THE ODYSSEY OF HOMER

S >> S. H. BUTCHER, M.A. >> THE ODYSSEY OF HOMER

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'Thus I rehearsed these things one and all, and declared
them to my company. Meanwhile our good ship quickly came to
the island of the Sirens twain, for a gentle breeze sped
her on her way. Then straightway the wind ceased, and lo,
there was a windless calm, and some god lulled the waves.
Then my company rose up and drew in the ship's sails, and
stowed them in the hold of the ship, while they sat at the
oars and whitened the water with their polished pine
blades. But I with my sharp sword cleft in pieces a great
circle of wax, and with my strong hands kneaded it. And
soon the wax grew warm, for that my great might constrained
it, and the beam of the lord Helios, son of Hyperion. And I
anointed therewith the ears of all my men in their order,
and in the ship they bound me hand and foot upright in the
mast-stead, and from the mast they fastened rope-ends and
themselves sat down, and smote the grey sea water with
their oars. But when the ship was within the sound of a
man's shout from the land, we fleeing swiftly on our way,
the Sirens espied the swift ship speeding toward them, and
they raised their clear-toned song:

'"Hither, come hither, renowned Odysseus, great glory of
the Achaeans, here stay thy barque, that thou mayest listen
to the voice of us twain. For none hath ever driven by this
way in his black ship, till he hath heard from our lips the
voice sweet as the honeycomb, and hath had joy thereof and
gone on his way the wiser. For lo, we know all things, all
the travail that in wide Troy-land the Argives and Trojans
bare by the gods' designs, yea, and we know all that shall
hereafter be upon the fruitful earth."

'So spake they uttering a sweet voice, and my heart was
fain to listen, and I bade my company unbind me, nodding at
them with a frown, but they bent to their oars and rowed
on. Then straight uprose Perimedes and Eurylochus and bound
me with more cords and straitened me yet the more. Now
when we had driven past them, nor heard we any longer the
sound of the Sirens or their song, forthwith my dear
company took away the wax wherewith I had anointed their
ears and loosed me from my bonds.

'But so soon as we left that isle, thereafter presently I
saw smoke and a great wave, and heard the sea roaring. Then
for very fear the oars flew from their hands, and down the
stream they all splashed, and the ship was holden there,
for my company no longer plied with their hands the
tapering oars. But I paced the ship and cheered on my men,
as I stood by each one and spake smooth words:

'"Friends, forasmuch as in sorrow we are not all unlearned,
truly this is no greater woe that is upon us, {*} than when
the Cyclops penned us by main might in his hollow cave; yet
even thence we made escape by my manfulness, even by my
counsel and my wit, and some day I think that this
adventure too we shall remember. Come now, therefore, let
us all give ear to do according to my word. Do ye smite the
deep surf of the sea with your oars, as ye sit on the
benches, if peradventure Zeus may grant us to escape from
and shun this death. And as for thee, helmsman, thus I
charge thee, and ponder it in thine heart seeing that thou
wieldest the helm of the hollow ship. Keep the ship well
away from this smoke and from the wave and hug the rocks,
lest the ship, ere thou art aware, start from her course to
the other side, and so thou hurl us into ruin."

{* Reading [Greek], not [Greek] with La Roche.}

'So I spake, and quickly they hearkened to my words. But of
Scylla I told them nothing more, a bane none might deal
with, lest haply my company should cease from rowing for
fear, and hide them in the hold. In that same hour I
suffered myself to forget the hard behest of Circe, in that
she bade me in nowise be armed; but I did on my glorious
harness and caught up two long lances in my hands, and went
on the decking of the prow, for thence methought that
Scylla of the rock would first be seen, who was to bring
woe on my company. Yet could I not spy her anywhere, and my
eyes waxed weary for gazing all about toward the darkness
of the rock.

"Next we began to sail up the narrow strait lamenting. For
on the one hand lay Scylla, and on the other mighty
Charybdis in terrible wise sucked down the salt sea water.
As often as she belched it forth, like a cauldron on a
great fire she would seethe up through all her troubled
deeps, and overhead the spray fell on the tops of either
cliff. But oft as she gulped down the salt sea water,
within she was all plain to see through her troubled deeps,
and the rock around roared horribly and beneath the earth
was manifest swart with sand, and pale fear gat hold on my
men. Toward her, then, we looked fearing destruction; but
Scylla meanwhile caught from out my hollow ship six of my
company, the hardiest of their hands and the chief in
might. And looking into the swift ship to find my men, even
then I marked their feet and hands as they were lifted on
high, and they cried aloud in their agony, and called me by
my name for that last time of all. Even as when as fisher
on some headland lets down with a long rod his baits for a
snare to the little fishes below, casting into the deep the
horn of an ox of the homestead, and as he catches each
flings it writhing ashore, so writhing were they borne
upward to the cliff. And there she devoured them shrieking
in her gates, they stretching forth their hands to me in
the dread death-struggle. And the most pitiful thing was
this that mine eyes have seen of all my travail in
searching out the paths of the sea.

'Now when we had escaped the Rocks and dread Charybdis and
Scylla, thereafter we soon came to the fair island of the
god; where were the goodly kine, broad of brow, and the
many brave flocks of Helios Hyperion. Then while as yet I
was in my black ship upon the deep, I heard the lowing of
the cattle being stalled and the bleating of the sheep, and
on my mind there fell the saying of the blind seer, Theban
Teiresias, and of Circe of Aia, who charged me very
straitly to shun the isle of Helios, the gladdener of the
world. Then I spake out among my company in sorrow of
heart:

'"Hear my words, my men, albeit in evil plight, that I may
declare unto you the oracles of Teiresias and of Circe of
Aia, who very straitly charged me to shun the isle of
Helios, the gladdener of the world. For there she said the
most dreadful mischief would befal us. Nay, drive ye then
the black ship beyond and past that isle."

'So spake I, and their heart was broken within them. And
Eurylochus straightway answered me sadly, saying:

'"Hardy art thou, Odysseus, of might beyond measure, and
thy limbs are never weary; verily thou art fashioned all of
iron, that sufferest not thy fellows, foredone with toil
and drowsiness, to set foot on shore, where we might
presently prepare us a good supper in this sea-girt island.
But even as we are thou biddest us fare blindly through the
sudden night, and from the isle go wandering on the misty
deep. And strong winds, the bane of ships, are born of the
night. How could a man escape from utter doom, if there
chanced to come a sudden blast of the South Wind, or of the
boisterous West, which mainly wreck ships, beyond the will
of the gods, the lords of all? Howbeit for this present let
us yield to the black night, and we will make ready our
supper abiding by the swift ship, and in the morning we
will climb on board, and put out into the broad deep."

'So spake Eurylochus, and the rest of my company consented
thereto. Then at the last I knew that some god was indeed
imagining evil, and I uttered my voice and spake unto him
winged words:

'"Eurylochus, verily ye put force upon me, being but one
among you all. But come, swear me now a mighty oath, one
and all, to the intent that if we light on a herd of kine
or a great flock of sheep, none in the evil folly of his
heart may slay any sheep or ox; but in quiet eat ye the
meat which the deathless Circe gave."

'So I spake, and straightway they swore to refrain as I
commanded them. Now after they had sworn and done that
oath, we stayed our well-builded ship in the hollow harbour
near to a well of sweet water, and my company went forth
from out the ship and deftly got ready supper. But when
they had put from them the desire of meat and drink,
thereafter they fell a weeping as they thought upon their
dear companions whom Scylla had snatched from out the
hollow ship and so devoured. And deep sleep came upon them
amid their weeping. And when it was the third watch of the
night, and the stars had crossed the zenith, Zeus the
cloud-gatherer roused against them an angry wind with
wondrous tempest, and shrouded in clouds land and sea
alike, and from heaven sped down the night. Now when early
Dawn shone forth, the rosy-fingered, we beached the ship,
and dragged it up within a hollow cave, where were the fair
dancing grounds of the nymphs and the places of their
session. Thereupon I ordered a gathering of my men and
spake in their midst, saying:

'"Friends, forasmuch as there is yet meat and drink in the
swift ship, let us keep our hands off those kine, lest some
evil thing befal us. For these are the kine and the brave
flocks of a dread god, even of Helios, who overseeth all
and overheareth all things."

'So I spake, and their lordly spirit hearkened thereto.
Then for a whole month the South Wind blew without ceasing,
and no other wind arose, save only the East and the South.

'Now so long as my company still had corn and red wine,
they refrained them from the kine, for they were fain of
life. But when the corn was now all spent from out the
ship, and they went wandering with barbed hooks in quest of
game, as needs they must, fishes and fowls, whatsoever
might come to their hand, for hunger gnawed at their belly,
then at last I departed up the isle, that I might pray to
the gods, if perchance some one of them might show me a way
of returning. And now when I had avoided my company on my
way through the island, I laved my hands where was a
shelter from the wind, and prayed to all the gods that hold
Olympus. But they shed sweet sleep upon my eyelids. And
Eurylochus the while set forth an evil counsel to my
company:

'"Hear my words, my friends, though ye be in evil case.
Truly every shape of death is hateful to wretched mortals,
but to die of hunger and so meet doom is most pitiful of
all. Nay come, we will drive off the best of the kine of
Helios and will do sacrifice to the deathless gods who keep
wide heaven. And if we may yet reach Ithaca, our own
country, forthwith will we rear a rich shrine to Helios
Hyperion, and therein would we set many a choice offering.
But if he be somewhat wroth for his cattle with straight
horns, and is fain to wreck our ship, and the other gods
follow his desire, rather with one gulp at the wave would I
cast my life away, than be slowly straitened to death in a
desert isle."

'So spake Eurylochus, and the rest of the company consented
thereto. Forthwith they drave off the best of the kine of
Helios that were nigh at hand, for the fair kine of
shambling gait and broad of brow were feeding no great way
from the dark-prowed ship. Then they stood around the
cattle and prayed to the gods, plucking the fresh leaves
from an oak of lofty boughs, for they had no white barley
on board the decked ship. Now after they had prayed and cut
the throats of the kine and flayed them, they cut out
slices of the thighs and wrapped them in the fat, making a
double fold, and thereon they laid raw flesh. Yet had they
no pure wine to pour over the flaming sacrifices, but they
made libation with water and roasted the entrails over the
fire. Now after the thighs were quite consumed and they had
tasted the inner parts, they cut the rest up small and
spitted it on spits. In the same hour deep sleep sped from
my eyelids and I sallied forth to the swift ship and the
sea-banks. But on my way as I drew near to the curved ship,
the sweet savour of the fat came all about me; and I
groaned and spake out before the deathless gods:

'"Father Zeus, and all ye other blessed gods that live for
ever, verily to my undoing ye have lulled me with a
ruthless sleep, and my company abiding behind have imagined
a monstrous deed."

'Then swiftly to Helios Hyperion came Lampetie of the long
robes, with the tidings that we had slain his kine. And
straight he spake with angry heart amid the Immortals:

'"Father Zeus, and all ye other blessed gods that live for
ever, take vengeance I pray you on the company of Odysseus,
son of Laertes, that have insolently slain my cattle,
wherein I was wont to be glad as I went toward the starry
heaven, and when I again turned earthward from the
firmament. And if they pay me not full atonement for the
cattle, I will go down to Hades and shine among the dead."

'And Zeus the cloud-gatherer answered him, saying: "Helios,
do thou, I say, shine on amidst the deathless gods, and
amid mortal men upon the earth, the grain-giver. But as for
me, I will soon smite their swift ship with my white bolt,
and cleave it in pieces in the midst of the wine-dark
deep."

'This I heard from Calypso of the fair hair; and she said
that she herself had heard it from Hermes the Messenger.

'But when I had come down to the ship and to the sea, I
went up to my companions and rebuked them one by one; but
we could find no remedy, the cattle were dead and gone. And
soon thereafter the gods showed forth signs and wonders to
my company. The skins were creeping, and the flesh
bellowing upon the spits, both the roast and raw, and there
was a sound as the voice of kine.

'Then for six days my dear company feasted on the best of
the kine of Helios which they had driven off. But when
Zeus, son of Cronos, had added the seventh day thereto,
thereafter the wind ceased to blow with a rushing storm,
and at once we climbed the ship and launched into the broad
deep, when we had set up the mast and hoisted the white
sails.

'But now when we left that isle nor any other land
appeared, but sky and sea only, even then the son of Cronos
stayed a dark cloud above the hollow ship, and beneath it
the deep darkened. And the ship ran on her way for no long
while, for of a sudden came the shrilling West, with the
rushing of a great tempest, and the blast of wind snapped
the two forestays of the mast, and the mast fell backward
and all the gear dropped into the bilge. And behold, on the
hind part of the ship the mast struck the head of the pilot
and brake all the bones of his skull together, and like a
diver he dropt down from the deck, and his brave spirit
left his bones. In that same hour Zeus thundered and cast
his bolt upon the ship, and she reeled all over being
stricken by the bolt of Zeus, and was filled with sulphur,
and lo, my company fell from out the vessel. Like sea-gulls
they were borne round the black ship upon the billows, and
the god reft them of returning.

'But I kept pacing through my ship, till the surge loosened
the sides from the keel, and the wave swept her along
stript of her tackling, and brake her mast clean off at the
keel. Now the backstay fashioned of an oxhide had been
flung thereon; therewith I lashed together both keel and
mast, and sitting thereon I was borne by the ruinous winds.

'Then verily the West Wind ceased to blow with a rushing
storm, and swiftly withal the South Wind came, bringing
sorrow to my soul, that so I might again measure back that
space of sea, the way to deadly Charybdis. All the night
was I borne, but with the rising of the sun I came to the
rock of Scylla, and to dread Charybdis. Now she had sucked
down her salt sea water, when I was swung up on high to the
tall fig-tree whereto I clung like a bat, and could find no
sure rest for my feet nor place to stand, for the roots
spread far below and the branches hung aloft out of reach,
long and large, and overshadowed Charybdis. Steadfast I
clung till she should spew forth mast and keel again; and
late they came to my desire. At the hour when a man rises
up from the assembly and goes to supper, one who judges the
many quarrels of the young men that seek to him for law, at
that same hour those timbers came forth to view from out
Charybdis. And I let myself drop down hands and feet, and
plunged heavily in the midst of the waters beyond the long
timbers, and sitting on these I rowed hard with my hands.
But the father of gods and of men suffered me no more to
behold Scylla, else I should never have escaped from utter
doom.

'Thence for nine days was I borne, and on the tenth night
the gods brought me nigh to the isle of Ogygia, where
dwells Calypso of the braided tresses, an awful goddess of
mortal speech, who took me in and entreated me kindly. But
why rehearse all this tale? For even yesterday I told it to
thee and to thy noble wife in thy house; and it liketh me
not twice to tell a plain-told tale.'

Book XIII

Odysseus, sleeping, is set ashore at Ithaca by the
Phaeacians, and waking knows it not. Pallas, in the form of
a shepherd, helps to hide his treasure. The ship that
conveyed him is turned into a rock, and Odysseus by Pallas
is instructed what to do, and transformed into an old
beggarman.

So spake he, and dead silence fell on all, and they were
spell-bound throughout the shadowy halls. Thereupon
Alcinous answered him, and spake, saying:

'Odysseus, now that thou hast come to my high house with
floor of bronze, never, methinks, shalt thou be driven from
thy way ere thou returnest, though thou hast been sore
afflicted. And for each man among you, that in these halls
of mine drink evermore the dark wine of the elders, and
hearken to the minstrel, this is my word and command.
Garments for the stranger are already laid up in a polished
coffer, with gold curiously wrought, and all other such
gifts as the counsellors of the Phaeacians bare hither.
Come now, let us each of us give him a great tripod and a
cauldron, and we in turn will gather goods among the people
and get us recompense; for it were hard that one man should
give without repayment.'

So spake Alcinous, and the saying pleased them well. Then
they went each one to his house to lay him down to rest;
but so soon as early Dawn shone forth, the rosy-fingered,
they hasted to the ship and bare the bronze, the joy of
men. And the mighty king Alcinous himself went about the
ship and diligently bestowed the gifts beneath the benches,
that they might not hinder any of the crew in their rowing,
when they laboured at their oars. Then they betook them to
the house of Alcinous and fell to feasting. And the mighty
king Alcinous sacrificed before them an ox to Zeus, the son
of Cronos, that dwells in the dark clouds, who is lord of
all. And when they had burnt the pieces of the thighs, they
shared the glorious feast and made merry, and among them
harped the divine minstrel Demodocus, whom the people
honoured. But Odysseus would ever turn his head toward the
splendour of the sun, as one fain to hasten his setting:
for verily he was most eager to return. And as when a man
longs for his supper, for whom all day long two dark oxen
drag through the fallow field the jointed plough, yea and
welcome to such an one the sunlight sinketh, that so he may
get him to supper, for his knees wax faint by the way, even
so welcome was the sinking of the sunlight to Odysseus.
Then straight he spake among the Phaeacians, masters of the
oar, and to Alcinous in chief he made known his word,
saying:

'My lord Alcinous, most notable of all the people, pour ye
the drink offering, and send me safe upon my way, and as
for you, fare ye well. For now have I all that my heart
desired, an escort and loving gifts. May the gods of heaven
give me good fortune with them, and may I find my noble
wife in my home with my friends unharmed, while ye, for
your part, abide here and make glad your wedded wives and
children; and may the gods vouchsafe all manner of good,
and may no evil come nigh the people!'

So spake he, and they all consented thereto and bade send
the stranger on his way, in that he had spoken aright. Then
the mighty Alcinous spake to the henchman: 'Pontonous, mix
the bowl and serve out the wine to all in the hall, that we
may pray to Father Zeus, and send the stranger on his way
to his own country.'

So spake he, and Pontonous mixed the honey-hearted wine,
and served it to all in turn. And they poured forth before
the blessed gods that keep wide heaven, even there as they
sat. Then goodly Odysseus uprose, and placed in Arete's
hand the two-handled cup, and uttering his voice spake to
her winged words:

'Fare thee well, O queen, all the days of thy life, till
old age come and death, that visit all mankind. But I go
homeward, and do thou in this thy house rejoice in thy
children and thy people and Alcinous the king.'

Therewith goodly Odysseus stept over the threshold. And
with him the mighty Alcinous sent forth a henchman to guide
him to the swift ship and the sea-banks. And Arete sent in
this train certain maidens of her household, one bearing a
fresh robe and a doublet, and another she joined to them to
carry the strong coffer, and yet another bare bread and red
wine. Now when they had come down to the ship and to the
sea, straightway the good men of the escort took these
things and laid them by in the hollow ship, even all the
meat and drink. Then they strewed for Odysseus a rug and a
sheet of linen, on the decks of the hollow ship, in the
hinder part thereof, that he might sleep sound. Then he too
climbed aboard and laid him down in silence, while they sat
upon the benches, every man in order, and unbound the
hawser from the pierced stone. So soon as they leant
backwards and tossed the sea water with the oar blade, a
deep sleep fell upon his eyelids, a sound sleep, very
sweet, and next akin to death. And even as on a plain a
yoke of four stallions comes springing all together beneath
the lash, leaping high and speedily accomplishing the way,
so leaped the stern of that ship, and the dark wave of the
sounding sea rushed mightily in the wake, and she ran ever
surely on her way, nor could a circling hawk keep pace with
her, of winged things the swiftest. Even thus she lightly
sped and cleft the waves of the sea, bearing a man whose
counsel was as the counsel of the gods, one that erewhile
had suffered much sorrow of heart, in passing through the
wars of men, and the grievous waves; but for that time he
slept in peace, forgetful of all that he had suffered.

So when the star came up, that is brightest of all, and
goes ever heralding the light of early Dawn, even then did
the seafaring ship draw nigh the island. There is in the
land of Ithaca a certain haven of Phorcys, the ancient one
of the sea, and thereby are two headlands of sheer cliff,
which slope to the sea on the haven's side and break the
mighty wave that ill winds roll without, but within, the
decked ships ride unmoored when once they have reached the
place of anchorage. Now at the harbour's head is a
long-leaved olive tree, and hard by is a pleasant cave and
shadowy, sacred to the nymphs, that are called the Naiads.
And therein are mixing bowls and jars of stone, and there
moreover do bees hive. And there are great looms of stone,
whereon the nymphs weave raiment of purple stain, a marvel
to behold, and therein are waters welling evermore. Two
gates there are to the cave, the one set toward the North
Wind whereby men may go down, but the portals toward the
South pertain rather to the gods, whereby men may not
enter: it is the way of the immortals.

Thither they, as having knowledge of that place, let drive
their ship; and now the vessel in full course ran ashore,
half her keel's length high; so well was she sped by the
hands of the oarsmen. Then they alighted from the benched
ship upon the land, and first they lifted Odysseus from out
the hollow ship, all as he was in the sheet of linen and
the bright rug, and laid him yet heavy with slumber on the
sand. And they took forth the goods which the lordly
Phaeacians had given him on his homeward way by grace of
the great-hearted Athene. These they set in a heap by the
trunk of the olive tree, a little aside from the road, lest
some wayfaring man, before Odysseus awakened, should come
and spoil them. Then themselves departed homeward again.
But the shaker of the earth forgat not the threats,
wherewith at the first he had threatened god like Odysseus,
and he inquired into the counsel of Zeus, saying:

'Father Zeus, I for one shall no longer be of worship among
the deathless gods, when mortal men hold me in no regard,
even Phaeacians, who moreover are of mine own lineage. Lo,
now I said that after much affliction Odysseus should come
home, for I had no mind to rob him utterly of his return,
when once thou hadst promised it and given assent; but
behold, in his sleep they have borne him in a swift ship
over the sea, and set him down in Ithaca, and given him
gifts out of measure, bronze and gold in plenty and woven
raiment, much store, such as never would Odysseus have won
for himself out of Troy; yea, though he had returned unhurt
with the share of the spoil that fell to him.'

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