Book XX

________________________________________________

Pallas and Odysseus consult of the killing of the wooers.

But the goodly Odysseus laid him down to sleep in the

vestibule of the house. He spread an undressed bull's hide

on the ground and above it many fleeces of sheep, that the

Achaeans were wont to slay in sacrifice, and Eurynome threw

a mantle over him where he lay. There Odysseus lay wakeful,

with evil thoughts against the wooers in his heart. And the

women came forth from their chamber, that aforetime were

wont to lie with the wooers, making laughter and mirth

among themselves. Then the heart of Odysseus was stirred

within his breast, and much he communed with his mind and

soul, whether he should leap forth upon them and deal death

to each, or suffer them to lie with the proud wooers, now

for the last and latest time. And his heart growled

sullenly within him. And even as a bitch stands over her

tender whelps growling, when she spies a man she knows not,

and she is eager to assail him, so growled his heart within

him in his wrath at their evil deeds. Then he smote upon

his breast and rebuked his own heart, saying:

'Endure, my heart; yea, a baser thing thou once didst bear,

on that day when the Cyclops, unrestrained in fury,

devoured the mighty men of my company; but still thou didst

endure till thy craft found a way for thee forth from out

the cave, where thou thoughtest to die.'

So spake he, chiding his own spirit within him, and his

heart verily abode steadfast in obedience to his word. But

Odysseus himself lay tossing this way and that. And as when

a man by a great fire burning takes a paunch full of fat

and blood, and turns it this way and that and longs to have

it roasted most speedily, so Odysseus tossed from side to

side, musing how he might stretch forth his hands upon the

shameless wooers, being but one man against so many. Then

down from heaven came Athene and drew nigh him, fashioned

in the likeness of a woman. And she stood over his head and

spake to him, saying:

'Lo now again, wherefore art thou watching, most luckless

of all men living? Is not this thy house and is not thy

wife there within and thy child, such a son as men wish to

have for their own?'

Then Odysseus of many counsels answered her saying: 'Yea,

goddess, all this thou hast spoken as is meet. But my heart

within me muses in some measure upon this, how I may

stretch forth my hands upon the shameless wooers, being but

one man, while they abide ever in their companies within.

Moreover this other and harder matter I ponder in my heart:

even if I were to slay them by thy will and the will of

Zeus, whither should I flee from the avengers? Look well to

this, I pray thee.'

Then answered the goddess, grey-eyed Athene: 'O hard of

belief! yea, many there be that trust even in a weaker

friend than I am, in one that is a mortal and knows not

such craft as mine; but I am a god, that preserve thee to

the end, in all manner of toils. And now I will tell thee

plainly; even should fifty companies of mortal men compass

us about eager to slay us in battle, even their kine

shouldst thou drive off and their brave flocks. But let

sleep in turn come over thee; to wake and to watch all

night, this too is vexation of spirit; and soon shalt thou

rise from out of thy troubles.'

So she spake and poured slumber upon his eyelids, but for

her part the fair goddess went back to Olympus.

While sleep laid hold of him loosening the cares of his

soul, sleep that loosens the limbs of men, his good wife

awoke and wept as she sat on her soft bed. But when she had

taken her fill of weeping, to Artemis first the fair lady

made her prayer:

'Artemis, lady and goddess, daughter of Zeus, would that

even now thou wouldst plant thy shaft within my breast and

take my life away, even in this hour! Or else, would that

the stormwind might snatch me up, and bear me hence down

the dusky ways, and cast me forth where the back-flowing

Oceanus mingles with the sea. It should be even as when the

stormwinds bare away the daughters of Pandareus. Their

father and their mother the gods had slain, and the maidens

were left orphans in the halls, and fair Aphrodite

cherished them with curds and sweet honey and delicious

wine. And Here gave them beauty and wisdom beyond the lot

of women, and holy Artemis dowered them with stature, and

Athene taught them skill in all famous handiwork. Now while

fair Aphrodite was wending to high Olympus, to pray that a

glad marriage might be accomplished for the maidens,--and

to Zeus she went whose joy is in the thunder, for he knows

all things well, what the fates give and deny to mortal

men--in the meanwhile the spirits of the storm snatched

away these maidens, and gave them to be handmaids to the

hateful Erinyes. Would that in such wise they that hold the

mansions of Olympus would take me from the sight of men, or

that fair-stressed Artemis would strike me, that so with a

vision of Odysseus before mine eyes I might even pass

beneath the dreadful earth, nor ever make a baser man's

delight! But herein is an evil that may well be borne,

namely, when a man weeps all the day long in great sorrow

of heart, but sleep takes him in the night, for sleep makes

him forgetful of all things, of good and evil, when once it

has overshadowed his eyelids. But as for me, even the

dreams that the gods send upon me are evil. For

furthermore, this very night one seemed to lie by my side,

in the likeness of my lord, as he was when he went with the

host, and then was my heart glad, since methought it was no

vain dream but a clear vision at the last.'

So she spake, and anon came the golden throned Dawn. Now

goodly Odysseus caught the voice of her weeping, and then

he fell a musing, and it seemed to him that even now she

knew him and was standing by his head. So he took up the

mantle and the fleeces whereon he was lying, and set them

on a high seat in the hall, and bare out the bull's hide

out of doors and laid it there, and lifting up his hands he

prayed to Zeus:

'Father Zeus, if ye gods of your good will have led me over

wet and dry, to mine own country, after ye had plagued me

sore, let some one I pray of the folk that are waking show

me a word of good omen within, and without let some sign

also be revealed to me from Zeus.'

So he spake in prayer, and Zeus, the counsellor, heard him.

Straightway he thundered from shining Olympus, from on high

from the place of clouds; and goodly Odysseus was glad.

Moreover a woman, a grinder at the mill, uttered a voice of

omen from within the house hard by, where stood the mills

of the shepherd of the people. At these handmills twelve

women in all plied their task, making meal of barley and of

wheat, the marrow of men. Now all the others were asleep,

for they had ground out their task of grain, but one alone

rested not yet, being the weakest of all. She now stayed

her quern and spake a word, a sign to her lord:

'Father Zeus, who rulest over gods and men, loudly hast

thou thundered from the starry sky, yet nowhere is there a

cloud to be seen: this surely is a portent thou art showing

to some mortal. Fulfil now, I pray thee, even to miserable

me, the word that I shall speak. May the wooers, on this

day, for the last and latest time make their sweet feasting

in the halls of Odysseus! They that have loosened my knees

with cruel toil to grind their barley meal, may they now

sup their last!'

Thus she spake, and goodly Odysseus was glad in the omen of

the voice and in the thunder of Zeus; for he thought that

he had gotten his vengeance on the guilty.

Now the other maidens in the fair halls of Odysseus had

gathered, and were kindling on the hearth the never-resting

fire. And Telemachus rose from his bed, a godlike man, and

put on his raiment, and slung a sharp sword about his

shoulders, and beneath his shining feet he bound his goodly

sandals. And he caught up his mighty spear shod with sharp

bronze, and went and stood by the threshold, and spake to

Eurycleia:

'Dear nurse, have ye honoured our guest in the house with

food and couch, or does he lie uncared for, as he may? For

this is my mother's way, wise as she is: blindly she

honours one of mortal men, even the worse, but the better

she sends without honour away.'

Then the prudent Eurycleia answered: 'Nay, my child, thou

shouldst not now blame her where no blame is. For the

stranger sat and drank wine, so long as he would, and of

food he said he was no longer fain, for thy mother asked

him. Moreover, against the hour when he should bethink him

of rest and sleep, she bade the maidens strew for him a

bed. But he, as one utterly wretched and ill-fated, refused

to lie on a couch and under blankets, but on an undressed

hide and on the fleeces of sheep he slept in the vestibule,

and we cast a mantle over him.'

So she spake, and Telemachus passed out through the hall

with his lance in his hand, and two fleet dogs bare him

company. He went on his way to the assembly-place to join

the goodly-greaved Achaeans. But the good lady Eurycleia,

daughter of Ops son of Peisenor, called aloud to her

maidens:

'Come hither, let some of you go busily and sweep the hall,

and sprinkle it, and on the fair-fashioned seats throw

purple coverlets, and others with sponges wipe all the

tables clean, and cleanse the mixing bowls and well-wrought

double beakers, and others again go for water to the well,

and return with it right speedily. For the wooers will not

long be out of the hall but will return very early, for it

is a feast day, yea for all the people.'

So she spake, and they all gave ready ear and hearkened.

Twenty of them went to the well of dark water, and the

others there in the halls were busy with skilful hands.

Then in came the serving-men of the Achaeans. Thereon they

cleft the faggots well and cunningly, while, behold, the

women came back from the well. Then the swineherd joined

them leading three fatted boars, the best in all the flock.

These he left to feed at large in the fair courts, but as

for him he spake to Odysseus gently, saying:

'Tell me, stranger, do the Achaeans at all look on thee

with more regard, or do they dishonour thee in the halls,

as heretofore?'

Then Odysseus of many counsels answered him saying:

'Oh, that the gods, Eumaeus, may avenge the scorn wherewith

these men deal insolently, and devise infatuate deeds in

another's house, and have no place for shame!'

On such wise they spake one to another. And Melanthius drew

near them, the goatherd, leading the goats that were most

excellent in all the herds to be a dinner for the wooers,

and two shepherds bare him company. So he tethered the

goats beneath the echoing gallery, and himself spake to

Odysseus and taunted him, saying:

'Stranger, wilt thou still be a plague to us here in the

hall, with thy begging of men, and wilt not get thee gone?

In no wise do I think we twain will be sundered, till we

taste each the other's fists, for thy begging is out of all

order. Also there are elsewhere other feasts of the

Achaeans.'

So he spake, but Odysseus of many counsels answered him not

a word, but in silence he shook his head, brooding evil in

the deep of his heart.

Moreover a third man came up, Philoetius, a master of men,

leading a barren heifer for the wooers and fatted goats.

Now ferrymen had brought them over from the mainland,

boatmen who send even other folks on their way, whosoever

comes to them. The cattle he tethered carefully beneath the

echoing gallery, and himself drew close to the swineherd,

and began to question him:

'Swineherd, who is this stranger but newly come to our

house? From what men does he claim his birth? Where are his

kin and his native fields? Hapless is he, yet in fashion he

is like a royal lord; but the gods mar the goodliness of

wandering men, when even for kings they have woven the web

of trouble.'

So he spake, and came close to him offering his right hand

in welcome, and uttering his voice spake to him winged

words:

'Father and stranger, hail! may happiness be thine in the

time to come; but as now, thou art fast holden in many

sorrows! Father Zeus, none other god is more baneful than

thou; thou hast no compassion on men, that are of thine own

begetting, but makest them to have fellowship with evil and

with bitter pains. The sweat brake out on me when I beheld

him, and mine eyes stand full of tears for memory of

Odysseus, for he too, methinks, is clad in such vile

raiment as this, and is wandering among men, if haply he

yet lives and sees the sunlight. But if he be dead already

and in the house of Hades, then woe is me for the noble

Odysseus, who set me over his cattle while I was but a lad

in the land of the Cephallenians. And now these wax

numberless; in no better wise could the breed of

broad-browed cattle of any mortal increase, even as the

ears of corn. But strangers command me to be ever driving

these for themselves to devour, and they care nothing for

the heir in the house, nor tremble at the vengeance of the

gods, for they are eager even now to divide among

themselves the possessions of our lord who is long afar.

Now my heart within my breast often revolves this thing.

Truly it were an evil deed, while a son of the master is

yet alive, to get me away to the land of strangers, and go

off, with cattle and all, to alien men. But this is more

grievous still, to abide here in affliction watching over

the herds of other men. Yea, long ago I would have fled and

gone forth to some other of the proud kings, for things are

now past sufferance; but still my thought is of that

hapless one, if he might come I know not whence, and make a

scattering of the wooers in the halls.'

Then Odysseus of many counsels answered him saying:

'Neatherd, seeing thou art not like to an evil man or a

foolish, and of myself I mark how that thou hast gotten

understanding of heart, therefore I will tell thee

somewhat, and swear a great oath to confirm it. Be Zeus now

my witness before any god, and the hospitable board and the

hearth of noble Odysseus, whereunto I am come, that while

thou art still in this place Odysseus shall come home, and

thou shalt see with thine eyes, if thou wilt, the slaying

of the wooers who lord it here.'

Then the neatherd made answer, saying:

'Ah, would, stranger, that Cronion may accomplish this

word! So shouldst thou know what my might is, and how my

hands follow to obey.'

In like manner Eumaeus prayed to all the gods, that wise

Odysseus might return to his own home.

On such wise they spake one to the other, but the wooers at

that time were framing death and doom for Telemachus. Even

so there came by them a bird on their left, an eagle of

lofty flight, with a cowering dove in his clutch. Then

Amphinomus made harangue and spake among them:

'Friends, this counsel of ours will not go well, namely,

the slaying of Telemachus; rather let us bethink us of the

feast.'

So spake Amphinomus, and his saying pleased them well. They

passed into the halls of godlike Odysseus and laid by their

mantles on the chairs and high seats, and sacrificed great

sheep and stout goats and the fatlings of the boars and the

heifer of the herd; then they roasted the entrails and

served them round and mixed wine in the bowl, and the

swineherd set a cup by each man. And Philoetius, a master

of men, handed them wheaten bread in beautiful baskets, and

Melanthius poured out the wine. So they put forth their

hands on the good cheer set before them.

Now Telemachus, in his crafty purpose, made Odysseus to sit

down within the stablished hall by the threshold of stone,

and placed for him a mean settle and a little table. He set

by him his mess of the entrails, and poured wine into a

golden cup and spake to him, saying:

'There, sit thee down, drinking thy wine among the lords,

and the taunts and buffets of all the wooers I myself will

ward off from thee, for this is no house of public resort,

but the very house of Odysseus, and for me he won it. But,

ye wooers, refrain your minds from rebukes and your hands

from buffets, that no strife and feud may arise.'

So he said, and they all bit their lips and marvelled at

Telemachus, in that he spake boldly. Then Antinous, son of

Eupeithes, spake among them, saying:

'Hard though the word be, let us accept it, Achaeans, even

the word of Telemachus, though mightily he threatens us in

his speech. For Zeus Cronion hath hindered us of our

purpose, else would we have silenced him in our halls,

shrill orator as he is.'

So spake Antinous, but Telemachus took no heed of his

words. Now the henchmen were leading through the town the

holy hecatomb of the gods, and lo, the long-haired Achaeans

were gathered beneath the shady grove of Apollo, the prince

of archery.

Now when they had roasted the outer flesh and drawn it off

the spits, they divided the messes and shared the glorious

feast. And beside Odysseus they that waited set an equal

share, the same as that which fell to themselves, for so

Telemachus commanded, the dear son of divine Odysseus.

Now Athene would in nowise suffer the lordly wooers to

abstain from biting scorn, that the pain might sink yet the

deeper into the heart of Odysseus, son of Laertes. There

was among the wooers a man of a lawless heart, Ctesippus

was his name, and in Same was his home, who trusting,

forsooth, to his vast possessions, was wooing the wife of

Odysseus the lord long afar. And now he spake among the

proud wooers:

'Hear me, ye lordly wooers, and I will say somewhat. The

stranger verily has long had his due portion, as is meet,

an equal share; for it is not fair nor just to rob the

guests of Telemachus of their right, whosoever they may be

that come to this house. Go to then, I also will bestow on

him a stranger's gift, that he in turn may give a present

either to the bath-woman, or to any other of the thralls

within the house of godlike Odysseus.'

Therewith he caught up an ox's foot from the dish, where it

lay, and hurled it with strong hand. But Odysseus lightly

avoided it with a turn of his head, and smiled right grimly

in his heart, and the ox's foot smote the well-builded

wall. Then Telemachus rebuked Ctesippus, saying:

'Verily, Ctesippus, it has turned out happier for thy

heart's pleasure as it is! Thou didst not smite the

stranger, for he himself avoided that which was cast at

him, else surely would I have struck thee through the midst

with the sharp spear, and in place of wedding banquet thy

father would have had to busy him about a funeral feast in

this place. Wherefore let no man make show of unseemly

deeds in this my house, for now I have understanding to

discern both good and evil, but in time past I was yet a

child. But as needs we must, we still endure to see these

deeds, while sheep are slaughtered and wine drunken and

bread devoured, for hard it is for one man to restrain

many. But come, no longer work me harm out of an evil

heart; but if ye be set on slaying me, even me, with the

sword, even that would I rather endure, and far better

would it be to die than to witness for ever these unseemly

deeds--strangers shamefully entreated, and men haling the

handmaidens in foul wise through the fair house.'

So he spake, and they were all hushed in silence. And late

and at last spake among them Agelaus, son of Damastor:

'Friends, when a righteous word has been spoken, none

surely would rebuke another with hard speech and be angry.

Misuse ye not this stranger, nor any of the thralls that

are in the house of godlike Odysseus. But to Telemachus

himself I would speak a soft word and to his mother, if

perchance it may find favour with the mind of those twain.

So long as your hearts within you had hope of the wise

Odysseus returning to his own house, so long none could be

wroth that ye waited and held back the wooers in the halls,

for so had it been better, if Odysseus had returned and

come back to his own home. But now the event is plain, that

he will return no more. Go then, sit by thy mother and tell

her all, namely, that she must wed the best man that wooes

her, and whose gives most gifts; so shalt thou with

gladness live on the heritage of thy father, eating and

drinking, while she cares for another's house.'

Then wise Telemachus answered, and said: 'Nay by Zeus,

Agelaus, and by the griefs of my father, who far away

methinks from Ithaca has perished or goes wandering, in

nowise do I delay my mother's marriage; nay, I bid her be

married to what man she will, and withal I offer gifts

without number. But I do indeed feel shame to drive her

forth from the hall, despite her will, by a word of

compulsion; God forbid that ever this should be.'

So spake Telemachus, but among the wooers Pallas Athene

roused laughter unquenchable, and drave their wits

wandering. And now they were laughing with alien lips, and

blood-bedabbled was the flesh they ate, and their eyes were

filled with tears and their soul was fain of lamentation.

Then the godlike Theoclymenus spake among them:

'Ah, wretched men, what woe is this ye suffer? Shrouded in

night are your heads and your faces and your knees, and

kindled is the voice of wailing, and all cheeks are wet

with tears, and the walls and the fair main-beams of the

roof are sprinkled with blood. And the porch is full, and

full is the court, of ghosts that hasten hellwards beneath

the gloom, and the sun has perished out of heaven, and an

evil mist has overspread the world.'

So spake he, and they all laughed sweetly at him. Then

Eurymachus, son of Polybus, began to speak to them, saying:

'The guest that is newly come from a strange land is beside

himself. Quick, ye young men, and convey him forth out of

doors, that he may go to the place of the gathering, since

here he finds it dark as night.'

Then godlike Theoclymenus answered him: 'Eurymachus, in

nowise do I seek guides of thee to send me on my way. Eyes

have I, and ears, and both my feet, and a stable mind in my

breast of no mean fashioning. With these I will go forth,

for I see evil coming on you, which not one man of the

wooers may avoid or shun, of all you who in the house of

divine Odysseus deal insolently with men and devise

infatuate deeds.'

Therewith he went forth from out the fair-lying halls, and

came to Peiraeus who received him gladly. Then all the

wooers, looking one at the other, provoked Telemachus to

anger, laughing at his guests. And thus some one of the

haughty youths would speak:

'Telemachus, no man is more luckless than thou in his

guests, seeing thou keepest such a filthy wanderer,

whosoever he be, always longing for bread and wine, and

skilled in no peaceful work nor any deed of war, but a mere

burden of the earth. And this other fellow again must stand

up to play the seer! Nay, but if thou wouldest listen to

me, much better it were. Let us cast these strangers on

board a benched ship, and send them to the Sicilians,

whence they would fetch thee their price.' {*}

{* Reading [Greek], which is a correction. Or keeping the

MSS. [Greek] 'and this should bring thee in a goodly

price,' the subject to [Greek] being, probably, THE SALE,

which is suggested by the context.}

So spake the wooers, but he heeded not their words, in

silence he looked towards his father, expecting evermore

the hour when he should stretch forth his hands upon the

shameless wooers.

Now the daughter of Icarius, wise Penelope, had set her

fair chair over against them, and heard the words of each

one of the men in the halls. For in the midst of laughter

they had got ready the midday meal, a sweet meal and

abundant, for they had sacrificed many cattle. But never

could there be a banquet less gracious than that supper,

such an one as the goddess and the brave man were soon to

spread for them; for that they had begun the devices of

shame.

Read next: Book XXI

Read previous: Book XIX

Table of content of Odyssey


GO TO TOP OF SCREEN

Post your review
Your review will be placed after the table of content of this book