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24 - The Odyssey - Homer · Adventure Books Library

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Book twenty four, The Ghosts of the Suitors in Hades, Ulysses and his
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men go to the house of Laertes. The people of Ithaca come out to
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attack Ulysses, but Minerva concludes a peace. Then Mercury of Silen summoned the
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ghosts of the suitors, and in his hand he held the fair golden wand,
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with which he seals men's eyes in sleep, or wakes them just as
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he pleases. With this, he roused the ghosts and led them while they
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followed, whining and gibbering behind him, as bats fly squealing in the hollow
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of some great cave when one of them has fallen out of the cluster in
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which they hang. Even so did the ghosts whine and squeal as Mercury,
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the Healer of sorrow, led them down to the dark abode of death.
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When they had passed the waters of Oceanus and the roc Leaulchus, they came
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to the gates of the Sun and the land of Dreams, whereon they reached
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the meadow of Asphodel, where dwell the souls and shadows of them that can
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labor no more. Here they found the ghost of Achilles, son of Pelias,
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with those of Patroclus, Anteloclus, and Ajax, who was the finest
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and handsomest man of all the Danians, after the son of Pelias himself.
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They gathered round the ghost of the son of Pelias, and the ghost of
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Agamemnon joined them, sorrowing bitterly. Round him were also gathered the ghosts of
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those who had perished with him in the house of Ageistus, and the ghost
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of Achilles spoke first, son of Atreus, It said, we used to
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say that Joe had loved you better from the first to last than any other
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hero, for you were captain over many and brave men when we were all
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fighting together before Troy. Yet the hand of death, which no mortal can
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escape, was laid upon you all too early. Better for you had you
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fallen at Troy in the heyday of your renown, for the Achaeans would have
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built a mound over your ashes, and your son would have been heir to
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your good name, whereas it has now been your lot to come to a
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most miserable end. Happy son of Pelias, answered the ghost of Agamemnon,
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for having died at Troy far from Argos, while the bravest of the Trojans,
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and the Achaeans fell round you, fighting for your body. There you
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lay in the whirling clouds of dust, all huge and hugely heedless. Now
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of your chivalry, we fought the whole of the livelong day, Nor should
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we ever have left off if Jove had not sent a hurricane to stay us.
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Then when we had borne you to the ships out of the fray,
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we laid you on your bed and cleansed your fair skin with warm water and
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with ointments. The Danaeans tore their hair and wept bitterly round about you.
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Your mother, when she heard, came with her immortal nymphs from out of
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the sea, and the sound of a great wailing went forth over the waters,
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so that the Achaeans quaked for fear. They would have fled, panic
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stricken to their ships, had not wise old Nestor, whose counsel was ever
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truest, checked them, saying, hold, argives fly not, sons of
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the Achaeans, This is his mother coming from the sea with her immortal nymphs
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to view the body of her son. Thus he spoke, and the Achaeans
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feared no more. The daughters of the old man of the sea stood round
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you, weeping bitterly, and clothed you in immortal raiment. The nine muses
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also came and lifted up their sweet voices in lament, calling and answering one
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another. There was not an argive, but wept for pity of the dirge.
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They chanted days and nights seven and ten we mourned you, mortals and
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immortals. But on the eighteenth day we gave you to the flames. And
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many a fat sheep, with many an ox did we slay in sacrifice.
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Around you. You were burnt in raiment of the gods, with rich resins
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and with honey, while heroes horse and foot clashed their armor round the pile,
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as you were burning with a tramp, as of a great multitude.
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But when the flames of heaven had done their work, we gathered your white
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bones at daybreak and laid them in ointments and in pure wine. Your mother
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brought us a golden vase to hold them, gift of Bacchus and work of
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Vulcan himself. In this we mingled your bleached bones with those of Petroclus,
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who had gone before you, and separate we enclosed also those of Antilochus,
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who had been closer to you than any other of your comrades. Now that
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Protroclus was no more over these the host of the archives built a noble tomb
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from a point jutting out over the open Hellespont, that it might be seen
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from far out upon the sea by those now living and by them that shall
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be born hereafter, your mother begged prizes from the gods and offered them to
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be contended for by the noblest of the Achaeans. You must have been present
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at the funeral of many a hero, when the young men gird themselves and
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make ready to contend for prizes on the death of some great chieftain. But
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you never saw such prizes as silver footed Thetis offered in your honor, For
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the gods loved you well. Thus, even in death, your fame,
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Achilles, has not been lost, and your name lives evermore among all mankind.
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But as for me, what solace had I when the days of my
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fighting were done? For Jove willed my destruction on my return by the hands
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of Agisthus and those of my wicked. Thus did they converse, and presently
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Mercury came up to them with the ghosts of the suitors who had been killed
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by Ulysses. The ghosts of Agamemnon and Achilles were astonished at seeing them and
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went up to them at once. The ghost of Agamemnon recognized Amphemedon, son
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of Melanaeus, who lived in Ithaca and had been his host, so it
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began to talk to him. Amphemedon it said, what has happened to all
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you fine young men, all of an age too? That you come down
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here under the ground. One could pick no finer body of men from any
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city. Did Neptune raise his winds and waves against you when you were at
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sea? Or did your enemies make an end of you on the mainland when
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you were cattle lifting or sheep stealing, or while fighting in defense of your
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wives and cities? Answer my question, for I have been your guest.
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Do you not remember how I came to your house with Menelaeus to persuade Ulysses
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to join us with his ships against Troy. It was a whole month ere
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we could resume our voyage, for we had hard work to persuade Ulysses to
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come with us. And the ghost of Amphimedon answered Agamemnon, son of Atreus,
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King of Men, I remember everything that you have said, and will
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tell you fully and accurately about the way in which our end was brought about.
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Ulysses had been long gone, and we were courting his wife, who
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did not say point blank that she would not marry nor yet bring matters to
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an end, for she meant to compass our destruction. This, then,
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was the trick she played on us. She set up a great tambour frame
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in her room and began to work on an enormous piece of fine needlework.
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Sweethearts, said she, Ulysses, and indeed dead. Still, do not
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press me to marry again immediately, wait, for I would not have my
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skill in needlework perish unrecorded till I have completed a pall for the hero Laertes,
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against the time when death shall take him. He is very rich,
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and the women of the place will talk if he is laid out without a
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pall. This is what she said, and we assented. Whereupon we could
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see her working upon her great web all day long, but at night she
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would unpick the stitches again by torchlight. She fooled us in this way for
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three years without our finding it out. But As time wore on, and
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she was now in her fourth year in the waning of moo wounds, and
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many days had been accomplished. One of her maids, who knew what she
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was doing, told us, and we caught her in the act of undoing
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her work. So she had to finish it, whether she would or no.
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And when she showed us the robe she had made after she had had
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it washed, its splendor was as that of the sun or moon. Then
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some malicious god conveyed Ulysses to the upland farm where his swineherd lives. Thither
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presently came also his son, returning from a voyage to Pylos, and the
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two came to the town when they had hatched their plot for our destruction.
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Telemachus came first, and then after him, accompanied by the swinnard, came
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Ulysses, clad in rags and leaning on a staff, as though he were
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some miserable old beggar. He came so on a expectedly that none of us
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knew him, not even the older ones among us, and we reviled him
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and threw things at him. He endured both being struck and insulted without a
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word, though he was in his own house. But when the will of
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aegis bearing Jove inspired him, he and Telemachus took the armor and hid it
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in an inner chamber, bolting the doors behind them. Then he cunningly made
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his wife offer his bow and a quantity of iron, to be contended for
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by us ill fated suitors. And this was the beginning of our end,
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for not one of us could string the bow, nor nearly do so.
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When it was about to reach the hands of Ulysses, we all of us
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shouted out that it should not be given him, no matter what he might
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say, But Telemachus insisted on his having it. When he had got it
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in his hands, he strung it with ease and sent his arrow through the
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iron. Then he stood on the floor the cloister and poured his arrows on
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the ground, glaring fiercely about him. First he killed Antinus, and then,
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aiming straight before him, he let fly his deadly darts, and they
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fell thick on one another. It was plain that some one of the gods
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was helping them, for they fell upon us with might and main throughout the
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cloisters, and there was a hideous sound of groaning, as our brains were
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being battered in and the ground seethed with our blood. This, Agamemnon,
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is how we came by our end. And our bodies are lying still uncared
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for in the house of Ulysses, for our friends at home do not yet
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know what has happened, so that they cannot lay us out and wash the
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black blood from our wounds, making moan over us to the offices due to
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the departed. Happy Ulysses, son of Laertes, replied the ghost of Agamemnon,
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you are indeed blessed in the possession of a wife endowed with such rare
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excellence of understanding, and so faithful to her wedded lord as Penelope, the
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daughter of Ecarius. The fame therefore of her virtue shall never die, and
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the immortals shall compose a song that shall be welcome to all mankind in honor
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of the constancy of Penelope. How far otherwise was the wickedness of the daughter
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of Tyndareus, who killed her lawful husband. Her song shall be hateful among
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men, for she has brought disgrace on all womankind, even on the good
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ones. Thus did they converse in the house of Hades, deep down within
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the bowels of the earth. Meanwhile, Ulysses and the others passed out of
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the town and soon reached the fair and well tilled farm of Laertes, which
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he had reclaimed with infinite labor. Here was his house, with a lean
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to running all round it, where the slaves who worked for him slept and
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sat and ate. While inside the house there was an old sy sell woman
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who looked after him in this his country farm. When Ulysses got there,
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he said to his son and to the other two, go to the house
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and kill the best pig that you can find for dinner. Meanwhile, I
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want to see whether my father will know me or fail to recognize me after
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so long an absence. He then took off his armor and gave it to
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Eumaeus and Philoetius, who went straight on to the house, while he turned
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off into the vineyard to make trial of his father. As he went down
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into the great orchard, he did not see Dolius, nor any of his
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sons, nor of the other bondsmen, for they were all gathering thorns to
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make a fence for the vineyard at the place where the old man had told
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them. He therefore found his father alone, hoeing a vine. He had
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on a dirty, old shirt, patched and very shabby. His legs were
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bound round with thongs of ox hide to save him from the brambles, and
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he also wore sleeves of leather. He had a goat skin cap on his
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head, and was looking very well obegone. When Ulysses saw him, so
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worn, so old, and full of sorrow, he stood still under a
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tall pear tree and began to weep. He doubted whether to embrace him,
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kiss him, and tell him all about his having come home, or whether
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he should first question him and see what he would say. In the end,
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he deemed it best to be crafty with him. So in this mind
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he went up to his father, who was bending down and digging about a
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plant. I see, sir, said Ulysses, that you are an excellent
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gardener. What pains you take with it? To be sure? There is
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not a single plant, not a fig tree, vine, olive, pear,
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nor flower bed, but bears the trace of your attention. I trust,
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however, that you will not be offended if I say that you take
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better care of your garden than of yourself. You are old, unsavory,
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and very meanly clad. It cannot be because you are idle that your master
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takes such poor care of you. Indeed, your face and figure have nothing
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of the slave about them, and proclaim you of noble birth. I should
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have said that you were one of those who should wash well, eat well,
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and lie soft at night, as old men have a right to do.
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But tell me, and tell me true, whose bondsman are you?
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And in whose garden are you working? Tell me also about another matter.
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Is this place that I have come to really Ithaca? I met a man
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just now who said so. But he was a dull fellow and had not
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the patience to hear my story out when I was asking him about an old
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friend of mine, whether he was still living or was already dead, and
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in the house of Hades. Believe me when I tell you that this man
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came to my house once when I was in my own country, and never
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did yet any stranger come to me whom I liked better. He said that
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his family came from Ithaca, and that his father was Laertes, son of
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Arsasius. I received him hospitably, making him welcome to all the abundance of
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my house, and when he went away, I gave him all the customary
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presents. I gave him seven talents of fine gold and a cup of solid
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silver with flowers chased upon it. I gave him twelve light cloaks and as
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many pieces of tapestry. I also gave him twelve cloaks of single fold,
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twelve rugs, twelve fair mantles, and an equal number of shirts. To
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all this, I added four good looking women, skilled in all useful arts,
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and I let him take his choice. His father shed tears and answered,
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sir, you have indeed come to the country that you have named,
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but it has fallen into the hands of wicked people. All this wealth of
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presence has been given to no purpose. If you could have found your friend
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here alive in Ithaca, he would have entertained you hospitably and would have requited
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your presence amply when you left him, as would have been only right considering
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what you had already given him. But tell me, and tell me true,
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how many years is it since you entertained this guest, my unhappy son
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as ever was alas he has perished far from his own country. The fishes
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of the sea have eaten him, or he has fallen a prey to the
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birds and wild beasts. Of some continent. Neither his mother nor I his
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father, who were his parents, could throw our arms about him and wrap
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him in his shroud. Nor could his excellent and richly dowered wife, Penelope
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bewail her husband as was natural upon his death bed, and to close his
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eyes according to the offices due to the departed. But now tell me,
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truly, for I want to know who and whence are you. Tell me
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of your town and parents. Where is the ship lying that has brought you
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and your men to Ithaca? Or were you a passenger on some other man's
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ship, and those who brought you here have gone on their way and left
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you. I will tell you everything, answered Ulysses, quite truly. I
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come from Alibis, where I have a fine house. I am son of
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King effade Us, who is the son of Polypemmon. My own name is
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Apparatus. Heaven drove me off my course as I was leaving Psyrcania, and
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I have been carried here against my will. As for my ship, it
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is lying over yonder off the open country outside the town. And this is
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the fifth year since Ulysses left my country. Poor fellow, Yet the omens
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were good for him when he left me. The birds all flew on our
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right hands, and both he and I rejoiced to see them as we parted,
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for we had every hope that we should have another friendly meeting and exchange
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presence. A dark cloud of sorrow fell upon Laertes as he listened. He
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filled both hands with dust from off the ground and poured it over his gray
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head, groaning heavily as he did so. The heart of Ulysses was touched,
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and his nostrils quivered as he looked upon his father. Then he sprang
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towards him, flung his arms about him, and kissed him, saying,
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I am he father about whom you are asking. I have returned after having
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been away for twenty years. But cease your sighing and lamentation, for we
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have no time to lose. For I should tell you that I have been
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killing the suitors in my house to punish them for their insolence and crimes.
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If you really are my son, Ulysses, replied Laertes, and have come
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back again, you must give me such manifest proof of your identity shall convince
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me. First observe this scar, answered Ulysses, which I got from a
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boar's tusk, when I was hunt on Mount Parnassus. You and my mother
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had sent me to Autolaichus, my mother's father, to receive the presence which
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when he was over here he had promised to give me. Furthermore, I
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will point out to you the trees and the vineyard which you gave me,
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and I asked you all about them as I followed you round the garden.
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We went over them all, and you told me their names and what they
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all were. You gave me thirteen pear trees, ten apple trees, and
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forty fig trees. You also said you would give me fifty rows of vines.
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There was corn planted between each row, and they yield grapes of every
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kind when the heat of heaven has been laid heavy upon them. Later,
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tis strength failed him when he heard the convincing proofs which his son had given
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him. He threw his arms about him, and Ulysses had to poor to
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him or he would have gone off into a swoon. But as soon as
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he came too and was beginning to recover his senses, he said, oh,
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father Jove, then you gods are still in Olympus after all, if
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the suitors have really been punished, for their insolence and folly. Nevertheless,
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I am much afraid that I shall have all the townspeople of Ithaca up here
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directly, and they will be sending messengers everywhere throughout the cities of the Cephallenians.
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Ulysses answered, take heart, and do not trouble yourself about that.
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But let us go into the house hard by your garden. I have already
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told Telemachus, Philoetius, and Eumaeus to go on there and get dinner ready
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as soon as possible. Thus conversing, the two made their way towards the
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house. When they got there, they found Telemachus, the stockman and the
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swinnard cutting up meat and mixing wine with water. Then the old size sell
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woman took Layertes inside and washed him and anointed him with oil. She put
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him on a good cloak, and Minerva came up to him and gave him
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a more imposing presence, making him taller and stouter than before. When he
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came back, his son was surprised to see him looking so like an immortal,
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and said to him, my dear father, some one of the gods
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has been making you much taller and better looking. Laerties answered would by Father,
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Jove, Minerva, and Apollo, that I were the man I was
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when I ruled among the Cephallenians and took Neerikum, that strong fortress on the
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foreland. If I were still what I then was, and had been in
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our house yesterday with my armor on, I should have been able to stand
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by you and help you against the suitors. I should have killed a great
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many of them, and you would have rejoiced to see it. Thus did
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they converse, but the others, when they had finished their work, and
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when the feast was ready, left off working, and took each his proper
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place on the benches and seats. Then they began eating, by and bye.
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Old Dolius and his sons left their work and came up for their mother.
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The Sisol, woman who looked after Laertes, now that he was growing
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old, had been to fetch them. When they saw Ulysses and were certain
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it was he, they stood there lost in astonishment. But Ulysses scolded them
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good naturedly, and said, sit down to your dinner, old man,
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and never mind about your surprise. We have been wanting to begin for some
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time, and have been waiting for you. Then Dolius put out both his
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hands and went up to Ulysses. Sir, said, he seizing his master's
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hand and kissing it at the wrist. We have been long wishing you home,
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and now Heaven has restored you to us, after we had given up
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hoping. All hail therefore, and may the gods prosper you. But tell
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me, does Penelope know of your return? Or shall we send some one
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to tell her? Old man answered Ulysses, she knows already, so you
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need not trouble about that. On this he took his seat, and the
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sons of Dolius gathered round Ulysses to give him greeting and embrace him, one
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after the other. Then they took their seats in due order near Dolius their
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father. While they were thus busy getting their dinner ready, rumor went round
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the town and noised abroad the terrible fate that had befallen the suitors. As
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soon therefore as the people heard of it, they gathered from every quarter,
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groaning and hooting, before the house of Ulysses. They took the dead away,
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buried every man his own, and put the bodies of those who came
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from elsewhere on board the fishing vessels for the fishermen to take each of them
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to his own place. They then met angrily in the place of assembly,
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and when they were got together, Eupaiethes rose to speak. He was overwhelmed
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with grief for the death of his son Antinous, who had been the first
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man killed by Ulysses. So he said, weeping bitterly, my friends,
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this man has done the Achaeans great wrong. He took many of our best
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men away with him in his fleet, and he has lost both ships and
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men. Now moreover, on his return he has been killing all the foremost
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men among the Cephelenians. Let us be up and doing before he can get
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away to Pylos or to Elis, where the Apeians rule, or we shall
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be ashamed of ourselves forever afterwards. It will be an everlasting disgrace to us
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if we do not avenge the murder of our sons and brothers. For my
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own part, I should have no more pleasure in life, but had rather
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die at once. Let us up then and after them, before they can
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cross over to the main land. He wept as he spoke, and every
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one pitied him, but Madawn and the barred Phemius had now woke up and
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came to them from the house of Ulysses. Everyone was astonished at seeing them,
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for they stood in the middle of the assembly, and medon, said
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hear me, men of Ithaca, Ulysses did not do these things against the
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will of Heaven. I myself saw an immortal god take the form of Mentor,
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and stand beside him. This God appeared now in front of him,
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encouraging him, and now going furiously about the court and attacking the suitors,
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whereon they fell thick on one another. On this pale fear laid hold of
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them, and old halethurses son of Mastor, rose to speak, for he
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was the only man among them who knew both past and future. So he
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spoke to them plainly and in all honesty, saying, men of Ithaca,
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it is all your own fault that things have turned out as they have.
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You would not listen to me, nor yet to Mentor, when he bade
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you check the folly of your sons, who were doing much wrong in the
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wantonness of their hearts, wasting the substance, and dishonoring the wife of a
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chieftain, who they thought would not return. Now, however, Let it
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be as I say, and do as I tell you. Do not go
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out against Ulysses, or you may find that you have been drawing down evil
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on your own heads. That was what he said, And more than half
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raised a loud shout and at once left the assembly, But the rest stayed
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where they were, for the speech of Halethurcees displeased them, and they sided
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with Eupaiethes. They therefore hurried off for their armor, and when they had
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armed themselves, they met together in front of the city, and Eupaiethes led
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them on. In their folly, he thought he was going to avenge the
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murder of his son, whereas in truth he was never to return, but
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was himself to perish in his attempt. Then Minerva said to Jove, father,
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son of Saturn, king of Kings, answer me this question. What
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do you propose to do? Will you set them fighting still further? Or
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will you make peace between them? And Jove answered, my child, why
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should you ask me? Was it not by your own arrangement that Ulysses came
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home and took his revenge upon the suitors. Do whatever you like, but
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I will tell you what I think will be the most reasonable arrangement. Now
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that Ulysses is revenged, let them swear to a solemn covenant in virtue of
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which he shall continue to rule, while we cause the others to forgive and
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forget the massacre of their sons and brothers. Let them then all become friends
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as heretofore, and let peace and plenty reign. This was what Minerva was
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already eager to bring about, so down she darted from off the topmost summits
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of Olympus. Now, when Laertes and the others had done dinner, Ulysses
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began by saying, some of you, go out and see if they are
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not getting close up to us. So one of Dolly's's sons went as he
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was bid. Standing on the threshold, he could see them all quite near,
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and said to Ulysses, here they are, Let us put on our
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armor at once. They put on their armor as fast as they could,
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that is to say, Ulysses, his three men and the six sons of
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Dolius. Laertes also and Dolius did the same warriors by necessity, in spite
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of their gray hair. When they had all put on their armor, they
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opened the gate and sallied forth Ulysses leading the way. Then Jove's daughter Minerva
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came up to them, having assumed the form and voice of mentor. Ulysses
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was glad when he saw her and said to his son Telemachus, Telemachus,
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now that you are about to fight in an engagement which will show every man's
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mettle, be sure not to disgrace your ancestors, who were imminent for their
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strength and courage all the world over. You say, truly, my dear
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father, answer Telemachus, and you shall see, if you will, that
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I am in no mind to disgrace your family. Laertes was delighted when he
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heard this. Good Heavens, he exclaimed, what a day I am enjoying.
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I do indeed rejoice at it. My son and grandson are vine with
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one another in the matter of valor. On this, Minerva came close up
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to him and said, son of Arcissius, best friend I have in the
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world. Pray to the blue eyed damsel and to Jove her father. Then
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poise your spear and hurl it. As she spoke, she infused fresh vigor
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into him, and when he had prayed to her, he poised his spear
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and hurled it. He hit you paieth the's helmet, and the spear went
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right through it, for the helmet stayed it nott and the armor rang rattling
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round him as he fell heavily to the ground. Meanwhile, Ulysses and his
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son fell upon the front line of the foe and smote them with their swords
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and spears. Indeed, they would have killed every one of them and prevented
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them from ever getting home again. Only Minerva raised her voice aloud and made
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everyone pause. Men of Ithaca, She cried, cease this dreadful war,
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and settle the matter at once without further bloodshed. On this pale. Fear
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seized everyone. They were so frightened that their arms dropped from their hands and
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fell upon the ground at the sound of the Goddess's voice, and they fled
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back to the city for their lives. But Ulysses gave a great cry,
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and, gathering himself together, swooped down like a soaring eagle. Then the
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son of Saturn sent a thunderbolt of fire that fell just in front of Minerva.
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So she said to Ulysses, Ulysses, noble son of Laertes, stop
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this warful strife, or Jove will be angry with you, Thus spoke Minerva,
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and Ulysses obeyed her gladly. Then Minerva assumed the form and voice of
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Mentor, and presently made a covenant of peace between the two contending parties.
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End of Book twenty four and end of the Odyssey by Homer, as translated
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by Samuel Butler.