Latest / Adventure Books Collection / 24 - The Odyssey - Homer

Transcript

24 - The Odyssey - Homer · Adventure Books Collection

0:00
Book twenty four, The Ghosts of the Suitors in Hades, Ulysses and his
0:07
men go to the house of Laertes. The people of Ithaca come out to
0:12
attack Ulysses, but Minerva concludes a peace. Then Mercury of Silen summoned the
0:22
ghosts of the suitors, and in his hand he held the fair golden wand,
0:27
with which he seals men's eyes in sleep, or wakes them just as
0:32
he pleases. With this, he roused the ghosts and led them while they
0:38
followed, whining and gibbering behind him, as bats fly squealing in the hollow
0:44
of some great cave when one of them has fallen out of the cluster in
0:48
which they hang. Even so did the ghosts whine and squeal as Mercury,
0:54
the Healer of sorrow, led them down to the dark abode of death.
1:00
When they had passed the waters of Oceanus and the roc Leaulchus, they came
1:04
to the gates of the Sun and the land of Dreams, whereon they reached
1:10
the meadow of Asphodel, where dwell the souls and shadows of them that can
1:15
labor no more. Here they found the ghost of Achilles, son of Pelias,
1:22
with those of Patroclus, Anteloclus, and Ajax, who was the finest
1:27
and handsomest man of all the Danians, after the son of Pelias himself.
1:34
They gathered round the ghost of the son of Pelias, and the ghost of
1:38
Agamemnon joined them, sorrowing bitterly. Round him were also gathered the ghosts of
1:47
those who had perished with him in the house of Ageistus, and the ghost
1:52
of Achilles spoke first, son of Atreus, It said, we used to
1:59
say that Joe had loved you better from the first to last than any other
2:04
hero, for you were captain over many and brave men when we were all
2:09
fighting together before Troy. Yet the hand of death, which no mortal can
2:15
escape, was laid upon you all too early. Better for you had you
2:22
fallen at Troy in the heyday of your renown, for the Achaeans would have
2:27
built a mound over your ashes, and your son would have been heir to
2:31
your good name, whereas it has now been your lot to come to a
2:37
most miserable end. Happy son of Pelias, answered the ghost of Agamemnon,
2:46
for having died at Troy far from Argos, while the bravest of the Trojans,
2:52
and the Achaeans fell round you, fighting for your body. There you
2:57
lay in the whirling clouds of dust, all huge and hugely heedless. Now
3:04
of your chivalry, we fought the whole of the livelong day, Nor should
3:09
we ever have left off if Jove had not sent a hurricane to stay us.
3:15
Then when we had borne you to the ships out of the fray,
3:19
we laid you on your bed and cleansed your fair skin with warm water and
3:23
with ointments. The Danaeans tore their hair and wept bitterly round about you.
3:30
Your mother, when she heard, came with her immortal nymphs from out of
3:36
the sea, and the sound of a great wailing went forth over the waters,
3:40
so that the Achaeans quaked for fear. They would have fled, panic
3:46
stricken to their ships, had not wise old Nestor, whose counsel was ever
3:52
truest, checked them, saying, hold, argives fly not, sons of
3:58
the Achaeans, This is his mother coming from the sea with her immortal nymphs
4:04
to view the body of her son. Thus he spoke, and the Achaeans
4:11
feared no more. The daughters of the old man of the sea stood round
4:16
you, weeping bitterly, and clothed you in immortal raiment. The nine muses
4:23
also came and lifted up their sweet voices in lament, calling and answering one
4:30
another. There was not an argive, but wept for pity of the dirge.
4:34
They chanted days and nights seven and ten we mourned you, mortals and
4:42
immortals. But on the eighteenth day we gave you to the flames. And
4:47
many a fat sheep, with many an ox did we slay in sacrifice.
4:53
Around you. You were burnt in raiment of the gods, with rich resins
4:58
and with honey, while heroes horse and foot clashed their armor round the pile,
5:04
as you were burning with a tramp, as of a great multitude.
5:10
But when the flames of heaven had done their work, we gathered your white
5:15
bones at daybreak and laid them in ointments and in pure wine. Your mother
5:20
brought us a golden vase to hold them, gift of Bacchus and work of
5:26
Vulcan himself. In this we mingled your bleached bones with those of Petroclus,
5:33
who had gone before you, and separate we enclosed also those of Antilochus,
5:41
who had been closer to you than any other of your comrades. Now that
5:45
Protroclus was no more over these the host of the archives built a noble tomb
5:53
from a point jutting out over the open Hellespont, that it might be seen
5:58
from far out upon the sea by those now living and by them that shall
6:03
be born hereafter, your mother begged prizes from the gods and offered them to
6:10
be contended for by the noblest of the Achaeans. You must have been present
6:15
at the funeral of many a hero, when the young men gird themselves and
6:20
make ready to contend for prizes on the death of some great chieftain. But
6:27
you never saw such prizes as silver footed Thetis offered in your honor, For
6:33
the gods loved you well. Thus, even in death, your fame,
6:38
Achilles, has not been lost, and your name lives evermore among all mankind.
6:46
But as for me, what solace had I when the days of my
6:50
fighting were done? For Jove willed my destruction on my return by the hands
6:57
of Agisthus and those of my wicked. Thus did they converse, and presently
7:03
Mercury came up to them with the ghosts of the suitors who had been killed
7:08
by Ulysses. The ghosts of Agamemnon and Achilles were astonished at seeing them and
7:15
went up to them at once. The ghost of Agamemnon recognized Amphemedon, son
7:20
of Melanaeus, who lived in Ithaca and had been his host, so it
7:27
began to talk to him. Amphemedon it said, what has happened to all
7:32
you fine young men, all of an age too? That you come down
7:38
here under the ground. One could pick no finer body of men from any
7:43
city. Did Neptune raise his winds and waves against you when you were at
7:48
sea? Or did your enemies make an end of you on the mainland when
7:54
you were cattle lifting or sheep stealing, or while fighting in defense of your
7:59
wives and cities? Answer my question, for I have been your guest.
8:03
Do you not remember how I came to your house with Menelaeus to persuade Ulysses
8:09
to join us with his ships against Troy. It was a whole month ere
8:16
we could resume our voyage, for we had hard work to persuade Ulysses to
8:22
come with us. And the ghost of Amphimedon answered Agamemnon, son of Atreus,
8:30
King of Men, I remember everything that you have said, and will
8:35
tell you fully and accurately about the way in which our end was brought about.
8:41
Ulysses had been long gone, and we were courting his wife, who
8:45
did not say point blank that she would not marry nor yet bring matters to
8:50
an end, for she meant to compass our destruction. This, then,
8:56
was the trick she played on us. She set up a great tambour frame
9:01
in her room and began to work on an enormous piece of fine needlework.
9:07
Sweethearts, said she, Ulysses, and indeed dead. Still, do not
9:13
press me to marry again immediately, wait, for I would not have my
9:16
skill in needlework perish unrecorded till I have completed a pall for the hero Laertes,
9:24
against the time when death shall take him. He is very rich,
9:30
and the women of the place will talk if he is laid out without a
9:33
pall. This is what she said, and we assented. Whereupon we could
9:39
see her working upon her great web all day long, but at night she
9:45
would unpick the stitches again by torchlight. She fooled us in this way for
9:50
three years without our finding it out. But As time wore on, and
9:56
she was now in her fourth year in the waning of moo wounds, and
10:00
many days had been accomplished. One of her maids, who knew what she
10:05
was doing, told us, and we caught her in the act of undoing
10:09
her work. So she had to finish it, whether she would or no.
10:15
And when she showed us the robe she had made after she had had
10:18
it washed, its splendor was as that of the sun or moon. Then
10:24
some malicious god conveyed Ulysses to the upland farm where his swineherd lives. Thither
10:33
presently came also his son, returning from a voyage to Pylos, and the
10:37
two came to the town when they had hatched their plot for our destruction.
10:43
Telemachus came first, and then after him, accompanied by the swinnard, came
10:50
Ulysses, clad in rags and leaning on a staff, as though he were
10:56
some miserable old beggar. He came so on a expectedly that none of us
11:01
knew him, not even the older ones among us, and we reviled him
11:07
and threw things at him. He endured both being struck and insulted without a
11:13
word, though he was in his own house. But when the will of
11:18
aegis bearing Jove inspired him, he and Telemachus took the armor and hid it
11:26
in an inner chamber, bolting the doors behind them. Then he cunningly made
11:33
his wife offer his bow and a quantity of iron, to be contended for
11:39
by us ill fated suitors. And this was the beginning of our end,
11:45
for not one of us could string the bow, nor nearly do so.
11:50
When it was about to reach the hands of Ulysses, we all of us
11:54
shouted out that it should not be given him, no matter what he might
11:58
say, But Telemachus insisted on his having it. When he had got it
12:05
in his hands, he strung it with ease and sent his arrow through the
12:09
iron. Then he stood on the floor the cloister and poured his arrows on
12:16
the ground, glaring fiercely about him. First he killed Antinus, and then,
12:22
aiming straight before him, he let fly his deadly darts, and they
12:26
fell thick on one another. It was plain that some one of the gods
12:33
was helping them, for they fell upon us with might and main throughout the
12:37
cloisters, and there was a hideous sound of groaning, as our brains were
12:43
being battered in and the ground seethed with our blood. This, Agamemnon,
12:50
is how we came by our end. And our bodies are lying still uncared
12:54
for in the house of Ulysses, for our friends at home do not yet
13:00
know what has happened, so that they cannot lay us out and wash the
13:05
black blood from our wounds, making moan over us to the offices due to
13:13
the departed. Happy Ulysses, son of Laertes, replied the ghost of Agamemnon,
13:22
you are indeed blessed in the possession of a wife endowed with such rare
13:28
excellence of understanding, and so faithful to her wedded lord as Penelope, the
13:33
daughter of Ecarius. The fame therefore of her virtue shall never die, and
13:41
the immortals shall compose a song that shall be welcome to all mankind in honor
13:48
of the constancy of Penelope. How far otherwise was the wickedness of the daughter
13:56
of Tyndareus, who killed her lawful husband. Her song shall be hateful among
14:01
men, for she has brought disgrace on all womankind, even on the good
14:07
ones. Thus did they converse in the house of Hades, deep down within
14:13
the bowels of the earth. Meanwhile, Ulysses and the others passed out of
14:20
the town and soon reached the fair and well tilled farm of Laertes, which
14:26
he had reclaimed with infinite labor. Here was his house, with a lean
14:31
to running all round it, where the slaves who worked for him slept and
14:37
sat and ate. While inside the house there was an old sy sell woman
14:45
who looked after him in this his country farm. When Ulysses got there,
14:50
he said to his son and to the other two, go to the house
14:54
and kill the best pig that you can find for dinner. Meanwhile, I
15:00
want to see whether my father will know me or fail to recognize me after
15:05
so long an absence. He then took off his armor and gave it to
15:11
Eumaeus and Philoetius, who went straight on to the house, while he turned
15:16
off into the vineyard to make trial of his father. As he went down
15:22
into the great orchard, he did not see Dolius, nor any of his
15:26
sons, nor of the other bondsmen, for they were all gathering thorns to
15:31
make a fence for the vineyard at the place where the old man had told
15:35
them. He therefore found his father alone, hoeing a vine. He had
15:41
on a dirty, old shirt, patched and very shabby. His legs were
15:46
bound round with thongs of ox hide to save him from the brambles, and
15:52
he also wore sleeves of leather. He had a goat skin cap on his
15:56
head, and was looking very well obegone. When Ulysses saw him, so
16:03
worn, so old, and full of sorrow, he stood still under a
16:08
tall pear tree and began to weep. He doubted whether to embrace him,
16:15
kiss him, and tell him all about his having come home, or whether
16:19
he should first question him and see what he would say. In the end,
16:25
he deemed it best to be crafty with him. So in this mind
16:30
he went up to his father, who was bending down and digging about a
16:33
plant. I see, sir, said Ulysses, that you are an excellent
16:40
gardener. What pains you take with it? To be sure? There is
16:45
not a single plant, not a fig tree, vine, olive, pear,
16:49
nor flower bed, but bears the trace of your attention. I trust,
16:55
however, that you will not be offended if I say that you take
16:59
better care of your garden than of yourself. You are old, unsavory,
17:06
and very meanly clad. It cannot be because you are idle that your master
17:11
takes such poor care of you. Indeed, your face and figure have nothing
17:17
of the slave about them, and proclaim you of noble birth. I should
17:22
have said that you were one of those who should wash well, eat well,
17:26
and lie soft at night, as old men have a right to do.
17:30
But tell me, and tell me true, whose bondsman are you?
17:36
And in whose garden are you working? Tell me also about another matter.
17:41
Is this place that I have come to really Ithaca? I met a man
17:45
just now who said so. But he was a dull fellow and had not
17:49
the patience to hear my story out when I was asking him about an old
17:52
friend of mine, whether he was still living or was already dead, and
17:57
in the house of Hades. Believe me when I tell you that this man
18:03
came to my house once when I was in my own country, and never
18:07
did yet any stranger come to me whom I liked better. He said that
18:12
his family came from Ithaca, and that his father was Laertes, son of
18:18
Arsasius. I received him hospitably, making him welcome to all the abundance of
18:25
my house, and when he went away, I gave him all the customary
18:30
presents. I gave him seven talents of fine gold and a cup of solid
18:37
silver with flowers chased upon it. I gave him twelve light cloaks and as
18:41
many pieces of tapestry. I also gave him twelve cloaks of single fold,
18:48
twelve rugs, twelve fair mantles, and an equal number of shirts. To
18:53
all this, I added four good looking women, skilled in all useful arts,
18:59
and I let him take his choice. His father shed tears and answered,
19:06
sir, you have indeed come to the country that you have named,
19:11
but it has fallen into the hands of wicked people. All this wealth of
19:17
presence has been given to no purpose. If you could have found your friend
19:22
here alive in Ithaca, he would have entertained you hospitably and would have requited
19:26
your presence amply when you left him, as would have been only right considering
19:33
what you had already given him. But tell me, and tell me true,
19:38
how many years is it since you entertained this guest, my unhappy son
19:45
as ever was alas he has perished far from his own country. The fishes
19:52
of the sea have eaten him, or he has fallen a prey to the
19:56
birds and wild beasts. Of some continent. Neither his mother nor I his
20:03
father, who were his parents, could throw our arms about him and wrap
20:07
him in his shroud. Nor could his excellent and richly dowered wife, Penelope
20:15
bewail her husband as was natural upon his death bed, and to close his
20:21
eyes according to the offices due to the departed. But now tell me,
20:27
truly, for I want to know who and whence are you. Tell me
20:33
of your town and parents. Where is the ship lying that has brought you
20:37
and your men to Ithaca? Or were you a passenger on some other man's
20:42
ship, and those who brought you here have gone on their way and left
20:48
you. I will tell you everything, answered Ulysses, quite truly. I
20:53
come from Alibis, where I have a fine house. I am son of
20:59
King effade Us, who is the son of Polypemmon. My own name is
21:04
Apparatus. Heaven drove me off my course as I was leaving Psyrcania, and
21:11
I have been carried here against my will. As for my ship, it
21:17
is lying over yonder off the open country outside the town. And this is
21:22
the fifth year since Ulysses left my country. Poor fellow, Yet the omens
21:29
were good for him when he left me. The birds all flew on our
21:33
right hands, and both he and I rejoiced to see them as we parted,
21:37
for we had every hope that we should have another friendly meeting and exchange
21:42
presence. A dark cloud of sorrow fell upon Laertes as he listened. He
21:49
filled both hands with dust from off the ground and poured it over his gray
21:56
head, groaning heavily as he did so. The heart of Ulysses was touched,
22:03
and his nostrils quivered as he looked upon his father. Then he sprang
22:08
towards him, flung his arms about him, and kissed him, saying,
22:14
I am he father about whom you are asking. I have returned after having
22:19
been away for twenty years. But cease your sighing and lamentation, for we
22:26
have no time to lose. For I should tell you that I have been
22:30
killing the suitors in my house to punish them for their insolence and crimes.
22:37
If you really are my son, Ulysses, replied Laertes, and have come
22:42
back again, you must give me such manifest proof of your identity shall convince
22:49
me. First observe this scar, answered Ulysses, which I got from a
22:56
boar's tusk, when I was hunt on Mount Parnassus. You and my mother
23:03
had sent me to Autolaichus, my mother's father, to receive the presence which
23:08
when he was over here he had promised to give me. Furthermore, I
23:12
will point out to you the trees and the vineyard which you gave me,
23:18
and I asked you all about them as I followed you round the garden.
23:22
We went over them all, and you told me their names and what they
23:26
all were. You gave me thirteen pear trees, ten apple trees, and
23:33
forty fig trees. You also said you would give me fifty rows of vines.
23:38
There was corn planted between each row, and they yield grapes of every
23:44
kind when the heat of heaven has been laid heavy upon them. Later,
23:48
tis strength failed him when he heard the convincing proofs which his son had given
23:55
him. He threw his arms about him, and Ulysses had to poor to
24:00
him or he would have gone off into a swoon. But as soon as
24:04
he came too and was beginning to recover his senses, he said, oh,
24:11
father Jove, then you gods are still in Olympus after all, if
24:17
the suitors have really been punished, for their insolence and folly. Nevertheless,
24:23
I am much afraid that I shall have all the townspeople of Ithaca up here
24:27
directly, and they will be sending messengers everywhere throughout the cities of the Cephallenians.
24:37
Ulysses answered, take heart, and do not trouble yourself about that.
24:41
But let us go into the house hard by your garden. I have already
24:45
told Telemachus, Philoetius, and Eumaeus to go on there and get dinner ready
24:51
as soon as possible. Thus conversing, the two made their way towards the
24:56
house. When they got there, they found Telemachus, the stockman and the
25:00
swinnard cutting up meat and mixing wine with water. Then the old size sell
25:07
woman took Layertes inside and washed him and anointed him with oil. She put
25:12
him on a good cloak, and Minerva came up to him and gave him
25:17
a more imposing presence, making him taller and stouter than before. When he
25:22
came back, his son was surprised to see him looking so like an immortal,
25:27
and said to him, my dear father, some one of the gods
25:33
has been making you much taller and better looking. Laerties answered would by Father,
25:40
Jove, Minerva, and Apollo, that I were the man I was
25:44
when I ruled among the Cephallenians and took Neerikum, that strong fortress on the
25:51
foreland. If I were still what I then was, and had been in
25:56
our house yesterday with my armor on, I should have been able to stand
26:00
by you and help you against the suitors. I should have killed a great
26:06
many of them, and you would have rejoiced to see it. Thus did
26:11
they converse, but the others, when they had finished their work, and
26:15
when the feast was ready, left off working, and took each his proper
26:18
place on the benches and seats. Then they began eating, by and bye.
26:25
Old Dolius and his sons left their work and came up for their mother.
26:30
The Sisol, woman who looked after Laertes, now that he was growing
26:34
old, had been to fetch them. When they saw Ulysses and were certain
26:40
it was he, they stood there lost in astonishment. But Ulysses scolded them
26:47
good naturedly, and said, sit down to your dinner, old man,
26:52
and never mind about your surprise. We have been wanting to begin for some
26:56
time, and have been waiting for you. Then Dolius put out both his
27:02
hands and went up to Ulysses. Sir, said, he seizing his master's
27:07
hand and kissing it at the wrist. We have been long wishing you home,
27:12
and now Heaven has restored you to us, after we had given up
27:17
hoping. All hail therefore, and may the gods prosper you. But tell
27:25
me, does Penelope know of your return? Or shall we send some one
27:30
to tell her? Old man answered Ulysses, she knows already, so you
27:36
need not trouble about that. On this he took his seat, and the
27:41
sons of Dolius gathered round Ulysses to give him greeting and embrace him, one
27:45
after the other. Then they took their seats in due order near Dolius their
27:52
father. While they were thus busy getting their dinner ready, rumor went round
27:59
the town and noised abroad the terrible fate that had befallen the suitors. As
28:04
soon therefore as the people heard of it, they gathered from every quarter,
28:10
groaning and hooting, before the house of Ulysses. They took the dead away,
28:15
buried every man his own, and put the bodies of those who came
28:19
from elsewhere on board the fishing vessels for the fishermen to take each of them
28:26
to his own place. They then met angrily in the place of assembly,
28:30
and when they were got together, Eupaiethes rose to speak. He was overwhelmed
28:37
with grief for the death of his son Antinous, who had been the first
28:42
man killed by Ulysses. So he said, weeping bitterly, my friends,
28:49
this man has done the Achaeans great wrong. He took many of our best
28:56
men away with him in his fleet, and he has lost both ships and
29:00
men. Now moreover, on his return he has been killing all the foremost
29:07
men among the Cephelenians. Let us be up and doing before he can get
29:14
away to Pylos or to Elis, where the Apeians rule, or we shall
29:19
be ashamed of ourselves forever afterwards. It will be an everlasting disgrace to us
29:26
if we do not avenge the murder of our sons and brothers. For my
29:33
own part, I should have no more pleasure in life, but had rather
29:37
die at once. Let us up then and after them, before they can
29:45
cross over to the main land. He wept as he spoke, and every
29:51
one pitied him, but Madawn and the barred Phemius had now woke up and
29:59
came to them from the house of Ulysses. Everyone was astonished at seeing them,
30:03
for they stood in the middle of the assembly, and medon, said
30:08
hear me, men of Ithaca, Ulysses did not do these things against the
30:15
will of Heaven. I myself saw an immortal god take the form of Mentor,
30:21
and stand beside him. This God appeared now in front of him,
30:26
encouraging him, and now going furiously about the court and attacking the suitors,
30:33
whereon they fell thick on one another. On this pale fear laid hold of
30:38
them, and old halethurses son of Mastor, rose to speak, for he
30:45
was the only man among them who knew both past and future. So he
30:51
spoke to them plainly and in all honesty, saying, men of Ithaca,
30:59
it is all your own fault that things have turned out as they have.
31:03
You would not listen to me, nor yet to Mentor, when he bade
31:08
you check the folly of your sons, who were doing much wrong in the
31:12
wantonness of their hearts, wasting the substance, and dishonoring the wife of a
31:18
chieftain, who they thought would not return. Now, however, Let it
31:25
be as I say, and do as I tell you. Do not go
31:30
out against Ulysses, or you may find that you have been drawing down evil
31:36
on your own heads. That was what he said, And more than half
31:41
raised a loud shout and at once left the assembly, But the rest stayed
31:48
where they were, for the speech of Halethurcees displeased them, and they sided
31:55
with Eupaiethes. They therefore hurried off for their armor, and when they had
32:00
armed themselves, they met together in front of the city, and Eupaiethes led
32:06
them on. In their folly, he thought he was going to avenge the
32:10
murder of his son, whereas in truth he was never to return, but
32:16
was himself to perish in his attempt. Then Minerva said to Jove, father,
32:24
son of Saturn, king of Kings, answer me this question. What
32:30
do you propose to do? Will you set them fighting still further? Or
32:36
will you make peace between them? And Jove answered, my child, why
32:43
should you ask me? Was it not by your own arrangement that Ulysses came
32:47
home and took his revenge upon the suitors. Do whatever you like, but
32:54
I will tell you what I think will be the most reasonable arrangement. Now
33:00
that Ulysses is revenged, let them swear to a solemn covenant in virtue of
33:07
which he shall continue to rule, while we cause the others to forgive and
33:14
forget the massacre of their sons and brothers. Let them then all become friends
33:20
as heretofore, and let peace and plenty reign. This was what Minerva was
33:28
already eager to bring about, so down she darted from off the topmost summits
33:34
of Olympus. Now, when Laertes and the others had done dinner, Ulysses
33:39
began by saying, some of you, go out and see if they are
33:45
not getting close up to us. So one of Dolly's's sons went as he
33:50
was bid. Standing on the threshold, he could see them all quite near,
33:55
and said to Ulysses, here they are, Let us put on our
34:00
armor at once. They put on their armor as fast as they could,
34:05
that is to say, Ulysses, his three men and the six sons of
34:08
Dolius. Laertes also and Dolius did the same warriors by necessity, in spite
34:16
of their gray hair. When they had all put on their armor, they
34:22
opened the gate and sallied forth Ulysses leading the way. Then Jove's daughter Minerva
34:29
came up to them, having assumed the form and voice of mentor. Ulysses
34:35
was glad when he saw her and said to his son Telemachus, Telemachus,
34:40
now that you are about to fight in an engagement which will show every man's
34:45
mettle, be sure not to disgrace your ancestors, who were imminent for their
34:52
strength and courage all the world over. You say, truly, my dear
34:58
father, answer Telemachus, and you shall see, if you will, that
35:04
I am in no mind to disgrace your family. Laertes was delighted when he
35:09
heard this. Good Heavens, he exclaimed, what a day I am enjoying.
35:15
I do indeed rejoice at it. My son and grandson are vine with
35:22
one another in the matter of valor. On this, Minerva came close up
35:28
to him and said, son of Arcissius, best friend I have in the
35:32
world. Pray to the blue eyed damsel and to Jove her father. Then
35:38
poise your spear and hurl it. As she spoke, she infused fresh vigor
35:46
into him, and when he had prayed to her, he poised his spear
35:52
and hurled it. He hit you paieth the's helmet, and the spear went
35:58
right through it, for the helmet stayed it nott and the armor rang rattling
36:04
round him as he fell heavily to the ground. Meanwhile, Ulysses and his
36:08
son fell upon the front line of the foe and smote them with their swords
36:14
and spears. Indeed, they would have killed every one of them and prevented
36:20
them from ever getting home again. Only Minerva raised her voice aloud and made
36:25
everyone pause. Men of Ithaca, She cried, cease this dreadful war,
36:32
and settle the matter at once without further bloodshed. On this pale. Fear
36:40
seized everyone. They were so frightened that their arms dropped from their hands and
36:47
fell upon the ground at the sound of the Goddess's voice, and they fled
36:52
back to the city for their lives. But Ulysses gave a great cry,
36:59
and, gathering himself together, swooped down like a soaring eagle. Then the
37:05
son of Saturn sent a thunderbolt of fire that fell just in front of Minerva.
37:12
So she said to Ulysses, Ulysses, noble son of Laertes, stop
37:19
this warful strife, or Jove will be angry with you, Thus spoke Minerva,
37:28
and Ulysses obeyed her gladly. Then Minerva assumed the form and voice of
37:35
Mentor, and presently made a covenant of peace between the two contending parties.
37:46
End of Book twenty four and end of the Odyssey by Homer, as translated
37:54
by Samuel Butler.