacians are not a nation of archers; they


s: know nothing about bows and arrows, but are a sea-faring folk,


s: and pride themselves on their masts, oars, and ships, with which


s: "I am afraid of the gossip and scandal that may be set on foot


s: against me later on; for the people here are very ill-natured,


s: and some low fellow, if he met us, might say, 'Who is this


s: fine-looking stranger that is going about with Nausicaa? Where


s: did she find him? I suppose she is going to marry him. Perhaps


s: he is a vagabond sailor whom she has taken from some foreign


s: vessel, for we have no neighbours; or some god has at last come


s: down from heaven in answer to her prayers, and she is going to


s: live with him all the rest of her life. It would be a good thing


s: if she would take herself off and find a husband somewhere else,


s: for she will not look at one of the many excellent young


s: Phaeacians who are in love with her.' This is the kind of


s: disparaging remark that would be made about me, and I could not


s: complain, for I should myself be scandalised at seeing any other


s: girl do the like, and go about with men in spite of everybody,


s: while her father and mother were still alive, and without having


s: been married in the face of all the world.


s: "If, therefore, you want my father to give you an escort and to


s: help you home, do as I bid you; you will see a beautiful grove


s: of poplars by the road side dedicated to Minerva; it has a well


s: in it and a meadow all round it.  Here my father has a field of


s: rich garden ground, about as far from the town as a man's voice


s: will carry. Sit down there and wait for a while till the rest of


s: us can get into the town and reach my father's house. Then, when


s: you think we must have done this, come into the town and ask the


s: way to the house of my father Alcinous. You will have no


s: difficulty in finding it; any child will point it out to you,


s: for no one else in the whole town has anything like such a fine


s: house as he has. When you have got past the gates and through


s: the outer court, go right across the inner court till you come


s: to my mother. You will find her sitting by the fire and spinning


s: her purple wool by firelight. It is a fine sight to see her as


s: she leans back against one of the bearing-posts with her maids


s: all ranged behind her. Close to her seat stands that of my


s: father, on which he sits and topes like an immortal god. Never


s: mind him, but go up to my mother, and lay your hands upon her


s: knees if you would get home quickly. If you can gain her over,


s: you may hope to see your own country again, no matter how


s: So saying she lashed the mules with her whip and they left the


s: river. The mules drew well, and their hoofs went up and down


s: upon the road. She was careful not to go too fast for Ulysses


s: and the maids who were following on foot along with the waggon,


s: so she plied her whip with judgement. As the sun was going down


s: they came to the sacred grove of Minerva, and there Ulysses sat


s: down and prayed to the mighty daughter of Jove.


s: "Hear me," he cried, "daughter of Aegis-bearing Jove,


s: unweariable, hear me now, for you gave no heed to my prayers


s: when Neptune was wrecking me. Now, therefore, have pity upon me


s: and grant that I may find friends and be hospitably received by


s: Thus did he pray, and Minerva heard his prayer, but she would


s: not show herself to him openly, for she was afraid of her uncle


s: Neptune, who was still furious in his endeavors to prevent


s: Thus, then, did Ulysses wait and pray; but the girl drove on to


s: the town. When she reached her father's house she drew up at the


s: gateway, and her brothers--comely as the gods--gathered round


s: her, took the mules out of the waggon, and carried the clothes


s: into the house, while she went to her own room, where an old


s: servant, Eurymedusa of Apeira, lit the fire for her. This old


s: woman had been brought by sea from Apeira, and had been chosen


s: as a prize for Alcinous because he was king over the Phaeacians,


s: and the people obeyed him as though he were a god. {57} She had


s: been nurse to Nausicaa, and had now lit the fire for her, and


s: brought her supper for her into her own room.


s: Presently Ulysses got up to go towards the town; and Minerva


s: shed a thick mist all round him to hide him in case any of the


s: proud Phaeacians who met him should be rude to him, or ask him


s: who he was. Then, as he was just entering the town, she came


s: towards him in the likeness of a little girl carrying a pitcher.


s: She stood right in front of him, and Ulysses said:


s: "My dear, will you be so kind as to show me the house of king


s: Alcinous? I am an unfortunate foreigner in distress, and do not


s: Then Minerva said, "Yes, father stranger, I will show you the


s: house you want, for Alcinous lives quite close to my own father.


s: I will go before you and show the way, but say not a word as you


s: go, and do not look at any man, nor ask him questions; for the


s: people here cannot abide strangers, and do not like men who come


s: from some other place. They are a sea-faring folk, and sail the


s: seas by the grace of Neptune in ships that glide along like


s: On this she led the way, and Ulysses followed in her steps; but


s: not one of the Phaeacians could see him as he passed through the


s: city in the midst of them; for the great goddess Minerva in her


s: good will towards him had hidden him in a thick cloud of


s: darkness. He admired their harbours, ships, places of assembly,


s: and the lofty walls of the city, which, with the palisade on top


s: of them, were very striking, and when they reached the king's


s: "This is the house, father stranger, which you would have me


s: show you. You will find a number of great people sitting at


s: table, but do not be afraid; go straight in, for the bolder a


s: man is the more likely he is to carry his point, even though he


s: is a stranger. First find the queen.  Her name is Arete, and she


s: comes of the same family as her husband Alcinous. They both


s: descend originally from Neptune, who was father to Nausithous by


s: Periboea, a woman of great beauty. Periboea was the youngest


s: daughter of Eurymedon, who at one time reigned over the giants,


s: but he ruined his ill-fated people and lost his own life to


s: "Neptune, however, lay with his daughter, and she had a son by


s: him, the great Nausithous, who reigned over the Phaeacians.


s: Nausithous had two sons Rhexenor and Alcinous; {58} Apollo


s: killed the first of them while he was still a bridegroom and


s: without male issue; but he left a daughter Arete, whom Alcinous


s: married, and honours as no other woman is honoured of all those


s: that keep house along with their husbands.


s: "Thus she both was, and still is, respected beyond measure by


s: her children, by Alcinous himself, and by the whole people, who


s: look upon her as a goddess, and greet her whenever she goes


s: about the city, for she is a thoroughly good woman both in head


s: and heart, and when any women are friends of hers, she will help


s: their husbands also to settle their disputes. If you can gain


s: her good will, you may have every hope of seeing your friends


s: again, and getting safely back to your home and country."


s: Then Minerva left Scheria and went away over the sea. She went


s: to Marathon {59} and to the spacious streets of Athens, where


s: she entered the abode of Erechtheus; but Ulysses went on to the


s: house of Alcinous, and he pondered much as he paused a while


s: before reaching the threshold of bronze, for the splendour of


s: the palace was like that of the sun or moon. The walls on either


s: side were of bronze from end to end, and the cornice was of blue


s: enamel. The doors were gold, and hung on pillars of silver that


s: rose from a floor of bronze, while the lintel was silver and the


s: On either side there stood gold and silver mastiffs which


s: Vulcan, with his consummate skill, had fashioned expressly to


s: keep watch over the palace of king Alcinous; so they were


s: immortal and could never grow old. Seats were ranged all along


s: the wall, here and there from one end to the other, with


s: coverings of fine woven work which the women of the house had


s: made. Here the chief persons of the Phaeacians used to sit and


s: eat and drink, for there was abundance at all seasons; and there


s: were golden figures of young men with lighted torches in their


s: hands, raised on pedestals, to give light by night to those who


s: were at table. There are {60} fifty maid servants in the house,


s: some of whom are always grinding rich yellow grain at the mill,


s: while others work at the loom, or sit and spin, and their


s: shuttles go backwards and forwards like the fluttering of aspen


s: leaves, while the linen is so closely woven that it will turn


s: oil. As the Phaeacians are the best sailors in the world, so


s: their women excel all others in weaving, for Minerva has taught


s: them all manner of useful arts, and they are very intelligent.


s: Outside the gate of the outer court there is a large garden of


s: about four acres with a wall all round it. It is full of


s: beautiful trees--pears, pomegranates, and the most delicious


s: apples. There are luscious figs also, and olives in full growth.


s: The fruits never rot nor fail all the year round, neither winter


s: nor summer, for the air is so soft that a new crop ripens before


s: the old has dropped. Pear grows on pear, apple on apple, and fig


s: on fig, and so also with the grapes, for there is an excellent


s: vineyard: on the level ground of a part of this, the grapes are


s: being made into raisins; in another part they are being


s: gathered; some are being trodden in the wine tubs, others


s: further on have shed their blossom and are beginning to show


s: fruit, others again are just changing colour. In the furthest


s: part of the ground there are beautifully arranged beds of


s: flowers that are in bloom all the year round. Two streams go


s: through it, the one turned in ducts throughout the whole garden,


s: while the other is carried under the ground of the outer court


s: to the house itself, and the town's people draw water from it.


s: Such, then, were the splendours with which the gods had endowed


s: So here Ulysses stood for a while and looked about him, but when


s: he had looked long enough he crossed the threshold and went


s: within the precincts of the house. There he found all the chief


s: people among the Phaeacians making their drink offerings to


s: Mercury, which they always did the last thing before going away


s: for the night. {61} He went straight through the court, still


s: hidden by the cloak of darkness in which Minerva had enveloped


s: him, till he reached Arete and King Alcinous; then he laid his


s: hands upon the knees of the queen, and at that moment the


s: miraculous darkness fell away from him and he became visible.


s: Every one was speechless with surprise at seeing a man there,


s: but Ulysses began at once with his petition.


s: "Queen Arete," he exclaimed, "daughter of great Rhexenor, in my


s: distress I humbly pray you, as also your husband and these your


s: guests (whom may heaven prosper with long life and happiness,


s: and may they leave their possessions to their children, and all


s: the honours conferred upon them by the state) to help me home to


s: my own country as soon as possible; for I have been long in


s: Then he sat down on the hearth among the ashes and they all held


s: their peace, till presently the old hero Echeneus, who was an


s: excellent speaker and an elder among the Phaeacians, plainly and


s: "Alcinous," said he, "it is not creditable to you that a


s: stranger should be seen sitting among the ashes of your hearth;


s: every one is waiting to hear what you are about to say; tell


s: him, then, to rise and take a seat on a stool inlaid with


s: silver, and bid your servants mix some wine and water that we


s: may make a drink offering to Jove the lord of thunder, who takes


s: all well disposed suppliants under his protection; and let the


s: housekeeper give him some supper, of whatever there may be in


s: When Alcinous heard this he took Ulysses by the hand, raised him


s: from the hearth, and bade him take the seat of Laodamas, who had


s: been sitting beside him, and was his favourite son. A maid


s: servant then brought him water in a beautiful golden ewer and


s: poured it into a silver basin for him to wash his hands, and she


s: drew a clean table beside him; an upper servant brought him


s: bread and offered him many good things of what there was in the


s: house, and Ulysses ate and drank. Then Alcinous said to one of


s: the servants, "Pontonous, mix a cup of wine and hand it round


s: that we may make drink-offerings to Jove the lord of thunder,


s: who is the protector of all well-disposed suppliants."


s: Pontonous then mixed wine and water, and handed it round after


s: giving every man his drink-offering. When they had made their


s: offerings, and had drunk each as much as he was minded, Alcinous


s: "Aldermen and town councillors of the Phaeacians, hear my words.


s: You have had your supper, so now go home to bed.  To-morrow


s: morning I shall invite a still larger number of aldermen, and


s: will give a sacrificial banquet in honour of our guest; we can


s: then discuss the question of his escort, and consider how we may


s: at once send him back rejoicing to his own country without


s: trouble or inconvenience to himself, no matter how distant it


s: may be. We must see that he comes to no harm while on his


s: homeward journey, but when he is once at home he will have to


s: take the luck he was born with for better or worse like other


s: people. It is possible, however, that the stranger is one of the


s: immortals who has come down from heaven to visit us; but in this


s: case the gods are departing from their usual practice, for


s: hitherto they have made themselves perfectly clear to us when we


s: have been offering them hecatombs.  They come and sit at our


s: feasts just like one of our selves, and if any solitary wayfarer


s: happens to stumble upon some one or other of them, they affect


s: no concealment, for we are as near of kin to the gods as the


s: Cyclopes and the savage giants are." {62}


s: Then Ulysses said: "Pray, Alcinous, do not take any such notion


s: into your head. I have nothing of the immortal about me, neither


s: in body nor mind, and most resemble those among you who are the


s: most afflicted. Indeed, were I to tell you all that heaven has


s: seen fit to lay upon me, you would say that I was still worse


s: off than they are.  Nevertheless, let me sup in spite of sorrow,


s: for an empty stomach is a very importunate thing, and thrusts


s: itself on a man's notice no matter how dire is his distress. I


s: am in great trouble, yet it insists that I shall eat and drink,


s: bids me lay aside all memory of my sorrows and dwell only on the


s: due replenishing of itself. As for yourselves, do as you


s: propose, and at break of day set about helping me to get home. I


s: shall be content to die if I may first once more behold my


s: property, my bondsmen, and all the greatness of my house." {63}


s: Thus did he speak. Every one approved his saying, and agreed


s: that he should have his escort inasmuch as he had spoken


s: reasonably. Then when they had made their drink offerings, and


s: had drunk each as much as he was minded they went home to bed


s: every man in his own abode, leaving Ulysses in the cloister with


s: Arete and Alcinous while the servants were taking the things


s: away after supper. Arete was the first to speak, for she


s: recognised the shirt, cloak, and good clothes that Ulysses was


s: wearing, as the work of herself and of her maids; so she said,


s: "Stranger, before we go any further, there is a question I


s: should like to ask you. Who, and whence are you, and who gave


s: you those clothes? Did you not say you had come here from beyond


s: And Ulysses answered, "It would be a long story Madam, were I to


s: relate in full the tale of my misfortunes, for the hand of


s: heaven has been laid heavy upon me; but as regards your


s: question, there is an island far away in the sea which is called


s: 'the Ogygian.' Here dwells the cunning and powerful goddess


s: Calypso, daughter of Atlas. She lives by herself far from all


s: neighbours human or divine. Fortune, however, brought me to her


s: hearth all desolate and alone, for Jove struck my ship with his


s: thunderbolts, and broke it up in mid-ocean. My brave comrades


s: were drowned every man of them, but I stuck to the keel and was


s: carried hither and thither for the space of nine days, till at


s: last during the darkness of the tenth night the gods brought me


s: to the Ogygian island where the great goddess Calypso lives. She


s: took me in and treated me with the utmost kindness; indeed she


s: wanted to make me immortal that I might never grow old, but she


s: "I stayed with Calypso seven years straight on end, and watered


s: the good clothes she gave me with my tears during the whole


s: time; but at last when the eighth year came round she bade me


s: depart of her own free will, either because Jove had told her


s: she must, or because she had changed her mind. She sent me from


s: her island on a raft, which she provisioned with abundance of


s: bread and wine.  Moreover she gave me good stout clothing, and


s: sent me a wind that blew both warm and fair. Days seven and ten


s: did I sail over the sea, and on the eighteenth I caught sight of


s: the first outlines of the mountains upon your coast--and glad


s: indeed was I to set eyes upon them. Nevertheless there was still


s: much trouble in store for me, for at this point Neptune would


s: let me go no further, and raised a great storm against me; the


s: sea was so terribly high that I could no longer keep to my raft,


s: which went to pieces under the fury of the gale, and I had to


s: swim for it, till wind and current brought me to your shores.


s: "There I tried to land, but could not, for it was a bad place


s: and the waves dashed me against the rocks, so I again took to


s: the sea and swam on till I came to a river that seemed the most


s: likely landing place, for there were no rocks and it was


s: sheltered from the wind. Here, then, I got out of the water and


s: gathered my senses together again. Night was coming on, so I


s: left the river, and went into a thicket, where I covered myself


s: all over with leaves, and presently heaven sent me off into a


s: very deep sleep. Sick and sorry as I was I slept among the


s: leaves all night, and through the next day till afternoon, when


s: I woke as the sun was westering, and saw your daughter's maid


s: servants playing upon the beach, and your daughter among them


s: looking like a goddess. I besought her aid, and she proved to be


s: of an excellent disposition, much more so than could be expected


s: from so young a person--for young people are apt to be


s: thoughtless. She gave me plenty of bread and wine, and when she


s: had had me washed in the river she also gave me the clothes in


s: which you see me. Now, therefore, though it has pained me to do


s: Then Alcinous said, "Stranger, it was very wrong of my daughter


s: not to bring you on at once to my house along with the maids,


s: seeing that she was the first person whose aid you asked."


s: "Pray do not scold her," replied Ulysses; "she is not to blame.


s: She did tell me to follow along with the maids, but I was


s: ashamed and afraid, for I thought you might perhaps be


s: displeased if you saw me. Every human being is sometimes a


s: "Stranger," replied Alcinous, "I am not the kind of man to get


s: angry about nothing; it is always better to be reasonable; but


s: by Father Jove, Minerva, and Apollo, now that I see what kind of


s: person you are, and how much you think as I do, I wish you would


s: stay here, marry my daughter, and become my son-in-law. If you


s: will stay I will give you a house and an estate, but no one


s: (heaven forbid) shall keep you here against your own wish, and


s: that you may be sure of this I will attend tomorrow to the


s: matter of your escort. You can sleep {64} during the whole


s: voyage if you like, and the men shall sail you over smooth


s: waters either to your own home, or wherever you please, even


s: though it be a long way further off than Euboea, which those of


s: my people who saw it when they took yellow-haired Rhadamanthus


s: to see Tityus the son of Gaia, tell me is the furthest of any


s: place--and yet they did the whole voyage in a single day without


s: distressing themselves, and came back again afterwards. You will


s: thus see how much my ships excel all others, and what


s: Then was Ulysses glad and prayed aloud saying, "Father Jove,


s: grant that Alcinous may do all as he has said, for so he will


s: win an imperishable name among mankind, and at the same time I


s: Thus did they converse. Then Arete told her maids to set a bed


s: in the room that was in the gatehouse, and make it with good red


s: rugs, and to spread coverlets on the top of them with woollen


s: cloaks for Ulysses to wear. The maids thereon went out with


s: torches in their hands, and when they had made the bed they came


s: up to Ulysses and said, "Rise, sir stranger, and come with us


s: for your bed is ready," and glad indeed was he to go to his


s: So Ulysses slept in a bed placed in a room over the echoing


s: gateway; but Alcinous lay in the inner part of the house, with


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


s: Alcinous and Ulysses both rose, and Alcinous led the way to the


s: Phaeacian place of assembly, which was near the ships. When they


s: got there they sat down side by side on a seat of polished


s: stone, while Minerva took the form of one of Alcinous' servants,


s: and went round the town in order to help Ulysses to get home.


s: She went up to the citizens, man by man, and said, "Aldermen and


s: town councillors of the Phaeacians, come to the assembly all of


s: you and listen to the stranger who has just come off a long


s: voyage to the house of King Alcinous; he looks like an immortal


s: With these words she made them all want to come, and they


s: flocked to the assembly till seats and standing room were alike


s: crowded. Every one was struck with the appearance of Ulysses,


s: for Minerva had beautified him about the head and shoulders,


s: making him look taller and stouter than he really was, that he


s: might impress the Phaeacians favourably as being a very


s: remarkable man, and might come off well in the many trials of


s: skill to which they would challenge him. Then, when they were


s: "Hear me," said he, "aldermen and town councillors of the


s: Phaeacians, that I may speak even as I am minded. This stranger,


s: whoever he may be, has found his way to my house from somewhere


s: or other either East or West. He wants an escort and wishes to


s: have the matter settled. Let us then get one ready for him, as


s: we have done for others before him; indeed, no one who ever yet


s: came to my house has been able to complain of me for not


s: speeding on his way soon enough. Let us draw a ship into the


s: sea--one that has never yet made a voyage--and man her with two


s: and fifty of our smartest young sailors. Then when you have made


s: fast your oars each by his own seat, leave the ship and come to


s: my house to prepare a feast. {65} I will find you in everything.


s: I am giving these instructions to the young men who will form


s: the crew, for as regards you aldermen and town councillors, you


s: will join me in entertaining our guest in the cloisters. I can


s: take no excuses, and we will have Demodocus to sing to us; for


s: there is no bard like him whatever he may choose to sing about."


s: Alcinous then led the way, and the others followed after, while


s: a servant went to fetch Demodocus. The fifty-two picked oarsmen


s: went to the sea shore as they had been told, and when they got


s: there they drew the ship into the water, got her mast and sails


s: inside her, bound the oars to the thole-pins with twisted thongs


s: of leather, all in due course, and spread the white sails aloft.


s: They moored the vessel a little way out from land, and then came


s: on shore and went to the house of King Alcinous. The out houses,


s: {66} yards, and all the precincts were filled with crowds of men


s: in great multitudes both old and young; and Alcinous killed them


s: a dozen sheep, eight full grown pigs, and two oxen. These they


s: skinned and dressed so as to provide a magnificent banquet.


s: A servant presently led in the famous bard Demodocus, whom the


s: muse had dearly loved, but to whom she had given both good and


s: evil, for though she had endowed him with a divine gift of song,


s: she had robbed him of his eyesight.  Pontonous set a seat for


s: him among the guests, leaning it up against a bearing-post. He


s: hung the lyre for him on a peg over his head, and showed him


s: where he was to feel for it with his hands. He also set a fair


s: table with a basket of victuals by his side, and a cup of wine


s: from which he might drink whenever he was so disposed.


s: The company then laid their hands upon the good things that were


s: before them, but as soon as they had had enough to eat and


s: drink, the muse inspired Demodocus to sing the feats of heroes,


s: and more especially a matter that was then in the mouths of all


s: men, to wit, the quarrel between Ulysses and Achilles, and the


s: fierce words that they heaped on one another as they sat


s: together at a banquet.  But Agamemnon was glad when he heard his


s: chieftains quarrelling with one another, for Apollo had foretold


s: him this at Pytho when he crossed the stone floor to consult the


s: oracle. Here was the beginning of the evil that by the will of


s: Jove fell both upon Danaans and Trojans.


s: Thus sang the bard, but Ulysses drew his purple mantle over his


s: head and covered his face, for he was ashamed to let the


s: Phaeacians see that he was weeping. When the bard left off


s: singing he wiped the tears from his eyes, uncovered his face,


s: and, taking his cup, made a drink-offering to the gods; but when


s: the Phaeacians pressed Demodocus to sing further, for they


s: delighted in his lays, then Ulysses again drew his mantle over


s: his head and wept bitterly. No one noticed his distress except


s: Alcinous, who was sitting near him, and heard the heavy sighs


s: that he was heaving.  So he at once said, "Aldermen and town


s: councillors of the Phaeacians, we have had enough now, both of


s: the feast, and of the minstrelsy that is its due accompaniment;


s: let us proceed therefore to the athletic sports, so that our


s: guest on his return home may be able to tell his friends how


s: much we surpass all other nations as boxers, wrestlers, jumpers,


s: With these words he led the way, and the others followed after.


s: A servant hung Demodocus's lyre on its peg for him, led him out


s: of the cloister, and set him on the same way as that along which


s: all the chief men of the Phaeacians were going to see the


s: sports; a crowd of several thousands of people followed them,


s: and there were many excellent competitors for all the prizes.


s: son of Polyneus son of Tecton. There was also Euryalus son of


s: Naubolus, who was like Mars himself, and was the best looking


s: man among the Phaeacians except Laodamas. Three sons of


s: Alcinous, Laodamas, Halios, and Clytoneus, competed also.


s: The foot races came first. The course was set out for them from


s: the starting post, and they raised a dust upon the plain as they


s: all flew forward at the same moment.  Clytoneus came in first by


s: a long way; he left every one else behind him by the length of


s: the furrow that a couple of mules can plough in a fallow field.


s: {67} They then turned to the painful art of wrestling, and here


s: Euryalus proved to be the best man. Amphialus excelled all the


s: others in jumping, while at throwing the disc there was no one


s: who could approach Elatreus. Alcinous's son Laodamas was the


s: best boxer, and he it was who presently said, when they had all


s: been diverted with the games, "Let us ask the stranger whether


s: he excels in any of these sports; he seems very powerfully


s: built; his thighs, calves, hands, and neck are of prodigious


s: strength, nor is he at all old, but he has suffered much lately,


s: and there is nothing like the sea for making havoc with a man,


s: "You are quite right, Laodamas," replied Euryalus, "go up to


s: your guest and speak to him about it yourself."


s: When Laodamas heard this he made his way into the middle of the


s: crowd and said to Ulysses, "I hope, Sir, that you will enter


s: yourself for some one or other of our competitions if you are


s: skilled in any of them--and you must have gone in for many a one


s: before now. There is nothing that does any one so much credit


s: all his life long as the showing himself a proper man with his


s: hands and feet. Have a try therefore at something, and banish


s: all sorrow from your mind. Your return home will not be long


s: delayed, for the ship is already drawn into the water, and the


s: Ulysses answered, "Laodamas, why do you taunt me in this way? my


s: mind is set rather on cares than contests; I have been through


s: infinite trouble, and am come among you now as a suppliant,


s: praying your king and people to further me on my return home."


s: Then Euryalus reviled him outright and said, "I gather, then,


s: that you are unskilled in any of the many sports that men


s: generally delight in. I suppose you are one of those grasping


s: traders that go about in ships as captains or merchants, and who


s: think of nothing but of their outward freights and homeward


s: cargoes. There does not seem to be much of the athlete about


s: "For shame, Sir," answered Ulysses, fiercely, "you are an


s: insolent fellow--so true is it that the gods do not grace all


s: men alike in speech, person, and understanding. One man may be


s: of weak presence, but heaven has adorned this with such a good


s: conversation that he charms every one who sees him; his honeyed


s: moderation carries his hearers with him so that he is leader in


s: all assemblies of his fellows, and wherever he goes he is looked


s: up to. Another may be as handsome as a god, but his good looks


s: are not crowned with discretion. This is your case. No god could


s: make a finer looking fellow than you are, but you are a fool.


s: Your ill-judged remarks have made me exceedingly angry, and you


s: are quite mistaken, for I excel in a great many athletic


s: exercises; indeed, so long as I had youth and strength, I was


s: among the first athletes of the age. Now, however, I am worn out


s: by labour and sorrow, for I have gone through much both on the


s: field of battle and by the waves of the weary sea; still, in


s: spite of all this I will compete, for your taunts have stung me


s: So he hurried up without even taking his cloak off, and seized a


s: disc, larger, more massive and much heavier than those used by


s: the Phaeacians when disc-throwing among themselves. {68} Then,


s: swinging it back, he threw it from his brawny hand, and it made


s: a humming sound in the air as he did so. The Phaeacians quailed


s: beneath the rushing of its flight as it sped gracefully from his


s: hand, and flew beyond any mark that had been made yet. Minerva,


s: in the form of a man, came and marked the place where it had


s: fallen. "A blind man, Sir," said she, "could easily tell your


s: mark by groping for it--it is so far ahead of any other. You may


s: make your mind easy about this contest, for no Phaeacian can


s: Ulysses was glad when he found he had a friend among the


s: lookers-on, so he began to speak more pleasantly. "Young men,"


s: said he, "come up to that throw if you can, and I will throw


s: another disc as heavy or even heavier. If anyone wants to have a


s: bout with me let him come on, for I am exceedingly angry; I will


s: box, wrestle, or run, I do not care what it is, with any man of


s: you all except Laodamas, but not with him because I am his


s: guest, and one cannot compete with one's own personal friend. At


s: least I do not think it a prudent or a sensible thing for a


s: guest to challenge his host's family at any game, especially


s: when he is in a foreign country. He will cut the ground from


s: under his own feet if he does; but I make no exception as


s: regards any one else, for I want to have the matter out and know


s: which is the best man. I am a good hand at every kind of


s: athletic sport known among mankind.  I am an excellent archer.


s: In battle I am always the first to bring a man down with my


s: arrow, no matter how many more are taking aim at him alongside


s: of me. Philoctetes was the only man who could shoot better than


s: I could when we Achaeans were before Troy and in practice. I far


s: excel every one else in the whole world, of those who still eat


s: bread upon the face of the earth, but I should not like to shoot


s: against the mighty dead, such as Hercules, or Eurytus the


s: Oechalian--men who could shoot against the gods themselves. This


s: in fact was how Eurytus came prematurely by his end, for Apollo