The suitors bit their lips and marvelled at the boldness of his speech; but Amphinomus the son ULYSSES WAS LEFT in the cloister, pondering on the of Nisus, who was son to Aretias, said, “Do not let means whereby with Minerva’s help he might be us take offence; it is reasonable, so let us make no able to kill the suitors. Presently he said to answer. Neither let us do violence to the stranger Telemachus, “Telemachus, we must get the armour nor to any of Ulysses’ servants. Let the cupbearer together and take it down inside. Make some ex-go round with the drink-offerings, that we may make cuse when the suitors ask you why you have re-them and go home to our rest. As for the stranger, moved it. Say that you have taken it to be out of let us leave Telemachus to deal with him, for it is to the way of the smoke, inasmuch as it is no longer his house that he has come.” what it was when Ulysses went away, but has be-Thus did he speak, and his saying pleased them come soiled and begrimed with soot. Add to this well, so Mulius of Dulichium, ser vant to more particularly that you are afraid Jove may set Amphinomus, mixed them a bowl of wine and wa-them on to quarrel over their wine, and that they ter and handed it round to each of them man by may do each other some harm which may disgrace man, whereon they made their drink-offerings to both banquet and wooing, for the sight of arms 231
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sometimes tempts people to use them.” spears inside; and Minerva went before them with Telemachus approved of what his father had said, a gold lamp in her hand that shed a soft and bril-so he called nurse Euryclea and said, “Nurse, shut liant radiance, whereon Telemachus said, “Father, the women up in their room, while I take the armour my eyes behold a great marvel: the walls, with the that my father left behind him down into the store rafters, crossbeams, and the supports on which they room. No one looks after it now my father is gone, rest are all aglow as with a flaming fire. Surely there and it has got all smirched with soot during my is some god here who has come down from heaven.” own boyhood. I want to take it down where the
“Hush,” answered Ulysses, “hold your peace and smoke cannot reach it.”
ask no questions, for this is the manner of the gods.
“I wish, child,” answered Euryclea, “that you Get you to your bed, and leave me here to talk with would take the management of the house into your your mother and the maids. Your mother in her grief own hands altogether, and look after all the prop-will ask me all sorts of questions.” erty yourself. But who is to go with you and light On this Telemachus went by torch-light to the you to the store room? The maids would have so, other side of the inner court, to the room in which but you would not let them.
he always slept. There he lay in his bed till morn-
“The stranger,” said Telemachus, “shall show me ing, while Ulysses was left in the cloister pondering a light; when people eat my bread they must earn on the means whereby with Minerva’s help he might it, no matter where they come from.” be able to kill the suitors.
Euryclea did as she was told, and bolted the Then Penelope came down from her room look-women inside their room. Then Ulysses and his son ing like Venus or Diana, and they set her a seat made all haste to take the helmets, shields, and inlaid with scrolls of silver and ivory near the fire in 232
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her accustomed place. It had been made by Icmalius too was a rich man once, and had a fine house of and had a footstool all in one piece with the seat my own; in those days I gave to many a tramp such itself; and it was covered with a thick fleece: on this as I now am, no matter who he might be nor what she now sat, and the maids came from the women’s he wanted. I had any number of servants, and all room to join her. They set about removing the tables the other things which people have who live well at which the wicked suitors had been dining, and and are accounted wealthy, but it pleased Jove to took away the bread that was left, with the cups take all away from me; therefore, woman, beware from which they had drunk. They emptied the lest you too come to lose that pride and place in embers out of the braziers, and heaped much wood which you now wanton above your fellows; have a upon them to give both light and heat; but care lest you get out of favour with your mistress, Melantho began to rail at Ulysses a second time and lest Ulysses should come home, for there is still and said, “Stranger, do you mean to plague us by a chance that he may do so. Moreover, though he hanging about the house all night and spying upon be dead as you think he is, yet by Apollo’s will he the women? Be off, you wretch, outside, and eat has left a son behind him, Telemachus, who will your supper there, or you shall be driven out with note anything done amiss by the maids in the house, a firebrand.”
for he is now no longer in his boyhood.” Ulysses scowled at her and answered, “My good Penelope heard what he was saying and scolded woman, why should you be so angry with me? Is it the maid, “Impudent baggage, said she, “I see how because I am not clean, and my clothes are all in abominably you are behaving, and you shall smart rags, and because I am obliged to go begging about for it. You knew perfectly well, for I told you my-after the manner of tramps and beggars generall? I self, that I was going to see the stranger and ask 233
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him about my husband, for whose sake I am in such ertheless, as I sit here in your house, ask me some continual sorrow.”
other question and do not seek to know my race Then she said to her head waiting woman and family, or you will recall memories that will yet Eurynome, “Bring a seat with a fleece upon it, for more increase my sorrow. I am full of heaviness, the stranger to sit upon while he tells his story, and but I ought not to sit weeping and wailing in an-listens to what I have to say. I wish to ask him some other person’s house, nor is it well to be thus griev-questions.”
ing continually. I shall have one of the servants or Eurynome brought the seat at once and set a fleece even yourself complaining of me, and saying that upon it, and as soon as Ulysses had sat down my eyes swim with tears because I am heavy with Penelope began by saying, “Stranger, I shall first wine.”
ask you who and whence are you? Tell me of your Then Penelope answered, “Stranger, heaven town and parents.”
robbed me of all beauty, whether of face or figure,
“Madam;” answered Ulysses, “who on the face of when the Argives set sail for Troy and my dear hus-the whole earth can dare to chide with you? Your band with them. If he were to return and look after fame reaches the firmament of heaven itself; you my affairs I should be both more respected and are like some blameless king, who upholds righteous-should show a better presence to the world. As it is, ness, as the monarch over a great and valiant na-I am oppressed with care, and with the afflictions tion: the earth yields its wheat and barley, the trees which heaven has seen fit to heap upon me. The are loaded with fruit, the ewes bring forth lambs, chiefs from all our islands- Dulichium, Same, and and the sea abounds with fish by reason of his vir-Zacynthus, as also from Ithaca itself, are wooing tues, and his people do good deeds under him. Nev-me against my will and are wasting my estate. I can 234
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therefore show no attention to strangers, nor sup-fourth year, in the waning of moons, and many days pliants, nor to people who say that they are skilled had been accomplished, those good-for-nothing artisans, but am all the time brokenhearted about hussies my maids betrayed me to the suitors, who Ulysses. They want me to marry again at once, and broke in upon me and caught me; they were very I have to invent stratagems in order to deceive them.
angry with me, so I was forced to finish my work In the first place heaven put it in my mind to set whether I would or no. And now I do not see how I up a great tambour-frame in my room, and to begin can find any further shift for getting out of this working upon an enormous piece of fine needle-marriage. My parents are putting great pressure work. Then I said to them, ‘Sweethearts, Ulysses is upon me, and my son chafes at the ravages the suit-indeed dead, still, do not press me to marry again ors are making upon his estate, for he is now old immediately; wait—for I would not have my skill enough to understand all about it and is perfectly in needlework perish unrecorded—till I have fin-able to look after his own affairs, for heaven has ished making a pall for the hero Laertes, to be ready blessed him with an excellent disposition. Still, against the time when death shall take him. He is notwithstanding all this, tell me who you are and very rich, and the women of the place will talk if he where you come from—for you must have had fa-is laid out without a pall.’ This was what I said, and ther and mother of some sort; you cannot be the they assented; whereon I used to keep working at son of an oak or of a rock.” my great web all day long, but at night I would Then Ulysses answered, “madam, wife of Ulysses, unpick the stitches again by torch light. I fooled since you persist in asking me about my family, I them in this way for three years without their find-will answer, no matter what it costs me: people must ing it out, but as time wore on and I was now in my expect to be pained when they have been exiles as 235
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long as I have, and suffered as much among as many ter from the winds that were then xaging. As soon peoples. Nevertheless, as regards your question I as he got there he went into the town and asked for will tell you all you ask. There is a fair and fruitful Idomeneus, claiming to be his old and valued friend, island in mid-ocean called Crete; it is thickly peopled but Idomeneus had already set sail for Troy some and there are nine cities in it: the people speak many ten or twelve days earlier, so I took him to my own different languages which overlap one another, for house and showed him every kind of hospitality, there are Achaeans, brave Eteocretans, Dorians of for I had abundance of everything. Moreover, I fed three-fold race, and noble Pelasgi. There is a great the men who were with him with barley meal from town there, Cnossus, where Minos reigned who ev-the public store, and got subscriptions of wine and ery nine years had a conference with Jove himself.
oxen for them to sacrifice to their heart’s content.
Minos was father to Deucalion, whose son I am, They stayed with me twelve days, for there was a for Deucalion had two sons Idomeneus and myself.
gale blowing from the North so strong that one could Idomeneus sailed for Troy, and I, who am the hardly keep one’s feet on land. I suppose some un-younger, am called Aethon; my brother, however, friendly god had raised it for them, but on the thir-was at once the older and the more valiant of the teenth day the wind dropped, and they got away.” two; hence it was in Crete that I saw Ulysses and Many a plausible tale did Ulysses further tell her, showed him hospitality, for the winds took him there and Penelope wept as she listened, for her heart as he was on his way to Troy, carrying him out of was melted. As the snow wastes upon the moun-his course from cape Malea and leaving him in tain tops when the winds from South East and West Amnisus off the cave of Ilithuia, where the harbours have breathed upon it and thawed it till the rivers are difficult to enter and he could hardly find shel-run bank full with water, even so did her cheeks 236
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overflow with tears for the husband who was all at the way in which these things had been done in the time sitting by her side. Ulysses felt for her and gold, the dog looking at the fawn, and strangling it, was for her, but he kept his eyes as hard as or iron while the fawn was struggling convulsively to es-without letting them so much as quiver, so cun-cape. As for the shirt that he wore next his skin, it ningly did he restrain his tears. Then, when she had was so soft that it fitted him like the skin of an relieved herself by weeping, she turned to him again onion, and glistened in the sunlight to the admira-and said: “Now, stranger, I shall put you to the test tion of all the women who beheld it. Furthermore I and see whether or no you really did entertain my say, and lay my saying to your heart, that I do not husband and his men, as you say you did. Tell me, know whether Ulysses wore these clothes when he then, how he was dressed, what kind of a man he left home, or whether one of his companions had was to look at, and so also with his companions.” given them to him while he was on his voyage; or
“Madam,” answered Ulysses, “it is such a long possibly some one at whose house he was staying time ago that I can hardly say. Twenty years are made him a present of them, for he was a man of come and gone since he left my home, and went many friends and had few equals among the elsewhither; but I will tell you as well as I can recol-Achaeans. I myself gave him a sword of bronze and lect. Ulysses wore a mantle of purple wool, double a beautiful purple mantle, double lined, with a shirt lined, and it was fastened by a gold brooch with that went down to his feet, and I sent him on board two catches for the pin. On the face of this there his ship with every mark of honour. He had a ser-was a device that showed a dog holding a spotted vant with him, a little older than himself, and I can fawn between his fore paws, and watching it as it tell you what he was like; his shoulders were lay panting upon the ground. Every one marvelled hunched, he was dark, and he had thick curly hair.
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His name was Eurybates, and Ulysses treated him grieved at losing him, even though he were a worse with greater familiarity than he did any of the oth-man than Ulysses, who they say was like a god.
ers, as being the most like-minded with himself.” Still, cease your tears and listen to what I can tell I Penelope was moved still more deeply as she heard will hide nothing from you, and can say with per-the indisputable proofs that Ulysses laid before her; fect truth that I have lately heard of Ulysses as be-and when she had again found relief in tears she ing alive and on his way home; he is among the said to him, “Stranger, I was already disposed to Thesprotians, and is bringing back much valuable pity you, but henceforth you shall be honoured and treasure that he has begged from one and another made welcome in my house. It was I who gave of them; but his ship and all his crew were lost as Ulysses the clothes you speak of. I took them out they were leaving the Thrinacian island, for Jove of the store room and folded them up myself, and I and the sun-god were angry with him because his gave him also the gold brooch to wear as an ornamen had slaughtered the sun-god’s cattle, and they ment. Alas! I shall never welcome him home again.
were all drowned to a man. But Ulysses stuck to It was by an ill fate that he ever set out for that the keel of the ship and was drifted on to the land detested city whose very name I cannot bring my-of the Phaecians, who are near of kin to the immor-self even to mention.”
tals, and who treated him as though he had been a Then Ulysses answered, “Madam, wife of Ulysses, god, giving him many presents, and wishing to es-do not disfigure yourself further by grieving thus cort him home safe and sound. In fact Ulysses would bitterly for your loss, though I can hardly blame have been here long ago, had he not thought better you for doing so. A woman who has loved her hus-to go from land to land gathering wealth; for there band and borne him children, would naturally be is no man living who is so wily as he is; there is no 238
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one can compare with him. Pheidon king of the Ulysses will return in this self same year; with the Thesprotians told me all this, and he swore to me-end of this moon and the beginning of the next he making drink-offerings in his house as he did so-will be here.”
that the ship was by the water side and the crew
“May it be even so,” answered Penelope; “if your found who would take Ulysses to his own country.
words come true you shall have such gifts and such He sent me off first, for there happened to be a good will from me that all who see you shall con-Thesprotian ship sailing for the wheat-growing is-gratulate you; but I know very well how it will be.
land of Dulichium, but he showed me all treasure Ulysses will not return, neither will you get your Ulysses had got together, and he had enough lying escort hence, for so surely as that Ulysses ever was, in the house of king Pheidon to keep his family for there are now no longer any such masters in the ten generations; but the king said Ulysses had gone house as he was, to receive honourable strangers or to Dodona that he might learn Jove’s mind from to further them on their way home. And now, you the high oak tree, and know whether after so long maids, wash his feet for him, and make him a bed an absence he should return to Ithaca openly or in on a couch with rugs and blankets, that he may be secret. So you may know he is safe and will be here warm and quiet till morning. Then, at day break shortly; he is close at hand and cannot remain away wash him and anoint him again, that he may sit in from home much longer; nevertheless I will con-the cloister and take his meals with Telemachus. It firm my words with an oath, and call Jove who is shall be the worse for any one of these hateful people the first and mightiest of all gods to witness, as also who is uncivil to him; like it or not, he shall have that hearth of Ulysses to which I have now come, no more to do in this house. For how, sir, shall you that all I have spoken shall surely come to pass.
be able to learn whether or no I am superior to 239
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others of my sex both in goodness of heart and un-guests who ever yet came to my house there never derstanding, if I let you dine in my cloisters squalid was one who spoke in all things with such admi-and ill clad? Men live but for a little season; if they rable propriety as you do. There happens to be in are hard, and deal hardly, people wish them ill so the house a most respectable old woman- the same long as they are alive, and speak contemptuously who received my poor dear husband in her arms of them when they are dead, but he that is righ-the night he was born, and nursed him in infancy.
teous and deals righteously, the people tell of his She is very feeble now, but she shall wash your feet.” praise among all lands, and many shall call him
“Come here,” said she, “Euryclea, and wash your blessed.”
master’s age-mate; I suppose Ulysses’ hands and Ulysses answered, “Madam, I have foresworn rugs feet are very much the same now as his are, for and blankets from the day that I left the snowy trouble ages all of us dreadfully fast.” ranges of Crete to go on shipboard. I will lie as I On these words the old woman covered her face have lain on many a sleepless night hitherto. Night with her hands; she began to weep and made lam-after night have I passed in any rough sleeping place, entation saying, “My dear child, I cannot think and waited for morning. Nor, again, do I like hav-whatever I am to do with you. I am certain no one ing my feet washed; I shall not let any of the young was ever more god-fearing than yourself, and yet hussies about your house touch my feet; but, if you Jove hates you. No one in the whole world ever have any old and respectable woman who has gone burned him more thigh bones, nor gave him finer through as much trouble as I have, I will allow her hecatombs when you prayed you might come to a to wash them.”
green old age yourself and see your son grow up to To this Penelope said, “My dear sir, of all the take after you; yet see how he has prevented you 240
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alone from ever getting back to your own home. I warm enough. Ulysses sat by the fire, but ere long have no doubt the women in some foreign palace he turned away from the light, for it occurred to which Ulysses has got to are gibing at him as all him that when the old woman had hold of his leg these sluts here have been gibing you. I do not won-she would recognize a certain scar which it bore, der at your not choosing to let them wash you after whereon the whole truth would come out. And in-the manner in which they have insulted you; I will deed as soon as she began washing her master, she wash your feet myself gladly enough, as Penelope at once knew the scar as one that had been given has said that I am to do so; I will wash them both him by a wild boar when he was hunting on Mount for Penelope’s sake and for your own, for you have Parnassus with his excellent grandfather Autolycus-raised the most lively feelings of compassion in my who was the most accomplished thief and perjurer mind; and let me say this moreover, which pray at-in the whole world—and with the sons of Autolycus.
tend to; we have had all kinds of strangers in dis-Mercury himself had endowed him with this gift, tress come here before now, but I make bold to say for he used to burn the thigh bones of goats and that no one ever yet came who was so like Ulysses kids to him, so he took pleasure in his companion-in figure, voice, and feet as you are.” ship. It happened once that Autolycus had gone to
“Those who have seen us both,” answered Ulysses, Ithaca and had found the child of his daughter just
“have always said we were wonderfully like each born. As soon as he had done supper Euryclea set other, and now you have noticed it too.
the infant upon his knees and said, you must find a Then the old woman took the cauldron in which name for your grandson; you greatly wished that she was going to wash his feet, and poured plenty you might have one.”
of cold water into it, adding hot till the bath was
‘Son-in-law and daughter,” replied Autolycus, “call 241
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the child thus: I am highly displeased with a large it came on dark, they went to bed and enjoyed the number of people in one place and another, both boon of sleep.
men and women; so name the child ‘Ulysses,’ or When the child of morning, rosy-fingered Dawn, the child of anger. When he grows up and comes to appeared, the sons of Autolycus went out with their visit his mother’s family on Mount Parnassus, where hounds hunting, and Ulysses went too. They my possessions lie, I will make him a present and climbed the wooded slopes of Parnassus and soon will send him on his way rejoicing.” reached its breezy upland valleys; but as the sun Ulysses, therefore, went to Parnassus to get the was beginning to beat upon the fields, fresh-risen presents from Autolycus, who with his sons shook from the slow still currents of Oceanus, they came hands with him and gave him welcome. His grand-to a mountain dell. The dogs were in front search-mother Amphithea threw her arms about him, and ing for the tracks of the beast they were chasing, kissed his head, and both his beautiful eyes, while and after them came the sons of Autolycus, among Autolycus desired his sons to get dinner ready, and whom was Ulysses, close behind the dogs, and he they did as he told them. They brought in a five had a long spear in his hand. Here was the lair of a year old bull, flayed it, made it ready and divided it huge boar among some thick brushwood, so dense into joints; these they then cut carefully up into that the wind and rain could not get through it, nor smaller pieces and spitted them; they roasted them could the sun’s rays pierce it, and the ground un-sufficiently and served the portions round. Thus derneath lay thick with fallen leaves. The boar heard through the livelong day to the going down of the the noise of the men’s feet, and the hounds baying sun they feasted, and every man had his full share on every side as the huntsmen came up to him, so so that all were satisfied; but when the sun set and rushed from his lair, raised the bristles on his neck, 242
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and stood at bay with fire flashing from his eyes.
As soon as Euryclea had got the scarred limb in Ulysses was the first to raise his spear and try to her hands and had well hold of it, she recognized it drive it into the brute, but the boar was too quick and dropped the foot at once. The leg fell into the for him, and charged him sideways, ripping him bath, which rang out and was overturned, so that above the knee with a gash that tore deep though it all the water was spilt on the ground; Euryclea’s did not reach the bone. As for the boar, Ulysses hit eyes between her joy and her grief filled with tears, him on the right shoulder, and the point of the spear and she could not speak, but she caught Ulysses by went right through him, so that he fell groaning in the beard and said, “My dear child, I am sure you the dust until the life went out of him. The sons of must be Ulysses himself, only I did not know you Autolycus busied themselves with the carcass of the till I had actually touched and handled you.” boar, and bound Ulysses’ wound; then, after saying As she spoke she looked towards Penelope, as a spell to stop the bleeding, they went home as fast though wanting to tell her that her dear husband as they could. But when Autolycus and his sons was in the house, but Penelope was unable to look had thoroughly healed Ulysses, they made him some in that direction and observe what was going on, splendid presents, and sent him back to Ithaca with for Minerva had diverted her attention; so Ulysses much mutual good will. When he got back, his fa-caught Euryclea by the throat with his right hand ther and mother were rejoiced to see him, and asked and with his left drew her close to him, and said, him all about it, and how he had hurt himself to
“Nurse, do you wish to be the ruin of me, you who get the scar; so he told them how the boar had ripped nursed me at your own breast, now that after twenty him when he was out hunting with Autolycus and years of wandering I am at last come to my own his sons on Mount Parnassus.
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by heaven to recognize me, hold your tongue, and with oil, Ulysses drew his seat nearer to the fire to do not say a word about it any one else in the house, warm himself, and hid the scar under his rags. Then for if you do I tell you—and it shall surely be- that Penelope began talking to him and said: if heaven grants me to take the lives of these suit-
“Stranger, I should like to speak with you briefly ors, I will not spare you, though you are my own about another matter. It is indeed nearly bed time-nurse, when I am killing the other women.” for those, at least, who can sleep in spite of sorrow.
“My child,” answered Euryclea, “what are you As for myself, heaven has given me a life of such talking about? You know very well that nothing can unmeasurable woe, that even by day when I am either bend or break me. I will hold my tongue like attending to my duties and looking after the sera stone or a piece of iron; furthermore let me say, vants, I am still weeping and lamenting during the and lay my saying to your heart, when heaven has whole time; then, when night comes, and we all of delivered the suitors into your hand, I will give you us go to bed, I lie awake thinking, and my heart a list of the women in the house who have been ill-comes a prey to the most incessant and cruel tor-behaved, and of those who are guiltless.” tures. As the dun nightingale, daughter of Pandareus, And Ulysses answered, “Nurse, you ought not to sings in the early spring from her seat in shadiest speak in that way; I am well able to form my own covert hid, and with many a plaintive trill pours opinion about one and all of them; hold your tongue out the tale how by mishap she killed her own child and leave everything to heaven.” Itylus, son of king Zethus, even so does my mind As he said this Euryclea left the cloister to fetch toss and turn in its uncertainty whether I ought to some more water, for the first had been all spilt; stay with my son here, and safeguard my substance, and when she had washed him and anointed him my bondsmen, and the greatness of my house, out 244
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of regard to public opinion and the memory of my to me with human voice, and told me to leave off late husband, or whether it is not now time for me crying. ‘Be of good courage,’ he said, ‘daughter of to go with the best of these suitors who are wooing Icarius; this is no dream, but a vision of good omen me and making me such magnificent presents. As that shall surely come to pass. The geese are the long as my son was still young, and unable to un-suitors, and I am no longer an eagle, but your own derstand, he would not hear of my leaving my husband, who am come back to you, and who will husband’s house, but now that he is full grown he bring these suitors to a disgraceful end.’ On this I begs and prays me to do so, being incensed at the woke, and when I looked out I saw my geese at the way in which the suitors are eating up his property.
trough eating their mash as usual.” Listen, then, to a dream that I have had and inter-
“This dream, Madam,” replied Ulysses, “can ad-pret it for me if you can. I have twenty geese about mit but of one interpretation, for had not Ulysses the house that eat mash out of a trough, and of himself told you how it shall be fulfilled? The death which I am exceedingly fond. I dreamed that a great of the suitors is portended, and not one single one eagle came swooping down from a mountain, and of them will escape.”
dug his curved beak into the neck of each of them And Penelope answered, “Stranger, drea