He spoke, and readily withdrew his hand from the hand of Antinous; but the suitors were at a banquet in the house. And they abused and reproached [him] in words. And thus some one of the haughty youths spoke:
"Telemachus in truth meditates slaughter for us. He will either bring some allies from sandy Pylos, or even[1] from Sparta; since indeed he is exceedingly anxious: or he wishes to go to the rich land Ephyre, that he may bring from thence deadly poisons, and may throw them in a cup and destroy us all."
And then another one of the haughty youths said: "But who knows whether he himself going in a hollow ship may perish far away from his friends, wandering as Ulysses? So indeed he would still more increase our labour; for we should divide[2] all his possessions, and moreover give his house to his mother to posssess, and whoever should marry her."
Thus they spoke; but he went down to the spacious lofty-roofed store-room of his father, where, heaped up, lay gold and brass, and garments in chests, and plenty of sweet-smelling oil. And there stood casks of old sweet wine, containing pure, divine drink, fitted in order against the wall; if at any time Ulysses should return home, although having toiled through many griefs. But upon it there were shut doors closely fitted, double; and within there was night and day a female housekeeper,[3] who watched every thing through the long experience of her mind, Euryclea, the daughter of Ops son of Pisenor. Having called her to the store-room, Telemachus then addressed her:
"Nurse, come draw me some sweet wine in the casks, which is the more luscious[4] after that, which you are preserving, in expectation of him, the unfortunate; if from any where noble Ulysses should come, having escaped death and the Fates. But fill twelve, and fit all with stoppers; and pour meal for
- ↑ On the position of the pronoun ὅγε cf. Hor. Od. i. 9,—"nec dulces amores sperne puer neque tu choreas."
- ↑ He ironically calls the task of dividing the property of Telemachus, a labour. Loewe.
- ↑ γυνὴ ταμίη is a common pleonasm, literally, "a woman, a housekeeper."
- ↑ i. e. more luscious than the rest, but inferior to that. See Loewe.
at your hands," because he depended upon Minerva. See Loewe. ἐπήβολος = ἐπιτυχὴς, from βάλλω in the sense of τυγχάνω. Moreover, Telemachus alludes to the poverty they had brought upon him.
