The Odyssey (Oxford World's Classics Hardback Collection), page 16
and to these feasters here—may the gods grant them prosperity in
their lives, and may each one hand on to his sons the possessions
in his halls, and such privileges as the people have granted him.150
But my plea is for you to arrange an escort to my ancestral land,
and quickly; my troubles have kept me too long from my friends.’
So he spoke, and sat down by the hearth, in the ashes and
next to the fire; and they all remained silent and still.
Then at last the aged hero Echeneus spoke among them,155
he who was an elder among the men of Phaeacia, skilled in
speaking, and deeply wise in the wisdom of the past.
With generous intent he spoke out and addressed them:
‘Alcinous, it is not a good thing for you, nor is it seemly,
that a stranger should sit on the ground, in ashes at the hearth.160
Those here are holding themselves back, waiting for your word;
so come, raise the stranger up and give him a seat on a chair
studded with silver, and order the heralds to mix wine for us,
so that we may pour a libation to thunder-delighting Zeus;
he is the protector of suppliants who deserve men’s respect.165
And let a housekeeper give him a meal from her inner store.’
When Alcinous, a man of divine vigour, heard this, he took
Odysseus the shrewd, cunning counsellor by the hand and
raised him up from the hearth and seated him on a shining
chair, having moved his son, courteous Laomedon, from it;170
he was sitting next to Alcinous, and was the one he loved most.
A maidservant brought water in a beautiful golden pitcher and
poured it out over a silver bowl for Odysseus to wash his
hands, and drew up a polished table to stand beside him.
A respected housekeeper brought bread and set it before him,175
and added a heap of delicacies, giving freely from her store.
Much-enduring glorious Odysseus began to eat and drink,
and now the powerful Alcinous addressed his herald:
‘Pontonous, mix a bowl of wine and hand it round to all in
the hall, so that we may pour a libation to Zeus who delights180
in thunder, protector of suppliants who deserve men’s respect.’
So he spoke, and Pontonous mixed mind-cheering wine, and
distributed it to all, after first pouring the first drops into their
cups. When they had made offerings and drunk to their hearts’
content, then Alcinous spoke out and addressed them all:185
‘Listen to me, chief men and leaders of the Phaeacians,
and I shall tell you what the spirit in my breast urges me.
For the moment, now you have feasted, go home to sleep,
and in the morning we shall summon more of the elders
and offer the stranger hospitality in my halls, and make fine190
offerings to the gods. After that we shall give thought to an
escort, so that this stranger may without trouble and distress
come to his native land under our protection, in comfort
and speedily, even if his country lies a great distance away.
He must not suffer any calamity or hardship on his way,195
until he sets foot on his own land; after that he will have to
endure whatever his destiny and the grim Fates span for him
with their thread at his birth, on the day his mother bore him.
But if he is one of the immortals, come down from the high sky,
then this must be some deceit that the gods are contriving;200
for in time past the gods have appeared quite clearly to us
whenever we offered them magnificent hecatombs; and
they feast at our side, taking their seats wherever we are.
Even if one of them meets us on the road as a solitary traveller,
they do not conceal themselves, since we are close to them,205
just as the Cyclopes are, and the savage tribes of the Giants.’
Then in answer Odysseus, man of many wiles, addressed him:
‘Alcinous, you need not trouble your mind on that account;
I am nothing like the immortals who dwell in the broad
high sky, either in form or in stature, but only like mortal men.210
If you can think of any among men who have borne the
worst of miseries, I could match them in my troubles;
indeed, I could tell you of even worse afflictions, were I to
describe all that I have suffered through the will of the gods.
But leave me now to eat my supper, distressed though I am;215
there is nothing more shameless than a man’s wretched belly,
which lays him under necessity to be mindful of it even
when he is sorely troubled and nursing grief in his heart.
This is now my case: I am nursing grief in my heart, and
yet it is forever urging me to eat and drink, making me220
forget all that I have suffered, always telling me to eat my fill.
But as for you—as soon as dawn breaks stir yourselves to help
this unlucky man to set foot on his own land, after so much
suffering. Once I have seen my estates again, my servants,
and my great high-roofed house, I shall be happy to die.’225
So he spoke, and they all approved and said that the stranger
should have an escort, since what he said was right and proper.
When they had poured offerings and drunk to their hearts’
content they went each to his own house to sleep, and
glorious Odysseus was left behind in the hall; beside him230
were seated Arete and Alcinous who looked like a god,
while the maidservants began to clear away the dinner-things.
Among them white-armed Arete was the first to speak,
for when she saw the fine clothes she recognized the cloak
and tunic that she herself and her women servants had made.235
Speaking winged words she addressed Odysseus:
‘Stranger, this first question I shall ask of you myself:
Who are you? Where are you from? Who gave you these clothes?
Did you not say that you came here after drifting across the sea?’
Then in answer Odysseus, man of many wiles, addressed her:240
‘Queen, it would be a painful task to describe all my troubles
at length, for the gods in the high sky have sent me them in plenty;
but this I will tell you, since you question and inquire of me.
There is an island, Ogygia, lying in the sea far from here,
and on it lives a daughter of Atlas, subtle Calypso of the245
lovely hair, an awesome goddess. No one, either of the gods
or of mortal men, has any dealings with her, though
some divine force compelled me to be her unhappy guest.
I was on my own, since Zeus had hurled a flashing thunderbolt
and shattered my swift ship out on the wine-dark sea, and250
after that all my excellent companions perished. For nine
days I was borne along, clinging with arms wrapped round the
keel of my well-balanced ship, and on the tenth day, in the
dark of night, the gods landed me on the island Ogygia, where
Calypso of the lovely hair, an awesome goddess, lives. She took255
me in, treated me kindly and looked after me, and declared
she would make me immortal and ageless for all my days;
but she was never able to win over the heart within my breast.
For seven full years I remained there, all the time drenching
with tears the immortal clothes that Calypso had given me;260
but when the eighth year came round in its circling course,
she stirred me into action and urged me to leave, either
obeying a message from Zeus, or she may have changed
her mind. She sent me off on a tightly bound raft with many
provisions, bread and sweet wine, and gave me immortal clothes 265
to wear, and sent a warm and constant breeze to blow for me.
For seventeen days I sailed, traversing the open sea,
and on the eighteenth the shadowy mountains of your land
hove into sight, and my heart was glad; but ill luck stayed
with me, for I was fated to live with more of the misery270
that Poseidon, shaker of the earth, had in store for me.
He stirred up the winds and headed me off my course,
and caused an astonishing sea to swell up, and the waves
would not allow me, groaning constantly, to be borne onward
on my raft. A squall now smashed it to pieces, and I began275
to swim, cleaving my way through the expanse of sea, until
the wind and water lifted me and drove me close to your land.
There, as I tried to land, the swell would have thrown me
violently on to the shore, hurling me at a grim place of huge cliffs,
but I pulled back and began to swim again, until I came upon280
a river, which seemed to me the best place to land; it was clear
of rocks, and there was somewhere to shelter from the wind.
There I collapsed, fighting to stay alive, and immortal night
came on. I got out of the river fed by rains from Zeus,
and lay down to sleep some way away in a thicket under a285
heap of leaves; and some god poured boundless sleep over me.
There, covered with leaves and troubled in my heart,
I slept all night, right through morning until the noonday.
The sun was westering, and sweet sleep had released me,
when I became aware of your daughter’s maidservants playing290
on the seashore, and she among them looking like a goddess.
I entreated her, and she did not fail to show excellent good
sense, such as you would not expect to meet in a young
person, for the young are generally given to thoughtlessness.
She gave me a large meal of bread and gleaming wine,295
and made me bathe in the river, and gave me these clothes.
Though it causes me grief, I have told you the exact truth.’
Then in turn Alcinous answered and spoke to him:
‘Stranger, my daughter’s judgement was certainly not correct
in one thing, that she did not bring you to our house with her300
attendants, though you came to her as a suppliant first of all.’
Then in answer Odysseus, man of many wiles, addressed him:
‘Hero, do not reproach your blameless daughter because of me;
she did tell me to follow her with the maidservants, but I was
reluctant, being both fearful and moved by feelings of shame305
in case your heart should take offence when you saw me.
We people on this earth are apt to suspect the worst in others.’
Then in turn Alcinous answered and addressed him:
‘Stranger, it is not the habit of the heart in my breast to
become angry to no purpose; in all things moderation is best.310
Father Zeus and Athena and Apollo, how I wish that
someone like you, with the same cast of mind as I have,
could marry my daughter and stay here and be called my
son-in-law! I would give you a house and property—only
if you wanted to stay. Even so, no Phaeacian will detain you against315
your will—may father Zeus never look kindly on that!
And as for your escort home, to reassure you I appoint
it for tomorrow; you will lie, overcome by sleep, while
they row you over calm seas, until you arrive at your
native land and your house, or anywhere else you wish—320
even if it is very far away, more remote than Euboea,
which those of our people who have seen it declare to be
the world’s most distant place; they were then taking
fair-haired Rhadamanthys to visit Tityus, Gaia’s son,* and
they went there and performed their task and returned home325
successfully on the same day, all without becoming wearied.
You too will find out how far my ships are the best, and
how my young men excel at churning the sea with their oars.’
So he spoke, and much-enduring glorious Odysseus was
glad, and he made a prayer, calling on the god by name:330
‘Father Zeus, may it be that Alcinous brings to fulfilment
all that he has said! Then his fame will never die out over
the grain-giving earth, and I will come to my native land.’
While these two were conversing with each other in this way
white-armed Arete gave orders to her servants to lay335
out a bed under the colonnade, and to throw fine purple
blankets on top of it and spread rugs over them, and
to add fleecy woollen cloaks to be a covering over all.
They went out of the hall holding torches in their hands, and
quickly set to work laying the strongly made bed; then they340
came and stood by Odysseus and roused him with these words:
‘Rise, guest, and go to your rest; your bed is ready for you.’
So they spoke, and the thought of rest was welcome to him.
And so much-enduring glorious Odysseus slept there on
a fretted couch, under the far-echoing colonnade, while345
Alcinous went to his rest in the inner part of his high palace,
and beside him his wife, lady of the house, served his bed.
BOOK EIGHT
When early-born Dawn with her rosy fingers appeared,
Alcinous, a man of divine vigour, rose from his bed,
and Odysseus, Zeus-nurtured sacker of cities, rose too.
Alcinous, a man of divine vigour, led the way to the
Phaeacians’ meeting-place, built for them near their ships.5
There they went and sat on polished stones, side by
side, while Pallas Athena went searching about the city,
taking on the appearance of a herald of wise Alcinous;
she was planning the return of great-hearted Odysseus,
and standing next to each man she told her story:10
‘Chief men and leaders of the Phaeacians, come with me
to the meeting-place, to learn about the stranger who has
just now arrived at the palace of wise Alcinous, after being
driven over the open sea; in stature he is like the immortals.’
So she spoke, and stirred the ardour and spirit of every man;15
quickly all parts and seats in the meeting-place were filled with
men gathered there, and many gazed with admiration when
they saw Laertes’ shrewd son. Over him Athena had poured
a godlike grace, down over his head and shoulders,
and had made him taller and more thickset to look upon,20
so that he might win the friendship of all the Phaeacians,
and deserve their awe and respect, and might be successful
in the many contests by which they later made trial of him.
When they were assembled and gathered together,
Alcinous gave voice publicly and addressed them:25
‘Listen to me, chief men and leaders of the Phaeacians,
and I shall tell you what the spirit in my breast urges me.
This stranger—I do not know who he is, or if from eastern
or western people—has come in his wanderings to my house.
He presses us for a safe passage, and entreats our assurance.30
Let us then, as we have done before, speed his despatch;
for no one, not one man, who has come to my palace has
ever stayed here too long, grieving for want of an escort.
So come, let us drag a black ship down to the bright sea for
her maiden voyage, and let fifty-two young men be chosen35
from the town, those who before have proved to be the best.
When you have fitted your oars securely to their oarlocks,
come ashore and make your way to my house to join in
a quickly taken meal; I shall provide amply for everyone.
These are my orders for the young men. As for you others40
who are staff-holding princes, come to my splendid palace
so that we may entertain this guest-stranger in my halls;
and let no one refuse. And summon our god-inspired bard,
Demodocus; a god has given him matchless powers of song
to delight us, on whatever path his spirit moves him to sing.’45
So he spoke, and led the way, and the staff-holding princes
followed; and a herald went to fetch the god-inspired bard.
The fifty-two chosen young men went off as he had
directed to the shore of the restless salt sea;
and when they had come down to the ship and the sea,50
they dragged the black ship into the sea’s deep waters,
and stepped the mast with its sail in the black ship,
and then fitted the oars into their leather straps, all
in their proper order, and then spread the white sail.
They moored her well out in the water, and then55
set off to return to the great house of wise Alcinous.
The colonnades and courts and rooms were filled with
people gathered there, many young men as well as old.
For them Alcinous had made a sacrifice of twelve sheep,
eight white-tusked boars, and two oxen with shambling gait.60
These they flayed and dressed, and so made a pleasing feast.
A herald drew near, guiding the worthy bard,* whom
the Muse loved above others, but had given him both bad
and good, taking away his sight, but giving him sweet song.
The herald Pontonous drew up a silver-studded chair for him65
in the midst of the feasters, leaning it against a tall pillar.
He then hung Demodocus’ clear-voiced lyre on a peg
above his head, and showed him how to put his hand to it;
