come to the country, or the herdsmen, but thou dwellest among the people; for so it pleased thy mind, to be a witness of the destructive[1] crowd of suitors."
But him prudent Telemachus answered in turn: "Thus shall it be, my friend; but I come hither on account of thee, that I may behold thee with mine eyes, and may hear thy account whether my mother still remains in the palace, or whether some other man has now wedded her; and the bed of Ulysses through lack of furniture lies some where possessing foul cobwebs."[2]
But him the swineherd, chief of men, addressed in turn: "She by all means remains in thy palace, with a patient mind: and by her weeping all her wretched nights and days waste away."[3]
Thus having spoken, he received his brazen spear; and he went within, and passed over the stone threshold. And to him approaching his father Ulysses gave way from his seat: but Telemachus on the other side forbade him, and said: "Sit down, O stranger; and we shall find a seat elsewhere in our stall; and the man is near who will place it [for me]."
Thus he spoke; but he going immediately sat down: and the swineherd spread green twigs under for him, and a fleece above; there then the dear son of Ulysses sat down. And near them the swineherd placed dishes of roasted flesh, which they eating had left on the day before: and he hastily heaped up bread in baskets, and mixed sweet wine in an ivy cup: and himself sat opposite divine Ulysses. And they stretched forth their hands to the food lying ready before them. But when they had taken away the desire of drinking and eating, then Telemachus addressed the divine swineherd:
"My friend, whence has this stranger come? how did sailors bring him to Ithaca? whom did they boast to be? for I do not at all think that he came hither on foot."
- ↑ On ἀΐδηλος see Buttm. Lexil. p. 51, sqq.
- ↑ Cf. Propert. iii. 6, 33, "Patris et in vacuo texetur aranea lecto." In interpreting ἐνευναίων, I follow the second explanation of the Scholiast, τῶν περιβολαίων. So Pollux, x. 27, τὰ μὲν στρώματα καὶ ἐπιβλήματα—καὶ τὸ παρ' Ὁμήρῳ ἱμάτιον ἐνευναίον, and Hesych. v. χήτει ἐνευναίων.
- ↑ Cf. Ovid, Ep. i. 7, "Non ego deserto jacuissem frigida lecto; Nec quererer tardos ire relicta dies: Nec mihi, quærenti spatiosam fallere noctem, Lassaret viduas pendula tela manus."
