telling things fated; who being kindly disposed, harangued and addressed them [thus]:
"Hear now from me, Ithacans, what I shall say; and I shall speak these things especially setting them forth to the suitors; for a great calamity hangs over them. For Ulysses will not be long away from his friends, but being already some where near at hand, is planning slaughter and death to all these present: and there will be evil upon many of us also, who inhabit Ithaca well situated towards the west.[1] But let us first consider well, how we may check them,[2] and let them cease; for this will soon[3] be better for them. For I do not prophesy being unskilled, but well understanding. For I say that all the things have been fulfilled unto him, as I foretold him, when the Argives embarked for Troy,[4] and crafty Ulysses went with them. I said that he, having suffered many ills, and having lost all his companions, would come home unrecognised by all, in the twentieth year. All these things then are now being brought to pass."
But him Eurymachus, son of Polybus, in turn addressed: "O old man, come now, go home and prophesy to thy children, lest by chance they should suffer some evil hereafter: but I am a much better one than you to prophesy in these things. Many birds indeed fly about under the beams of the sun, nor are all ominous; but Ulysses has perished afar off; as would that thou also hadst perished with him: thou wouldst not have talked so much, uttering oracles, nor wouldst thou have thus excited the enraged Telemachus, expecting a present for thy family, if he should give thee any. But I declare to thee, and this shall be performed: If thou, who art acquainted with many and ancient things, shalt excite a younger man to be angry, deceiving him with thy words, to him first it will be more unpleasant, [and thou wilt not be able to effect at all on account of those things:[5]] but we will impose a fine upon thee, old man, which thou wilt be indignant in thy mind at paying; and there will be bitter grief for thee. But I my-
- ↑ But Buttman, Lexil. p. 223, follows Eustathius, deriving ἐυδείελος from εὖ and εἵλη, with δ inserted, = apricus, "sunny."
- ↑ i. e. the suitors. Others wrongly refer καταπαύσομεν to κακόν.
- ↑ But ἄφαρ refers to παυέσθων = statim enim quiescere ipsis utilius est. Loewe.
- ↑ Cf. Od. Α. 210, sq.
- ↑ A suspected verse.
