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THE ADVENTURESOF ODYSSEUS ANDTHE TALE OF TROY

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THE ADVENTURESOF ODYSSEUS ANDTHE TALE OF TROY

BY PADRAIC COLUM

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PRESENTED BY

WILLY POGANY

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY NEW YORK

COPYRIGHT, 1918, BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. SET UP AND ELECTROTYPED. PUBLISHED NOVEMBER, 1918. 

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REPRINTED JUNE, OCTOBER, 1919; OCTOBER, 1920; AUGUST, 1922; MARCH, 1923; MAY, 1924; JUNE, 1925; MARCH, 1926;DECEMBER, 1926; AUGUST, 1927. 

Norwood Press: J. S. Cushing Co. --Berwick & Smith Co. Norwood, Massachusetts, U. S. A. 

FOR HUGHIE AND PETER

THIS TELLING OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST STORY

BECAUSE THEIR IMAGINATIONS

RISE TO DEEDS AND WONDERS

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CONTENTS

PART I

HOW TELEMACHUS THE SON OF ODYSSEUS WAS MOVED TO GO ON A VOYAGEIN SEARCH OF HIS FATHER AND HOW HE HEARD FROM MENELAUS AND HELENTHE TALE OF TROY 1

PART II

HOW ODYSSEUS LEFT CALYPSO'S ISLAND AND CAME TO THE LAND OF THEPHAEACIANS; HOW HE TOLD HE FARED WITH THE CYCLÔPES AND WENT PASTTHE TERRIBLE SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS AND CAME TO THE ISLAND OFTHRINACIA WHERE HIS MEN SLAUGHTERED THE CATTLE OF THE SUN; HOWHE WAS GIVEN A SHIP BY THE PHAEACIANS AND CAME TO HIS OWN LAND;HOW HE OVERTHREW THE WOOERS WHO WASTED HIS SUBSTANCE AND CAME TOREIGN AGAIN AS KING OF ITHAKA. 125

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ILLUSTRATIONS

COLOUR PLATES

The Judgement of Paris _Frontispiece_

 FACING PAGEThe Fair Helen 30

Achilles Victorious 106

The Princess Threw the Ball 138

The Sorrowing Odysseus 148

Circe 170

The Sirens 176

Penelope Unravelling the Web 221

PART I

HOW TELEMACHUS THE SON OF ODYSSEUS WAS MOVED TO GO ON A VOYAGE IN SEARCHOF HIS FATHER AND HOW HE HEARD FROM MENELAUS AND HELEN THE TALE OF TROY

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I

This is the story of Odysseus, the most renowned of all the heroes theGreek poets have told us of--of Odysseus, his wars and his wanderings. And this story of Odysseus begins with his son, the youth who was calledTelemachus. 

It was when Telemachus was a child of a month old that a messenger camefrom Agamemnon, the Great King, bidding Odysseus betake himself to thewar against Troy that the Kings and Princes of Greece were about towage. The wise Odysseus, foreseeing the disasters that would befall allthat entered that war, was loth to go. And so when Agamemnon's messengercame to the island of Ithaka where he was King, Odysseus pretended to bemad. And that the messenger, Palamedes, might believe he was mad indeed, he did a thing that no man ever saw being done before--he took an assand an ox and yoked them together to the same plough and began to plougha field. And when he had ploughed a furrow he sowed it, not with seedsthat would grow, but with salt. When Palamedes saw him doing this he wasnearly persuaded that Odysseus was mad. But to test him he took thechild Telemachus and laid him down in the field in the way of theplough. Odysseus, when he came near to where the child lay, turned theplough aside and thereby showed that he was not a mad man. Then had heto take King Agamemnon's summons. And Agamemnon's word was that Odysseusshould go to Aulis where the ships of the Kings and Princes of Greecewere being gathered. But first he was to go into another country to seekthe hero Achilles and persuade him also to enter the war against Troy. 

And so Odysseus bade good-bye to his infant son, Telemachus, and to hisyoung wife Penelope, and to his father, old Laertes. And he badegood-bye to his house and his lands and to the island of Ithaka where hewas King. He summoned a council of the chief men of Ithaka and commendedto their care his wife and his child and all his household, andthereafter he took his sailors and his fighting men with him and hesailed away. The years went by and Odysseus did not return. After tenyears the City was taken by the Kings and Princes of Greece and thethread of war was wound up. But still Odysseus did not return. And nowminstrels came to Ithaka with word of the deaths or the homecomings ofthe heroes who had fought in the war against Troy. But no minstrelbrought any word of Odysseus, of his death or of his appearance in anyland known to men. Ten years more went by. And now that infant sonwhom he had left behind, Telemachus, had grown up and was a young man ofstrength and purpose. 

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II

One day, as he sat sad and disconsolate in the house of his father, theyouth Telemachus saw a stranger come to the outer gate. There were manyin the court outside, but no one went to receive the newcomer. Then, because he would never let a stranger stand at the gate without hurryingout to welcome him, and because, too, he had hopes that some day such aone would bring him tidings of his father, Telemachus rose up from wherehe was sitting and went down the hall and through the court and to thegate at which the stranger stood. 

'Welcome to the house of Odysseus, ' said Telemachus giving him his hand. The stranger clasped it with a friendly clasp. 'I thank you, Telemachus, ' he said, 'for your welcome, and glad I am to enter thehouse of your father, the renowned Odysseus. '

The stranger looked like one who would be a captain amongst soldiers. His eyes were grey and clear and shone wonderfully. In his hand hecarried a great bronze spear. He and Telemachus went together throughthe court and into the hall. And when the stranger left his spearwithin the spearstand Telemachus took him to a high chair and put afootstool under his feet. 

He had brought him to a place in the hall where the crowd would notcome. There were many in the court outside and Telemachus would not havehis guest disturbed by questions or clamours. A handmaid brought waterfor the washing of his hands, and poured it over them from a golden ewerinto a silver basin. A polished table was left at his side. Then thehouse-dame brought wheaten bread and many dainties. Other servants setdown dishes of meat with golden cups, and afterwards the maids came intothe hall and filled up the cups with wine. 

But the servants who waited on Telemachus and his guest were disturbedby the crowd of men who now came into the hall. They seated themselvesat tables and shouted out their orders. Great dishes of meat werebrought to them and bowls of wine, and the men ate and drank and talkedloudly to each other and did not refrain even from staring at thestranger who sat with Telemachus. 

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

A flush of shame came to the face of Telemachus. 'There is nowedding-feast here, ' he said, 'nor do the men of our clan meet here todrink with each other. Listen to me, my guest. Because you look so wiseand because you seem so friendly to my father's name I will tell you whothese men are and why they trouble this house. '

Thereupon, Telemachus told the stranger how his father had not returnedfrom the war of Troy although it was now ten years since the City wastaken by those with whom he went. 'Alas, ' Telemachus said, 'he must havedied on his way back to us, and I must think that his bones lie undersome nameless strait or channel of the ocean. Would he had died in thefight at Troy! Then the Kings and Princes would have made him aburial-mound worthy of his name and his deeds. His memory would havebeen reverenced amongst men, and I, his son, would have a name, andwould not be imposed upon by such men as you see here--men who arefeasting and giving orders in my father's house and wasting thesubstance that he gathered. '

'How come they to be here?' asked the stranger. Telemachus told himabout this also. When seven years had gone by from the fall of Troy andstill Odysseus did not return there were those who thought he was deadand would never be seen more in the land of Ithaka. Then many of theyoung lords of the land wanted Penelope, Telemachus' mother, to marryone of them. They came to the house to woo her for marriage. But she, mourning for the absence of Odysseus and ever hoping that he wouldreturn, would give no answer to them. For three years now they werecoming to the house of Odysseus to woo the wife whom he had left behindhim. 'They want to put my lady-mother between two dread difficulties, 'said Telemachus, 'either to promise to wed one of them or to see thesubstance of our house wasted by them. Here they come and eat the breadof our fields, and slay the beasts of our flocks and herds, and drinkthe wine that in the old days my father laid up, and weary our servantswith their orders. '

When he had told him all this Telemachus raised his head and looked atthe stranger: 'O my guest, ' he said, 'wisdom and power shine out of youreyes. Speak now to me and tell me what I should do to save the house ofOdysseus from ruin. And tell me too if you think it possible that myfather should still be in life. '

The stranger looked at him with his grey, clear, wonderfully-shiningeyes. 'Art thou verily the son of Odysseus?' said he. 

'Verily, I am the son of Odysseus, ' said Telemachus. 

'As I look at you, ' said the stranger, 'I mark your head and eyes, and Iknow they are such a head and such eyes as Odysseus had. Well, being theson of such a man, and of such a woman as the lady Penelope, your spiritsurely shall find a way of destroying those wooers who would destroyyour house. '

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

'I think, ' said the stranger, 'that Odysseus, your father, has notperished from the earth. He may yet win home through labors and perils. But you should seek for tidings of him. Harken to me now and I shalltell you what to do. 

'To-morrow summon a council of all the chief men of the land of Ithaka, and stand up in that council and declare that the time has come for thewooers who waste your substance to scatter, each man to his own home. And after the council has been held I would have you voyage to find outtidings of your father, whether he still lives and where he might be. Goto Pylos first, to the home of Nestor, that old King who was with yourfather in the war of Troy. Beg Nestor to give you whatever tidings hehas of Odysseus. And from Pylos go to Sparta, to the home of Menelausand Helen, and beg tidings of your father from them too. And if you getnews of his being alive, return: It will be easy for you then to endurefor another year the wasting of your substance by those wooers. But ifyou learn that your father, the renowned Odysseus, is indeed dead andgone, then come back, and in your own country raise a great funeralmound to his memory, and over it pay all funeral rites. Then let yourmother choose a good man to be her husband and let her marry him, knowing for a certainty that Odysseus will never come back to his ownhouse. After that something will remain for you to do: You will have topunish those wooers who destroy the goods your father gathered and whoinsult his house by their presence. And when all these things have beendone, you, Telemachus, will be free to seek out your own fortune: youwill rise to fame, for I mark that you are handsome and strong and mostlikely to be a wise and valiant man. But now I must fare on my journey. '

The stranger rose up from where he sat and went with Telemachus from thehall and through the court and to the outer gate. Telemachus said: 'Whatyou have told me I shall not forget. I know you have spoken out of awise and a friendly heart, and as a father to his son. '

The stranger clasped his hands and went through the gate. And then, ashe looked after him Telemachus saw the stranger change in his form. Hebecame first as a woman, tall, with fair hair and a spear of bronze inher hand. And then the form of a woman changed too. It changed into agreat sea-eagle that on wide wings rose up and flew high through theair. Telemachus knew then that his visitor was an immortal and no otherthan the goddess Athene who had been his father's friend. 

III

When Telemachus went back to the hall those who were feasting there hadput the wine-cups from them and were calling out for Phemius, theminstrel, to come and sing some tale to delight them. And as he wentamongst them one of the wooers said to another, 'The guest who was withhim has told Telemachus something that has changed his bearing. Neverbefore did I see him hold himself so proudly. Mayhap he has spoken tohim of the return of his father, the renowned Odysseus. '

Phemius came and the wooers called upon him to sing them a tale. And theminstrel, in flowing verse, began the tale of the return of the Kingsand Princes from Troy, and of how some god or goddess put a trouble uponthem as they left the City they had taken. And as the minstrel began thetale, Penelope, Telemachus' lady-mother, was coming down the stairs withtwo hand-maids beside her. She heard the words he sang, and she stoodstill in her grief and drew her veil across her face. 'O Phemius, ' shecried, 'cease from that story that ever wastes my heart--the story thathas brought me sorrow and that leaves me comfortless all my days! OPhemius, do you not know other tales of men and gods that you might singin this hall for the delight of my noble wooers?'

The minstrel would have ceased when Penelope spoke thus to him, butTelemachus went to the stairway where his lady-mother stood, andaddressed her. 

'My lady-mother, ' said he, 'why should you not let the minstrel delightthe company with such songs as the spirit moves him to give us? It is noblame to him if he sings of that which is sorrowful to us. As for you, my mother, you must learn to endure that story, for long will it be sungand far and wide. And you are not the only one who is bereaved--manyanother man besides Odysseus lost the happy day of his homecoming inthe war of Troy. '

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Penelope, his lady-mother, looked in surprise at the youth who spoke toher so wisely. Was this indeed Telemachus who before had hardly liftedhis head? And as she looked at him again she saw that he carried hishead--that head of his that was so like Odysseus'--high and proudly. Shesaw that her son was now indeed a man. Penelope spoke no word to him, for a new thought had come into her mind. She turned round on the stairsand went back with her hand-maids to the chamber where her loom and herdistaff were. And as she went up the stairway and away from them herwooers muttered one to the other that she would soon have to choose oneof them for her husband. 

Telemachus turned to those who were standing at the tables and addressedthem. 'Wooers of my mother, ' he said, 'I have a word to say to you. '

'By the gods, youth, ' said one of the wooers, 'you must tell us firstwho he is who has made you so high and proud of speech. '

'Surely, ' said another, 'he who has done that is the stranger who waswith him. Who is he? Why did he come here, and of what land has hedeclared himself to be?'

'Why did he not stay so that we might look at him and speak to him?'said another of the wooers. 

'These are the words I would say to you. Let us feast now in peace, without any brawling amongst us, and listen to the tale that theminstrel sings to us, ' said Telemachus. 'But to-morrow let us have acouncil made up of the chief men of this land of Ithaka. I shall go tothe council and speak there. I shall ask that you leave this house ofmine and feast on goods that you yourselves have gathered. Let the chiefmen judge whether I speak in fairness to you or not. If you do not heedwhat I will say openly at the council, before all the chief men of ourland, then let it be on your own heads what will befall you. '

All the wooers marvelled that Telemachus spoke so boldly. And one said, 'Because his father, Odysseus, was king, this youth thinks he should beking by inheritance. But may Zeus, the god, never grant that he beking. '

Then said Telemachus, 'If the god Zeus should grant that I be King, I amready to take up the Kingship of the land of Ithaka with all its toilsand all its dangers. ' And when Telemachus said that he looked like ayoung king indeed. 

But they sat in peace and listened to what the minstrel sang. And whenevening came the wooers left the hall and went each to his own house. Telemachus rose and went to his chamber. Before him there went anancient woman who had nursed him as a child--Eurycleia was her name. Shecarried burning torches to light his way. And when they were in hischamber Telemachus took off his soft doublet and put it in Eurycleia'shands, and she smoothed it out and hung it on the pin at his bed-side. Then she went out and she closed the door behind with its handle ofsilver and she pulled the thong that bolted the door on the other side. And all night long Telemachus lay wrapped in his fleece of wool andthought on what he would say at the council next day, and on the goddessAthene and what she had put into his heart to do, and on the journeythat was before him to Nestor in Pylos and to Menelaus and Helen inSparta. 

IV

As soon as it was dawn Telemachus rose from his bed. He put on hisraiment, bound his sandals on his feet, hung his sharp sword across hisshoulder, and took in his hand a spear of bronze. Then he went forth towhere the Council was being held in the open air, and two swift houndswent beside him. 

The chief men of the land of Ithaka had been gathered already for thecouncil. When it was plain that all were there, the man who was oldestamongst them, the lord Ægyptus, rose up and spoke. He had sons, and twoof them were with him yet, tending his fields. But one, Eurynomous byname, kept company with the wooers of Telemachus' mother. And Ægyptushad had another son; he had gone in Odysseus' ship to the war of Troy, and Ægyptus knew he had perished on his way back. He constantly mournedfor this son, and thinking upon him as he spoke, Ægyptus had tears inhis eyes. 

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'Never since Odysseus summoned us together before he took ship for thewar of Troy have we met in council, ' said he. 'Why have we been broughttogether now? Has someone heard tidings of the return of Odysseus? If itbe so, may the god Zeus give luck to him who tells us of such goodfortune. '

Telemachus was glad because of the kindly speech of the old man. He roseup to speak and the herald put a staff into his hands as a sign that hewas to be listened to with reverence. Telemachus then spoke, addressingthe old lord Ægyptus. 

'I will tell you who it is, ' he said, 'who has called the men of Ithakatogether in council, and for what purpose. Revered lord Ægyptus, I havecalled you together, but not because I have had tidings of the return ofmy father, the renowned Odysseus, nor because I would speak to you aboutsome affair of our country. No. I would speak to you all because Isuffer and because I am at a loss--I, whose father was King over you, praised by you all. Odysseus is long away from Ithaka, and I deem thathe will never return. You have lost your King. But you can put anotherKing to rule over you. I have lost my father, and I can have no otherfather in all my days. And that is not all my loss, as I will show younow, men of Ithaka. 

'For three years now my mother has been beset by men who come to woo herto be wife for one of them. Day after day they come to our house andkill and devour our beasts and waste the wine that was laid up againstmy father's return. They waste our goods and our wealth. If I werenearer manhood I would defend my house against them. But as yet I amnot able to do it, and so I have to stand by and see our house andsubstance being destroyed. '

So Telemachus spoke, and when his speech was ended Antinous, who was oneof the wooers, rose up. 

'Telemachus, ' said he, 'why do you try to put us to shame in this way? Itell all here that it is not we but your mother who is to blame. We, knowing her husband Odysseus is no longer in life, have asked her tobecome the wife of one of us. She gives us no honest answer. Instead shehas given her mind to a device to keep us still waiting. 

'I will tell you of the council what this device is. The lady Penelopeset up a great loom in her house and began to weave a wide web of cloth. To each of us she sent a message saying that when the web she wasworking at was woven, she would choose a husband from amongst us. "Laertes, the father of Odysseus, is alone with none to care for himliving or dead, " said she to us. "I must weave a shroud for him againstthe time which cannot now be far off when old Laertes dies. Trouble menot while I do this. For if he should die and there be no winding-sheetto wrap him round all the women of the land would blame me greatly. "

'We were not oppressive and we left the lady Penelope to weave the web, and the months have gone by and still the web is not woven. But even nowwe have heard from one of her maids how Penelope tries to finish hertask. What she weaves in the daytime she unravels at night. Never, then, can the web be finished and so does she try to cheat us. 

'She has gained praise from the people for doing this. "How wise isPenelope, " they say, "with her devices. " Let her be satisfied with theirpraise then, and leave us alone. We too have our devices. We will liveat her house and eat and drink there and give orders to her servants andwe shall see which will satisfy her best--to give an answer or to letthe wealth of her house be wasted. 

'As for you, Telemachus, I have these words to say to you. Lead yourmother from your father's house and to the house of her father, Icarius. Tell Icarius to give her in marriage to the one she chooses from amongstus. Do this and no more goods will be wasted in the house that will beyours, '

Then Telemachus rose and said, 'Never will I lead my mother out of ahouse that my father brought her into. Quit my father's house, or, as Itell you now, the day may come when a doom will fall upon you there foryour insolence in it. '

And even as Telemachus spoke, two eagles from a mountain crest flew overthe place where the council was being held. They wheeled above andflapped their wings and looked down upon the crowd with destruction intheir gaze. They tore each other with their talons, and then flew awayacross the City. 

An old man who was there, Halitherses by name, a man skilled in thesigns made by birds, told those who were around what was foreshown bythe combat of the eagles in the air. 'Odysseus, ' he said, 'is not farfrom his friends. He will return, and his return will mean afflictionfor those who insult his house. Now let them make an end of theirmischief. ' But the wooers only laughed at the old man, telling him heshould go home and prophesy to his children. 

Then arose another old man whose name was Mentor, and he was one who hadbeen a friend and companion of Odysseus. He spoke to the council saying:

'Never again need a King be gentle in his heart. For kind and gentle toyou all was your King, Odysseus. And now his son asks you for help andyou do not hurry to give it him. It is not so much an affliction to methat these wooers waste his goods as that you do not rise up to forbidit. But let them persist in doing it on the hazard of their own heads. For a doom will come on them, I say. And I say again to you of thecouncil: you are many and the wooers are few: Why then do you not putthem away from the house of Odysseus?'

But no one in the council took the side of Telemachus and Halithersesand Mentor--so powerful were the wooers and so fearful of them were themen of the council. The wooers looked at Telemachus and his friends withmockery. Then for the last time Telemachus rose up and spoke to thecouncil. 

'I have spoken in the council, and the men of Ithaka know, and the godsknow, the rights and wrongs of my case. All I ask of you now is that yougive me a swift ship with twenty youths to be my crew so that I may goto Pylos and to Sparta to seek tidings of my father. If I find he isalive and that he is returning, then I can endure to wait another yearin the house and submit to what you do there. '

Even at this speech they mocked. Said one of them, Leocritus by name, 'Though Odysseus be alive and should one day come into his own hall, that would not affright us. He is one, and we are many, and if he shouldstrive with those who outnumber him, why then, let his doom be on hisown head. And now, men of the council, scatter yourselves and go each tohis own home, and let Mentor and Halitherses help Telemachus to get aship and a crew. '

Leocritus said that knowing that Mentor and Halitherses were old and hadfew friends, and that they could do nothing to help Telemachus to get aship. The council broke up and those who were in it scattered. But thewooers went together back to the house of Odysseus. 

V

Telemachus went apart, and, going by himself, came to the shore of thesea. He dipped his hands into the sea-water and prayed, saying, 'OGoddess Athene, you who did come to my father's hall yesterday, I havetried to do as you bade me. But still the wooers of my mother hinder mefrom taking ship to seek tidings of my father. '

He spoke in prayer and then he saw one who had the likeness of the oldman Mentor coming towards him. But by the grey, clear, wonderfully-shining eyes he knew that the figure was none other than thegoddess Athene. 

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'Telemachus, ' said she, 'if you have indeed one drop of your father'sblood in you or one portion of his spirit, if you are as he was--oneready to fulfil both word and work, your voyage shall not be in vain. Ifyou are different from what he was, I have no hope that you willaccomplish your desire. But I have seen in you something of the wisdomand the courage of Odysseus. Hear my counsel then, and do as I directyou. Go back to your father's house and be with the wooers for a time. And get together corn and barley-flour and wine in jars. And while youare doing all this I will gather together a crew for your ship. Thereare many ships in sea-girt Ithaka and I shall choose the best for youand we will rig her quickly and launch her on the wide deep. '

When Telemachus heard her counsel he tarried no more but went back tothe house and stood amongst the wooers, and when he had spoken with themhe went down into the treasure-vault. It was a spacious room filled withgold and bronze and chests of raiment and casks of wine. The doors ofthat vault were closed night and day and Eurycleia, the dame who hadbeen the nurse of Telemachus when he was little, guarded the place. Shecame to him, and he spoke to her:

'My nurse, ' said he, 'none but yourself must know what I would do now, and you must swear not to speak of it to my lady-mother until twelvedays from this. Fill twelve jars with wine for me now, and pour twelvemeasures of barley-meal into well-sewn skins. Leave them all togetherfor me, and when my mother goes into the upper chamber, I shall havethem carried away. Lo, nurse, I go to Pylos and to Sparta to seektidings from Nestor and Menelaus of Odysseus, my father. '

When she heard him say this, the nurse Eurycleia lamented. 'Ah, wherefore, dear child, ' she cried, 'has such a thought risen in yourmind? How could you fare over wide seas and through strange lands, youwho were never from your home? Stay here where you are well beloved. Asfor your father, he has long since perished amongst strangers why shouldyou put yourself in danger to find out that he is no more? Nay, do notgo, Telemachus, my fosterling, but stay in your own house and in yourown well-beloved country. '

Telemachus said: 'Dear nurse, it has been shown to me that I should goby a goddess. Is not that enough for you and for me? Now make all readyfor me as I have asked you, and swear to me that you will say nothing ofit to my mother until twelve days from this, or until she shall miss meherself. '

Having sworn as he asked her, the nurse Eurycleia drew the wine intojars and put the barley-meal into the well-sewn skins. Telemachus leftthe vault and went back again into the hall. He sat with the wooers andlistened to the minstrel Phemius sing about the going forth of Odysseusto the wars of Troy. 

And while these things were happening the goddess Athene went throughthe town in the likeness of Telemachus. She went to this youth and thatyouth and told them of the voyage and asked them to make ready and godown to the beach where the boat would be. And then she went to a mancalled Noëmon, and begged him for a swift ship, and Noëmon gave it her. 

When the sun sank and when the ways were darkened Athene dragged theship to where it should be launched and brought the tackling to it. Theyouths whom Athene had summoned--they were all of the age ofTelemachus--came, and Athene aroused them with talk of the voyage. Andwhen the ship was ready she went to the house of Odysseus. Upon thewooers who were still in the hall she caused sleep to fall. They laidtheir heads upon the tables and slumbered beside the wine cups. ButAthene sent a whisper through the hall and Telemachus heard and he roseup and came to where she stood. Now she had on the likeness of oldMentor, the friend of his father Odysseus. 

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

But some of the youths had come with the one whom they thought was oldMentor. They carried with Telemachus the skins of corn and the casks ofwine. They came to the ship, and Telemachus with a cheer climbed intoit. Then the youths loosed the ropes and sat down at the benches to pullthe oars. And Athene, in the likeness of old Mentor, sat at the helm. 

And now they set up the mast of pine and they made it fast withforestays, and they hauled up the sails with ropes of twisted oxhide. And a wind came and filled out the sails, and the youths pulled at theoars, and the ship dashed away. All night long Telemachus and hisfriends sat at the oars and under the sails, and felt the ship bearingthem swiftly onward through the dark water. Phemius, the minstrel, waswith them, and, as the night went by, he sang to them of Troy and of theheroes who had waged war against it. 

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VI

Troy, the minstrel sang, was the greatest of the Cities of men; it hadbeen built when the demi-gods walked the earth; its walls were so strongand so high that enemies could not break nor scale them; Troy had hightowers and great gates; in its citadels there were strong men wellarmed, and in its treasuries there were stores of gold and silver. Andthe King of Troy was Priam. He was old now, but he had sons that weregood Captains. The chief of them all was Hector. 

Hector, the minstrel sang, was a match for any warrior the nations couldsend against Troy. Because he was noble and generous as well as brave, the people were devoted to him. And Hector, Priam's son, was commanderin the City. 

But Priam had another son who was not counted amongst the Captains. Paris was his name. Now when Paris was in his infancy, a soothsayer toldKing Priam that he would bring trouble upon Troy. Then King Priam hadthe child sent away from the City. Paris was reared amongst countrypeople, and when he was a youth he herded sheep. 

 * * * * *

Then the minstrel sang of Peleus, the King of Phthia, and of hismarriage to the river nymph, Thetis. All the gods and goddesses came totheir wedding feast, Only one of the immortals was not invited--Eris, who is Discord. She came, however. At the games that followed thewedding feast she threw a golden apple amongst the guests, and on theapple was written "For the fairest. "

Each of the three goddesses who was there wished to be known as thefairest and each claimed the golden apple--Aphrodite who inspired love;Athene who gave wisdom; and Hera who was the wife of Zeus, the greatestof the gods. But no one at the wedding would judge between the goddessesand say which was the fairest. And then the shepherd Paris came by, andhim the guests asked to give judgment. 

Said Hera to Paris, 'Award the apple to me and I will give you a greatkingship. ' Said Athene, 'Award the golden apple to me and I will makeyou the wisest of men. ' And Aphrodite came to him and whispered, 'Paris, dear Paris, let me be called the fairest and I will make you beautiful, and the fairest woman in the world will be your wife. ' Paris looked onAphrodite and in his eyes she was the fairest. To her he gave the goldenapple and ever afterwards she was his friend. But Hera and Athenedeparted from the company in wrath. 

The minstrel sang how Paris went back to his father's City and was madea prince of Troy. Through the favor of Aphrodite he was the mostbeautiful of youths. Then Paris went out of the City again. Sent by hisfather he went to Tyre. And coming back to Troy from Tyre he wentthrough Greece. 

Now the fairest woman in the world was in Greece; she was Helen, and shewas married to King Menelaus. Paris saw her and loved her for herbeauty. And Aphrodite inspired Helen to fall in love with Paris. Hestole her from the house of Menelaus and brought her into Troy. 

King Menelaus sent to Troy and demanded that his wife be given back tohim. But the people of Troy, thinking no King in the world could shakethem, and wanting to boast that the fairest woman in the world was intheir city, were not willing that Menelaus be given back his wife. Priamand his son, Hector, knew that a wrong had been done, and knew thatHelen and all that she had brought with her should be given back. But inthe council there were vain men who went against the word of Priam andHector, declaring that for no little King of Greece would they give upHelen, the fairest woman in all the world. 

 * * * * *

[Illustration]

Then the minstrel sang of Agamemnon. He was King of rich Mycenæ, and hisname was so high and his deeds were so renowned that all the Kings ofGreece looked to him. Now Agamemnon, seeing Menelaus, his brother, flouted by the Trojans, vowed to injure Troy. And he spoke to theKings and Princes of Greece, saying that if they all united theirstrength they would be able to take the great city of Troy and avengethe slight put upon Menelaus and win great glory and riches forthemselves. 

And when they had come together and had taken note of their strength, the Kings and Princes of Greece thought well of the word of Agamemnonand were eager to make war upon Troy. They bound themselves by a vow totake the City. Then Agamemnon sent messages to the heroes whose landswere far away, to Odysseus, and to Achilles, who was the son of Peleusand Thetis, bidding them also enter the war. 

In two years the ships of all the Kings and Princes were gathered intoAulis and the Greeks, with their leaders, Agamemnon, Aias, Diomedes, Nestor, Idomeneus, Achilles and Odysseus, sailed for the coast of Troy. One hero after another subdued the cities and nations that were theallies of the Trojans, but Troy they did not take. And the minstrel sangto Telemachus and his fellow-voyagers how year after year went by, andhow the host of Greeks still remained between their ships and the wallsof the City, and how in the ninth year there came a plague that smotewith death more men than the Trojans killed. 

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

VII

The sun rose and Telemachus and his fellow-voyagers drew near to theshore of Pylos and to the steep citadel built by Neleus, the father ofNestor, the famous King. They saw on the shore men in companies makingsacrifice to Poseidon, the dark-haired god of the sea. There were ninecompanies there and each company had nine black oxen for the sacrifice, and the number of men in each company was five hundred. They slew theoxen and they laid parts to burn on the altars of the god, and the mensat down to feast. 

The voyagers brought their ship to the shore and Telemachus sprang fromit. But before him went the goddess, grey-eyed Athene, in the likenessof the old man, Mentor. And the goddess told Telemachus that Nestor, theKing whom he had come to seek, was on the shore. She bade him now goforward with a good heart and ask Nestor for tidings of his father, Odysseus. 

But Telemachus said to her, 'Mentor, how can I bring myself to speak toone who is so reverenced? How should I greet him? And how can I, a youngman, question such a one as Nestor, the old King?'

[Illustration]

The goddess, grey-eyed Athene, encouraged him; the right words, shesaid, would come. So Telemachus went forward with his divinecompanion. Nestor was seated on the shore with his sons around him. Andwhen they saw the two strangers approach, the sons of Nestor rose up togreet them. One, Peisistratus, took the hand of Telemachus and the handof the goddess and led them both to where Nestor was. 

A golden cup was put into the hand of each and wine was poured into thecups, and Nestor's son, Peisistratus, asked Telemachus and the goddessto pray that the sacrifice they were making to Poseidon, the god of thesea, would bring good to them and to their people. Then the goddessAthene in the likeness of old Mentor held the cup in her hand andprayed:

'Hear me, Poseidon, shaker of the earth: First to Nestor and his sonsgrant renown. Then grant to the people of Pylos recompense for thesacrifice of oxen they have made. Grant, too, that Telemachus and I mayreturn safely when what we have come in our swift ship to seek has beenwon. '

Telemachus prayed in the words of the goddess and then the sons ofNestor made them both sit on the fleeces that were spread on the shore. And dishes of meat were brought to them and cups of wine, and when theyhad eaten and drunk, the old King, Nestor, spoke to them. 

'Until they have partaken of food and drink, it is not courteous, ' hesaid, 'to ask of strangers who they are and whither they go. But now, myguests, I will ask of you what your land is, and what your quest, andwhat names you bear. '

Then Telemachus said: 'Nestor, renowned King, glory of the Greeks, wehave come out of Ithaka and we seek tidings of my father, of Odysseus, who, long ago, fought by your side in the war of Troy. With you, mensay, he sacked the great City of the Trojans. But no further story abouthim has been told. And I have come to your knees, O King, to beg you togive me tidings of him--whether he died and you saw his death, orwhether you heard of his death from another. And if you should answerme, speak not, I pray you, in pity for me, but tell me all you know orhave heard. Ah, if ever my father helped you in the land of the Trojans, by the memory of what help he gave, I pray you speak in truth to me, hisson. '

Then said Nestor, the old King, 'Verily, my son, you bring sorrow to mymind. Ah, where are they who were with me in our war against the mightyCity of Troy? Where is Aias and Achilles and Patroklos and my own dearson, Antilochos, who was so noble and so strong? And where is Agamemnonnow? He returned to his own land, to be killed in his own hall by a mosttreacherous foeman. And now you ask me of Odysseus, the man who wasdearer to me than any of the others--Odysseus, who was always of the onemind with me! Never did we two speak diversely in the assembly nor inthe council. 

'You say to me that you are the son of Odysseus! Surely you are. Amazement comes over me as I look on you and listen to you, for you lookas he looked and you speak as he spoke. But I would have you speakfurther to me and tell me of your homeland and of how things fare inIthaka. '

Then he told the old King of the evil deeds I worked by the wooers ofhis mother, and when he had told of them Telemachus cried out, 'Oh, thatthe gods would give me such strength that I might take vengeance on themfor their many transgressions. '

Then said old Nestor, 'Who knows but Odysseus will win home and requitethe violence of these suitors and the insults they have offered to yourhouse. The goddess Athene might bring this to pass. Well was sheinclined to your father, and never did the gods show such favour to amortal as the grey-eyed goddess showed to Odysseus, your father. '

But Telemachus answered, 'In no wise can your word be accomplished, King. '

Then Athene, in the likeness of old Mentor, spoke to him and said, 'Whatword has crossed your lips, Telemachus? If it should please them, anyone of the gods could bring a man home from afar. Only this the gods maynot do--avert death from a man who has been doomed to it. '

Telemachus answered her and said, 'Mentor, no longer let us talk ofthese things. Nestor, the renowned King, has been very gracious to me, but he has nothing to tell me of my father. I deem now that Odysseuswill never return. '

'Go to Menelaus, ' said Nestor. 'Go to Menelaus in Sparta. Lately he hascome from a far and a strange country and it may be that he has heardof Odysseus in his wanderings. You can go to Sparta in your ship. But ifyou have a mind to fare by land then will I give you a chariot andhorses, and my son will go with you to be a guide for you into Sparta. '

Then Telemachus, with Athene, the grey-eyed goddess in the likeness ofold Mentor, would have gone back to their ship, but Nestor the Kingsaid, 'Zeus forbid that you two should go back to the ship to take yourrest while there is guest-room in my hall. Come with me to a place whereyou can lie softly. Never shall it be said that a son of Odysseus, mydear friend, lay on the hard deck of a ship while I am alive and whilechildren of mine are left in my hall. Come with me now. '

Then the goddess Athene in the likeness of old Mentor said, 'You havespoken as becomes you, renowned King. Telemachus should harken to yourword and go with you. But it is meet that the young men who came for thelove of him should have an elder with them on the ship to-night. I shallabide with them. '

So speaking, the goddess, grey-eyed Athene, in the likeness of oldMentor went from the shore, and Telemachus went with Nestor and his sonsto the high citadel of Neleus. And there he was given a bath, and themaiden Polycaste, the youngest daughter of King Nestor, attended him. She gave him new raiment to wear, a goodly mantle and doublet. He sleptin a room with Peisistratus, the youngest of Nestor's sons. 

In the morning they feasted and did sacrifice, and when he had givenjudgments to the people, the old King Nestor spoke to his sons, --

'Lo, now, my sons. Yoke for Telemachus the horses to the chariot that hemay go on his way to Sparta. '

The sons of Nestor gave heed and they yoked the swift horses to thechariot and the housedame came from the hall and placed within thechariot wine and dainties. Telemachus went into the chariot andPeisistratus sat before him. Then Peisistratus touched the horses withthe whip and they sprang forward, and the chariot went swiftly over theplain. Soon they left behind them the steep citadel of Neleus and theland of Pylos. And when the sun sank and the ways were darkened, theycame to Pheræ and to the house of Diocles and there they rested for thenight. 

In the morning as soon as the sun rose they yoked the houses and theymounted the chariot, and for another day they journeyed across theplain. They had gone far and the ways were again darkened around them. 

VIII

They came to Sparta, to a country lying low amongst the hills, and theystayed the chariot outside the gate of the King's dwelling. Now uponthat day Menelaus was sending his daughter into Phthia, with horses andchariots, as a bride for Achilles' son. And for Megapenthes, his ownson, a bride was being brought into the house. Because of these twomarriages there was feasting in the palace and kinsmen and neighbourswere gathered there. A minstrel was singing to the guests and twotumblers were whirling round the high hall to divert them. 

[Illustration]

To the King in his high hall came Eteoneus, the steward. 'RenownedMenelaus, ' said Eteoneus, 'there are two strangers outside, men with thelooks of heroes. What would you have me do with them? Shall I have theirhorses unyoked, bidding them enter the Palace, or shall I let them fareon to another dwelling?'

'Why do you ask such a question, Eteoneus?' said Menelaus in anger. 'Have we not eaten the bread of other men on our wanderings, and have wenot rested ourselves in other men's houses? Knowing this you have noright to ask whether you should bid strangers enter or let them go pastthe gate of my dwelling. Go now and bid them enter and feast with us. '

Then Eteoneus went from the hall, and while he had servants unyoke thehorses from their chariot he led Telemachus and Peisistratus into thepalace. First they were brought to the bath, and when they had come fromthe bath refreshed, they were given new cloaks and mantles. When theyhad dressed themselves they were led into the King's high hall. Theyseated themselves there, and a maid brought water in a golden ewer andpoured it over their hands into a silver basin. Then a polished tablewas put beside them, and the housedame placed bread and meat and wineupon it so that they might eat. 

Menelaus came to where they sat and said to Telemachus and Peisistratus, 'By your looks I know you to be of the line of Kings. Eat now, and whenyou have refreshed yourselves I will ask who you are and from what placeyou come. '

But before they had finished their meal, and while yet Menelaus the kingwas showing them the treasures that were near, the lady Helen came intothe high hall--Helen for whom the Kings and Princes of Greece had goneto war. Her maids were with her, and they set a chair for her near whereMenelaus was and they put a rug of soft wool under her feet. Then onebrought to her a silver basket filled with colored yarn. And Helen satin her high chair and took the distaff in her hands and worked the yarn. She questioned Menelaus about the things that had happened during theday, and as she did she watched Telemachus. 

Then the lady Helen left the distaff down and said, 'Menelaus, I amminded to tell you who one of these strangers is. No one was ever morelike another than this youth is like great-hearted Odysseus. I know thathe is no other than Telemachus, whom Odysseus left as a child, when, formy sake, the Greeks began their war against Troy. '

Then said Menelaus, 'I too mark his likeness to Odysseus. The shape ofhis head, the glance of his eye, remind me of Odysseus. But can itindeed be that Telemachus has come into my house?'

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

Menelaus rose up and clasped the hand of Telemachus. 'Never did therecome to my house, ' said he, 'a youth more welcome. For my sake didOdysseus endure much toil and many adventures. Had he come to my countryI would have given him a city to rule over, and I think that nothingwould have parted us, one from the other. But Odysseus, I know, has notreturned to his own land of Ithaka. '

Then Telemachus, thinking upon his father, dead, or wandering throughthe world, wept. Helen, too, shed tears, remembering things that hadhappened. And Menelaus, thinking upon Odysseus and on all his toils, wassilent and sad; and sad and silent too was Peisistratus, thinking uponAntilochos, his brother, who had perished in the war of Troy. 

But Helen, wishing to turn their minds to other thoughts, cast into thewine a drug that lulled pain and brought forgetfulness--a drug which hadbeen given to her in Egypt by Polydamna, the wife of King Theon. Andwhen they had drunk the wine their sorrowful memories went from them, and they spoke to each other without regretfulness. Thereafter KingMenelaus told of his adventure with the Ancient One of the Sea--theadventure that had brought to him the last tidings of Odysseus. 

IX

Said Menelaus, 'Over against the river that flows out of Egypt there isan Island that men call Pharos, and to that island I came with my shipswhen we, the heroes who had fought at Troy, were separated one from theother. There I was held, day after day, by the will of the gods. Ourprovision of corn was spent and my men were in danger of perishing ofhunger. Then one day while my companions were striving desperately toget fish out of the sea, I met on the shore one who had pity for ourplight. 

'She was an immortal, Eidothëe, a daughter of the Ancient One of theSea. I craved of her to tell me how we might get away from that place, and she counselled me to take by an ambush her father, the Ancient Oneof the Sea, who is also called Proteus, "You can make him tell you, "said she, "for he knows all things, what you must do to get away fromthis island of Pharos. Moreover, he can declare to you what happened tothe heroes you have been separated from, and what has taken place inyour own hall. "

'Then said I to that kind nymph Eidothëe, "Show me how I may take by anambush your immortal father, the Ancient One of the Sea. "'

'Said Eidothëe, "My father, Proteus, comes out of the sea when the sunis highest in the heavens. Then would he lie down to sleep in the cavesthat are along the shore. But before he goes to sleep he counts, as ashepherd counts his flock, the seals that come up out of the ocean andlie round where he lies. If there be one too many, or one less thanthere should be, he will not go to sleep in the cave. But I will showyou how you and certain of your companions may be near without theAncient One of the Sea being aware of your presence. Take three of yourmen--the three you trust above all the others--and as soon as it is dawnto-morrow meet me by the edge of the sea. "'

'So saying the nymph Eidothëe plunged into the sea and I went from thatplace anxious, but with hope in my heart. 

'Now as soon as the dawn had come I walked by the sea-shore and with mecame the three that I trusted above all my companions. The daughter ofthe Ancient One of the Sea, Eidothëe, came to us. In her arms she hadthe skins of seals newly-slain, one for each of us. And at the cavewhere the seals lay she scooped holes in the sand and bade us lie there, covering ourselves with the skins. Then she spoke to me and said:

'"When my father, the Ancient One of the Sea, comes here to sleep, layhands upon him and hold him with all the strength you have. He willchange himself into many shapes, but do not you let go your hold uponhim. When he changes back into the shape he had at first you may let goyour holds. Question him then as to how you may leave this place, orquestion him as to any other matter that may be on your mind, and hewill answer you, speaking the truth. "'

'We lay down in the holes she had scooped in the sand and she coveredeach of us with one of the skins she had brought. Then the seals cameout of the sea and lay all around us. The smell that came from thosebeasts of the sea afflicted us, and it was then that our adventurebecame terrible. We could not have endured it if Eidothëe had not helpedus in this also. She took ambrosia and set it beneath each man'snostril, so that what came to us was not the smell of the sea-beasts buta divine savour. Then the nymph went back to the sea. 

'We lay there with steadfast hearts amongst the herd of seals until thesun was at its highest in the heavens. The Ancient One of the Sea cameout of the ocean depths. He went amongst the seals and counted them, andus four men he reckoned amongst his herd. Then in great contentment helaid himself down to sleep. 

'We rushed upon him with a cry and laid hold on him with all thestrength of our hands. But we had no sooner grasped him than his shapechanged. He became a lion and faced us. Yet we did not let go of ourgrasp. He became a serpent, yet we still held him. He became a leopardand then a mighty boar; he became a stream of water and then a floweringtree. Yet still we held to him with all our might and our hearts werenot daunted by the shapes he changed to before our eyes. Then, seeingthat he could not make us loose our hold, the Ancient One of the Sea, who was called Proteus, ceased in his changes and became as we had seenhim first. 

[Illustration]

'"Son of Atreus, " said he, speaking to me, "who was it showed you how tolay this ambush for me?"'

'"It is for you who know all things, " said I, "to make answer to us. Tell me now why it is that I am held on this island? Which of the godsholds me here and for what reason?"'

'Then the Ancient One of the Sea answered me, speaking truth, "Zeus, thegreatest of all the gods holds you here. You neglected to make sacrificeto the gods and for that reason you are held on this island. "

'"Then, " said I, "what must I do to win back the favor of the gods?"'

'He told me, speaking truth, "Before setting sail for your own land, " hesaid, "you must return to the river Ægyptus that flows out of Africa, and offer sacrifice there to the gods. "'

'When he said this my spirit was broken with grief. A long and agrievous way would I have to sail to make that sacrifice, turning backfrom my own land. Yet the will of the gods would have to be done. AgainI was moved to question the Ancient One of the Sea, and to ask him fortidings of the men who were my companions in the wars of Troy. 

'Ah, son of Odysseus, more broken than ever was my spirit with griefwhen he told me of their fates. Then I heard how my brother, greatAgamemnon, reached his own land and was glad in his heart. But his wifehad hatred for him, and in his own hall she and Ægisthus had him slain. I sat and wept on the sands, but still I questioned the Ancient One ofthe Sea. And he told me of strong Aias and how he was killed by thefalling rock after he had boasted that Poseidon, the god of the Sea, could afflict him no more. And of your father, the renowned Odysseus, the Ancient One had a tale to tell. 

'Then, and even now it may be, Odysseus was on an island away from allmankind. "There he abides in the hall of the nymph Calypso, " the AncientOne of the Sea told me. "I saw him shed great tears because he could notgo from that place. But he has no ship and no companions and the nymphCalypso holds him there. And always he longs to return to his owncountry, to the land of Ithaka. " And after he had spoken to me ofOdysseus, he went from us and plunged into the sea. 

'Thereafter I went back to the river Ægyptus and moored my ships andmade pious sacrifice to the gods. A fair wind came to us and we set outfor our own country. Swiftly we came to it, and now you see me thehappiest of all those who set out to wage war against Troy. And now, dear son of Odysseus, you know what an immortal told of your father--howhe is still in life, but how he is held from returning to his own home. '

Thus from Menelaus the youth Telemachus got tiding of his father. Whenthe King ceased to speak they went from the hall with torches in theirhands and came to the vestibule where Helen's handmaids had preparedbeds for Telemachus and Peisistratus. And as he lay there under purpleblankets and soft coverlets, the son of Odysseus thought upon hisfather, still in life, but held in that unknown island by the nymphCalypso. 

X

His ship and his fellow-voyagers waited at Pylos but for a while longerTelemachus bided in Sparta, for he would fain hear from Menelaus andfrom Helen the tale of Troy. Many days he stayed, and on the first dayMenelaus told him of Achilles, the greatest of the heroes who had foughtagainst Troy, and on another day the lady Helen told him of Hector, thenoblest of all the men who defended King Priam's City. 

'Achilles, ' said King Menelaus, 'was sprung of a race that was favouredby the immortals. Peleus, the father of Achilles, had for his friend, Cheiron, the wisest of the Centaurs--of those immortals who are half menand half horse. Cheiron it was who gave to Peleus his great spear. Andwhen Peleus desired to wed an immortal, Zeus, the greatest of the gods, prevailed upon the nymph Thetis to marry him, although marriage with amortal was against her will. To the wedding of Thetis and Peleus all thegods came. And for wedding gifts Zeus gave such armour as no mortal hadever worn before--armour wonderfully bright and wonderfully strong, andhe gave also two immortal horses. 

'Achilles was the child of Thetis and Peleus--of an immortal womanmarried to a mortal hero. He grew up most strong and fleet of foot. Whenhe was grown to be a youth he was sent to Cheiron, and his father'sfriend instructed him in all the ways of war. He became the greatest ofspearmen, and on the mountain with the Centaur he gained in strength andin fleetness of foot. 

'Now after he returned to his father's hall the war against Troy beganto be prepared for. Agamemnon, the king, wanted Achilles to join thehost. But Thetis, knowing that great disasters would befall those whowent to that war, feared for Achilles. She resolved to hide him so thatno word from King Agamemnon might reach him. And how did the nymphThetis hide her son? She sent him to King Lycomedes and prayed the Kingto hide Achilles amongst his daughters. 

'So the youth Achilles was dressed as a maiden and stayed with thedaughters of the King. The messengers of Agamemnon searched everywherefor him. Many of them came to the court of King Lycomedes, but notfinding one like Achilles amongst the King's sons they went away. 

'Odysseus, by Agamemnon's order, came to seek Achilles. He knew that theyouth was not amongst the King's sons. He saw the King's daughters intheir father's orchard, but could not tell if Achilles was amongst them, for all were veiled and dressed alike. 

[Illustration]

'Then Odysseus went away and returned as a peddler carrying in his packsuch things as maidens admire--veils and ornaments and brazen mirrors. But under the veils and ornaments and mirrors the wise Odysseus left agleaming sword. When he came before the maidens in the King's orchard helaid down his peddler's pack. The mirrors and veils and ornaments weretaken up and examined eagerly. But one of the company took up thegleaming sword and looked at it with flashing eyes. Odysseus knew thatthis was Achilles, King Peleus' son. 

'He gave the youth the summons of King Agamemnon, bidding him join thewar that the Kings and Princes of Greece were about to wage againstTroy. And Achilles was glad to get the summons and glad to go. Hereturned to Phthia, to his father's citadel. There did he make ready togo to Aulis where the ships were being gathered. He took with him hisfather's famous warriors, the Myrmidons who were never beaten in battle. And his father bestowed on him the armour and the horses that had beenthe gift of Zeus--the two immortal horses Xanthos and Balios. 

'But what rejoiced Achilles more than the gift of marvellous armour andimmortal steeds was that his dear comrade, Patroklos, was to be with himas his mate in war. Patroklos had come into Phthia and into the hall ofPeleus when he was a young boy. In his own country he had killed anotherboy by mischance over a game of dice. His father, to save him from thepenalty, fled with him to King Peleus. And Achilles' father gave themrefuge and took Patroklos into his house and reared him up with his ownson. Later he made him squire to Achilles. These two grew up togetherand more than brothers they loved each other. 

[Illustration]

'Achilles bade good-bye to Phthia, and to his hero-father and hisimmortal mother, and he and Patroklos with the Myrmidons went over thesea to Aulis and joined the host of the Kings and Princes who had made avow not to refrain from war until they had taken King Priam's famouscity. '

XI

Achilles became the most renowned of all the heroes who strove againstTroy in the years the fighting went on. Before the sight of him, clad inthe flashing armour that was the gift of Zeus and standing in thechariot drawn by the immortal horses, the Trojan ranks would break andthe Trojan men would flee back to the gate of their city. And manylesser cities and towns around Troy did the host with the help ofAchilles take. 

'Now because of two maidens taken captive from some of these cities aquarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon grew up. One of the maidens wascalled Chryseis and the other Briseis. Chryseis was given to Agamemnonand Briseis to Achilles. 

[Illustration]

'The father of Chryseis was a priest of Apollo, and when the maiden, hisdaughter, was not given back to him, he went and prayed the god toavenge him on the host. Apollo listened to his prayer, and straightwaythe god left his mountain peak with his bow of silver in his hands. Hestood behind the ships and shot his arrows into the host. Terrible wasthe clanging of his silver bow. He smote the beasts of the camp first, the dogs and the mules and the horses, and then he smote the men, andthose whom his arrows smote were stricken by the plague. 

'The warriors began to die, and every day more perished by the plaguethan were killed by the spears and swords and arrows of the Trojans. Nowa council was summoned and the chiefs debated what was to be done tosave the host. At the council there was a soothsayer named Kalchas; hestood up and declared that he knew the cause of the plague, and he knewtoo how the remainder of the host might be saved from it. 

'It was because of the anger of Apollo, Kalchas said; and that angercould only be averted by Agamemnon sending back to his father, thepriest of Apollo, the maiden Chryseis. 

'Then was Agamemnon wroth exceedingly. "Thou seer of things evil, " saidhe to Kalchas, "never didst thou see aught of good for me or mine. Themaiden given to me, Chryseis, I greatly prize. Yet rather than my folkshould perish I shall let her be taken from me. But this let you all ofthe council know: some other prize must be given to me that the wholehost may know that Agamemnon is not slighted. "'

'Then said Achilles: "Agamemnon, of all Kings you are the most covetous. The best of us toil and battle that you may come and take what part ofthe spoil may please you. Be covetous no more. Let this maiden go backto her father and afterwards we will give you some other prize. "'

'Said Agamemnon: "The council here must bind itself to give merecompense. "'

'"Still you speak of recompense, Agamemnon, " answered Achilles. "No onegains more than you gain. I had no quarrel with the men of Troy, and yetI have come here, and my hands bear the brunt of the war. "'

'"You who are captains must give me a recompense, " said Agamemnon, "orelse I shall go to the tent of Achilles and take away the maiden givento him, Briseis of the Fair Cheeks. "'

'"I am wearied of making war for you, " answered Achilles. "Though I amalways in the strife but little of the spoil comes to my tent. Now willI depart to my own land, to Phthia, for I am not minded to stay here andbe dishonoured by you, O King. "'

'"Go, " said Agamemnon, "if your soul be set upon fleeing, go. But do notthink that there are not captains and heroes here who can make warwithout you. Go and lord it amongst your Myrmidons. Never shall we seekyour aid. And that all may know I am greater than you, Achilles, I shallgo to your tent and take away the maiden Briseis. "'

'When he heard Agamemnon's speech the heart within Achilles' breast wasdivided, and he knew not whether he should remain still and silent inhis anger, or, thrusting the council aside, go up to Agamemnon and slayhim with the sword. His hand was upon the sword-hilt when an immortalappeared to him--the goddess Athene. No one in the company but Achilleswas aware of her presence. "Draw not the sword upon Agamemnon, " shesaid, "for equally dear to the gods are you both. " Then Achilles drewback and thrust his heavy sword into its sheath again. But although heheld his hand he did not refrain from angry and bitter words. He threwdown on the ground the staff that had been put into his hands as a signthat he was to be listened to in the council. "By this staff that nomore shall bear leaf or blossom, " he said, "I swear that longing forAchilles' aid shall come upon the host of Agamemnon, but that noAchilles shall come to their help. I swear that I shall let Hectortriumph over you. "'

'Then the council broke up and Achilles with Patroklos, his dearcomrade, went back to their tent. A ship was launched and the maidenChryseis was put aboard and Odysseus was placed in command. The ship setout for Chryse. There on the beach they found the priest of Apollo, andOdysseus placed his daughter in the old man's arms. They made sacrificeto Apollo, and thereafter the plague was averted from the host. 

'But to Achilles' tent there came the messengers of the King, and theytook Briseis of the Fair Cheeks and led her away. Achilles, in bitteranger, sat by the sea, hard in his resolve not to help Agamemnon's men, no matter what defeat great Hector inflicted upon them. '

XII

Such was the quarrel, dear son, between Agamemnon, King of men, andgreat Achilles. Ah, because of that quarrel many brave men and greatcaptains whom I remember went down to their deaths!'

'But Agamemnon before long relented and he sent three envoys to makefriendship between himself and Achilles. The envoys were Odysseus andAias and the old man Phoinix who had been a foster-father to Achilles. Now when these three went into his hut they found Achilles sitting witha lyre in his hands, singing to the music he made. His song was of whatThetis, his goddess-mother, had told him concerning his own fate--how, if he remained in the war against Troy, he should win for himselfimperishable renown but would soon lose his life, and how, if he leftthe war, his years in his own land should be long, although no greatrenown would be his. Patroklos, his dear friend, listened to whatAchilles sang. And Achilles sang of what royal state would be his if hegave up the war against the Trojans and went back to his father'shalls--old Peleus would welcome him, and he would seek a bride for himfrom amongst the loveliest of the Greek maidens. "In three days, " hesang, "can Poseidon, God of the Sea, bring me to my own land and to myfather's royal castle. "'

'"Well dost thou sing, Achilles, " said Odysseus to him, "and pleasantwould it be to hear thy song if our hearts were not filled up with greatgriefs. But have not nine years passed away since we came here to makewar on Troy? And now are not our ships' timbers rotted and theirtacklings loosed, and do not many of our warriors think in their heartshow their wives and children have long been waiting for their return?And still the walls of Troy rise up before us as high and asunconquerable as ever! No wonder our hearts are filled up with griefs. And now Achilles, the greatest of our heroes, and the Myrmidons, thebest of our warriors, have left us and gone out of the fight. "'

'"Even to-day did great Hector turn back our battalions that were led byAgamemnon and Aias and Diomedes, driving us to the wall that we havebuilt around our ships. Behind that wall we halted and called one to theother to find out who had escaped and who had fallen in the onslaughtHector made. Only when he had driven us behind our wall did Hector turnback his chariot and draw off his men. "'

'"But Hector has not gone through the gates of the City. Look now, Achilles! His chariots remain on the plain. Lo now, his watch-fires! Athousand fires thou canst see and beside each sits fifty warriors withtheir horses loose beside their chariots champing barley. Eagerly theywait for the light of the dawn when they will come against us again, hoping this time to overthrow the wall we have builded, and come to ourships and burn them with fire, and so destroy all hope of our return. "'

'"We are all stricken with grief and fear. Even Agamemnon weeps. We haveseen him standing before us like unto a dark fountain breaking from somebeetling cliff. How else could he but weep tears? To-morrow it may be heshall have to bid the host draw the ships to the water and depart fromthe coast of Troy. Then will his name forever be dishonoured because ofdefeat and the loss of so many warriors. "'

'"Deem'st thou I grieve for Agamemnon's griefs, Odysseus?" saidAchilles. "But although thou dost speak of Agamemnon thou art welcome, thou and thy companions. Even in my wrath you three are dear to me. "'

'He brought them within the hut and bade a feast be prepared for them. To Odysseus, Aias and Phoinix wine cups were handed. And when they hadfeasted and drunk wine, Odysseus turned to where Achilles sat on hisbench in the light of the fire, and said:

'"Know, Achilles, that we three are here as envoys from King Agamemnon. He would make a friendship with thee again. He has injured and he hasoffended thee, but all that a man can do he will do to make amends. Themaiden Briseis he will let go back. Many gifts will he give thee too, Achilles. He will give thee seven tripods, and twenty cauldrons, and tentalents of gold. Yes, and besides, twelve royal horses, each one ofwhich has triumphed in some race. He who possesses these horses willnever lack for wealth as long as prizes are to be won by swiftness. Andharken to what more Agamemnon bade us say to thee. If we win Troy hewill let thee load your ship with spoil of the city--with gold andbronze and precious stuffs. And thereafter, if we win to our homes hewill treat thee as his own royal son and will give thee seven cities torule over. And if thou wilt wed there are three daughters in hishall--three of the fairest maidens of the Greeks--and the one thou wiltchoose he will give thee for thy wife, Chrysothemis, or Laodike, orIphianassa. "'

'So Odysseus spoke and then Aias said, "Think, Achilles, and abandon nowthy wrath. If Agamemnon be hateful to thee and if thou despiseth hisgifts, think upon thy friends and thy companions and have pity uponthem. Even for our sakes, Achilles, arise now and go into battle andstay the onslaught of the terrible Hector. "'

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

'Then the old man Phoinix who had nurtured him went over to him. Hecould not speak, for tears had burst from him. But at last, holdingAchilles' hands, he said:

[Illustration]

'"In thy father's house did I not rear thee to greatness--even thee, most noble Achilles. With me and with none other wouldst thou go intothe feasthall, and, as a child, thou would'st stay at my knee and eatthe morsel I gave, and drink from the cup that I put to thy lips. Ireared thee, and I suffered and toiled much that thou mightst havestrength and skill and quickness. Be thou merciful in thy heart, Achilles. Be not wrathful any more. Cast aside thine anger now and savethe host. Come now. The gifts Agamemnon would give thee are very great, and no king nor prince could despise them. But if without gifts thouwould'st enter the battle, then above all heroes the host would honourthee. "'

'Achilles answered Phoinix gently and said, "The honour the host wouldbestow upon me I have no need of, for I am honoured in the judgment ofZeus, the greatest of the gods, and while breath remains with me thathonour cannot pass away. But do thou, Phoinix, stay with me, and manythings I shall bestow upon thee, even the half of my kingdom. Ah, buturge me not to help Agamemnon, for if thou dost I shall look upon theeas a friend to Agamemnon, and I shall hate thee, my foster-father, as Ihate him. "'

Then to Odysseus, Achilles spoke and said, "Son of Laertes, wisest ofmen, harken now to what I shall say to thee. Here I should have stayedand won that imperishable renown that my goddess-mother told me of, evenat the cost of my young life if Agamemnon had not aroused the wrath thatnow possesses me. Know that my soul is implacable towards him. How oftendid I watch out sleepless nights, how often did I spend my days inbloody battle for the sake of Agamemnon's and his brother's cause! Whyare we here if not because of lovely Helen? And yet one whom I cherishedas Menelaus cherished Helen has been taken from me by order of thisKing! He would let her go her way now! But no, I do not desire to seeBriseis ever again, for everything that comes from Agamemnon's hand ishateful to me. Hateful are all the gifts he would bestow upon me, andhim and his treasures I hold at a straw's worth. I have chosen. To-morrow I shall have my Myrmidons draw my ships out to the sea, and Ishall depart from Troy for my own land. "'

'Said Aias, "Have the gods, Achilles, put into your breast a spiritimplacable and proud above all men's spirits?"'

'"Yea, Aias, " said Achilles. "My spirit cannot contain my wrath. Agamemnon has treated me, not as a leader of armies who won many battlesfor him, but as a vile sojourner in his camp. Go now and declare my willto him. Never again shall I take thought of his war. "'

'So he spoke, and each man took up a two-handled cup and poured out wineas an offering to the gods. Then Odysseus and Aias in sadness left thehut. But Phoinix remained, and for him Patroklos, the dear friend ofAchilles, spread a couch of fleeces and rugs. '

'Odysseus and Aias went along the shore of the sea and by the line ofthe ships and they came to where Agamemnon was with the greatest of thewarriors of the host. Odysseus told them that by no means wouldAchilles join in the battle, and they all were made silent with grief. Then Diomedes, the great horseman, rose up and said, "Let Achilles stayor go, fight or not fight, as it pleases him. But it is for us who havemade a vow to take Priam's city, to fight on. Let us take food and restnow, and to-morrow let us go against Hector's host, and you, Agamemnon, take the foremost place in the battle. "'

'So Diomedes spoke and the warriors applauded what he said, and they allpoured out libations of wine to the gods, and thereafter they went totheir huts and slept. But for Agamemnon, the King, there was no sleepthat night. Before his eyes was the blaze of Hector's thousandwatch-fires and in his ears were the sound of pipes and flutes that madewar-music for the Trojan host encamped upon the plain. '

XIII

When dawn came the King arrayed himself for the battle, putting on hisgreat breast-plate and his helmet that had a high plume of horse-hair;fastening about his legs greaves fitted with ankle-clasps of silver; andhanging round his shoulders a great sword that shone with studs ofgold--a sword that had a silver scabbard fitted with golden chains. Overhis shoulders he cast a great lion's skin, and he took upon his arm ashield that covered the whole of a man. Next he took in his hands twostrong spears of bronze, and so arrayed and so armed he was ready totake the foremost place in the battle. '

'He cried aloud and bade the Greeks arm themselves, and straightway theydid so and poured from behind the wall that guarded their ships into theTrojan plain. Then the chiefs mounted their chariots, and theircharioteers turned the horses towards the place of battle. '

'Now on the high ground before them the Trojans had gathered in theirbattalions and the figure of great Hector was plain to Agamemnon and hismen. Like a star that now and then was hidden by a cloud, so he appearedas he went through the battalions, all covered with shining bronze. Spears and arrows fell upon both sides. Footmen kept slaying footmen andhorsemen kept slaying horsemen with the sword, and the dust of the plainrose up, stirred by the thundering hooves of the horses. From dawn tillmorning and from morning till noon the battle raged, but at mid-day theGreeks broke through the Trojan lines. Then Agamemnon in his chariotrushed through a gap in the line. Two men did he instantly slay, anddashing onward he slew two warriors who were sons of King Priam. Likefire falling upon a wood and burning up the underwood went KingAgamemnon through the Trojan ranks, and when he passed manystrong-necked horses rattled empty chariots, leaving on the earth theslain warriors that had been in them. And through the press of men andup to the high walls of Troy did Agamemnon go, slaying Trojan warriorswith his spear. Hector did not go nigh him, for the gods had warnedHector not to lead any onslaught until Agamemnon had turned back frombattle. '

'But a Trojan warrior smote King Agamemnon on the mid-arm, below theelbow, and the point of his spear went clean through. Still he wentthrough the ranks of the Trojans, slaying with spear and sword. And thenthe blood dried upon his wound and a sharp pain came upon him and hecried out, "O friends and captains! It is not possible for me to war forever against the Trojans, but do you fight on to keep the battle fromour ships. " His charioteer turned his horses, and they, all covered withfoam and grimed with dust, dashed back across the plain bearing thewounded King from that day's battle. '

'Then Hector sprang to the onslaught. Leaping into his chariot he ledthe Trojans on. Nine captains of the Greeks he slew in the first onset. Now their ranks would have been broken, and the Greeks would have fledback to their ships if Odysseus had not been on that wing of the battlewith Diomedes, the great horseman. Odysseus cried out, "Come hither, Diomedes, or verily Hector will sweep us across the plain and bring thebattle down to our ships. "'

[Illustration]

'Then these two forced themselves through the press of battle and heldback the onset of Hector till the Greeks had their chance to rally. Hector spied them and swept in his chariot towards them. Diomedes liftedhis great spear and flung it full at Hector. The bronze of the spearstruck the bronze of his helmet, and bronze by bronze was turned. Theblow told upon Hector. But he, springing from his chariot, stayedamongst the press of warriors, resting himself on his hands and knees. Darkness was before his eyes for a while, but he got breath again, andleaping back into his chariot drove away from that dangerous place. '

'Then Diomedes himself received a bitterer wound, for Paris, shelteringhimself behind a pillar on the plain, let fly an arrow at him. It wentclean through his right foot. Odysseus put his shield before his friendand comrade, and Diomedes was able to draw the arrow from his flesh. ButDiomedes was fain to get back into his chariot and to command hischarioteer to drive from the battle. '

'Now Odysseus was the only one of the captains who stayed on that sideof the battle, and the ranks of the Trojans came on and hemmed himround. One warrior struck at the centre of his shield and through theshield the strong Trojan spear passed and wounded the flesh of Odysseus. He slew the warrior who had wounded him and he drew the spear from hisflesh, but he had to give ground. But loudly as any man ever cried, Odysseus cried out to the other captains. And strong Aias heard him anddrew near, bearing his famous shield that was like a tower. The Trojanwarriors that were round him drew back at the coming of Aias andOdysseus went from the press of battle, and mounting his chariot droveaway. '

'Where Aias fought the Trojans gave way, and on that side of the battlethey were being driven back towards the City. But suddenly upon Aiasthere fell an unaccountable dread. He cast behind him his great shield, and he stood in a maze, like a wild bull, turning this way and that, andslowly retreating before those who pressed towards him. But now andagain his valour would come back and he would stand steadily and, withhis great shield, hold at bay the Trojans who were pressing towards theships. Arrows fell thick upon his shield, confusing his mind. And Aiasmight have perished beneath the arrows if his comrades had not drawn himto where they stood with shields sloping for a shelter, and so savedhim. '

'All this time Hector was fighting on the left wing of the battleagainst the Greeks, who were led by Nestor and Idomeneus. And on thisside Paris let fly an arrow that brought trouble to the enemies of hisfather's City. He struck Machaon who was the most skilled healer ofwounds in the whole of the host. And those who were around Machaon werefearful that the Trojans would seize the stricken man and bear him away. Then said Idomeneus, "Nestor, arise. Get Machaon into your chariot anddrive swiftly from the press of battle. A healer such as he is worth thelives of many men. Save him alive so that we may still have him to drawthe arrows from our flesh and put medicaments into our wounds. " Then didNestor lift the healer into his chariot, and the charioteer turned thehorses and they too drove from the press of battle and towards thehollow ships. '

XIV

Achilles, standing by the stern of his great ship, saw the battle as itwent this way and that way, but his heart was not at all moved with pityfor the destruction wrought upon the Greeks. He saw the chariot ofNestor go dashing by, dragged by sweating horses, and he knew that awounded man was in the chariot. When it had passed he spoke to his dearfriend Patroklos. 

'"Go now, Patroklos, " he said, "and ask of Nestor who it is that he hasborne away from the battle. "'

'"I go, Achilles, " Patroklos said, and even as he spoke he started torun along the line of the ships and to the hut of Nestor. '

'He stood before the door, and when old Nestor beheld him he bade himenter. "Achilles sent me to you, revered Nestor, " said Patroklos, "toask who it was you bore out of the battle wounded. But I need not ask, for I see that it is none other than Machaon, the best of our healers. "'

'"Why should Achilles concern himself with those who are wounded in thefight with Hector?" said old Nestor. "He does not care at all what evilsbefall the Greeks. But thou, Patroklos, wilt be grieved to know thatDiomedes and Odysseus have been wounded, and that sore-wounded isMachaon whom thou seest here. Ah, but Achilles will have cause to lamentwhen the host perishes beside our burning ships and when Hectortriumphs over all the Greeks. "'

'Then the old man rose up and taking Patroklos by the hand led himwithin the hut, and brought him to a bench beside which lay Machaon, thewounded man. '

'"Patroklos, " said Nestor, "speak thou to Achilles. Nay, but thy fatherbade thee spake words of counsel to thy friend. Did he not say to thee'turn Achilles from harsh courses by gentle words'? Remember now thewords of thy father, Patroklos, and if ever thou did'st speak toAchilles with gentle wisdom speak to him now. Who knows but thy wordsmight stir up his spirit to take part in the battle we have to fightwith Hector?"'

'"Nay, nay, old man, " said Patroklos, "I may not speak to Achilles toask for such a thing. "'

'"Then, " said Nestor, "do thou thyself enter the war and bring Achilles'Myrmidons with thee. Then might we who are wearied with fighting takebreath. And beg of Achilles to give you his armour that you may wear itin the battle. If thou would'st appear clad in Achilles' bronze theTrojans would think that he had entered the war again and they would notforce the fight upon us. "'

'What old Nestor said seemed good to Patroklos and he left the hut andwent back along the ships. And on his way he met Eurypylos, a sorelywounded man, dragging himself from the battle, and Patroklos helped himback to his hut and cheered him with discourse and laid healing herbsupon his wounds. '

'And even as he left old Nestor's hut, Hector was before the wall theGreeks had builded to guard their ships. On came the Trojans againstthat wall, holding their shields of bulls' hides before them. From thetowers that were along the wall the Greeks flung great stones upon theattackers. '

'Over the host an eagle flew, holding in its talons a blood-red serpent. The serpent struggled with the eagle and the eagle with the serpent, andboth had sorely wounded each other. But as they flew over the host ofGreeks and Trojans the serpent struck at the eagle with his fangs, andthe eagle, wounded in the breast, dropped the serpent. Then were theTrojans in dread, seeing the blood-red serpent across their path, forthey thought it was an omen from Zeus. They would have turned back fromthe wall in fear for this omen had not Hector pressed them on. "One omenis best, I know, " he cried, "to fight a good fight for our country. Forward then and bring the battle to those ships that came to our coastagainst the will of the gods. "'

'So Hector spoke. Then he lifted up a stone--such a stone as not two ofthe best of men now living could as much as raise from the ground--andhe flung this stone full at the strongly-set gate. It broke the hingesand the bars, and the great gate fell under the weight of the tremendousstone. Then Hector leaped across it with two spears in his hands. Nowarrior could withstand him now. And as the Trojans scaled the wallsand poured across the broken gate, the Greeks fled to their ships interror and dismay. '

[Illustration]

'Patroklos saw the gate go down and the Trojans pour towards the shipsin a mass that was like a great rock rolling down a cliff. Idomeneus andAias led the Greeks who fought to hold them back. Hector cast a spear atAias and struck him where the belt of his shield and the belt of hissword crossed. Aias was not wounded by the stroke. Then Aias cast atHector a great stone that was used to prop a ship. He struck him on thebreast, just over the rim of his shield. Under the weight of that blowgreat Hector spun round like a top. The spear fell from his hands andthe bronze of his shield and helmet rang as he fell on the ground. '

'Then the Greeks dashed up to where Hector lay, hoping to drag himamongst them. But his comrades placed their shields around him and droveback the warriors that were pressing round. They lifted Hector into hischariot, and his charioteer drove him from the place of battle groaningheavily from the hurt of that terrible blow. '

'Now the Greeks rallied and came on with a shout, driving the Trojansback before them. The swift horses under Hector's chariot brought himout on the plain. They who were with him lifted him out, and Hector laygasping for breath and with black blood gushing from him. And then as helay there stricken he heard the voice of a god--even of Apollo--saying, "Hector, son of Priam, why dost thou lie fainting, apart from the host?Dost thou not know that the battle is desperate? Take up thy spiritagain. Bid thy charioteer drive thee towards the ships of the Greeks. "'

'Then Hector rose and went amongst the ranks of his men and roused uptheir spirits and led them back to the wall. And when the Greeks sawHector in fighting trim again, going up and down the ranks of his men, they were affrighted. '

'He mounted his chariot and he shouted to the others, and the Trojancharioteers lashed their horses and they came on like a great wave. Theycrossed the broken wall again and came near the ships. Then many of theGreeks got into their ships and struck at those who came near with longpikes. '

'And all around the ships companies of Greek warriors stood like rocksthat the sea breaks against in vain. Nestor cried out to the Greeks, bidding them fight like heroes, or else lose in the burning ships allhope of return to their native land. Aias, a long pike in his hand, drove multitudes of Trojans back, while, in a loud voice, he put courageinto the Greeks. Hector fought his way forward crying to the Trojans tobring fire to the ships that had come to their coast against the will ofthe gods, '

'He came to the first of the ships and laid his hand upon its stern. Many fought against him there. Swords and spears and armour fell on theground, some from the hands, some off the shoulders of warring men, andthe black earth was red with blood. But Hector was not driven away fromthe ship. And he shouted "Bring fire that we may burn the ships thathave brought the enemy to our land. The woes we have suffered werebecause of the cowardice of the elders of the City--they would not letme bring my warriors here and bring battle down to the ships when firstthey came to our beach. Do not let us return to the City until we haveburned the ships with fire. "'

'But whoever brought fire near the ship was stricken by strong Aias whostood there with a long pike in his hands. Now all this time Patroklossat in the hut of Eurypylos, the wounded man he had succoured, cheeringhim with discourse and laying healing herbs on his wounds. But when hesaw fire being brought to the ships he rose up and said, "Eurypylos, nolonger may I stay here although great is your need of attendance. I mustget aid for our warriors. " Straightway he ran from the hut and came towhere Achilles was. '

'"If thy heart, Achilles, " he said, "is still hard against the Greeks, and if thou wilt not come to their aid, let me go into the fight and letme take with me thy company of Myrmidons. And O Achilles, grant meanother thing. Let me wear thine armour and thy helmet so that theTrojans will believe for a while that Achilles has come back into thebattle. Then would they flee before me and our warriors would be given abreathing-time. "'

[Illustration]

'Said Achilles, "I have declared that I shall not cease from my wrathuntil the Trojans come to my own ships. But thou, Patroklos, dearfriend, may'st go into the battle. All thou hast asked shall be freelygiven to thee--my Myrmidons to lead and my armour to wear, and even mychariot and my immortal horses. Drive the Trojans from the ships. Butwhen thou hast driven them from the ships, return to this hut. Do not gonear the City. Return, I bid thee, Patroklos, when the Trojans are nolonger around the ships, and leave it to others to battle on theplain. "'

'Then Patroklos put on the armour that Zeus had given to Achilles'father, Peleus. Round his shoulders he cast the sword of bronze with itsstuds of silver, and upon his head he put the helmet with its highhorse-hair crest--the terrible helmet of Achilles. Then Achilles badethe charioteer yoke the horses to the chariot--the horses, Xanthos andBalios, that were also gifts from the gods. And while all this was beingdone Achilles went amongst the Myrmidons, making them ready for thebattle and bidding them remember all the threats they had utteredagainst the Trojans in the time when they had been kept from the fight. '

'Then he went back to his hut and opening the chest that his mother, Thetis, had given him he took from it a four-handled cup--a cup that noone drank out of but Achilles himself. Then pouring wine into this cupand holding it towards Heaven, Achilles prayed to Zeus, the greatest ofthe gods:

"My comrade I send to the war, O far-seeing Zeus:

 May'st strengthen his heart, O Zeus, that all triumph be his: But when from the ships he hath driven the spear of our foes, Out of the turmoil of battle may he to me return Scathless, with arms and his comrades who fight hand to hand. "

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

XV

Who was the first of the great Trojan Champions to go down before theonset of Patroklos? The first was Sarpedon who had come with an army tohelp Hector from a City beyond Troy. He saw the Myrmidons fight roundthe ships and break the ranks of the Trojans and quench the fire on thehalf-burnt ship. He saw that the warrior who had the appearance ofAchilles affrighted the Trojans so that they turned their horses' headstowards the City. The Myrmidons swept on with Patroklos at their head. Now when he saw him rushing down from the ships Sarpedon threw a dart atPatroklos. The dart did not strike him. Then Patroklos flung a spear andstruck Sarpedon even at the heart. He fell dead from his chariot andthere began a battle for his body--the Trojans would have carried itinto the City, so that they might bury with all honour the man who hadhelped them, and the Greeks would have carried it away, so that, havinghis body and his armour, the slaying of Sarpedon might be more of atriumph for them. '

[Illustration]

'So a battle for his body went on. Now Sarpedon's comrade, Glaukos, sought out Hector, who was fighting in another part of the battle-field, and he spoke to him reproachfully. "Hector, " he said, "art thou utterlyforgetful of those who came from their own country to help thee toprotect thy father's City? Sarpedon has fallen, and Achilles' Myrmidonswould strip him of his armour and bring his body to the ships that theirtriumph over him may be greater still. Disgraceful will it be to thee, Hector, if they win that triumph. "'

'Hector, when this was said to him, did not delay, but came straight tothe spot where Sarpedon had been slain. The Greek who had laid handsupon the body he instantly slew. But as he fought on it suddenly seemedto Hector that the gods had resolved to give victory to the Greeks, andhis spirit grew weary and hopeless within him. He turned his horses'heads towards the City and galloped from the press of battle. Then theTrojans who were fighting round it fled from the body of Sarpedon, andthe Greeks took it and stripped it of its armour and carried the body totheir ships. '

'It was then that Patroklos forgot the command of Achilles--the commandthat he was not to bring the battle beyond the ships and that he was toreturn when the Trojans were beaten towards their City. Patroklos forgotall that, and he shouted to the immortal horses, Xanthos and Balios, that drew his chariot, and, slaying warrior after warrior he sweptacross the plain and came to the very gates of Troy. '

'Now Hector was within the gates and had not yet left his chariot. Thenthere came and stood before him one who was thought to be the godApollo, but who then had the likeness of a mortal man. "Hector, " saidhe, "why hast thou ceased from the fight? Behold, Patroklos is withoutthe gate of thy father's City. Turn thy horses against him now andstrive to slay him, and may the gods give thee glory. "'

'Then Hector bade his charioteer drive his horses through the gate andinto the press of battle. He drew near to Patroklos, and Patroklos, leaping down from his chariot, seized a great stone and flung it atHector's charioteer. It struck him on the brow and hurled him from thechariot. '

'Hector too leaped from the chariot and took his sword in hand. Theirmen joined Patroklos and joined Hector and the battle began beside thebody of Hector's charioteer. Three times did Patroklos rush against theranks of the Trojans and nine warriors did he slay at each onset. Butthe doom of Patroklos was nigh. A warrior smote him in the back andstruck the helmet from his head. With its high horse-hair crest itrolled beneath the hooves of the horses. Who was it smote PrincePatroklos then? Men said it was the god Apollo who would not have thesacred City of Troy taken until the time the gods had willed it tofall. '

'The spear fell from his hands, the great shield that Achilles had givenhim dropped on the ground, and all in amaze Patroklos stood. He gaveground and retreated towards his comrades. Then did Hector deal him thestroke that slew. With his great spear he struck and drove it throughthe body of Patroklos. '

'Then did Hector exult crying, "Patroklos, thou didst swear that thouwouldst sack our sacred City and that thou wouldst take from our peopletheir day of freedom. Now thou hast fallen and our City need not dreadthee ever any more!"'

'Then said Patroklos, "Thou mayst boast now, Hector, although it was notthy stroke that slew me. Apollo's stroke it was that sent me down. Boastof my slaying as thou wilt, but hear my saying and keep it in thy heart:Thy fate too is measured and thee Achilles will slay. "'

But Hector did not heed what the dying Patroklos said. He took from hisbody the armour of Achilles that had been a gift from the gods. The bodytoo he would have brought within the City that his triumph might begreater, but now Aias came to where Patroklos had fallen and over thebody he placed his great shield. The fight went on and Hector, withdrawing himself to the plain, put upon himself the armour he hadstripped off the body of Patroklos. The armour fitted every limb andjoint and as he put it on more courage and strength than ever yet he hadfelt came into the soul of Hector. '

[Illustration]

'And the immortal steeds that Patroklos had driven, having galloped fromthe battle, stood apart and would not move for all that theircharioteer would do. They stood apart with their heads bowed, and tearsflowed from their eyes down on the ground. And Zeus, the greatest of thegods, saw them and had pity upon them and spoke to himself saying, "Ah, immortal steeds, why did I give ye to king Peleus, whose generations diewhile ye remain young and undying? Was it that ye should know thesorrows that befall mortal men? Pitiful, indeed, is the lot of all menupon the earth. Even Hector now, who boasteth in the armour that thegods once gave, will shortly go down to his death and the City hedefendeth will be burned with fire. "'

'So saying he put courage into the hearts of the immortal steeds andthey went where the charioteer would have them go, and they came safelyout of the battle. '

'Now Hector, with the armour of Achilles upon him, gathered hiscompanies together and brought them up to the battle to win and carryaway the body of Patroklos. But each one who laid hands upon that bodywas instantly slain by Aias. All day the battle went on, for the Greekswould say to each other, "Comrades, let the earth yawn and swallow usrather than let the Trojans carry off the body of Patroklos. " And ontheir side the Trojans would say, "Friends, rather let us all be slaintogether beside this man than let one of us go backward now. "'

'Now Nestor's son, Antilochos, who was fighting on the left of thebattlefield, heard of the slaying of Patroklos. His eyes filled withtears and his voice was choked with grief and he dashed out of thebattle to bring the grievous tidings to the hut of Achilles. "Fallen isPatroklos, " he cried, "and Greeks and Trojans are fighting around hisbody. And his body is naked now, for Hector has stripped the armor fromit. "'

Then Achilles fainted away and his head lay in the ashes of his hut. Hewoke again and moaned terribly. His goddess-mother heard the sound ofhis grief as she sat within the depths of the Ocean. She came to him ashe was still moaning terribly. She took his hand and clasped it andsaid, "My child, why weep'st thou?" Achilles ceased his moaning andanswered, "Patroklos, my dear friend, has been slain. Now I shall haveno joy in my life save the joy of slaying Hector who slew my friend. "'

'Thetis, his goddess-mother, wept when she heard such speech fromAchilles. "Short-lived you will be, my son, " she said, "for it isappointed by the gods that after the death of Hector your death willcome. "'

'"Straightway then let me die, " said Achilles, "since I let my frienddie without giving him help. O that I had not let my wrath overcome myspirit! Here I stayed, a useless burthen on the earth, while my comradesand my own dear friend fought for their country--here I stayed, I who amthe best of all the Greeks. But now let me go into the battle and letthe Trojans know that Achilles has come back, although he tarriedlong. "'

"But thine armour, my son, " said Thetis. "Thou hast no armour now toprotect thee in the battle. Go not into it until thou seest me again. Inthe morning I shall return and I shall bring thee armour thatHephaistos, the smith of the gods, shall make for thee. "'

'So she spoke, and she turned from her son, and she went to Olympuswhere the gods have their dwellings. '

'Now darkness had come down on those who battled round the body ofPatroklos, and in that darkness more Greeks than Trojans were slain. Itseemed to the Greeks that Zeus had resolved to give the victory to theTrojans and not to them, and they were dismayed. But four Greek heroeslifted up the body and put it upon their shoulders, and Aias and hisbrother stood facing the Trojans, holding them back while the four triedto bear the body away. The Trojans pressed on, striking with swords andaxes, but like a wooded ridge that stretches across a plain and holdsback a mighty flood, Aias and his brother held their ground. '

'Achilles still lay in his hut, moaning in his grief, and the servantsraised loud lamentations outside the hut. The day wore on and the battlewent on and Hector strove against Aias and his brother. Then the figureof a goddess appeared before Achilles as he lay on the ground. "Rousethee, Achilles, " she said, "or Hector will drag into Troy the body ofthy friend, Patroklos. "'

'Said Achilles, "Goddess Iris, how may I go into the battle since theTrojans hold the armour that should protect me?"'

[Illustration]

'Said Iris, the Messenger of the gods, "Go down to the wall as thouart and show thyself to the men of Troy, and it may be that they willshrink back on seeing thee and hearing thy voice, and so give those whodefend the body of Patroklos a breathing-spell. "'

'So she said and departed. Then Achilles arose and went down to the wallthat had been built around the ships. He stood upon the wall and shoutedacross the trench, and friends and foes saw him and heard his voice. Around his head a flame of fire arose such as was never seen beforearound the head of a mortal man. And seeing the flame of fire around hishead and hearing his terrible voice the Trojans were affrighted andstood still. Then the Greeks took up the body of Patroklos and laid iton a litter and bore it out of the battle. '

XVI

Now Thetis, the mother of Achilles, went to Olympus where the gods havetheir dwellings and to the house of Hephaistos, the smith of the gods. That house shone above all the houses on Olympus because Hephaistoshimself had made it of shining bronze. And inside the house there werewonders--handmaidens that were not living but that were made out of goldand made with such wondrous skill that they waited upon Hephaistos andserved and helped him as though they were living maids. '

'Hephaistos was lame and crooked of foot and went limping. He and Thetiswere friends from of old time, for, when his mother would have forsakenhim because of his crooked foot, Thetis and her sister reared him withinone of the Ocean's caves and it was while he was with them that he beganto work in metals. So the lame god was pleased to see Thetis in hisdwelling and he welcomed her and clasped her hand and asked of her whatshe would have him do for her. '

'Then Thetis, weeping, told him of her son Achilles, how he had lost hisdear friend and how he was moved to go into the battle to fight withHector, and how he was without armour to protect his life, seeing thatthe armour that the gods had once given his father was now in the handsof his foe. And Thetis besought Hephaistos to make new armour for herson that he might go into the battle. '

'She no sooner finished speaking than Hephaistos went to his work-benchand set his bellows--twenty were there--working. And the twenty bellowsblew into the crucibles and made bright and hot fires. Then Hephaistosthrew into the fires bronze and tin and silver and gold. He set on theanvil-stand a great anvil, and took in one hand his hammer and in theother hand his tongs. '

[Illustration]

'For the armour of Achilles he made first a shield and then a corseletthat gleamed like fire. And he made a strong helmet to go on the headand shining greaves to wear on the ankles. The shield was made with fivefolds, one fold of metal upon the other, so that it was so strong andthick that no spear or arrow could pierce it. And upon this shield hehammered out images that were a wonder to men. '

'The first were images of the sun and the moon and of the stars that theshepherds and the seamen watch--the Pleiades and Hyads and Orion and theBear that is also called Wain. And below he hammered out the images oftwo cities: in one there were people going to feasts and playing musicand dancing and giving judgements in the market-place: the other was acity besieged: there were warriors on the walls and there was an armymarching out of the gate to give battle to those that besieged them. Andbelow the images of the cities he made a picture of a ploughed field, with ploughmen driving their yokes of oxen along the furrows, and withmen bringing them cups of wine. And he made a picture of another fieldwhere men were reaping and boys were gathering the corn, where there wasa servant beneath an oak tree making ready a feast, and women makingready barley for a supper for the men who were reaping, and a Kingstanding apart and watching all, holding a staff in his hands andrejoicing at all he saw. '

'And another image he made of a vineyard, with clusters of grapes thatshowed black, and with the vines hanging from silver poles. And heshowed maidens and youths in the vineyard, gathering the grapes intobaskets, and one amongst them, a boy, who played on the viol. Beside theimage of the vineyard he made images of cattle, with herdsmen, and withnine dogs guarding them. But he showed two lions that had come up andhad seized the bull of the herd, and the dogs and men strove to drivethem away but were affrighted. And beside the image of the oxen he madethe image of a pasture land, with sheep in it, and sheepfolds and roofedhuts. '

'He made yet another picture--a dancing-place with youths and maidensdancing, their hands upon each others' hands. Beautiful dresses andwreaths of flowers the maidens had on, and the youths had daggers ofgold hanging from their silver belts. A great company stood around thosewho were dancing, and amongst them there was a minstrel who played onthe lyre. '

'Then all around the rim of the shield Hephaistos, the lame god, set animage of Ocean, whose stream goes round the world. Not long was he inmaking the shield and the other wonderful pieces of armour. As soon asthe armour was ready Thetis put her hands upon it, and flying down fromOlympus like a hawk, brought it to the feet of Achilles, her son. '

'And Achilles, when he saw the splendid armour that Hephaistos the lamegod had made for him, rose up from where he lay and took thewonderfully-wrought piece in his hands. And he began to put the armourupon him, and none of the Myrmidons who were around could bear to lookupon it, because it shone with such brightness and because it had allthe marks of being the work of a god. '

XVII

Then Achilles put his shining armour upon him and it fitted him asthough it were wings; he put the wonderful shield before him and he tookin his hands the great spear that Cheiron the Centaur had given toPeleus his father--that spear that no one else but Achilles could wield. He bade his charioteer harness the immortal horses Xanthos and Balios. Then as he mounted his chariot Achilles spoke to the horses. "Xanthosand Balios, " he said, "this time bring the hero that goes with you backsafely to the ships, and do not leave him dead on the plain as ye leftthe hero Patroklos. "'

'Then Xanthos the immortal steed spoke, answering for himself and hiscomrade. "Achilles, " he said, with his head bowed and his mane touchingthe ground, "Achilles, for this time we will bring thee safely back fromthe battle. But a day will come when we shall not bring thee back, whenthou too shalt lie with the dead before the walls of Troy. "'

'Then was Achilles troubled and he said, "Xanthos, my steed, why dostthou remind me by thy prophecies of what I know already--that my deathtoo is appointed, and that I am to perish here, far from my father andmy mother and my own land. "'

'Then he drove his immortal horses into the battle. The Trojans wereaffrighted when they saw Achilles himself in the fight, blazing in thearmour that Hephaistos had made for him. They went backward before hisonset. And Achilles shouted to the captains of the Greeks, "No longerstand apart from the men of Troy, but go with me into the battle and leteach man throw his whole soul into the fight. "'

'And on the Trojan side Hector cried to his captains and said, "Do notlet Achilles drive you before him. Even though his hands are asirresistible as fire and his fierceness as terrible as flashing steel, Ishall go against him and face him with my spear. "'

'But Achilles went on, and captain after captain of the Trojans wentdown before him. Now amongst the warriors whom he caught sight of in thefight was Polydoros, the brother of Hector and the youngest of all KingPriam's sons. Priam forbade him ever to go into the battle because heloved him as he would love a little child. But Polydoros had gone inthis day, trusting to his fleetness of foot to escape with his life. Achilles saw him and pursued him and slew him with the spear. Hector sawthe death of his brother. Then he could no longer endure to stand asideto order the battle. He came straight up to where Achilles wasbrandishing his great spear. And when Achilles saw Hector before him hecried out, "Here is the man who most deeply wounded my soul, who slew mydear friend Patroklos. Now shall we two fight each other and Patroklosshall be avenged by me. " And he shouted to Hector, "Now Hector, the dayof thy triumph and the day of thy life is at its end. "'

'But Hector answered him without fear, "Not with words, Achilles, canyou affright me. Yet I know that thou art a man of might and a strongerman than I. But the fight between us depends upon the will of the gods. I shall do my best against thee, and my spear before this has been foundto have a dangerous edge. "'

'He spoke and lifted up his spear and flung it at Achilles. Then thebreath of a god turned Hector's spear aside, for it was not appointedthat either he or Achilles should be then slain. Achilles darted atHector to slay him with his spear. But a god hid Hector from Achilles ina thick mist. '

'Then in a rage Achilles drove his chariot into the ranks of the war andmany great captains he slew. He came to Skamandros, the river that flowsacross the plain before the city of Troy. And so many men did he slay init that the river rose in anger against him for choking its waters withthe bodies of men. '

'Then on towards the City, he went like a fire raging through a glenthat had been parched with heat. Now on a tower of the walls of Troy, Priam the old King stood, and he saw the Trojans coming in a routtowards the City, and he saw Achilles in his armour blazing like astar--like that star that is seen at harvest time and is called Orion'sDog; the star that is the brightest of all stars, but yet is a sign ofevil. And the old man Priam sorrowed greatly as he stood upon the towerand watched Achilles, because he knew in his heart whom this man wouldslay--Hector, his son, the protector of his City. '

XVIII

So much of the story of Achilles did Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, hear from the lips of King Menelaus as he sat with his comradePeisistratus in the King's feasting-hall. And more would Menelaus havetold them then if Helen, his wife, had not been seen to weep. 'Whyweepst thou, Helen?' said Menelaus. 'Ah, surely I know. It is becausethe words that tell of the death of Hector are sorrowful to thee. '

And Helen, the lovely lady, said 'Never did Prince Hector speak a hardor a harsh word to me in all the years I was in his father's house. Andif anyone upbraided me he would come and speak gentle words to me. Ah, greatly did I lament for the death of noble Hector! After his wife andhis mother I wept the most for him. And when one speaks of his slaying Icannot help but weep. '

Said Menelaus, 'Relieve your heart of its sorrow, Helen, by praisingHector to this youth and by telling your memories of him. '

'To-morrow I shall do so, ' said the lady Helen. She went with her maidsfrom the hall and the servants took Telemachus and Peisistratus to theirsleeping places. 

The next day they sat in the banqueting hall; King Menelaus andTelemachus and Peisistratus, and the lady Helen came amongst them. Herhandmaidens brought into the hall her silver work-basket that had wheelsbeneath it with rims of gold, and her golden distaff that, with thebasket, had been presents from the wife of the King of Egypt. And Helensat in her chair and took the distaff in her hands and worked on theviolet-coloured wool that was in her basket. And as she worked she toldTelemachus of Troy and of its guardian, Hector. 

Said Helen, 'The old men were at the gate of the City talking over manythings, and King Priam was amongst them. It was in the days whenAchilles first quarrelled with King Agamemnon. "Come hither, mydaughter, " said King Priam to me, "and sit by me and tell me who thewarriors are who now come out upon the plain. You have seen them allbefore, and I would have you tell me who such and such a one is. Who isyon hero who seems so mighty? I have seen men who were more tall than heby a head, but I have never seen a man who looked more royal. "'

'I said to King Priam. "The hero whom you look upon is the leader of thehost of the Greeks. He is the renowned King Agamemnon. "'

'"He looks indeed a King, " said Priam. "Tell me now who the otherwarrior is who is shorter by a head than King Agamemnon, but who isbroader of chest and shoulder. "'

'"He is Odysseus, " I said, "who was reared in rugged Ithaka, but who iswise above all the Kings. "'

'And an old man, Antenor, who was by us said, "That indeed is Odysseus. I remember that he and Menelaus came on an embassy to the assembly ofthe Trojans. When they both stood up, Menelaus seemed the greater man, but when they sat down Odysseus seemed by far the most stately. Whenthey spoke in the assembly, Menelaus was ready and skilful of speech. Odysseus when he spoke held his staff stiffly in his hands and fixed hiseyes on the ground. We thought by the look of him then that he was a manof no understanding. But when he began to speak we saw that no one couldmatch Odysseus--his words came like snow-flakes in winter and his voicewas very resonant. "'

'And Priam said, "Who is that huge warrior? I think he is taller andbroader than any of the rest. "'

'"He is great Aias, " I said, "who is as a bulwark for the Greeks. Andbeside him stands Idomeneus, who has come from the Island of Crete. Around him stand the Cretan captains. " So I spoke, but my heart wassearching for a sight of my own two brothers. I did not see them in anyof the companies. Had they come with the host, I wondered, and were theyashamed to be seen with the warriors on account of my wrong-doing? Iwondered as I looked for them. Ah, I did not know that even then my twodear brothers were dead, and that the earth of their own dear land heldthem. '

'Hector came to the gate and the wives and daughters of the Trojans camerunning to him, asking for news of their husbands or sons or brothers, whether they were killed or whether they were coming back from thebattle. He spoke to them all and went to his own house. But Andromache, his wife, was not there, and the housedame told him that she had gone tothe great tower by the wall of the City to watch the battle and that thenurse had gone with her, bringing their infant child. 

'So Hector went down the street and came to the gate where we were, andAndromache his wife came to meet him. With her was the nurse who carriedthe little child that the folk of the city named Astyanax, calling him, 'King of the City' because his father was their city's protector. Hectorstretched out his arms to the little boy whom the nurse carried. But thechild shrank away from him, because he was frightened of the greathelmet on his father's head with its horse-hair crest. Then Hectorlaughed and Andromache laughed with him, and Hector took off his greathelmet and laid it on the ground. Then he took up his little son anddandled him in his arms, and prayed, "O Zeus, greatest of the gods, grant that this son of mine may become valiant, and that, like me, hemay be protector of the City and thereafter a great King, so that menmay say of him as he returns from battle, 'Far greater is he than wasHector his father. '" Saying this he left the child back in his nurse'sarms. And to Andromache, his wife, who that day was very fearful, hesaid "Dear one, do not be over sorrowful. You urge me not to go everyday into the battle, but some days to stay behind the walls. But my ownspirit forbids me to stay away from battle, for always I have taughtmyself to be valiant and to fight in the forefront. "'

[Illustration]

'So he said and he put on his helmet again and went to order his men. And his wife went towards the house, looking back at him often andletting her tears fall down. Thou knowst from Menelaus' story whattriumphs Hector had thereafter--how he drove the Greeks back to theirships and affrighted them with his thousand watch-fires upon the plain;how he drove back the host that Agamemnon led when Diomedes and Odysseusand Machaon the healer were wounded; how he broke through the wall thatthe Greeks had builded and brought fire to their ships, and how he slewPatroklos in the armour of Achilles. '

XIX

King Priam on his tower saw Achilles come raging across the plain and hecried out to Hector, "Hector, beloved son, do not await this man's onsetbut come within the City's walls. Come within that thou mayst live andbe a protection to the men and women of Troy. And come within that thoumayst save thy father who must perish if thou art slain. "'

'But Hector would not come within the walls of the City. He stoodholding his shield against a jutting tower in the wall. And all aroundhim were the Trojans, who came pouring in through the gate withoutwaiting to speak to each other to ask who were yet living and who wereslain. And as he stood there he was saying in his heart, "The fault ismine that the Trojans have been defeated upon the plain. I kept themfrom entering the City last night against the counsel of a wise man, forin my pride I thought it would be easy to drive Achilles and the Greeksback again and defeat them utterly and destroy their hopes of return. Now are the Trojans defeated and dishonoured and many have lost theirlives through my pride. Now the women of Troy will say, 'Hector, bytrusting to his own might, has brought destruction upon the whole hostand our husbands and sons and brothers have perished because of him. 'Rather than hear them say this I shall face Achilles and slay him andsave the City, or, if it must be, perish by his spear. "'

'When Achilles came near him Hector spoke to him and said "My heart bidsme stand against thee although thou art a mightier man than I. Butbefore we go into battle let us take pledges, one from the other, withthe gods to witness, that, if I should slay thee, I shall strip thee ofthine armour but I shall not carry thy body into the City but shall giveit to thine own friends to treat with all honour, and that, if thoushould slay me, thou shalt give my body to my friends. "'

'But Achilles said, "Between me and thee there can be no pledges. Fight, and fight with all thy soldiership, for now I shall strive to make theepay for all the sorrow thou hast brought to me because of the slaying ofPatroklos, my friend. "'

'He spoke and raised his spear and flung it. But with his quicknessHector avoided Achilles' spear. And he raised his own, saying, "Thouhast missed me, and not yet is the hour of my doom. Now it is thy turnto stand before my spear. "'

'He flung it, but the wonderful shield of Achilles turned Hector's spearand it fell on the ground. Then was Hector downcast, for he had no otherspear. He drew his sword and sprang at Achilles. But the helmet andshield of Achilles let none of Hector's great strokes touch his body. And Achilles got back into his hands his own great spear, and he stoodguarding himself with his shield and watching Hector for a spot tostrike him on. Now in the armour that Hector wore--the armour that hehad stripped off Patroklos--there was a point at the neck where therewas an opening. As Hector came on Achilles drove at his neck with hisspear and struck him and Hector fell in the dust. '

'Then Achilles stripped from him the armour that Patroklos had worn. Theother captains of the Greeks came up and looked at Hector where he layand all marvelled at his size and strength and goodliness. And Achillesdragged the body at his chariot and drove away towards the ships. '

[Illustration]

'Hector's mother, standing on the tower on the wall, saw all that wasdone and she broke into a great cry. And all the women of Troy took upthe cry and wailed for Prince Hector who had guarded them and theirsfrom the foe. Andromache, his wife, did not know the terrible thingthat had happened. She was in an inner chamber of Hector's house, weaving a great web of cloth and broidering it with flowers, and she hadordered her handmaidens to heat water for the bath, so that Hector mightrefresh himself when he came in from the fight. But now she heard thewail of the women of Troy. Fear came upon her, for she knew that suchwailing was for the best of their warriors. '

'She ran from her chamber and out into the street and came to thebattlements where the people stood watching. She saw the chariot ofAchilles dashing off towards the ships and she knew that it dragged thedead body of Hector. Then darkness came before her eyes and she faintedaway. Her husband's sisters and his brothers' wives thronged round herand lifted her up. And at last her life came back to her and she wailedfor Hector, "O my husband, " she cried, "for misery were we two born! Nowthou hast been slain by Achilles and I am left husbandless! And ah, woefor our young child! Hard-hearted strangers shall oppress him when helives amongst people that care not for him or his. And he will comeweeping to me, his widowed mother, who will live forever sorrowfulthinking upon where thou liest, Hector, by the ships of those who slewthee. "'

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

XX

Now that Hector was dead, King Priam, his father, had only one thoughtin his mind, and that was to get his body from Achilles and bring itinto the City so that it might be treated with the honour befitting theman who had been the guardian of Troy. And while he sat in his grief, thinking of his noble son lying so far from those who would have weptover him, behold! there appeared before him Iris, the messenger of Zeus, the greatest of the Gods. Iris said to him, "King, thou mayst ransomfrom Achilles the body of Hector, thy noble son. Go thou thyself to thehut of Achilles and bring with thee great gifts to offer him. Take withthee a wagon that thou mayst bring back in it the body, and let only oneold henchman go with thee to drive the mules. "'

'Then Priam, when he heard this, arose and went into his treasurechamber and took out of his chests twelve beautiful robes; twelvebright-coloured cloaks; twelve soft coverlets and ten talents of gold;he took, too, four cauldrons and two tripods and a wonderful goblet thatthe men of Thrace had given him when they had come on an embassy to hiscity. Then he called upon his sons and he bade them make ready the wagonand load it with the treasures he had brought out of histreasure-chamber. '

'When the wagon was loaded and the mules were yoked under it, and whenPriam and his henchman had mounted the seats, Hekabe, the queen, Priam'swife and the mother of Hector, came with wine and with a golden cup thatthey might pour out an offering to the gods before they went on theirjourney; that they might know whether the gods indeed favoured it, orwhether Priam himself was not going into danger. King Priam took the cupfrom his wife and he poured out wine from it, and looking towards heavenhe prayed, "O Father Zeus, grant that I may find welcome under Achilles'roof, and send, if thou wilt, a bird of omen, so that seeing it withmine own eyes I may go on my way trusting that no harm will befall me. "'

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

'Now Priam and his henchman drove across the plain of Troy and came tothe river that flowed across and there they let their mules drink. Theywere greatly troubled, for dark night was coming down and they knew notthe way to the hut of Achilles. They were in fear too that some companyof armed men would come upon them and slay them for the sake of thetreasures they had in the wagon. '

'The henchman saw a young man coming towards them. And when he reachedthem he spoke to them kindly and offered to guide them through the campand to the hut of Achilles. He mounted the wagon and took the reins inhis hands and drove the mules. He brought them to the hut of Achillesand helped Priam from the wagon and carried the gifts they had broughtwithin the hut. "Know, King Priam, " he said, "that I am not a mortal, but that I am one sent by Zeus to help and companion thee upon the way. Go now within the hut and speak to Achilles and ask him, for hisfather's sake, to restore to thee the body of Hector, thy son. "'

'So he spoke and departed and King Priam went within the hut. Theregreat Achilles was sitting and King Priam went to him and knelt beforehim and clasped the hands of the man who had slain his son. And Achilleswondered when he saw him there, for he did not know how one could havecome to his hut and entered it without being seen. He knew then that itwas one of the gods who had guided this man. Priam spoke to him andsaid, "Bethink thee, Achilles upon thine own father. He is now of an agewith me, and perhaps even now, in thy far-away country, there are thosewho make him suffer pain and misery. But however great the pain andmisery he may suffer he is happy compared to me, for he knows that thou, his son, art still alive. But I no longer have him who was the best ofmy sons. Now for thy father's sake have I come to thee, Achilles, to askfor the body of Hector, my son. I am more pitiable than thy father orthan any man, for I have come through dangers to take in my hands thehands that slew my son. "'

[Illustration]

'Achilles remembered his father and felt sorrow for the old man whoknelt before him. He took King Priam by the hand and raised him up andseated him on the bench beside him. And he wept, remembering old Peleus, his father. '

'He called his handmaids and he bade them take the body of Hector andwash it and wrap it in two of the robes that Priam had brought. Whenthey had done all this he took up the body of Hector and laid it himselfupon the wagon. '

'Then he came and said to King Priam, "Thy son is laid upon a bier, andat the break of day thou mayst bring him back to the City. But now eatand rest here for this night. "'

'King Priam ate, and he looked at Achilles and he saw how great and howgoodly he was. And Achilles looked at Priam and he saw how noble and howkingly he looked. And this was the first time that Achilles and Priamthe King of Troy really saw each other. '

'When they gazed on each other King Priam said, "When thou goest to liedown, lord Achilles, permit me to lie down also. Not once have myeyelids closed in sleep since my son Hector lost his life. And now Ihave tasted bread and meat and wine for the first time since, and Icould sleep. "'

'Achilles ordered that a bed be made in the portico for King Priam andhis henchman, but before they went Achilles said: "Tell me, King, andtell me truly, for how many days dost thou desire to make a funeral forHector? For so many days space I will keep back the battle from the Cityso that thou mayst make the funeral in peace. " "For nine days we wouldwatch beside Hector's body and lament for him; on the tenth day we wouldhave the funeral; on the eleventh day we would make the barrow over him, and on the twelfth day we would fight, " King Priam said. "Even fortwelve days I will hold the battle back from the City, " said Achilles. '

'Then Priam and his henchman went to rest. But in the middle of thenight the young man who had guided him to the hut of Achilles--the godHermes he was--appeared before his bed and bade him arise and go to thewagon and yoke the mules and drive back to the City with the body ofHector. Priam aroused his henchman and they went out and yoked the mulesand mounted the wagon, and with Hermes to guide them they drove back tothe City. '

'And Achilles on his bed thought of his own fate--how he too would diein battle, and how for him there would be no father to make lament. Buthe would be laid where he had asked his friends to lay him--besidePatroklos--and over them both the Greeks would raise a barrow that wouldbe wondered at in after times. '

[Illustration]

'So Achilles thought. And afterwards the arrow fired by Paris struck himas he fought before the gate of the City, and he was slain even on theplace where he slew Hector. But the Greeks carried off his body and hisarmour and brought them back to the ships. And Achilles was lamentedover, though not by old Peleus, his father. From the depths of the seacame Thetis, his goddess-mother, and with her came the Maidens of theSea. They covered the body of Achilles with wonderful raiment and overit they lamented for seventeen days and seventeen nights. On theeighteenth day he was laid in the grave beside Patroklos, his dearfriend, and over them both the Greeks raised a barrow that was wonderedat in the after-times. '

XXI

Now Hector's sister was the first to see her father coming in the dawnacross the plain of Troy with the wagon upon which his body was laid. She came down to the City and she cried through the streets, "O men andwomen of Troy, ye who often went to the gates to meet Hector coming backwith victory, come now to the gates to receive Hector dead. "'

'Then every man and woman in the City took themselves outside the gate. And they brought in the wagon upon which Hector was laid, and all dayfrom the early dawn to the going down of the sun they wailed for him whohad been the guardian of their city. '

'His father took the body to the house where Hector had lived and helaid it upon his bed. Then Hector's wife, Andromache, went to the bedand cried over the body. "Husband, " she cried, "thou art gone from life, and thou hast left me a widow in thy house. Our child is yet little, and he shall not grow to manhood in the halls that were thine, for longbefore that the City will be taken and destroyed. Ah, how can it stand, when thou, who wert its best guardian, hast perished? The folk lamentthee, Hector; but for me and for thy little son, doomed to grow upamongst strangers and men unfriendly to him, the pain for thy death willever abide. "'

'And Hekabe, Hector's mother, went to the bed and cried "Of all mychildren thou, Hector, wert the dearest. Thou wert slain because it wasnot thy way to play the coward; ever wert thou championing the men andwomen of Troy without thought of taking shelter or flight. And for thatthou wert slain, my son. "'

'And I, Helen, went to the bed too, to lament for noble Hector. "Of allthe friends I had in Troy, thou wert the dearest, Hector, " I cried. "Never did I hear one harsh word from thee to me who brought wars andtroubles to thy City. In every way thou wert as a brother to me. Therefore I bewail thee with pain at my heart, for in all Troy there isno one now who is friendly to me. "'

'Then did the King and the folk of the City prepare for Hector'sfuneral. On the tenth day, weeping most bitter tears they bore braveHector away. And they made a grave for him, and over the grave they putclose-set stones, and over it all they raised a great barrow. On theeleventh day they feasted at King Priam's house, and on the twelfth daythe battle began anew. '

XXII

For many days Telemachus and his comrade Peisistratus stayed in thehouse of King Menelaus. On the evening before he departed Menelaus spoketo him of the famous deeds of his father, Odysseus. 'Now Achilles wasdead, ' said Menelaus, 'and his glorious armour was offered as a prizefor the warrior whom the Greeks thought the most of. Two men strove forthe prize--Odysseus and his friend Aias. To Odysseus the armour ofAchilles was given, but he was in no way glad of the prize, for hisgetting it had wounded the proud spirit of great Aias. '

'It was fitting that Odysseus should have been given Achilles' armour, for no warrior in the host had done better than he. But Odysseus was todo still greater things for us. He knew that only one man could wield abow better than Paris, --Paris who had shot with an arrow Achilles, andwho after that had slain many of our chiefs. That man was Philoctetes. He had come with Agamemnon's host to Troy. But Philoctetes had beenbitten by a water-snake, and the wound given him was so terrible thatnone of our warriors could bear to be near him. He was left on theIsland of Lemnos and the host lost memory of him. But Odysseusremembered, and he took ship to Lemnos and brought Philoctetes back. With his great bow and with the arrows of Hercules that were his, Philoctetes shot at Paris upon the wall of Troy and slew him with anarrow. '

'And then Odysseus devised the means by which we took Priam's city atlast. He made us build a great Wooden Horse. We built it and left itupon the plain of Troy and the Trojans wondered at it greatly. AndOdysseus had counselled us to bring our ships down to the water and toburn our stores and make it seem in every way that we were going todepart from Troy in weariness. This we did, and the Trojans saw thegreat host sail away from before their City. But they did not know thata company of the best of our warriors was within the hollow of theWooden Horse, nor did they know that we had left a spy behind to make asignal for our return. '

'The Trojans wondered why the great Wooden Horse had been left behind. And there were some who considered that it had been left there as anoffering to the goddess, Pallas Athene, and they thought it should bebrought within the city. Others were wiser and would have left theWooden Horse alone. But those who considered that it should be broughtwithin prevailed; and, as the Horse was too great to bring through thegate, they flung down part of the wall that they might bring it through. The Wooden Horse was brought within the walls and left upon the streetsof the city and the darkness of the night fell. '

[Illustration]

'Now Helen, my wife, came down to where the Wooden Horse was, and she, suspecting there were armed men within, walked around it three times, calling to every captain of the Greeks who might be within in his ownwife's voice. And when the sound of a voice that had not been heard forso many years came to him each of the captains started up to answer. ButOdysseus put his hands across the mouth of each and so prevented themfrom being discovered. '

'We had left a spy hidden between the beach and the city. Now when theWooden Horse had been brought within the walls and night had fallen, thespy lighted a great fire that was signal to the ships that had sailedaway. They returned with the host before the day broke. Then we who werewithin the Wooden Horse broke through the boards and came out on theCity with our spears and swords in our hands. The guards beside thegates we slew and we made a citadel of the Wooden Horse and foughtaround it. The warriors from the ships crossed the wall where it wasbroken down, and we swept through the streets and came to the citadel ofthe King. Thus we took Priam's City and all its treasures, and thus Iwon back my own wife, the lovely Helen. '

'But after we had taken and sacked King Priam's City, great troublescame upon us. Some of us sailed away, and some of us remained on theshore at the bidding of King Agamemnon, to make sacrifice to the gods. We separated, and the doom of death came to many of us. Nestor I saw atLesbos, but none other of our friends have I ever since seen. Agamemnon, my own brother, came to his own land. But ah, it would have been happierfor him if he had died on the plain of Troy, and if we had left a greatbarrow heaped above him! For he was slain in his own house and by onewho had married the wife he had left behind. When the Ancient One of theSea told me of my brother's doom I sat down upon the sand and wept, andI was minded to live no more nor to see the light of the sun. '

'And of thy father, Telemachus, I have told thee what I myself know andwhat was told me of him by the Ancient One of the Sea--how he stays onan Island where the nymph Calypso holds him against his will: but wherethat Island lies I do not know. Odysseus is there, and he cannot winback to his own country, seeing that he has no ship and no companions tohelp him to make his way across the sea. But Odysseus was ever master ofdevices. And also he is favoured greatly by the goddess, Pallas Athene. For these reasons, Telemachus, be hopeful that your father will yetreach his own home and country. '

XXIII

Now the goddess, Pallas Athene, had thought for Telemachus, and she cameto him where he lay in the vestibule of Menelaus' house. His comrade, Peisistratus was asleep, but Telemachus was wakeful, thinking upon hisfather. 

Athene stood before his bed and said to him, 'Telemachus, no longershouldst thou wander abroad, for the time has come when thou shouldstreturn. Come. Rouse Menelaus, and let him send thee upon thy way. '

Then Telemachus woke Peisistratus out of his sleep and told him that itwas best that they should be going on their journey. But Peisistratussaid, 'Tarry until it is dawn, Telemachus, when Menelaus will come to usand send us on our way. '

Then when it was light King Menelaus came to them. When he heard thatthey would depart he told the lady Helen to bid the maids prepare a mealfor them. He himself, with Helen his wife, and Megapenthes, his son, went down into his treasure-chamber and brought forth for gifts toTelemachus a two-handled cup and a great mixing bowl of silver. AndHelen took out of a chest a beautiful robe that she herself had made andembroidered. They came to Telemachus where he stood by the chariot withPeisistratus ready to depart. Then Menelaus gave him the beautifultwo-handled cup that had been a gift to himself from the king of theSidonians. Megapenthes brought up the great bowl of silver and put it inthe chariot, and beautiful Helen came to him holding the embroideredrobe. 

'I too have a gift, dear child, for thee, ' she said. 'Bring this robehome and leave it in thy mother's keeping. I want thee to have it togive to thy bride when thou bringest her into thy father's halls. '

[Illustration]

Then were the horses yoked to the chariot and Telemachus andPeisistratus bade farewell to Menelaus and Helen who had treated them sokindly. As they were ready to go Menelaus poured out of a golden cupwine as an offering to the gods. And as Menelaus poured it out, Telemachus prayed that he might find Odysseus, his father, in his home. 

Now as he prayed a bird flew from the right hand and over the horses'heads. It was an eagle, and it bore in its claws a goose that belongedto the farmyard. Telemachus asked Menelaus was this not a sign fromZeus, the greatest of the Gods. 

Then said Helen, 'Hear me now, for I will prophesy from this sign toyou. Even as yonder eagle has flown down from the mountain and killed agoose of the farmyard, so will Odysseus come from far to his home andkill the wooers who are there. '

'May Zeus grant that it be so, ' said Telemachus. He spoke and lashed thehorses, and they sped across the plain. 

When they came near the city of Pylos, Telemachus spoke to his comrade, Peisistratus, and said:

'Do not take me past my ship, son of Nestor. Thy good father expects meto return to his house, but I fear that if I should, he, out offriendliness, would be anxious to make me stay many days. But I knowthat I should now return to Ithaka. '

The son of Nestor turned the horses towards the sea and they drove thechariot to where Telemachus' ship was anchored. Then Telemachus gatheredhis followers, and he bade them take on board the presents that Menelausand Helen had given him. 

They did this, and they raised the mast and the sails and the rowerstook their seats on the benches. A breeze came and the sails took it andTelemachus and his companions sailed towards home. And all unknown tothe youth, his father, Odysseus, was even then nearing his home. 

PART II

HOW ODYSSEUS LEFT CALYPSO'S ISLAND AND CAME TO THE LAND OF THEPHÆACIANS; HOW HE TOLD HE FARED WITH THE CYCLÔPES AND WENT PAST THETERRIBLE SCYLLA AND CHARYBDIS AND CAME TO THE ISLAND OF THRINACIA WHEREHIS MEN SLAUGHTERED THE CATTLE OF THE SUN; HOW HE WAS GIVEN A SHIP BYTHE PHÆACIANS AND CAME TO HIS OWN LAND; HOW HE OVERTHREW THE WOOERS WHOWASTED HIS SUBSTANCE AND CAME TO REIGN AGAIN AS KING OF ITHAKA

[Illustration]

I

Ever mindful was Pallas Athene of Odysseus although she might not helphim openly because of a wrong he had done Poseidon, the god of the sea. But she spoke at the council of the gods, and she won from Zeus a pledgethat Odysseus would now be permitted to return to his own land. On thatday she went to Ithaka, and, appearing to Telemachus, moved him, as hasbeen told, to go on the voyage in search of his father. And on that day, too, Hermes, by the will of Zeus, went to Ogygia--to that Island where, as the Ancient One of the Sea had shown Menelaus, Odysseus was held bythe nymph Calypso. 

[Illustration]

Beautiful indeed was that Island. All round the cave where Calypso livedwas a blossoming wood--alder, poplar and cypress trees were there, andon their branches roosted long-winged birds--falcons and owls andchattering sea-crows. Before the cave was a soft meadow in whichthousands of violets bloomed, and with four fountains that gushed out ofthe ground and made clear streams through the grass. Across the cavegrew a straggling vine, heavy with clusters of grapes. Calypso waswithin the cave, and as Hermes came near, he heard her singing one ofher magic songs. 

She was before a loom weaving the threads with a golden shuttle. Now sheknew Hermes and was pleased to see him on her Island, but as soon as hespoke of Odysseus and how it was the will of Zeus that he should bepermitted to leave the Island, her song ceased and the golden shuttlefell from her hand. 

'Woe to me, ' she said, 'and woe to any immortal who loves a mortal, forthe gods are always jealous of their love. I do not hold him herebecause I hate Odysseus, but because I love him greatly, and would havehim dwell with me here, --more than this, Hermes, I would make him animmortal so that he would know neither old age nor death. '

'He does not desire to be freed from old age and death, ' said Hermes, 'he desires to return to his own land and to live with his dear wife, Penelope, and his son, Telemachus. And Zeus, the greatest of the gods, commands that you let him go upon his way. '

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

'He must leave the Island and cross the sea--Zeus commands it, ' Hermessaid. 

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

Straightway Calypso left her cave and went down to the sea. By the shoreOdysseus stayed, looking across the wide sea with tears in his eyes. 

She came to him and she said, 'Be not sorrowful any more, Odysseus. Thetime has come when thou mayst depart from my Island. Come now. I willshow how I can help thee on thy way. '

She brought him to the side of the Island where great trees grew and sheput in his hands a double-edged axe and an adze. Then Odysseus startedto hew down the timber. Twenty trees he felled with his axe of bronze, and he smoothed them and made straight the line. Calypso came to him atthe dawn of the next day; she brought augers for boring and he made thebeams fast. He built a raft, making it very broad, and set a mast uponit and fixed a rudder to guide it. To make it more secure, he wove outof osier rods a fence that went from stem to stern as a bulwark againstthe waves, and he strengthened the bulwark with wood placed behind. Calypso wove him a web of cloth for sails, and these he made veryskilfully. Then he fastened the braces and the halyards and sheets, andhe pushed the raft, with levers down to the sea. 

That was on the fourth day. On the fifth Calypso gave him garments forthe journey and brought provision down to the raft--two skins of wineand a great skin of water; corn and many dainties. She showed Odysseushow to guide his course by the star that some call the Bear and othersthe Wain, and she bade farewell to him. He took his place on the raftand set his sail to the breeze and he sailed away from Ogygia, theisland where Calypso had held him for so long. 

But not easily or safely did he make his way across the sea. The windsblew upon his raft and the waves dashed against it; a fierce blast cameand broke the mast in the middle; the sail and the arm-yard fell intothe deep. Then Odysseus was flung down on the bottom of the raft. For along time he lay there overwhelmed by the water that broke over him. Thewinds drove the raft to and fro--the South wind tossed it to the Northto bear along, and the East wind tossed it to the West to chase. 

In the depths of the sea there was a Nymph who saw his toils and histroubles and who had pity upon him. Ino was her name. She rose from thewaves in the likeness of a seagull and she sat upon the raft and shespoke to Odysseus in words. 

'Hapless man, ' she said, 'Poseidon, the god of the sea, is still wrothwith thee. It may be that the waters will destroy the raft upon whichthou sailest. Then there would be no hope for thee. But do what I bidthee and thou shalt yet escape. Strip off thy garments and take thisveil from me and wind it around thy breast. As long as it is upon theethou canst not drown. But when thou reachest the mainland loose the veiland cast it into the sea so that it may come back to me. '

[Illustration]

She gave him the veil, and then, in the likeness of a seagull shedived into the sea and the waves closed over her. Odysseus took the veiland wound it around his breast, but he would not leave the raft as longas its timbers held together. 

Then a great wave came and shattered the raft. He held himself on asingle beam as one holds himself on a horse, and then, with the veilbound across his breast, he threw himself into the waves. 

For two nights and two days he was tossed about on the waters. When onthe third day the dawn came and the winds fell he saw land very near. Heswam eagerly towards it. But when he drew nearer he heard the crash ofwaves as they struck against rocks that were all covered with foam. Thenindeed was Odysseus afraid. 

A great wave took hold of him and flung him towards the shore. Now wouldhis bones have been broken upon the rocks if he had not beenready-minded enough to rush towards a rock and to cling to it with bothhands until the wave dashed by. Its backward drag took him and carriedhim back to the deep with the skin stripped from his hands. The wavesclosed over him. When he rose again he swam round looking for a placewhere there might be, not rocks, but some easy opening into the land. 

At last he saw the mouth of a river. He swam towards it until he feltits stream flowing through the water of the sea. Then in his heart heprayed to the river. 'Hear me, O River, ' was what he said, 'I am come tothee as a suppliant, fleeing from the anger of Poseidon, god of the sea. Even by the gods is the man pitied who comes to them as a wanderer anda hapless man. I am thy suppliant, O River; pity me and help me in myneed. '

Now the river water was smooth for his swimming, and he came safely toits mouth. He came to a place where he might land, but with his fleshswollen and streams of salt water gushing from his mouth and nostrils. He lay on the ground without breath or speech, swooning with theterrible weariness that was upon him. But in a while his breath cameback to him and his courage rose. He remembered the veil that theSea-nymph had given him and he loosened it and let it fall back into theflowing river. A wave came and bore it back to Ino who caught it in herhands. 

But Odysseus was still fearful, and he said in his heart, 'Ah me! whatis to befall me now? Here am I, naked and forlorn, and I know notamongst what people I am come. And what shall I do with myself whennight comes on? If I lie by the river in the frost and dew I may perishof the cold. And if I climb up yonder to the woods and seek refuge inthe thickets I may become the prey of wild beasts. '

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

II

And while he rested the goddess, Pallas Athene, went to the City of thePhæacians, to whose land Odysseus had now come. 

She came to the Palace of the King, and, passing through all the doors, came to the chamber where the King's daughter, Nausicaa slept. Sheentered into Nausicaa's dream, appearing to her in it as one of hergirl-comrades. And in the dream she spoke to the Princess:

'Nausicaa, ' she said, 'the garments of your household are all uncaredfor, and the time is near when, more than ever, you have need to havemuch and beautiful raiment. Your marriage day will be soon. You willhave to have many garments ready by that time--garments to bring withyou to your husband's house, and garments to give to those who willattend you at your wedding. There is much to be done, Nausicaa. Be readyat the break of day, and take your maidens with you, and bring thegarments of your household to the river to be washed. I will be yourmate in the toil. Beg your father to give you a wagon with mules tocarry all the garments that we have need to wash. '

[Illustration]

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

Nausicaa, when she rose thought upon her dream, and she went through thePalace and found her father. He was going to the assembly of thePhæacians. She came to him, but she was shy about speaking of that whichhad been in her dream--her marriage day--since her parents had notspoken to her about such a thing. Saying that she was going to the riverto wash the garments of the household, she asked for a wagon and formules. 'So many garments have I lying soiled, ' she said. 'Yes and thoutoo, my father, should have fresh raiment when you go forth to theassembly of the Phæacians. And in our house are the two unwedded youths, my brothers, who are always eager for new washed garments wherein to goto dances. '

Her father smiled on her and said, 'The mules and wagon thou mayst have, Nausicaa, and the servants shall get them ready for thee now. '

He called to the servants and bade them get ready the mules and thewagon. Then Nausicaa gathered her maids together and they brought thesoiled garments of the household to the wagon. And her mother, so thatNausicaa and her maids might eat while they were from home, put in abasket filled with dainties and a skin of wine. Also she gave them a jarof olive-oil so that they might rub themselves with oil when bathing inthe river. 

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

The girls brought the garments to the stream, and leaving them in theshallow parts trod them with their bare feet. The wagon was unharnessedand the mules were left to graze along the river side. Now when they hadwashed the garments they took them to the sea-shore and left them on theclean pebbles to dry in the sun. Then Nausicaa and her companions wentinto the river and bathed and sported in the water. 

When they had bathed they sat down and ate the meal that had been put onthe wagon for them. The garments were not yet dried and Nausicaa calledon her companions to play. Straightway they took a ball and threw itfrom one to the other, each singing a song that went with the game. Andas they played on the meadow they made a lovely company, and thePrincess Nausicaa was the tallest and fairest and noblest of them all. 

Before they left the river side to load the wagon they played a lastgame. The Princess threw the ball, and the girl whose turn it was tocatch missed it. The ball went into the river and was carried down thestream. At that they all raised a cry. It was this cry that woke upOdysseus who, covered over with leaves, was then sleeping in the shelterof the two olive trees. 

[Illustration]

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

Odysseus stood a little way from her and spoke to her in a beseechingvoice. 'I supplicate thee, lady, to help me in my bitter need. I wouldkneel to thee and clasp thy knees only I fear thine anger. Have pityupon me. Yesterday was the twentieth day that I was upon the sea, drivenhither and thither by the waves and the winds. '

And still Nausicaa stood, and Odysseus looking upon her was filled withreverence for her, so noble she seemed. 'I know not as I look uponthee, ' he said, 'whether thou art a goddess or a mortal maiden. If thouart a mortal maiden, happy must thy father be and thy mother and thybrothers. Surely they must be proud and glad to see thee in the dance, for thou art the very flower of maidens. And happy above all will he bewho will lead thee to his home as his bride. Never have my eyes beheldone who had such beauty and such nobleness. I think thou art like to theyoung palm-tree I once saw springing up by the altar of Apollo inDelos--a tree that many marvelled to look at. O lady, after many andsore trials, to thee, first of all the people, have I come. I know thatthou wilt be gracious to me. Show me the way to the town. Give me anold garment to cast about me. And may the gods grant thee thy wish andheart's desire--a noble husband who will cherish thee. '

She spoke to him as a Princess should, seeing that in spite of the evilplight he was in, he was a man of worth. 'Stranger, ' she said, 'sincethou hast come to our land, thou shalt not lack for raiment nor aughtelse that is given to a suppliant. I will show thee the way to the townalso. '

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

Then she called to her companions. 'Do not hide yourselves, ' she said. 'This is not an enemy, but a helpless and an unfriended man. We mustbefriend him, for it is well said that the stranger and the beggar arefrom God. '

The girls came back and they brought Odysseus to a sheltered place andthey made him sit down and laid a garment beside him. One brought thejar of olive oil that he might clean himself when he bathed in theriver. And Odysseus was very glad to get this oil for his back andshoulders were all crusted over with flakes of brine. He went into theriver and bathed and rubbed himself with the oil. Then he put on thegarment that had been brought him. So well he looked that when he cametowards them again the Princess said to the maids:

'Look now on the man who a while ago seemed so terrifying! He is mosthandsome and stately. Would that we might see more of him. Now, mymaidens, bring the stranger meat and drink. '

They came to him and they served him with meat and drink and he ate anddrank eagerly, for it was long since he had tasted food. And while heate, Nausicaa and her companions went down to the seashore and gatheredthe garments that were now dried, singing songs the while. Theyharnessed the mules and folded the garments and left them on the wagon. 

When they were ready to go Nausicaa went to Odysseus and said to him, 'Stranger, if thou wouldst make thy way into the city come with us now, so that we may guide thee. But first listen to what I would say. Whilewe are going through the fields and by the farms walk thou behind, keeping near the wagon. But when we enter the ways of the City, go nofurther with us. People might speak unkindly of me if they saw me with astranger such as thou. They might say, "Who does Nausicaa bring to herfather's house? Someone she would like to make her husband, mostlikely. " So that we may not meet with such rudeness I would have theecome alone to my father's house. Listen now and I will tell thee howthou mayst do this. '

'There is a grove kept for the goddess Pallas Athene within a man'sshout of the city. In that grove is a spring, and when we come near Iwould have thee go and rest thyself by it. Then when thou dost think wehave come to my father's house, enter the City and ask thy way to thepalace of the King. When thou hast come to it, pass quickly through thecourt and through the great chamber and come to where my mother sitsweaving yarn by the light of the fire. My father will be sitting near, drinking his wine in the evening. Pass by his seat and come to mymother, and clasp your hands about her knees and ask for her aid. If shebecome friendly to thee thou wilt be helped by our people and wilt begiven the means of returning to thine own land. '

So Nausicaa bade him. Then she touched the mules with the whip and thewagon went on. Odysseus walked with the maids behind. As the sun setthey came to the grove that was outside the City--the grove of PallasAthene. Odysseus went into it and sat by the spring. And while he was inher grove he prayed to the goddess, 'Hear me, Pallas Athene, and grantthat I may come before the King of this land as one well worthy of hispity and his help. '

III

About the time that the maiden Nausicaa had come to her father's house, Odysseus rose up from where he sat by the spring in the grove of PallasAthene and went into the City. There he met one who showed him the wayto the palace of King Alcinous. The doors of that palace were golden andthe door-posts were of silver. And there was a garden by the great doorfilled with fruitful trees--pear trees and pomegranates; apple trees andtrees bearing figs and olives. Below it was a vineyard showingclusters of grapes. That orchard and that vineyard were marvels, for inthem never fruit fell or was gathered but other fruit ripened to takeits place; from season to season there was fruit for the gathering inthe king's close. 

[Illustration]

Odysseus stood before the threshold of bronze and many thoughts were inhis mind. But at last with a prayer to Zeus he crossed the threshold andwent through the great hall. Now on that evening the Captains and theCouncillors of the Phæacians sat drinking wine with the King. Odysseuspassed by them, and stayed not at the King's chair, but went whereArete, the Queen, sat. And he knelt before her and clasped her kneeswith his hands and spoke to her in supplication:

'Arete, Queen! After many toils and perils I am come to thee and to thyhusband, and to these, thy guests! May the gods give all who are here ahappy life and may each see his children in safe possession of hishalls. I have come to thee to beg that thou wouldst put me on my way tomy own land, for long have I suffered sore affliction far from myfriends. '

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

'O Alcinous, ' he said, 'it is not right that a stranger should sit inthe ashes by thy hearth. Bid the stranger rise now and let a chair begiven him and supper set before him. '

Then Alcinous took Odysseus by the hand, and raised him from where hesat, and bade his son Laodamas give place to him. He sat on a chairinlaid with silver and the housedame brought him bread and wine anddainties. He ate, and King Alcinous spoke to the company and said:

'To-morrow I shall call you together and we will entertain this strangerwith a feast in our halls, and we shall take counsel to see in what waywe can convoy him to his own land. '

The Captains and Councillors assented to this, and then each one aroseand went to his own house. Odysseus was left alone in the hall with theKing and the Queen. Now Arete, looking closely at Odysseus, recognizedthe mantle he wore, for she herself had wrought it with her handmaids. And when all the company had gone she spoke to Odysseus and said:

'Stranger, who art thou? Didst thou not speak of coming to us fromacross the deep? And if thou didst come that way, who gave thee theraiment that thou hast on?'

Said Odysseus, 'Lady, for seven and ten days I sailed across the deep, and on the eighteenth day I sighted the hills of thy land. But my woeswere not yet ended. The storm winds shattered my raft, and when I stroveto land the waves overwhelmed me and dashed me against great rocks in adesolate place. At length I came to a river, and I swam through itsmouth and I found a shelter from the wind. There I lay amongst theleaves all the night long and from dawn to mid-day. Then came thydaughter down to the river. I was aware of her playing with her friends, and to her I made my supplication. She gave me bread and wine, and shebestowed these garments upon me, and she showed an understanding thatwas far beyond her years. '

Then said Alcinous the King, 'Our daughter did not do well when she didnot bring thee straight to our house. '

Odysseus said, 'My Lord, do not blame the maiden. She bade me followwith her company, and she was only careful that no one should have causeto make ill-judged remarks upon the stranger whom she found. '

Then Alcinous, the King, praised Odysseus and said that he should likesuch a man to abide in his house and that he would give him land andwealth, in the country of the Phæacians. 'But if it is not thy will toabide with us, ' he said, 'I shall give thee a ship and a company of mento take thee to thy own land, even if that land be as far as Eubæa, which, our men say, is the farthest of all lands. ' As he said thisOdysseus uttered a prayer in his heart, 'O Father Zeus, grant thatAlcinous the King may fulfil all that he has promised--and for that mayhis fame never be quenched--and that I may come to my own land. '

Arete now bade the maids prepare a bed for Odysseus. This they did, casting warm coverlets and purple blankets upon it. And when Odysseuscame to the bed and lay in it, after the tossing of the waves, rest init seemed wonderfully good. 

At dawn of day he went with the King to the assembly of the Phæacians. When the Princes and Captains and Councillors were gathered together, Alcinous spoke to them saying:

'Princes and Captains and Councillors of the Phæacians! This strangerhas come to my house in his wanderings, and he desires us to give him aship and a company of men, so that he may cross the sea and come to hisown land. Let us, as in times past we have done for others, help him inhis journey. Nay, let us even now draw down a black ship to the sea, andput two and fifty of our noblest youths upon it, and let us make itready for the voyage. But before he departs from amongst us, come all ofyou to a feast that I shall give to this stranger in my house. Andmoreover, let us take with us the minstrel of our land, blind Demodocus, that his songs may make us glad at the feast. '

So the King spoke, and the Princes, Captains and Councillors of thePhæacians went with him to the palace. And at the same time two andfifty youths went down to the shore of the sea, and drew down a ship andplaced the masts and sails upon it, and left the oars in their leathernloops. Having done all this they went to the palace where the feast wasbeing given and where many men had gathered. 

The henchman led in the minstrel, blind Demodocus. To him the gods hadgiven a good and an evil fortune--the gift of song with the lack ofsight. The henchman led him through the company, and placed him on aseat inlaid with silver, and hung his lyre on the pillar above his seat. When the guests and the minstrel had feasted, blind Demodocus took downthe lyre and sang of things that were already famous--of the deeds ofAchilles and Odysseus. 

Now when he heard the words that the minstrel uttered, Odysseus caughtup his purple cloak and drew it over his head. Tears were falling downhis cheeks and he was ashamed of their being seen. No one marked hisweeping except the King, and the King wondered why his guest should beso moved by what the minstrel related. 

When they had feasted and the minstrel had sung to them, Alcinous said, 'Let us go forth now and engage in games and sports so that our strangerguest may tell his friends when he is amongst them what our young mencan do. '

All went out from the palace to the place where the games were played. There was a foot-race, and there was a boxing-match, and there waswrestling and weight-throwing. All the youths present went into thegames. And when the sports were ending Laodamas, the son of KingAlcinous, said to his friends:

'Come, my friends, and let us ask the stranger whether he is skilled orpractised in any sport, ' And saying this he went to Odysseus and said, 'Friend and stranger, come now and try thy skill in the games. Cast careaway from thee, for thy journey shall not be long delayed. Even now theship is drawn down to the sea, and we have with us the company of youthsthat is ready to help thee to thine own land. '

[Illustration]

Said Odysseus, 'Sorrow is nearer to my heart than sport, for much have Iendured in times that are not far past'

Then a youth who was with Laodamas, Euryalus, who had won in thewrestling bout, said insolently, 'Laodamas is surely mistaken inthinking that thou shouldst be proficient in sports. As I look at thee Ithink that thou art one who makes voyages for gain--a trader whose onlythought is for his cargo and his gains, '

Then said Odysseus with anger. 'Thou hast not spoken well, young man. Thou hast beauty surely, but thou hast not grace of manner nor speech. And thou hast stirred the spirit in my breast by speaking to me in suchwords. '

Thereupon, clad as he was in his mantle, Odysseus sprang up and took aweight that was larger than any yet lifted, and with one whirl he flungit from his hands. Beyond all marks it flew, and one who was standingfar off cried out, 'Even a blind man, stranger, might know that thyweight need not be confused with the others, but lies far beyond them. In this bout none of the Phæacians can surpass thee. '

And Odysseus, turning to the youths, said, 'Let who will, pass thatthrow. And if any of you would try with me in boxing or wrestling oreven in the foot-race, let him stand forward--anyone except Laodamas, for he is of the house that has befriended me. A rude man he wouldsurely be who should strive with his host. '

[Illustration]

All kept silence. Then Alcinous the King said, 'So that thou shalthave something to tell thy friends when thou art in thine own hand, weshall show thee the games in which we are most skilful. For we Phæaciansare not perfect boxers or wrestlers, but we excel all in running and indancing and in pulling with the oar. Lo, now, ye dancers! Come forwardand show your nimbleness, so that the stranger may tell his friends, when he is amongst them, how far we surpass all men in dancing as wellas in seamanship and speed of foot. '

A place was levelled for the dance, and the blind minstrel, Demodocus, took the lyre in his hands and made music, while youths skilled in thedance struck the ground with their feet. Odysseus as he watched themmarvelled at their grace and their spirit. When the dance was ended hesaid to the King, 'My Lord Alcinous, thou didst boast thy dancers to bethe best in the world, and thy word is not to be denied. I wonder as Ilook upon them. '

At the end of the day Alcinous spoke to his people and said, 'Thisstranger, in all that he does and says, shows himself to be a wise and amighty man. Let each of us now give him the stranger's gift. Here thereare twelve princes of the Phæacians and I am the thirteenth. Let each ofus give him a worthy gift, and then let us go back to my house and sitdown to supper. As for Euryalus, let him make amends to the stranger forhis rudeness of speech as he offers him his gift. '

All assented to the King's words, and Euryalus went to Odysseus andsaid, 'Stranger, if I have spoken aught that offended thee, may thestorm winds snatch it and bear it away. May the gods grant that thoushalt see thy wife and come to thine own country. Too long hast thouendured afflictions away from thy friends. '

So saying, Euryalus gave Odysseus a sword of bronze with a silver hiltand a sheath of ivory. Odysseus took it and said, 'And to you, myfriend, may the gods grant all happiness, and mayst thou never miss thesword that thou hast given me. Thy gracious speech hath made fullamends. '

Each of the twelve princes gave gifts to Odysseus, and the gifts werebrought to the palace and left by the side of the Queen. And Areteherself gave Odysseus a beautiful coffer with raiment and gold in it, and Alcinous, the King, gave him a beautiful cup, all of gold. 

In the palace the bath was prepared for Odysseus, and he entered it andwas glad of the warm water, for not since he had left the Island ofCalypso did he have a warm bath. He came from the bath and put on thebeautiful raiment that had been given him and he walked through thehall, looking a king amongst men. 

[Illustration]

Now the maiden, Nausicaa, stood by a pillar as he passed, and she knewthat she had never looked upon a man who was more splendid. She hadthought that the stranger whom she had saved would have stayed in herfather's house, and that one day he would be her husband. But now sheknew that by no means would he abide in the land of the Phæacians. As hepassed by, she spoke to him and said, 'Farewell, O Stranger! And whenthou art in thine own country, think sometimes of me, Nausicaa, whohelped thee. ' Odysseus took her hand and said to her, 'Farewell, daughter of King Alcinous! May Zeus grant that I may return to my ownland. There every day shall I pay homage to my memory of thee, to whom Iowe my life. '

He passed on and he came to where the Princes and Captains andCouncillors of the Phæacians sat. His seat was beside the King's. Thenthe henchman brought in the minstrel, blind Demodocus, and placed him ona seat by a pillar. And when supper was served Odysseus sent toDemodocus a portion of his own meat. He spoke too in praise of theminstrel saying, 'Right well dost thou sing of the Greeks and all theywrought and suffered--as well, methinks, as if thou hadst been presentat the war of Troy. I would ask if thou canst sing of the Wooden Horsethat brought destruction to the Trojans. If thou canst, I shall be awitness amongst all men how the gods have surely given thee the gift ofsong. '

Demodocus took down the lyre and sang. His song told how one part of theGreeks sailed away in their ships and how others with Odysseus to leadthem were now in the center of Priam's City all hidden in the greatWooden Horse which the Trojans themselves had dragged across theirbroken wall. So the Wooden Horse stood, and the people gathered aroundtalked of what should be done with so wonderful a thing--whether tobreak open its timbers, or drag it to a steep hill and hurl it down onthe rocks, or leave it there as an offering to the gods. As an offeringto the gods it was left at last. Then the minstrel sang how Odysseus andhis comrades poured forth from the hollow of the horse and took theCity. 

As the minstrel sang, the heart of Odysseus melted within him and tearsfell down his cheeks. None of the company saw him weeping exceptAlcinous the King. But the King cried out to the company saying, 'Letthe minstrel cease, for there is one amongst us to whom his song is notpleasing. Ever since it began the stranger here has wept with tearsflowing down his cheeks. '

The minstrel ceased, and all the company looked in surprise at Odysseus, who sat with his head bowed and his mantle wrapped around his head. Whydid he weep? each man asked. No one had asked of him his name, for eachthought it was more noble to serve a stranger without knowing his name. 

Said the King, speaking again, 'In a brother's place stands the strangerand the suppliant, and as a brother art thou to us, O unknown guest. Butwilt thou not be brotherly to us? Tell us by what name they call thee inthine own land. Tell us, too, of thy land and thy city. And tell us, too, where thou wert borne on thy wanderings, and to what lands andpeoples thou earnest. And as a brother tell us why thou dost weep andmourn in spirit over the tale of the going forth of the Greeks to thewar of Troy. Didst thou have a kinsman who fell before Priam's City--adaughter's husband, or a wife's father, or someone nearer by blood? Ordidst thou have a loving friend who fell there--one with anunderstanding heart who wast to thee as a brother?'

Such questions the King asked, and Odysseus taking the mantle fromaround his head turned round to the company. 

IV

Then Odysseus spoke before the company and said, 'O Alcinous, famousKing, it is good to listen to a minstrel such as Demodocus is. And asfor me, I know of no greater delight than when men feast together withopen hearts, when tables are plentifully spread, when wine-bearers pourout good wine into cups, and when a minstrel sings to them noble songs. This seems to me to be happiness indeed. But thou hast asked me to speakof my wanderings and my toils. Ah, where can I begin that tale? For thegods have given me more woes than a man can speak of!'

'But first of all I will declare to you my name and my country. I amODYSSEUS, SON OF LAERTES, and my land is Ithaka, an island around whichmany islands lie. Ithaka is a rugged isle, but a good nurse of hardymen, and I, for one, have found that there is no place fairer than aman's own land. But now I will tell thee, King, and tell the Princesand Captains and Councillors of the Phæacians, the tale of mywanderings. '

'The wind bore my ships from the coast of Troy, and with our white sailshoisted we came to the cape that is called Malea. Now if we had beenable to double this cape we should soon have come to our own country, all unhurt. But the north wind came and swept us from our course anddrove us wandering past Cythera. '

'Then for nine days we were borne onward by terrible winds, and awayfrom all known lands. On the tenth day we came to a strange country. Many of my men landed there. The people of that land were harmless andfriendly, but the land itself was most dangerous. For there grew therethe honey-sweet fruit of the lotus that makes all men forgetful of theirpast and neglectful of their future. And those of my men who ate thelotus that the dwellers of that land offered them became forgetful oftheir country and of the way before them. They wanted to abide foreverin the land of the lotus. They wept when they thought of all the toilsbefore them and of all they had endured. I led them back to the ships, and I had to place them beneath the benches and leave them in bonds. AndI commanded those who had ate of the lotus to go at once aboard theships. Then, when I had got all my men upon the ships, we made haste tosail away. '

[Illustration]

'Later we came to the land of the Cyclôpes, a giant people. There is awaste island outside the harbour of their land, and on it there is awell of bright water that has poplars growing round it. We came to thatempty island, and we beached our ships and took down our sails. '

'As soon as the dawn came we went through the empty island, starting thewild goats that were there in flocks, and shooting them with our arrows. We killed so many wild goats there that we had nine for each ship. Afterwards we looked across to the land of the Cyclôpes, and we heardthe sound of voices and saw the smoke of fires and heard the bleating offlocks of sheep and goats. '

'I called my companions together and I said, "It would be well for someof us to go to that other island. With my own ship and with the companythat is on it I shall go there. The rest of you abide here. I will findout what manner of men live there, and whether they will treat us kindlyand give us gifts that are due to strangers--gifts of provisions for ourvoyage. "' E embarked and we came to the land. There was a cave near thesea, and round the cave there were mighty flocks of sheep and goats. Itook twelve men with me and I left the rest to guard the ship. We wentinto the cave and found no man there. There were baskets filled withcheeses, and vessels of whey, and pails and bowls of milk. My men wantedme to take some of the cheeses and drive off some of the lambs and kidsand come away. But this I would not do, for I would rather that he whoowned the stores would give us of his own free will the offerings thatwere due to strangers. '

'While we were in the cave, he whose dwelling it was, returned to it. Hecarried on his shoulder a great pile of wood for his fire. Never in ourlives did we see a creature so frightful as this Cyclops was. He was agiant in size, and, what made him terrible to behold, he had but oneeye, and that single eye was in his forehead. He cast down on the groundthe pile of wood that he carried, making such a din that we fled interror into the corners and recesses of the cave. Next he drove hisflocks into the cave and began to milk his ewes and goats. And when hehad the flocks within, he took up a stone that not all our strengthscould move and set it as a door to the mouth of the cave. '

'The Cyclops kindled his fire, and when it blazed up he saw us in thecorners and recesses. He spoke to us. We knew not what he said, but ourhearts were shaken with terror at the sound of his deep voice. '

'I spoke to him saying that we were Agamemnon's men on our way home fromthe taking of Priam's City, and I begged him to deal with us kindly, forthe sake of Zeus who is ever in the company of strangers and suppliants. But he answered me saying, "We Cyclôpes pay no heed to Zeus, nor to anyof thy gods. In our strength and our power we deem that we are mightierthan they. I will not spare thee, neither will I give thee aught for thesake of Zeus, but only as my own spirit bids me. And first I would havethee tell me how you came to our laud. "'

'I knew it would be better not to let the Cyclops know that my ship andmy companions were at the harbour of the island. Therefore I spoke tohim guilefully, telling him that my ship had been broken on the rocks, and that I and the men with me were the only ones who had escaped utterdoom. '

'I begged again that he would deal with us as just men deal withstrangers and suppliants, but he, without saying a word, laid hands upontwo of my men, and swinging them by the legs, dashed their brains out onthe earth. He cut them to pieces and ate them before our very eyes. Wewept and we prayed to Zeus as we witnessed a deed so terrible. '

'Next the Cyclops stretched himself amongst his sheep and went to sleepbeside the fire. Then I debated whether I should take my sharp sword inmy hand, and feeling where his heart was, stab him there. But secondthoughts held me back from doing this. I might be able to kill him as heslept, but not even with my companions could I roll away the great stonethat closed the mouth of the cave. '

'Dawn came, and the Cyclops awakened, kindled his fire and milked hisflocks. Then he seized two others of my men and made ready for hismid-day meal. And now he rolled away the great stone and drove hisflocks out of the cave. '

[Illustration]

'I had pondered on a way of escape, and I had thought of something thatmight be done to baffle the Cyclops. I had with me a great skin ofsweet wine, and I thought that if I could make him drunken with wine Iand my companions might be able for him. But there were otherpreparations to be made first. On the floor of the cave there was agreat beam of olive wood which the Cyclops had cut to make a club whenthe wood should be seasoned. It was yet green. I and my companions wentand cut off a fathom's length of the wood, and sharpened it to a pointand took it to the fire and hardened it in the glow. Then I hid the beamin a recess of the cave. '

'The Cyclops came back in the evening, and opening up the cave drove inhis flocks. Then he closed the cave again with the stone and went andmilked his ewes and his goats. Again he seized two of my companions. Iwent to the terrible creature with a bowl of wine in my hands. He tookit and drank it and cried out, "Give me another bowl of this, and tellme thy name that I may give thee gifts for bringing me thishoney-tasting drink. "'

'Again I spoke to him guilefully and said, "Noman is my name. Noman myfather and my mother call me. "'

'"Give me more of the drink, Noman, " he shouted. "And the gift that Ishall give to thee is that I shall make thee the last of thy fellows tobe eaten. "'

'I gave him wine again, and when he had taken the third bowl he sankbackwards with his face upturned, and sleep came upon him. Then I, withfour companions, took that beam of olive wood, now made into a hard andpointed stake, and thrust it into the ashes of the fire. When thepointed end began to glow we drew it out of the flame. Then I and mycompanions laid hold on the great stake and, dashing at the Cyclops, thrust it into his eye. He raised a terrible cry that made the rocksring and we dashed away into the recesses of the cave. '

His cries brought other Cyclôpes to the mouth of the cave, and they, naming him as Polyphemus, called out and asked him what ailed him tocry. "Noman, " he shrieked out, "Noman is slaying me by guile. " Theyanswered him saying, "If no man is slaying thee, there is nothing we cando for thee, Polyphemus. What ails thee has been sent to thee by thegods. " Saying this, they went away from the mouth of the cave withoutattempting to move away the stone. '

'Polyphemus then, groaning with pain, rolled away the stone and satbefore the mouth of the cave with his hands outstretched, thinking thathe would catch us as we dashed out. I showed my companions how we mightpass by him. I laid hands on certain rams of the flock and I lashedthree of them together with supple rods. Then on the middle ram I put aman of my company. Thus every three rams carried a man. As soon as thedawn had come the rams hastened out to the pasture, and, as they passed, Polyphemus laid hands on the first and the third of each three that wentby. They passed out and Polyphemus did not guess that a ram that he didnot touch carried out a man. '

'For myself, I took a ram that was the strongest and fleeciest of thewhole flock and I placed myself under him, clinging to the wool of hisbelly. As this ram, the best of all his flock, went by, Polyphemus, laying his hands upon him, said, "Would that you, the best of my flock, were endowed with speech, so that you might tell me where Noman, who hasblinded me, has hidden himself. " The ram went by him, and when he hadgone a little way from the cave I loosed myself from him and went andset my companions free. '

'We gathered together many of Polyphemus' sheep and we drove them downto our ship. The men we had left behind would have wept when they heardwhat had happened to six of their companions. But I bade them take onboard the sheep we had brought and pull the ship away from that land. Then when we had drawn a certain distance from the shore I could notforbear to shout my taunts into the cave of Polyphemus. "Cyclops, " Icried, "you thought that you had the company of a fool and a weakling toeat. But you have been worsted by me, and your evil deeds have beenpunished. "'

'So I shouted, and Polyphemus came to the mouth of the cave with greatanger in his heart. He took up rocks and cast them at the ship and theyfell before the prow. The men bent to the oars and pulled the ship awayor it would have been broken by the rocks he cast. And when we werefurther away I shouted to him:

'"Cyclops, if any man should ask who it was set his mark upon you, saythat he was Odysseus, the son of Laertes. "'

[Illustration]

'Then I heard Polyphemus cry out, "I call upon Poseidon, the god of thesea, whose son I am, to avenge me upon you, Odysseus. I call uponPoseidon to grant that you, Odysseus, may never come to your home, or ifthe gods have ordained your return, that you come to it after much toiland suffering, in an evil plight and in a stranger's ship, to findsorrow in your home. "'

'So Polyphemus prayed, and, to my evil fortune, Poseidon heard hisprayer. But we went on in our ship rejoicing at our escape. We came tothe waste island where my other ships were. All the company rejoiced tosee us, although they had to mourn for their six companions slain byPolyphemus. We divided amongst the ships the sheep we had taken fromPolyphemus' flock and we sacrificed to the gods. At the dawn of the nextday we raised the sails on each ship and we sailed away, '

V

We came to the Island where Æolus, the Lord of the Winds, he who cangive mariners a good or a bad wind, has his dwelling. With his six sonsand his six daughters Æolus lives on a floating island that has allaround it a wall of bronze. And when we came to his island, the Lord ofthe Winds treated us kindly and kept us at his dwelling for a month. Nowwhen the time came for us to leave, Æolus did not try to hold us on theisland. And to me, when I was going down to the ships, he gave a bagmade from the hide of an ox, and in that bag were all the winds thatblow. He made the mouth of the bag fast with a silver thong, so that nowind that might drive us from our course could escape. Then he sent theWest Wind to blow on our sails that we might reach our own land asquickly as a ship might go. '

'For nine days we sailed with the West Wind driving us, and on the tenthday we came in sight of Ithaka, our own land. We saw its coast and thebeacon fires upon the coast and the people tending the fires. Then Ithought that the curse of the Cyclops was vain and could bring no harmto us. Sleep that I had kept from me for long I let weigh me down, and Ino longer kept watch. '

'Then even as I slept, the misfortune that I had watched against fellupon me. For now my men spoke together and said, "There is our nativeland, and we come back to it after ten years' struggles and toils, withempty hands. Different it is with our lord, Odysseus. He brings gold andsilver from Priam's treasure-chamber in Troy. And Æolus too has givenhim a treasure in an ox-hide bag. But let us take something out of thatbag while he sleeps. "'

'So they spoke, and they unloosed the mouth of the bag, and behold! allthe winds that were tied in it burst out. Then the winds drove our shiptowards the high seas and away from our land. What became of the otherships I know not. I awoke and I found that we were being driven here andthere by the winds. I did not know whether I should spring into the seaand so end all my troubles, or whether I should endure this terriblemisfortune. I muffled my head in my cloak and lay on the deck of myship. '

'The winds brought us back again to the floating Island. We landed and Iwent to the dwelling of the Lord of the Winds. I sat by the pillars ofhis threshold and he came out and spoke to me. "How now, Odysseus?" saidhe. "How is it thou hast returned so soon? Did I not give thee a fairwind to take thee to thine own country, and did I not tie up all thewinds that might be contrary to thee?"'

'"My evil companions, " I said, "have been my bane. They have undone allthe good that thou didst for me, O King of the Winds. They opened thebag and let all the winds fly out. And now help me, O Lord Æolus, onceagain. "'

'But Æolus said to me, "Far be it from me to help such a man as thou--aman surely accursed by the gods. Go from my Island, for nothing will Ido for thee. " Then I went from his dwelling and took my way down to theship. '

We sailed away from the Island of Æolus with heavy hearts. Next we cameto the Æean Island, where we met with Circe, the Enchantress. For twodays and two nights we were on that island without seeing the sign of ahabitation. On the third day I saw smoke rising up from some hearth. Ispoke of it to my men, and it seemed good to us that part of our companyshould go to see were there people there who might help us. We drew lotsto find out who should go, and it fell to the lot of Eurylochus to gowith part of the company, while I remained with the other part. '

'So Eurylochus went with two and twenty men. In the forest glades theycame upon a house built of polished stones. All round that house wildbeasts roamed--wolves and lions. But these beasts were not fierce. AsEurylochus and his men went towards the house the lions and wolvesfawned upon them like house dogs. '

'But the men were affrighted and stood round the outer gate of thecourt. They heard a voice within the house singing, and it seemed tothem to be the voice of a woman, singing as she went to and fro before aweb she was weaving on a loom. The men shouted, and she who had beensinging opened the polished doors and came out of the dwelling. She wasvery fair to see. As she opened the doors of the house she asked the mento come within and they went into her halls. '

[Illustration]

'But Eurylochus tarried behind. He watched the woman and he saw her givefood to the men. But he saw that she mixed a drug with what she gavethem to eat and with the wine she gave them to drink. No sooner had theyeaten the food and drunk the wine than she struck them with a wand, andbehold! the men turned into swine. Then the woman drove them out ofthe house and put them in the swine-pens and gave them acorns and mastand the fruit of the cornel tree to eat. '

'Eurylochus, when he saw these happenings, ran back through the forestand told me all. Then I cast about my shoulder my good sword of bronze, and, bidding Eurylochus stay by the ships, I went through the forest andcame to the house of the enchantress. I stood at the outer court andcalled out. Then Circe the Enchantress flung wide the shining doors, andcalled to me to come within. I entered her dwelling and she brought meto a chair and put a footstool under my feet. Then she brought me in agolden cup the wine into which she had cast a harmful drug. '

'As she handed me the cup I drew my sword and sprang at her as one eagerto slay her. She shrank back from me and cried out, "Who art thou whoart able to guess at my enchantments? Verily, thou art Odysseus, of whomHermes told me. Nay, put up thy sword and let us two be friendly to eachother. In all things I will treat thee kindly. "'

'But I said to her, "Nay, Circe, you must swear to me first that thouwilt not treat me guilefully. "'

[Illustration]

'She swore by the gods that she would not treat me guilefully, and I putup my sword. Then the handmaidens of Circe prepared a bath, and I bathedand rubbed myself with olive oil, and Circe gave me a new mantle anddoublet. The handmaidens brought out silver tables, and on them setgolden baskets with bread and meat in them, and others brought cups ofhoney-tasting wine. I sat before a silver table but I had no pleasure inthe food before me. '

'When Circe saw me sitting silent and troubled she said, "Why, Odysseus, dost thou sit like a speechless man? Dost thou think there is a drug inthis food? But I have sworn that I will not treat thee guilefully, andthat oath I shall keep. "'

'And I said to her, "O Circe, Enchantress, what man of good heart couldtake meat and drink while his companions are as swine in swine-pens? Ifthou wouldst have me eat and drink, first let me see my companions intheir own forms. "'

'Circe, when she heard me say this, went to the swine-pen and anointedeach of the swine that was there with a charm. As she did, the bristlesdropped away and the limbs of the man were seen. My companions becamemen again, and were even taller and handsomer than they had beenbefore. '

'After that we lived on Circe's island in friendship with theenchantress. She did not treat us guilefully again and we feasted in herhouse for a year. '

'But in all of us there was a longing to return to our own land. And mymen came to me and craved that I should ask Circe to let us go on ourhomeward way. She gave us leave to go and she told us of the manydangers we should meet on our voyage. '

VI

When the sun sank and darkness came on, my men went to lie by thehawsers of the ship. Then Circe the Enchantress took my hand, and, making me sit down by her, told me of the voyage that was before us. '

'"To the Sirens first you shall come, " said she, "to the Sirens, who sitin their field of flowers and bewitch all men who come near them. He whocomes near the Sirens without knowing their ways and hears the sound oftheir voices--never again shall that man see wife or child, or have joyof his home-coming. All round where the Sirens sit are great heaps ofthe bones of men. But I will tell thee, Odysseus, how thou mayst passthem. "'

'"When thou comest near put wax over the ears of thy company lest any ofthem hear the Sirens' song. But if thou thyself art minded to hear, letthy company bind thee hand and foot to the mast. And if thou shaltbeseech them to loose thee, then must they bind thee with tighter bonds. When thy companions have driven the ship past where the Sirens sing thenthou canst be unbound. "'

'"Past where the Sirens sit there is a dangerous place indeed. On oneside there are great rocks which the gods call the Rocks Wandering. Noship ever escapes that goes that way. And round these rocks the planksof ships and the bodies of men are tossed by waves of the sea and stormsof fire. One ship only ever passed that way, Jason's ship, the Argo, andthat ship would have been broken on the rocks if Hera the goddess hadnot helped it to pass, because of her love for the hero Jason. "'

'"On the other side of the Rocks Wandering are two peaks through whichthou wilt have to take thy ship. One peak is smooth and sheer and goesup to the clouds of heaven. In the middle of it there is a cave, andthat cave is the den of a monster named Scylla. This monster has sixnecks and on each neck there is a hideous head. She holds her heads overthe gulf, seeking for prey and yelping horribly. No ship has ever passedthat way without Scylla seizing and carrying off in each mouth of hersix heads the body of a man. "'

'"The other peak is near. Thou couldst send an arrow across to it fromScylla's den. Out of the peak a fig tree grows, and below that fig treeCharybdis has her den. She sits there sucking down the water andspouting it forth. Mayst thou not be near when she sucks the water down, for then nothing could save thee. Keep nearer to Scylla's than toCharybdis's rock. It is better to lose six of your company than to losethy ship and all thy company. Keep near Scylla's rock and drive righton. "'

'"If thou shouldst win past the deadly rocks guarded by Scylla andCharybdis thou wilt come to the Island of Thrinacia. There the Cattle ofthe Sun graze with immortal nymphs to guard them. If them comest tothat Island, do no hurt to those herds. If thou doest hurt to them Iforesee ruin for thy ship and thy men, even though thou thyself shouldstescape. "'

'So Circe spoke to me, and having told me such things she took her wayup the island. Then I went to the ship and roused my men. Speedily theywent aboard, and, having taken their seats upon the benches, struck thewater with their oars. Then the sails were hoisted and a breeze came andwe sailed away from the Isle of Circe, the Enchantress. '

'I told my companions what Circe had told me about the Sirens in theirfield of flowers. I took a great piece of wax and broke it and kneadedit until it was soft. Then I covered the ears of my men, and they boundme upright to the mast of the ship. The wind dropped and the sea becamecalm as though a god had stilled the waters. My company took their oarsand pulled away. When the ship was within a man's shout from the land wehad come near the Sirens espied us and raised their song. '

'"Come hither, come hither, O Odysseus, " the Sirens sang, "stay thy barkand listen to our song. None hath ever gone this way in his ship untilhe hath heard from our own lips the voice sweet as a honeycomb, and hathjoy of it, and gone on his way a wiser man. We know all things--all thetravail the Greeks had in the war of Troy, and we know all thathereafter shall be upon the earth. Odysseus, Odysseus, come to our fieldof flowers, and hear the song that we shall sing to thee. "'

[Illustration]

'My heart was mad to listen to the Sirens. I nodded my head to thecompany commanding them to unloose me, but they bound me the tighter, and bent to their oars and rowed on. When we had gone past the place ofthe Sirens the men took the wax from off their ears and loosed me fromthe mast. '

But no sooner had we passed the Island than I saw smoke arising andheard the roaring of the sea. My company threw down their oars interror. I went amongst them to hearten them, and I made them rememberhow, by my device, we had escaped from the Cave of the Cyclops. 

I told them nothing of the monster Scylla, lest the fear of her shouldbreak their hearts. And now we began to drive through that narrowstrait. On one side was Scylla and on the other Charybdis. Fear grippedthe men when they saw Charybdis gulping down the sea. But as we droveby, the monster Scylla seized six of my company--the hardiest of the menwho were with me. As they were lifted up in the mouths of her six headsthey called to me in their agony. 'But I could do nothing to aid them. They were carried up to be devoured in the monster's den. Of all thesights I have seen on the ways of the water, that sight was the mostpitiful. '

[Illustration]

'Having passed the rocks of Scylla and Charybdis we came to the Islandof Thrinacia. While we were yet on the ship I heard the lowing of theCattle of the Sun. I spoke to my company and told them that we shoulddrive past that Island and not venture to go upon it. '

'The hearts of my men were broken within them at that sentence, andEurylochus answered me, speaking sadly. '

'"It is easy for thee, O Odysseus, to speak like that, for thou artnever weary, and thou hast strength beyond measure. But is thy heart, too, of iron that thou wilt not suffer thy companions to set foot uponshore where they may rest themselves from the sea and prepare theirsupper at their ease?"'

'So Eurylochus spoke and the rest of the company joined in what he said. Their force was greater than mine. Then said I, "Swear to me a mightyoath, one and all of you, that if we go upon this Island none of youwill slay the cattle out of any herd. "'

'They swore the oath that I gave them. We brought our ship to a harbour, and landed near a spring of fresh water, and the men got their supperready. Having eaten their supper they fell to weeping for they thoughtupon their comrades that Scylla had devoured. Then they slept. '

'The dawn came, but we found that we could not take our ship out of theharbour, for the North Wind and the East Wind blew a hurricane. So westayed upon the Island and the days and the weeks went by. When the cornwe had brought in the ship was all eaten the men went through the islandfishing and hunting. Little they got to stay their hunger. '

'One day while I slept, Eurylochus gave the men a most evil counsel. "Every death, " he said, "is hateful to man, but death by hunger is farthe worst. Rather than die of hunger let us drive off the best cattlefrom the herds of the Sun. Then, if the gods would wreck us on the seafor the deed, let them do it. I would rather perish on the waves thandie in the pangs of hunger. "'

'So he spoke, and the rest of the men approved of what he said. Theyslaughtered them and roasted their flesh. It was then that I awakenedfrom my sleep. As I came down to the ship the smell of the roastingflesh came to me. Then I knew that a terrible deed had been committedand that a dreadful thing would befall all of us. '

'For six days my company feasted on the best of the cattle. On theseventh day the winds ceased to blow. Then we went to the ship and setup the mast and the sails and fared out again on the deep. '

'But, having left that island, no other land appeared, and only sky andsea were to be seen. A cloud stayed always above our ship and beneaththat cloud the sea was darkened. The West Wind came in a rush, and themast broke, and, in breaking, struck off the head of the pilot, and hefell straight down into the sea. A thunderbolt struck the ship and themen were swept from the deck. Never a man of my company did I seeagain. '

'The West Wind ceased to blow but the South Wind came and it drove theship back on its course. It rushed towards the terrible rocks of Scyllaand Charybdis. All night long I was borne on, and, at the rising of thesun? I found myself near Charybdis. My ship was sucked down. But Icaught the branches of the fig tree that grew out of the rock and hungto it like a bat. There I stayed until the timbers of my ship were castup again by Charybdis. I dropped down on them. Sitting on the boards Irowed with my hands and passed the rock of Scylla without the monsterseeing me. '

'Then for nine days I was borne along by the waves, and on the tenth dayI came to Ogygia where the nymph Calypso dwells. She took me to herdwelling and treated me kindly. But why tell the remainder of my toils?To thee, O King, and to thy noble wife I told how I came from Calypso'sIsland, and I am not one to repeat a plain-told tale. '

VII

Odysseus finished, and the company in the hall sat silent, like menenchanted. Then King Alcinous spoke and said, 'Never, as far as wePhæacians are concerned, wilt thou, Odysseus, be driven from thyhomeward way. To-morrow we will give thee a ship and an escort, and wewill land thee in Ithaka, thine own country. ' The Princes, Captains andCouncillors, marvelling that they had met the renowned Odysseus, wenteach to his own home. When the dawn had come, each carried down to theship on which Odysseus was to sail, gifts for him. 

[Illustration]

When the sun was near its setting they all came back to the King's hallto take farewell of him. The King poured out a great bowl of wine as anoffering to the gods. Then Odysseus rose up and placed in the Queen'shands a two-handled cup, and he said, 'Farewell to thee, O Queen! Maystthou long rejoice in thy house and thy children, and in thy husband, Alcinous, the renowned King. '

He passed over the threshold of the King's house, and he went down tothe ship. He went aboard and lay down on the deck on a sheet and rugthat had been spread for him. Straightway the mariners took to theiroars, and hoisted their sails, and the ship sped on like a strongsea-bird. Odysseus slept. And lightly the ship sped on, bearing that manwho had suffered so much sorrow of heart in passing through wars of menand through troublous seas--the ship sped on, and he slept, and wasforgetful of all he had passed through. 

When the dawn came the ship was near to the Island of Ithaka. Themariners drove to a harbour near which there was a great cave. They ranthe ship ashore and lifted out Odysseus, wrapped in the sheet and therugs, and still sleeping. They left him on the sandy shore of his ownland. Then they took the gifts which the King and Queen, the Princes, Captains and Councillors of the Phæacians had given him, and they setthem by an olive tree, a little apart from the road, so that nowandering person might come upon them before Odysseus had awakened. Thenthey went back to their ship and departed from Ithaka for their ownland. 

Odysseus awakened on the beach of his own land. A mist lay over all, andhe did not know what land he had come to. He thought that the Phæacianshad left him forsaken on a strange shore. As he looked around him in hisbewilderment he saw one who was like a King's son approaching. 

Now the one who came near him was not a young man, but the goddess, Pallas Athene, who had made herself look like a young man. Odysseusarose, and questioned her as to the land he had come to. The goddessanswered him and said, 'This is Ithaka, a land good for goats andcattle, a land of woods and wells, '

Even as she spoke she changed from the semblance of a young man and wasseen by Odysseus as a woman tall and fair. 'Dost thou not know me, Pallas Athene, the daughter of Zeus, who has always helped thee?' thegoddess said. 'I would have been more often by thy side, only I did notwant to go openly against my brother, Poseidon, the god of the sea, whose son, Polyphemus, thou didst blind. '

As the goddess spoke the mist that lay on the land scattered andOdysseus saw that he was indeed in Ithaka, his own country--he knew theharbour and the cave, and the hill Neriton all covered with its forest. And knowing them he knelt down on the ground and kissed the earth of hiscountry. 

[Illustration]

Then the goddess helped him to lay his goods within the cave--the goldand the bronze and the woven raiment that the Phæacians had given him. She made him sit beside her under the olive tree while she told him ofthe things that were happening in his house. 

'There is trouble in thy halls, Odysseus, ' she said, 'and it would bewell for thee not to make thyself known for a time. Harden thy heart, that thou mayest endure for a while longer ill treatment at the hands ofmen. ' She told him about the wooers of his wife, who filled his hallsall day, and wasted his substance, and who would slay him, lest heshould punish them for their insolence. 'So that the doom of Agamemnonshall not befall thee--thy slaying within thine own halls--I will changethine appearance that no man shall know thee, ' the goddess said. 

Then she made a change in his appearance that would have been evil butthat it was to last for a while only. She made his skin wither, and shedimmed his shining eyes. She made his yellow hair grey and scanty. Thenshe changed his raiment to a beggar's wrap, torn and stained with smoke. Over his shoulder she cast the hide of a deer, and she put into hishands a beggar's staff, with a tattered bag and a cord to hang it by. And when she had made this change in his appearance the goddess leftOdysseus and went from Ithaka. 

It was then that she came to Telemachus in Sparta and counselled him toleave the house of Menelaus and Helen; and it has been told how he wentwith Peisistratus, the son of Nestor, and came to his own ship. His shipwas hailed by a man who was flying from those who would slay him, andthis man Telemachus took aboard. The stranger's name was Theoclymenus, and he was a sooth-sayer and a second-sighted man. 

And Telemachus, returning to Ithaka, was in peril of his life. Thewooers of his mother had discovered that he had gone from Ithaka in aship. Two of the wooers, Antinous and Eurymachus, were greatly angeredat the daring act of the youth. 'He has gone to Sparta for help, 'Antinous said, 'and if he finds that there are those who will help himwe will not be able to stand against his pride. He will make us sufferfor what we have wasted in his house. But let us too act. I will take aship with twenty men, and lie in wait for him in a strait between Ithakaand Samos, and put an end to his search for his father. '

Thereupon Antinous took twenty men to a ship, and fixing mast and sailsthey went over the sea. There is a little isle between Ithaka andSamos--Asteris it is called--and in the harbour of that isle he and hismen lay in wait for Telemachus. 

VIII

Near the place where Odysseus had landed there lived an old man who wasa faithful servant in his house. Eumæus was his name, and he was aswineherd. He had made for himself a dwelling in the wildest part of theisland, and had built a wall round it, and had made for the swine pensin the courtyard--twelve pens, and in each pen there were fifty swine. Old Eumæus lived in this place tending the swine with three young men tohelp him. The swine-pens were guarded by four dogs that were as fierceas the beasts of the forest. 

As he came near the dogs dashed at him, yelping and snapping; andOdysseus might have suffered foul hurt if the swineherd had not run outof the courtyard and driven the fierce dogs away. Seeing before him onewho looked an ancient beggar, Eumæus said, 'Old man, it is well that mydogs did not tear thee, for they might have brought upon me the shame ofthy death. I have grief and pains enough, the gods know, without such ahappening. Here I sit, mourning for my noble master, and fattening hogsfor others to eat, while he, mayhap, is wandering in hunger through somefriendless city. But come in, old man. I have bread and wine to givethee. '

The swineherd led the seeming beggar into the courtyard, and he let himsit down on a heap of brushwood, and spread for him a shaggy goat-skin. Odysseus was glad of his servant's welcome, and he said, 'May Zeus andall the other gods grant thee thy heart's dearest wish for the welcomethat thou hast given to me. '

Said Eumæus the swineherd, 'A good man looks on all strangers andbeggars as being from Zeus himself. And my heart's dearest wish is thatmy master Odysseus should return. Ah, if Odysseus were here, he wouldgive me something which I could hold as mine own--a piece of ground totill, and a wife to comfort me. But my master will not return, and wethralls must go in fear when young lords come to rule it over them. '

He went to the swine-pens and brought out two sucking pigs; heslaughtered them and cut them small and roasted the meat. When all wascooked, he brought portions to Odysseus sprinkled with barley meal, andhe brought him, too, wine in a deep bowl of ivy wood. And when Odysseushad eaten and drunken, Eumæus the swineherd said to him:

'Old man, no wanderer ever comes to this land but that our lady Penelopesends for him, and gives him entertainment, hoping that he will havesomething to tell her of her lord, Odysseus. They all do as thou wouldstdo if thou earnest to her--tell her a tale of having seen or of havingheard of her lord, to win her ear. But as for Odysseus, no matter whatwanderers or vagrants say, he will never return--dogs, or wild birds, orthe fishes of the deep have devoured his body ere this. Never againshall I find so good a lord, nor would I find one so kind even if I wereback in my own land, and saw the faces of my father and my mother. Butnot so much for them do I mourn as for the loss of my master. '

Said Odysseus, 'Thou sayst that thy master will never return, but Inotice that thou art slow to believe thine own words. Now I tell theethat Odysseus will return and in this same year. And as sure as the oldmoon wanes and the young moon is born, he will take vengeance on thosewhom you have spoken of--those who eat his substance and dishonour hiswife and son. I say that, and I swear it with an oath. '

[Illustration]

'I do not heed thine oath, ' said Eumæus the swineherd. 'I do not listento vagrant's tales about my master since a stranger came here andcheated us with a story. He told us that he had seen Odysseus in theland of the Cretans, in the house of the hero Idomeneus, mending hisships that had been broken by the storm, and that he would be here bysummer or by harvest time, bringing with him much wealth. '

As they were speaking the younger swineherds came back from the woods, bringing the drove of swine into the courtyard. There was a mighty dinwhilst the swine were being put into their pens. Supper time came on, and Eumæus and Odysseus and the younger swineherds sat down to a meal. Eumæus carved the swineflesh, giving the best portion to Odysseus whomhe treated as the guest of honour. And Odysseus said, 'Eumæus, surelythou art counselled by Zeus, seeing thou dost give the best of the meateven to such a one as I. '

And Eumæus, thinking Odysseus was praising him for treating a strangerkindly, said, 'Eat, stranger, and make merry with such fare as is here. '

The night came on cold with rain. Then Odysseus, to test the kindlinessof the swineherd, said, 'O that I were young and could endure thisbitter night! O that I were better off! Then would one of you swineherdsgive me a wrap to cover myself from the wind and rain! But now, verily, I am an outcast because of my sorry raiment. '

Then Eumæus sprang up and made a bed for Odysseus near the fire. Odysseus lay down, and the swineherd covered him with a mantle he keptfor a covering when great storms should arise. Then, that he mightbetter guard the swine, Eumæus, wrapping himself up in a cloak, andtaking with him a sword and javelin, to drive off wild beasts shouldthey come near, went to lie nearer to the pens. 

When morning came, Odysseus said, 'I am going to the town to beg, sothat I need take nothing more from thee. Send someone with me to be aguide. I would go to the house of Odysseus, and see if I can earn alittle from the wooers who are there. Right well could I serve them ifthey would take me on. There could be no better serving-man than I, whenit comes to splitting faggots, and kindling a fire and carving meat. '

'Nay, nay, ' said Eumæus, 'do not go there, stranger. None here are at aloss by thy presence. Stay until the son of Odysseus, Telemachus, returns, and he will do something for thee. Go not near the wooers. Itis not such a one as thee that they would have to serve them. Stay thisday with us. '

Odysseus did not go to the town but stayed all day with Eumæus. And atnight, when he and Eumæus and the younger swineherds were seated at thefire, Odysseus said, 'Thou, too, Eumæus, hast wandered far and hast hadmany sorrows. Tell us how thou earnest to be a slave and a swineherd, '

THE STORY OF EUMÆUS THE SWINEHERD

'There is, ' said Eumæus, 'a certain island over against Ortygia. Thatisland has two cities, and my father was king over them both. '

'There came to the city where my father dwelt, a ship with merchantsfrom the land of the Phœnicians. I was a child then, and there was in myfather's house a Phœnician slave-woman who nursed me. Once, when she waswashing clothes, one of the sailors from the Phœnician ship spoke to herand asked her would she like to go back with them to their own land. '

'She spoke to that sailor and told him her story. "I am from Sidon inthe Phœnician land, " she said, "and my father was named Artybas, and wasfamous for his riches. Sea robbers caught me one day as I was crossingthe fields, and they stole me away, and brought me here, and sold me tothe master of yonder house. "'

'Then the sailor said to her, "Your father and mother are still alive, Iknow, and they have lost none of their wealth. Wilt thou not come withus and see them again?"'

'Then the woman made the sailors swear that they would bring her safelyto the city of Sidon. She told them that when their ship was ready shewould come down to it, and that she would bring what gold she could layher hands on away from her master's house, and that she would alsobring the child whom she nursed. "He is a wise child, " she said, "andyou can sell him for a slave when you come to a foreign land. "'

'When the Phœnician ship was ready to depart they sent a message to thewoman. The sailor who brought the message brought too a chain of goldwith amber beads strung here and there, for my mother to buy. And, whilemy mother and her handmaids were handling the chain, the sailor noddedto the woman, and she went out, taking with her three cups of gold, andleading me by the hand, '

'The sun sank and all the ways were darkened. But the Phœnician womanwent down to the harbour and came to the ship and went aboard it. Andwhen the sailor who had gone to my father's house came back, they raisedthe mast and sails, and took the oars in their hands, and drew the shipaway from our land. We sailed away and I was left stricken at heart. Forsix days we sailed over the sea, and on the seventh day the woman diedand her body was cast into the deep. The wind and the waves bore us toIthaka, and there the merchants sold me to Laertes, the father ofOdysseus. '

'The wife of Laertes reared me kindly, and I grew up with the youngestof her daughters, the lovely Ctimene. But Ctimene went to Same, and wasmarried to one of the princes of that island. Afterwards Laertes' ladysent me to work in the fields. But always she treated me kindly. NowLaertes' lady is dead, she wasted away from grief when she heard notidings of her only son, Odysseus. Laertes yet lives, but since thedeath of his noble wife he never leaves his house. All day he sits byhis fire, they say, and thinks upon his son's doom, and how his son'ssubstance is being wasted, and how his son's son will have but little toinherit. '

So Odysseus passed part of the night, Eumæus telling him of hiswanderings and his sorrows. And while they were speaking, Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, came to Ithaka in his good ship. Antinous had lainin wait for him, and had posted sentinels to watch for his ship;nevertheless Telemachus had passed by without being seen by his enemies. And having come to Ithaka, he bade one of his comrades bring the shipinto the wharf of the city while he himself went to another place. Leaving the ship he came to the dwelling of the servant he mosttrusted--to the dwelling of Eumæus, the swineherd. 

IX

On the morning of his fourth day in Ithaka, as he and the swineherd wereeating a meal together, Odysseus heard the sound of footstepsapproaching the hut. The fierce dogs were outside and he expected tohear them yelping against the stranger's approach. No sound came fromthem. Then he saw a young man come to the entrance of the courtyard, theswineherd's dogs fawning upon him. 

When Eumæus saw this young man he let fall the vessels he was carrying, and running to him, kissed his head and his eyes and his hands. While hewas kissing and weeping over him, Odysseus heard the swineherd saying:

'Telemachus, art thou come back to us? Like a light in the darkness thouhast appeared! I thought that never again should we see thee when Iheard that thou hadst taken a ship to Pylos! Come in, dear son, come in, that I may see thee once again in mine house. '

Odysseus raised his head and looked at his son. As a lion might lookover his cub so he looked over Telemachus. But neither the swineherd norTelemachus was aware of Odysseus' gaze. 

'I have come to see thee, friend Eumæus, ' said Telemachus, 'for before Igo into the City I would know whether my mother is still in the house ofOdysseus, or whether one of the wooers has at last taken her as a wifeto his own house. '

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

[Illustration]

Eumæus strewed green brushwood and spread a fleece upon it, andTelemachus seated himself. Next Eumæus fetched a meal for him--oatencakes and swine flesh and wine. While they were eating, the swineherdsaid:

'We have here a stranger who has wandered through many countries, andwho has come to my house as a suppliant. Wilt thou take him for thy man, Telemachus?'

Said Telemachus, 'How can I support any man? I have not the strength ofhand to defend mine own house. But for this stranger I will do what Ican. I will give him a mantle and doublet, with shoes for his feet and asword to defend himself, and I will send him on whatever way he wants togo. But, Eumæus, I would not have him go near my father's house. Thewooers grow more insolent each day, and they might mock the stranger ifhe went amongst them. '

Then said Odysseus, speaking for the first time, 'Young sir, what thouhast said seems strange to me. Dost thou willingly submit to insolencein thine own father's house? But perhaps it is that the people of theCity hate thee and will not help thee against thine enemies. Ah, if Ihad such youth as I have spirit, or if I were the son of Odysseus, Ishould go amongst them this very day, and make myself the bane of eachman of them. I would rather die in mine own halls than see such shame asis reported--strangers mocked at, and servants injured, and wine andfood wasted. '

Said Telemachus, 'The people of the City do not hate me, and they wouldhelp me if they could. But the wooers of my mother are powerful men--mento make the City folk afraid. And if I should oppose them I wouldassuredly be slain in my father's house, for how could I hope toovercome so many?'

'What wouldst thou have me do for thee, Telemachus?' said the swineherd. 

'I would have thee go to my mother, friend Eumæus, ' Telemachus said, 'and let her know that I am safe-returned from Pylos. '

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

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

'Who art thou?' cried Telemachus, starting up. 'Even a moment ago thoudidst look aged and a beggar! Now thou dost look a chief of men! Artthou one of the divine ones?'

Odysseus looked upon him and said. 'My son, do not speak so to me. I amOdysseus, thy father. After much suffering and much wandering I havecome to my own country. ' He kissed his son with tears flowing down hischeeks, and Telemachus threw his arms around his father's neck, butscarce believing that the father he had searched for was indeed beforehim. 

[Illustration]

But no doubt was left as Odysseus talked to him, and told him how he hadcome to Ithaka in a ship given him by the Phæacians, and how he hadbrought with him gifts of bronze and raiment that were hidden in thecave, and told him, too, how Pallas Athene had changed his appearanceinto that of an old beggar. 

And when his own story was finished he said, 'Come, my son, tell me ofthe wooers who waste the substance of our house--tell me how many theynumber, and who they are, so that we may prepare a way of dealing withthem. '

'Even though thou art a great warrior, my father, thou and I cannot hopeto deal with them. They have come, not from Ithaka alone, but from allthe islands around--from Dulichium and Same and Zacynthus. We two cannotdeal with such a throng. '

Said Odysseus, 'I shall make a plan to deal with them. Go thou home, andkeep company with the wooers. Later in the day the swineherd will leadme into the city, and I shall go into the house in the likeness of anold beggar. And if thou shouldst see any of the wooers ill-treat me, harden thine heart to endure it--even if they drag me by the feet to thedoor of the house, keep quiet thou. And let no one--not even thy mother, Penelope--nor my father Laertes--know that Odysseus hath returned. '

Telemachus said, 'My father, thou shalt learn soon what spirit is in meand what wisdom I have. '

While they talked together the ship that Antinous had taken, when hewent to lie in wait for Telemachus, returned. The wooers assembled anddebated whether they should kill Telemachus, for now there was dangerthat he would draw the people to his side, and so make up a force thatcould drive the wooers out of Ithaka. But they did not agree to kill himthen, for there was one amongst them who was against the deed. 

Eumæus brought the news to Telemachus and Odysseus of the return ofAntinous' ship. He came back to the hut in the afternoon. Pallas Athenehad again given Odysseus the appearance of an ancient beggar-man and theswineherd saw no change in his guest. 

X

It was time for Telemachus to go into the City. He put his sandals onhis feet, and took his spear in his hand, and then speaking to theswineherd he said:

'Friend Eumæus, I am now going into the City to show myself to mymother, and to let her hear from my own lips the tale of my journey. AndI have an order to leave with thee. Take this stranger into the City, that he may go about as he desires, asking alms from the people. '

Odysseus in the guise of a beggar said, 'I thank thee, lord Telemachus. I would not stay here, for I am not of an age to wait about a hut andcourtyard, obeying the orders of a master, even if that master be asgood a man as thy swineherd. Go thy way, lord Telemachus, and Eumæus, asthou hast bidden him, will lead me into the City. '

Telemachus then passed out of the courtyard and went the ways until hecame into the City. When he went into the house, the first person he sawwas his nurse, old Eurycleia, who welcomed him with joy. To Eurycleia hespoke of the guest who had come on his ship, Theoclymenus. He told herthat this guest would be in the house that day, and that he was to betreated with all honour and reverence. The wooers came into the hall andcrowded around him, with fair words in their mouths. Then all sat downat tables, and Eurycleia brought wheaten bread and wine and dainties. 

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

As Eumæus and Odysseus were resting at the spring, a servant fromOdysseus' house came along. He was a goatherd, and Melanthius was hisname. He was leading a flock of goats for the wooers to kill, and whenhe saw the swineherd with the seeming beggar he cried out:

'Now we see the vile leading the vile. Say, swineherd, whither art thouleading this wretch? It is easy to see the sort of fellow he is! He isthe sort to rub shoulders against many doorposts, begging for scraps. Nothing else is he good for. But if thou wouldst give him to me, swineherd, I would make him watch my fields, and sweep out my stalls, and carry fresh water to the kids. He'd have his dish of whey from me. But a fellow like this doesn't want an honest job--he wants to loungethrough the country, filling his belly, without doing anything for thepeople who feed him up. If he goes to the house of Odysseus, I pray thathe be pelted from the door. '

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

Odysseus took thought whether he should strike the fellow with his staffor fling him upon the ground. But in the end he hardened his heart toendure the insult, and let the goatherd go on his way. But turning tothe altar that was by the spring, he prayed:

'Nymphs of the Well! If ever Odysseus made offerings to you, fulfil forme this wish--that he--even Odysseus--may come to his own home, and havepower to chastise the insolence that gathers around his house. '

They journeyed on, and when they came near they heard the sound of thelyre within the house. The wooers were now feasting, and Phemius theminstrel was singing to them. And when Odysseus came before his ownhouse, he caught the swineherd by the hand suddenly and with a hardgrip, and he said:

'Lo now, I who have wandered in many lands and have walked in painthrough many Cities have come at last to the house of Odysseus. There itis, standing as of old, with building beyond building; with its wallsand its battlements; its courts and its doors. The house of Odysseus, verily! And lo! unwelcome men keep revel within it, and the smoke oftheir feast rises up and the sound of the lyre is heard playing forthem. '

Said Eumæus, 'What wilt thou have me do for thee, friend? Shall I bringthee into the hall and before the company of wooers, whilst I remainhere, or wouldst thou have me go in before thee?'

'I would have thee go in before me, ' Odysseus said. 

Now as they went through the courtyard a thing happened that dashedOdysseus' eyes with tears. A hound lay in the dirt of the yard, a houndthat was very old. All uncared for he lay in the dirt, old and feeble. But he had been a famous hound, and Odysseus himself had trained himbefore he went to the wars of Troy. Argos was his name. Now as Odysseuscame near, the hound Argos knew him, and stood up before him and whinedand dropped his ears, but had no strength to come near him. Odysseusknew the hound and stopped and gazed at him. 'A good hound lies there, 'said he to Eumæus, 'once, I think, he was so swift that no beast in thedeep places of the wood could flee from him. ' Then he went on, and thehound Argos lay down in the dirt of the yard, and that same day the lifepassed from him. 

[Illustration]

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

Telemachus was there. Seeing Eumæus he called to him and gave theswineherd bread and meat, and said, 'Take these, and give them to thestranger at the doorway, and tell him that he may go amongst the companyand crave an alms from each. '

Odysseus ate whilst the minstrel was finishing his song. When it wasfinished he rose up, and went into the hall, craving an alms from eachof the wooers. 

Seeing him, Antinous, the most insolent of the wooers, cried out, 'Onotorious swineherd, why didst thou bring this fellow here? Have we notenough vagabonds? Is it nothing to thee that worthless fellows come hereand devour thy master's substance?'

Hearing such a speech from Antinous, Telemachus had to say, 'Antinous, Isee that thou hast good care for me and mine. I marvel that thou hastsuch good care. But wouldst thou have me drive a stranger from the door?The gods forbid that I should do such a thing. Nay, Antinous. Give thestranger something for the sake of the house. '

'If all the company gives him as much as I, he will have something tokeep him from beggary for a three months' space, ' said Antinous, meaningby that that he would work some hurt upon the beggar. 

Odysseus came before him. 'They say that thou art the noblest of all thewooers, ' he said, 'and for that reason thou shouldst give me a betterthing than any of the others have given me. Look upon me. I too had ahouse of mine own, and was accounted wealthy amongst men, and I hadservants to wait upon me. And many a time would I make welcome thewanderer and give him something from my store. '

'Stand far away from my table, thou wretched fellow, ' said Antinous. 

Then said Odysseus, 'Thou hast beauty, lord Antinous, but thou hast notwisdom. Out of thine own house thou wouldst not give a grain of salt toa suppliant. And even whilst thou dost sit at another man's table thoudost not find it in thy heart to give something out of the plenty thatis before thee. '

So Odysseus spoke and Antinous became terribly angered. He caught up afootstool, and with it he struck Odysseus in the back, at the base ofthe right shoulder. Such a blow would have knocked another man over, butOdysseus stood steadfast under it. He gave one look at Antinous, andthen without a word he went over and sat down again upon the threshold. 

Telemachus had in his heart a mighty rage for the stroke that had beengiven his father. But he let no tear fall from his eyes and he sat verystill, brooding in his heart evil for the wooers. Odysseus, after awhile, lifted his head and spoke:

[Illustration]

'Wooers of the renowned queen, ' he said, 'hear what the spirit within mebids me say to you. There is neither pain nor shame in the blow that aman may get in battle. But in the blow that Antinous has given me--ablow aimed at a beggar--there is pain and there is shame. And now I callupon that god who is the avenger of the insult to the poor, to bring, not a wedding to Antinous, but the issue of death. '

'Sit there and eat thy meat in quiet, ' Antinous called out, 'or elsethou wilt be dragged through the house by thy heels, and the flesh willbe stripped off thy bones, '

And now the lady Penelope had come into the hall. Hearing that astranger was there, she sent for Eumæus and bade the swineherd bring himto her, that she might question him as to what he had heard aboutOdysseus. Eumæus came and told him of Penelope's request. But Odysseussaid, 'Eumæus, right willing am I to tell the truth about Odysseus tothe fair and wise Penelope. But now I may not speak to her. Go to herand tell her that when the wooers have gone I will speak to her. And askher to give me a seat near the fire, that I may sit and warm myself as Ispeak, for the clothes I wear are comfortless. '

As Eumæus gave the message to the lady Penelope, one who was there, Theoclymenus, the guest who had come in Telemachus' ship, said, 'O wifeof the renowned Odysseus, be sure that thy lord will return to hishouse. As I came here on the ship of Telemachus, thy son, I saw ahappening that is an omen of the return of Odysseus. A bird flew out onthe right, a hawk. In his talons he held a dove, and plucked her andshed the feathers down on the ship. By that omen I know that the lordof this high house will return, and strike here in his anger. '

Penelope left the hall and went back to her own chamber. Next Eumæuswent away to look after his swine. But still the wooers continued tofeast, and still Odysseus sat in the guise of a beggar on the thresholdof his own house. 

XI

There was in Ithaka a common beggar; he was a most greedy fellow, and hewas nicknamed Irus because he used to run errands for the servants ofOdysseus' house. He came in the evening, and seeing a seeming beggarseated on the threshold, he flew into a rage and shouted at him:

'Get away from here, old fellow, lest you be dragged away by the hand orfoot. Look you! The lords within the house are giving me the wink toturn you out. But I can't demean myself by touching the like of you. Getup now and go while I'm easy with you. '

Odysseus looked at the fellow and said, 'I have not harmed you in deedor word, and I do not grudge you anything of what you may get in thishouse. The threshold I sit on is wide enough for two of us. '

'What words this fellow has!' said Irus the beggar. 'He talks like anold sit-by-the-fire. I'll not waste more words on him. Get up now, heavypaunch, and strip for the fight, for I'm going to show all the lordsthat I can keep the door for them. '

'Do not provoke me, ' said Odysseus. 'Old as I seem, I may be able todraw your blood. '

But Irus kept on shouting, 'I'll knock the teeth out of your jaws. ''I'll trounce you. ' Antinous, the most insolent of the wooers, saw thesquabble, and he laughed to see the pair defying each other. 'Friends, 'said he, 'the gods are good to us, and don't fail to send us amusement. The strange beggar and our own Irus are threatening each other. Let ussee that they don't draw back from the fight. Let us match one againstthe other. '

All the wooers trooped to the threshold and stood round the ragged men. Antinous thought of something to make the game more merry. 'There aretwo great puddings in the larder, ' he said. 'Let us offer them for aprize to these pugilists. Come, Irus. Come, stranger. A choice ofpuddings for whichever of you wins the match. Aye, and more than that. Whoever wins shall have leave to eat every day in this hall, and noother beggar shall be let come near the house. Go to it now, ye mightymen. ' All the wooers crowded round and clapped the men on to the fight. 

Odysseus said, 'Friends, an old man like me cannot fight one who isyounger and abler. '

But they cried to him, 'Go on, go on. Get into the fight or else takestripes upon your body, '

Then said Odysseus, 'Swear to me, all of you, that none of you will showfavour to Irus nor deal me a foul blow, '

All the wooers cried out that none would favour Irus or deal hisopponent a foul blow. And Telemachus, who was there, said, 'The man whostrikes thee, stranger, will have to take reckoning from me. '

Straightway Odysseus girt up his rags. When his great arms and shouldersand thighs were seen, the wooers were amazed and Irus was frightened. Hewould have slipped away if Antinous had not caught him and said to him, 'You lubber, you! If you do not stand up before this man I will have youflung on my ship and sent over to King Echetus, who will cut off yournose and ears and give your flesh to his dogs to eat, ' He took hold ofIrus and dragged him into the ring. 

The fighters faced each other. But Odysseus with his hands upraisedstood for long without striking, for he was pondering whether he shouldstrike Irus a hard or a light blow. It seemed to him better to strikehim lightly, so that his strength should not be made a matter for thewooers to note and wonder at. Irus struck first. He struck Odysseus onthe shoulder. Then Odysseus aimed a blow at his neck, just below theear, and the beggar fell to the ground, with the blood gushing from hismouth and nose. 

[Illustration]

The wooers were not sorry for Irus. They laughed until they were readyto fall backwards. Then Odysseus seized Irus by the feet, and draggedhim out of the house, and to the gate of the courtyard. He lifted him upand put him standing against the wall. Placing the staff in the beggar'shands, he said, 6 Sit there, and scare off the dogs and swine, and donot let such a one as you lord it over strangers. A worse thing mighthave befallen you. '

Then back he went to the hall, with his beggar's bag on his shoulder andhis clothes more ragged than ever. Back he went, and when the wooers sawhim they burst into peals of laughter and shouted out:

'May Zeus, O stranger, give thee thy dearest wish and thy heart'sdesire. Thou only shalt be beggar in Ithaka. ' They laughed and laughedagain when Antinous brought out the great pudding that was the prize. Odysseus took it from him. And another of the wooers pledged him in agolden cup, saying, 'May you come to your own, O beggar, and mayhappiness be yours in time to come. '

While these things were happening, the wife of Odysseus, the ladyPenelope, called to Eurycleia, and said, 'This evening I will go intothe hall of our house and speak to my son, Telemachus. Bid my twohandmaidens make ready to come with me, for I shrink from going amongstthe wooers alone. '

Eurycleia went to tell the handmaidens and Penelope washed off hercheeks the traces of the tears that she had wept that day. Then she satdown to wait for the handmaidens to come to her. As she waited she fellinto a deep sleep. And as she slept, the goddess Pallas Athene bathedher face in the Water of Beauty and took all weariness away from herbody, and restored all her youthfulness to her. The sound of thehandmaidens' voices as they came in awakened her, and Penelope rose upto go into the hall. 

Now when she came amongst them with her two handmaidens, one standingeach side of her, the wooers were amazed, for they had never seen one sobeautiful. The hearts of all were enchanted with love for her, and eachprayed that he might have her for his wife. 

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

'Telemachus, ' she said, 'I have heard that a stranger has beenill-treated in this house. How, my child, didst thou permit such a thingto happen?'

Telemachus said, 'My lady mother, thou hast no right to be angered atwhat took place in this hall. '

So they spoke to one another, mother and son. Now one of the wooers, Eurymachus by name, spoke to Penelope, saying:

'Lady, if any more than we beheld thee in the beauty thou hast now, byso many more wouldst thou have wooers to-morrow. '

'Speak not so to me, lord Eurymachus, ' said Penelope, 'speak not of mybeauty, which departed in the grief I felt when my lord went to the warsof Troy. '

[Illustration]

Odysseus stood up, and gazed upon his wife who was standing amongst herwooers. Eurymachus noted him and going to him, said, 'Stranger, wouldstthou be my hireling? If thou wouldst work on my upland farm, I shouldgive thee food and clothes. But I think thou art practised only inshifts and dodges, and that thou wouldst prefer to go begging thy waythrough the country. '

Odysseus, standing there, said to that proud wooer, 'Lord Eurymachus, ifthere might be a trial of labour between us two, I know which of uswould come out the better man. I would that we two stood together, ascythe in the hands of each, and a good swath of meadow to be mown--thenwould I match with thee, fasting from dawn until evening's dark. Orwould that we were set ploughing together. Then thou shouldst see whowould plough the longest and the best furrow! Or would that we two werein the ways of war! Then shouldst thou see who would be in the frontrank of battle. Thou dost think thyself a great man. But if Odysseusshould return, that door, wide as it is, would be too narrow for thyflight. '

So angry was Eurymachus at this speech that he would have struckOdysseus if Telemachus had not come amongst the wooers, saying, 'Thatman must not be struck again in this hall. Sirs, if you have finishedfeasting, and if the time has come for you, go to your own homes, go inpeace I pray you. '

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

The wine was poured out and the wooers departed. Then Penelope and herhandmaidens went to her own chamber and Telemachus was left with hisfather, Odysseus. 

XII

To Telemachus Odysseus said, 'My son, we must now get the weapons out ofthe hall. Take them down from the walls. ' Telemachus and his father tookdown the helmets and shields and sharp-pointed spears. Then saidOdysseus as they carried them out, 'To-morrow, when the wooers miss theweapons and say, "Why have they been taken?" answer them, saying, "Thesmoke of the fire dulled them, and they no longer looked the weaponsthat my father left behind him when he went to the wars of Troy. Besides, I am fearful lest some day the company in the hall come to aquarrel, one with the other, and snatch the weapons in anger. Strife hascome here already. And iron draws iron, men say. "'

Telemachus carried the armour and weapons out of the hall and hid themin the women's apartment. Then when the hall was cleared he went to hisown chamber. 

It was then that Penelope came back to the hall to speak to thestranger. One of her handmaidens, Melantho by name, was there, and shewas speaking angrily to him. Now this Melantho was proud and hard ofheart because Antinous often conversed with her. As Penelope came nearshe was saying:

'Stranger, art thou still here, prying things out and spying on theservants? Be thankful for the supper thou hast gotten and betake thyselfout of this. '

Odysseus, looking fiercely at her, said, 'Why shouldst thou speak to mein such a way? If I go in ragged clothes and beg through the land it isbecause of my necessity. Once I had a house with servants and with muchsubstance, and the stranger who came there was not abused. '

The lady Penelope called to the handmaiden and said, 'Thou, Melantho, didst hear it from mine own lips that I was minded to speak to thisstranger and ask him if he had tidings of my lord. Therefore, it doesnot become thee to revile him. ' She spoke to the old nurse who had comewith her, and said, 'Eurycleia, bring to the fire a bench, with a fleeceupon it, that this stranger may sit and tell me his story. '

Eurycleia brought over the bench, and Odysseus sat down near the fire. Then said the lady Penelope, 'First, stranger, wilt thou tell me whothou art, and what is thy name, and thy race and thy country?'

Said Odysseus, 'Ask me all thou wilt, lady, but inquire not concerningmy name, or race, or country, lest thou shouldst fill my heart with morepains than I am able to endure. Verily I am a man of grief. But hastthou no tale to tell me? We know of thee, Penelope, for thy fame goes upto heaven, and no one of mortal men can find fault with thee. '

Then said Penelope, 'What excellence I had of face or form departed fromme when my lord Odysseus went from this hall to the wars of Troy. Andsince he went a host of ills has beset me. Ah, would that he were hereto watch over my life! The lords of all the islands around--Dulichiumand Same and Zacynthus; and the lords of the land of Ithaka, have comehere and are wooing me against my will. They devour the substance ofthis house and my son is being impoverished. '

'Long ago a god put into my mind a device to keep marriage with any ofthem away from me. I set up a great web upon my loom and I spoke to thewooers, saying, "Odysseus is assuredly dead, but I crave that you be noteager to speed on this marriage with me. Wait until I finish the web Iam weaving. It is a shroud for Odysseus' father, and I make it againstthe day when death shall come to him. There will be no woman to care forLaertes when I have left his son's house, and I would not have such ahero lie without a shroud, lest the women of our land should blame mefor neglect of my husband's father in his last days. '"

'So I spoke, and they agreed to wait until the web was woven. In thedaytime I wove it, but at night I unravelled the web. So three yearspassed away. Then the fourth year came, and my wooers were hard to dealwith. My treacherous handmaidens brought them upon me as I wasunravelling the web. And now I cannot devise any other plan to keep themarriage away from me. My parents command me to marry one of my wooers. My son cannot long endure to see the substance of his house and fieldbeing wasted, and the wealth that should be his destroyed. He too wouldwish that I should marry. And there is no reason why I should not be wedagain, for surely Odysseus, my lord, is dead. '

Said Odysseus, 'Thy lord was known to me. On his way to Troy he came tomy land, for the wind blew him out of his course, sending him wanderingpast Malea. For twelve days he stayed in my city, and I gave him goodentertainment, and saw that he lacked for nothing in cattle, or wine, orbarley meal. '

When Odysseus was spoken of, the heart of Penelope melted, and tears randown her cheeks. Odysseus had pity for his wife when he saw her weepingfor the man who was even then sitting by her. Tears would have run downhis own cheeks only that he was strong enough to hold them back. 

Said Penelope, 'Stranger, I cannot help but question thee aboutOdysseus. What raiment had he on when thou didst see him? And what menwere with him?'

Said Odysseus, 'Lady, it is hard for one so long parted from him to tellthee what thou hast asked. It is now twenty years since I saw Odysseus. He wore a purple mantle that was fastened with a brooch. And this broochhad on it the image of a hound holding a fawn between its fore-paws. Allthe people marvelled at this brooch, for it was of gold, and the fawnand the hound were done to the life. And I remember that there was ahenchman with Odysseus--he was a man somewhat older than his master, round shouldered and black-skinned and curly headed. His name wasEurybates, and Odysseus honoured him above the rest of his company. '

When he spoke, giving such tokens of Odysseus, Penelope wept again. Andwhen she had wept for a long time she said:

'Stranger, thou wert made welcome, but now thou shalt be honoured inthis hall. Thou dost speak of the garments that Odysseus wore. It was Iwho gave him these garments, folding them myself and bringing them outof the chamber. And it was I who gave him the brooch that thou hastdescribed. Ah, it was an evil fate that took him from me, bringing himto Troy, that place too evil to be named by me. '

Odysseus leaned towards her, and said, 6 Do not waste thy heart withendless weeping, lady. Cease from lamentation, and lay up in thy mindthe word I give thee. Odysseus is near. He has lost all his companions, and he knows not how to come into this house, whether openly or bystealth. I swear it. By the hearth of Odysseus to which I am come, Iswear that Odysseus himself will stand up here before the old moon wanesand the new moon is born. '

'Ah, no, ' said Penelope. 'Often before have wanderers told me suchcomfortable things, and I believed them. I know now that thy word cannotbe accomplished. But it is time for thee to rest thyself, stranger. Myhandmaidens will make a bed for thee in the vestibule, and then come tothee and bathe thy feet. '

Said Odysseus, 'Thy handmaidens would be loath to touch the feet of awanderer such as I. But if there is in the house some old wife who hasborne such troubles as I have borne, I would have my feet bathed byher. '

Said Penelope, 'Here is an ancient woman who nursed and tended thathapless man, Odysseus. She took him in her arms in the very hour he wasborn. Eurycleia, wash the feet of this man, who knew thy lord and mine. '

Thereupon the nurse, old Eurycleia, fetched water, both hot and cold, and brought the bath to the hearth. And standing before Odysseus in theflickering light of the fire, she said, 'I will wash thy feet, both forPenelope's sake and for thine own. The heart within me is moved at thesight of thee. Many strangers have come into this hall, but I have neverseen one that was so like as thou art to Odysseus. '

Said Odysseus, 'Many people have said that Odysseus and I favour eachother. '

His feet were in the water, and she put her hand upon one of them. Asshe did so, Odysseus turned his face away to the darkness, for itsuddenly came into his mind that his nurse, old Eurycleia, mightrecognize the scar that was upon that foot. 

How came it there, that scar? It had been made long ago when a boar'stusk had ripped up the flesh of his foot. Odysseus was then a youth, andhe had gone to the mountain Parnassus to visit there his mother'sfather. 

One morning, with his uncles, young Odysseus went up the slope of themountain Parnassus, to hunt with hounds. In a thick lair a mighty boarwas lying. When the sound of the men's trampling came near him, hesprang up with gleaming eyes and stood before them all. Odysseus, holding his spear in his hands, rushed upon him. But before he couldstrike him, the boar charged, ripping deep into his flesh with his tusk. Then Odysseus speared him through the shoulder and the boar was slain. His uncles staunched the wound and he stayed with them on the mountainParnassus, in his grandfather's house, until the wound was healed. 

And now, as Eurycleia, his old nurse, passed her hands along the leg, she let his foot drop suddenly. His knee struck against the bath, andthe vessel of water was overturned. The nurse touched the chin ofOdysseus and she said, 'Thou art Odysseus. '

She looked to where Penelope was sitting, so that she might make a signto her. But Penelope had her eyes turned away. Odysseus put his hand onEurycleia's mouth, and with the other hand he drew her to him. 

'Woman, ' he whispered. 'Say nothing. Be silent, lest mine enemies learnwhat thou knowest now. '

'Silent I'll be, ' said the nurse Eurycleia. 'Thou knowest me. Firm andunyielding I am, and by no sign will I let anyone know that thou hastcome under this roof. '

[Illustration. ]

So saying she went out of the hall to fetch water in the place of thatwhich had been spilt. She came back and finished bathing his feet. ThenOdysseus arranged the rags around his leg to hide the scar, and he drewthe bench closer to the fire. 

Penelope turned to him again, 'Wise thou art, my guest, ' she said, 'andit may be that thou art just such a man as can interpret a dream thatcomes to me constantly. I have twenty geese in the yard outside. In mydream I see them, and then a great eagle flies down from the mountains, and breaks their necks and kills them all, and lays them in a heap inthis hall. I weep and lament for my geese, but then the eagle comesback, and perching on a beam of the roof speaks to me in the voice of aman. "Take heart, O wife of Odysseus, " the eagle says, "this is no dreambut a true vision. For the geese that thou hast seen are thy wooers, andI, that appeared as an eagle, am thy husband who will swiftly bringdeath to the wooers. " Then the dream goes, and I waken and look out onthe daylight and see my geese in the courtyard pecking at the wheat inthe trough. Canst thou interpret this dream?'

'Lady, ' said Odysseus, 'the dream interprets itself. All will come aboutas thou hast dreamed. '

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

'And how wilt thou choose from amongst them?' said Odysseus. 

'In this way will I make choice, ' said Penelope. 'My husband's great bowis still in the house. The one who can bend that bow, and shoot an arrowthrough the holes in the backs of twelve axes set one behind theother--him will I choose for my husband. '

Said Odysseus, 'Thy device is good, Penelope, and some god hathinstructed thee to do this. But delay no longer the contest of the bow. Let it be to-morrow. '

'Is that thy counsel, O stranger?' said Penelope. 

'It is my counsel, ' said Odysseus. 

'I thank thee for thy counsel, ' she said. 'And now farewell, for I mustgo to my rest. And do thou lie down in the vestibule, in the bed thathas been made for thee. '

So Penelope spoke, and then she went to her chamber with herhandmaidens. And in her bed she thought over all the stranger had toldher of Odysseus, and she wept again for him. 

XIII

All night Odysseus lay awake, tossing this side and that, as he ponderedon how he might slay the wooers, and save his house from them. As soonas the dawn came, he went into the open air and, lifting up his hands, prayed to Zeus, the greatest of the gods, that he might be shown somesign, as to whether he would win victory or meet with defeat. 

And then, as he was going within the house, he heard the voice of awoman who ground barley-meal between stones. She was one of twelve, butthe other women had fallen asleep by the quern-stones. She was anancient, wretched woman, covered all over with the dust of the grain, and, as Odysseus came near her, she lifted up her hands and prayed in aweak voice:

'O Zeus, even for miserable me, fulfil a prayer! May this be the lastday that the wooers make their feast in the house of Odysseus! They haveloosened my knees with the cruel toil they have made me undergo, grinding for them the barley for the bread they eat. O Zeus, may theyto-day sup their last!'

Thus the quern-woman spoke, as Odysseus crossed his threshold. He wasglad of her speech, for it seemed to him her words were an omen fromZeus, and that vengeance would soon be wrought upon the proud andhard-hearted men who wasted the goods of the house and oppressed theservants. 

And now the maids came into the hall from the women's apartment, andsome cleaned the tables and others took pitchers and went to the wellfor water. Then men-servants came in and split the fagots for the fire. Other servants came into the courtyard--Eumæus the swineherd, drivingfatted swine, the best of his drove, and Philœtius the cattle-herdbringing a calf. The goatherd Melanthius, him whom Odysseus and Eumæushad met on the road the day before, also came, bringing the best goatsof his flock to be killed for the wooers' feast. 

When the cattle-herd, Philœtius, saw a stranger in the guise of abeggar, he called out as he tethered the calf in the yard, 'Hail, stranger friend! My eyes fill with tears as I look on thee. For evennow, clad as thou art in rags, thou dost make me think of my masterOdysseus, who may be a wanderer such as thou in friendless lands. Ah, that he might return and make a scattering of the wooers in his hall. 'Eumæus the swineherd came up to Philœtius and made the same prayer. These two, and the ancient woman at the quern, were the only ones of hisservants whom he heard pray for his return. 

And now the wooers came into the hall. Philœtius the cattle-herd, andMelanthius the evil goatherd, went amongst them, handing them bread andmeat and wine. Odysseus stood outside the hall until Telemachus went tohim and brought him within. 

Now there was amongst the wooers a man named Ctesippus, and he was therudest and the roughest of them all. When he saw Telemachus bringingOdysseus within he shouted out, 'Here is a guest of Telemachus to whomsome gift is due from us. It will be unseemly if he should get nothingto-day. Therefore I will bestow this upon him as a token. '

Saying this, Ctesippus took up the foot of a slaughtered ox and flung itfull at Odysseus. Odysseus drew back, and the ox's foot struck the wall. Then did Odysseus smile grimly upon the wooers. 

Said Telemachus, 'Verily, Ctesippus, the cast turned out happily forthyself. For if thou shouldst have struck my guest, there would havebeen a funeral feast instead of a wedding banquet in thy father's house. Assuredly I should have driven my spear through thee. '

All the wooers were silent when Telemachus spoke these bold words. Butsoon they fell laughing at something one of their number said. The guestfrom Telemachus' ship, Theoclymenus, was there, and he started up andwent to leave the hall. 

'Why dost thou go, my guest?' said Telemachus. 

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

So Theoclymenus spoke, and all the wooers laughed at the second-sightedman, for he stumbled about the hall as if it were in darkness. Then saidone of the wooers, 'Lead that man out of the house, for surely he cannottell day from night. '

'I will go from the place, ' said Theoclymenus. 'I see death approaching. Not one of all the company before me will be able to avoid it. '

[Illustration. ]

So saying, the second-sighted man went out of the hall. The wooerslooking at each other laughed again, and one of them said:

'Telemachus has no luck in his guests. One is a dirty beggar, who thinksof nothing but what he can put from his hand into his mouth, and theother wants to stand up here and play the seer. ' So the wooers spake inmockery, but neither Telemachus nor Odysseus paid heed to their words, for their minds were bent upon the time when they should take vengeanceupon them. 

XIV

In the treasure-chamber of the house Odysseus' great bow was kept. Thatbow had been given to him by a hero named Iphitus long ago. Odysseus hadnot taken it with him when he went to the wars of Troy. 

To the treasure-chamber Penelope went. She carried in her hand the greatkey that opened the doors--a key all of bronze with a handle of ivory. Now as she thrust the key into the locks, the doors groaned as a bullgroans. She went within, and saw the great bow upon its peg. She took itdown and laid it upon her knees, and thought long upon the man who hadbent it. 

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

When she came in she spoke to the company and said: 'Lords of Ithaka andof the islands around: You have come here, each desiring that I shouldwed him. Now the time has come for me to make my choice of a man fromamongst you. Here is how I shall make choice. '

'This is the bow of Odysseus, my lord who is no more. Whosoever amongstyou who can bend this bow and shoot an arrow from it through the holesin the backs of twelve axes which I shall have set up, him will I wed, and to his house I will go, forsaking the house of my wedlock, thishouse so filled with treasure and substance, this house which I shallremember in my dreams. '

As she spoke Telemachus took the twelve axes and set them upright in aneven line, so that one could shoot an arrow through the hole that was inthe back of each axe-head. Then Eumæus, the old swineherd, took the bowof Odysseus, and laid it before the wooers. 

One of the wooers took up the bow and tried to bend it. But he could notbend it, and he laid it down at the doorway with the arrow beside it. The others took up the bow, and warmed it at the fire, and rubbed itwith lard to make it more pliable. As they were doing this, Eumæus, theswineherd, and Philœtius, the cattleherd, passed out of the hall. 

Odysseus followed them into the courtyard. He laid a hand on each andsaid, 'Swineherd and cattleherd, I have a word to say to you. But willyou keep it to yourselves, the word I say? And first, what would you doto help Odysseus if he should return? Would you stand on his side, or onthe side of the wooers? Answer me now from your hearts. '

Said Philœtius the cattleherd, 'May Zeus fulfil my wish and bringOdysseus back! Then thou shouldst know on whose side I would stand. 'And Eumæus said, 'If Odysseus should return I would be on his side, andthat with all the strength that is in me. '

When they said this, Odysseus declared himself. Lifting up his hand toheaven he said, 'I am your master, Odysseus. After twenty years I havecome back to my own country, and I find that of all my servants, by youtwo alone is my homecoming desired. If you need see a token that I amindeed Odysseus, look down on my foot. See there the mark that the wildboar left on me in the days of my youth. '

Straightway he drew the rags from, the scar, and the swineherd and thecattleherd saw it and marked it well. Knowing that it was indeedOdysseus who stood before them, they cast their arms around him andkissed him on the head and shoulders. And Odysseus was moved by theirtears, and he kissed their heads and their hands. 

As they went back to the hall, he told Eumæus to bring the bow to him ashe was bearing it through the hall. He told him, too, to orderEurycleia, the faithful nurse, to bar the doors of the women's apartmentat the end of the hall, and to bid the women, even if they heard agroaning and a din, not to come into the hall. And he charged thecattleherd Philœtius to bar the gates of the courtyard. 

As he went into the hall, one of the wooers, Eurymachus, was striving tobend the bow. As he struggled to do so he groaned aloud:

'Not because I may not marry Penelope do I groan, but because we youthsof to-day are shown to be weaklings beside Odysseus, whose bow we can inno way bend. '

Then Antinous, the proudest of the wooers, made answer and said, 'Whyshould we strive to bend the bow to-day? Nay, lay the bow aside, Eurymachus, and let the wine-bearers pour us out a cupful each. In themorning let us make sacrifice to the Archer-god, and pray that the bowbe fitted to some of our hands. '

Then Odysseus came forward and said, 'Sirs, you do well to lay the bowaside for to-day. But will you not put the bow into my hands, that I maytry to bend it, and judge for myself whether I have any of the strengththat once was mine?'

All the wooers were angry that a seeming beggar should attempt to bendthe bow that none of their company were able to bend; Antinous spoke tohim sharply and said:

'Thou wretched beggar! Is it not enough that thou art let into this highhall to pick up scraps, but thou must listen to our speech and join inour conversation? If thou shouldst bend that bow we will make shortshrift of thee, I promise. We will put thee on a ship and send thee overto King Echetus, who will cut thee to pieces and give thy flesh to hishounds. '

Old Eumæus had taken up the bow. As he went with it to Odysseus some ofthem shouted to him, 'Where art thou going with the bow, thou crazyfellow? Put it down, ' Eumæus was confused by their shouts, and he putdown the bow. 

Then Telemachus spoke to him and said, 'Eumæus, beware of being the manwho served many masters. ' Eumæus, hearing these words, took it up againand brought it to Odysseus, and put the bow into his hands. 

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

For long Odysseus stood with the bow in his hands, handling it as aminstrel handles a lyre when he stretches a cord or tightens a peg. Thenhe bent the great bow; he bent it without an effort, and at his touchthe bow-string made a sound that was like the cry of a swallow. Thewooers seeing him bend that mighty bow felt, every man of them, a sharppain at the heart. They saw Odysseus take up an arrow and fit it to thestring. He held the notch, and he drew the string, and he shot thebronze-weighted arrow straight through the holes in the back of theaxe-heads. 

Then as Eumæus took up the axes, and brought them outside, he said, 'Thou seest, lord Telemachus, that thy guest does not shame thee throughfoolish boasting. I have bent the bow of Odysseus, and I have shot thearrow aright. But now it is time to provide the feast for the lords whowoo thy lady mother. While it is yet light, the feast must be served tothem, and with the feast they must have music and the dance. '

[Illustration. ]

Saying this he nodded to Telemachus, bending his terrible brows. Telemachus instantly girt his sword upon him and took his spear in hishand. Outside was heard the thunder of Zeus. And now Odysseus hadstripped his rags from him and was standing upright, looking a master ofmen. The mighty bow was in his hands, and at his feet were scatteredmany bronze-weighted arrows. 

XV

It is ended, ' Odysseus said, 'My trial is ended. Now will I have anothermark. ' Saying this, he put the bronze-weighted arrow against the stringof the bow, and shot at the first of his enemies. 

It was at Antinous he pointed the arrow--at Antinous who was even thenlifting up a golden cup filled with wine, and who was smiling, withdeath far from his thoughts. Odysseus aimed at him, and smote him withthe arrow in the throat and the point passed out clean through his neck. The wine cup fell from his hands and Antinous fell dead across thetable. Then did all the wooers raise a shout, threatening Odysseus forsending an arrow astray. It did not come into their minds that thisstranger-beggar had aimed to kill Antinous. 

But Odysseus shouted back to them, 'Ye dogs, ye that said in your heartsthat Odysseus would never return to his home, ye that wasted mysubstance, and troubled my wife, and injured my servants; ye who showedno fear of heaven, nor of the just judgements of men; behold Odysseusreturned, and know what death is being loosed on you!'

Then Eurymachus shouted out, 'Friends, this man will not hold his hands, nor cease from shooting with the bow, until all of us are slain. Nowmust we enter into the battle with him. Draw your swords and hold up thetables before you for shields and advance upon him. '

But even as he spoke Odysseus, with a terrible cry, loosed an arrow athim and shot Eurymachus through the breast. He let the sword fall fromhis hand, and he too fell dead upon the floor. 

One of the band rushed straight at Odysseus with his sword in hand. ButTelemachus was at hand, and he drove his spear through this man'sshoulders. Then Telemachus ran quickly to a chamber where there wereweapons and armour lying. The swineherd and the cattleherd joined him, and all three put armour upon them. Odysseus, as long as he had arrowsto defend himself, kept shooting at and smiting the wooers. When all thearrows were gone, he put the helmet on his head and took up the shieldthat Telemachus had brought, and the two great spears. 

But now Melanthius, the goatherd--he who was the enemy of Odysseus, gotinto the chamber where the arms were kept, and brought out spears andshields and helmets, and gave them to the wooers. Seeing the goatherd goback for more arms, Telemachus and Eumæus dashed into the chamber, andcaught him and bound him with a rope, and dragged him up near theroof-beams, and left him hanging there. Then they closed and bolted thedoor, and stood on guard. 

Many of the wooers lay dead upon the floor of the hall. Now one who wascalled Agelaus stood forward, and directed the wooers to cast spears atOdysseus. But not one of the spears they cast struck him, for Odysseuswas able to avoid them all. 

And now he directed Telemachus and Eumæus and Philœtius to cast theirspears. When they cast them with Odysseus, each one struck a man, andfour of the wooers fell down. And again Odysseus directed his followingto cast their spears, and again they cast them, and slew their men. Theydrove those who remained from one end of the hall to the other, and slewthem all. 

Straightway the doors of the women's apartment were flung open, andEurycleia appeared. She saw Odysseus amongst the bodies of the dead, allstained with blood. She would have cried out in triumph if Odysseus hadnot restrained her. 'Rejoice within thine own heart, ' he said, 'but donot cry aloud, for it is an unholy thing to triumph over men lying dead. These men the gods themselves have overcome, because of their own hardand unjust hearts. '

As he spoke the women came out of their chambers, carrying torches intheir hands. They fell upon Odysseus and embraced him and clasped andkissed his hands. A longing came over him to weep, for he rememberedthem from of old--every one of the servants who were there. 

[Illustration. ]

XVI

Eurycleia, the old nurse, went to the upper chamber where Penelope layin her bed. She bent over her and called out, 'Awake, Penelope, dearchild. Come down and see with thine own eyes what hath happened. Thewooers are overthrown. And he whom thou hast ever longed to see hathcome back. Odysseus, thy husband, hath returned. He hath slain the proudwooers who have troubled thee for so long. '

But Penelope only looked at the nurse, for she thought that her brainhad been turned. 

Still Eurycleia kept on saying, 'In very deed Odysseus is here. He isthat guest whom all the wooers dishonour in the hall. '

Then hearing Eurycleia say these words, Penelope sprang out of bed andput her arms round the nurse's neck. 'O tell me--if what thou dost saybe true--tell me how this stranger slew the wooers, who were so many. '

'I did not see the slaying, ' Eurycleia said, 'but I heard the groaningof the men as they were slain. And then I found Odysseus standingamongst many dead men, and it comforted my heart to see him standingthere like a lion aroused. Come with me now, lady, that you may bothenter into your heart's delight--you that have suffered so much ofaffliction. Thy lord hath come alive to his own hearth, and he hathfound his wife and his son alive and well. '

'Ah no!' said Penelope, 'ah no, Odysseus hath not returned. He who hathslain the wooers is one of the deathless gods, come down to punish themfor their injustice and their hardheartedness. Odysseus long ago lostthe way of his returning, and he is lying dead in some far-off land. '

'No, no, ' said Eurycleia. 'I can show thee that it is Odysseus indeedwho is in the hall. On his foot is the scar that the tusk of a boar gavehim in the old days. I spied it when I was washing his feet last night, and I would have told thee of it, but he clapped a hand across my mouthto stop my speech. Lo, I stake my life that it is Odysseus, and noneother who is in the hall below. '

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

Then said Telemachus, 'Mother, can it be that thy heart is so hard? Hereis my father, and thou wilt not go to him nor question him at all. '

Said Penelope, 'My mind is amazed and I have no strength to speak, norto ask him aught, nor even to look on him face to face. If this isindeed Odysseus who hath come home, a place has to be prepared for him. '

[Illustration]

Then Odysseus spoke to Telemachus and said, 'Go now to the bath, andmake thyself clean of the stains of battle. I will stay and speak withthy lady mother. '

'Strange lady, ' said he to Penelope, 'is thy heart indeed so hard? Noother woman in the world, I think, would stand so aloof from her husbandwho, after so much toil and so many trials, has come back after twentyyears to his own hearth. Is there no place for me here, and must I againsleep in the stranger's bed?'

Said Penelope, 'In no stranger's bed wilt thou lie, my lord. Come, Eurycleia. Set up for him his own bedstead outside his bed-chamber. '

Then Odysseus said to her, speaking in anger: 'How comes it that my bedcan be moved to this place and that? Not a bed of that kind was the bedI built for myself. Knowest thou not how I built my bed? First, theregrew up in the courtyard an olive tree. Round that olive tree I built achamber, and I roofed it well and I set doors to it. Then I sheared offall the light wood on the growing olive tree, and I rough-hewed thetrunk with the adze, and I made the tree into a bed post. Beginning withthis bed post I wrought a bedstead, and when I finished it, I inlaid itwith silver and ivory. Such was the bed I built for myself, and such abed could not be moved to this place or that. '

Then did Penelope know assuredly that the man who stood before her wasindeed her husband, the steadfast Odysseus--none other knew of where thebed was placed, and how it had been built. Penelope fell a-weeping andshe put her arms round his neck. 

'O Odysseus, my lord, ' she said, 'be not angry with thy wife. Always thefear was in my heart that some guileful stranger should come hereprofessing to be Odysseus, and that I should take him to me as myhusband. How terrible such a thing would be! But now my heart is freedfrom all doubts. Be not angry with me, Odysseus, for not throwing myselfon thy neck, as the women of the house did. '

Then husband and wife wept together, and Penelope said, 'It was the godsdid this to us, Odysseus--the gods who grudged that we should have joyof the days of our youth. '

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

XVII

And still many dangers had to be faced. The wooers whom Odysseus hadslain were the richest and the most powerful of the lords of Ithaka andthe Islands; all of them had fathers and brothers who would fain avengethem upon their slayer. 

Now before anyone in the City knew that he had returned, Odysseus wentforth to the farm that Laertes, his old father, stayed at. As he drewnear he saw an old man working in the vineyard, digging round a plant. When he came to him he saw that this old man was not a slave nor aservant, but Laertes, his own father. 

When he saw him, wasted with age and all uncared for, Odysseus stoodstill, leaning his hand against a pear tree and sorrowing in his heart. Old Laertes kept his head down as he stood digging at the plant, and hedid not see Odysseus until he stood before him and said:

'Old man, thou dost care for this garden well and all things here areflourishing--fig tree, and vine, and olive, and pear. But, if a strangermay say it, thine own self is not cared for well. '

'Who art thou that dost speak to me like this?' old Laertes said, lifting his head. 

'I am a stranger in Ithaka, ' said Odysseus. 'I seek a man whom I oncekindly treated--a man whose name was Odysseus. A stranger, he came tome, and he declared that he was of Ithaka, and that one day he wouldgive me entertainment for the entertainment I had given him. I know notif this man be still alive. '

Old Laertes wept before Odysseus. 'Ah, ' said he, 'if thou hadst beenable to find him here, the gifts you gave him would not have beenbestowed in vain. True hospitality thou wouldst have received fromOdysseus, my son. But he has perished--far from his country's soil hehas perished, the hapless man, and his mother wept not over him, nor hiswife, nor me, his father. '

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So he spake and then with his hands he took up the dust of the ground, and he strewed it over his head in his sorrow. The heart of Odysseus wasmoved with grief. He sprang forward and fell on his father's neck and hekissed him, saying:

'Behold I am here, even I, my father. I, Odysseus, have come back tomine own country. Cease thy lamentation until I tell thee of the thingsthat have happened. I have slain the wooers in mine hall, and I haveavenged all their injuries and all their wrongful doings. Dost thou notbelieve this, my father? Then look on what I will show thee. Behold onmy foot the mark of the boar's tusk--there it is from the days of myyouth. '

Laertes looked down on the bare foot, and he saw the scar, but still hismind was clouded by doubt. But then Odysseus took him through thegarden, and he told him of the fruit trees that Laertes had set for himwhen he, Odysseus, was a little child, following his father about thegarden--thirteen pear trees, and ten apple trees, and forty fig trees. 

When Odysseus showed him these Laertes knew that it was his son indeedwho stood before him--his son come back after twenty years' wandering. He cast his arms around his neck, and Odysseus caught him fainting tohis breast, and led him into the house. 

Within the house were Telemachus, and Eumæus the swineherd and Philœtiusthe cattleherd. They all clasped the hand of Laertes and their wordsraised his spirits. Then he was bathed, and, when he came from the bath, rubbed with olive oil he looked hale and strong, Odysseus said to him, 'Father, surely one of the gods has made thee goodlier and greater thanthou wert a while ago. '

Said the old hero Laertes: 'Ah, my son, would that I had such might aswhen, long before thou wert born, I took the Castle of Nericus thereupon the Foreland. Would that in such might, and with such mail upon myshoulders, I stood with thee yesterday when thou didst fight with thewooers. '

While they were speaking in this way the rumour of the slaying of thewooers went through the City. Then those who were related to the menslain went into the courtyard of Odysseus' house, and brought forth thebodies. Those who belonged to Ithaka they buried, and those who belongedto the Islands they put upon ships, and sent them with fisherfolk, eachto his own home. Many were wroth with Odysseus for the slaying of afriend. He who was the most wroth was Eupeithes, the father of Antinous. 

There was an assembly of the men of the country, and Eupeithes spake init, and all who were there pitied him. He told how Odysseus had led awaythe best of the men of Ithaka, and how he had lost them in his ships. And he told them how, when he returned, he slew the noblest of the menof Ithaka and the Islands in his own hall. He called upon them to slayOdysseus saying, 'If we avenge not ourselves on the slayer of our kin wewill be scorned for all time as weak and cowardly men. As for me, lifewill be no more sweet to me. I would rather die straightway and be withthe departed. Up now, and let us attack Odysseus and his followersbefore they take ship and escape across the sea. '

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

Now as the two bands came close to each other--Odysseus with Telemachusand Laertes; with the swineherd and the cattleherd; with Dolius, Laertes' servant, and with the six sons of Dolius--and Eupeithes withhis friends--a great figure came between. It was the figure of a tall, fair and splendid woman. Odysseus knew her for the goddess PallasAthene. 

'Hold your hands from fierce fighting, ye men of Ithaka, ' the goddesscalled out in a terrible voice. 'Hold your hands, ' Straightway the armsfell from each man's hands. Then the goddess called them together, andshe made them enter into a covenant that all bloodshed and wrong wouldbe forgotten, and that Odysseus would be left to rule Ithaka as a King, in peace. 

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So ends the story of Odysseus who went with King Agamemnon to the warsof Troy; who made the plan of the Wooden Horse by which Priam's City wastaken at last; who missed the way of his return, and came to the Land ofthe Lotus-eaters; who came to the Country of the dread Cyclôpes, to theIsland of Æolus and to the house of Circe, the Enchantress; who heardthe song of the Sirens, and came to the Rocks Wandering, and to theterrible Charybdis, and to Scylla, past whom no other man had wonscatheless; who landed on the Island where the Cattle of the Sun grazed, and who stayed upon Ogygia, the home of the nymph Calypso; so ends thestory of Odysseus, who would have been made deathless and ageless byCalypso if he had not yearned always to come back to his own hearth andhis own land. And spite of all his troubles and his toils he wasfortunate, for he found a constant wife and a dutiful son and a fatherstill alive to weep over him. 

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