announcing the light of the morning, the mother of day; at that time then the ship that passes over the sea neared the island.
Now there is a certain haven of Phorcys, the old man of the sea, amongst the people of Ithaca; and there are two abrupt projecting shores in it, inclining towards the port,[1] which swell from the great wave[2] of hard blowing winds from without; but within well-benched ships remain without a chain, when they reach the goal of the mooring-station. But at the head of the port there is a large-leafed olive; and near it a delightful cave, shaded, sacred to the Nymphs, who are called Naïds. And there are stone cups and casks in it; and there then the bees stow away their honey.[3] And in it there are stone distaffs of a great length, and there the Nymphs[4] weave their sea-purple robes, a marvel to behold. And in it there are perpetual flowing waters;[5] and it has two doors: these to the North to be descended by men, but those on the other hand, to the South, are more sacred; nor do men enter at all by that way; but it is the way of the immortals.
There they drove in, being before acquainted with it; it[6] indeed ran ashore more than half its length, hastening; for by the hands of such rowers was it urged on. And they disembarking from the well-yoked ship to the shore, first lifted Ulysses out of the hollow ship, with his very linen and beautiful rug, and placed him, overcome with sleep, on the sand. And they took out the property which the illustrious Phæacians gave him when returning home, by means of magnanimous Minerva. And they placed the things
- ↑ So Ernesti, with the Schol. ἔσω νενευκυῖαι, deriving it from προσπετάννυμι, not from προσπίπτω.
- ↑ Clarke's Latin, "a ventis defendunt raucis magnum fluctum extra," is not suited to the sense. Κῦμα I think is here equivalent to "swelling mass." See Alberti on Hesych, s. v. κῦμα ὕδατος.
- ↑ Or, "make their honey." Hesych. ἐναποτίθενται, ἀποθησαυρίζουσι τὴν τροφὴν αἱ μέλιτται. Porphyr. de antro Nymph. p. 259, τὸ τιθέναι τὴν βόσιν. Βόσις δὲ καὶ τροφὴ τὸ μέλι ταῖς μελίσσαις. Cf. Apollon. Lex. It is akin to τροφὴ, τιθάσος, τρέφειν, &c. See Liddell and Scott, s. v. The allegorical meanings of honey are somewhat whimsically discussed by Porphyry, ibid. p. 260, sqq.
- ↑ If we may believe the statement of Artemidorus Ephesius apud Porphyr. de Nymph. antr. p. 252, there was really a port at Ithaca, named Phorcys, and a cave sacred to the Nymphs.
- ↑ Because the nymphs ναμάτων καὶ πηγῶν προεστῶσι, being hence called Pegææ and Naides. Porphyr. ib. p. 258.
- ↑ The ship.
