Latest / Classic Adventure Books Library / 03 - The Odyssey - Homer

Transcript

03 - The Odyssey - Homer · Classic Adventure Books Library

0:00
Book three. But as the sun was rising from the fair sea into the
0:05
firmament of heaven to shed light on mortals and immortals, they reached Pylos,
0:10
the city of Nelius. Now the people of Pylos were gathered on the sea
0:15
shore to offer sacrifice of black bulls to Neptune, lord of the earthquake.
0:20
There were nine guilds with five hundred men in each, and there were nine
0:24
bulls to each guild. As they were eating the inward meats and burning the
0:28
thigh bones on the embers in the name of Neptune. Telemachus and his crew
0:32
arrived, furled their sails, brought their ship to anchor, and went ashore.
0:38
Minerva led the way, and Telemachus followed her. Presently, She said,
0:43
Telemachus, you must not be in the least shy or nervous. You
0:47
have taken this voyage to try and find out where your father is buried and
0:51
how he came by his end. So go straight up to Nestor, that
0:55
we may see what he has got to tell us. Beg of him to
0:58
speak the truth, and he will tell no lies, for he is an
1:02
excellent person. But how Mentor replied to Lemachus dare I go up to Nestor?
1:07
And how am I to address him? I have never yet been used
1:11
to holding long conversations with people, and am ashamed to begin questioning one who
1:17
is so much older than myself some things, Telemachus answered, Minerva will be
1:22
suggested to you by your own instinct, and Heaven will prompt you further,
1:26
for I am assured that the gods have been with you from the time of
1:29
your birth until now. She then went quickly on, and Telemachus followed in
1:34
her steps till they reached the place where the guilds of the Pilian people were
1:38
assembled. There they found Nestor sitting with his sons, while his company round
1:42
him were busy getting dinner ready and putting pieces of meat onto the spits while
1:48
other pieces were cooking. When they saw the strangers, they crowded round them,
1:53
took them by the hand, and bade them take their places. Nestor's
1:57
son, Pisistretus at once offered his hand to each of them and seated them
2:00
on some soft sheepskins that were lying on the sands near his father and his
2:05
brother Thricymides. Then he gave them their portions of the inward meats and poured
2:09
wine for them into a golden cup, handing it to Minerva first, and
2:14
saluting her at the same time. Offer a prayer, sir, said he
2:17
to King Neptune. For it is his feast that you are joining. When
2:21
you have duly prayed and made your drink offering, passed the cup to your
2:24
friend, that he may do so also. I doubt not that he too
2:28
lifts his hands in prayer, for man cannot live without God in the world.
2:32
Still, he is younger than you are, and is much of an
2:35
age with myself. So I he handed, I will give you the precedence.
2:40
As he spoke, he handed her the cup. Minerva thought it very
2:44
right and proper of him to have given it to herself first. She accordingly
2:47
began praying heartily to Neptune, O Thou, She cried, that in circles
2:53
the earth vouchsafe to grant the prayers of thy servants that call upon me.
2:58
More especially, we pray thee send down thy grace on Nestor and on his
3:01
sons. Thereafter, also make the rest of the Pylian people some handsome return
3:07
for the goodly HECATU mayre offering you. Lastly, grant Telemachus and myself a
3:12
happy issue in respect of the matter that has brought us in our to Pylos.
3:17
When she had thus made an end of praying, she handed the cup
3:21
to Telemachus, and he prayed likewise, by and bye. When the outer
3:24
meats were roasted and had been taken off the spits, the carvers gave every
3:29
man his portion, and they all made an excellent dinner. As soon as
3:34
they had had enough to eat and drink, Nesser knight of Gerene, began
3:38
to speak. Now, said he that our guests have done their dinner,
3:42
it will be best to ask them who they are. Who, then,
3:45
sir, strangers, are you and from what port have you sailed? Are
3:49
you traders? Or do you sail the seas as rovers? With your hand
3:52
against every man and every man's hand against you? Telemachus answered boldly, for
3:58
Minerva had given him courage to ask about his father and get himself a good
4:00
name. Nestor, said he, son of Nelius, honor to the Acaean
4:05
name. You ask whence we come, and I will tell you. We
4:10
come from Ithaca under Neretum. And the matter about which I would speak is
4:14
of private not public import I seek news of my unhappy father Ulysses, who
4:20
is said to have sacked the town of Troy in company with yourself. We
4:25
know what fate befell each one of the other heroes who fought at Troy.
4:29
But as regards Ulysses, Heaven has hidden from us the knowledge even that he
4:31
is dead at all, for no one can certify us in what place he
4:35
perished, nor say whether he fell in battle on the mainland, or was
4:40
lost at sea amid the waves of Amphitrite. Therefore I am suppliant at your
4:45
knees. If haply you may be pleased to tell me of his melancholy,
4:47
and whether you saw it with your own eyes or heard it from some other
4:51
traveler, For he was a man born to trouble. Do not soften things
4:56
out of any pity for me, but tell me, in all plainness exactly
5:00
what you saw. If my brave father Ulysses ever did you loyal service,
5:04
either by word or deed, when you Achaeans were harassed among the Trojans,
5:09
bear it in mind now as in my favor, and tell me truly all
5:14
my friend answered Nestor you recall a time of much sorrow to my mind for
5:18
the brave Achaeans suffered much, both at sea, while privateering under Achilles,
5:24
and when fighting before the great city of King Priam. Our best men.
5:28
All of them fell there, Ajax, Achilles, Patroclus, peer of gods,
5:32
in council, and my own dear son Antilochus, a man singularly fleet
5:38
of foot and in fight valiant. But we suffered much more than this.
5:42
What mortal tongue could tell the whole story. Though you were to stay here
5:46
and question me for five years or even six, I could not tell you
5:49
all that the Achaeans suffered, and you would turn homeward weary of my tale
5:54
before it ended. Nine long years did we try every kind of stratagem,
5:59
but the hand of Heaven was against us. During all this time there was
6:02
not one who could compare with your father in subtlety. If indeed you are
6:06
his son, I can hardly believe my eyes, and you talk just like
6:11
him too. No one would say that people of such different ages could speak
6:15
so much alike. He and I never had any kind of difference from first
6:17
to last, neither in camp nor council. But in singleness of heart and
6:21
purpose we advised the archives. How all might be ordered for the best.
6:27
When, however, we had sacked the city of Priam and were setting sail
6:30
in our ships as Heaven had dispersed us. Then Jove saw fit to vex
6:35
the archives on their homeward voyage, for they had not all been either wise
6:40
or understanding, and hence many came to a bad end through the displeasure of
6:44
Jove's daughter, Minerva, who brought about a quarrel between the two sons of
6:48
Atreus. The sons of Atreus called a meeting, which was not as it
6:53
should be, for it was sunset, and the Achaeans were heavy with wine.
6:58
When they explained why they had the people together, it seemed that Menelaus
7:01
was for sailing homeward at once, and this displeased Agamemnon, who thought that
7:05
we should wait until we had offered hecatombs to appease the anger of Minerva.
7:11
Fool that he was, he might have known that he would not prevail with
7:14
her, for when the gods have made up their minds, they do not
7:15
change them lightly. So the two stood bandying hard words, whereon the Achaeans
7:21
sprang to their feet with a cry that rent the air, and were of
7:25
two minds as to what they should do. That night, we rested and
7:29
nursed our anger, for Jove was hatching mischief against us. But in the
7:32
morning some of us drew our ships into the water and put our goods with
7:36
our women on board, while the rest, about half in number, stayed
7:41
behind with Agamemnon. We the other half embarked and sailed, and the ships
7:46
went well, for Heaven had smoothed the sea. When we reached Tenedos,
7:50
we offered sacrifices to the gods, for we were longing to get home.
7:55
Cruel Jove, however, did not yet mean that we should do so,
7:58
and raised a second quarrel, in the course of which some among us turned
8:01
their ships back again and sailed away under ulysses to make their peace with Agamemnon.
8:07
But I and all the ships that were with me pressed forward, for
8:09
I saw that mischief was brewing. The son of Taideus went on also with
8:13
me, and his crews with him. Later on, Menelaeus joined us at
8:18
Lesbos and found us making up our minds about our course, for we did
8:22
not know whether to go outside Chios by the island of Syra, keeping this
8:26
to our left, or inside Chios over against the stormy headland of Mimas.
8:33
So we asked Heaven for a sign, and were shown one to the effect
8:35
that we should be soonest out of danger if we headed our ships across the
8:39
open sea to Eubia. This we therefore did, and a fair wind sprang
8:45
up, which gave us a quick passage during the night to Geraistus, where
8:48
we offered many sacrifices to Neptune for having helped us so far on our way.
8:52
Four days later, Diomede and his men stationed their ships in Argos,
8:56
but I held on for Pylos, and the wind never fell light from the
9:01
day when Heaven first made it fair for me. Therefore, my dear young
9:05
friend, I returned without hearing anything about the others. I know neither who
9:09
got home safely nor who were lost. But as in duty bound, I
9:13
will give you without reserve, the reports that have reached me since I have
9:16
been here in my own house. They say the Mirmadons returned home safely under
9:22
Achilles son Neoptolemus. So also did the valiant son of Poeus Phylactides. Idominius
9:28
again lost no men at sea, and all his followers who escaped death in
9:33
the field got home safe with him to crete. No matter how far out
9:37
of the world you live, you will have heard of Agamemnon and the bad
9:39
end he came to at the hands of Agisthus, and a fearful reckoning did
9:43
Agisthus presently pay. See what a good thing it is for a man to
9:48
leave a son behind him, to do as Orestes did, who killed false
9:50
Agisthus, the murderer of his noble father. You too, then, for
9:54
you are a tall, smart looking fellow, Show your metal and make yourself
9:58
a name. In story, Nestor, son of Nelius, answered to Lemachus,
10:05
honor to the Achaean name. The Achaeans applaud Orestes, and his name
10:09
will live through all time, for he has avenged his father. Nobly would
10:13
that Heaven might grant me to do like vengeance on the insolence of the wicked
10:18
suitors who are ill treating me and plotting my ruin. But the gods have
10:22
no such happiness in store for me and my father, so we must bear
10:26
it as best we may. My friend, said Nestor, now that you
10:30
remind me, I remember to have heard that your mother has many suitors who
10:33
are ill disposed towards you, and are making havoc of your estate. Did
10:37
you submit to this tamely or our public feeling in the voice of Heaven against
10:43
you? Who knows but what Ulysses may come back after all and pay these
10:46
scoundrels in full, either single handed or with a force of Achaeans behind him,
10:52
if Minerva were to take as great a liking to you as she did
10:54
to Ulysses when we were fighting before Troy. For I never yet saw the
10:58
gods so openly fond of any one as Minerva then was of your father.
11:03
If she would take as good care of you as she did of him,
11:05
these wooers would soon some of them forget their wooing. Telemachus answered, I
11:11
can expect nothing of the kind. It would be far too much to hope,
11:13
for I dare not let myself think of it, even though the gods
11:18
themselves willed it. No such good fortune could befall me on this, Minerva,
11:22
said Telemachus, what are you talking about. Heaven has a long arm
11:26
if it is minded to save a man, and if it were me,
11:28
I should not care how much I suffered before getting home, provided I could
11:33
be safe when I was once there. I would rather this than get home
11:35
quickly and then be killed in my own house, as Agamemnon was by the
11:39
treachery of Agisthus and his wife. Still death is certain, and when a
11:45
man's hour is come, not even the gods can save him, no matter
11:48
how fond they are of him. Mentor, answered Telemachus. Do not let
11:52
us talk about it any more. There is no chance of my father's ever
11:56
coming back. The gods have long since counseled his destruction. There is something
12:01
else, however, about which I should like to ask Nestor, for he
12:05
knows much more than any one else does. They say he has reigned for
12:09
three generations, so that it is like talking to an immortal. Tell me,
12:13
therefore, Nestor, and tell me true, how did Agamemnon come to
12:16
die in that way? What was Menilaeus doing? And how came false Egistus
12:20
to kill so far a better man than himself was Menilaeus away from Machay and
12:26
Argos voyaging elsewhither among mankind that Egisthus took heart and killed Agamemnon. I will
12:31
tell you, truly, answered Nestor, And indeed you have divined yourself how
12:37
it all happened. If Menelaeus, when he got back from Troy, had
12:41
found Agistus still alive in his house, there would have been no barrow heaped
12:45
up for him, not even when he was dead. But he would have
12:48
been thrown outside the city to dogs and vultures, and not a woman would
12:52
have mourned him, for he had done indeed of great wickedness. But we
12:54
were over there fighting hard at Troy, and Egisthus, who was taking his
12:58
ease quiet in the heart of Argos, cajoled Agamemnon's wife, Clytemnestra with incessant
13:05
flattery. At first, she would have nothing to do with his wicked scheme,
13:09
for she was of a good natural disposition. Moreover, there was a
13:13
bard with her, to whom Agamemnon had given strict orders on setting out for
13:16
Troy, that he was to keep guard over his wife. But when Heaven
13:20
had counseled her destruction, Egisthus thus this barred off to a desert island and
13:26
left him there for crows and sigulls to batten upon, after which she went
13:31
willingly enough to the house of Egisthus. Then he offered many burnt sacrifices to
13:35
the gods and decorated many temples with tapestries and gilding, for he had succeeded
13:41
far beyond his expectations. Meanwhile, Menelaeus and I were on our way home
13:46
from Troy, on good terms with one another. When we got to Sunium,
13:50
which is the point of Athens, Apollo, with his painless shafts,
13:54
killed Phrontis, the steersman of menelaeus ship, And never man knew better how
13:58
to handle a vessel in rough weather, so that he died then and there
14:01
with the helm in his hand. And Menelaeus, though very anxious to press
14:05
forward, had to wait in order to bury his comrade and give him his
14:09
due funeral. Rites. Presently, when he too could put to sea again,
14:13
and had sailed on as far as the Malayan heads, Jove counseled evil
14:18
against him and made it blow hard till the waves ran mountains high. Here
14:22
he divided his fleet and took the one half towards Crete, where the Sidonians
14:26
dwell round the waters of the river Yardanus. There is a high headland hereabouts,
14:31
stretching out into the sea from a place called Gorton, and all along
14:35
this part of the coast as far as Fastus, the sea runs high when
14:39
there is a south wind blowing, but after Paestus the coast is more protected,
14:43
for a small headland can make a great shelter. Here. This part
14:48
of the fleet was driven on to the rocks and wrecked, but the crews
14:50
just managed to save themselves. As for the other five ships, they were
14:56
taken by wind and seas to Egypt, where Menelaeus gathered much gold and substance
15:01
among people of an alien speech. Meanwhile, Aegithus here at home, plotted
15:05
his evil deed. For seven years. After he had killed Agamemnon, he
15:09
ruled in Mycene, and the people were obedient under him. But in the
15:13
eighth year, Orestes came back from Athens to be his bane and killed the
15:18
murderer of his father. Then he celebrated the funeral rites of his mother and
15:24
of false Agisthus by a banquet to the people of Argos. And on that
15:28
very day Menelaeus came home with as much treasure as his ships could carry.
15:33
And do not go traveling about for long so far from home, nor leave
15:37
your property with such dangerous people in your house. They will eat up everything
15:41
you have among them, and you will have been on a fool's Errand still
15:45
I should advise you by all means, to go and visit Menelaeus, who
15:48
has lately come off a voyage among such distant peoples as no man could ever
15:52
hope to get back from, when the winds had once carried him so far
15:56
out of his reckoning. Even birds cannot fly the distance in a twelve months,
16:00
so vast and terrible are the seas that they must cross. Go to
16:03
him, therefore, by sea, and take your own men with you,
16:07
Or if you would rather travel by land, you can have a chariot,
16:10
you can have horses. And here are my sons who can escort you to
16:14
Lacedaemon, where Menelaeus lives. Beg of him to speak the truth, and
16:18
he will tell you no lies, for he is an excellent person. As
16:22
he spoke, the sun set and it came on dark whereon Minerva said,
16:26
sir, all that you have said is well. Now, however, order
16:30
the tongues of the victims to be cut and mix wine, that we may
16:33
make drink offerings to Neptune and the other immortals, and then go to bed,
16:37
For it is bedtime. People should go away early, and not keep
16:41
late hours at a religious festival. Thus spoke the daughter of Jove, and
16:47
they obeyed her, saying, men servants poured water over the hands of the
16:51
guests, while pages filled the mixing bowls with wine and water and handed it
16:56
round. After giving every man his drink offering, then they threw the tongue
17:00
of the victims into the fire and stood up to make their drink offerings.
17:03
When they had made their offerings and had drunk each as much as he was
17:07
minded, Minerva and Telemachus were foregoing on board their ship, but Nestor caught
17:11
them up at once and stayed them heaven and the immortal gods. He exclaimed,
17:17
forbid that you should leave my house to go on board of a ship.
17:21
Do you think I am so poor and short of clothes, or that
17:23
I have so few cloaks and as to be unable to find comfortable beds,
17:27
both for myself and for my guests. Let me tell you I have store
17:32
both of rugs and cloaks, and shall not permit the son of my old
17:36
friend Ulysses to camp down on the deck of a ship, not while I
17:38
live, nor yet will my sons after me, But they will keep open
17:42
house as I have done. Then, Minerva answered, sir, you have
17:48
spoken well, and it will be much better that Telemachus should do as you
17:51
have said. He therefore shall return with you and sleep at your house.
17:55
But I must go back to give orders to my crew and keep them in
17:59
good heart. I am the only older person among them. The rest are
18:03
all young men of Telemachus's own age, who have taken this voyage out of
18:07
friendship. So I must return to the ship and sleep there. Moreover,
18:11
tomorrow I must go to the Calconians, where I have a large sum of
18:15
money long owing to me. As for Telemachus, now that he is your
18:18
guest, send him to Lacedaemon in a chariot, and let one of your
18:22
sons go with him. Be pleased also to provide him with your best and
18:26
fleetest horses. When she had thus spoken, she flew away in the form
18:30
of an eagle, and all marveled as they beheld it. Nestor was astonished
18:36
and took Telemachus by the hand. My friend said, he, I see
18:40
that you are going to be a great hero some day, since the gods
18:42
wait upon you. Thus, while you are still so young, this can
18:45
have been none other of those who dwell in heaven than Jove's redoubtable daughter,
18:49
the Triton born, who showed such favor towards your brave father among the argives,
18:56
Holy Queen, He continued, vouchsafe to send down thy grace upon my
19:00
myself, my good wife, and my children. In return, I will
19:03
offer you in sacrifice a broad browed heifer of a year old, unbroken and
19:07
never yet brought by man under the yoke. I will gild her horns and
19:11
will offer her up to you in sacrifice. Thus did he pray, and
19:17
Minerva heard his prayer. He then led the way to his own house,
19:22
followed by his sons and sons in law. When they had got there and
19:26
had taken their places on the benches and seats, he mixed them a bowl
19:29
of sweet wine that was eleven years old. When the housekeeper took the lid
19:33
off the jar that held it. As he mixed the wine, he prayed
19:37
much and made drink offerings to Minerva, daughter of aegis bearing Jove. Then,
19:41
when they had made their drink offerings and had drunk each as much as
19:45
he was minded, the others went home to bed, each in his own
19:48
abode. But Nestor put to Lemachus to sleep in the room that was over
19:52
the gateway, along with Pisistratus, who was the only unmarried son. Now
19:56
left him as for himself, he slept in an inner room of the house,
20:00
with the queen his wife by his side. Now, when the child
20:06
of morning, rosy fingered dawn, appeared, Nestor left his couch and took
20:11
his seat on the benches of white and polished marble that stood in front of
20:14
his house. Here aforetime sat Nelaeus, peer of gods in council, but
20:19
he was now dead and had gone to the House of Hades. So Nestor
20:23
sat in his seat, scepter in hand, as guardian of the public.
20:26
Well. His sons, as they left their rooms, gathered round him etchephron
20:32
Stratius, Perseus, Aretas, and Thrysymides. The sixth son was Pisistratus,
20:37
and when Telemachus joined them, they made him sit with them. Nestor then
20:41
addressed them, my sons, said, he make haste to do as I
20:45
shall bid you. I wish first and foremost to propitiate the great goddess Minerva,
20:51
who manifested herself visibly to me during yesterday's festivities. Go, then,
20:56
one or the other of you to the plain. Tell the stockman to look
20:59
me out a heifer and come on here with it. At once. Another
21:03
must go to Telemachus's ship and invite all the crew, leaving two men only
21:07
in charge of the vessel. Some one else will run and fetch Lercius,
21:11
the goldsmith to gild the horns of the heifer. The rest stay all of
21:15
you where you are. Tell the maids in the house to prepare an excellent
21:19
dinner, and to fetch seats and logs of wood for a burnt offering.
21:23
Tell them also to bring me some clear spring water. On this they hurried
21:29
off on their several errands. The heifer was brought in from the plain,
21:33
and Telemachus's crew came in from the ship. The goldsmith brought the anvil,
21:37
hammer and tongs with which he worked his gold, and Minerva herself came to
21:41
the sacrifice. Nestor gave out the gold, and the smith gilded the horns
21:45
of the heifer, that the goddess might have pleasure in their beauty. Then
21:49
Stratius and a Cheffrin brought her in by the horns. Aretas fetched water from
21:55
the house in a ewer that had a flower pattern on it, and in
21:57
his other hand he held a basket of barleymeal. Sturdy. Thrisimites stood by
22:03
with a sharp axe, ready to strike the heifer, while Perseus held a
22:06
bucket, then netting his hands and sprinkling the barley meal, and he offered
22:11
many a prayer to Minerva as he threw a lock from the heifer's head upon
22:14
the fire. When they had done praying and sprinkling the barleymeal, Thrisymides dealt
22:21
his blow and brought the heifer down with a stroke that cut through the tendons
22:23
at the base of her neck, whereon the daughters and daughters in law of
22:27
Nestor and his venerable wife Eurydice, she was eldest daughter to Clemenus, screamed
22:33
with delight. Then they lifted the heifer's head from off the ground, and
22:37
Pisistratus cut her throat. When she had done bleeding and was quite dead,
22:41
they cut her up. They cut out the thigh bones all in due course,
22:45
wrapped them round in two layers of fat, and set some pieces of
22:48
raw meat on the top of them. Then Nestor laid them upon the wood
22:52
fire and poured wine over them, while the young men stood near him with
22:56
five pronged spits in their hands. When the thighs were burned and they had
23:00
tasted the inward meats, they cut the rest of the meat up small,
23:03
put the pieces on the spits, and toasted them over the fire. Meanwhile,
23:08
lovely polycasste Nestor's youngest daughter, washed Telemachus. When she had washed him
23:15
and anointed him with oil, she brought him a fair mantle and shirt,
23:18
and he looked like a god as he came from the bath and took his
23:22
seat by the side of Nestor. When the outer meats were done, they
23:25
drew them off the spits and sat down to dinner, where they were waited
23:29
upon by some worthy henchmen, who kept pouring them out their wine in cups
23:33
of gold. As soon as they had had enough to eat and drink,
23:36
Nestor said, sons, put te Lemachus's horses to the chariot, that he
23:40
may start at once. Thus did he speak, and they did even as
23:45
he had said, and yoked the fleet horses to the chariot. The housekeeper
23:48
packed them up a provision of bread, wine, and sweetmeats fit for the
23:52
sons of princes. Then Telemachus got into the chariot, while Pisistratus gathered up
23:57
the reins and took his seat beside him. He lashed the horses on,
24:00
and they flew forward, nothing loathe, into the open country, leaving the
24:04
high citadel of Pylos behind them. All that day did they travel swaying the
24:10
yoke upon their necks, till the sun went down and darkness was over all
24:12
the land. Then they reached Ferrey, where Diocles lived, who was son
24:17
to Ortilochus and grandson to Alpheus. Here they passed the night, and Diocles
24:22
entertained them hospitably. When the child of morning, rosy fingered dawn appeared,
24:27
they again yoked their horses and drove out through the gateway under the echoing gatehouse.
24:32
Pisistratus lashed the horses on, and they flew forward, nothing loath.
24:36
Presently they came to the corn lands of the open country, and in the
24:40
course of time completed their journey. So well did their steeds take them.
24:45
Now, when the sun had set and darkness was over the land continued in
24:49
book four. End of book three