 Book 8. Of the Odyssey by Homer. Translated by Samuel Butler. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. The Odyssey. Book 8. Banquet in the House of Alsinus, the Games. Now when the child of mourning, Rosie-finger Dawn, appeared, Alsinus and Ulysses both rose, and Alsinus led the way to the Fiation Place of Assembly, which was near the ships. When they got there they sat down side-by-side on a seat of polished stone, while Minerva took the form of one of Alsinus' servants, and went round the town in order to help Ulysses to get home. She went up to the citizens, man by man, and said, Alderman and town counsellors of the Fiationes, come to the Assembly all of you and listen to the stranger, who has just come off a long voyage to the House of King Alsinus. He looks like an immortal god. With these words she made them all want to come, and they flocked to the Assembly till seats and standing-room were alike crowded. Everyone was struck with the appearance of Ulysses, for Minerva had beautified him about the head and shoulders, making him look taller and stouter than he really was, that he might impress the Fiationes favorably as being a very remarkable man, and might come off well in the many trials of skill to which they would challenge him. Then when they were got together, Alsinus spoke. Hear me, said he, Alderman and town counsellors of the Fiationes, that I may speak even as I am minded. This stranger, whoever he may be, has found his way to my house from somewhere or other east or west. He wants an escort and wishes to have the matter settled. Let us then get one ready for him, as we have done for others before him. Indeed, no one who ever yet came to my house has been able to complain of me for not speeding on his way soon enough. Let us draw a ship into the sea, one that has never yet made a voyage, and man her with two and fifty of our smartest young sailors. Then, when you have made fast your oars each by his own seat, leave the ship and come to my house to prepare a feast. I will find you in everything. I am giving these instructions to the young men who will form the crew, for as regards you Alderman and town counsellors, you will join me in entertaining our guest in the cloisters. I can take no excuses, and we will have Demoticus to sing to us, for there is no bard like him whatever he may choose to sing about. Alsinus then led the way, and the others followed after, while a servant went to fetch Demoticus. The fifty-two picked oarsmen went to the seashore as they had been told, and when they got there they drew the ship into the water, got her mast and sails inside her, bound the oars to the thulpins with twisted thongs of leather, all in due course, and spread the white sails aloft. They moored the vessel a little way out from the land, and then came on shore and went to the house of King Alsinus. The outhouses, yards, and all the precincts were filled with crowds of men in great multitudes, both old and young, and Alsinus killed them a dozen sheep, eight full-grown pigs and two oxen. These they skinned and dressed so as to provide a magnificent banquet. A servant presently led in the famous bard Demoticus, whom the muse had dearly loved, but to whom she had given both good and evil, for though she had endowed him with a divine gift of song, she had robbed him of his eyesight. Pontanus set a seat for him among the guests, leaning it up against a bearing post. He hung the lyre for him on a peg over his head, and showed him where he was to feel for it with his hands. He also set a fair table with a basket of victuals by his side, and a cup of wine from which he might drink whenever he was so disposed. The company then laid their hands upon the good things that were before them, but as soon as they had had enough to eat and drink, the muse inspired Demoticus to sing the feats of heroes, and more especially, a matter that was then in the mouths of all men, to wit the quarrel between Ulysses and Nikeles, and the fierce words that they heaped on one another as they sat together at a banquet. But Agamemnon was glad when he heard his chieftains quarreling with one another, for Apollo had foretold him this at Pytho when he crossed the stone floor to consult the oracle. Here was the beginning of the evil that by the will of Joe fell both upon Denaeans and Trojans. Thus sang the bard, but Ulysses drew his purple mantle over his head and covered his face, for he was ashamed to let the Pheatians see that he was weeping. When the bard left off singing he wiped the tears from his eyes, uncovered his face, and, taking his cup, made a drink offering to the gods. But when the Pheatians pressed Demoticus to sing further, for they delighted in his lays, then Ulysses again drew his mantle over his head and wept bitterly. No one noticed his distress except Alsinus, who was sitting near him, and heard the heavy sighs that he was heaving. So he at once said, Alderman and town counsellors of the Pheatians, we have had enough now, both of the feast and of the minstrelsy that is its due accompaniment. Let us proceed, therefore, to the athletic sports, so that our guest on his return home may be able to tell his friends how much we surpass all other nations as boxers, wrestlers, campers, and runners. With these words he led the way, and the others followed after. A servant hung Demonicus' lyre on its peg for him, led him out of the cloister, and set him on the same way as that along which all the chief men of the Pheatians were going to see the sports. A crowd of several thousands of people followed them, and there were many excellent competitors for all the prizes. Acronios, Occhialus, Elatrios, Nautius, Primnius, Anchialus, Retmius, Pontius, Praureus, Thon, Anabesinius, and Amphilius, son of Polinius, son of Tecton. There was also Urielus, son of Noblus, who was like Mars himself, and was the best-looking man among the Pheatians except Laodamus. Three sons of Alcinas, Laodamus, Helios, and Clitonius competed also. The foot races came first. The course was set out for them from the starting post, and they raised a dust upon the plane as they all flew forward at the same moment. Clitonius came in first by a long way. He left everyone else behind him by the length of the furrow that a couple of mules can plow in a fallow field. They then turned to the painful art of wrestling, and here Urielus proved to be the best man. Amphialus excelled all the others in jumping, while at throwing the disc there was no one who could approach Elatrios. Alcinas's son, Laodamus, was the best boxer, and he it was who presently said when they had all been diverted with the games. Let us ask the stranger whether he excels in any of these sports. He seems very powerfully built. His thighs, calves, hands and neck are of prodigious strength, nor is he at all old. But he has suffered much lately, and there is nothing like the sea for making havoc with a man, no matter how strong he is. You are quite right, Laodamus, replied Urielus. Go up to your guest and speak to him about it yourself. When Laodamus heard this he made his way into the middle of the crowd and said to Ulysses, I hope, sir, that you will enter yourself for some one or other of our competitions if you are skilled in any of them, and you must have gone in for many a one before now. There is nothing that does any one so much credit all his life long as the showing himself a proper man with his hands and feet. Have a try therefore at something, and banish all sorrow from your mind. Your return home will not be long delayed, for the ship is already drawn into the water and the crew is found. Ulysses answered, Laodamus, why do you taunt me in this way? My mind is set rather on cares than contests. I have been through infinite trouble, and I'm come along you now as a supliant, praying your king and people to further me on my return home. Then Urielus reviled him outright, and said, I gather, then, that you are unskilled in any of the many sports that men generally delight in. I suppose you are one of those grasping traders that go about in ships as captains or merchants, and who think of nothing but their own outward frates and homeward cargos. There does not seem to be much of the athlete about you. For shame, sir, answered Ulysses fiercely. You are an insolent fellow, so true is it that the gods do not grace all men alike in speech, person, and understanding. One man may be of weak presence, but heaven has adorned this with such good conversation that he charms every one who sees him. His honeyed moderation carries his ears with him so that he is leader in all assemblies of his fellows, and wherever he goes he is looked up to. Another may be as handsome as a god, but his good looks are not crowned with discretion. This is your case. No god could make a finer looking fellow than you are, but you are a fool. Your ill-judged remarks have made me exceedingly angry, and you are quite mistaken, for I excel in a great many athletic exercises. Indeed, so long as I had youth and strength I was among the first athletes of the age. Now, however, I am worn out by labour and sorrow, for I have gone through much both on the field of battle and by the waves of the weary sea. Still, in spite of all this, I will compete, for your taunts have stung me to the quick. So he hurried up without even taking his cloak off, and seized a disc, larger, more massive and much heavier than those used by the Fiatians when disc-throwing among themselves. Then, swinging it back, he threw it from his brawny hand, and it made a humming sound in the air as he did so. The Fiatians quailed beneath the rushing of its flight as it sped gracefully from his hand, and flew beyond any mark that had been made yet. Minerva, in the form of a man, came and marked the place where it had fallen. A blind man, sir, said she, could easily tell your mark by groping for it, it is so far ahead of any other. You may make your mind easy about this contest, for no Fiatian can come near to such a throw as yours. Ulysses was glad when he found he had a friend among the lookers on, so he began to speak more pleasantly. Young men, said he, come up to that throw if you can, and I will throw another disc as heavy or even heavier. If any one wants to have a bout with me, let him come on, for I am exceedingly angry. I will box, wrestle, or run, I do not care what it is, with any man of you, all except Leodamus, but not with him, because I am his guest, and one cannot compete with one's own personal friend. At least I do not think it a prudent or a sensible thing for a guest who challenges hosts' family at any game, especially when he is in a foreign country. He will cut the ground from under his own feed if he does, but I make no exception as regards anyone else, for I want the matter out and know which is the best man. I am a good hand at every kind of athletic sport known among mankind. I am an excellent archer. In battle I am always the first to bring a man down with my arrow, no matter how many more are taking aim at him alongside of me. Philoctetes was the only man who could shoot better than I could when we Achaeans were before Troy and in practice. I far excel everyone else in the whole world, of those who still eat bread upon the face of the earth, but I should not like to shoot against the mighty dead, such as Hercules or Eurotus the Oicalian, men who could shoot against the gods themselves. This in fact was how Eurotus came prematurely by his end, for Apollo was angry with him and killed him because he challenged him as an archer. I can throw a dart farther than anyone else can shoot an arrow. Running is the only point in respect of which I am afraid some of the Achaeans might beat me, for I have been brought down very low at sea. My provisions ran short and therefore I am still weak. They all held their peace except King Alcinus, who began, Sir, we have had much pleasure in hearing all that you have told us, for which I understand that you are willing to show your prowess as having been displeased with some insolent remarks that have been made to you by one of our athletes, and which could never have been uttered by anyone who knows how to talk with propriety. I hope you will apprehend my meaning, and will explain to any one of your chief men who may be dining with yourself and your family when you get home, that we have an hereditary aptitude for accomplishments of all kinds. We are not particularly remarkable for our boxing, nor yet as wrestlers, but we are singularly fleet of foot and are excellent sailors. We are extremely fond of good dinners, music and dancing. We also like frequent changes of linen, warm baths, and good beds. So now please, some of you who are best dancers, set about dancing, that our guest on his return home may be able to tell his friends how much we surpass all other nations as sailors, runners, dancers, and minstrels. Damodicus has left his lyre at my house, so run some one or other of you and fetch it for him. On this a servant hurried off to bring the lyre from the king's house, and the nine men who had been chosen as stewards stood forward. It was their business to manage everything connected with the sports, so they made the ground smooth and marked a wide space for the dancers. Presently the servant came back with Damodicus's lyre, and he took his place in the midst of them, whereon the best young dancers in the town began to foot and trip it so nimbly that Ulysses was delighted with the merry twinkling of their feet. Meanwhile the bard began to sing the loves of Mars and Venus, and how they first began their intrigue in the house of Vulcan. Mars made Venus many presents, and defiled King Vulcan's marriage bed, so the son, who saw what they were about, told Vulcan. Vulcan was very angry when he heard such dreadful news, so he went to his smithy, brooding mischief, got his great anvil into its place, and began to forge some chains which none could either unloose or break so that they might stay there in that place. When he had finished his snare, he went into his bedroom and festooned the bed-posts all over with chains like cobwebs. He also let many hang down from the great beam of the ceiling. Not even a god could see them so fine and subtle were they. As soon as he had spread the chains all over the bed, he made as though he were setting out for the fair state of Lemnos, which of all places in the world was the one he was most fond of. But Mars kept no blind look out, and as soon as he saw him start hurried off to his house, burning with love for Venus. Now Venus was just come in from a visit to her father, Jove, and was about sitting down when Mars came inside the house and said as he took her hand in his own, Let us go to the couch of Vulcan. He is not at home, but has gone off to Lemnos among the sentients, whose speech is barbarous. She said nothing loth, so they went to the couch to take their rest, whereon they were caught in the toils which cunning Vulcan had spread for them, and could neither get up nor stir hand or foot, but found too late that they were in a trap. Then Vulcan came up to them, for he had turned back before reaching Lemnos, when his scout the son told him what was going on. He was in a furious passion and stood in the vestibule making a dreadful noise as he shouted to all the gods. Father Jove, he cried, and all you other blessed gods who live for ever, come here and see the ridiculous and disgraceful sight that I will show you. Jove's daughter Venus is always dishonoring me because I am lame. She is in love with Mars, who is handsome and clean-built, whereas I am a cripple. But my parents are to blame for that, not I. They ought never to have begotten me. Come and see the pair together asleep on my bed. It makes me furious to look at them. They are very fond of one another, but I do not think they will lie there longer than they can help, nor do I think that they will sleep much. There, however, they shall stay till her father has repaid me the psalm I gave him for his baggage of a daughter, who is fair but not honest. On this the gods gathered to the house of Vulcan. Earth and circling Neptune came, and Mercury, the bringer of luck, and King Apollo, but the goddesses stayed at home all of them for shame. Then the givers of all good things stood in the doorway, and the blessed gods roared with inextinguishable laughter as they saw how cunning Vulcan had been, whereon one would turn towards his neighbor saying, Ill deeds do not prosper, and the weak confound the strong. See how limping Vulcan, lame as he is, has caught Mars who is the fleetest god in heaven, and now Mars will be cast in heavy damages. Thus did they converse, but King Apollo said to Mercury, Messenger Mercury, giver of good things, you would not care how strong the chains were, would you, if you could sleep with Venus? King Apollo answered Mercury, I only wish I might get the chance, though there were three times as many chains, and you might look on all of you, gods and goddesses, but I would sleep with her if I could. The immortal gods burst out laughing as they heard him, but Neptune took it all seriously, and kept on imploring Vulcan to set Mars free again. Let him go, he cried, and I will undertake, as you require, that he shall pay you all the damages that are held reasonable among the immortal gods. Do not, replied Vulcan, ask me to do this. A bad man's bond is bad security. What remedy could I enforce against you if Mars should go away and leave his debts behind him along with his chains? Vulcan, said Neptune, if Mars goes away without paying his damages, I will pay you myself. So Vulcan answered, In this case I cannot and must not refuse you. Thereon he loosed the bonds that bound them, and as soon as they were free they scampered off, Mars to Thrace and laughter loving Venus to Cyprus and to Paphos, where is her grove and her altar fragrant with burnt offerings. Here the graces bathed her and anointed her with oil of ambrosia, such as the immortal gods make use of, and they clothed her in raiment of the most enchanting beauty. Thus sang the bard, and both Ulysses and the seafaring fiatians were charmed as they heard him. Then Alsonus told Leodamus and Helius to dance alone, for there was no one to compete with them. So they took a red ball which Polybis had made for them, and one of them bent himself backwards and threw it up towards the clouds, while the other jumped from off the ground and caught it with ease before it came down again. When they had done throwing the ball straight up into the air, they began to dance, and at the same time kept on throwing it backwards and forwards to one another, while all the young men in the ring applauded and made a great stamping with their feet. Then Ulysses said, King Alsonus, you said your people were the nimblest dancers in the world, and indeed they approved themselves to be so. I was astonished as I saw them. The king was delighted at this, and exclaimed to the fiatians, Alderman and town counsellors, our guest seems to be a person of singular judgment. Let us give him such proof of our hospitality as he may reasonably expect. There are twelve chief men among you, and counting myself there are thirteen. Contribute each of you a clean cloak, a shirt, and a talent of fine gold. Let us give him all this in a lump down at once, so that when he gets his supper he may do so with a light heart. As for Urielis, he will have to make a formal apology and a present two, for he has been rude. Thus did he speak. The others all of them applauded his saying, and sent their servants to fetch the presents. Then Urielis said, King Alsonus, I will give the stranger all the satisfaction you require. He shall have my sword, which is of bronze, all but the hilt, which is of silver. I will also give him the scabbard of newly sawn ivory into which it fits. It will be worth a great deal to him. As he spoke he placed the sword in the hands of Ulysses, and said, Good luck to you, Father Stranger. If anything has been said amiss, may the winds blow it away with them, and may heaven grant you a safe return, for I understand you have been long away from home, and have gone through much hardship. To which Ulysses answered, Good luck to you, too, my friend, and may the gods grant you every happiness. I hope you will not miss the sword you have given me along with your apology. With these words he girded the sword about his shoulders, and toward sundown the presence began to make their appearance, as the servants of the donors kept bringing them to the house of King Alsinus. Here his sons received them, and placed them under their mother's charge. Then Alsinus led the way to the house and bait his guests take their seats. Wife, said he, turning to Queen Aready. Go, fetch the best chest we have, and put a clean cloak and shirt in it. Also, set a copper on the fire and heat some water. Our guest will take a warm bath. See also to the careful packing of the presence that the noble Phaeations have made him. He will thus better enjoy both his supper and the singing that will follow. I shall myself give him this golden goblet, which is of exquisite workmanship, that he may be reminded of me for the rest of his life whenever he makes a drink offering to Jove or to any of the gods. Queen Aready told her maize to set a large tripod upon the fire as fast as they could. Whereon they set a tripod full of bathwater onto a clear fire. They threw on sticks to make it blaze, and the water became hot as the flame played about the belly of the tripod. Meanwhile Aready brought a magnificent chest from her own room, and incited she packed all the beautiful presence of gold and raiment which the Phaeations had brought. Lastly she added a cloak and a good shirt from Alcinus, and said to Ulysses, See to the lid yourself, and have the hole bound round at once, for fear any one should rob you by the way when you are asleep in your ship. When Ulysses heard this, he put the lid on the chest and made it fast with the bond that Cersei had taught him. He had done so before an upper servant told him to come to the bath and wash himself. He was very glad of a warm bath, for he had had no one to wait upon him ever since he left the house of Calypso, who as long as he remained with her had taken as good care of him as though he had been a god. When the servants had done washing and anointing him with oil, and had given him a clean cloak and shirt, he left the bathroom and joined the guests who were sitting over their wine. Lovely Nausica stood by one of the bearing-posts supporting the roof of the cloister, and admired him as she saw him pass. Farewell, stranger, said she. Do not forget me when you are safe at home again, for it is to me first that you owe a ransom for having saved your life. And Ulysses said, Nausica, daughter of great Alsinus, may jove the mighty husband of Juno grant that I may reach my home, so shall I bless you as my guardian angel all my days, for it was you who saved me. When he had said this he seated himself beside Alsinus. The water was then served, and the wine was mixed for drinking. A servant led in the favorite bar Demaricus, and set him in the midst of the company, near one of the bearing-posts supporting the cloister, that he might lean against it. Then Ulysses cut off a piece of roast pork with plenty of fat, for there was abundance left on the joint, and said to a servant, Take this piece of pork over to Demaricus and tell him to eat it. For all the pain his lays may cause me, I will salute him nonetheless. Bars are honored and respected throughout the world, for the muse teaches them their songs and loves them. The servant carried the pork in his fingers over to Demaricus, who took it and was very much pleased. They then laid their hands on the good things that were before them, and as soon as they had had to eat and drink Ulysses said to Demaricus, Demaricus, there is no one in the world whom I admire more than I do you. You must have studied under the muse, Joves' daughter, and under Apollo, so accurately do you sing the return of the Achaeans with all their sufferings and adventures. If you are not there yourself, you must have heard it all from someone who was. Now, however, change your song and tell us of the wooden horse which Epius made with the assistance of Minerva, and which Ulysses got by stratagem into the Fort of Troy after freighting it with the men, who afterward sacked the city. If you will sing this tale a rite, I will tell all the world how magnificently heaven has endowed you. The bard inspired of heaven took up the story at the point where some of the Argives set fire to their tents and sailed away, while others, hidden within the horse, were waiting with Ulysses in the Trojan place of assembly. For the Trojans themselves had drawn the horse into their fortress, and it stood there while they sat and counseled round it, and were in three minds as to what they should do. Some were for breaking it up then and there, others would have dragged it to the top of the rock on which the fortress stood, and then thrown it down the precipice, while yet others were for letting it remain as an offering and propitiation for the gods. And this was how they settled it in the end, for the city was doomed when it took in that horse, within which were all the bravest of the Argives waiting to bring death and destruction on the Trojans. Anon he sang how the sons of the Achaeans issued from the horse and sacked the town, breaking out from their ambuscade. He sang how they overran the city hither and thither, and ravaged it, and how Ulysses went raging like Mars along with Menelaus to the house of Dephobos. It was there that the fight raged most furiously, nevertheless by Minerva's help he was victorious. All this he told, but Ulysses was overcome as he heard him, and his cheeks were wet with tears. He wept as a woman weeps when she throws herself on the body of her husband, who has fallen before his own city and people, fighting bravely in defense of his home and children. She screams aloud and flings her arms about him as he lies gasping for breath and dying. But her enemies beat her from behind about the back and shoulders, and carry her off into slavery, to a life of labour and sorrow, and the beauty fades from her cheeks. Even so piteously did Ulysses weep, but none of those present perceived his tears except Alsanus, who was sitting near him, and could hear the sobs and sighs that he was heaving. The king therefore at once rose and said, Alderman and town counsellors of the Pheasians, let Demoticus cease his song, for there are those present who do not seem to like it. From the moment that we had done supper and Demoticus began to sing, our guest has been all the time groaning and lamenting. He is evidently in great trouble, so let the bard leave off, that we may enjoy ourselves, hosts and guests alike. This will be much more as it should be, for all these festivities, with the escort and the presents that we are making with so much good will, are holy in his honour, and any one with even a moderate amount of right feeling knows that he ought to treat a guest and a supliant as though he were his own brother. Therefore, sir, do you on your part affect no more concealment nor reserve in the matter about which I shall ask you? It will be more polite in you to give me a plain answer. Tell me the name by which your father and mother over Yonder used to call you, and by which you were known among your neighbours and fellow citizens. There is no one, neither rich nor poor, who is absolutely without any name whatever, for peoples' fathers and mothers give them names as soon as they are born. Tell me also your country, nation and city, that our ships may shape their purpose accordingly and take you there. For the Fiatians have no pilots. Their vessels have no rudders as those of other nations have, but the ships themselves understand what it is that we are thinking about and want. They know all the cities and countries in the whole world, and can traverse the sea just as well even when it is covered with mist and cloud, so that there is no danger of being wrecked or coming to any harm. Still I do remember hearing my father say that Neptune was angry with us for being too easy going in the matter of giving people escorts. He said that one of these days he should wreck a ship of ours as it was returning from having escorted someone and bury our city under a high mountain. This is what my father used to say, but whether the God will carry out his threat or no is a matter which he will decide for himself. And now tell me and tell me true. Where have you been wandering, and in what countries have you traveled? Tell us of the peoples themselves and of their cities, who were hostile, savage and uncivilized, and who, on the other hand, hospitable and humane. Tell us also why you are made so unhappy on hearing about the return of the Argyve Denaeans from Troy. The Gods arranged all this and sent them their misfortunes in order that future generations might have something to sing about. Did you lose some brave kinsmen of your wives when you were before Troy? A son-in-law or father-in-law, which are the nearest relations a man has outside his own flesh and blood? Or was it some brave and kindly-natured comrade, for a good friend is as dear to a man as his own brother? And Ulysses answered, King Alsinus, it is a good thing to hear a bard with such a divine voice as this man has. There is nothing better or more delightful than when a whole people make merry together, with the guests sitting orderly to listen, while the table is loaded with bread and meats, and the cup-bearer draws wine and fills his cup for every man. This is indeed as fair a sight as a man can see. Now, however, since you are inclined to ask the story of my sorrows and rekindle my own sad memories in respect of them, I do not know how to begin, nor yet how to continue and conclude my tale, for the hand of heaven has been laid heavily upon me. Firstly, then, I will tell you my name that you too may know it, and one day, if I outlive this time of sorrow, may become my guests, though I live so far away from all of you. I am Ulysses, son of Leertes, renowned among mankind for all manner of subtlety, so that my fame ascends to heaven. I live in Ithaca, where there is a high mountain called Neretum, covered with forests. And not far from it there is a group of islands very near to one another, Dulikium, Sámi, and the wooded island of Zakynthas. It lies squat on the horizon, all highest up in the sea towards the sunset, while the others lie away from it towards dawn. It is a rugged island, but it breeds brave men, and my eyes know none that they better love to look upon. The goddess Calypso kept me with her in her cave, and wanted me to marry her, as did also the cunning Aean goddess Cersei, but they could neither of them persuade me, for there is nothing dearer to a man than his own country and his parents, and, however splendid a home he may have in a foreign country, if it be far from father or mother, he does not care about it. Now, however, I will tell you of the many hazardous adventures which, by Joves Will, I met with on my return from Troy. When I had set sail thence, the wind took me first to Ismarus, which is the city of the Scythians. There I sacked the town and put the people to the sword. We took their wives and also much booty, which we divided equitably amongst us, so that none might have reason to complain. I then said that we had better make off at once, but my men very foolishly would not obey me, so they stayed there drinking much wine and killing great numbers of sheep and oxen on the seashore. Meanwhile the Scythians cried out for help to other Scythians who lived inland. These were more in number and stronger, and they were more skilled in the art of war, for they could fight either from chariots or on foot as the occasion served. In the morning, therefore, they came as thick as leaves and bloom in summer, and the hand of heaven was against us, so that we were hard pressed. They set the battle in array near the ships, and the hosts aimed their bronze shod spears at one another. So long as the day waxed it was still morning. We held our own against them, though they were more in number than we. But as the sun went down towards the time when men lose their oxen, the Scythians got the better of us, and we lost half a dozen men from every ship we had, so we got away with those that were left. Thence we sailed onward with sorrow in our hearts, but glad to have escaped death though we had lost our comrades, nor did we leave till we had thrice invoke each one of the poor fellows who had perished by the hands of the Scythians. Then Jove raised the north wind against us till it blew a hurricane, so that land and sky were hidden in thick clouds, and night sprang forth out of the heavens. We let the ships run before the gale, but the force of the wind tore our sails to tatters, so we took them down for fear of shipwreck, and rode our hardest towards the land. There we laid two days and two nights, suffering much alike from toil and distress of mind. But on the morning of the third day we again raised our masts, set sail, and took our places, letting the wind and steersmen direct our ship. I should have got home at that time unharmed, had not the north wind and the currents been against me as I was doubling Cape Malia, and set me off my course hard by the island of Scythera. I was driven thence by foul winds for a space of nine days upon the sea, but on the tenth day we reached the land of the lotus-eaters, who live on a food that comes from a kind of flower. Here we landed to take in fresh water, and our crews got their midday meal on the shore near the ships. When they had eaten and drunk I sent two of my company to see what manner of men the people of the place might be, and they had a third man under them. They started at once and went about among the lotus-eaters, who did them no hurt but gave them to eat of the lotus, which was so delicious that those who ate of it left off caring about home, and did not even want to go back and say what had happened to them, but were for staying and munching lotus with the lotus-eaters without thinking further of their return. Nevertheless, though they wept bitterly, I forced them back to the ships, and made them fast under the benches. Then I told the rest to go on board at once, lest any of them should taste of the lotus and leave off wanting to get home, so they took their places and smote the grey sea with their oars. We sailed hence always in much distress till we came to the land of the lawless and inhuman cyclopes. Now the cyclopes neither plant nor plow, but trust in providence, and live on such wheat, barley, and grapes as grow wild without any kind of tillage, and their wild grapes yield them wine as the sun and the rain may grow them. They have no laws nor assemblies of the people, but live in caves on the tops of high mountains. Each is lord and master in his family, and they take no account of their neighbors. Now off their harbour there lies a wooded and fertile island not quite close to the land of the cyclopes, but still not far. It is overrun with wild goats that breed there in great numbers and are never disturbed by foot of man. For sportsmen, who as a rule will suffer so much hardship in forest or among mountain precipices, do not go there, nor yet again is it ever plowed or fed down, but it lies a wilderness untilled and unsewn from year to year, and has no living thing upon it but only goats. For the cyclopes have no ships, nor yet shipwrights who could make ships for them. They cannot therefore go from city to city, or sail over the sea to one another's country as people who have ships can do. If they had had these, they would have colonized the island, for it is a very good one, and would yield everything in due season. There are meadows that in some places come right down to the seashore, well watered and full of luscious grass, grapes would do their excellently. There is level land for plowing, and it would always yield heavily at harvest time, for the soil is deep. There is a good harbor where no cables are wanted, nor yet anchors nor need a ship be moored, but all one has to do is beach one's vessel and stay there till the wind becomes fair for putting out to sea again. At the head of the harbor there is a spring of clear water coming out of a cave, and there are poppers growing all round it. Here we entered, but so dark was the night that some god must have brought us in, for there was nothing whatever to be seen. A thick mist hung all round our ships. The moon was hidden behind a mass of clouds so that no one could have seen the island if he had looked for it, nor were there any breakers to tell us we were close in shore before we found ourselves upon the land itself. When, however, we had beached the ships, we took down the sails when ashore and camped upon the beach till day break. When the child of morning, rosy-fingered dawn appeared, we admired the island and wandered all over it, while the nymphs, Joves' daughters, roused the wild goats that we might get some meat for our dinner. On this we fetched our spears and bows and arrows from the ships, and dividing ourselves into three bands began to shoot the goats. Heaven sent us excellent sport. I had twelve ships with me, and each ship got nine goats, while my own ship had ten. Thus, through the live-long day to the going down of the sun, we aid and drank our fill, and we had plenty of wine left, for each one of us had taken many jars full when we sacked the city of the Sikons, and this had not yet run out. While we were feasting, we kept turning our eyes towards the island of the cyclobies, which was hard by, and saw the smoke of their stubble fires. We could almost fancy we heard their voices and the bleeding of their sheep and goats. But when the sun went down and it came on dark, we camped down upon the beach, and next morning I called a council. "'Stay here, my brave fellows,' said I, all the rest of you, while I go with my ship and exploit these people myself. I want to see if they are uncivilized savages, or a hospitable and humane race. I went on board, bidding my men to do so also, and loose the hausers, so they took their places and smote the gray sea with their oars. When we got to the land, which was not far, there on the face of a cliff near the sea we saw a great cave overhung with laurels. It was a station for a great many sheep and goats, and outside there was a large yard, with a high wall round it made of stones built into the ground and of trees both pine and oak. This was the abode of a huge monster who was then away from home shepherding his flocks. He would have nothing to do with other people, but led the life of an outlaw. He was a horrid creature, not like a human being at all, but resembling rather some crag that stands out boldly against the sky on the top of a high mountain. I told my men to draw the ship ashore and stay where they were, all but the twelve best among them, who were to go along with myself. I also took a goatskin of sweet black wine, which had been given me by Maron, son of Uanthes, who was priest of Apollo the patron god of Ismarus, and lived within the wooded precincts of the temple. When we were sacking the city we respected him and spared his life, as also his wife and child. So he made me some presents of great value, seven talons of fine gold and a bowl of silver, with twelve jars of sweet wine, unblended and of the most exquisite flavor. Not a man nor made in the house knew about it, but only himself, his wife, and one housekeeper. When he drank it he mixed twenty parts of water to one of wine, and yet the fragrance from the mixing bowl was so exquisite that it was impossible to refrain from drinking. I filled a large skin with this wine and took a wallet full of provisions with me, for my mind misgave me that I might have to deal with some savage who would be of great strength, and would respect neither right nor law. We soon reached his cave, but he was out shepherding, so we went inside and took stock of all that we could see. His cheese racks were loaded with cheeses, and he had more lambs and kids than his pens could hold. They were kept in separate flocks. First there were the hoggots, then the oldest of the younger lambs, and lastly the very young ones, all kept apart from one another. As for his dairy, all the vessels, bowls, and milk-pales into which he milked, were swimming with way. When they saw all this, my men begged me to let them first steal some cheeses, and make off with them to the ship. They would then return, drive down the lambs and kids, put them on board, and sail away with them. It would have been indeed better if we had done so, but I would not listen to them, for I wanted to see the owner himself in the hope that he might give me a present. When, however, we saw him, my poor men found him ill to deal with. We lit a fire, offered some of the cheeses and sacrifice, ate others of them, and then sat waiting till the Cyclops should come in with his sheep. When he came, he brought in with him a huge load of dry firewood to light the fire for his supper, and this he flung with such noise onto the floor of his cave that we hid ourselves for fear at the far end of the cavern. Meanwhile he drove all the ewes inside, as well as the she-goats that he was going to milk, leaving the males, both rams and he-goats, outside in the yards. Then he rolled a huge stone to the mouth of the cave, so huge that two and twenty strong four-wheeled wagons would not be enough to draw it from its place against the doorway. When he had so done, he sat down and milked his ewes and goats, all in due course, and then let each of them have their own young. He curdled half the milk and set it aside in wicker strainers, but the other half he poured into bowls that he might drink it for his supper. When he had got through with all his work, he lit the fire and then caught sight of us, whereon he said, Strangers, who are you? Where do you sail from? Are you traitors? Or do you sail the sea as rovers, with your hands against every man and every man's hand against you? We were frightened out of our senses by his loud voice and monstrous form, but I managed to say, We are Achaeans on our way home from Troy, but by the will of Job and stress of weather we have been driven far out of our course. We are the people of Agamemnon, son of Atreus, who has won infinite renown throughout the whole world by sacking so great a city and killing so many people. We therefore humbly pray you to show us some hospitality and otherwise make us such presence as visitors may reasonably expect. May your Excellency fear the wrath of heaven, for we are your suppliants, and Job takes all respectable travellers under his protection, for he is the Avenger of all suppliants and foreigners in distress. To this he gave me but a pityless answer. Stranger, said he, you are a fool or else you know nothing of this country. Talk to me indeed about fearing the gods or shunning their anger. We cyclopes do not care about Job or any of your blessed gods, for we are ever so much stronger than they. I shall not spare either yourself or your companions out of any regard for Job, unless I am in the humour for doing so. And now tell me where you made your ship fast when you came on shore. Was it round the point, or is she lying straight off the land? He said this to draw me out, but I was too cunning to be caught in that way, so I answered with a lie. Neptune, said I, set my ship on to the rocks at the far end of your country and wrecked it. We were driven on to them from the open sea, but I and those who are with me escaped the jaws of death. The cruel wretch vouchsafed me not one word of answer, but with a sudden clutch he gripped up two of my men at once and dashed them down upon the ground as though they had been puppies. Their brains were shed upon the ground, and the earth was wet with their blood. Then he tore them limb from limb and supped upon them. He gobbled them up like a lion in the wilderness, flesh, bones, marrow, and entrails, without leaving anything uneaten. As for us, we wept and lifted up our hands to heaven on seeing such a horrid sight, for we did not know what else to do. But when the Cyclops had filled his huge punch, and had washed down his meal of human flesh with a drink of neat milk, he stretched himself full-length upon the ground among his sheep, and went to sleep. I was at first inclined to seize my sword, draw it, and drive it into his vitals, but I reflected that if I did we should all certainly be lost, for we should never be able to shift the stone which the monster had put in front of the door. So we stayed, sobbing and sighing where we were till morning came. When the child of morning, Rosie-finger Dawn, appeared, he again lit his fire, milked his goats and ews, all quite rightly, and then let each have her own young one. As soon as he had got through with all his work, he clutched up two more of my men and began eating them for his morning's meal. Presently, with the utmost ease, he rolled the stone away from the door and drove out his sheep, but he had once put it back again, as easily as though he were merely clapping the lid onto a quiver full of arrows. As soon as he had done so, he shouted and cried, Shoo! Shoo! after his sheep to drive them on to the mountain, so I was left to scheme some way of taking my revenge and covering myself with glory. In the end I deemed it would be the best plan to do as follows. The Cyclops had a great club which was lying near one of the sheep pens. It was of green olive wood, and he had cut it intending to use it for a staff as soon as it should be dry. It was so huge that we could only compare it to the mast of a twenty-ord merchant vessel of large burden and able to venture out into open sea. I went up to this club and cut off about six feet of it. I then gave this piece to the men and told them to find it evenly off at one end, which they proceeded to do, and lastly I brought it to a point myself, charring the end in the fire to make it harder. When I had done this I hid it under dung which was lying about all over the cave, and told the men to cast lots which of them should venture along with myself to lift it and bore it into the monster's eye while he was asleep. The lot fell upon the very form whom I should have chosen, and I myself made five. In the evening the wretch came back from shepherding and drove his flocks into the cave, this time driving them all inside and not leaving any in the yards. I suppose some fancy must have taken him, or a god must have prompted him to do so. As soon as he had put the stone back to its place against the door he sat down, milked his ews and his goats all quite rightly, and then let each have their own young one. When he had got through with all his work he gripped up two more of my men and made his supper off them. So I went up to him with an ivy wood bowl of black wine in my hands. "'Look here, Cyclops,' said I, "'you have been eating a great deal of man's flesh, so take this and drink some wine, that you may see what kind of liquor we had on board my ship. I was bringing it to you as a drink offering, in the hope that you would take compassion upon me and further me on my way home, whereas all you do is to go on ramping and raving most intolerably. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. How can you expect people to come to see you any more if you treat them in this way?' He then took the cup and drank. He was so delighted with the taste of the wine that he begged me for another bowlful. "'Be so kind,' he said, as to give me some more and tell me your name at once. I want to make you a present that you will be glad to have. We have wine even in this country, for our soil grows grapes and the sun ripens them, but this drinks like nectar and ambrosia all in one.' I then gave him some more. Three times did I fill the bowl for him, and three times did he drain it without thought or heed. Then, when I saw that the wine had got into his head, I said to him as plausibly as I could. Cyclops, you ask my name and I will tell you. Give me, therefore, the present you promised me. My name is Noman. This is what my father and mother and my friends have always called me. But the cruel wretch said, Then I will eat all Noman's comrades before Noman himself and will keep Noman for the last. This is the present that I will make him.' As he spoke he reeled and fell sprawling face upwards on the ground. His great neck hung heavily backwards and a deep sleep took hold upon him. Presently he turned sick and threw up both wine and the gobbets of human flesh on which he had been gorging, for he was very drunk. Then I thrust the beam of wood far into the embers to heat it, and encouraged my men lest any of them should turn fate-hearted. When the wood, green though it was, was about to blaze, I drew it out of the fire glowing with heat, and my men gathered round me, for heaven had filled their hearts with courage. We drove the sharp end of the beam into the monster's eye, and bearing upon it with all my weight, I kept turning it round and round, as though I were boring a hole in a ship's plank with an auger, which two men with a wheel and strap can keep on turning as long as they choose. Even thus did we bore the red-hot beam into his eye, till the boiling blood bubbled all over it as we worked it round and round, so that the steam from the burning eyeball scalded his eyelids and eyebrows, and the roots of the eye sputtered in the fire. As a blacksmith plunges an axe or hatch it into cold water to temper it, for it is this that gives strength to the iron, and it makes a great hiss as he does so. Even thus did the cyclops eye hiss round the beam of olive wood, and his hideous yells made the cave ring again. We ran away in a fright, but he plucked the beam all besmirched with gore from his eye and hurled it from him in a frenzy of rage and pain, shouting as he did so to the other cyclopies who lived on the bleak headlands near him. So they gathered from all quarters round his cave when they heard him crying, and asked what was the matter with him. What ails you, Polyphemus, said they, that you make such a noise, breaking the stillness of the night and preventing us from being able to sleep. Surely no man is carrying off your sheep, surely no man is trying to kill you either by fraud or by force. But Polyphemus shouted to them from inside the cave, no man is killing me by fraud, no man is killing me by force. Then said they, if no man is attacking you, you must be ill. When Jove makes people ill, there is no help for it, and you had better pray to your father Neptune. Then they went away, and I laughed inwardly at the success of my clever stratagem. But the cyclops, groaning and in an agony of pain, felt about with his hands till he found the stone and took it from the door. Then he sat in the doorway and stretched his hands in front of it to catch anyone going out with the sheep, for he thought I might be foolish enough to attempt this. As for myself, I kept on puzzling to think how I could best save my own life and those of my companions. I schemed and schemed as one who knows that his life depends upon it, for the danger was very great. In the end I deemed that this plan would be the best. The male sheep were well grown, and carried a heavy black fleece, so I bound them noiselessly in threes together, with some of the withies on which the wicked monster used to sleep. There was to be a man under the middle sheep, and the two on either side were to cover him, so that there were three sheep to each man. As for myself, there was a ram finer than any of the others. So I caught hold of him by the back, ensconced myself in the thick wool under his belly, and hung on patiently to his fleece, face upwards, keeping a firm hold on it all the time. Thus then did we wait in great fear of mind till morning came, but when the child of morning, rosy-finger dawn appeared, the male sheep hurried out to feed, while the youths remained bleeding about the pens waiting to be milked, for their udders were full to bursting. But their master, in spite of all his pain, felt the backs of all the sheep as they stood upright, without being sharp enough to find out that the men were underneath their bellies. As the ram was going out last of all, heavy with its fleece and with the weight of my crafty self, Polyphemus laid hold of it and said, My good ram, what is it that makes you the last to leave my cave this morning? You are not want to let the youths go before you, but lead the mob with a run whether to flowery meat or bubbling fountain, and are the first to come home again at night. But now you lag last of all. Is it because you know your master has lost his eye, and are sorry because that wicked no man and his horrid crew has got him down in his drink and blinded him? But I will have his life yet. If you could understand and talk, you would tell me where the wretch is hiding, and I would dash his brains upon the ground till they flew all over the cave. I should thus have some satisfaction for the harm this no good no man has done me. As he spoke, he drove the ram outside. But when we were a little way out from the cave and yards, I first got from under the ram's belly and then freed my comrades. As for the sheep, which were very fat, by constantly heading them in the right direction, we managed to drive them down to the ship. The crew rejoiced greatly at seeing those of us who had escaped death, but wept for the others whom the Cyclops had killed. However, I made signs to them by nodding and frowning that they were to hush their crying and told them to get all the sheep on board at once and put out to sea. So they went aboard, took their places, and smote the grey sea with their oars. Then, when I had got as far out as my voice would reach, I began to jeer at the Cyclops. Cyclops, said I, you should have taken better measure of your man before eating up his comrades in your cave. You wretch, eat up your visitors in your own house? You might have known that your sin would find you out, and now Jove and the other gods have punished you. He got more and more furious as he heard me, so he tore the top from off a high mountain and flung it just in front of my ship so that it was within a little of hitting the end of the rudder. The sea quaked as the rock fell into it, and the wash of the wave it raised carried us back towards the mainland and forced us toward the shore. But I snatched up a long pole and kept the ship off, making signs to my men by nodding my head that they must row for their lives whereon they laid out with a will. When we had got twice as far as we were before I was for jeering at the Cyclops again, but the men begged and prayed of me to hold my tongue. Do not, they exclaimed, be mad enough to provoke this savage creature further. He has thrown one rock at us already which drove us back again to the mainland, and we made sure it had been the death of us. If he had then heard any further sound of voices he would have pounded our heads and our ship's timbers into a jelly with the rugged rocks he would have heaved at us, for he can throw them a long way. But I would not listen to them and shouted out to him in my rage. Cyclops, if any one asks you who it was that put your eye out and spoiled your beauty, say it was the valiant warrior Ulysses, son of Leertes, who lives in Ithaca. On this he groaned and cried out, Alas, alas, then the old prophecy about me is coming true. There was a prophet here at one time, a man both brave and of great stature, Telemus, son of Urimus, who was an excellent seer and did all the prophesying for the cyclopes till he grew old. He told me that all this would happen to me some day, and said I should lose my sight by the hand of Ulysses. I have been all along expecting some one of imposing presence and superhuman strength, whereas he turns out to be a little insignificant weakling who has managed to blind my eye by taking advantage of me in my drink. Come here, then, Ulysses, that I may make you presence to show my hospitality and urge Neptune to help you forward on your journey, for Neptune and I are father and son. He, if he so will, shall heal me, which no one else, neither God nor man, can do. Then I said, I wish I could be as sure of killing you outright and sending you down to the house of Hades, as I am that it will take more than Neptune to cure that eye of yours. On this he lifted up his hands to the firmament of heaven and prayed, saying, Hear me great Neptune, if I am indeed your own true begotten son, grant that Ulysses may never reach his home alive. Or, if he must get back to his friends at last, let him do so late and in sore plight after losing all his men, let him reach his home in another man's ship and find trouble in his house. Thus did he pray, and Neptune heard his prayer. Then he picked up a rock much larger than the first, swung it aloft and hurled it with prodigious force. It fell just short of the ship, but was within a little of hitting the end of the rudder. The sea quaked as the rock fell into it, and the wash of the wave it raised drove us onwards on our way towards the shore of the island. When at last we got to the island where we had left the rest of our ships, we found our comrades lamenting us and anxiously awaiting our return. We ran our vessel upon the sands and got out of her onto the seashore. We also landed the Cyclops' sheep and divided them equitably amongst us so that none might have reason to complain. As for the ram, my companions agreed that I should have it as an extra share, so I sacrificed it on the seashore and burned its thigh bones to Jove, who is the Lord of all. But he heeded not my sacrifice and only thought how he might destroy both my ships and my comrades. Thus through the live-long day to the going down of the sun we feasted our fill on meat and drink, but when the sun went down and it came on dark we camped upon the beach. When the child of mourning, Rosie-finger Dawn, appeared, I bade my men on board and loosed the hausers. Then they took their places and smote the gray sea with their oars, so we sailed on with a sorrow in our hearts, but glad to have escaped death, though we had lost our comrades. Book 10 of the Odyssey by Homer, translated by Samuel Butler. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. The Odyssey. Book 10. Eolus the Lestrigonese Cersei. Thence we went on to the Eolian island, where lives Eolus, son of Hippodus, dear to the immortal gods. It is an island that floats as it were upon the sea, iron bound with a wall that girds it. Now Eolus has six daughters and six lusty sons, so he made the sons marry the daughters, and they all live with their dear father and mother, feasting and enjoying every conceivable kind of luxury. All day long the atmosphere of the house is loaded with the savor of roasting meats till it groans again, yard and all. But by night they sleep on their well-made bedsteads, each with his own wife between the blankets. These were the people among whom we had now come. Eolus entertained me for a whole month, asking me questions all the time about Troy, the Argai fleet, and the return of the Achaeans. I told him exactly how everything had happened, and when I said I must go, and asked him to furthery on my way, he made no sort of difficulty, but said about doing so at once. Moreover, he flayed me a prime oxide to hold the ways of the roaring winds, which he shut up in the hide as in a sack, for Jove had made him captain over the winds, and he could stir or still each one of them according to his own pleasure. He put the sack in the ship and bound the mouth so tightly with a silver thread that not even a breath of a side wind could blow from any quarter. The west wind which was fair for us did he alone let blow as it chose. But it all came to nothing, before we were lost through our own folly. Nine days and nine nights did we sail, and on the tenth day our native land showed on the horizon. We got so close in that we could see the stubble fires burning, and I, being then dead beat, fell into a light sleep, for I had never let the rudder out of my hands, that we might get home the faster. On this the men fell to talking among themselves, and said I was bringing back gold and silver in the sack that Eolus had given me. Bless my heart would one turn to his neighbor saying, How this man gets honoured and makes friends to whatever city or country he may go. See what fine prizes he has taken home from Troy, while we, who have travelled just as far as he has, come back with hands as empty as we set out with. And now Eolus has given him ever so much more. Quick, let us see what it all is, and how much gold and silver there is in the sack he gave him. Thus they talked and evil councils prevailed. They loosed the sack whereupon the wind flew howling forth and raised a storm that carried us weeping out to sea and away from our own country. Then I awoke, and knew not whether to throw myself into the sea, or to live on and make the best of it. But I bore it, covered myself up, and lay down in the ship, while the men lamented bitterly as the fierce winds bore our fleet back to the Eolian island. When we reached it we went ashore to take in water, and dine hard by the ships. Immediately after dinner I took a herald and one of my men and went straight to the house of Eolus, where I found him feasting with his wife and family. So we sat down to suppliance on the threshold. They were astounded when they saw us and said, Eolusies, what brings you here? What God has been ill-treating you? We took great pains to further you on your way home to Ithaca, or wherever it was that you wanted to go. Thus did they speak, but I answered sorrowfully. My men have undone me. They, and cruel sleep, have ruined me. My friends, men me this mischief, for you can, if you will. I spoke as movingly as I could, but they said nothing, till their father answered. Violest of mankind, get you gone at once out of the island. Them whom heaven hates will I know wise help. Be off, for you come here as one abhorred of heaven. And with these words he sent me sorrowing from his door. Thence we sailed sadly on till the men were worn out with long and fruitless rowing, for there was no longer any wind to help them. Six days, night and day, did we toil, and on the seventh day we reached the rocky stronghold of Laemus, Telypolis, the city of the Lestragonians, where the shepherd who is driving in his sheep and goats to be milked salutes him who is driving out his flock to feed, and this last answered the salute. In that country a man who could do without sleep might earn double wages, one as a herdsman of cattle, and another as a shepherd, for they work much the same by night as they do by day. When we reached the harbor we found it landlocked under steep cliffs, with a narrow entrance between two headlands. My captains took all their ships inside, and made them fast close to one another, for there was never so much as a breath of wind inside, but it was always dead calm. I kept my own ship outside, and moored it to a rock at the very end of the point. Then I climbed a high rock to reconnoiter, but could see no sign neither of man nor cattle, only some smoke rising from the ground. So I sent two of my company with an attendant to find out what sort of people the inhabitants were. The men, when they got on shore, followed a level road by which the people draw their firewood from the mountains into the town, till presently they met a young woman who had come outside to fetch water, and who was daughter to a Lestragonian named Antifates. She was going to the fountain Artaxia from which the people bring in their water, and when my men had come close up to her they asked her who the king of that country might be, and over what kind of people he ruled. So she directed them to her father's house. But when they got there they found his wife to be a giantess as huge as a mountain, and they were horrified at the sight of her. She had once called her husband Antifates from the place of assembly, and forthwith he said about killing my men. He snatched up one of them and began to make his dinner off him then and there, whereon the other two ran back to the ships as fast as ever they could. But Antifates raised a hue and cry after them, and thousands of sturdy Lestragonians sprang up from every quarter. Ogres, not men. They threw vast rocks at us from the cliffs as though they had been mere stones, and I heard the horrid sound of the ships crunching up against one another, and the death cries of my men, as the Lestragonians speared them like fishes and took them home to eat them. While they were thus killing my men within the harbor, I drew my sword, cut the cable of my own ship, and told my men to row with all their might if they too would not fare like the rest. So they laid out for their lives, and were thankful enough when we got into the open water out of reach of the rocks they hurled at us. As for the others, there was not one of them left. Thence we sailed sadly on, glad to have escaped to death, though we had lost our comrades, and came to the E. E. N. Island, where Cersei lives. A great and cunning goddess who is own sister to the Magician Aedes, for they are both children of the son by Percy, who is daughter to Oceanus. We brought our ship into a safe harbor without a word, for some God guided us thither, and having landed we lay there for two days and two nights, worn out in body and mind. When the morning of the third day came I took my spear and my sword and went away from the ship to Reconoiter, and see if I could discover signs of human handiwork, or hear the sound of voices. Climbing to the top of a high lookout, I aspired the smoke of Cersei's house rising upwards amid a dense forest of trees, and when I saw this I doubted whether, having seen the smoke, I would not go on at once and find out more, but in the end I deemed it best to go back to the ship, give them and their dinners, and send some of them instead of going myself. When I had nearly got back to the ship, some God took pity upon my solitude and sent a fine antlered stag right into the middle of my path. He was coming down his pasture in the forest to drink of the river, for the heat of the sun drove him, and as he passed I struck him in the middle of the back. The bronze point of the spear went clean through him, and he lay groaning in the dust until the life went out of him. Then I set my foot upon him, drew my spear from the wound, and laid it down. I also gathered rough grass and rushes, and twisted them into a fathom or so of good stout rope, with which I bound the four feet of the noble creature together. Having done so, I hung him round my neck and walked back to the ship, leaning upon my spear, for the stag was much too big for me to be able to carry him on my shoulder, steadying him with one hand. As I threw him down in front of the ship, I called the men and spoke cheeringly man by man to each of them. Look here, my friends, said I. We are not going to die so much before our time after all, and at any rate we will not starve so long as we have got something to eat and drink on board. On this they uncovered their heads upon the seashore and admired the stag, for he was indeed a splendid fellow. Then, when they had feasted their eyes upon him sufficiently, they washed their hands and began to cook him for dinner. Thus through the live-long day to the going down of the sun we stayed there eating and drinking our fill, but when the sun went down and it came on dark we camped upon the seashore. When the child of mourning, rosy-fingered dawn appeared, I called a council and said, My friends, we are in very great difficulties. Listen therefore to me. We have no idea where the sun either sets or rises, so that we do not even know east from west. I see no way out of it. Nevertheless we must try and find one. We are certainly on an island, for I went as high as I could this morning and saw the sea reaching all rounded to the horizon. It lies low, but towards the middle I saw smoke rising from out of a thick forest of trees. Their hearts sank as they heard me, for they remembered how they had been treated by the Lestragonian antipodes, and by the savage ogre Polyphemus. They wept bitterly in their dismay, but there was nothing to be got by crying, so I divided them into two companies and set a captain over each. I gave one company to Eurylicus, while I took command of the other myself. Then we cast lots in a helmet, and the lot fell upon Eurylicus, so he set out with his twenty-two men and they wept, as also did we who were left behind. When they reached Cersei's house they found it built of cut stones on a site that could be seen from far, in the middle of the forest. There were wild mountain wolves and lions prowling all round it, poor bewitched creatures whom she had tamed by her enchantments, and drugged into subjection. They did not attack my men, but wagged their great tails, fawned upon them, and rubbed their noses lovingly against them. As hounds crowd round their master when they see him coming from dinner, for they know he will bring them something, even so did these wolves and lions with their great claws fawn upon my men, but the men were terribly frightened at seeing such strange creatures. Presently they reached the gates of the goddess's house, and as they stood there they could hear Cersei within, singing most beautifully as she worked at her loom, making a web so fine, so soft, and of such dazzling colors as no one but a goddess could weave. On this, polities, whom I valued and trusted more than any other of my men, said, There is someone inside working at a loom and singing most beautifully. The whole place resounds with it. Let us call her and see whether she is woman or goddess. They called her and she came down, unfastened the door, and bade them enter. They, thinking no evil, followed her, all except Irelicus, who suspected mischief and stayed outside. When she had got them into her house, she set them upon benches and seats and nixed them a mess with cheese, honey-meal, and promenine wine, but she drugged it with wicked poisons to make them forget their homes, and when they had drunk she turned them into pigs by a stroke of her wand, and shut them up in her pig-sties. They were like pigs, head, hair, and all, and they grunted just as pigs do, but their senses were the same as before, and they remembered everything. Thus then were they shut up, squealing, and sursy threw them some acorns and beach-masts such as pigs eat, but Irelicus hurried back to tell me about the sad fate of our comrades. He was so overcome with dismay that though he tried to speak he could find no words to do so. His eyes filled with tears, and he could only sob and sigh, till at last we forced his story out of him, and he told us what had happened to the others. We went, said he, as you told us, through the forest, and in the middle of it there was a fine house built with cut stones in a place that could be seen from far. There we found a woman, or else she was a goddess, working at her loom and singing sweetly. So the men shouted to her and called her, whereon she had once came down, opened the door, and invited us in. The others did not suspect any mischief, so they followed her into the house, but I stayed where I was, for I thought there might be some treachery. From that moment I saw them no more, for not one of them ever came out, though I sat a long time watching for them. Then I took my sword of bronze and slung it over my shoulders. I also took my bow and told Erelicus to come back with me and show me the way. But he laid hold of me with both his hands and spoke piteously, saying, Sir, do not force me to go with you, but let me stay here, for I know you will not bring one of them back with you, nor even return alive yourself. Let us rather see if we cannot escape at any rate with the few that are left us, for we may still save our lives. Stay where you are, then, answered I, eating and drinking at the ship, but I must go, for I am most urgently bound to do so. Like this I left the ship and went up inland. When I got through the charmed grove and was near the great house of the enchantress Cersei, I met Mercury with his golden wand, disguised as a young man in the heyday of his youth and beauty with the down just coming upon his face. He came up to me and took my hand within his own, saying, my poor unhappy man, whither are you going over this mountaintop, alone and without knowing the way? Your men are shut up in Cersei's pigsties, like so many wild boars in their lairs. You surely do not fancy that you can set them free. I can tell you that you will never get back and will have to stay there with the rest of them. But never mind, I will protect you and get you out of your difficulty. Take this herb, which is one of great value, and keep it about you when you go to Cersei's house. It will be a talisman to you against every kind of mischief. And I will tell you of all the wicked witchcraft that Cersei will try to practice upon you. She will mix a mess for you to drink, and she will drug the meal with which she makes it, but she will not be able to charm you, for the virtue of the herb that I shall give you will prevent her spells from working. I will tell you all about it. When Cersei strikes you with her wand, draw your sword and spring upon her as though you were going to kill her. She will then be frightened and will desire you to go to bed with her. On this you must not point blank refusal, for you want her to set your companions free and to take good care also of yourself. But you must make her swear solemnly by all the blessed gods that she will plot no further mischief against you, or else when she has got you naked she will unmane you and make you fit for nothing. As he spoke he pulled the herb out of the ground and showed me what it was like. The root was black while the flower was white as milk. The gods call it moly, and mortal men cannot uproot it, but the gods can do whatever they like. Then Mercury went back to High Olympus, passing over the wooded island. But I fared onward to the house of Cersei, and my heart was clouded with care as I walked along. When I got to the gates I stood there and called the goddess, and as soon as she heard me she came down, opened the door, and asked me to come in. So I followed her, much troubled in my mind. She set me on a richly decorated seat inlaid with silver, there was a footstool also under my feet, and she mixed a mess in a golden goblet for me to drink. But she drugged it, for she met me mischief. When she had given it me, and I had drunk it without its charming me, she struck me with her wand. There now she cried, be off to the pigsty and make your lair with the rest of them. But I rushed at her with my sword drawn, as though I would kill her, whereon she fell with a loud scream, clasped my knees, and spoke piteously, saying, Who and whence are you? From what place and people have you come? How can it be that my drugs have no power to charm you? Never yet was any man able to stand so much as a taste of the herb I gave you. You must be spell-proof, surely you can be none other than the bold hero Ulysses, who Mercury always said, Would come here some day with his ship while on his way home from Troy. So be it, then, sheath your sword and let us go to bed, that we may make friends and learn to trust each other. And I answered, Cersei, how can you expect me to be friendly with you when you have just been turning all my men into pigs? And now that you have got me here yourself, you me me mischief when you ask me to go to bed with you, and will unmand me and make me fit for nothing. I shall certainly not consent to go to bed with you unless you will first take your solemn oath to plot no further harm against me." So she swore at once, as I had told her, and when she had completed her oath, then I went to bed with her. Meanwhile, her four servants, who are her housemaids, said about their work. They are the children of the groves and fountains and of the holy waters that run down into the sea. One of them spread a fair purple cloth over a seat and laid a carpet underneath it. Another brought tables of silver up to the seats, and set them with baskets of gold. A third mixed some sweet wine with water in a silver bowl and put golden cups upon the tables. While the fourth brought in water and set it to boil in a large cauldron over a good fire which she had lighted. When the water in the cauldron was boiling, she poured cold into it until it was just as I liked, and then she set me in a bath and began washing me from the cauldron about the head and shoulders, to take the tire and stiffness out of my limbs. As soon as she was done washing me and anointing me with oil, she arrayed me in a good cloak and shirt and led me to a richly decorated seat inlaid with silver. There was a footstool also under my feet. A maid-servant then brought me water in a beautiful golden ure, and poured it into a silver basin for me to wash my hands, and she drew a clean table beside me. An upper-servant brought me bread and offered me many things of what there was in the house, and then Cersei bade me eat, but I would not, and sat without heating what was before me, still moody and suspicious. When Cersei saw me sitting there without eating and in great grief, she came to me and said, Ulysses, why do you sit like that as though you were dumb, gnawing at your own heart and refusing both meat and drink? Is it that you are still suspicious? You ought not to be, for I have already sworn solemnly that I will not hurt you. And I said, Cersei, no man with any sense of what is right can think of either eating or drinking in your house until you have set his friends free and let him see them. If you want me to eat and drink, you must free my men and bring them to me that I may see them with my own eyes. When I had said this, she went straight through the court with her wand in her hand and opened the pigsty doors. My men came out like so many prime hogs and stood looking at her, but she went about among them and anointed each with a second drug, whereon the bristles that the bad drug had given them fell off, and they became men again, younger than they were before and much taller and better looking. They knew me at once, seized me each of them by the hand and wept for joy till the whole house was filled with the sound of their hallow ballooning, and Cersei herself was so sorry for them that she came up to me and said, Ulysses, noble son of laertes, go back at once to the sea where you have left your ship, and first draw it onto the land. Then hide all your ship's gear and property in some cave and come back here with your men. I agreed to this, so I went back to the seashore and found the men at the ship weeping and wailing most piteously. When they saw me the silly blubbering fellows began frisking round me as calves break out and gamble round their mothers, when they see them coming home to be milked after they had been feeding all day, and the homestead resounds with their lowing. They seemed as glad to see me as though they had got back to their own ruggedithica where they had been born and bred. Sir, said the affectionate creatures, we are as glad to see you back as though we had got safe home toithica, but tell us all about the fate of our comrades. I spoke comfortingly to them and said, we must draw our ship onto the land and hide the ship's gear with all our property in some cave, then come with me all of you as fast as you can to Cersei's house, where you will find your comrades eating and drinking in the midst of great abundance. On this the men would have come with me at once, but Eurylicus tried to hold them back and said, alas, poor wretches that we are, what will become of us? Rush not on your ruin by going to the house of Cersei, who will turn us all into pigs or wolves or lions, and we shall have to keep guard over her house. Remember how the Cyclops treated us when our comrades went inside his cave and Ulysses with them. It was all through his sheer folly that those men lost their lives. When I heard him, I was in two minds whether or not to draw the keen blade that hung by my sturdy thigh and cut his head off in spite of his being a near relation of my own, but the men interceded for him and said, Sir, if it may so be, let this fellow stay here and mine the ship, but take the rest of us with you to Cersei's house. On this we all went inland, and Eurylicus was not left behind after all, but came on too, for he was frightened by the severe reprimand that I had given him. Meanwhile Cersei had been seen that the men who had been left behind were washed and anointed with olive oil. She had also given them woolen cloaks and shirts, and when we came we found them all comfortably at dinner in her house. As soon as the men saw each other face to face and knew one another, they wept for joy and cried aloud till the whole palace rang again. Thereon Cersei came up to me and said, Ulysses, noble son of laertes, tell your men to leave off crying. I know how much you all of you have suffered at sea, and how ill you have fared among cruel savages on the mainland, but that is over now, so stay here, and eat and drink till you are once more as strong and hearty as you were when you left Ithaca. For at present you are weakened both in body and mind. You keep all the time thinking of the hardships you have suffered during your travels, so that you have no more cheerfulness left in you. Thus did she speak and we assented. We stayed with Cersei for a whole twelve month, feasting upon an untold quantity both of meat and wine. But when the year had passed and the waning of moons and the long days had come round, my men called me apart and said, Sir, it is time you began to think about going home. If so be you are to be spared to see your house and native country at all. Thus did they speak and I assented. Thereon through the live-long day to the going down of the sun we feasted our fill on meat and wine, but when the sun went down and it came on dark the men laid themselves down to sleep in the covered cloisters. I, however, after I had got into bed with Cersei, besought her by her knees, and the goddess listened to what I had got to say. Cersei said I, pleased to keep the promise you made me about furthering me on my homeward voyage. I want to get back, and so do my men. They are always pestering me with their complaints as soon as ever your back is turned. And the goddess answered, Ulysses, noble son of Laertes, you shall none of you stay here any longer if you do not want to. But there is another journey which you have got to take before you can sail homewards. You must go to the house of Hades and of Dred Prosperpina to consult the ghost of the blind Theban prophet Tiresius, whose reason is still unshaken. To him alone has Prosperpina left his understanding even in death, but the other ghosts flit about aimlessly. I was dismayed when I heard this. I sat up in bed and wept and would gladly have lived no longer to see the light of the sun, but presently when I was tired of weeping and tossing myself about, I said, And who shall guide me upon this voyage, for the house of Hades is a port that no ship can reach. You will want no guide, she answered. Raise your mast, set your white sails, sit quite still, and the north wind will blow you there of itself. When your ship has traversed the waters of Oceanus, you will reach the fertile shore of Prosperpina's country with its groves of tall poplars and willows that shed their fruit untimely. Here, beat your ship upon the shore of Oceanus, and go straight on to the dark abode of Hades. You will find it near the place where the rivers Paraflegothon and Cochitis, which is a branch of the river Styx, flow into Akaron, and you will see a rock near it just where two roaring rivers run into one another. When you have reached this spot, as I now tell you, dig a trench of a cubit or so in length, breadth and depth, and pour into it as a drinking offering to all the dead, first, honey mixed with milk, then wine, and in the third place, water, sprinkling white barley-meal over the whole. Moreover, you must offer many prayers to the poor, feeble ghosts, and promise them that when you get back to Ithaca, you will sacrifice a barren heifer to them, the best you have, and will load the pyre with good things. More particularly, you must promise that Tiresias shall have a black sheep all to himself, the finest in all your flocks. When you shall have thus besought the ghosts with your prayers, offer them a ram and a black you, bending their heads towards Erebus, but yourself turn away from them as though you would make towards the river. On this many dead men's ghosts will come to you, and you must tell your men to skin the two sheep that you have just killed and offer them as a burnt sacrifice with prayers to Hades and to Prosperpina. Then, draw your sword and sit there, so as to prevent any other poor ghost from coming near the spilt blood before Tiresias shall have answered your questions. The seer will presently come to you, and will tell you about your voyage, what stages you are to make, and how you are to sail the sea so as to reach your home. It was daybreak by the time she had done speaking, so she dressed me in my shirt and cloak. As for herself, she threw a beautiful light gosmer fabric over her shoulders, fastening it with a golden girdle round her waist, and she covered her head with a mantle. Then I went about among the men everywhere all over the house, and spoke kindly to each of them, man by man. You must not lie sleeping here any longer, said I to them. We must be going, for Cersei has told me all about it. And on this they did as I bade them. Even so, however, I did not get them away without misadventure. We had with us a certain youth named Elpinor, not very remarkable for sense or courage, who had got drunk and was lying on the housetop away from the rest of the men, to sleep off his liquor in the cool. When he heard the noise of the men bustling about, he jumped up on a sudden and forgot all about coming down by the main staircase, so he tumbled right off the roof and broke his neck, and his soul went down to the house of Hades. Then I had got the men together, I said to them, You think you are about to start home again, but Cersei has explained to me that, instead of this, we have got to go to the house of Hades and Prosper Pena to consult the ghost of the Theban prophet Tiresias. The men were broken hearted as they heard me, and threw themselves on the ground, groaning and tearing their hair. But they cannot men matters by crying. When we reached the sea shore, weeping and lamenting our fate, Cersei brought the ram and the you, and we made them fast hard by the ship. She passed through the midst of us without our knowing it, for who can see the comings and goings of a God if the God does not wish to be seen?