s: heart of noble Aegisthus, whom the son of Agamemnon,


s: far-famed Orestes, slew. Thinking upon him he spake out among


s: 'Lo you now, how vainly mortal men do blame the gods! For of


s: us they say comes evil, whereas they even of themselves,


s: through the blindness of their own hearts, have sorrows


s: beyond that which is ordained. Even as of late Aegisthus,


s: beyond that which was ordained, took to him the wedded wife


s: of the son of Atreus, and killed her lord on his return,


s: and that with sheer doom before his eyes, since we had


s: warned him by the embassy of Hermes the keen-sighted, the


s: slayer of Argos, that he should neither kill the man, nor


s: woo his wife. For the son of Atreus shall be avenged at the


s: hand of Orestes, so soon as he shall come to man's estate


s: and long for his own country. So spake Hermes, yet he


s: prevailed not on the heart of Aegisthus, for all his good


s: will; but now hath he paid one price for all.'


s: And the goddess, grey-eyed Athene, answered him, saying: 'O


s: father, our father Cronides, throned in the highest; that


s: man assuredly lies in a death that is his due; so perish


s: likewise all who work such deeds! But my heart is rent for


s: wise Odysseus, the hapless one, who far from his friends


s: this long while suffereth affliction in a sea-girt isle,


s: where is the navel of the sea, a woodland isle, and


s: therein a goddess hath her habitation, the daughter of the


s: wizard Atlas, who knows the depths of every sea, and


s: himself upholds the tall pillars which keep earth and sky


s: asunder. His daughter it is that holds the hapless man in


s: sorrow: and ever with soft and guileful tales she is


s: wooing him to forgetfulness of Ithaca. But Odysseus


s: yearning to see if it were but the smoke leap upwards from


s: his own land, hath a desire to die. As for thee, thine


s: heart regardeth it not at all, Olympian! What! Did not


s: Odysseus by the ships of the Argives make thee free


s: offering of sacrifice in the wide Trojan land? Wherefore


s: wast thou then so wroth with him, O Zeus?'


s: The "Odyssey" (as every one knows) abounds in passages borrowed


s: from the "Iliad"; I had wished to print these in a slightly


s: different type, with marginal references to the "Iliad," and had


s: marked them to this end in my MS. I found, however, that the


s: translation would be thus hopelessly scholasticised, and


s: abandoned my intention. I would nevertheless urge on those who


s: have the management of our University presses, that they would


s: render a great service to students if they would publish a Greek


s: text of the "Odyssey" with the Iliadic passages printed in a


s: different type, and with marginal references. I have given the


s: British Museum a copy of the "Odyssey" with the Iliadic passages


s: underlined and referred to in MS.; I have also given an "Iliad"


s: marked with all the Odyssean passages, and their references; but


s: copies of both the "Iliad" and "Odyssey" so marked ought to be


s: Any one who at the present day discusses the questions that have


s: arisen round the "Iliad" since Wolf's time, without keeping it


s: well before his reader's mind that the "Odyssey" was


s: demonstrably written from one single neighbourhood, and hence


s: (even though nothing else pointed to this conclusion) presumably


s: by one person only--that it was written certainly before 750,


s: and in all probability before 1000 B.C.--that the writer of this


s: very early poem was demonstrably familiar with the "Iliad" as we


s: now have it, borrowing as freely from those books whose


s: genuineness has been most impugned, as from those which are


s: admitted to be by Homer--any one who fails to keep these


s: points before his readers, is hardly dealing equitably by


s: them. Any one on the other hand, who will mark his "Iliad" and


s: his "Odyssey" from the copies in the British Museum above


s: referred to, and who will draw the only inference that common


s: sense can draw from the presence of so many identical passages


s: in both poems, will, I believe, find no difficulty in assigning


s: their proper value to a large number of books here and on the


s: Continent that at present enjoy considerable reputations.


s: Furthermore, and this perhaps is an advantage better worth


s: securing, he will find that many puzzles of the "Odyssey" cease


s: to puzzle him on the discovery that they arise from


s: Other difficulties will also disappear as soon as the


s: development of the poem in the writer's mind is understood. I


s: have dealt with this at some length in pp. 251-261 of "The


s: Authoress of the Odyssey". Briefly, the "Odyssey" consists of


s: two distinct poems: (1) The Return of Ulysses, which alone the


s: Muse is asked to sing in the opening lines of the poem. This


s: poem includes the Phaeacian episode, and the account of Ulysses'


s: adventures as told by himself in Books ix.-xii. It consists of


s: lines 1-79 (roughly) of Book i., of line 28 of Book v., and


s: thence without intermission to the middle of line 187 of Book


s: xiii., at which point the original scheme was abandoned.


s: (2) The story of Penelope and the suitors, with the episode of


s: (roughly) of Book i., is continued to the end of Book iv., and


s: not resumed till Ulysses wakes in the middle of line 187, Book


s: xiii., from whence it continues to the end of Book xxiv.


s: In "The Authoress of the Odyssey", I wrote:


s: the introduction of lines xi., 115-137 and of line ix.,


s: beginning of Book v., to take the place of the one that was


s: removed to Book i., 1-79, were the only things that were


s: done to give even a semblance of unity to the old scheme


s: and the new, and to conceal the fact that the Muse, after


s: being asked to sing of one subject, spend two-thirds of her


s: time in singing a very different one, with a climax for


s: which no-one has asked her. For roughly the Return occupies


s: eight Books, and Penelope and the Suitors sixteen.


s: I believe this to be substantially correct.


s: Lastly, to deal with a very unimportant point, I observe that


s: the Leipsic Teubner edition of 894 makes Books ii. and iii. end


s: with a comma. Stops are things of such far more recent date


s: than the "Odyssey," that there does not seem much use in


s: adhering to the text in so small a matter; still, from a spirit


s: of mere conservatism, I have preferred to do so. Why [Greek] at


s: the beginnings of Books ii. and viii., and [Greek], at the


s: beginning of Book vii. should have initial capitals in an


s: edition far too careful to admit a supposition of inadvertence,


s: when [Greek] at the beginning of Books vi. and xiii., and


s: capitals, I cannot determine. No other Books of the "Odyssey"


s: have initial capitals except the three mentioned unless the


s: first word of the Book is a proper name.


s: Butler's Translation of the "Odyssey" appeared originally in


s: to the new edition of "The Authoress", which is published


s: simultaneously with this new edition of the Translation, I have


s: given some account of the genesis of the two books.


s: The size of the original page has been reduced so as to make


s: both books uniform with Butler's other works; and, fortunately,


s: it has been possible, by using a smaller type, to get the


s: same number of words into each page, so that the references


s: remain good, and, with the exception of a few minor alterations


s: and rearrangements now to be enumerated so far as they affect


s: the Translation, the new editions are faithful reprints of the


s: original editions, with misprints and obvious errors corrected--


s: no attempt having been made to edit them or to bring them up


s: (b) Owing to the reduction in the size of the page it has been


s: necessary to shorten some of the headlines, and here advantage


s: has been taken of various corrections of and additions to the


s: headlines and shoulder-notes made by Butler in his own copies


s: (c) For the most part each of the illustrations now occupies


s: a page, whereas in the original editions they generally appeared


s: two on the page. It has been necessary to reduce the plan of


s: On page 153 of "The Authoress" Butler says: "No great poet


s: would compare his hero to a paunch full of blood and fat,


s: cooking before the fire (xx, 24-28)." This passage is not given


s: in the abridged Story of the "Odyssey" at the beginning of the


s: book, but in the Translation it occurs in these words:


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


s: It looks as though in the interval between the publication of


s: changed his mind; for in the first case the comparison is between


s: Ulysses and a man who turns a paunch full, etc. The second


s: comparison is perhaps one which a great poet might make.


s: In seeing the works through the press I have had the invaluable


s: assistance of Mr. A. T. Bartholomew of the University Library,


s: College, Cambridge. To both these friends I give my most


s: cordial thanks for the care and skill exercised by them. Mr.


s: Robertson has found time for the labour of checking and


s: correcting all the quotations from and references to the "Iliad"


s: and "Odyssey," and I believe that it could not have been


s: better performed. It was, I know, a pleasure for him; and it


s: would have been a pleasure also for Butler if he could have


s: known that his work was being shepherded by the son of his old


s: friend, Mr. H. R. Robertson, who more than half a century ago


s: was a fellow-student with him at Cary's School of Art in


s: Tell me, O Muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and


s: wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy. Many cities


s: did he visit, and many were the nations with whose manners and


s: customs he was acquainted; moreover he suffered much by sea


s: while trying to save his own life and bring his men safely home;


s: but do what he might he could not save his men, for they


s: perished through their own sheer folly in eating the cattle of


s: the Sun-god Hyperion; so the god prevented them from ever


s: reaching home. Tell me, too, about all these things, oh daughter


s: of Jove, from whatsoever source you may know them.


s: So now all who escaped death in battle or by shipwreck had got


s: safely home except Ulysses, and he, though he was longing to


s: return to his wife and country, was detained by the goddess


s: Calypso, who had got him into a large cave and wanted to marry


s: him. But as years went by, there came a time when the gods


s: settled that he should go back to Ithaca; even then, however,


s: when he was among his own people, his troubles were not yet


s: over; nevertheless all the gods had now begun to pity him except


s: Neptune, who still persecuted him without ceasing and would not


s: Now Neptune had gone off to the Ethiopians, who are at the


s: world's end, and lie in two halves, the one looking West and the


s: other East. {1}  He had gone there to accept a hecatomb of sheep


s: and oxen, and was enjoying himself at his festival; but the


s: other gods met in the house of Olympian Jove, and the sire of


s: gods and men spoke first. At that moment he was thinking of


s: Aegisthus, who had been killed by Agamemnon's son Orestes; so he


s: "See now, how men lay blame upon us gods for what is after all


s: nothing but their own folly. Look at Aegisthus; he must needs


s: make love to Agamemnon's wife unrighteously and then kill


s: Agamemnon, though he knew it would be the death of him; for I


s: sent Mercury to warn him not to do either of these things,


s: inasmuch as Orestes would be sure to take his revenge when he


s: grew up and wanted to return home.  Mercury told him this in all


s: good will but he would not listen, and now he has paid for


s: Then Minerva said, "Father, son of Saturn, King of kings, it


s: served Aegisthus right, and so it would any one else who does as


s: he did; but Aegisthus is neither here nor there; it is for


s: Ulysses that my heart bleeds, when I think of his sufferings in


s: that lonely sea-girt island, far away, poor man, from all his


s: friends. It is an island covered with forest, in the very middle


s: of the sea, and a goddess lives there, daughter of the magician


s: Atlas, who looks after the bottom of the ocean, and carries the


s: great columns that keep heaven and earth asunder. This daughter


s: of Atlas has got hold of poor unhappy Ulysses, and keeps trying


s: by every kind of blandishment to make him forget his home, so


s: that he is tired of life, and thinks of nothing but how he may


s: once more see the smoke of his own chimneys. You, sir, take no


s: heed of this, and yet when Ulysses was before Troy did he not


s: propitiate you with many a burnt sacrifice? Why then should you


s: And Jove said, "My child, what are you talking about? How can I


s: forget Ulysses than whom there is no more capable man on earth,


s: nor more liberal in his offerings to the immortal gods that live


s: in heaven?  Bear in mind, however, that Neptune is still furious


s: with Ulysses for having blinded an eye of Polyphemus king of the


s: Cyclopes.  Polyphemus is son to Neptune by the nymph Thoosa,


s: daughter to the sea-king Phorcys; therefore though he will not


s: kill Ulysses outright, he torments him by preventing him from


s: getting home. Still, let us lay our heads together and see how


s: we can help him to return; Neptune will then be pacified, for if


s: we are all of a mind he can hardly stand out against us."


s: And Minerva said, "Father, son of Saturn, King of kings, if,


s: then, the gods now mean that Ulysses should get home, we should


s: first send Mercury to the Ogygian island to tell Calypso that we


s: have made up our minds and that he is to return. In the meantime


s: I will go to Ithaca, to put heart into Ulysses' son Telemachus;


s: I will embolden him to call the Achaeans in assembly, and speak


s: out to the suitors of his mother Penelope, who persist in eating


s: up any number of his sheep and oxen; I will also conduct him to


s: Sparta and to Pylos, to see if he can hear anything about the


s: return of his dear father--for this will make people speak well


s: So saying she bound on her glittering golden sandals,


s: imperishable, with which she can fly like the wind over land or


s: sea; she grasped the redoubtable bronze-shod spear, so stout and


s: sturdy and strong, wherewith she quells the ranks of heroes who


s: have displeased her, and down she darted from the topmost


s: summits of Olympus, whereon forthwith she was in Ithaca, at the


s: gateway of Ulysses' house, disguised as a visitor, Mentes, chief


s: of the Taphians, and she held a bronze spear in her hand.  There


s: she found the lordly suitors seated on hides of the oxen which


s: they had killed and eaten, and playing draughts in front of the


s: house. Men-servants and pages were bustling about to wait upon


s: them, some mixing wine with water in the mixing-bowls, some


s: cleaning down the tables with wet sponges and laying them out


s: again, and some cutting up great quantities of meat.


s: Telemachus saw her long before any one else did. He was sitting


s: moodily among the suitors thinking about his brave father, and


s: how he would send them flying out of the house, if he were to


s: come to his own again and be honoured as in days gone by. Thus


s: brooding as he sat among them, he caught sight of Minerva and


s: went straight to the gate, for he was vexed that a stranger


s: should be kept waiting for admittance.  He took her right hand


s: in his own, and bade her give him her spear.  "Welcome," said


s: he, "to our house, and when you have partaken of food you shall


s: He led the way as he spoke, and Minerva followed him. When they


s: were within he took her spear and set it in the spear-stand


s: against a strong bearing-post along with the many other spears


s: of his unhappy father, and he conducted her to a richly


s: decorated seat under which he threw a cloth of damask. There was


s: a footstool also for her feet,{2} and he set another seat near


s: her for himself, away from the suitors, that she might not be


s: annoyed while eating by their noise and insolence, and that he


s: might ask her more freely about his father.


s: A maid servant then brought them water in a beautiful golden


s: ewer and poured it into a silver basin for them to wash their


s: hands, and she drew a clean table beside them.  An upper servant


s: brought them bread, and offered them many good things of what


s: there was in the house, the carver fetched them plates of all


s: manner of meats and set cups of gold by their side, and a


s: manservant brought them wine and poured it out for them.


s: Then the suitors came in and took their places on the benches


s: and seats. {3} Forthwith men servants poured water over their


s: hands, maids went round with the bread-baskets, pages filled the


s: mixing-bowls with wine and water, and they laid their hands upon


s: the good things that were before them. As soon as they had had


s: enough to eat and drink they wanted music and dancing, which are


s: the crowning embellishments of a banquet, so a servant brought a


s: lyre to Phemius, whom they compelled perforce to sing to them.


s: As soon as he touched his lyre and began to sing Telemachus


s: spoke low to Minerva, with his head close to hers that no man


s: "I hope, sir," said he, "that you will not be offended with what


s: I am going to say. Singing comes cheap to those who do not pay


s: for it, and all this is done at the cost of one whose bones lie


s: rotting in some wilderness or grinding to powder in the surf. If


s: these men were to see my father come back to Ithaca they would


s: pray for longer legs rather than a longer purse, for money would


s: not serve them; but he, alas, has fallen on an ill fate, and


s: even when people do sometimes say that he is coming, we no


s: longer heed them; we shall never see him again. And now, sir,


s: tell me and tell me true, who you are and where you come from.


s: Tell me of your town and parents, what manner of ship you came


s: in, how your crew brought you to Ithaca, and of what nation they


s: declared themselves to be--for you cannot have come by land.


s: Tell me also truly, for I want to know, are you a stranger to


s: this house, or have you been here in my father's time? In the


s: old days we had many visitors for my father went about much


s: And Minerva answered, "I will tell you truly and particularly


s: all about it. I am Mentes, son of Anchialus, and I am King of


s: the Taphians.  I have come here with my ship and crew, on a


s: voyage to men of a foreign tongue being bound for Temesa {4}


s: with a cargo of iron, and I shall bring back copper. As for my


s: ship, it lies over yonder off the open country away from the


s: town, in the harbour Rheithron {5} under the wooded mountain


s: Neritum. {6} Our fathers were friends before us, as old Laertes


s: will tell you, if you will go and ask him. They say, however,


s: that he never comes to town now, and lives by himself in the


s: country, faring hardly, with an old woman to look after him and


s: get his dinner for him, when he comes in tired from pottering


s: about his vineyard. They told me your father was at home again,


s: and that was why I came, but it seems the gods are still keeping


s: him back, for he is not dead yet not on the mainland. It is more


s: likely he is on some sea-girt island in mid ocean, or a prisoner


s: among savages who are detaining him against his will. I am no


s: prophet, and know very little about omens, but I speak as it is


s: borne in upon me from heaven, and assure you that he will not be


s: away much longer; for he is a man of such resource that even


s: though he were in chains of iron he would find some means of


s: getting home again. But tell me, and tell me true, can Ulysses


s: really have such a fine looking fellow for a son? You are indeed


s: wonderfully like him about the head and eyes, for we were close


s: friends before he set sail for Troy where the flower of all the


s: Argives went also. Since that time we have never either of us


s: "My mother," answered Telemachus, "tells me I am son to Ulysses,


s: but it is a wise child that knows his own father.  Would that I


s: were son to one who had grown old upon his own estates, for,


s: since you ask me, there is no more ill-starred man under heaven


s: And Minerva said, "There is no fear of your race dying out yet,


s: while Penelope has such a fine son as you are. But tell me, and


s: tell me true, what is the meaning of all this feasting, and who


s: are these people? What is it all about?  Have you some banquet,


s: or is there a wedding in the family--for no one seems to be


s: bringing any provisions of his own? And the guests--how


s: atrociously they are behaving; what riot they make over the


s: whole house; it is enough to disgust any respectable person who


s: "Sir," said Telemachus, "as regards your question, so long as my


s: father was here it was well with us and with the house, but the


s: gods in their displeasure have willed it otherwise, and have


s: hidden him away more closely than mortal man was ever yet


s: hidden. I could have borne it better even though he were dead,


s: if he had fallen with his men before Troy, or had died with


s: friends around him when the days of his fighting were done; for


s: then the Achaeans would have built a mound over his ashes, and I


s: should myself have been heir to his renown; but now the


s: storm-winds have spirited him away we know not whither; he is


s: gone without leaving so much as a trace behind him, and I


s: inherit nothing but dismay. Nor does the matter end simply with


s: grief for the loss of my father; heaven has laid sorrows upon me


s: of yet another kind; for the chiefs from all our islands,


s: Dulichium, Same, and the woodland island of Zacynthus, as also


s: all the principal men of Ithaca itself, are eating up my house


s: under the pretext of paying their court to my mother, who will


s: neither point blank say that she will not marry, {7} nor yet


s: bring matters to an end; so they are making havoc of my estate,


s: and before long will do so also with myself."


s: "Is that so?" exclaimed Minerva, "then you do indeed want


s: Ulysses home again. Give him his helmet, shield, and a couple of


s: lances, and if he is the man he was when I first knew him in our


s: house, drinking and making merry, he would soon lay his hands


s: about these rascally suitors, were he to stand once more upon


s: his own threshold. He was then coming from Ephyra, where he had


s: been to beg poison for his arrows from Ilus, son of Mermerus.


s: Ilus feared the ever-living gods and would not give him any, but


s: my father let him have some, for he was very fond of him. If


s: Ulysses is the man he then was these suitors will have a short


s: "But there! It rests with heaven to determine whether he is to


s: return, and take his revenge in his own house or no; I would,


s: however, urge you to set about trying to get rid of these


s: suitors at once. Take my advice, call the Achaean heroes in


s: assembly to-morrow morning--lay your case before them, and call


s: heaven to bear you witness. Bid the suitors take themselves off,


s: each to his own place, and if your mother's mind is set on


s: marrying again, let her go back to her father, who will find her


s: a husband and provide her with all the marriage gifts that so


s: dear a daughter may expect. As for yourself, let me prevail upon


s: you to take the best ship you can get, with a crew of twenty


s: men, and go in quest of your father who has so long been


s: missing.  Some one may tell you something, or (and people often


s: hear things in this way) some heaven-sent message may direct


s: you. First go to Pylos and ask Nestor; thence go on to Sparta


s: and visit Menelaus, for he got home last of all the Achaeans; if


s: you hear that your father is alive and on his way home, you can


s: put up with the waste these suitors will make for yet another


s: twelve months. If on the other hand you hear of his death, come


s: home at once, celebrate his funeral rites with all due pomp,


s: build a barrow to his memory, and make your mother marry again.


s: Then, having done all this, think it well over in your mind how,


s: by fair means or foul, you may kill these suitors in your own


s: house. You are too old to plead infancy any longer; have you not


s: heard how people are singing Orestes' praises for having killed


s: his father's murderer Aegisthus? You are a fine, smart looking


s: fellow; show your mettle, then, and make yourself a name in


s: story. Now, however, I must go back to my ship and to my crew,


s: who will be impatient if I keep them waiting longer; think the


s: matter over for yourself, and remember what I have said to you."


s: "Sir," answered Telemachus, "it has been very kind of you to


s: talk to me in this way, as though I were your own son, and I


s: will do all you tell me; I know you want to be getting on with


s: your voyage, but stay a little longer till you have taken a bath


s: and refreshed yourself.  I will then give you a present, and you


s: shall go on your way rejoicing; I will give you one of great


s: beauty and value--a keepsake such as only dear friends give to


s: Minerva answered, "Do not try to keep me, for I would be on my


s: way at once. As for any present you may be disposed to make me,


s: keep it till I come again, and I will take it home with me. You


s: shall give me a very good one, and I will give you one of no


s: With these words she flew away like a bird into the air, but she


s: had given Telemachus courage, and had made him think more than


s: ever about his father. He felt the change, wondered at it, and


s: knew that the stranger had been a god, so he went straight to


s: Phemius was still singing, and his hearers sat rapt in silence


s: as he told the sad tale of the return from Troy, and the ills


s: Minerva had laid upon the Achaeans. Penelope, daughter of


s: Icarius, heard his song from her room upstairs, and came down by


s: the great staircase, not alone, but attended by two of her


s: handmaids. When she reached the suitors she stood by one of the


s: bearing posts that supported the roof of the cloisters {8} with


s: a staid maiden on either side of her. She held a veil, moreover,


s: before her face, and was weeping bitterly.


s: "Phemius," she cried, "you know many another feat of gods and


s: heroes, such as poets love to celebrate. Sing the suitors some


s: one of these, and let them drink their wine in silence, but


s: cease this sad tale, for it breaks my sorrowful heart, and


s: reminds me of my lost husband whom I mourn ever without ceasing,


s: and whose name was great over all Hellas and middle Argos." {9}


s: "Mother," answered Telemachus, "let the bard sing what he has a


s: mind to; bards do not make the ills they sing of; it is Jove,


s: not they, who makes them, and who sends weal or woe upon mankind


s: according to his own good pleasure. This fellow means no harm by


s: singing the ill-fated return of the Danaans, for people always


s: applaud the latest songs most warmly. Make up your mind to it


s: and bear it; Ulysses is not the only man who never came back


s: from Troy, but many another went down as well as he. Go, then,


s: within the house and busy yourself with your daily duties, your


s: loom, your distaff, and the ordering of your servants; for


s: speech is man's matter, and mine above all others {10}--for it


s: She went wondering back into the house, and laid her son's


s: saying in her heart. Then, going upstairs with her handmaids


s: into her room, she mourned her dear husband till Minerva shed


s: sweet sleep over her eyes. But the suitors were clamorous


s: throughout the covered cloisters {11}, and prayed each one that


s: Then Telemachus spoke, "Shameless," he cried, "and insolent


s: suitors, let us feast at our pleasure now, and let there be no


s: brawling, for it is a rare thing to hear a man with such a


s: divine voice as Phemius has; but in the morning meet me in full


s: assembly that I may give you formal notice to depart, and feast


s: at one another's houses, turn and turn about, at your own cost.


s: If on the other hand you choose to persist in spunging upon one


s: man, heaven help me, but Jove shall reckon with you in full, and


s: when you fall in my father's house there shall be no man to


s: The suitors bit their lips as they heard him, and marvelled at


s: the boldness of his speech. Then, Antinous, son of Eupeithes,


s: said, "The gods seem to have given you lessons in bluster and


s: tall talking; may Jove never grant you to be chief in Ithaca as


s: Telemachus answered, "Antinous, do not chide with me, but, god


s: willing, I will be chief too if I can. Is this the worst fate


s: you can think of for me? It is no bad thing to be a chief, for


s: it brings both riches and honour. Still, now that Ulysses is


s: dead there are many great men in Ithaca both old and young, and


s: some other may take the lead among them; nevertheless I will be


s: chief in my own house, and will rule those whom Ulysses has won


s: Then Eurymachus, son of Polybus, answered, "It rests with heaven


s: to decide who shall be chief among us, but you shall be master


s: in your own house and over your own possessions; no one while


s: there is a man in Ithaca shall do you violence nor rob you. And


s: now, my good fellow, I want to know about this stranger. What


s: country does he come from?  Of what family is he, and where is


s: his estate? Has he brought you news about the return of your


s: father, or was he on business of his own? He seemed a well to do


s: man, but he hurried off so suddenly that he was gone in a moment


s: "My father is dead and gone," answered Telemachus, "and even if


s: some rumour reaches me I put no more faith in it now. My mother


s: does indeed sometimes send for a soothsayer and question him,


s: but I give his prophecyings no heed. As for the stranger, he was


s: Mentes, son of Anchialus, chief of the Taphians, an old friend


s: of my father's." But in his heart he knew that it had been the


s: The suitors then returned to their singing and dancing until the


s: evening; but when night fell upon their pleasuring they went


s: home to bed each in his own abode. {12} Telemachus's room was


s: high up in a tower {13} that looked on to the outer court;


s: hither, then, he hied, brooding and full of thought. A good old


s: woman, Euryclea, daughter of Ops, the son of Pisenor, went


s: before him with a couple of blazing torches. Laertes had bought


s: her with his own money when she was quite young; he gave the


s: worth of twenty oxen for her, and shewed as much respect to her


s: in his household as he did to his own wedded wife, but he did


s: not take her to his bed for he feared his wife's resentment.


s: {14} She it was who now lighted Telemachus to his room, and she


s: loved him better than any of the other women in the house did,


s: for she had nursed him when he was a baby. He opened the door of


s: his bed room and sat down upon the bed; as he took off his shirt


s: {15} he gave it to the good old woman, who folded it tidily up,


s: and hung it for him over a peg by his bed side, after which she


s: went out, pulled the door to by a silver catch, and drew the


s: bolt home by means of the strap. {16} But Telemachus as he lay


s: covered with a woollen fleece kept thinking all night through of


s: his intended voyage and of the counsel that Minerva had given


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


s: Telemachus rose and dressed himself. He bound his sandals on to


s: his comely feet, girded his sword about his shoulder, and left


s: his room looking like an immortal god.  He at once sent the


s: criers round to call the people in assembly, so they called them


s: and the people gathered thereon; then, when they were got


s: together, he went to the place of assembly spear in hand--not


s: alone, for his two hounds went with him. Minerva endowed him


s: with a presence of such divine comeliness that all marvelled at


s: him as he went by, and when he took his place in his father's


s: seat even the oldest councillors made way for him.


s: experience, was the first to speak. His son Antiphus had gone


s: with Ulysses to Ilius, land of noble steeds, but the savage


s: Cyclops had killed him when they were all shut up in the cave,


s: and had cooked his last dinner for him. {17} He had three sons


s: left, of whom two still worked on their father's land, while the


s: third, Eurynomus, was one of the suitors; nevertheless their


s: father could not get over the loss of Antiphus, and was still


s: weeping for him when he began his speech.


s: "Men of Ithaca," he said, "hear my words. From the day Ulysses


s: left us there has been no meeting of our councillors until now;


s: who then can it be, whether old or young, that finds it so


s: necessary to convene us? Has he got wind of some host


s: approaching, and does he wish to warn us, or would he speak upon


s: some other matter of public moment?  I am sure he is an


s: excellent person, and I hope Jove will grant him his heart's


s: Telemachus took this speech as of good omen and rose at once,


s: for he was bursting with what he had to say. He stood in the


s: middle of the assembly and the good herald Pisenor brought him


s: as you will shortly learn, who have convened you, for it is I


s: who am the most aggrieved.  I have not got wind of any host


s: approaching about which I would warn you, nor is there any


s: matter of public moment on which I would speak.  My grievance


s: is purely personal, and turns on two great misfortunes which


s: have fallen upon my house. The first of these is the loss of my


s: excellent father, who was chief among all you here present, and


s: was like a father to every one of you; the second is much more


s: serious, and ere long will be the utter ruin of my estate.  The


s: sons of all the chief men among you are pestering my mother to


s: marry them against her will. They are afraid to go to her father


s: Icarius, asking him to choose the one he likes best, and to


s: provide marriage gifts for his daughter, but day by day they


s: keep hanging about my father's house, sacrificing our oxen,


s: sheep, and fat goats for their banquets, and never giving so


s: much as a thought to the quantity of wine they drink.  No estate


s: can stand such recklessness; we have now no Ulysses to ward off


s: harm from our doors, and I cannot hold my own against them. I


s: shall never all my days be as good a man as he was, still I


s: would indeed defend myself if I had power to do so, for I cannot


s: stand such treatment any longer; my house is being disgraced and


s: ruined. Have respect, therefore, to your own consciences and to


s: public opinion.  Fear, too, the wrath of heaven, lest the gods


s: should be displeased and turn upon you. I pray you by Jove and


s: Themis, who is the beginning and the end of councils, [do not]


s: hold back, my friends, and leave me singlehanded {18}--unless it


s: be that my brave father Ulysses did some wrong to the Achaeans


s: which you would now avenge on me, by aiding and abetting these


s: suitors. Moreover, if I am to be eaten out of house and home at


s: all, I had rather you did the eating yourselves, for I could


s: then take action against you to some purpose, and serve you with


s: notices from house to house till I got paid in full, whereas now


s: With this Telemachus dashed his staff to the ground and burst


s: into tears. Every one was very sorry for him, but they all sat


s: still and no one ventured to make him an angry answer, save only


s: "Telemachus, insolent braggart that you are, how dare you try to


s: throw the blame upon us suitors? It is your mother's fault not


s: ours, for she is a very artful woman.  This three years past,


s: and close on four, she had been driving us out of our minds, by


s: encouraging each one of us, and sending him messages without


s: meaning one word of what she says. And then there was that other


s: trick she played us. She set up a great tambour frame in her


s: room, and began to work on an enormous piece of fine needlework.


s: 'Sweet hearts,' said she, 'Ulysses is indeed dead, still do not


s: press me to marry again immediately, wait--for I would not have


s: skill in needlework perish unrecorded--till I have completed a


s: pall for the hero Laertes, to be in readiness against the time


s: when death shall take him. He is very rich, and the women of the


s: place will talk if he is laid out without a pall.'


s: "This was what she said, and we assented; whereon we could see


s: her working on her great web all day long, but at night she


s: would unpick the stitches again by torchlight.  She fooled us in


s: this way for three years and we never found her out, but as time


s: wore on and she was now in her fourth year, one of her maids who


s: knew what she was doing told us, and we caught her in the act of


s: undoing her work, so she had to finish it whether she would or


s: no. The suitors, therefore, make you this answer, that both you


s: and the Achaeans may understand-'Send your mother away, and bid


s: her marry the man of her own and of her father's choice'; for I


s: do not know what will happen if she goes on plaguing us much


s: longer with the airs she gives herself on the score of the


s: accomplishments Minerva has taught her, and because she is so


s: clever. We never yet heard of such a woman; we know all about


s: Tyro, Alcmena, Mycene, and the famous women of old, but they


s: were nothing to your mother any one of them. It was not fair of


s: her to treat us in that way, and as long as she continues in the


s: mind with which heaven has now endowed her, so long shall we go


s: on eating up your estate; and I do not see why she should


s: change, for she gets all the honour and glory, and it is you who


s: pay for it, not she. Understand, then, that we will not go back


s: to our lands, neither here nor elsewhere, till she has made her


s: choice and married some one or other of us."


s: Telemachus answered, "Antinous, how can I drive the mother who


s: bore me from my father's house? My father is abroad and we do


s: not know whether he is alive or dead. It will be hard on me if I


s: have to pay Icarius the large sum which I must give him if I


s: insist on sending his daughter back to him. Not only will he


s: deal rigorously with me, but heaven will also punish me; for my


s: mother when she leaves the house will call on the Erinyes to


s: avenge her; besides, it would not be a creditable thing to do,


s: and I will have nothing to say to it.  If you choose to take


s: offence at this, leave the house and feast elsewhere at one


s: another's houses at your own cost turn and turn about. If, on


s: the other hand, you elect to persist in spunging upon one man,


s: heaven help me, but Jove shall reckon with you in full, and when


s: you fall in my father's house there shall be no man to avenge


s: As he spoke Jove sent two eagles from the top of the mountain,


s: and they flew on and on with the wind, sailing side by side in


s: their own lordly flight. When they were right over the middle of


s: the assembly they wheeled and circled about, beating the air


s: with their wings and glaring death into the eyes of them that


s: were below; then, fighting fiercely and tearing at one another,


s: they flew off towards the right over the town. The people


s: wondered as they saw them, and asked each other what all this


s: might be; whereon Halitherses, who was the best prophet and


s: reader of omens among them, spoke to them plainly and in all


s: "Hear me, men of Ithaca, and I speak more particularly to the


s: suitors, for I see mischief brewing for them. Ulysses is not


s: going to be away much longer; indeed he is close at hand to deal


s: out death and destruction, not on them alone, but on many


s: another of us who live in Ithaca. Let us then be wise in time,


s: and put a stop to this wickedness before he comes. Let the


s: suitors do so of their own accord; it will be better for them,


s: for I am not prophesying without due knowledge; everything has


s: happened to Ulysses as I foretold when the Argives set out for


s: Troy, and he with them. I said that after going through much


s: hardship and losing all his men he should come home again in the


s: twentieth year and that no one would know him; and now all this


s: Eurymachus son of Polybus then said, "Go home, old man, and


s: prophesy to your own children, or it may be worse for them. I


s: can read these omens myself much better than you can; birds are


s: always flying about in the sunshine somewhere or other, but they


s: seldom mean anything.  Ulysses has died in a far country, and it


s: is a pity you are not dead along with him, instead of prating


s: here about omens and adding fuel to the anger of Telemachus


s: which is fierce enough as it is. I suppose you think he will


s: give you something for your family, but I tell you--and it shall


s: surely be--when an old man like you, who should know better,


s: talks a young one over till he becomes troublesome, in the first


s: place his young friend will only fare so much the worse--he will


s: take nothing by it, for the suitors will prevent this--and in


s: the next, we will lay a heavier fine, sir, upon yourself than


s: you will at all like paying, for it will bear hardly upon you.


s: As for Telemachus, I warn him in the presence of you all to send


s: his mother back to her father, who will find her a husband and


s: provide her with all the marriage gifts so dear a daughter may


s: expect. Till then we shall go on harassing him with our suit;


s: for we fear no man, and care neither for him, with all his fine


s: speeches, nor for any fortune-telling of yours. You may preach


s: as much as you please, but we shall only hate you the more. We


s: shall go back and continue to eat up Telemachus's estate without


s: paying him, till such time as his mother leaves off tormenting


s: us by keeping us day after day on the tiptoe of expectation,


s: each vying with the other in his suit for a prize of such rare


s: perfection.  Besides we cannot go after the other women whom we


s: should marry in due course, but for the way in which she treats


s: Then Telemachus said, "Eurymachus, and you other suitors, I


s: shall say no more, and entreat you no further, for the gods and


s: the people of Ithaca now know my story. Give me, then, a ship


s: and a crew of twenty men to take me hither and thither, and I


s: will go to Sparta and to Pylos in quest of my father who has so


s: long been missing. Some one may tell me something, or (and


s: people often hear things in this way) some heaven-sent message


s: may direct me. If I can hear of him as alive and on his way home


s: I will put up with the waste you suitors will make for yet


s: another twelve months.  If on the other hand I hear of his


s: death, I will return at once, celebrate his funeral rites with


s: all due pomp, build a barrow to his memory, and make my mother


s: With these words he sat down, and Mentor {20} who had been a


s: friend of Ulysses, and had been left in charge of everything


s: with full authority over the servants, rose to speak. He, then,


s: plainly and in all honesty addressed them thus:


s: "Hear me, men of Ithaca, I hope that you may never have a kind


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


s: equitably; I hope that all your chiefs henceforward may be cruel


s: and unjust, for there is not one of you but has forgotten


s: Ulysses, who ruled you as though he were your father. I am not


s: half so angry with the suitors, for if they choose to do


s: violence in the naughtiness of their hearts, and wager their


s: heads that Ulysses will not return, they can take the high hand


s: and eat up his estate, but as for you others I am shocked at the


s: way in which you all sit still without even trying to stop such


s: scandalous goings on--which you could do if you chose, for you


s: Leiocritus, son of Evenor, answered him saying, "Mentor, what


s: folly is all this, that you should set the people to stay us? It


s: is a hard thing for one man to fight with many about his


s: victuals. Even though Ulysses himself were to set upon us while


s: we are feasting in his house, and do his best to oust us, his


s: wife, who wants him back so very badly, would have small cause


s: for rejoicing, and his blood would be upon his own head if he


s: fought against such great odds. There is no sense in what you


s: have been saying. Now, therefore, do you people go about your


s: business, and let his father's old friends, Mentor and


s: Halitherses, speed this boy on his journey, if he goes at


s: all--which I do not think he will, for he is more likely to stay


s: where he is till some one comes and tells him something."


s: On this he broke up the assembly, and every man went back to his


s: own abode, while the suitors returned to the house of Ulysses.


s: Then Telemachus went all alone by the sea side, washed his hands


s: in the grey waves, and prayed to Minerva.


s: "Hear me," he cried, "you god who visited me yesterday, and bade


s: me sail the seas in search of my father who has so long been


s: missing.  I would obey you, but the Achaeans, and more


s: particularly the wicked suitors, are hindering me that I cannot


s: As he thus prayed, Minerva came close up to him in the likeness


s: and with the voice of Mentor. "Telemachus," said she, "if you


s: are made of the same stuff as your father you will be neither


s: fool nor coward henceforward, for Ulysses never broke his word


s: nor left his work half done. If, then, you take after him, your


s: voyage will not be fruitless, but unless you have the blood of


s: Ulysses and of Penelope in your veins I see no likelihood of


s: your succeeding. Sons are seldom as good men as their fathers;


s: they are generally worse, not better; still, as you are not


s: going to be either fool or coward henceforward, and are not


s: entirely without some share of your father's wise discernment, I


s: look with hope upon your undertaking. But mind you never make


s: common cause with any of those foolish suitors, for they have


s: neither sense nor virtue, and give no thought to death and to


s: the doom that will shortly fall on one and all of them, so that


s: they shall perish on the same day. As for your voyage, it shall


s: not be long delayed; your father was such an old friend of mine


s: that I will find you a ship, and will come with you myself. Now,


s: however, return home, and go about among the suitors; begin


s: getting provisions ready for your voyage; see everything well


s: stowed, the wine in jars, and the barley meal, which is the


s: staff of life, in leathern bags, while I go round the town and


s: beat up volunteers at once. There are many ships in Ithaca both


s: old and new; I will run my eye over them for you and will choose


s: the best; we will get her ready and will put out to sea without


s: Thus spoke Minerva daughter of Jove, and Telemachus lost no time


s: in doing as the goddess told him. He went moodily home, and


s: found the suitors flaying goats and singeing pigs in the outer


s: court. Antinous came up to him at once and laughed as he took


s: his hand in his own, saying, "Telemachus, my fine fire-eater,


s: bear no more ill blood neither in word nor deed, but eat and


s: drink with us as you used to do. The Achaeans will find you in


s: everything--a ship and a picked crew to boot--so that you can


s: set sail for Pylos at once and get news of your noble father."


s: "Antinous," answered Telemachus, "I cannot eat in peace, nor


s: take pleasure of any kind with such men as you are.  Was it not


s: enough that you should waste so much good property of mine while


s: I was yet a boy?  Now that I am older and know more about it, I


s: am also stronger, and whether here among this people, or by


s: going to Pylos, I will do you all the harm I can. I shall go,


s: and my going will not be in vain--though, thanks to you suitors,


s: I have neither ship nor crew of my own, and must be passenger


s: As he spoke he snatched his hand from that of Antinous.


s: Meanwhile the others went on getting dinner ready about the


s: buildings, {21} jeering at him tauntingly as they did so.


s: "Telemachus," said one youngster, "means to be the death of us;


s: I suppose he thinks he can bring friends to help him from Pylos,


s: or again from Sparta, where he seems bent on going. Or will he


s: go to Ephyra as well, for poison to put in our wine and kill


s: Another said, "Perhaps if Telemachus goes on board ship, he will


s: be like his father and perish far from his friends.  In this


s: case we should have plenty to do, for we could then divide up


s: his property amongst us: as for the house we can let his mother


s: This was how they talked. But Telemachus went down into the


s: lofty and spacious store-room where his father's treasure of


s: gold and bronze lay heaped up upon the floor, and where the


s: linen and spare clothes were kept in open chests.  Here, too,


s: there was a store of fragrant olive oil, while casks of old,


s: well-ripened wine, unblended and fit for a god to drink, were


s: ranged against the wall in case Ulysses should come home again


s: after all. The room was closed with well-made doors opening in


s: the middle; moreover the faithful old house-keeper Euryclea,


s: daughter of Ops the son of Pisenor, was in charge of everything


s: both night and day. Telemachus called her to the store-room and


s: "Nurse, draw me off some of the best wine you have, after what


s: you are keeping for my father's own drinking, in case, poor man,


s: he should escape death, and find his way home again after all.


s: Let me have twelve jars, and see that they all have lids; also


s: fill me some well-sewn leathern bags with barley meal--about


s: twenty measures in all. Get these things put together at once,


s: and say nothing about it. I will take everything away this


s: evening as soon as my mother has gone upstairs for the night. I


s: am going to Sparta and to Pylos to see if I can hear anything


s: When Euryclea heard this she began to cry, and spoke fondly to


s: him, saying, "My dear child, what ever can have put such notion


s: as that into your head? Where in the world do you want to go


s: to--you, who are the one hope of the house?  Your poor father is


s: dead and gone in some foreign country nobody knows where, and as


s: soon as your back is turned these wicked ones here will be


s: scheming to get you put out of the way, and will share all your


s: possessions among themselves; stay where you are among your own


s: people, and do not go wandering and worrying your life out on


s: "Fear not, nurse," answered Telemachus, "my scheme is not


s: without heaven's sanction; but swear that you will say nothing


s: about all this to my mother, till I have been away some ten or


s: twelve days, unless she hears of my having gone, and asks you;


s: for I do not want her to spoil her beauty by crying."


s: The old woman swore most solemnly that she would not, and when


s: she had completed her oath, she began drawing off the wine into


s: jars, and getting the barley meal into the bags, while


s: Then Minerva bethought her of another matter. She took his


s: shape, and went round the town to each one of the crew, telling


s: them to meet at the ship by sundown. She went also to Noemon son


s: of Phronius, and asked him to let her have a ship--which he was


s: very ready to do. When the sun had set and darkness was over all


s: the land, she got the ship into the water, put all the tackle on


s: board her that ships generally carry, and stationed her at the


s: end of the harbour. Presently the crew came up, and the goddess


s: Furthermore she went to the house of Ulysses, and threw the


s: suitors into a deep slumber. She caused their drink to fuddle


s: them, and made them drop their cups from their hands, so that


s: instead of sitting over their wine, they went back into the town


s: to sleep, with their eyes heavy and full of drowsiness. Then she


s: took the form and voice of Mentor, and called Telemachus to come


s: "Telemachus," said she, "the men are on board and at their oars,


s: waiting for you to give your orders, so make haste and let us be


s: On this she led the way, while Telemachus followed in her steps.


s: When they got to the ship they found the crew waiting by the


s: water side, and Telemachus said, "Now my men, help me to get the


s: stores on board; they are all put together in the cloister, and


s: my mother does not know anything about it, nor any of the maid


s: With these words he led the way and the others followed after.


s: When they had brought the things as he told them, Telemachus


s: went on board, Minerva going before him and taking her seat in


s: the stern of the vessel, while Telemachus sat beside her. Then


s: the men loosed the hawsers and took their places on the benches.


s: Minerva sent them a fair wind from the West, {22} that whistled


s: over the deep blue waves {23} whereon Telemachus told them to


s: catch hold of the ropes and hoist sail, and they did as he told


s: them. They set the mast in its socket in the cross plank, raised


s: it, and made it fast with the forestays; then they hoisted their


s: white sails aloft with ropes of twisted ox hide. As the sail


s: bellied out with the wind, the ship flew through the deep blue


s: water, and the foam hissed against her bows as she sped onward.


s: Then they made all fast throughout the ship, filled the mixing


s: bowls to the brim, and made drink offerings to the immortal gods


s: that are from everlasting, but more particularly to the


s: Thus, then, the ship sped on her way through the watches of the


s: but as the sun was rising from the fair sea {24} into the


s: firmament of heaven to shed light on mortals and immortals, they


s: reached Pylos the city of Neleus. Now the people of Pylos were


s: gathered on the sea shore to offer sacrifice of black bulls to


s: Neptune lord of the Earthquake.  There were nine guilds with


s: five hundred men in each, and there were nine bulls to each


s: guild. As they were eating the inward meats {25} and burning the


s: thigh bones [on the embers] in the name of Neptune, Telemachus


s: and his crew arrived, furled their sails, brought their ship to


s: Minerva led the way and Telemachus followed her. Presently she


s: said, "Telemachus, you must not be in the least shy or nervous;


s: you have taken this voyage to try and find out where your father


s: is buried and how he came by his end; so go straight up to


s: Nestor that we may see what he has got to tell us. Beg of him to


s: speak the truth, and he will tell no lies, for he is an


s: "But how, Mentor," replied Telemachus, "dare I go up to Nestor,


s: and how am I to address him? I have never yet been used to


s: holding long conversations with people, and am ashamed to begin


s: questioning one who is so much older than myself."


s: "Some things, Telemachus," answered Minerva, "will be suggested


s: to you by your own instinct, and heaven will prompt you further;


s: for I am assured that the gods have been with you from the time


s: She then went quickly on, and Telemachus followed in her steps


s: till they reached the place where the guilds of the Pylian


s: people were assembled. There they found Nestor sitting with his


s: sons, while his company round him were busy getting dinner


s: ready, and putting pieces of meat on to the spits {26} while


s: other pieces were cooking. When they saw the strangers they


s: crowded round them, took them by the hand and bade them take


s: their places. Nestor's son Pisistratus at once offered his hand


s: to each of them, and seated them on some soft sheepskins that


s: were lying on the sands near his father and his brother


s: Thrasymedes.  Then he gave them their portions of the inward


s: meats and poured wine for them into a golden cup, handing it to


s: Minerva first, and saluting her at the same time.


s: "Offer a prayer, sir," said he, "to King Neptune, for it is his


s: feast that you are joining; when you have duly prayed and made


s: your drink offering, pass the cup to your friend that he may do


s: so also. I doubt not that he too lifts his hands in prayer, for


s: man cannot live without God in the world. Still he is younger


s: than you are, and is much of an age with myself, so I will give


s: As he spoke he handed her the cup. Minerva thought it very right


s: and proper of him to have given it to herself first; {27} she


s: accordingly began praying heartily to Neptune. "O thou," she


s: cried, "that encirclest the earth, vouchsafe to grant the


s: prayers of thy servants that call upon thee.  More especially we


s: pray thee send down thy grace on Nestor and on his sons;


s: thereafter also make the rest of the Pylian people some handsome


s: return for the goodly hecatomb they are offering you.  Lastly,


s: grant Telemachus and myself a happy issue, in respect of the


s: matter that has brought us in our ship to Pylos."


s: When she had thus made an end of praying, she handed the cup to


s: Telemachus and he prayed likewise. By and by, when the outer


s: meats were roasted and had been taken off the spits, the carvers


s: gave every man his portion and they all made an excellent


s: dinner. As soon as they had had enough to eat and drink, Nestor,


s: "Now," said he, "that our guests have done their dinner, it will


s: be best to ask them who they are. Who, then, sir strangers, are


s: you, and from what port have you sailed?  Are you traders? or do


s: you sail the seas as rovers with your hand against every man,


s: Telemachus answered boldly, for Minerva had given him courage to


s: ask about his father and get himself a good name.


s: "Nestor," said he, "son of Neleus, honour to the Achaean name,


s: you ask whence we come, and I will tell you. We come from Ithaca


s: under Neritum, {28} and the matter about which I would speak is


s: of private not public import. I seek news of my unhappy father


s: Ulysses, who is said to have sacked the town of Troy in company


s: with yourself. We know what fate befell each one of the other


s: heroes who fought at Troy, but as regards Ulysses heaven has


s: hidden from us the knowledge even that he is dead at all, for no


s: one can certify us in what place he perished, nor say whether he


s: fell in battle on the mainland, or was lost at sea amid the


s: waves of Amphitrite.  Therefore I am suppliant at your knees, if


s: haply you may be pleased to tell me of his melancholy end,


s: whether you saw it with your own eyes, or heard it from some


s: other traveller, for he was a man born to trouble. Do not soften


s: things out of any pity for me, but tell me in all plainness


s: exactly what you saw. If my brave father Ulysses ever did you


s: loyal service, either by word or deed, when you Achaeans were


s: harassed among the Trojans, bear it in mind now as in my favour


s: "My friend," answered Nestor, "you recall a time of much sorrow


s: to my mind, for the brave Achaeans suffered much both at sea,


s: while privateering under Achilles, and when fighting before the


s: great city of king Priam.  Our best men all of them fell


s: there--Ajax, Achilles, Patroclus peer of gods in counsel, and my


s: own dear son Antilochus, a man singularly fleet of foot and in


s: fight valiant. But we suffered much more than this; what mortal


s: tongue indeed could tell the whole story? Though you were to


s: stay here and question me for five years, or even six, I could


s: not tell you all that the Achaeans suffered, and you would turn


s: homeward weary of my tale before it ended. Nine long years did


s: we try every kind of stratagem, but the hand of heaven was


s: against us; during all this time there was no one who could


s: compare with your father in subtlety--if indeed you are his


s: son--I can hardly believe my eyes--and you talk just like him


s: too--no one would say that people of such different ages could


s: speak so much alike. He and I never had any kind of difference


s: from first to last neither in camp nor council, but in


s: singleness of heart and purpose we advised the Argives how all


s: "When, however, we had sacked the city of Priam, and were setting


s: to vex the Argives on their homeward voyage; for they had not


s: all been either wise or understanding, and hence many came to a


s: bad end through the displeasure of Jove's daughter Minerva, who


s: brought about a quarrel between the two sons of Atreus.


s: "The sons of Atreus called a meeting which was not as it should


s: be, for it was sunset and the Achaeans were heavy with wine.


s: When they explained why they had called the people together, it


s: seemed that Menelaus was for sailing homeward at once, and this


s: displeased Agamemnon, who thought that we should wait till we


s: had offered hecatombs to appease the anger of Minerva. Fool that


s: he was, he might have known that he would not prevail with her,


s: for when the gods have made up their minds they do not change


s: them lightly. So the two stood bandying hard words, whereon the


s: Achaeans sprang to their feet with a cry that rent the air, and


s: were of two minds as to what they should do.


s: "That night we rested and nursed our anger, for Jove was


s: hatching mischief against us. But in the morning some of us drew


s: our ships into the water and put our goods with our women on


s: board, while the rest, about half in number, stayed behind with


s: Agamemnon. We--the other half--embarked and sailed; and the


s: ships went well, for heaven had smoothed the sea. When we


s: reached Tenedos we offered sacrifices to the gods, for we were


s: longing to get home; cruel Jove, however, did not yet mean that


s: we should do so, and raised a second quarrel in the course of


s: which some among us turned their ships back again, and sailed


s: away under Ulysses to make their peace with Agamemnon; but I,


s: and all the ships that were with me pressed forward, for I saw


s: that mischief was brewing. The son of Tydeus went on also with


s: me, and his crews with him. Later on Menelaus joined us at


s: we did not know whether to go outside Chios by the island of


s: Psyra, keeping this to our left, or inside Chios, over against


s: the stormy headland of Mimas. So we asked heaven for a sign, and


s: were shown one to the effect that we should be soonest out of


s: danger if we headed our ships across the open sea to Euboea.


s: This we therefore did, and a fair wind sprang up which gave us a


s: quick passage during the night to Geraestus, {29} where we


s: offered many sacrifices to Neptune for having helped us so far


s: on our way. Four days later Diomed and his men stationed their


s: ships in Argos, but I held on for Pylos, and the wind never fell


s: light from the day when heaven first made it fair for me.


s: "Therefore, my dear young friend, I returned without hearing


s: anything about the others. I know neither who got home safely


s: nor who were lost but, as in duty bound, I will give you without


s: reserve the reports that have reached me since I have been here


s: in my own house. They say the Myrmidons returned home safely


s: under Achilles' son Neoptolemus; so also did the valiant son of


s: Poias, Philoctetes. Idomeneus, again, lost no men at sea, and


s: all his followers who escaped death in the field got safe home


s: with him to Crete. No matter how far out of the world you live,


s: you will have heard of Agamemnon and the bad end he came to at


s: the hands of Aegisthus--and a fearful reckoning did Aegisthus


s: presently pay. See what a good thing it is for a man to leave a


s: son behind him to do as Orestes did, who killed false Aegisthus


s: the murderer of his noble father. You too, then--for you are a


s: tall smart-looking fellow--show your mettle and make yourself a


s: "Nestor son of Neleus," answered Telemachus, "honour to the


s: Achaean name, the Achaeans applaud Orestes and his name will


s: live through all time for he has avenged his father nobly. Would


s: that heaven might grant me to do like vengeance on the insolence


s: of the wicked suitors, who are ill treating me and plotting my


s: ruin; but the gods have no such happiness in store for me and


s: for my father, so we must bear it as best we may."


s: "My friend," said Nestor, "now that you remind me, I remember to


s: have heard that your mother has many suitors, who are ill


s: disposed towards you and are making havoc of your estate. Do you


s: submit to this tamely, or are public feeling and the voice of


s: heaven against you? Who knows but what Ulysses may come back


s: after all, and pay these scoundrels in full, either


s: single-handed or with a force of Achaeans behind him?  If


s: Minerva were to take as great a liking to you as she did to


s: Ulysses when we were fighting before Troy (for I never yet saw


s: the gods so openly fond of any one as Minerva then was of your


s: father), if she would take as good care of you as she did of


s: him, these wooers would soon some of them forget their wooing."


s: Telemachus answered, "I can expect nothing of the kind; it would


s: be far too much to hope for. I dare not let myself think of it.


s: Even though the gods themselves willed it no such good fortune


s: On this Minerva said, "Telemachus, what are you talking about?


s: Heaven has a long arm if it is minded to save a man; and if it


s: were me, I should not care how much I suffered before getting


s: home, provided I could be safe when I was once there. I would


s: rather this, than get home quickly, and then be killed in my own


s: house as Agamemnon was by the treachery of Aegisthus and his


s: wife. Still, death is certain, and when a man's hour is come,


s: not even the gods can save him, no matter how fond they are of


s: "Mentor," answered Telemachus, "do not let us talk about it any


s: more.  There is no chance of my father's ever coming back; the


s: gods have long since counselled his destruction.  There is


s: something else, however, about which I should like to ask


s: Nestor, for he knows much more than any one else does. They say


s: he has reigned for three generations so that it is like talking


s: to an immortal.  Tell me, therefore, Nestor, and tell me true;


s: how did Agamemnon come to die in that way? What was Menelaus


s: doing? And how came false Aegisthus to kill so far better a man


s: than himself? Was Menelaus away from Achaean Argos, voyaging


s: elsewhither among mankind, that Aegisthus took heart and killed


s: "I will tell you truly," answered Nestor, "and indeed you have


s: yourself divined how it all happened. If Menelaus when he got


s: back from Troy had found Aegisthus still alive in his house,


s: there would have been no barrow heaped up for him, not even when


s: he was dead, but he would have been thrown outside the city to


s: dogs and vultures, and not a woman would have mourned him, for


s: he had done a deed of great wickedness; but we were over there,


s: fighting hard at Troy, and Aegisthus, who was taking his ease


s: quietly in the heart of Argos, cajoled Agamemnon's wife


s: "At first she would have nothing to do with his wicked scheme,


s: for she was of a good natural disposition; {30} moreover there


s: was a bard with her, to whom Agamemnon had given strict orders


s: on setting out for Troy, that he was to keep guard over his


s: wife; but when heaven had counselled her destruction, Aegisthus


s: carried this bard off to a desert island and left him there for


s: crows and seagulls to batten upon--after which she went


s: willingly enough to the house of Aegisthus. Then he offered many


s: burnt sacrifices to the gods, and decorated many temples with


s: tapestries and gilding, for he had succeeded far beyond his


s: "Meanwhile Menelaus and I were on our way home from Troy, on


s: good terms with one another. When we got to Sunium, which is the


s: point of Athens, Apollo with his painless shafts killed Phrontis


s: the steersman of Menelaus' ship (and never man knew better how


s: to handle a vessel in rough weather) so that he died then and


s: there with the helm in his hand, and Menelaus, though very


s: anxious to press forward, had to wait in order to bury his


s: comrade and give him his due funeral rites. Presently, when he


s: too could put to sea again, and had sailed on as far as the


s: Malean heads, Jove counselled evil against him and made it blow


s: hard till the waves ran mountains high. Here he divided his


s: fleet and took the one half towards Crete where the Cydonians


s: dwell round about the waters of the river Iardanus. There is a


s: high headland hereabouts stretching out into the sea from a


s: place called Gortyn, and all along this part of the coast as far


s: as Phaestus the sea runs high when there is a south wind


s: blowing, but after Phaestus the coast is more protected, for a


s: small headland can make a great shelter. Here this part of the


s: fleet was driven on to the rocks and wrecked; but the crews just


s: managed to save themselves. As for the other five ships, they


s: much gold and substance among people of an alien speech.


s: Meanwhile Aegisthus here at home plotted his evil deed. For


s: seven years after he had killed Agamemnon he ruled in Mycene,


s: and the people were obedient under him, but in the eighth year


s: Orestes came back from Athens to be his bane, and killed the


s: murderer of his father. Then he celebrated the funeral rites of


s: his mother and of false Aegisthus by a banquet to the people of


s: Argos, and on that very day Menelaus came home, {31} with as


s: "Take my advice then, and do not go travelling about for long so


s: far from home, nor leave your property with such dangerous


s: people in your house; they will eat up everything you have among


s: them, and you will have been on a fool's errand. Still, I should


s: advise you by all means to go and visit Menelaus, who has lately


s: come off a voyage among such distant peoples as no man could


s: ever hope to get back from, when the winds had once carried him


s: so far out of his reckoning; even birds cannot fly the distance


s: in a twelve-month, so vast and terrible are the seas that they


s: must cross. Go to him, therefore, by sea, and take your own men


s: with you; or if you would rather travel by land you can have a


s: chariot, you can have horses, and here are my sons who can


s: escort you to Lacedaemon where Menelaus lives. Beg of him to


s: speak the truth, and he will tell you no lies, for he is an


s: As he spoke the sun set and it came on dark, whereon Minerva


s: said, "Sir, all that you have said is well; now, however, order


s: the tongues of the victims to be cut, and mix wine that we may


s: make drink-offerings to Neptune, and the other immortals, and


s: then go to bed, for it is bed time. People should go away early


s: and not keep late hours at a religious festival."


s: Thus spoke the daughter of Jove, and they obeyed her saying. Men


s: servants poured water over the hands of the guests, while pages


s: filled the mixing-bowls with wine and water, and handed it round


s: after giving every man his drink offering; then they threw the


s: tongues of the victims into the fire, and stood up to make their


s: drink offerings.  When they had made their offerings and had


s: drunk each as much as he was minded, Minerva and Telemachus were


s: for going on board their ship, but Nestor caught them up at once


s: "Heaven and the immortal gods," he exclaimed, "forbid that you


s: should leave my house to go on board of a ship. Do you think I


s: am so poor and short of clothes, or that I have so few cloaks


s: and as to be unable to find comfortable beds both for myself and


s: for my guests? Let me tell you I have store both of rugs and


s: cloaks, and shall not permit the son of my old friend Ulysses to


s: camp down on the deck of a ship--not while I live--nor yet will


s: my sons after me, but they will keep open house as I have done."


s: Then Minerva answered, "Sir, you have spoken well, and it will


s: be much better that Telemachus should do as you have said; he,


s: therefore, shall return with you and sleep at your house, but I


s: must go back to give orders to my crew, and keep them in good


s: heart. I am the only older person among them; the rest are all


s: young men of Telemachus' own age, who have taken this voyage out


s: of friendship; so I must return to the ship and sleep there.


s: Moreover to-morrow I must go to the Cauconians where I have a


s: large sum of money long owing to me. As for Telemachus, now that


s: he is your guest, send him to Lacedaemon in a chariot, and let


s: one of your sons go with him. Be pleased to also provide him


s: When she had thus spoken, she flew away in the form of an eagle,


s: and all marvelled as they beheld it. Nestor was astonished, and


s: took Telemachus by the hand. "My friend," said he, "I see that


s: you are going to be a great hero some day, since the gods wait


s: upon you thus while you are still so young. This can have been


s: none other of those who dwell in heaven than Jove's redoubtable


s: daughter, the Trito-born, who shewed such favour towards your


s: brave father among the Argives. Holy queen," he continued,


s: "vouchsafe to send down thy grace upon myself, my good wife, and


s: my children.  In return, I will offer you in sacrifice a


s: broad-browed heifer of a year old, unbroken, and never yet


s: brought by man under the yoke. I will gild her horns, and will


s: Thus did he pray, and Minerva heard his prayer. He then led the


s: way to his own house, followed by his sons and sons in law. When


s: they had got there and had taken their places on the benches and


s: seats, he mixed them a bowl of sweet wine that was eleven years


s: old when the housekeeper took the lid off the jar that held it.


s: As he mixed the wine, he prayed much and made drink offerings to


s: Minerva, daughter of Aegis-bearing Jove. Then, when they had


s: made their drink offerings and had drunk each as much as he was


s: minded, the others went home to bed each in his own abode; but


s: Nestor put Telemachus to sleep in the room that was over the


s: gateway along with Pisistratus, who was the only unmarried son


s: now left him. As for himself, he slept in an inner room of the


s: house, with the queen his wife by his side.


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


s: Nestor left his couch and took his seat on the benches of white


s: and polished marble that stood in front of his house. Here


s: aforetime sat Neleus, peer of gods in counsel, but he was now


s: dead, and had gone to the house of Hades; so Nestor sat in his


s: seat sceptre in hand, as guardian of the public weal. His sons


s: as they left their rooms gathered round him, Echephron,


s: Stratius, Perseus, Aretus, and Thrasymedes; the sixth son was


s: Pisistratus, and when Telemachus joined them they made him sit


s: "My sons," said he, "make haste to do as I shall bid you. I wish


s: first and foremost to propitiate the great goddess Minerva, who


s: manifested herself visibly to me during yesterday's festivities.


s: Go, then, one or other of you to the plain, tell the stockman to


s: look me out a heifer, and come on here with it at once. Another


s: must go to Telemachus' ship, and invite all the crew, leaving


s: two men only in charge of the vessel. Some one else will run and


s: fetch Laerceus the goldsmith to gild the horns of the heifer.


s: The rest, stay all of you where you are; tell the maids in the


s: house to prepare an excellent dinner, and to fetch seats, and


s: logs of wood for a burnt offering. Tell them also to bring me


s: On this they hurried off on their several errands. The heifer


s: was brought in from the plain, and Telemachus's crew came from


s: the ship; the goldsmith brought the anvil, hammer, and tongs,


s: with which he worked his gold, and Minerva herself came to


s: accept the sacrifice. Nestor gave out the gold, and the smith


s: gilded the horns of the heifer that the goddess might have


s: pleasure in their beauty. Then Stratius and Echephron brought


s: her in by the horns; Aretus fetched water from the house in a


s: ewer that had a flower pattern on it, and in his other hand he


s: held a basket of barley meal; sturdy Thrasymedes stood by with a


s: sharp axe, ready to strike the heifer, while Perseus held a


s: bucket.  Then Nestor began with washing his hands and sprinkling


s: the barley meal, and he offered many a prayer to Minerva as he


s: threw a lock from the heifer's head upon the fire.


s: When they had done praying and sprinkling the barley meal {32}


s: Thrasymedes dealt his blow, and brought the heifer down with a


s: stroke that cut through the tendons at the base of her neck,


s: whereon the daughters and daughters in law of Nestor, and his


s: venerable wife Eurydice (she was eldest daughter to Clymenus)


s: screamed with delight. Then they lifted the heifer's head from


s: off the ground, and Pisistratus cut her throat. When she had


s: done bleeding and was quite dead, they cut her up. They cut out


s: the thigh bones all in due course, wrapped them round in two


s: layers of fat, and set some pieces of raw meat on the top of


s: them; then Nestor laid them upon the wood fire and poured wine


s: over them, while the young men stood near him with five-pronged


s: spits in their hands. When the thighs were burned and they had


s: tasted the inward meats, they cut the rest of the meat up small,


s: put the pieces on the spits and toasted them over the fire.


s: Meanwhile lovely Polycaste, Nestor's youngest daughter, washed


s: Telemachus.  When she had washed him and anointed him with oil,


s: she brought him a fair mantle and shirt, {33} and he looked like


s: a god as he came from the bath and took his seat by the side of


s: Nestor. When the outer meats were done they drew them off the


s: spits and sat down to dinner where they were waited upon by some


s: worthy henchmen, who kept pouring them out their wine in cups of


s: gold. As soon as they had had enough to eat and drink Nestor


s: said, "Sons, put Telemachus's horses to the chariot that he may


s: Thus did he speak, and they did even as he had said, and yoked


s: the fleet horses to the chariot. The housekeeper packed them up


s: a provision of bread, wine, and sweet meats fit for the sons of


s: princes. Then Telemachus got into the chariot, while Pisistratus


s: gathered up the reins and took his seat beside him. He lashed


s: the horses on and they flew forward nothing loth into the open


s: country, leaving the high citadel of Pylos behind them. All that


s: day did they travel, swaying the yoke upon their necks till the


s: sun went down and darkness was over all the land. Then they


s: reached Pherae where Diocles lived, who was son to Ortilochus


s: and grandson to Alpheus. Here they passed the night and Diocles


s: entertained them hospitably. When the child of morning,


s: rosy-fingered Dawn, appeared, they again yoked their horses and


s: drove out through the gateway under the echoing gatehouse. {34}


s: Pisistratus lashed the horses on and they flew forward nothing


s: loth; presently they came to the corn lands of the open country,


s: and in the course of time completed their journey, so well did


s: Now when the sun had set and darkness was over the land,


s: they reached the low lying city of Lacedaemon, where they drove


s: straight to the abode of Menelaus {36} [and found him in his own


s: house, feasting with his many clansmen in honour of the wedding


s: of his son, and also of his daughter, whom he was marrying to


s: the son of that valiant warrior Achilles. He had given his


s: consent and promised her to him while he was still at Troy, and


s: now the gods were bringing the marriage about; so he was sending


s: her with chariots and horses to the city of the Myrmidons over


s: whom Achilles' son was reigning.  For his only son he had found


s: a bride from Sparta, {37} the daughter of Alector.  This son,


s: Megapenthes, was born to him of a bondwoman, for heaven


s: vouchsafed Helen no more children after she had borne Hermione,


s: So the neighbours and kinsmen of Menelaus were feasting and


s: making merry in his house. There was a bard also to sing to them


s: and play his lyre, while two tumblers went about performing in


s: the midst of them when the man struck up with his tune.] {38}


s: Telemachus and the son of Nestor stayed their horses at the


s: gate, whereon Eteoneus servant to Menelaus came out, and as soon


s: as he saw them ran hurrying back into the house to tell his


s: Master. He went close up to him and said, "Menelaus, there are


s: some strangers come here, two men, who look like sons of Jove.


s: What are we to do? Shall we take their horses out, or tell them


s: to find friends elsewhere as they best can?"


s: Menelaus was very angry and said, "Eteoneus, son of Boethous,


s: you never used to be a fool, but now you talk like a simpleton.


s: Take their horses out, of course, and show the strangers in that


s: they may have supper; you and I have staid often enough at other


s: people's houses before we got back here, where heaven grant that


s: So Eteoneus bustled back and bade the other servants come with


s: him. They took their sweating steeds from under the yoke, made


s: them fast to the mangers, and gave them a feed of oats and


s: barley mixed. Then they leaned the chariot against the end wall


s: of the courtyard, and led the way into the house. Telemachus and


s: Pisistratus were astonished when they saw it, for its splendour


s: was as that of the sun and moon; then, when they had admired


s: everything to their heart's content, they went into the bath


s: When the servants had washed them and anointed them with oil,


s: they brought them woollen cloaks and shirts, and the two took


s: their seats by the side of Menelaus. A maid-servant brought them


s: water in a beautiful golden ewer, and poured it into a silver


s: basin for them to wash their hands; and she drew a clean table


s: beside them. An upper servant brought them bread, and offered


s: them many good things of what there was in the house, while the


s: carver fetched them plates of all manner of meats and set cups


s: Menelaus then greeted them saying, "Fall to, and welcome; when


s: you have done supper I shall ask who you are, for the lineage of


s: such men as you cannot have been lost. You must be descended


s: from a line of sceptre-bearing kings, for poor people do not


s: On this he handed them {39} a piece of fat roast loin, which had


s: been set near him as being a prime part, and they laid their


s: hands on the good things that were before them; as soon as they


s: had had enough to eat and drink, Telemachus said to the son of


s: Nestor, with his head so close that no one might hear, "Look,


s: Pisistratus, man after my own heart, see the gleam of bronze and


s: gold--of amber, {40} ivory, and silver.  Everything is so


s: splendid that it is like seeing the palace of Olympian Jove. I


s: Menelaus overheard him and said, "No one, my sons, can hold his


s: own with Jove, for his house and everything about him is


s: immortal; but among mortal men--well, there may be another who


s: has as much wealth as I have, or there may not; but at all


s: events I have travelled much and have undergone much hardship,


s: for it was nearly eight years before I could get home with my


s: also to the Ethiopians, the Sidonians, and the Erembians, and to


s: Libya where the lambs have horns as soon as they are born, and


s: the sheep lamb down three times a year. Every one in that


s: country, whether master or man, has plenty of cheese, meat, and


s: good milk, for the ewes yield all the year round. But while I


s: was travelling and getting great riches among these people, my


s: brother was secretly and shockingly murdered through the perfidy


s: of his wicked wife, so that I have no pleasure in being lord of


s: all this wealth. Whoever your parents may be they must have told


s: you about all this, and of my heavy loss in the ruin {41} of a


s: stately mansion fully and magnificently furnished. Would that I


s: had only a third of what I now have so that I had stayed at


s: home, and all those were living who perished on the plain of


s: Troy, far from Argos. I often grieve, as I sit here in my house,


s: for one and all of them. At times I cry aloud for sorrow, but


s: presently I leave off again, for crying is cold comfort and one


s: soon tires of it. Yet grieve for these as I may, I do so for one


s: man more than for them all. I cannot even think of him without


s: loathing both food and sleep, so miserable does he make me, for


s: no one of all the Achaeans worked so hard or risked so much as


s: he did. He took nothing by it, and has left a legacy of sorrow


s: to myself, for he has been gone a long time, and we know not


s: whether he is alive or dead. His old father, his long-suffering


s: wife Penelope, and his son Telemachus, whom he left behind him


s: an infant in arms, are plunged in grief on his account."


s: Thus spoke Menelaus, and the heart of Telemachus yearned as he


s: bethought him of his father. Tears fell from his eyes as he


s: heard him thus mentioned, so that he held his cloak before his


s: face with both hands. When Menelaus saw this he doubted whether


s: to let him choose his own time for speaking, or to ask him at


s: While he was thus in two minds Helen came down from her high


s: vaulted and perfumed room, looking as lovely as Diana herself.


s: Adraste brought her a seat, Alcippe a soft woollen rug while


s: Phylo fetched her the silver work-box which Alcandra wife of


s: is the richest city in the whole world; he gave Menelaus two


s: baths, both of pure silver, two tripods, and ten talents of


s: gold; besides all this, his wife gave Helen some beautiful


s: presents, to wit, a golden distaff, and a silver work box that


s: ran on wheels, with a gold band round the top of it. Phylo now


s: placed this by her side, full of fine spun yarn, and a distaff


s: charged with violet coloured wool was laid upon the top of it.


s: Then Helen took her seat, put her feet upon the footstool, and


s: "Do we know, Menelaus," said she, "the names of these strangers


s: who have come to visit us? Shall I guess right or wrong?--but I


s: cannot help saying what I think. Never yet have I seen either


s: man or woman so like somebody else (indeed when I look at him I


s: hardly know what to think) as this young man is like Telemachus,


s: whom Ulysses left as a baby behind him, when you Achaeans went


s: to Troy with battle in your hearts, on account of my most


s: "My dear wife," replied Menelaus, "I see the likeness just as


s: you do. His hands and feet are just like Ulysses; so is his


s: hair, with the shape of his head and the expression of his eyes.


s: Moreover, when I was talking about Ulysses, and saying how much


s: he had suffered on my account, tears fell from his eyes, and he


s: Then Pisistratus said, "Menelaus, son of Atreus, you are right


s: in thinking that this young man is Telemachus, but he is very


s: modest, and is ashamed to come here and begin opening up


s: discourse with one whose conversation is so divinely interesting


s: as your own. My father, Nestor, sent me to escort him hither,


s: for he wanted to know whether you could give him any counsel or


s: suggestion. A son has always trouble at home when his father has


s: gone away leaving him without supporters; and this is how


s: Telemachus is now placed, for his father is absent, and there is


s: no one among his own people to stand by him."


s: "Bless my heart," replied Menelaus, "then I am receiving a visit


s: from the son of a very dear friend, who suffered much hardship


s: for my sake.  I had always hoped to entertain him with most


s: marked distinction when heaven had granted us a safe return from


s: beyond the seas. I should have founded a city for him in Argos,


s: and built him a house. I should have made him leave Ithaca with


s: his goods, his son, and all his people, and should have sacked


s: for them some one of the neighbouring cities that are subject to


s: me. We should thus have seen one another continually, and


s: nothing but death could have interrupted so close and happy an


s: intercourse. I suppose, however, that heaven grudged us such


s: great good fortune, for it has prevented the poor fellow from


s: Thus did he speak, and his words set them all a weeping.  Helen


s: wept, Telemachus wept, and so did Menelaus, nor could


s: Pisistratus keep his eyes from filling, when he remembered his


s: dear brother Antilochus whom the son of bright Dawn had killed.


s: "Sir, my father Nestor, when we used to talk about you at home,


s: told me you were a person of rare and excellent understanding.


s: If, then, it be possible, do as I would urge you. I am not fond


s: of crying while I am getting my supper. Morning will come in due


s: course, and in the forenoon I care not how much I cry for those


s: that are dead and gone.  This is all we can do for the poor


s: things. We can only shave our heads for them and wring the tears


s: from our cheeks. I had a brother who died at Troy; he was by no


s: means the worst man there; you are sure to have known him--his


s: name was Antilochus; I never set eyes upon him myself, but they


s: say that he was singularly fleet of foot and in fight valiant."


s: "Your discretion, my friend," answered Menelaus, "is beyond your


s: years.  It is plain you take after your father. One can soon see


s: when a man is son to one whom heaven has blessed both as regards


s: wife and offspring--and it has blessed Nestor from first to last


s: all his days, giving him a green old age in his own house, with


s: sons about him who are both well disposed and valiant. We will


s: put an end therefore to all this weeping, and attend to our


s: supper again. Let water be poured over our hands. Telemachus and


s: I can talk with one another fully in the morning."


s: On this Asphalion, one of the servants, poured water over their


s: hands and they laid their hands on the good things that were


s: Then Jove's daughter Helen bethought her of another matter.  She


s: drugged the wine with an herb that banishes all care, sorrow,


s: and ill humour.  Whoever drinks wine thus drugged cannot shed a


s: single tear all the rest of the day, not even though his father


s: and mother both of them drop down dead, or he sees a brother or


s: a son hewn in pieces before his very eyes. This drug, of such


s: sovereign power and virtue, had been given to Helen by Polydamna


s: herbs, some good to put into the mixing bowl and others


s: poisonous. Moreover, every one in the whole country is a skilled


s: physician, for they are of the race of Paeeon. When Helen had


s: put this drug in the bowl, and had told the servants to serve


s: "Menelaus, son of Atreus, and you my good friends, sons of


s: honourable men (which is as Jove wills, for he is the giver both


s: of good and evil, and can do what he chooses), feast here as you


s: will, and listen while I tell you a tale in season. I cannot


s: indeed name every single one of the exploits of Ulysses, but I


s: can say what he did when he was before Troy, and you Achaeans


s: were in all sorts of difficulties.  He covered himself with


s: wounds and bruises, dressed himself all in rags, and entered the


s: enemy's city looking like a menial or a beggar, and quite


s: different from what he did when he was among his own people. In


s: this disguise he entered the city of Troy, and no one said


s: anything to him. I alone recognised him and began to question


s: him, but he was too cunning for me. When, however, I had washed


s: and anointed him and had given him clothes, and after I had


s: sworn a solemn oath not to betray him to the Trojans till he had


s: got safely back to his own camp and to the ships, he told me all


s: that the Achaeans meant to do. He killed many Trojans and got


s: much information before he reached the Argive camp, for all


s: which things the Trojan women made lamentation, but for my own


s: part I was glad, for my heart was beginning to yearn after my


s: home, and I was unhappy about the wrong that Venus had done me


s: in taking me over there, away from my country, my girl, and my


s: lawful wedded husband, who is indeed by no means deficient


s: Then Menelaus said, "All that you have been saying, my dear


s: wife, is true. I have travelled much, and have had much to do


s: with heroes, but I have never seen such another man as Ulysses.


s: What endurance too, and what courage he displayed within the


s: wooden horse, wherein all the bravest of the Argives were lying


s: in wait to bring death and destruction upon the Trojans. {43} At


s: that moment you came up to us; some god who wished well to the


s: Trojans must have set you on to it and you had Deiphobus with


s: you. Three times did you go all round our hiding place and pat


s: it; you called our chiefs each by his own name, and mimicked all


s: our wives--Diomed, Ulysses, and I from our seats inside heard


s: what a noise you made. Diomed and I could not make up our minds


s: whether to spring out then and there, or to answer you from


s: inside, but Ulysses held us all in check, so we sat quite still,


s: all except Anticlus, who was beginning to answer you, when


s: Ulysses clapped his two brawny hands over his mouth, and kept


s: them there. It was this that saved us all, for he muzzled


s: Anticlus till Minerva took you away again."


s: "How sad," exclaimed Telemachus, "that all this was of no avail


s: to save him, nor yet his own iron courage. But now, sir, be


s: pleased to send us all to bed, that we may lie down and enjoy


s: On this Helen told the maid servants to set beds in the room


s: that was in the gatehouse, and to make them with good red rugs,


s: and spread coverlets on the top of them with woollen cloaks for


s: the guests to wear. So the maids went out, carrying a torch, and


s: made the beds, to which a man-servant presently conducted the


s: strangers. Thus, then, did Telemachus and Pisistratus sleep


s: there in the forecourt, while the son of Atreus lay in an inner


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


s: rose and dressed himself. He bound his sandals on to his comely


s: feet, girded his sword about his shoulders, and left his room


s: looking like an immortal god. Then, taking a seat near


s: "And what, Telemachus, has led you to take this long sea voyage


s: to Lacedaemon? Are you on public, or private business? Tell me


s: "I have come, sir," replied Telemachus, "to see if you can tell


s: me anything about my father. I am being eaten out of house and


s: home; my fair estate is being wasted, and my house is full of


s: miscreants who keep killing great numbers of my sheep and oxen,


s: on the pretence of paying their addresses to my mother.


s: Therefore, I am suppliant at your knees if haply you may tell me


s: about my father's melancholy end, whether you saw it with your


s: own eyes, or heard it from some other traveller; for he was a


s: man born to trouble. Do not soften things out of any pity for


s: myself, but tell me in all plainness exactly what you saw.  If


s: my brave father Ulysses ever did you loyal service either by


s: word or deed, when you Achaeans were harassed by the Trojans,


s: bear it in mind now as in my favour and tell me truly all."


s: Menelaus on hearing this was very much shocked. "So," he


s: exclaimed, "these cowards would usurp a brave man's bed? A hind


s: might as well lay her new born young in the lair of a lion, and


s: then go off to feed in the forest or in some grassy dell: the


s: lion when he comes back to his lair will make short work with


s: the pair of them--and so will Ulysses with these suitors. By


s: father Jove, Minerva, and Apollo, if Ulysses is still the man


s: threw him so heavily that all the Achaeans cheered him--if he is


s: still such and were to come near these suitors, they would have


s: a short shrift and a sorry wedding. As regards your questions,


s: however, I will not prevaricate nor deceive you, but will tell


s: you without concealment all that the old man of the sea told me.


s: "I was trying to come on here, but the gods detained me in


s: and the gods are very strict about having their dues. Now off


s: stiff breeze behind her, there is an island called Pharos--it


s: has a good harbour from which vessels can get out into open sea


s: when they have taken in water--and here the gods becalmed me


s: twenty days without so much as a breath of fair wind to help me


s: forward. We should have run clean out of provisions and my men


s: would have starved, if a goddess had not taken pity upon me and


s: saved me in the person of Idothea, daughter to Proteus, the old


s: man of the sea, for she had taken a great fancy to me.


s: "She came to me one day when I was by myself, as I often was,


s: for the men used to go with their barbed hooks, all over the


s: island in the hope of catching a fish or two to save them from


s: the pangs of hunger. 'Stranger,' said she, 'it seems to me that


s: you like starving in this way--at any rate it does not greatly


s: trouble you, for you stick here day after day, without even


s: trying to get away though your men are dying by inches.'