this plan appeared to me in my mind to be the best. For there lay a vast club belonging to the Cyclops, near the fold, green, of olive-wood; this he had cut, that he might carry it when dried; this when we saw it we likened it [to be] as large as is the mast[1] of a twenty-oared black merchant vessel, wide, which passes over the mighty ridge; so large it was in length, and so large in width to behold. Of this I, standing near it, cut off as much as the length of a fathom, and gave it to my companions, and ordered them to sharpen it at the end. And they made it smooth; and I standing near sharpened the point, and immediately taking it, I burnt it in the hot fire; and I laid it aside well, hiding it under the dung, which was spread in very large quantities in the cave. But I ordered the others to be settled by lot, whoever should dare with me, raising the bar, to thrust it in his eye, when sweet sleep should come upon him. And four were chosen by lot, whom even I myself would have wished to choose, and I was chosen the fifth after them. And in the evening he came acting the shepherd to his beautiful-haired cattle; and immediately he drove all his rich sheep into the wide cave; nor did he leave them at all outside the deep hall, either suspecting something, or perhaps a deity so commanded him. And afterwards he put up the large barrier, raising it on high, and sitting down he milked the sheep and bleating goats, all rightly, and he set its young one under each. But after he had hastened in performing his employments, again snatching two together, he made ready his supper; and then I addressed the Cyclops standing near him, holding in my hands an ivy-wreathed[2] cup of black wine: 'O Cyclops, take, drink wine, since thou hast eaten man's flesh; that thou mayest know what this drink was which our ship concealed; but to thee I have brought a libation, if pitying me thou wouldst send me home; but thou art raging in a manner no longer to be endured. O cruel one, how dost
- ↑ A common hyperbole. So Milton, Par. Lost, i. 292:
"His spear, to equal which the tallest pine
Hewn on Norwegian hills, to be the mast
Of some great admiral, were but a wand." - ↑ This seems to be the proper interpretation of κισσύβιον. Cf. Kiessling on Theocrit. i. 27. Villois. on Apoll. Lex. p. 400. Others suppose it to be a cup made of ivy-wood. See Alberti on Hesych. t. ii. p. 268.
