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13 - The Odyssey - Homer · Adventure Books Collection

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Book thirteen. Thus did he speak, and they all held their peace throughout
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the covered cloister, enthralled by the charm of his story, till presently Alcinous
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began to speak. Ulysses said he, now that you have reached my house,
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I doubt not you will get home without further misadventure, no matter how
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much you have suffered in the path. To you. Others, however,
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who come here night after night to drink my choicest wine and listen to my
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bard, I would insist as follows. Our guest has already backed up the
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clothes, wrought cold and other valuables which you have brought for his acceptance.
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Let us now therefore present him further, each one of us with a large
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tripod and a cauldron. We will recoup ourselves by the levy of a general
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rate, for private individuals cannot be expected to bear the burden of such a
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handsome present. Every one of approved of this, and then they went home
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to bed, each in his own abode. When the child of morning,
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rosy fingered dawn appeared, they hurried down to the ship and brought their cauldrons
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with them. Alcinous went on board and saw everything so securely stowed under the
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ship's benches, that nothing could break adrift and injure the rowers. Then they
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went to the house of Alcaneus to get dinner, and he sacrificed a bull
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for them in honor of Jove, who is the lord of all. They
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set the stakes to grill and made an excellent dinner, after which the inspired
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bard Demodocus, who was a favorite with every one, sang to them.
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But Ulysses kept on turning his eyes towards the sun, as though to hasten
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his setting, for he was longing to be on his way, as one
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who has been all day plowing a fallow field with a couple of oxen,
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keeps thinking about his supper, and is glad when night comes that he may
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go and get it, for it is all his legs can do to carry
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him. Even so did Ulysses rejoice when the sun went down, and he
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at once said to the Phaeacians, addressing himself more particularly to King Alcinous,
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Sir, and all of you, farewell, make your drink offerings, and
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send me on my way, rejoicing, for you have fulfilled my art's desires
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by giving me an escort and making me presents which Heaven grant that I may
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turn to good account. May I find my admirable wife living in peace among
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friends. And may you, whom I leave behind me, give satisfaction to
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your wives and children. May Heaven vouchsafe you every good grace, and may
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no evil thing come among your people. Thus did he speak his earrors.
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All of them approved his saying, and agreed that he should have an escort,
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inasmuch as he had spoken reasonably. Alcinous therefore said to his servant Pantanous,
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mix some one and hand round to everybody, that we may offer a
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prayer to Father Jove and speed our guests upon his way. Pontinus mixed the
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wine and handed it to every one in turn. The others, each from
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his own seat, made a drink, offering to the blessed gods that live
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in heaven. But Ulysses rose and placed the double cup in the hands of
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Queen Aratae. Farewell, Queen, said he, henceforward and forever till age
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and death, the common lot of mankind lay their hands upon you. I
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now take my leave. Be happy in the house with your children, your
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people, and with King Alcanaeus. As he spoke, he crossed the threshold,
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and Alcineus sent a man to conduct him to his ship and to the
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sea shore. Aretae also sent some maid servants with him, one with a
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clean shirt and cloak, another to carry his strong box, and a third
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with corn and wine. When they got the waterside, the crew took these
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things and put them on board with all the meat and drink. But for
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Ulysses they spread a rug and a linen sheet on deck, that he might
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sleep soundly in the stern of the ship. Then he too went on board
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and lay down without a word. But the crew took every man his place,
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and loosed the hawser from the pierced stone to which it had been bound
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thereon. When they began rowing out to sea, Ulysses fell into a deep,
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sweet, and almost deathlike slumber. The ship bounded forward on her way
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as a foreign hand chariot flies over the course. When the horses filled the
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whip, her brow curveted as if it were the neck of a stallion,
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and a great wave of dark blue water seethed in her wake. She held
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steadily on her course, and even a falcon's swiftest of all birds, could
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not have kept pace with her. Thus then she cut her way through the
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water, carrying one who was as cunning as the gods. But it was
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now sleeping peacefully, forgetful of all that he had suffered, both on the
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field of battle and by the waves of the weary sea. When the bright
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star that heralds the approach of dawn began to show, the ship drew near
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to land. Now there is in Ithaca a haven of the old Merman forces,
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which lies between two points that break the line of the sea and shut
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the harbor. In these shelter it from the storms of wind and sea that
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rage outside, so that when once within it, a ship may lie without
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being even moored. At the head of this harbor there is a large olive
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tree, and at no distance a fine overarching cavern, sacred to the nymphs,
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who are called nads. There are mixing bowls within it, and wine
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jars of stone, and the bees ive there. Moreover, there are great
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looms of stone on which the nymphs weaved their robes of sea purple, very
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curious to see, and at all times there is water within it. It
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has two entrances, one facing north, by which mortals can go down into
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the cave, while the other comes from the south and is more mysterious.
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Portals cannot possibly get in by it. It is the way taken by the
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God into this harbor. Then they took their ship, for they knew the
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place. She had so much way upon her that she ran half her own
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length on to the shore. When, however, they had landed, the
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first thing they did was to lift Ulysses, with his rug and linen sheet,
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out of the ship and lay him down upon the sand, still fast
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to sleep. Then they took out the presence which Minerva had persuaded the Phaeacians
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to give him when he was setting out on his voyage homewards. They put
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these all together by the root of the olive tree, away from the road,
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for fear some passive eye might come and steal them before you lies awoke.
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And then they made the best of their way home again. But Neptune
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did not forget the threats with which he had already threatened Ulysses. So he
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took counsel with Jove. Father Jove said he, I shall no longer be
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held in any sort of respect among you gods, if mortals like the Phaeacians,
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who are my own flesh and blood showed such small regard for me,
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I said, I would Ulysses get home when he had suffered sufficiently. I
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did not say that he should never get home at all, for I knew
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you had already nodded your head about it, and promised that he should do
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so. But now they have brought him in a ship fast asleep, and
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have landed him in Ithaca, after loading him with more magnificent presents of bronze,
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gold and raiment than he would ever have brought back from Troy if he
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had had his share of the spoil and got home without misadventure. And Jove
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answered, what, O, lord of the earthquake, are you talking about?
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The gods are by no means wanting in respect for you. It would
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be monstrous were they to insult one so old and honored as you are as
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regards mortals. However, if any of them is indulging in insolence in treating
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you disrespectfully, it will always rest with yourself to deal with him as you
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may think proper. So do just as you please. I should have done
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so at once, replied Neptune, if I were not anxious to avoid anything
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that might displease you, now. Therefore, I should like to wreck the
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Phaeacian ship as it is returning from its escort. This will stop them from
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escorting people in future. And I should also like to bury their city under
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a huge mountain. My good friend answered Jove, I should recommend you,
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at the very moment, when the people from the city are watching the ship
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on her way, to turn it into a rock near the land and looking
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like a ship. This will astonish everybody, and you can then bury their
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city under the mountain. When Earth encircling Neptune heard this, he went to
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Scherio, where the Phaeacians live, and stayed there till the ship, which
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was making rapid way, had got close in. Then he went up to
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it, turned it into stone, and drove it down with the flat of
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his hands so as to root it in the ground. After this he went
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away. The Phaeacians then began talking among themselves, and one would turn towards
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his neighbor, saying, bless my heart, who is it that can have
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rooted the ship in the sea. Just as she was getting into port,
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we could see the whole of her only moment ago. This is how they
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talked, but they knew nothing about it, and Alcinous said, I remember
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now the old prophecy of my father. He said that Neptune would be angry
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with us for taking everyone so safely over the sea, and would one day
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wreck a Phaeacian ship if it was returning from an escort, and bury our
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city under high mountain. This is what my old father used to say,
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and now it is all coming true. Now, therefore, let us all
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do as I say. In the first place, we must leave off giving
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people escorts when they come here, and in the next let us sacrifice twelve
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picked bulls to Neptune that he may have mercy upon us and not bury our
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city under the high mountain. When the people heard this, they were afraid
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and got ready the bulls. Thus did the chiefs and rulers of the Phaeacians
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to King Neptune, standing round his altar. And at the same time Ulysses
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woke up once more upon his own soil. He had been so long away
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that he did not know it again. Moreover, Jove's daughter Minerva had made
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it a foggy day so that people might not know of his having come,
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and that she might tell him everything without either his wife or his fellow's citizens
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and friends recognizing him. Until he had taken his revenge upon the wicked suitors.
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Everything therefore seemed quite different to him. The long, straight tracks,
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the habbers, the precipices, and the goodly trees appeared all changed as he
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started up and looked upon his native land. So he smote his thighs with
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the flat of his hands and cried aloud, despairingly, alas he exclaimed,
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among what manner of people am I fallen? Are they savage and uncivilized?
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Or hospitable and humane? Where shall I put all this treasure? And which
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way shall I go? I wish I had stayed over there with the Phaeacians,
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or I could have gone to some other great chief who would have been
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good to me and given me an escort. As it is, I do
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not know where to put my treasure, and I cannot leave it here for
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fear somebody else should get hold of it. In good truth, the chiefs
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and rulers of the Peacians have not been dealing fairly by me and have left
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me in the wrong country. They said they would take me back to Ithaca,
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and they have not done. So. May Jove the protector of Supplians
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chastised them, for he watches over everybody and punishes those who do wrong.
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Still, I suppose I must count my goods and see if the crew have
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gone off with any of them. He counted his goodly coppers and cauldrons,
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his gold in all his clothes, but there was nothing missing. Still,
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he kept grieving about not being in his own country, and wandered up and
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down by the shore of the Sounding Sea, bewailing his hard fate. Then
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Minerva came up to him, disguised as a young shepherd of delicate and princely
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Mian, with a good cloak folded double about her shoulders. She had sandals
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on her comely feet and held a javelin in her hand. Ulysses was glad
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when he saw her and went straight up to her. My friend said he,
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you are the first person whom I have met with in this country.
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I salute you therefore, and begged you to be will disposed toward me.
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Protect these my goods, and myself too, For I embrace your knees and
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pray to you as though you were a god. Tell me, then,
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and tell me truly, what land and country is this? Who are its
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inhabitants. Am I on an island? Or is this the sea board of
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some continent? I never answered, stranger, you must be very simple,
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or must have come from somewhere a long way off, not to know what
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country this is. It is a very celebrated place, and everybody knows it
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east and west. It is rugged and not a good driving country. But
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it is by no means a big island. For what there is of it,
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it grows any quantity of corn and also wine, for it is watered
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both by rain and dew. It breeds cattle, also in goats. All
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kinds of timber grow here, and there are watering places where the water never
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runs dry. So, sir, the name of Ithaca has known even as
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as far as Troy, which I understand to be a long way off from
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this Achian country. Ulysses was glad at finding himself, as Minerva told him,
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in his own country, and he began to answer, but he did
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not speak the truth, and made up a lying story in the instinctive wiliness
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of his heart. I heard of Ithaca, said he, when I was
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in creep beyond the seas, And now it seems I have reached it with
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all these treasures I have left as much more behind me for my children.
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But am flying because I killed Orsilochus, son of Indominius, the fleetest runner
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in Greete. I killed him because he wanted to rob me of the spoils
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I had gotten from Troy, with so much trouble and danger, both on
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the field of battle and by the waves of the weary sea. He said,
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I had not served his father loyally at Troy, his vassal, but
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had set myself up as an independent ruler. So I lay in wait for
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him, and with one of my followers by the roadside, and speared him
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as he was coming into town from the country my It was a very dark
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night, and nobody saw us. It was not known therefore that I had
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killed him. And as soon as I had done so, I went to
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the ship and besought the owners, who were Phoenicians, to take me on
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board and set me in Pilos or in Ellis, were the Epian's rule,
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giving them as much spoil as satisfied them. They meant no guile, but
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the wind drove them off their course, and we sailed on till we came
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hither by night. It was all we could do to get inside the arbor,
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and none of us said a word about supper, though we wanted it
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badly. But we all went on shore and lay down just as we were.
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I was very tired and fell asleep directly. So they took my goods
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out of the ship and placed them beside me where I was lying on the
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sand. Then they sailed away to Sodonia, and I was left here in
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great distress of mind. Such was his talk. But Minerva smiled and caressed
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him with her hand. Then she took the form of a woman, fair
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stately and wise. He must be, indeed a shifty, lying fellow,
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said she, who could surpass you in all manner of craft, even though
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you had a guard for your antagonist. Dare devil that you are full of
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guile, unworrying in deceit. Can you not drop your tricks and your instinctive
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falsehood, even now that you are in your own country again. We will
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say no more, however, about this, for we can both of us
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deceive upon occasion. You are the most accomplished counselor and orator among all mankind,
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while I, for diplomacy and subtlety, have no equal among the gods.
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Did you not know Joe's daughter, Minerva me, who have been ever
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with you, who kept watch over you and all your troubles, and who
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made the Phaeacians take so great a liking to you. And now again I
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am come here to talk things over with you and help you tide the treasure
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I made the Phaeacians give you. I want to tell you about the troubles
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that await you in your own house. You have got to face them.
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But tell no one, neither man nor woman, that you have come home
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again, bear everything and put up with every man's insolence without a word.
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And Ulysses answered. A man goddess may know a great deal, but you
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are so constantly changing your appearance that when he meets you it is a hard
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matter for him to know whether it is you or not. This much,
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however, I know exceedingly well you are very kind to me as long as
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we Achians were fighting before Troy. But from the day on which we went
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on board ship after having sacked the city of Raham, and Heaven disposed us.
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From that day, Minerva, I saw no more of you, and
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cannot ever remember your coming to my ship to help me in a difficulty I
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had to wander on, sick and sorry, till the gods delivered me from
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evil, and I reached the city of the Phaeacians, where you encouraged me
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and took me into the town. And now I beseech you, in your
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father's name, tell me the truth, for I do not believe I am
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really back in Ithaca. I am in some other country, and you are
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mocking me and deceiving me in all you have been saying. Tell me,
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then, truly, have I really got back to my own country. You
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are always taking something of that sort into your head, replied Minerva. And
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that is why I cannot desert you in your afflictions. You are so plausible,
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shrewd and shifty. Any one but yourself, on returning from so long
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a voyage, would at once have gone home to see his wife and children.
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But you do not seem to care about asking after them or hearing any
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news about them, till you have exploited your wife, who remains at home
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vainly grieving for you, and having no peace night or day for the tears
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she sheds on you. Be aff as for my not coming near you,
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I was never uneasy about you, for I was certain you would get back
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safely, though you would lose all your men, and I did not wish
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to quarrel with my uncle Neptune, who never forgave you for having blinded his
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son. I will, now, however, point out to you the lie
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of the land, and you will then perhaps believe me. This is the
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avon of the old mermured forces, and here is the olive tree that grows
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at the head of it. Here it is the cave sacred to the nive.
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Here too is the overarching cavern in which you have offered many an acceptable
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echotomb to the nymphs. And this is the wooded mountain Neretum. As she
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spoke, the goddess dispersed the mist, and the land appeared. Then Ulysses
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rejoiced at finding himself again in his own land, and kissed the bounteous soil.
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He lifted up his hands and prayed to the nymphs, saying, near
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Nymphs, daughters of Jove, I made sure that I was never again to
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see you. Now therefore I greet you with all loving salutations, and I
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will bring you offerings as in the old days. If Jove's redoubtable daughter will
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grab me life and bring my son to manhood. Take heart, and do
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not trouble yourself about that. Rejoined Minerva, let us rather set about stowing
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your things at once in the cave, where they will be quite safe.
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Let us see how we can best manage it all therewith, she went down
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into the cave to look for the safest hiding places, while Ulysses brought up
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all the treasure of gold, bronze, and good clothing which the Theaeacians had
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given him. They stowed everything carefully away, and Minerva set a stone against
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the door of the cave. Then the two sat down by the root of
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the great olive and consulted at a compass the destruction of the wicked suitors.
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Ulysses said, Minerva, noble son of ladies, think how you can lay
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hands on these disreputable people who have been lording it in your house, these
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three courting your wife and making wedding presents to her, while she does nothing
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but lament your absence, giving hope, and sending your encouraging messages to every
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one of them. But meaning the very opposite of all she says, And
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Ulysses answered, in good truth, Goddess, it seems I should have come
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to much the same bad end in my own house as Agamannon did if you
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had not given me such timely information. Advise me how I shall best avenge
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myself. Stand by my side, and put your courage into my heart,
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as on the day when we loose Troy's fair dietem from her brow. Help
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me now as you did then, and I will fight three hundred men.
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If you, Goddess, will be with me, trust me for that said
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she. I will not lose sight of you when once we set about it,
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and I would imagine that some of those who are devouring your substance will
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then bespatter the pavement with their blood and brains. I will begin by disguise
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you so that no human being shall know you. I will cover your body
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with wrinkles. You shall lose all your yellow air. I will clothe you
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in a cormet that shall fill all who see it with loathing. I will
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blear your fine eyes for you, and make you an unseemly object in the
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sight of the suitors of your wife and of the sun, whom you left
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behind. You then go at once to the swineherd, who is in charge
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of your pigs, he has been always well affected towards you, and is
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devoted to Penelope and your son. You will find him feeding his pigs near
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the rock that is called Raven by the fountain Arethusa, where they are fattening
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on beech mast and spring water after their manner. Stay with him and find
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out how things are going, while I proceed to Sparta and see your son,
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who is with Menelaeus at Lacedaeum, where he is gone to try and
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find out whether you are still alive. But why, said Ulysses, Did
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you not tell him, for you knew all about it? Did you want
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him to to go sailing about amid all kinds of oddship while others are eating
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up his estate? Minerva answered, never mind about him. I sent him
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that he might be well spoken of, for having gone, he is in
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no sort of difficulty, but his tank quite comfortably with Menelaus, and is
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surrounded with abundance of every kind. The suitors have put out to sea and
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are lying in wait for him, for they mean to kill him before he
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can get home. I do not much think they will succeed, but rather
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that some of those who are now eating up your estate will thus fine to
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grave themselves. As she spoke, Minerva touched him with her wand and covered
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him with wrinkles, took away all his yellow hair, and withered the flesh
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over his whole body. She bleared his eyes, which were naturally very fine
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ones. She changed his clothes and threw an old rag of a rap about
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him, and a tunic tattered, filthy, and begrimed with smoke. She
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also gave him an undressed deer skin as an outer garment, and furnished him
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with a staff and a wallet, all in holes, with a twisted thong
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for him to sling it over his shoulder. When the pair had thus laid
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their plans, they parted, and the goddess went straight to Lacedaemon to fetch
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Telemachus. End of Book thirteen