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16 - The Odyssey - Homer · Classic Adventure Books - Daily

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Speaker 1: Book sixteen, Ulysses reveals himself to Telemachus. Meanwhile, Ulysses and
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Speaker 1: the swineherd had lit a fire in the hut and
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Speaker 1: were getting breakfast ready at daybreak, for they had sent
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Speaker 1: the men out with the pigs. When Telemachus came up,
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Speaker 1: the dogs did not bark, but fawned upon him. So Ulysses,
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Speaker 1: hearing the sound of feet, and noticing that the dogs
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Speaker 1: did not bark, said to Eumaeus, Eumaeus, I hear footsteps.
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Speaker 1: I suppose one of your men, or some one of
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Speaker 1: your acquaintance is coming here, for the dogs are fawning
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Speaker 1: upon him and not barking. The words were hardly out
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Speaker 1: of his mouth before his son stood at the door.
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Speaker 1: Eumaeus sprang to his feet, and the bulls in which
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Speaker 1: he was mixing wine fell from his hands. As he
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Speaker 1: made towards his master, he kissed his head and both
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Speaker 1: his beautiful eyes, and wept for joy. A father could
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Speaker 1: not be more delighted at the return of an only son,
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Speaker 1: the child of his old age, after ten years absence
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Speaker 1: in a foreign country, and after having gone through much hardship.
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Speaker 1: He embraced him, kissed him all over as though he
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Speaker 1: had come back from the dead, and spoke fondly to him, saying,
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Speaker 1: so you are come, Telemachus, light of my eyes, that
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Speaker 1: you are. When I heard you had gone to Pylos,
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Speaker 1: I made sure I was never going to see you
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Speaker 1: any more. Come in, my dear child, and sit down,
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Speaker 1: that I may have a good look at you. Now
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Speaker 1: you are home again. It is not very often you
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Speaker 1: come into the country to see us herdsmen. You stick
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Speaker 1: pretty close to the town generally. I suppose you think
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Speaker 1: it better to keep an eye on what the suitors
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Speaker 1: are doing. So be it, old friend, answered Telemachus. But
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Speaker 1: I am come now because I want to see you,
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Speaker 1: and to learn whether my mother is still at her
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Speaker 1: old home or whether some one else has married her.
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Speaker 1: So that the bed of Ulysses is without bedding and
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Speaker 1: covered with cobwebs, she is still at the house, replied Eumaeus,
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Speaker 1: grieving and breaking her heart and doing nothing but weep
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Speaker 1: both night and day continually. As he spoke, he took
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Speaker 1: Telemachus's spear, whereon he crossed the stone threshold and came inside.
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Speaker 1: Ulysses rose from his seat to give him place as
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Speaker 1: he entered, but Telemachus checked him. Sit down stranger, said he,
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Speaker 1: I can easily find another seat, and there is one
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Speaker 1: here who will lay it for me. Ulysses went back
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Speaker 1: to his own place, and Eumaeus strewed some green brushwood
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Speaker 1: on the floor and threw a sheepskin on top of
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Speaker 1: it for Telemachus to sit upon. Then the swine herd
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Speaker 1: brought them platters of cold meat, the remains from what
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Speaker 1: they had eaten the day before, and he filled the
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Speaker 1: bread baskets with bread fast as he could. He mixed
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Speaker 1: wine alto in bowls of ivy wood, and took his
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Speaker 1: seat facing Ulysses. Then they laid their hands on the
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Speaker 1: good things that were before them, And as soon as
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Speaker 1: they had had enough to eat and drink, Telemachus said
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Speaker 1: to Eumaeus, old friend, where does the stranger come from?
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Speaker 1: How did his crew bring him to Ithaca? And who
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Speaker 1: were they? For? Assuredly he did not come here by
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Speaker 1: land to this you answered, O swine heard Eumaeus, my son,
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Speaker 1: I will tell you the real truth. He says he
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Speaker 1: is a Cretan, and that he has been a great traveler.
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Speaker 1: At this moment he is running away from a Thesparotian
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Speaker 1: ship and has taken refuge at my station, so I
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Speaker 1: will put him into your hands. Do whatever you like
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Speaker 1: with him, only remember that he is yours suppliant. I
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Speaker 1: am very much distressed, said Telemachua by what you have
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Speaker 1: just told me. How can I take this stranger into
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Speaker 1: my house? I am as yet young, and am not
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Speaker 1: strong enough to hold my own if any man attacks me.
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Speaker 1: My mother cannot make up her mind whether to stay
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Speaker 1: where she is and look after the house out of
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Speaker 1: respect for public opinion and the memory of her husband,
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Speaker 1: or whether the time is now come for her to
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Speaker 1: take the best man of those who are wooing her,
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Speaker 1: and the one who will make her the most advantageous offer. Still,
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Speaker 1: as the stranger has come to your station, I will
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Speaker 1: find him a cloak and shirt of good wear, with
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Speaker 1: the sword and sandals, and will send him wherever he
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Speaker 1: wants to go. Or if you like, you can keep
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Speaker 1: him here at the station, and I will send him
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Speaker 1: clothes and food that he may be no burden on
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Speaker 1: you and on your men. But I will not have
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Speaker 1: him go near the suitors, for they are very insolent
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Speaker 1: and are sure to ill treat him in a way
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Speaker 1: that would grat grieve me. No matter how valiant a
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Speaker 1: man may be he can do nothing against numbers, for
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Speaker 1: they will be too strong for him. Then, Ulysses said, sir,
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Speaker 1: it is right that I should say something myself. I
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Speaker 1: am much shocked about what you have said about the
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Speaker 1: insolent way in which the suitors are behaving in despite
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Speaker 1: of such a man as you are. Tell me, do
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Speaker 1: you submit to such treatment tamely? Or has some God
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Speaker 1: set your people against you? May you not complain of
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Speaker 1: your brothers, For it is to these that a man
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Speaker 1: may look for support, however great his quarrel may be.
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Speaker 1: I wish I were as young as you are, and
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Speaker 1: in my present mind, if I were son to Ulysses,
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Speaker 1: or indeed Ulysses himself, I would rather some one came
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Speaker 1: and cut my head off. But I would go to
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Speaker 1: the house and be the bane of every one of
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Speaker 1: these men. If they were too many for me, I
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Speaker 1: being single handed, I would rather die fighting in my
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Speaker 1: own house than see such disgraceful sights day after day,
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Speaker 1: strangers grossly maltreated, and men dragging the women servants about
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Speaker 1: the house in an unseemly way, wine drawn recklessly, and
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Speaker 1: bread wasted, all to no purpose for an end that
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Speaker 1: shall never be accomplished, and Telemachus answered, I will tell
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Speaker 1: you truly everything. There is no enmity between me and
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Speaker 1: my people, nor can I complain of brothers to whom
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Speaker 1: a man may look for support, however great his quarrel
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Speaker 1: may be. Jove has made us a race of only sons.
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Speaker 1: Laertes was the only son of Archisius, and Ulysses only
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Speaker 1: son of Laertes. I am myself the only son of Ulysses,
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Speaker 1: who left me behind him when he went away, so
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Speaker 1: that I have never been of any use to him.
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Speaker 1: Hence it comes that my house is in the hands
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Speaker 1: of numberless marauders. For the chiefs from all the neighboring
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Speaker 1: islands dulaquiem samee zacynthus as also all the principal men
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Speaker 1: of Ithaca itself are eating at my house under the
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Speaker 1: pretext of paying court to my mother, who will neither
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Speaker 1: say point blank that she will not marry, nor yet
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Speaker 1: bring matters to an end. So they are making havoc
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Speaker 1: of my estate, and before long will do so with
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Speaker 1: myself into the bargain. The issue, however, rests with Heaven.
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Speaker 1: But do you, old friend Eumaeus, go at once and
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Speaker 1: tell Penelope that I am safe and have returned from Pylos.
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Speaker 1: Tell it to herself alone, and then come back here
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Speaker 1: without letting any one else know, for there are many
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Speaker 1: who are plotting mischief against me. I understand and heed, you, replied, Eumaeus,
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Speaker 1: you need instruct me no further. Only I am going
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Speaker 1: that way. Say whether I had not better let poor
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Speaker 1: lair Tees know that you were returned. He used to
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Speaker 1: superintend the work on his farm in spite of his
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Speaker 1: bitter sorrow about Ulysses, and he would eat and drink
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Speaker 1: at will along with his servants. But they tell me
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Speaker 1: that from the day on which you set out for Pylos,
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Speaker 1: he is neither eaten nor drunk as he ought to do.
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Speaker 1: Nor does he look after his farm, but sits weeping
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Speaker 1: and wasting the flesh from off his bones. More's the pity,
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Speaker 1: answered Telemachus. I am sorry for him, but we must
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Speaker 1: leave him to himself just now. If people could have
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Speaker 1: everything their own way, the first thing I should choose
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Speaker 1: would be the return of my father. But go and
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Speaker 1: give your message. Then make haste back again, and do
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Speaker 1: not turn out of your way to tell Laertes. Tell
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Speaker 1: my mother to send one of her women secretly with
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Speaker 1: the news at once, and let him hear it from her.
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Speaker 1: Thus did he urge this wineherd. Eumaeus therefore took his sandals,
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Speaker 1: bound them to his feet, and started for the town.
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Speaker 1: Minerva watched him well off the station, and then came
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Speaker 1: up to it in the form of a woman, fair,
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Speaker 1: stately and wise. She stood against the side of the
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Speaker 1: entry and revealed herself to Ulysses. But Telemachus could not
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Speaker 1: see her and knew not that she was there, for
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Speaker 1: the gods do not let themselves be seen by everybody.
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Speaker 1: Ulysses saw her, and so did the dogs, for they
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Speaker 1: did not bark, but went scared and whining off to
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Speaker 1: the other side of the yards. She nodded her head
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Speaker 1: and motioned to Ulysses with her eyebrows, whereon he left
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Speaker 1: the hut and stood before her outside the main wall
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Speaker 1: of the yards. Then she said to him, Ulysses, noble
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Speaker 1: son of Laertes, it is now time for you to
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Speaker 1: tell your son. Do not keep him in the dark
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Speaker 1: any longer, but lay your plans for the destruction of
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Speaker 1: the suitors, and then make for the town. I will
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Speaker 1: not be long in joining you, for I am too
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Speaker 1: eager for the fray. As she spoke, she touched him
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Speaker 1: with her golden wand first she threw a fair, clean
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Speaker 1: shirt and cloak about his shoulders. Then she made him
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Speaker 1: younger and of more imposing presence. She gave him back
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Speaker 1: his color, filled out his cheeks, and let his beard
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Speaker 1: become dark again. Then she went away, and Ulysses came
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Speaker 1: back inside the hut. His son was astounded when he
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Speaker 1: saw him, and turned his eyes away for fear he
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Speaker 1: might be looking upon a god stranger. Said he, how
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Speaker 1: suddenly you have changed from what you were a moment
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Speaker 1: or two ago. You were dressed differently, and your color
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Speaker 1: is not the same. Are you some one or other
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Speaker 1: of the gods that live in heaven? If so, be
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Speaker 1: propitious to me till I can make you do sacrifice
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Speaker 1: and offerings of wrought gold. Have mercy upon me, And
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Speaker 1: Ulysses said, I am no god, Why should you take
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Speaker 1: me for one. I am your father, on whose account
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Speaker 1: you grieve and suffer so much at the hands of
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Speaker 1: lawless men. As he spoke, he kissed his son, and
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Speaker 1: a tear fell from his cheek on to the ground,
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Speaker 1: for he had restrained all tears till now. But Telemachus
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Speaker 1: could not yet believe that it was his father, and said,
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Speaker 1: you are not my father, but some god is flattering
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Speaker 1: me with vain hopes that I may grieve the more hereafter.
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Speaker 1: No mortal man could have himself contrive to do as
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Speaker 1: you have been doing and make yourself old and young
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Speaker 1: at a moment's notice, unless a god were with him.
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Speaker 1: A second ago you were old and all in rags,
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Speaker 1: and now you are like some god come down from heaven.
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Speaker 1: Ulysses answered Telemachus, you ought not to be so immeasurably
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Speaker 1: astounded at my being really here. There is no other
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Speaker 1: Ulysses who will come hereafter such as I am. It
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Speaker 1: is I who, after long wandering and much hardship, have
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Speaker 1: got home in the twentieth year, to my own country.
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Speaker 1: What you wonder at is the work of the redoubtable
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Speaker 1: goddess Minerva, who does with me whatever she will, for
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Speaker 1: she can do what she pleases. At one moment she
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Speaker 1: makes me like a beggar, and the next I am
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Speaker 1: a young man with good clothes on my back. It
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Speaker 1: is an easy matter for the gods who live in
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Speaker 1: heaven to make any man look either rich or poor.
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Speaker 1: As he spoke, he sat down, and Telemachus threw his
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Speaker 1: arms about his father and wept. They were both so
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Speaker 1: much moved that they cried aloud, like eagles or vultures
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Speaker 1: with crooked ellens that have been robbed of their half
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Speaker 1: fledged young by peasants. Thus piteously did they weep, and
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Speaker 1: the sun would have gone down upon their morning if
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Speaker 1: Telemachus had not suddenly said, in what ship, my dear father,
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Speaker 1: did your crew bring you to Ithaca? Of what nation
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Speaker 1: did they declare themselves to be? For you cannot have
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Speaker 1: come by land. I will tell you the truth, my
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Speaker 1: son replied Ulysses. It was the Phaeacians who brought me here.
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Speaker 1: They are great sailors and are in the habit of
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Speaker 1: giving escorts to any one who reaches their coasts. They
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Speaker 1: took me over the sea while I was fast asleep,
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Speaker 1: and landed me in Ithaca, after giving me many presents
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Speaker 1: in bronze, gold and raiment. These things, by Heaven's mercy,
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Speaker 1: are lying concealed in a cave. And I am now
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Speaker 1: come here on the suggestion of Minerva, that we may
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Speaker 1: consult about killing our enemies. First. Therefore, let me give
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Speaker 1: a list of the suitors, with their number, that I
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Speaker 1: may learn who and how many they are. I can
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Speaker 1: then turn the matter over in my mind and see
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Speaker 1: whether we two can fight the whole body of them ourselves,
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Speaker 1: or whether we must find others to help us to this.
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Speaker 1: Telemachus answered, father, I have always heard of your renown,
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Speaker 1: both in the field and in council. But the task
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Speaker 1: you talk of is a very great one. I am
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Speaker 1: awed at the mere thought of it. Two men cannot
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Speaker 1: stand against many and brave ones. There are not ten
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Speaker 1: suitors only, nor twice ten, but ten many times over.
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Speaker 1: You shall learn their number at once. There are fifty
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Speaker 1: two chosen youths from Dulichium, and they have six servants
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Speaker 1: from sameh There are twenty four twenty young Achaeans from Zacynthus,
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Speaker 1: and twelve from Ithaca itself, all of them well born.
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Speaker 1: They have with them the servant Medon a bard, and
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Speaker 1: two men who can carve at table. If we face
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Speaker 1: such numbers as this, you may have bitter cause to
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Speaker 1: rue your coming and your revenge. See whether you cannot
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Speaker 1: think of some one who would be willing to come
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Speaker 1: and help us. Listen to me, replied Ulysses, and think
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Speaker 1: whether Minerva and her Father Jove may seem sufficient, or
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Speaker 1: whether I am to try and find some one else
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Speaker 1: as well. Those whom you have named, answered, Telemachus, are
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Speaker 1: a couple of good allies. For though they dwell high
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Speaker 1: up among the clouds, they have power over both gods
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Speaker 1: and men. These two, continued ulysses will not keep long
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Speaker 1: out of the fray when the suitors and we join
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Speaker 1: the fight in my house. Now, therefore, return home early
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Speaker 1: tomorrow morning, and go about among the suitors as before laid,
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Speaker 1: or all the swineherd will bring me to the city
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Speaker 1: disguised as a miserable old beggar. If you see them
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Speaker 1: ill treating me, steal your heart against my sufferings, even
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Speaker 1: though they drag me feet foremost out of the house
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Speaker 1: or throw things at me, look on and do nothing
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Speaker 1: beyond gently trying to make them behave more reasonably. But
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Speaker 1: they will not listen to you, for the day of
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Speaker 1: their reckoning is at hand. Furthermore, I say, and lay
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Speaker 1: my saying to your heart. When Minerva shall put it
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Speaker 1: in my mind, I will gnad my head to you.
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Speaker 1: And on seeing me do this, you must collect all
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Speaker 1: the armor that is in the house and hide it
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Speaker 1: in the strong store room. Make some excuse when the
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Speaker 1: suitors ask you why you are removing it, Say that
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Speaker 1: you have taken it to be out of the way
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Speaker 1: of the smoke, inasmuch as it is no longer what
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Speaker 1: it was when Ulysses went away, but has become soiled
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Speaker 1: and be grimed with soot. Add to this more particularly
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Speaker 1: that you are afraid Jove may set them on to
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Speaker 1: quarrel over their wine, and that they may do each
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Speaker 1: other some harm, which may disgrace both Banquet and Wooing
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Speaker 1: for the sight of arms sometimes tempts people to use them.
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Speaker 1: But leave a sword and a spear apiece for yourself
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Speaker 1: and me, and a couple ox hide shields, so that
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Speaker 1: we can snatch them up at any moment. Jove and
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Speaker 1: Minerva will then soon quiet these people. There is also
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Speaker 1: another matter. If you are indeed my son, and my
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Speaker 1: blood runs in your veins, let no one know that
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Speaker 1: Ulysses is within the house, neither Laertes, nor yet the swineherd,
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Speaker 1: nor any of the servants, nor even Penelope herself. Let
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Speaker 1: you and me exploit the women alone, and let us
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Speaker 1: also make trial of some other of the men's servants,
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Speaker 1: to see who is on our side, and whose hand
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Speaker 1: is against us. Us father replied Telemachus, you will come
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Speaker 1: to know me by and by, and when you do,
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Speaker 1: you will find that I can keep your council. I
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Speaker 1: do not think, however, the plan you propose will turn
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Speaker 1: it well for either of us. Think it over. It
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Speaker 1: will take us a long time to go the round
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Speaker 1: of farms and exploit the men, and all the time
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Speaker 1: the suitors will be wasting your estate with impunity and
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Speaker 1: without compunction. Prove the women by all means to see
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Speaker 1: who are disloyal and who guiltless. But I am not
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Speaker 1: in favor of going round and trying the men. We
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Speaker 1: can intend to that later on, if you really have
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Speaker 1: some sign from Jove that he will support you. Thus
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Speaker 1: they did converse, And meanwhile, the ship which had brought
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Speaker 1: Telemachus and his crew from Pylos had reached the town
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Speaker 1: of Ithaca. When they had come inside the harbor, they
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Speaker 1: drew the ship on to the land. Their servants came
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Speaker 1: and took their armor from them, and they left all
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Speaker 1: the presents at the house of Clytius. Then they sent
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Speaker 1: a servant to tell Penelope that Telemachus had gone into
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Speaker 1: the country, but had sent the ship to the town
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Speaker 1: to prevent her from being alarmed and made unhappy. This
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Speaker 1: servant and Eumaeus happened to meet when they were both
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Speaker 1: on the same errand of going to tell Penelope. When
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Speaker 1: they reached the house, the servant stood up and said
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Speaker 1: to the queen, in the presence of the waiting women,
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Speaker 1: your son, Madam, is now returned from Pylos. But Eumaeus
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Speaker 1: went close up to Penelope and said privately all that
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Speaker 1: her son had bidden him tell her. When he had
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Speaker 1: given his message, he left the house with his out
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Speaker 1: buildings and went back to his pigs again. The suitors
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Speaker 1: were surprised and angry at what had happened, so they
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Speaker 1: went outside the great wall that ran round the outer
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Speaker 1: court and held a council near the main entrance. Eurymachus,
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Speaker 1: son of Polybus, was the first to speak. My friends,
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Speaker 1: said he, this voyage of Telemachus's is a very serious matter.
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Speaker 1: We had made sure that it would come to nothing. Now, however,
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Speaker 1: let us draw a ship into the water and get
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Speaker 1: a crew together to send after the others, and tell
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Speaker 1: them to come back as fast as they can. He
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Speaker 1: had hardly done speaking when Antphinomus turned in his place
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Speaker 1: and saw the ship inside the harbor, with the crew
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Speaker 1: lowering her sails and putting by their oars. So he
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Speaker 1: laughed and said to the others, we need not send
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Speaker 1: them any message, for they are here. Some God must
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Speaker 1: have told them or else. They saw the ship go
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Speaker 1: by and could not overtake her. On this they rose
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Speaker 1: and went to the water side. The crew then drew
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Speaker 1: the ship on shore. Their servants took their armor from them,
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Speaker 1: and they went up in a body to the place
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Speaker 1: of assembly. But they would not let any one old
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Speaker 1: or young, sit along with them. And Antonus, son of
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Speaker 1: you pe Athos, spoke first. Good heavens, said he see
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Speaker 1: how the gods have saved this man from destruction. We
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Speaker 1: kept a succession of scouts upon the headlands all day long,
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Speaker 1: and when the sun was down, we never went on
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Speaker 1: shore to sleep, but waited in the ship all night
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Speaker 1: till morning, in the hope of capturing and killing him.
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Speaker 1: But some God has conveyed him home in spite of us.
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Speaker 1: Let us consider how we can make an end of him.
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Speaker 1: He must not escape us. Our affair is never likely
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Speaker 1: to come off while he is alive, for he is
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Speaker 1: very shrewd and public feeling is by no means all
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Speaker 1: on our side. We must make haste before he can
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Speaker 1: call the Achaeans in assembly. He will lose no time
21:42
Speaker 1: in doing so, for he will be furious with us,
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Speaker 1: and will tell all the world how we plotted to
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Speaker 1: kill him but failed to take him. The people will
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Speaker 1: not like this when they come to know of it.
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Speaker 1: We must see that they do us no hurt, nor
21:57
Speaker 1: drive us from our own country into exile. Let us
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Speaker 1: try and lay hold of him, either on his farm
22:03
Speaker 1: away from the town, or on the road hither. Then
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Speaker 1: we can divide up his property amongst us, and let
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Speaker 1: his mother and the man who marries her have the house.
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Speaker 1: If this does not please you, and you wish Telemachus
22:15
Speaker 1: to live on and hold his father's property, then we
22:19
Speaker 1: must not gather here and eat up his goods in
22:22
Speaker 1: this way, but must make our offers to Penelope, each
22:25
Speaker 1: from his own house, and she can marry the man
22:28
Speaker 1: who will give the most for her, and whose lot
22:31
Speaker 1: it is to win her. They all held their peace
22:34
Speaker 1: until Lamphinimus rose to speak. He was the son of Nysus,
22:38
Speaker 1: who was the son to King Ereteus, and he was
22:42
Speaker 1: foremost among all the suitors from the wheat growing and
22:45
Speaker 1: well grassed island of Duluchium. His conversation, moreover, was more
22:51
Speaker 1: agreeable to Penelope than that of any of the other suitors,
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Speaker 1: for he was a man of good natural disposition, my
22:59
Speaker 1: friend said, he speaking to them plainly and in all honesty.
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Speaker 1: I am not in favor of killing Telemachus. It is
23:08
Speaker 1: a heinous thing to kill one who was of noble blood.
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Speaker 1: Let us first take counsel of the gods, and if
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Speaker 1: the oracles of Jove advise it, I will both help
23:17
Speaker 1: to kill him myself, and will urge every one else
23:21
Speaker 1: to do so. But if they dissuade us, I would
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Speaker 1: have you hold your hands. Thus did he speak, and
23:28
Speaker 1: his words pleased them well. So they rose forthwith and
23:32
Speaker 1: went to the house of Ulysses, where they took their
23:35
Speaker 1: accustomed seats. Then Penelope resolved that she would show herself
23:40
Speaker 1: to the suitors. She knew of the plot against Telemachus,
23:44
Speaker 1: for the servant Medon had overheard their counsels and had
23:48
Speaker 1: told her. She went down therefore to the court, attended
23:51
Speaker 1: by her maidens, and when she reached the suitors, she
23:55
Speaker 1: stood by one of the bearing posts supporting the roof
23:58
Speaker 1: of the cloister, holding a veil before her face, and
24:01
Speaker 1: rebuked Antonus, saying, Antonus insolent and wicked schemer. They say
24:07
Speaker 1: you are the best speaker and counselor of any man
24:10
Speaker 1: your own age in Ithaca, But you are nothing of
24:14
Speaker 1: the kind madman. Why should you try to compass the
24:17
Speaker 1: death of Telemachus and take no heed of suppliants whose
24:21
Speaker 1: witness is Jove himself. It is not right for you
24:24
Speaker 1: to plot thus against one another. Do you not remember
24:28
Speaker 1: how your father fled to this house and fear of
24:30
Speaker 1: the people who were enraged against him for having gone
24:34
Speaker 1: with some Taffian pirates and plundered the Thesprotians who were
24:38
Speaker 1: at peace with us. They wanted to tear him in
24:41
Speaker 1: pieces and eat up everything he had, but Ulysses stayed
24:45
Speaker 1: their hands, although they were infuriated. And now you devour
24:49
Speaker 1: his property without paying for it, and break my heart
24:52
Speaker 1: by wooing his wife and trying to kill his son.
24:56
Speaker 1: Live off doing so, and stop the others. Also to this, Eurymachus,
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Speaker 1: son of Pollybus, answered, take heart, Queen Penelope, daughter of Vicarius,
25:07
Speaker 1: and do not trouble yourself about these matters. The man
25:10
Speaker 1: is not yet born, nor never will be, who shall
25:13
Speaker 1: lay hands upon your son, Telemachus, while I yet live
25:17
Speaker 1: to look upon the face of the earth, I say,
25:20
Speaker 1: and it shall surely be that my spear shall be
25:23
Speaker 1: reddened with his blood. For many a time his Ulysses
25:27
Speaker 1: taken me on his knees, held wine up to my
25:29
Speaker 1: lips to drink, and put pieces of meat into my hands. Therefore,
25:34
Speaker 1: Telemachus has much the dearest friend I have, and has
25:38
Speaker 1: nothing to fear from the hands of us suitors. Of course,
25:42
Speaker 1: if death comes to him from the gods, he cannot
25:45
Speaker 1: escape it. He said this to quiet her, but in
25:48
Speaker 1: reality he was plotting against Telemachus. Then Penelope went upstairs
25:54
Speaker 1: again and mourned her husband till Minerva shed sleep over
25:58
Speaker 1: her eyes. In the evening, Eumaeus got back to Ulysses
26:02
Speaker 1: and his son, who had just sacrificed a young pig
26:05
Speaker 1: of a year old, and were helping one another to
26:08
Speaker 1: get supper ready. Minerva therefore came up to Ulysses, turned
26:12
Speaker 1: him into an old man with a stroke of her
26:15
Speaker 1: wand and clad him in his old clothes again, for
26:18
Speaker 1: fear that the swineherd might recognize him, and not keep
26:22
Speaker 1: the secret, but go and tell Penelope. Telemachus was the
26:26
Speaker 1: first to speak. So you have got back, Eumaeus said he,
26:30
Speaker 1: what is the news of the town. Have the suitors
26:33
Speaker 1: returned or are they still waiting over yonder to take
26:36
Speaker 1: me on my way home. I did not think of
26:39
Speaker 1: asking about that, replied Eumaeus. When I was in the town,
26:44
Speaker 1: I thought I would give my message and come back
26:46
Speaker 1: as soon as I could. I met a man sent
26:48
Speaker 1: by those who had gone with you to Pylos, and
26:51
Speaker 1: he was the first to tell the news to your mother.
26:54
Speaker 1: But I can say what I saw with my own eyes.
26:57
Speaker 1: I had just got on to the crest of the
26:59
Speaker 1: hill of Mercury, above the town, when I saw a
27:02
Speaker 1: ship coming into harbor with a number of men in her.
27:06
Speaker 1: They had many shields and spears, and I thought it
27:09
Speaker 1: was the Suitors, but I cannot be sure. On hearing this,
27:14
Speaker 1: Telemachus smiled to his father, but so that Eumaeus could
27:17
Speaker 1: not see him. Then, when they had finished their work
27:21
Speaker 1: and the meal was ready, they ate it, and every
27:24
Speaker 1: man had his full share, so that all were satisfied.
27:28
Speaker 1: As soon as they had had enough to eat and drink,
27:31
Speaker 1: they laid down to rest and enjoyed the boon of sleep.
27:36
Speaker 1: End of Book sixteen.