Book 20: Omens
Ulysses Cannot Sleep—Penelope’s Prayer to Diana—the Two Signs from Heaven—Eumaeus and Philoetius Arrive—the Suitors Dine—Ctesippus Throws an Ox’s Foot at Ulysses—Theoclymenus Foretells Disaster and Leaves the House.
Greek
Αὐτὰρ ὁ ἐν προδόμῳ εὐνάζετο δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς·κὰμ μὲν ἀδέψητον βοέην στόρεσ’, αὐτὰρ ὕπερθεκώεα πόλλ’ ὀΐων, τοὺς ἱρεύεσκον Ἀχαιοί·Εὐρυνόμη δ’ ἄρ’ ἐπὶ χλαῖναν βάλε κοιμηθέντι.ἔνθ’ Ὀδυσεὺς μνηστῆρσι κακὰ φρονέων ἐνὶ θυμῷκεῖτ’ ἐγρηγορόων’ ταὶ δ’ ἐκ μεγάροιο γυναῖκεςἤϊσαν, αἱ μνηστῆρσιν ἐμισγέσκοντο πάρος περ,ἀλλήλῃσι γέλω τε καὶ εὐφροσύνην παρέχουσαι.τοῦ δ’ ὠρίνετο θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσι φίλοισι·πολλὰ δὲ μερμήριζε κατὰ φρένα καὶ κατὰ θυμόν,ἠὲ μεταΐξας θάνατον τεύξειεν ἑκάστῃ,ἡ ἔτ’ ἐῷ μνηστῆρσιν ὑπερφιάλοισι μιγῆναιὕστατα καὶ πύματα, κραδίη δέ οἱ ἔνδον ὑλάκτει.ὡς δὲ κύων ἀμαλῇσι περὶ σκυλάκεσσι βεβῶσαἄνδρ’ ἀγνοιήσασ’ ὑλάει μέμονέν τε μάχεσθαι,ὥς ῥα τοῦ ἔνδον ὑλάκτει ἀγαιομένου κακὰ ἔργα·στῆθος δὲ πλήξας κραδίην ἠνίπαπε μύθῳ·τέτλαθι δή, κραδίη· καὶ κύντερον ἄλλο ποτ’ ἔτλης,ἤματι τῷ ὅτε μοι μένος ἄσχετος ἤσθιε Κύκλωψἰφθίμους ἑτάρους· σὺ δ’ ἐτόλμας, ὄφρα σε μῆτιςἐξάγαγ’ ἐξ ἄντροιο ὀϊόμενον θανέεσθαι.Ὣς ἔφατ’, ἐν στήθεσσι καθαπτόμενος φίλον ἦτορ·τῷ δὲ μάλ’ ἐν πείσῃ κραδίη μένε τετληυῖανωλεμέως· ἀτὰρ αὐτὸς ἑλίσσετο ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα.ὡς δ’ ὅτε γαστέρ’ ἀνὴρ πολέος πυρὸς αἰθομένοιο,ἐμπλείην κνίσης τε καὶ αἵματος, ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθααἰόλλῃ, μάλα δ’ ὦκα λιλαίεται ὀπτηθῆναι,ὡς ἄρ’ ὅ γ’ ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα ἑλίσσετο μερμηρίζωνὅππως δὴ μνηστῆρσιν ἀναιδέσι χεῖρας ἐφήσειμοῦνος ἐὼν πολέσι. σχεδόθεν δέ οἱ ἦλθεν Ἀθήνηοὐρανόθεν καταβᾶσα’ δέμας δ’ ἤϊκτο γυναικί·στῆ δ’ ἄρ’ ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς καί μιν πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπε·τίπτ’ αὖτ’ ἐγρήσσεις, πάντων περὶ κάμμορε φωτῶν;οἶκος μέν τοι ὅδ’ ἐστί, γυνὴ δέ τοι ἥδ’ ἐνὶ οἴκῳκαὶ πάϊς, οἷόν πού τις ἐέλδεται ἔμμεναι υἷα.Τὴν δ’ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·ναὶ δὴ ταῦτά γε πάντα, θεά, κατὰ μοῖραν ἔειπες·ἀλλά τί μοι τόδε θυμὸς ἐνὶ φρεσὶ μερμηρίζει,ὅππως δὴ μνηστῆρσιν ἀναιδέσι χεῖρας ἐφήσω,μοῦνος ἐών· οἱ δ’ αἰὲν ἀολλέες ἔνδον ἔασι.πρὸς δ’ ἔτι καὶ τόδε μεῖζον ἐνὶ φρεσὶ μερμηρίζω·εἴ περ γὰρ κτείναιμι Διός τε σέθεν τε ἕκητι,πῇ κεν ὑπεκπροφύγοιμι; τά σε φράζεσθαι ἄνωγα.Τὸν δ’ αὖτε προσέειπε θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη·σχέτλιε, καὶ μέν τίς τε χερείονι πείθεθ’ ἑταίρῳ,ὅς περ θνητός τ’ ἐστὶ καὶ οὐ τόσα μήδεα οἶδεν·αὐτὰρ ἐγὼ θεός εἰμι, διαμπερὲς ἥ σε φυλάσσωἐν πάντεσσι πόνοις. ἐρέω δέ τοι ἐξαναφανδόν·εἴ περ πεντήκοντα λόχοι μερόπων ἀνθρώπωννῶϊ περισταῖεν, κτεῖναι μεμαῶτες Ἄρηϊ,καί κεν τῶν ἐλάσαιο βόας καὶ ἴφια μῆλα.ἀλλ’ ἑλέτω σε καὶ ὕπνος· ἀνίη καὶ τὸ φυλάσσεινπάννυχον ἐγρήσσοντα, κακῶν δ’ ὑποδύσεαι ἤδη.Ὣς φάτο, καί ῥά οἱ ὕπνον ἐπὶ βλεφάροισιν ἔχευεν,αὐτὴ δ’ ἂψ ἐς Ὄλυμπον ἀφίκετο δῖα θεάων.εὖτε τὸν ὕπνος ἔμαρπτε, λύων μελεδήματα θυμοῦ,λυσιμελής, ἄλοχος δ’ ἄρ’ ἐπέγρετο κεδνὰ ἰδυῖα,κλαῖε δ’ ἄρ’ ἐν λέκτροισι καθεζομένη μαλακοῖσιν.αὐτὰρ ἐπεὶ κλαίουσα κορέσσατο ὃν κατὰ θυμόν,Ἀρτέμιδι πρώτιστον ἐπεύξατο δῖα γυναικῶν·Ἄρτεμι, πότνα θεά, θύγατερ Διός, αἴθε μοι ἤδηἰὸν ἐνὶ στήθεσσι βαλοῦσ’ ἐκ θυμὸν ἕλοιοαὐτίκα νῦν, ἢ ἔπειτά μ’ ἀναρπάξασα θύελλαοἴχοιτο προφέρουσα κατ’ ἠερόεντα κέλευθα,ἐν προχοῇς δὲ βάλοι ἀψορρόου Ὠκεανοῖο.ὡς δ’ ὅτε Πανδαρέου κούρας ἀνέλοντο θύελλαι·τῇσι τοκῆας μὲν φθῖσαν θεοί, αἱ δ’ ἐλίποντοὀρφαναὶ ἐν μεγάροισι, κόμισσε δὲ δῖ’ Ἀφροδίτητυρῷ καὶ μέλιτι γλυκερῷ καὶ ἡδέϊ οἴνῳ·Ἥρη δ’ αὐτῇσιν περὶ πασέων δῶκε γυναικῶνεἶδος καὶ πινυτήν, μῆκος δ’ ἔπορ’ ΓΑρτεμις ἁγνή,ἔργα δ’ Ἀθηναίη δέδαε κλυτὰ ἐργάζεσθαι.εὖτ’ Ἀφροδίτη δῖα προσέστιχε μακρὸν Ὄλυμπον,κούρῃς αἰτήσουσα τέλος θαλεροῖο γάμοιο,ἐς Δία τερπικέραυνον—ὃ γάρ τ’ εὖ οἷδεν ἅπαντα,μοῖράν τ’ ἀμμορίην τε καταθνητῶν ἀνθρώπων—τόφρα δὲ τὰς κούρας ἅρπυιαι ἀνηρείψαντοκαί ῥ’ ἔδοσαν στυγερῇσιν ἐρινύσιν ἀμφιπολεύειν·ὡς ἔμ’ ἀϊστώσειαν Ὀλύμπια δώματ’ ἔχοντες,ἠέ μ’ ἐὐπλόκαμος βάλοι Ἄρτεμις, ὄφρ’ Ὀδυσῆαὀσσομένη καὶ γαῖαν ὕπο στυγερὴν ἀφικοίμην,μηδέ τι χείρονος ἀνδρὸς ἐὐφραίνοιμι νόημα.ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν καὶ ἀνεκτὸν ἔχει κακόν, ὁππότε κέν τιςἤματα μὲν κλαίῃ, πυκινῶς ἀκαχήμενος ἦτορ,νύκτας δ’ ὕπνος ἔχῃσιν—ὁ γάρ τ’ ἐπέλησεν ἁπάντων,ἐσθλῶν ἠδὲ κακῶν, ἐπεὶ ἂρ βλέφαρ’ ἀμφικαλύψη—αὐτὰρ ἐμοὶ καὶ ὀνείρατ’ ἐπέσσευεν κακὰ δαίμων.τῇδε γὰρ αὖ μοι νυκτὶ παρέδραθεν εἴκελος αὐτῷ,τοῖος ἐὼν οἷος ἦεν ἅμα στρατῷ’ αὐτὰρ ἐμὸν κῆρχαῖρ’, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἐφάμην ὄναρ ἔμμεναι, ἀλλ’ ὕπαρ ἤδη.Ὣς ἔφατ’, αὐτίκα δὲ χρυσόθρονος ἤλυθεν Ἦώς.τῆς δ’ ἄρα κλαιούσης ὄπα σύνθετο δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς·μερμήριζε δ’ ἔπειτα, δόκησε δέ οἱ κατὰ θυμὸνἤδη γιγνώσκουσα παρεστάμεναι κεφαλῆφι.χλαῖναν μὲν συνελὼν καὶ κώεα, τοῖσιν ἐνεῦδεν,ἐς μέγαρον κατέθηκεν ἐπὶ θρόνου, ἐκ δὲ βοείηνθῆκε θύραζε φέρων, Διὶ δ’ εὔξατο χεῖρας ἀνασχών·Ζεῦ πάτερ, εἴ μ’ ἐθέλοντες ἐπὶ τραφερήν τε καὶ ὑγρὴνἤγετ’ ἐμὴν ἐς γαῖαν, ἐπεί μ’ ἐκακώσατε λίην,φήμην τίς μοι φάσθω ἐγειρομένων ἀνθρώπωνἔνδοθεν, ἔκτοσθεν δὲ Διὸς τέρας ἄλλο φανήτω.Ὣς ἔφατ’ εὐχόμενος· τοῦ δ’ ἔκλυε μητίετα Ζεύς,αὐτίκα δ’ ἐβρόντησεν ἀπ’ αἰγλήεντος Ὀλύμπου,ὑψόθεν ἐκ νεφέων· γήθησε δὲ δῖος Ὀδυσσεύς.φήμην δ’ ἐξ οἴκοιο γυνὴ προέηκεν ἀλετρὶςπλησίον, ἔνθ’ ἄρα οἱ μύλαι ἥατο ποιμένι λαῶν,τῇσιν δώδεκα πᾶσαι ἐπερρώοντο γυναῖκεςἄλφιτα τεύχουσαι καὶ ἀλείατα, μυελὸν ἀνδρῶν.αἱ μὲν ἄρ’ ἄλλαι εὗδον, ἐπεὶ κατὰ πυρὸν ἄλεσσαν,ἡ δὲ μί’ οὔ πω παύετ’, ἀφαυροτάτη δ’ ἐτέτυκτο·ἥ ῥα μύλην στήσασα ἔπος φάτο, σῆμα ἄνακτι·Ζεῦ πάτερ, ὅς τε θεοῖσι καὶ ἀνθρώποισιν ἀνάσδεις,ἡ μεγάλ’ ἐβρόντησας ἀπ’ οὐρανοῦ ἀστερόεντος,οὐδέ ποθι νέφος ἐστί· τέρας νύ τεῳ τόδε φαίνεις.κρῆνον νῦν καὶ ἐμοὶ δειλῇ ἔπος, ὅττι κεν εἴπω·μνηστῆρες πύματόν τε καὶ ὕστατον ἤματι τῷδεἐν μεγάροις Ὀδυσῆος ἑλοίατο δαῖτ’ ἐρατεινήν,οἱ δή μοι καμάτῳ θυμαλγέϊ γούνατ’ ἔλυσανἄλφιτα τευχούσῃ· νῦν ὕστατα δειπνήσειαν.Ὃς ἄρ’ ἔφη, χαῖρεν δὲ κλεηδόνι δῖος ὈδυσσεὺςΖηνός τε βροντῇ· φάτο γὰρ τίσασθαι ἀλείτας.Αἱ δ’ ἄλλαι δμῳαὶ κατὰ δώματα κἀλ’ Ὀδυσῆοςἀγρόμεναι ἀνέκαιον ἐπ’ ἐσχάρῃ ἀκάματον πῦρ.Τηλέμαχος δ’ εὐνῆθεν ἀνίστατο, ἰσόθεος φώς,εἵματα ἑσσάμενος· περὶ δὲ ξίφος ὀξὺ θέτ’ ὥμῳ·ποσσὶ δ’ ὑπὸ λιπαροῖσιν ἐδήσατο καλὰ πέδιλα,εἵλετο δ’ ἄλκιμον ἔγχος, ἀκαχμένον ὀξέϊ χαλκῷ·στῆ δ’ ἄρ’ ἐπ’ οὐδὸν ἰών, πρὸς δ’ Εὐρύκλειαν ἔειπε·μαῖα φίλη, πῶς ξεῖνον ἐτιμήσασθ’ ἐνὶ οἴκῳεὐνῇ καὶ σίτῳ, ἦ αὔτως κεῖται ἀκηδής;τοιαύτη γὰρ ἐμὴ μήτηρ, πινυτή περ ἐοῦσα·ἐμπλήγδην ἕτερόν γε τίει μερόπων ἀνθρώπωνχείρονα, τὸν δέ τ’ ἀρείον’ ἀτιμήσασ’ ἀποπέμπει.Τὸν δ’ αὖτε προσέειπε περίφρων Εὐρύκλεια·οὐκ ἄν μιν νῦν, τέκνον, ἀναίτιον αἰτιόφο.οἶνον μὲν γὰρ πῖνε καθήμενος, ὄφρ’ ἔθελ’ αὐτός,σίτου δ’ οὐκέτ’ ἔφη πεινήμεναι· εἴρετο γάρ μιν.ἀλλ’ ὅτε δὴ κοίτοιο καὶ ὕπνου μιμνήσκοιτο,ἡ μὲν δέμνι’ ἄνωγεν ὑποστορέσαι δμῳῇσιν, ξὲαὐτὰρ ὅ γ’, ὥς τις πάμπαν ὀϊζωρὸς καὶ ἄποτμοςοὐκ ἔθελ’ ἐν λέκτροισι καὶ ἐν ῥήγεσσι καθεύδειν,ἀλλ’ ἐν ἀδεψήτῳ βοέῃ καὶ κώεσιν οἰῶνἔδραθ’ ἐνὶ προδόμῳ· χλαῖναν δ’ ἐπιέσσαμεν ἡμεῖς.Ὣς φάτο, Τηλέμαχος δὲ διὲκ μεγάροιο βεβήκειἔγχος ἔχων· ἅμα τῷ γε δύω κύνες ἀργοὶ ἕποντο.βῆ δ’ ἴμεν εἰς ἀγορὴν μετ’ ἐὐκνήμιδας Ἀχαιούς.ἡ δ’ αὗτε δμῳῇσιν ἐκέκλετο δῖα γυναικῶν,Εὐρύκλει’, πος θυγάτηρ Πεισηνορίδαο·ἀγρεῖθ’, αἱ μὲν δῶμα κορήσατε ποιπνύσασαι,ῥάσσατέ τ’ ἔν τε θρόνοις εὐποιήτοισι τάπηταςβάλλετε πορφυρέους· αἱ δὲ σπόγγοισι τραπέζαςπάσας ἀμφιμάσασθε, καθήρατε δὲ κρητῆραςκαὶ δέπα ἀμφικύπελλα τετυγμένα· ταὶ δὲ μεθ’ ὕδωρἔρχεσθε κρήνηνδε, καὶ οἴσετε θᾶσσον ἰοῦσαι.οὐ γὰρ δὴν μνηστῆρες ἀπέσσονται μεγάροιο,ἀλλὰ μάλ’ ἦρι νέονται, ἐπεὶ καὶ πᾶσιν ἑορτή.Ὣς ἔφαθ’, αἱ δ’ ἄρα τῆς μάλα μὲν κλύον ἠδ’ ἐπίθοντο.αἷ μὲν ἐείκοσι βῆσαν ἐπὶ κρήνην μελάνυδρον,αἱ δ’ αὐτοῦ κατὰ δώματ’ ἐπισταμένως πονέοντο.Ἐς δ’ ἦλθον δρηστῆρες ἀγήνορες· οἱ μὲν ἔπειταεὖ καὶ ἐπισταμένως κέασαν ξύλα, ταὶ δὲ γυναῖκεςἦλθον ἀπὸ κρήνης· ἐπὶ δέ σφισιν ἦλθε συβώτηςτρεῖς σιάλους κατάγων, οἱ ἔσαν μετὰ πᾶσιν ἄριστοι.καὶ τοὺς μέν ῥ’ εἴασε καθ’ ἕρκεα καλὰ νέμεσθαι,αὐτὸς δ’ αὖτ’ Ὀδυσῆα προσηύδα μειλιχίοισι·ξεῖν’, ἦ ἄρ τί σε μᾶλλον Ἀχαιοὶ εἰσορόωσιν,ἧέ σ’ ἀτιμάζουσι κατὰ μέγαρ’, ὡς τὸ πάρος περ;Τὸν δ’ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·αἱ γὰρ δή, Εὔμαιε, θεοὶ τισαίατο λώβην,ἣν οἵδ’ ὑβρίζοντες ἀτάσθαλα μηχανόωνταιοἴκῳ ἐν ἀλλοτρίῳ, οὐδ’ αἰδοῦς μοῖραν ἔχουσιν.Ὣς οἱ μὲν τοιαῦτα πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγόρευον,ἀγχίμολον δέ σφ’ ἦλθε Μελάνθιος, αἰπόλος αἰγῶν,αἶγας ἄγων αἱ πᾶσι μετέπρεπον αἰπολίοισι,δεῖπνον μνηστήρεσσι; δύω δ’ ἅμ’ ἕποντο νομῆες.καὶ τὰς μὲν κατέδησεν ὑπ’ αἰθούσῃ ἐριδούπῳ,αὐτὸς δ’ αὖτ’ Ὀδυσῆα προσηύδα κερτομίοισι·ξεῖν’, ἔτι καὶ νῦν ἐνθάδ’ ἀνιήσεις κατὰ δῶμαἀνέρας αἰτίζων, ἀτὰρ οὐκ ἔξεισθα θύραζε;πάντως οὐκέτι νῶϊ διακρινέεσθαι ὀΐωπρὶν χειρῶν γεύσασθαι, ἐπεὶ σύ περ οὐ κατὰ κόσμοναἰτίζεις· εἰσὶν δὲ καὶ ἄλλαι δαῖτες Ἀχαιῶν.Ὣς φάτο, τὸν δ’ οὔ τι προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς,ἀλλ’ ἀκέων κίνησε κάρη, κακὰ βυσσοδομεύων.Τοῖσι δ’ ἐπὶ τρίτος ἦλθε Φιλοίτιος, ὄρχαμος ἀνδρῶν,βοῦν στεῖραν μνηστῆρσιν ἄγων καὶ πίονας αἶγας.πορθμῆες δ’ ἄρα τούς γε διήγαγον, οἵ τε καὶ ἄλλουςἀνθρώπους πέμπουσιν, ὅτις σφέας εἰσαφίκηται.καὶ τὰ μὲν εὖ κατέδησεν ὑπ’ αἰθούσῃ ἐριδούπῳ,αὐτὸς δ’ αὖτ’ ἐρέεινε συβώτην ἄγχι παραστάς·τίς δὴ ὅδε ξεῖνος νέον εἰλήλουθε, συβῶτα,ἡμέτερον πρὸς δῶμα; τέων δ’ ἐξ εὔχεται εἶναιἀνδρῶν; ποῦ δέ νύ οἱ γενεὴ καὶ πατρὶς ἄρουρα;δύσμορος, ἦ τε ἔοικε δέμας βασιλῆϊ ἄνακτι·ἀλλὰ θεοὶ δυόωσι πολυπλάγκτους ἀνθρώπους,ὁππότε καὶ βασιλεῦσιν ἐπικλώσωνται ὀϊζύν.Ἦ καὶ δεξιτερῇ δειδίσκετο χειρὶ παραστάς,καί μιν φωνήσας ἔπεα πτερόεντα προσηύδα·χαῖρε, πάτερ ὦ ξεῖνε· γένοιτό τοι ἔς περ ὀπίσσωὄλβος· ἀτὰρ μὲν νῦν γε κακοῖς ἔχεαι πολέεσσι.Ζεῦ πάτερ, οὔ τις σεῖο θεῶν ὀλοώτερος ἄλλος·οὐκ ἐλεαίρεις ἄνδρας, ἐπὴν δὴ γείνεαι αὐτός,μισγέμεναι κακότητι καὶ ἄλγεσι λευγαλέοισιν.ἴδιον, ὡς ἐνόησα, δεδάκρυνται δέ μοι ὄσσεμνησαμένῳ Ὀδυσῆος, ἐπεὶ καὶ κεῖνον ὀΐωτοιάδε λαίφε’ ἔχοντα κατ’ ἀνθρώπους ἀλάλησθαι,εἴ που ἔτι ζώει καὶ ὁρᾷ φάος ἠελίοιο.εἰ δ’ ἤδη τέθνηκε καὶ εἰν Ἀἴδαο δόμοισιν,ὦ μοι ἔπειτ’ Ὀδυσῆος ἀμύμονος, ὅς μ’ ἐπὶ βουσὶνεἷσ’ ἔτι τυτθὸν ἐόντα Κεφαλλήνων ἐνὶ δήμῳ.νῦν δ’ αἱ μὲν γίγνονται ἀθέσφατοι, οὐδέ κεν ἄλλωςἀνδρί γ’ ὑποσταχύοιτο βοῶν γένος εὐρυμετώπων·τὰς δ’ ἄλλοι με κέλονται ἀγινέμεναί σφισιν αὐτοῖςἔδμεναι· οὐδέ τι παιδὸς ἐνὶ μεγάροις ἀλέγουσιν,οὐδ’ ὄπιδα τρομέουσι θεῶν· μεμάασι γὰρ ἤδηκτήματα δάσσασθαι δὴν οἰχομένοιο ἄνακτος.αὐτὰρ ἐμοὶ τόδε θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσι φίλοισιπόλλ’ ἐπιδινεῖται· μάλα μὲν κακὸν υἷος ἐόντοςἄλλων δῆμον ἱκέσθαι ἰόντ’ αὐτῇσι βόεσσιν,ἄνδρας ἐς ἀλλοδαπούς· τὸ δὲ ῥίγιον αὖθι μένονταβουσὶν ἐπ’ ἀλλοτρίῃσι καθήμενον ἄλγεα πάσχειν.καί κεν δὴ πάλαι ἄλλον ὑπερμενέων βασιλήωνἐξικόμην φεύγων, ἐπεὶ οὐκέτ’ ἀνεκτὰ πέλονταιἀλλ’ ἔτι τὸν δύστηνον ὀΐομαι, εἴ ποθεν ἐλθὼνἀνδρῶν μνηστήρων σκέδασιν κατὰ δώματα θείη.Τὸν δ’ ἀπαμειβόμενος προσέφη πολύμητις Ὀδυσσεύς·βουκόλ’, ἐπεὶ οὔτε κακῷ οὔτ’ ἄφρονι φωτὶ ἔοικας,γιγνώσκω δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ὅ τοι πινυτὴ φρένας ἵκει,τοὔνεκά τοι ἐρέω καὶ ἐπὶ μέγαν ὅρκον ὀμοῦμαι·ἴστω νῦν Ζεὺς πρῶτα θεῶν ξενίη τε τράπεζα,ἱστίη τ’ Ὀδυσῆος ἀμύμονος, ἣν ἀφικάνω,ἦ σέθεν ἐνθάδ’ ἐόντος ἐλεύσεται οἴκαδ’ Ὀδυσσεύς·σοῖσιν δ’ ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἐπόψεαι, αἴ κ’ ἐθέλῃσθα,κτεινομένους μνηστῆρας, οἱ ἐνθάδε κοιρανέουσι.Τὸν δ’ αὖτε προσέειπε βοῶν ἐπιβουκόλος ἀνήρ·αἱ γὰρ τοῦτο, ξεῖνε, ἔπος τελέσειε Κρονίων·γνοίης χ’ οἵη ἐμὴ δύναμις καὶ χεῖρες ἕπονται.Ὡς δ’ αὕτως Εὔμαιος ἐπεύξατο πᾶσι θεοῖσινοστῆσαι Ὀδυσῆα πολύφρονα ὅνδε δόμονδε.Ὃς οἱ μὲν τοιαῦτα πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἀγόρευον,μνηστῆρες δ’ ἄρα Τηλεμάχῳ θάνατόν τε μόρον τεἤρτυον· αὐτὰρ ὁ τοῖσιν ἀριστερὸς ἤλυθεν ὄρνις,αἰετὸς ὑψιπέτης, ἔχε δὲ τρήρωνα πέλειαν.τοῖσιν δ’ Ἀμφίνομος ἀγορήσατο καὶ μετέειπεν·ὦ φίλοι, οὐχ ἡμῖν συνθεύσεται ἥδε γε βουλή,Τηλεμάχοιο φόνος· ἀλλὰ μνησώμεθα δαιτός.Ὣς ἔφατ’ Ἀμφίνομος, τοῖσιν δ’ ἐπιήνδανε μῦθος.ἐλθόντες δ’ ἐς δώματ’ Ὀδυσσῆος θείοιοχλαίνας μὲν κατέθεντο κατὰ κλισμούς τε θρόνους τε,οἱ δ’ ἱέρευον ὄϊς μεγάλους καὶ πίονας αἶγας,ἵρευον δὲ σύας σιάλους καὶ βοῦν ἀγελαίην·σπλάγχνα δ’ ἄρ’ ὀπτήσαντες ἐνώμων, ἐν δέ τε οἶνονκρητῆρσιν κερόωντο’ κύπελλα δὲ νεῖμε συβώτης.σῖτον δέ σφ’ ἐπένειμε Φιλοίτιος, ὄρχαμος ἀνδρῶν,καλοῖς ἐν κανέοισιν, ἐοινοχόει δὲ Μελανθεύς.οἱ δ’ ἐπ’ ὀνείαθ’ ἑτοῖμα προκείμενα χεῖρας ἴαλλον.Τηλέμαχος δ’ Ὀδυσῆα καθίδρυε, κέρδεα νωμῶν,ἐντὸς ἐὐσταθέος μεγάρου, παρὰ λάϊνον οὐδόν,δίφρον ἀεικέλιον καταθεὶς ὀλίγην τε τράπεζαν·πὰρ δ’ ἐτίθει σπλάγχνων μοίρας, ἐν δ’ οἶνον ἔχευενἐν δέπαϊ χρυσέῳ, καί μιν πρὸς μῦθον ἔειπεν·ἐνταυθοῖ νῦν ἧσο μετ’ ἀνδράσιν οἰνοποτάζων·κερτομίας δέ τοι αὐτὸς ἐγὼ καὶ χεῖρας ἀφέξωπάντων μνηστήρων, ἐπεὶ οὔ τοι δήμιός ἐστινοἶκος ὅδ’, ἀλλ’ Ὀδυσῆος, ἐμοὶ δ’ ἐκτήσατο κεῖνος.ὑμεῖς δέ, μνηστῆρες, ἐπίσχετε θυμὸν ἐνιπῆςκαὶ χειρῶν, ἵνα μή τις ἔρις καὶ νεῖκος ὄρηται.Ὣς ἔφαθ’, οἱ δ’ ἄρα πάντες ὀδὰξ ἐν χείλεσι φύντεςΤηλέμαχον θαύμαζον, ὃ θαρσαλέως ἀγόρευε.τοῖσιν δ’ Ἀντίνοος μετέφη, Εὐπείθεος υἱός·καὶ χαλεπόν περ ἐόντα δεχώμεθα μῦθον ἈχαιοὶΤηλεμάχου· μάλα δ’ ἧμιν ἀπειλήσας ἀγορεύει.οὐ γὰρ Ζεὺς εἴασε Κρονίων· τῷ κέ μιν ἤδηπαύσαμεν ἐν μεγάροισι, λιγύν περ ἐόντ’ ἀγορητήν.Ὣς ἔφατ’ Ἀντίνοος· ὁ δ’ ἄρ’ οὐκ ἐμπάζετο μύθων.κήρυκες δ’ ἀνὰ ἄστυ θεῶν ἱερὴν ἑκατόμβηνἦγον· τοὶ δ’ ἀγέροντο κάρη κομόωντες Ἀχαιοὶἄλσος ὕπο σκιερὸν ἑκατηβόλου Ἀπόλλωνος.Οἱ δ’ ἐπεὶ ὥπτησαν κρέ ὑπέρτερα καὶ ἐρύσαντο,μοίρας δασσάμενοι δαίνυντ’ ἐρικυδέα δαῖτα·πὰρ δ’ ἄρ’ Ὀδυσσῆϊ μοῖραν θέσαν οἱ πονέοντοἴσην, ὡς αὐτοί περ ἐλάγχανον· ὡς γὰρ ἀνώγειΤηλέμαχος, φίλος υἱὸς Ὀδυσσῆος θείοιο.Μνηστῆρας δ’ οὐ πάμπαν ἀγήνορας εἴα Ἀθήνηλώβης ἴσχεσθαι θυμαλγέος, ὄφρ’ ἔτι μᾶλλονδύη ἄχος κραδίην Λαερτιάδεω Ὀδυσῆος.ἦν δέ τις ἐν μνηστῆρσιν ἀνὴρ ἀθεμίστια εἰδώς,Κτήσιππος δ’ ὄνομ’ ἔσκε, Σάμῃ δ’ ἐνὶ οἰκία ναῖεν·ὃς δή τοι κτεάτεσσι πεποιθὼς θεσπεσίοισιμνάσκετ’ Ὀδυσσῆος δὴν οἰχομένοιο δάμαρτα.ὅς ῥα τότε μνηστῆρσιν ὑπερφιάλοισι μετηύδα·κέκλυτέ μευ, μνηστῆρες ἀγήνορες, ὄφρα τι εἴπω·μοῖραν μὲν δὴ ξεῖνος ἔχει πάλαι, ὡς ἐπέοικεν,ἴσην· οὐ γὰρ καλὸν ἀτέμβειν οὐδὲ δίκαιονξείνους Τηλεμάχου, ὅς κεν τάδε δώμαθ’ ἵκηται.ἀλλ’ ἄγε οἱ καὶ ἐγὼ δῶ ξείνιον, ὄφρα καὶ αὐτὸςἠὲ λοετροχόῳ δώῃ γέρας ἠέ τῳ ἄλλῳδμώων, οἱ κατὰ δώματ’ Ὀδυσσῆος θείοιο.Ὣς εἰπὼν ἔρριψε βοὸς πόδα χειρὶ παχείῃ,κείμενον ἐκ κανέοιο λαβών· ὁ δ’ ἀλεύατ’ Ὀδυσσεὺςἧκα παρακλίνας κεφαλήν, μείδησε δὲ θυμῷσαρδάνιον μάλα τοῖον· ὁ δ’ εὔδμητον βάλε τοῖχον.Κτήσιππον δ’ ἄρα Τηλέμαχος ἠνίπαπε μύθῳ·Κτήσιππ’, ἦ μάλα τοι τόδε κέρδιον ἔπλετο θυμῷ·οὐκ ἔβαλες τὸν ξεῖνον· ἀλεύατο γὰρ βέλος αὐτός.ἢ γάρ κέν σε μέσον βάλον ἔγχεϊ ὀξυόεντι,καί κέ τοι ἀντὶ γάμοιο πατὴρ τάφον ἀμφιπονεῖτοἐνθάδε. τῷ μή τίς μοι ἀεικείας ἐνὶ οἴκῳφαινέτω· ἤδη γὰρ νοέω καὶ οἶδα ἕκαστα,ἐσθλά τε καὶ τὰ χέρεια’ πάρος δ’ ἔτι νήπιος ἦα.ἀλλ’ ἔμπης τάδε μὲν καὶ τέτλαμεν εἰσορόωντες,μήλων σφαζομένων οἴνοιό τε πινομένοιοκαὶ σίτου· χαλεπὸν γὰρ ἐρυκακέειν ἕνα πολλούς.ἀλλ’ ἄγε μηκέτι μοι κακὰ ῥέζετε δυσμενέοντες·εἰ δ’ ἤδη μ’ αὐτὸν κτεῖναι μενεαίνετε χαλκῷ,καί κε τὸ βουλοίμην, καί κεν πολὺ κέρδιον εἴητεθνάμεν ἢ τάδε γ’ αἰὲν ἀεικέα ἔργ’ ὁράασθαι,ξείνους τε στυφελιζομένους δμῳάς τε γυναῖκαςῥυστάζντας ἀεικελίως κατὰ δώματα καλά.Ὣς ἔφαθ’, οἱ δ’ ἄρα πάντες ἀκὴν ἐγένοντο σιωπῇ·ὀψὲ δὲ δὴ μετέειπε Δαμαστορίδης Ἀγέλαος·ὦ φίλοι, οὐκ ἂν δή τις ἐπὶ ῥηθέντι δικαίῳἀντιβίοις ἐπέεσσι καθαπτόμενος χαλεπαίνοι·μήτε τι τὸν ξεῖνον στυφελίζετε μήτε τιν’ ἄλλονδμώων, οἱ κατὰ δώματ’ Ὀδυσσῆος θείοιο.Τηλεμάχῳ δέ κε μῦθον ἐγὼ καὶ μητέρι φαίηνἤπιον, εἴ σφωϊν κραδίῃ ἅδοι ἀμφοτέροιϊν.ὄφρα μὲν ὑμῖν θυμὸς ἐνὶ στήθεσσιν ἐώλπεινοστήσειν Ὀδυσῆα πολύφρονα ὅνδε δόμονδε,τόφρ’ οὔ τις νέμεσις μενέμεν τ’ ἦν ἰσχέμεναί τεμνηστῆρας κατὰ δώματ’, ἐπεὶ τόδε κέρδιον ἦεν,εἰ νόστησ’ Ὀδυσεὺς καὶ ὑπότροπος ἵκετο δῶμα·νῦν δ’ ἤδη τόδε δῆλον, ὅ τ’ οὐκέτι νόστιμός ἐστιν.ἀλλ’ ἄγε σῇ τάδε μητρὶ παρεζόμενος κατάλεξον,γήμασθ’ ὅς τις ἄριστος ἀνὴρ καὶ πλεῖστα πόρῃσιν,ὄφρα σὺ μὲν χαίρων πατρώϊα πάντα νέμηαι,ἔσθων καὶ πίνων, ἡ δ’ ἄλλου δῶμα κομίζῃ.Τὸν δ’ αὖ Τηλέμαχος πεπνυμένος ἀντίον ηὔδα·οὐ μὰ Ζῆν’, Ἀγέλαε, καὶ ἄλγεα πατρὸς ἐμοῖο,ὅς που τῆλ’ Ἰθάκης ἣ ἔφθιται ἢ ἀλάληται,οὔ τι διατρίβω μητρὸς γάμον, ἀλλὰ κελεύωγήμασθ’ ᾧ κ’ ἐθέλῃ, ποτὶ δ’ ἄσπετα δῶρα δίδωμι.αἰδέομαι δ’ ἀέκουσαν ἀπὸ μεγάροιο δίεσθαιμύθῳ ἀναγκαίῳ· μὴ τοῦτο θεὸς τελέσειεν.Ὣς φάτο Τηλέμαχος· μνηστῆρσι δὲ Παλλὰς Ἀθήνηἄσβεστον γέλω ὦρσε, παρέπλαγξεν δὲ νόημα.οἱ δ’ ἤδη γναθμοῖσι γελώων ἀλλοτρίοισιν,αἱμοφόρυκτα δὲ δὴ κρέα ἤσθιον· ὄσσε δ’ ἄρα σφέωνδακρυόφιν πίμπλαντο, γόον δ’ ὠΐετο θυμός.τοῖσι δὲ καὶ μετέειπε Θεοκλύμενος θεοειδής·ἃ δειλοί, τί κακὸν τόδε πάσχετε; νυκτὶ μὲν ὑμέωνεἰλύαται κεφαλαί τε πρόσωπά τε νέρθε τε γοῦνα,οἰμωγὴ δὲ δέδηε, δεδάκρυνται δὲ παρειαί,αἵματι δ’ ἐρράδαται τοῖχοι καλαί τε μεσόδμαι·εἰδώλων δὲ πλέον πρόθυρον, πλείη δὲ καὶ αὐλή,ἱεμένων Ἐρεβόσδε ὑπὸ ζόφον· ἠέλιος δὲοὐρανοῦ ἐξαπόλωλε, κακὴ δ’ ἐπιδέδρομεν ἀχλύς.Ὣς ἔφαθ’, οἱ δ’ ἄρα πάντες ἐπ’ αὐτῷ ἡδὺ γέλασσαν.τοῖσιν δ’ Εὐρύμαχος, Πολύβου πάϊς, ἄρχ’ ἀγορεύειν·ἀφραίνει ξεῖνος νέον ἄλλοθεν εἰληλουθώς.ἀλλά μιν αἶψα, νέοι, δόμου ἐκπέμψασθε θύραζεεἰς ἀγορὴν ἔρχεσθαι, ἐπεὶ τάδε νυκτὶ ἐΐσκει.Τὸν δ’ αὖτε προσέειπε Θεοκλύμενος θεοειδής·Εὐρύμαχ’, οὔ τί σ’ ἄνωγα ἐμοὶ πομπῆας ὀπάζειν·εἰσί μοι ὀφθαλμοί τε καὶ οὔατα καὶ πόδες ἄμφωκαὶ νόος ἐν στήθεσσι τετυγμένος οὐδὲν ἀεικής.τοῖς ἔξειμι θύραζε, ἐπεὶ νοέω κακὸν ὕμμινἐρχόμενον, τό κεν οὔ τις ὑπεκφύγοι οὐδ’ ἀλέαιτομνηστήρων, οἱ δῶμα κατ’ ἀντιθέου Ὀδυσῆοςἀνέρας ὑβρίζοντες ἀτάσθαλα μηχανάασθε.Ὣς εἰπὼν ἐξῆλθε δόμων εὖ ναιεταόντων,ἵκετο δ’ ἐς Πείραιον, ὅ μιν πρόφρων ὑπέδεκτο.μνηστῆρες δ’ ἄρα πάντες ἐς ἀλλήλους ὁρόωντεςΤηλέμαχον ἐρέθιζον, ἐπὶ ξείνοις γελόωντες·ὧδε δέ τις εἴπεσκε νέων ὑπερηνορεόντων·Τηλέμαχ’, οὔ τις σεῖο κακοξεινώτερος ἄλλος·οἷον μέν τινα τοῦτον ἔχεις ἐπίμαστον ἀλήτην,σίτου καὶ οἴνου κεχρημένον, οὐδέ τι ἔργωνἔμπαιον οὐδὲ βίης, ἀλλ’ αὔτως ἄχθος ἀρούρης.ἄλλος δ’ αὖτέ τις οὗτος ἀνέστη μαντεύεσθαι.ἀλλ’ εἴ μοί τι πίθοιο, τό κεν πολὺ κέρδιον εἴη·τοὺς ξείνους ἐν νηὶ πολυκληῖδι βαλόντεςἐς Σικελοὺς πέμψωμεν, ὅθεν κέ τοι ἄξιον ἄλφοι.Ὃς ἔφασαν μνηστῆρες· ὁ δ’ οὐκ ἐμπάζετο μύθων,ἀλλ’ ἀκέων πατέρα προσεδέρκετο, δέγμενος αἰεί,ὁππότε δὴ μνηστῆρσιν ἀναιδέσι χεῖρας ἐφήσει.Ἡ δὲ κατ’ ἄντηστιν θεμένη περικαλλέα δίφρονκούρη Ἰκαρίοιο, περίφρων Πηνελόπεια,ἀνδρῶν ἐν μεγάροισιν ἑκάστου μῦθον ἄκουε.δεῖπνον μὲν γὰρ τοί γε γελώωντες τετύκοντοἡδύ τε καὶ μενοεικές, ἐπεὶ μάλα πόλλ’ ἱέρευσαν·δόρπου δ’ οὐκ ἄν πως ἀχαρίστερον ἄλλο γένοιτο,οἷον δὴ τάχ’ ἔμελλε θεὰ καὶ καρτερὸς ἀνὴρθησέμεναι· πρότεροι γὰρ ἀεικέα μηχανόωντο.
English
Ulysses slept in the cloister upon an undressed bullock’s hide, on the top of which he threw several skins of the sheep the suitors had eaten, and Eurynome threw a cloak over him after he had laid himself down. There, then, Ulysses lay wakefully brooding upon the way in which he should kill the suitors; and by and by, the women who had been in the habit of misconducting themselves with them, left the house giggling and laughing with one another. This made Ulysses very angry, and he doubted whether to get up and kill every single one of them then and there, or to let them sleep one more and last time with the suitors. His heart growled within him, and as a bitch with puppies growls and shows her teeth when she sees a stranger, so did his heart growl with anger at the evil deeds that were being done: but he beat his breast and said, “Heart, be still, you had worse than this to bear on the day when the terrible Cyclops ate your brave companions; yet you bore it in silence till your cunning got you safe out of the cave, though you made sure of being killed.”
Thus he chided with his heart, and checked it into endurance, but he tossed about as one who turns a paunch full of blood and fat in front of a hot fire, doing it first on one side and then on the other, that he may get it cooked as soon as possible, even so did he turn himself about from side to side, thinking all the time how, single handed as he was, he should contrive to kill so large a body of men as the wicked suitors. But by and by Minerva came down from heaven in the likeness of a woman, and hovered over his head saying, “My poor unhappy man, why do you lie awake in this way? This is your house: your wife is safe inside it, and so is your son who is just such a young man as any father may be proud of.”
“Goddess,” answered Ulysses, “all that you have said is true, but I am in some doubt as to how I shall be able to kill these wicked suitors single handed, seeing what a number of them there always are. And there is this further difficulty, which is still more considerable. Supposing that with Jove’s and your assistance I succeed in killing them, I must ask you to consider where I am to escape to from their avengers when it is all over.”
“For shame,” replied Minerva, “why, any one else would trust a worse ally than myself, even though that ally were only a mortal and less wise than I am. Am I not a goddess, and have I not protected you throughout in all your troubles? I tell you plainly that even though there were fifty bands of men surrounding us and eager to kill us, you should take all their sheep and cattle, and drive them away with you. But go to sleep; it is a very bad thing to lie awake all night, and you shall be out of your troubles before long.”
As she spoke she shed sleep over his eyes, and then went back to Olympus.
While Ulysses was thus yielding himself to a very deep slumber that eased the burden of his sorrows, his admirable wife awoke, and sitting up in her bed began to cry. When she had relieved herself by weeping she prayed to Diana saying, “Great Goddess Diana, daughter of Jove, drive an arrow into my heart and slay me; or let some whirlwind snatch me up and bear me through paths of darkness till it drop me into the mouths of over-flowing Oceanus, as it did the daughters of Pandareus. The daughters of Pandareus lost their father and mother, for the gods killed them, so they were left orphans. But Venus took care of them, and fed them on cheese, honey, and sweet wine. Juno taught them to excel all women in beauty of form and understanding; Diana gave them an imposing presence, and Minerva endowed them with every kind of accomplishment; but one day when Venus had gone up to Olympus to see Jove about getting them married (for well does he know both what shall happen and what not happen to every one) the storm winds came and spirited them away to become handmaids to the dread Erinyes. Even so I wish that the gods who live in heaven would hide me from mortal sight, or that fair Diana might strike me, for I would fain go even beneath the sad earth if I might do so still looking towards Ulysses only, and without having to yield myself to a worse man than he was. Besides, no matter how much people may grieve by day, they can put up with it so long as they can sleep at night, for when the eyes are closed in slumber people forget good and ill alike; whereas my misery haunts me even in my dreams. This very night methought there was one lying by my side who was like Ulysses as he was when he went away with his host, and I rejoiced, for I believed that it was no dream, but the very truth itself.”
On this the day broke, but Ulysses heard the sound of her weeping, and it puzzled him, for it seemed as though she already knew him and was by his side. Then he gathered up the cloak and the fleeces on which he had lain, and set them on a seat in the cloister, but he took the bullock’s hide out into the open. He lifted up his hands to heaven, and prayed, saying “Father Jove, since you have seen fit to bring me over land and sea to my own home after all the afflictions you have laid upon me, give me a sign out of the mouth of some one or other of those who are now waking within the house, and let me have another sign of some kind from outside.”
Thus did he pray. Jove heard his prayer and forthwith thundered high up among the clouds from the splendour of Olympus, and Ulysses was glad when he heard it. At the same time within the house, a miller-woman from hard by in the mill room lifted up her voice and gave him another sign. There were twelve miller-women whose business it was to grind wheat and barley which are the staff of life. The others had ground their task and had gone to take their rest, but this one had not yet finished, for she was not so strong as they were, and when she heard the thunder she stopped grinding and gave the sign to her master. “Father Jove,” said she, “you, who rule over heaven and earth, you have thundered from a clear sky without so much as a cloud in it, and this means something for somebody; grant the prayer, then, of me your poor servant who calls upon you, and let this be the very last day that the suitors dine in the house of Ulysses. They have worn me out with labour of grinding meal for them, and I hope they may never have another dinner anywhere at all.”
Ulysses was glad when he heard the omens conveyed to him by the woman’s speech, and by the thunder, for he knew they meant that he should avenge himself on the suitors.
Then the other maids in the house rose and lit the fire on the hearth; Telemachus also rose and put on his clothes. He girded his sword about his shoulder, bound his sandals on to his comely feet, and took a doughty spear with a point of sharpened bronze; then he went to the threshold of the cloister and said to Euryclea, “Nurse, did you make the stranger comfortable both as regards bed and board, or did you let him shift for himself?—for my mother, good woman though she is, has a way of paying great attention to second-rate people, and of neglecting others who are in reality much better men.”
“Do not find fault child,” said Euryclea, “when there is no one to find fault with. The stranger sat and drank his wine as long as he liked: your mother did ask him if he would take any more bread and he said he would not. When he wanted to go to bed she told the servants to make one for him, but he said he was such a wretched outcast that he would not sleep on a bed and under blankets; he insisted on having an undressed bullock’s hide and some sheepskins put for him in the cloister and I threw a cloak over him myself.”
Then Telemachus went out of the court to the place where the Achaeans were meeting in assembly; he had his spear in his hand, and he was not alone, for his two dogs went with him. But Euryclea called the maids and said, “Come, wake up; set about sweeping the cloisters and sprinkling them with water to lay the dust; put the covers on the seats; wipe down the tables, some of you, with a wet sponge; clean out the mixing-jugs and the cups, and go for water from the fountain at once; the suitors will be here directly; they will be here early, for it is a feast day.”
Thus did she speak, and they did even as she had said: twenty of them went to the fountain for water, and the others set themselves busily to work about the house. The men who were in attendance on the suitors also came up and began chopping firewood. By and by the women returned from the fountain, and the swineherd came after them with the three best pigs he could pick out. These he let feed about the premises, and then he said good-humouredly to Ulysses, “Stranger, are the suitors treating you any better now, or are they as insolent as ever?”
“May heaven,” answered Ulysses, “requite to them the wickedness with which they deal high-handedly in another man’s house without any sense of shame.”
Thus did they converse; meanwhile Melanthius the goatherd came up, for he too was bringing in his best goats for the suitors’ dinner; and he had two shepherds with him. They tied the goats up under the gatehouse, and then Melanthius began gibing at Ulysses. “Are you still here, stranger,” said he, “to pester people by begging about the house? Why can you not go elsewhere? You and I shall not come to an understanding before we have given each other a taste of our fists. You beg without any sense of decency: are there not feasts elsewhere among the Achaeans, as well as here?”
Ulysses made no answer, but bowed his head and brooded. Then a third man, Philoetius, joined them, who was bringing in a barren heifer and some goats. These were brought over by the boatmen who are there to take people over when any one comes to them. So Philoetius made his heifer and his goats secure under the gatehouse, and then went up to the swineherd. “Who, Swineherd,” said he, “is this stranger that is lately come here? Is he one of your men? What is his family? Where does he come from? Poor fellow, he looks as if he had been some great man, but the gods give sorrow to whom they will—even to kings if it so pleases them.”
As he spoke he went up to Ulysses and saluted him with his right hand; “Good day to you, father stranger,” said he, “you seem to be very poorly off now, but I hope you will have better times by and by. Father Jove, of all gods you are the most malicious. We are your own children, yet you show us no mercy in all our misery and afflictions. A sweat came over me when I saw this man, and my eyes filled with tears, for he reminds me of Ulysses, who I fear is going about in just such rags as this man’s are, if indeed he is still among the living. If he is already dead and in the house of Hades, then, alas! for my good master, who made me his stockman when I was quite young among the Cephallenians, and now his cattle are countless; no one could have done better with them than I have, for they have bred like ears of corn; nevertheless I have to keep bringing them in for others to eat, who take no heed to his son though he is in the house, and fear not the wrath of heaven, but are already eager to divide Ulysses’ property among them because he has been away so long. I have often thought—only it would not be right while his son is living—of going off with the cattle to some foreign country; bad as this would be, it is still harder to stay here and be ill-treated about other people’s herds. My position is intolerable, and I should long since have run away and put myself under the protection of some other chief, only that I believe my poor master will yet return, and send all these suitors flying out of the house.”
“Stockman,” answered Ulysses, “you seem to be a very well-disposed person, and I can see that you are a man of sense. Therefore I will tell you, and will confirm my words with an oath. By Jove, the chief of all gods, and by that hearth of Ulysses to which I am now come, Ulysses shall return before you leave this place, and if you are so minded you shall see him killing the suitors who are now masters here.”
“If Jove were to bring this to pass,” replied the stockman, “you should see how I would do my very utmost to help him.”
And in like manner Eumaeus prayed that Ulysses might return home.
Thus did they converse. Meanwhile the suitors were hatching a plot to murder Telemachus: but a bird flew near them on their left hand—an eagle with a dove in its talons. On this Amphinomus said, “My friends, this plot of ours to murder Telemachus will not succeed; let us go to dinner instead.”
The others assented, so they went inside and laid their cloaks on the benches and seats. They sacrificed the sheep, goats, pigs, and the heifer, and when the inward meats were cooked they served them round. They mixed the wine in the mixing-bowls, and the swineherd gave every man his cup, while Philoetius handed round the bread in the bread baskets, and Melanthius poured them out their wine. Then they laid their hands upon the good things that were before them.
Telemachus purposely made Ulysses sit in the part of the cloister that was paved with stone; he gave him a shabby looking seat at a little table to himself, and had his portion of the inward meats brought to him, with his wine in a gold cup. “Sit there,” said he, “and drink your wine among the great people. I will put a stop to the gibes and blows of the suitors, for this is no public house, but belongs to Ulysses, and has passed from him to me. Therefore, suitors, keep your hands and your tongues to yourselves, or there will be mischief.”
The suitors bit their lips, and marvelled at the boldness of his speech; then Antinous said, “We do not like such language but we will put up with it, for Telemachus is threatening us in good earnest. If Jove had let us we should have put a stop to his brave talk ere now.”
Thus spoke Antinous, but Telemachus heeded him not. Meanwhile the heralds were bringing the holy hecatomb through the city, and the Achaeans gathered under the shady grove of Apollo.
Then they roasted the outer meat, drew it off the spits, gave every man his portion, and feasted to their heart’s content; those who waited at table gave Ulysses exactly the same portion as the others had, for Telemachus had told them to do so.
But Minerva would not let the suitors for one moment drop their insolence, for she wanted Ulysses to become still more bitter against them. Now there happened to be among them a ribald fellow, whose name was Ctesippus, and who came from Same. This man, confident in his great wealth, was paying court to the wife of Ulysses, and said to the suitors, “Hear what I have to say. The stranger has already had as large a portion as any one else; this is well, for it is not right nor reasonable to ill-treat any guest of Telemachus who comes here. I will, however, make him a present on my own account, that he may have something to give to the bath-woman, or to some other of Ulysses’ servants.”
As he spoke he picked up a heifer’s foot from the meat-basket in which it lay, and threw it at Ulysses, but Ulysses turned his head a little aside, and avoided it, smiling grimly Sardinian fashion as he did so, and it hit the wall, not him. On this Telemachus spoke fiercely to Ctesippus, “It is a good thing for you,” said he, “that the stranger turned his head so that you missed him. If you had hit him I should have run you through with my spear, and your father would have had to see about getting you buried rather than married in this house. So let me have no more unseemly behaviour from any of you, for I am grown up now to the knowledge of good and evil and understand what is going on, instead of being the child that I have been heretofore. I have long seen you killing my sheep and making free with my corn and wine: I have put up with this, for one man is no match for many, but do me no further violence. Still, if you wish to kill me, kill me; I would far rather die than see such disgraceful scenes day after day—guests insulted, and men dragging the women servants about the house in an unseemly way.”
They all held their peace till at last Agelaus son of Damastor said, “No one should take offence at what has just been said, nor gainsay it, for it is quite reasonable. Leave off, therefore, ill-treating the stranger, or any one else of the servants who are about the house; I would say, however, a friendly word to Telemachus and his mother, which I trust may commend itself to both. ‘As long,’ I would say, ‘as you had ground for hoping that Ulysses would one day come home, no one could complain of your waiting and suffering the suitors to be in your house. It would have been better that he should have returned, but it is now sufficiently clear that he will never do so; therefore talk all this quietly over with your mother, and tell her to marry the best man, and the one who makes her the most advantageous offer. Thus you will yourself be able to manage your own inheritance, and to eat and drink in peace, while your mother will look after some other man’s house, not yours.’”
To this Telemachus answered, “By Jove, Agelaus, and by the sorrows of my unhappy father, who has either perished far from Ithaca, or is wandering in some distant land, I throw no obstacles in the way of my mother’s marriage; on the contrary I urge her to choose whomsoever she will, and I will give her numberless gifts into the bargain, but I dare not insist point blank that she shall leave the house against her own wishes. Heaven forbid that I should do this.”
Minerva now made the suitors fall to laughing immoderately, and set their wits wandering; but they were laughing with a forced laughter. Their meat became smeared with blood; their eyes filled with tears, and their hearts were heavy with forebodings. Theoclymenus saw this and said, “Unhappy men, what is it that ails you? There is a shroud of darkness drawn over you from head to foot, your cheeks are wet with tears; the air is alive with wailing voices; the walls and roof-beams drip blood; the gate of the cloisters and the court beyond them are full of ghosts trooping down into the night of hell; the sun is blotted out of heaven, and a blighting gloom is over all the land.”
Thus did he speak, and they all of them laughed heartily. Eurymachus then said, “This stranger who has lately come here has lost his senses. Servants, turn him out into the streets, since he finds it so dark here.”
But Theoclymenus said, “Eurymachus, you need not send any one with me. I have eyes, ears, and a pair of feet of my own, to say nothing of an understanding mind. I will take these out of the house with me, for I see mischief overhanging you, from which not one of you men who are insulting people and plotting ill deeds in the house of Ulysses will be able to escape.”
He left the house as he spoke, and went back to Piraeus who gave him welcome, but the suitors kept looking at one another and provoking Telemachus by laughing at the strangers. One insolent fellow said to him, “Telemachus, you are not happy in your guests; first you have this importunate tramp, who comes begging bread and wine and has no skill for work or for hard fighting, but is perfectly useless, and now here is another fellow who is setting himself up as a prophet. Let me persuade you, for it will be much better to put them on board ship and send them off to the Sicels to sell for what they will bring.”
Telemachus gave him no heed, but sat silently watching his father, expecting every moment that he would begin his attack upon the suitors.
Meanwhile the daughter of Icarius, wise Penelope, had had a rich seat placed for her facing the court and cloisters, so that she could hear what every one was saying. The dinner indeed had been prepared amid much merriment; it had been both good and abundant, for they had sacrificed many victims; but the supper was yet to come, and nothing can be conceived more gruesome than the meal which a goddess and a brave man were soon to lay before them—for they had brought their doom upon themselves.