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THE ODYSSEY OF HOMER

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




{* Reading [Greek]. v. 1. '[Greek], which must be wrong.}

Thus he spake, and the sun went down and darkness came on.
Then the goddess, grey-eyed Athene, spake among them,
saying: 'Yea, old man, thou hast told all this thy tale
aright. But come, cut up the tongues of the victims and mix
the wine, that we may pour forth before Poseidon and the
other deathless gods, and so may bethink us of sleep, for
it is the hour for sleep. For already has the light gone
beneath the west, and it is not seemly to sit long at a
banquet of the gods, but to be going home.'

So spake the daughter of Zeus, and they hearkened to her
voice. And the henchmen poured water over their hands, and
pages crowned the mixing bowls with drink, and served out
the wine to all, after they had first poured for libation
into each cup in turn; and they cast the tongues upon the
fire, and stood up and poured the drink-offering thereon.
But when they had poured forth and had drunken to their
heart's content, Athene and godlike Telemachus were both
set on returning to the hollow ship; but Nestor would have
stayed them, and accosted them, saying: 'Zeus forfend it,
and all the other deathless gods, that ye should depart
from my house to the swift ship, as from the dwelling of
one that is utterly without raiment or a needy man, who
hath not rugs or blankets many in his house whereon to
sleep softly, he or his guests. Nay not so, I have rugs and
fair blankets by me. Never, methinks, shall the dear son of
this man, even of Odysseus, lay him down upon the ship's
deck, while as yet I am alive, and my children after me are
left in my hall to entertain strangers, whoso may chance to
come to my house.'

Then the goddess, grey-eyed Athene, spake to him again:
'Yea, herein hast thou spoken aright, dear father: and
Telemachus may well obey thee, for before all things this
is meet. Behold, he shall now depart with thee, that he may
sleep in thy halls; as for me I will go to the black ship,
that I may cheer my company and tell them all. For I avow
me to be the one elder among them; those others are but
younger men, who follow for love of him, all of them of
like age with the high-souled Telemachus. There will I lay
me down by the black hollow ship this night; but in the
morning I will go to the Cauconians high of heart, where
somewhat of mine is owing to me, no small debt nor of
yesterday. But do thou send this man upon his way with thy
chariot and thy son, since he hath come to thy house, and
give him horses the lightest of foot and chief in
strength.'

Therewith grey-eyed Athene departed in the semblance of a
sea-eagle; and amazement fell on all that saw it, and the
old man he marvelled when his eyes beheld it. And he took
the hand of Telemachus and spake and hailed him:

'My friend, methinks that thou wilt in no sort be a coward
and a weakling, if indeed in thy youth the gods thus follow
with thee to be thy guides. For truly this is none other of
those who keep the mansions of Olympus, save only the
daughter of Zeus, the driver of the spoil, the maiden
Trito-born, she that honoured thy good father too among the
Argives. Nay be gracious, queen, and vouchsafe a goodly
fame to me, even to me and to my sons and to my wife
revered. And I in turn will sacrifice to thee a yearling
heifer, broad of brow, unbroken, which man never yet hath
led beneath the yoke. Such an one will I offer to thee, and
gild her horns with gold.'

Even so he spake in prayer, and Pallas Athene heard him.
Then Nestor of Gerenia, lord of chariots, led them, even
his sons and the husbands of his daughters, to his own fair
house. But when they had reached this prince's famous
halls, they sat down all orderly on seats and high chairs;
and when they were come, the old man mixed well for them a
bowl of sweet wine, which now in the eleventh year from the
vintaging the housewife opened, and unloosed the string
that fastened the lid. The old man let mix a bowl thereof,
and prayed instantly to Athene as he poured forth before
her, even to the daughter of Zeus, lord of the aegis.

But after they had poured forth and had drunken to their
heart's content, these went each one to his own house to
lie down to rest. But Nestor of Gerenia, lord of chariots,
would needs have Telemachus, son of divine Odysseus, to
sleep there on a jointed bedstead beneath the echoing
gallery, and by him Peisistratus of the good ashen spear,
leader of men, who alone of his sons was yet unwed in his
halls. As for him he slept within the inmost chamber of the
lofty house, and the lady his wife arrayed for him bedstead
and bedding.

So soon as early Dawn shone forth, the rosy-fingered,
Nestor of Gerenia, lord of chariots, gat him up from his
bed, and he went forth and sat him down upon the smooth
stones, which were before his lofty doors, all polished,
white and glistening, whereon Neleus sat of old, in counsel
the peer of the gods. Howbeit, stricken by fate, he had ere
now gone down to the house of Hades, and to-day Nestor of
Gerenia in his turn sat thereon, warder of the Achaeans,
with his staff in his hands. And about him his sons were
gathered and come together, issuing from their chambers,
Echephron and Stratius, and Perseus and Aretus and the
godlike Thrasymedes. And sixth and last came the hero
Peisistratus. And they led godlike Telemachus and set him
by their side, and Nestor of Gerenia, lord of chariots,
spake first among them:

'Quickly, my dear children, accomplish my desire, that
first of all the gods I may propitiate Athene, who came to
me in visible presence to the rich feast of the god. Nay
then, let one go to the plain for a heifer, that she may
come as soon as may be, and that the neat-herd may drive
her: and let another go to the black ship of high-souled
Telemachus to bring all his company, and let him leave two
men only. And let one again bid Laerces the goldsmith to
come hither that he may gild the horns of the heifer. And
ye others, abide ye here together and speak to the
handmaids within that they make ready a banquet through our
famous halls, and fetch seats and logs to set about the
altar, and bring clear water.'

Thus he spake and lo, they all hastened to the work. The
heifer she came from the field, and from the swift gallant
ship came the company of great-hearted Telemachus; the
smith came holding in his hands his tools, the instruments
of his craft, anvil and hammer and well-made pincers,
wherewith he wrought the gold; Athene too came to receive
her sacrifice. And the old knight Nestor gave gold, and the
other fashioned it skilfully, and gilded therewith the
horns of the heifer, that the goddess might be glad at the
sight of her fair offering. And Stratius and goodly
Echephron led the heifer by the horns. And Aretus came
forth from the chamber bearing water for the washing of
hands in a basin of flowered work, and in the other hand he
held the barley-meal in a basket; and Thrasymedes,
steadfast in the battle, stood by holding in his hand a
sharp axe, ready to smite the heifer. And Perseus held the
dish for the blood, and the old man Nestor, driver of
chariots, performed the first rite of the washing of hands
and the sprinkling of the meal, and he prayed instantly to
Athene as he began the rite, casting into the fire the lock
from the head of the victim.

Now when they had prayed and tossed the sprinkled grain,
straightway the son of Nestor, gallant Thrasymedes, stood
by and struck the blow; and the axe severed the tendons of
the neck and loosened the might of the heifer; and the
women raised their cry, the daughters and the sons' wives
and the wife revered of Nestor, Eurydice, eldest of the
daughters of Clymenus. And now they lifted the victim's
head from the wide-wayed earth, and held it so, while
Peisistratus, leader of men, cut the throat. And after the
black blood had gushed forth and the life had left the
bones, quickly they broke up the body, and anon cut slices
from the thighs all duly, and wrapt the same in the fat,
folding them double, and laid raw flesh thereon. So that
old man burnt them on the cleft wood, and poured over them
the red wine, and by his side the young men held in their
hands the five-pronged forks. Now after that the thighs
were quite consumed and they had tasted the inner parts,
they cut the rest up small and spitted and roasted it,
holding the sharp spits in their hands.

Meanwhile she bathed Telemachus, even fair Polycaste, the
youngest daughter of Nestor, son of Neleus. And after she
had bathed him and anointed him with olive oil, and cast
about him a goodly mantle and a doublet, he came forth from
the bath in fashion like the deathless gods. So he went and
sat him down by Nestor, shepherd of the people.

Now when they had roasted the outer flesh, and drawn it off
the spits, they sat down and fell to feasting, and
honourable men waited on them, pouring wine into the golden
cups. But when they had put from them the desire of meat
and drink, Nestor of Gerenia, lord of chariots, first spake
among them:

'Lo now, my sons, yoke for Telemachus horses with flowing
mane and lead them beneath the car, that he may get forward
on his way.'

Even so he spake, and they gave good heed and hearkened;
and quickly they yoked the swift horses beneath the
chariot. And the dame that kept the stores placed therein
corn and wine and dainties, such as princes eat, the
fosterlings of Zeus. So Telemachus stept up into the goodly
car, and with him Peisistratus son of Nestor, leader of
men, likewise climbed the car and grasped the reins in his
hands, and he touched the horses with the whip to start
them, and nothing loth the pair flew towards the plain, and
left the steep citadel of Pylos. So all day long they
swayed the yoke they bore upon their necks.

Now the sun sank and all the ways were darkened. And they
came to Pherae, to the house of Diocles, son of Orsilochus,
the child begotten of Alpheus. There they rested for the
night, and by them he set the entertainment of strangers.

Now so soon as early Dawn shone forth, the rosy-fingered,
they yoked the horses and mounted the inlaid car. And forth
they drave from the gateway and the echoing gallery, and
Peisistratus touched the horses with the whip to start
them, and the pair flew onward nothing loth. So they came
to the wheat-bearing plain, and thenceforth they pressed
toward the end: in such wise did the swift horses speed
forward. Now the sun sank and all the ways were darkened.



Book IV

Telemachus' entertainment at Sparta, where Menelaus tells
him what befell many of the Greeks on their return; that
Odysseus was with Calypso in the isle Ogygia, as he was
told by Proteus.

And they came to Lacedaemon lying low among the caverned
hills, and drave to the dwelling of renowned Menelaus. Him
they found giving a feast in his house to many friends of
his kin, a feast for the wedding of his noble son and
daughter. His daughter he was sending to the son of
Achilles, cleaver of the ranks of men, for in Troy he first
had promised and covenanted to give her, and now the gods
were bringing about their marriage. So now he was speeding
her on her way with chariot and horses, to the famous city
of the Myrmidons, among whom her lord bare rule. And for
his son he was bringing to his home the daughter of Alector
out of Sparta, for his well-beloved son, strong
Megapenthes, {*} born of a slave woman, for the gods no
more showed promise of seed to Helen, from the day that she
bare a lovely child, Hermione, as fair as golden Aphrodite.
So they were feasting through the great vaulted hall, the
neighbours and the kinsmen of renowned Menelaus, making
merry; and among them a divine minstrel was singing to the
lyre, and as he began the song two tumblers in the company
whirled through the midst of them.

{* A son of sorrow: Tristram.}

Meanwhile those twain, the hero Telemachus and the splendid
son of Nestor, made halt at the entry of the gate, they and
their horses. And the lord Eteoneus came forth and saw
them, the ready squire of renowned Menelaus; and he went
through the palace to bear the tidings to the shepherd of
the people, and standing near spake to him winged words:

'Menelaus, fosterling of Zeus, here are two strangers,
whosoever they be, two men like to the lineage of great
Zeus. Say, shall we loose their swift horses from under the
yoke, or send them onward to some other host who shall
receive them kindly?'

Then in sore displeasure spake to him Menelaus of the fair
hair: 'Eteoneus son of Boethous, truly thou wert not a fool
aforetime, but now for this once, like a child thou talkest
folly. Surely ourselves ate much hospitable cheer of other
men, ere we twain came hither, even if in time to come Zeus
haply give us rest from affliction. Nay go, unyoke the
horses of the strangers, and as for the men, lead them
forward to the house to feast with us.'

So spake he, and Eteoneus hasted from the hall, and called
the other ready squires to follow with him. So they loosed
the sweating horses from beneath the yoke, and fastened
them at the stalls of the horses, and threw beside them
spelt, and therewith mixed white barley, and tilted the
chariot against the shining faces of the gateway, and led
the men into the hall divine. And they beheld and marvelled
as they gazed throughout the palace of the king, the
fosterling of Zeus; for there was a gleam as it were of sun
or moon through the lofty palace of renowned Menelaus. But
after they had gazed their fill, they went to the polished
baths and bathed them. Now when the maidens had bathed them
and anointed them with olive oil, and cast about them thick
cloaks and doublets, they sat on chairs by Menelaus, son of
Atreus. And a handmaid bare water for the hands in a goodly
golden ewer, and poured it forth over a silver basin to
wash withal; and to their side she drew a polished table,
and a grave dame bare food and set it by them, and laid
upon the board many dainties, giving freely of such things
as she had by her, and a carver lifted and placed by them
platters of divers kinds of flesh, and nigh them he set
golden bowls. So Menelaus of the fair hair greeted the
twain and spake:

'Taste ye food and be glad, and thereafter when ye have
supped, we will ask what men ye are; for the blood of your
parents is not lost in you, but ye are of the line of men
that are sceptred kings, the fosterlings of Zeus; for no
churls could beget sons like you.'

So spake he, and took and set before them the fat ox-chine
roasted, which they had given him as his own mess by way of
honour. And they stretched forth their hands upon the good
cheer set before them. Now when they had put from them the
desire of meat and drink Telemachus spake to the son of
Nestor, holding his head close to him, that those others
might not hear:

'Son of Nestor, delight of my heart, mark the flashing of
bronze through the echoing halls, and the flashing of gold
and of amber and of silver and of ivory. Such like,
methinks, is the court of Olympian Zeus within, for the
world of things that are here; wonder comes over me as I
look thereon.'

And as he spake Menelaus of the fair hair was ware of him,
and uttering his voice spake to them winged words:

'Children dear, of a truth no one of mortal men may contend
with Zeus, for his mansions and his treasures are
everlasting: but of men there may be who will vie with me
in treasure, or there may be none. Yea, for after many a
woe and wanderings manifold, I brought my wealth home in
ships, and in the eighth year came hither. I roamed over
Cyprus and Phoenicia and Egypt, and reached the Aethiopians
and Sidonians and Erembi and Libya, where lambs are horned
from the birth. For there the ewes yean thrice within the
full circle of a year; there neither lord nor shepherd
lacketh aught of cheese or flesh or of sweet milk, but ever
the flocks yield store of milk continual. While I was yet
roaming in those lands, gathering much livelihood, meantime
another slew my brother privily, at unawares, by the guile
of his accursed wife. Thus, look you, I have no joy of my
lordship among these my possessions: and ye are like to
have heard hereof from your fathers, whosoever they be, for
I have suffered much and let a house go to ruin that was
stablished fair, and had in it much choice substance. I
would that I had but a third part of those my riches, and
dwelt in my halls, and that those men were yet safe, who
perished of old in the wide land of Troy, far from Argos,
the pastureland of horses. Howbeit, though I bewail them
all and sorrow oftentimes as I sit in our halls,--awhile
indeed I satisfy my soul with lamentation, and then again I
cease; for soon hath man enough of chill lamentation--yet
for them all I make no such dole, despite my grief, as for
one only, who causes me to loathe both sleep and meat, when
I think upon him. For no one of the Achaeans toiled so
greatly as Odysseus toiled and adventured himself: but to
him it was to be but labour and trouble, and to me grief
ever comfortless for his sake, so long he is afar, nor know
we aught, whether he be alive or dead. Yea methinks they
lament him, even that old Laertes and the constant Penelope
and Telemachus, whom he left a child new-born in his
house.'

So spake he, and in the heart of Telemachus he stirred a
yearning to lament his father; and at his father's name he
let a tear fall from his eyelids to the ground, and held up
his purple mantle with both his hands before his eyes. And
Menelaus marked him and mused in his mind and his heart
whether he should leave him to speak of his father, or
first question him and prove him in every word.

While yet he pondered these things in his mind and in his
heart, Helen came forth from her fragrant vaulted chamber,
like Artemis of the golden arrows; and with her came
Adraste and set for her the well-wrought chair, and Alcippe
bare a rug of soft wool, and Phylo bare a silver basket
which Alcandre gave her, the wife of Polybus, who dwelt in
Thebes of Egypt, where is the chiefest store of wealth in
the houses. He gave two silver baths to Menelaus, and
tripods twain, ad ten talents of gold. And besides all
this, his wife bestowed on Helen lovely gifts; a golden
distaff did she give, and a silver basket with wheels
beneath, and the rims thereof were finished with gold. This
it was that the handmaid Phylo bare and set beside her,
filled with dressed yarn, and across it was laid a distaff
charged with wool of violet blue. So Helen sat her down in
the chair, and beneath was a footstool for the feet. And
anon she spake to her lord and questioned him of each
thing:

'Menelaus, fosterling of Zeus, know we now who these men
avow themselves to be that have come under our roof? Shall
I dissemble or shall I speak the truth? Nay, I am minded to
tell it. None, I say, have I ever yet seen so like another,
man or woman--wonder comes over me as I look on him--as
this man is like the son of great-hearted Odysseus,
Telemachus, whom he left a new born child in his house,
when for the sake of me, shameless woman that I was, ye
Achaeans came up under Troy with bold war in your hearts.'

And Menelaus of the fair hair answered her, saying: 'Now I
too, lady, mark the likeness even as thou tracest it. For
such as these were his feet, such his hands, and the
glances of his eyes, and his head, and his hair withal.
Yea, and even now I was speaking of Odysseus, as I
remembered him, of all his woeful travail for my sake;
when, lo, he let fall a bitter tear beneath his brows, and
held his purple cloak up before his eyes.'

And Peisistratus, son of Nestor, answered him, saying:
'Menelaus, son of Atreus, fosterling of Zeus, leader of the
host, assuredly this is the son of that very man, even as
thou sayest. But he is of a sober wit, and thinketh it
shame in his heart as on this his first coming to make show
of presumptuous words in the presence of thee, in whose
voice we twain delight as in the voice of a god. Now Nestor
of Gerenia, lord of chariots, sent me forth to be his guide
on the way: for he desired to see thee that thou mightest
put into his heart some word or work. For a son hath many
griefs in his halls when his father is away, if perchance
he hath none to stand by him. Even so it is now with
Telemachus; his father is away, nor hath he others in the
township to defend him from distress.'

And Menelaus of the fair hair answered him, and said: 'Lo
now, in good truth there has come unto my house the son of
a friend indeed, who for my sake endured many adventures.
And I thought to welcome him on his coming more nobly than
all the other Argives, if but Olympian Zeus, of the
far-borne voice, had vouchsafed us a return over the sea in
our swift ships,--that such a thing should be. And in Argos
I would have given him a city to dwell in, and stablished
for him a house, and brought him forth from Ithaca with his
substance and his son and all his people, making one city
desolate of those that lie around, and are in mine own
domain. Then ofttimes would we have held converse here, and
nought would have parted us, the welcoming and the
welcomed, {*} ere the black cloud of death overshadowed us.
Howsoever, the god himself, methinks, must have been
jealous hereof, who from that hapless man alone cut off his
returning.'

{* Mr. Evelyn Abbott of Balliol College has suggested to us
that [Greek] and [Greek] are here correlatives, and denote
respectively the parts of host and of guest. This is
sufficiently borne out by the usage of the words
elsewhere.}

So spake he, and in the hearts of all he stirred the desire
of lamentation. She wept, even Argive Helen the daughter of
Zeus, and Telemachus wept, and Menelaus the son of Atreus;
nay, nor did the son of Nestor keep tearless eyes. For he
bethought him in his heart of noble Antilochus, whom the
glorious son of the bright Dawn had slain. Thinking upon
him he spake winged words:

'Son of Atreus, the ancient Nestor in his own halls was
ever wont to say that thou wert wise beyond man's wisdom,
whensoever we made mention of thee and asked one another
concerning thee. And now, if it be possible, be persuaded
by me, who for one have no pleasure in weeping at supper
time--the new-born day will right soon be upon us. {*} Not
indeed that I deem it blame at all to weep for any mortal
who hath died and met his fate. Lo, this is now the only
due we pay to miserable men, to cut the hair and let the
tear fall from the cheek. For I too have a brother dead,
nowise the meanest of the Argives, and thou art like to
have known him, for as for me I never encountered him,
never beheld him. But men say that Antilochus outdid all,
being excellent in speed of foot and in the fight.'

{* Cf. B. xv.50}

And Menelaus of the fair hair answered him, and said: 'My
friend, lo, thou hast said all that a wise man might say or
do, yea, and an elder than thou;--for from such a sire too
thou art sprung, wherefore thou dost even speak wisely.
Right easily known is that man's seed, for whom Cronion
weaves the skein of luck at bridal and at birth: even as
now hath he granted prosperity to Nestor for ever for all
his days, that he himself should grow into a smooth old age
in his halls, and his sons moreover should be wise and the
best of spearsmen. But we will cease now the weeping which
was erewhile made, and let us once more bethink us of our
supper, and let them pour water over our hands. And again
in the morning there will be tales for Telemachus and me to
tell one to the other, even to the end.'

So spake he, and Asphalion poured water over their hands,
the ready squire of renowned Menelaus. And they put forth
their hands upon the good cheer spread before them.

Then Helen, daughter of Zeus, turned to new thoughts.
Presently she cast a drug into the wine whereof they drank,
a drug to lull all pain and anger, and bring forgetfulness
of every sorrow. Whoso should drink a draught thereof, when
it is mingled in the bowl, on that day he would let no tear
fall down his cheeks, not though his mother and his father
died, not though men slew his brother or dear son with the
sword before his face, and his own eyes beheld it.
Medicines of such virtue and so helpful had the daughter of
Zeus, which Polydamna, the wife of Thon, had given her, a
woman of Egypt, where earth the grain-giver yields herbs in
greatest plenty, many that are healing in the cup, and many
baneful. There each man is a leech skilled beyond all human
kind; yea, for they are of the race of Paeeon. Now after
she had cast in the drug and bidden pour forth of the wine,
she made answer once again, and spake unto her lord:

'Son of Atreus, Menelaus, fosterling of Zeus, and lo, ye
sons of noble men, forasmuch as now to one and now to
another Zeus gives good and evil, for to him all things are
possible,--now, verily, sit ye down and feast in the halls,
and take ye joy in the telling of tales, and I will tell
you one that fits the time. Now all of them I could not
tell or number, so many as were the adventures of Odysseus
of the hardy heart; but, ah, what a deed was this he
wrought and dared in his hardiness in the land of the
Trojans, where ye Achaeans suffered affliction. He subdued
his body with unseemly stripes, and a sorry covering he
cast about his shoulders, and in the fashion of a servant
he went down into the wide-wayed city of the foemen, and he
hid himself in the guise of another, a beggar, though in no
wise such an one was he at the ships of the Achaeans. In
this semblance he passed into the city of the Trojans, and
they wist not who he was, and I alone knew him in that
guise, and I kept questioning him, but in his subtlety he
avoided me. But when at last I was about washing him and
anointing him with olive oil, and had put on him raiment,
and sworn a great oath not to reveal Odysseus amid the
Trojans, ere he reached the swift ships and the huts, even
then he told me all the purpose of the Achaeans. And after
slaying many of the Trojans with the long sword, he
returned to the Argives and brought back word again of all.
Then the other Trojan women wept aloud, but my soul was
glad, for already my heart was turned to go back again even
to my home: and now at the last I groaned for the blindness
that Aphrodite gave me, when she led me thither away from
mine own country, forsaking my child and my bridal chamber
and my lord, that lacked not aught whether for wisdom or
yet for beauty.'

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