"Stranger, evilly dost thou shoot thine arrow at men: no more wilt thou meet with other contests; now bitter destruction is safe for thee. For thou hast just now slain a man, who is far the best of the youths in Ithaca; therefore shall the vultures eat thee here."
Each man reflected,[1] since they said that he did not willingly slay the man; but this, fools! they did not perceive, how the limits of destruction were closely touching them, even all [of them]. But much-planning Ulysses regarding them sternly, addressed them:
"O dogs, you no longer thought that I should come returning home from the people of the Trojans, wherefore ye consume my property, and lie perforce with my women-servants, and woo my wife, I myself being alive, neither dreading the gods, who possess the wide heaven, nor [fearing] that there will be any vengeance from men hereafter. Now the limits of destruction have closely touched you, even all [of you]."
Thus he spoke; and pale fear seized all of them; [and each looked about, where he might escape bitter destruction.] But Eurymachus alone answering addressed him:
"If indeed thou, the Ithacan Ulysses, hast come, thou hast spoken these things rightly, how many things the Greeks have done, many wicked deeds in the palace, and many in the country. But he now lies down, who was the cause of all, Antinous: for he brought together these deeds; by no means so much desiring or craving marriage, but thinking of other things, which the son of Saturn has not accomplished: that he might himself reign over the people of well-inhabited Ithaca, and having insnared thy son he would have slain him. But he is now slain in fate; and do thou spare thy people: but we afterwards appeasing thee throughout the people, [as to] whatever has been drunk and eaten in the palace, each bringing as payment twenty beeves, will give both brass and gold, until thy heart is glad: but before there was no cause of reproach for thy being angry."
But him much-counselling Ulysses sternly regarding, addressed: "O Eurymachus, even if thou wouldst give me all your paternal property, whatever thou now hast, and should add other things from any where, not even thus would I stop
- ↑ See Buttm. Lexil. p. 276, sqq. The interpretation of ἴσκε is very doubtful.
