The Odyssey of Homer, with the Hymns, Epigrams, and Battle of the Frogs and Mice/The Odyssey/Book 23

by Homer

BOOK XXIII.

 

ARGUMENT.

Penelope, after some hesitation, recognises Ulysses, and he gives satisfactory proofs of his return. He gives a brief narrative of his adventures. In the morning Ulysses, Telemachus, Eumæus, and Philætius, leave the city in order to go to Laertes.

And the old woman went up to the upper-room exulting, to tell her mistress that her dear husband was within; and her knees were strengthened, and her feet hastened on;^[1] and she stood over her head, and addressed her:

"Arise, Penelope, dear child, that thou mayest behold with thine eyes, things which thou desirest all thy days: Ulysses has arrived, and has reached home, although having come late. And he has slain the haughty suitors, who injured his house, and consumed his wealth, and treated his son with violence."

But her prudent Penelope addressed in turn; "Dear nurse, the gods have driven thee frantic; who indeed are able to make one foolish, although one be very wise, and have changed a vain-minded person to prudence; they have hurt even thee; but before thou wast right in thy understanding. Why dost thou taunt me, who have a much-sorrowing mind, speaking these out of the way things? and why hast thou upraised me from pleasant sleep, which bound me, covering around my dear eyelids? For never have I slept such a sleep, since Ulysses went to see Ill-Troy, not to be named. But come, descend now, and go back to the palace. For if any one else of the women, whom I have, had come telling me these things, and had raised me up from sleep, then would I soon have sent her back severely, to return again within the palace; but in this thy old age will profit thee."

But her the dear nurse Euryclea addressed in turn: "I do not taunt thee, dear child; but Ulysses truly is come, and has reached home, as I say, the stranger, whom all dishonoured in the palace; but Telemachus some time since knew him, being within, but by his prudence he concealed his knowledge of his father, that he might be revenged on the violence of haughty men."

Thus she spoke; but she rejoiced, and leaping from her bed, embraced the old woman, and from her eyelids sent forth a tear; and addressing her, she spoke winged words:

"Come, dear nurse, tell me truly, if he indeed has reached home, as thou sayest, how did he lay hands upon the shameless suitors, being alone, whilst they always remained together within."

But her the dear nurse Euryclea addressed in turn: "I did not see, nor did I inquire, but I heard only the groaning of them being slain; but we, affrighted, sat in the recess of the well-built chambers, and the well-fitted doors held fast; before that thy son Telemachus called me from the palace: for his father sent him on to call me. Then I found Ulysses standing amongst the slain corses; but they around him possessing the stone-paved ground, lay upon one another: thou wouldst have rejoiced in thy mind, beholding him [bedaubed with blood and gore, like a lion]. Now indeed they are all together at the court gates: but he is fumigating the most beautiful house, having kindled a great fire: but he sent me on to call thee. But follow, that both of you may obtain delight in your dear hearts; since ye have suffered many evils. But now at length this long hope is accomplished. He himself has come alive to the hearth, and he has found thee, and his son in the palace; but the suitors who treated him evilly, he has revenged himself upon all of them in his own house."

But her prudent Penelope addressed in turn: "O dear nurse, do not by any means boast greatly, exulting; for thou knowest how welcome he would appear to all in the palace, but especially to me, and to my son, to whom we gave life. But this is not a true tale, as thou tellest it; but some one of the immortals has slain the noble suitors, being indignant at their mind-grieving insolence and evil deeds: for they honoured no one of mortal men, either bad or good, whoever came to them; wherefore through their infatuation have they suffered ill: but Ulysses has lost his return, far away from Achaia, and has himself perished."

But her the dear nurse Euryclea then answered: "My child, what word has escaped thy lips? didst thou never think that thy husband, who was within at the hearth, would never come home? but thy mind is ever incredulous. But come, I will tell thee some other very plain sign, the scar, which once a boar inflicted upon him with his white tusk, this I perceived whilst washing him: and I wished to tell thee thyself; but he, taking hold of me upon the mouth with his hands, did not allow me to tell thee, through the great knowledge of his mind. But follow; and I^[2] will lay down a pledge for myself,^[3] if I deceive thee, that thou shalt kill me by a most grievous destruction."

But her prudent Penelope then answered: "Dear nurse, it is difficult for thee to know the counsels of the gods, who are for ever, although thou art very skilful; but, however, let us go to my son, that I may see the dead suitors, and him who slew them."

Thus having spoken, she went down from the upper-room; but much did her heart meditate, whether she should inquire of her dear husband afar off, or standing near him, should kiss his head, taking hold of his hands. But when she entered and passed over the stone threshold, then she sat opposite Ulysses in the light of the fire, against the other wall: but he sat against a tall pillar, looking down, expecting, whether his noble wife would speak to him, when she beheld him with her eyes. But she sat in silence for a long time, and astonishment came upon her heart. At one moment indeed she looked face to face at him with her eyes, but at another moment she knew him not, having evil garments on his body. But Telemachus chided her, and spoke, and addressed her:

"O mother mine, ill-mother, who hast a cruel mind, why dost thou thus keep away from my father, nor sitting near him, dost question [him] with words, or inquire? No other woman indeed would thus with hardy mind have stood away from her husband, who, having suffered many ills had reached his paternal land in the twentieth year: but thy heart is harder than stone."

But him prudent Penelope addressed in turn: "My child, my mind in my breast is astonished; neither can I speak any word to him, nor inquire of him, nor regard his face opposite; but if indeed it is Ulysses, and he has reached home, even better shall we know one another; for there are signs between us, which we know, secreted from others."

Thus she spoke; but much-enduring divine Ulysses smiled, and he immediately addressed to Telemachus winged words:

"Telemachus, suffer then thy mother in the palace to try me; and soon she will know me more certainly. But now, because I am squalid, and am clothed with evil garments around my body, therefore does she disregard me, and does not yet account that I am he. But let us consider, how it will be best. For a man having slain one man amongst a people, who has not many avengers hereafter, flies, leaving his relations and his paternal land: but we have slain the defence of a city, those who are far the best of the youths in Ithaca; therefore I beg of thee to consider."

But him prudent Telemachus answered in turn: "Dost thou look to these things, my dear father; for they say that thy plan is the best amongst men, nor would any other man among mortal men contend with thee. But we eagerly will follow with thee, nor do I think that we shall at all want courage, whatever power we have."

But him much-counselling Ulysses answering addressed: "Therefore will I say, as it seems to me to be best. First then wash yourselves, and put on tunics, and order the handmaidens in the palace to take their garments: and let the divine bard, having the tuneful harp, lead for us the sport-loving dance, that any one may say it is a marriage, hearing it from without, either going along the way, or [if he be of those] who dwell around: lest the wide rumour of the slaughter of the suitors should arise throughout the city, before we go out to our much-wooded farm: there then will we consider, what gain Jove will vouchsafe us."

Thus he spoke; and they heard him well, and obeyed: first then they washed themselves, and put on tunics; and the women made themselves ready, and the divine bard took the hollow harp, and stirred up amongst them the desire of the sweet song, and the harmless dance. And the great house resounded around with the feet of men and beautiful-girded women, sporting. And thus some one said, hearing it from without the dwelling:

"Of a truth, indeed, some one has married the much-wooed queen: foolish woman! nor has she endured to guard the large house of her virgin husband continually, until that he should come."

Thus indeed some one said; but they knew not these things, how they were done. And the housekeeper, Eurynome, washed magnanimous Ulysses in his own house, and anointed him with oil; and she threw a beautiful robe around him, and a tunic. But Minerva shed much beauty down from his head, [and made him]^[4] taller and larger to behold: and from his head she sent down curled hair, like unto an hyacinthine flower. As when some skilful man pours gold around silver, whom Vulcan and Pallas Minerva have taught all kinds of art, and he executes graceful works: so around his head and shoulders did she pour grace. And he went out of the bath in person like unto the immortals: and he sat down again on the throne, from whence he arose, opposite his wife, and addressed her in words:

"Honoured lady, they who possess the Olympian houses have given thee a heart hard above female women: no other woman indeed would thus, with enduring mind, have stood away from her husband, who, having suffered many ills, had reached his paternal land in the twentieth year. But come, nurse, strew a bed for me, that I may lie down by myself: for surely her mind is of steel in her breast."

But him prudent Penelope addressed in turn: "Sir, I neither magnify thee at all, nor disregard thee, nor do I very much wonder at thee: but I very well know, what a one thou wast, when thou didst depart from Ithaca in a long-oared ship. But come, Euryclea, strew a dense bed for him without the well-reared chamber, which he himself made. There place for him a thick bed, and throw clothing on it, fleeces, and cloaks, and beautiful rugs."

Thus indeed she spoke, trying her husband; but Ulysses grieving addressed his wife, who knew prudent things:

"O lady; very grievous indeed is this word thou hast uttered. Who has placed my bed elsewhere? difficult would it be even for one who is very skilful, except the deity himself, coming, were with ease, if he wished it, to put it in another place. No living mortal among men alive, even if he were in the vigour of youth, would easily move it away; since a great sign is wrought in the well-worked bed; which I laboured, nor any one else. There was a thick-leaved shrub of olive within the court, in full vigour, and flourishing; and it was thick, like as a pillar: I, putting a chamber round this, built it, until I finished it with close-set stones, and roofed it well above: and I placed on it glued doors, closely fitted. And then I cut off the leaves of the thick-leaved olive; and lopping off the trunk from the root, I polished it round with brass, well and skilfully, and straightened it according to a rule, working out a bed-post; and I bored all with a wimble. And beginning from this I polished the bed until I finished it, variegating it with gold and silver and ivory, and I stretched out the thong of an ox shining with purple. Thus I show thee this sign; nor do I at all know, lady, whether the bed is still firm, or some one of men has now placed it elsewhere, cutting off the root of the olive."

Thus he spoke; but her knees and dear heart were loosed, as she recognised the signs which Ulysses told her evidently. Then weeping she ran straight forward, and threw her hands around the neck of Ulysses, and kissed his head, and addressed him:

"Lour not upon me, O Ulysses, since in other things indeed thou art especially prudent among men; but the gods have given thee toil, who envied that we, remaining near one another, should be delighted with youth, and reach the threshold of old age. But do not now be angry with me for this, nor indignant, that I did not at first thus embrace thee, when I beheld thee; for my mind always shudders in my breast, for fear some one of mortals coming should deceive me with words, for many devise evil means of gain. Nor would Argive Helen, born of Jove, have been mingled with a foreigner in love and in the couch, if she had known that the warlike sons of the Grecians were about to bring her home again to her dear country. But her the deity indeed excited to do an unseemly work: but she did not before lay up in her mind the sad calamity, from which grief first came also upon us. But now, since thou hast told me evident signs of our bed, which no other mortal has beheld, but only thou and I, and one handmaiden only, Actoris, (whom my father gave to me coming hither, who kept for us the door of the close chamber,) now thou persuadest my mind, although it is very difficult [to be persuaded]."

Thus she spoke, and in him excited still more the desire of grief; but he wept, holding his delightful wife, who knew prudent things. And as when the land has appeared welcome to [men] swimming, whose well-built ship Neptune has wrecked in the sea, urged by the wind, and the dark billows, but few have escaped from the hoary sea, swimming to the shore, and much brine has incrusted round their body, but they gladly have stepped upon the land, escaping evil; so her husband was welcome to her beholding him: but she had not yet altogether let go her white arms from his neck. And now the rosy-fingered morning would have appeared while they were weeping, had not blue-eyed Minerva thought of other things. She detained the long night towards the end, and still kept the golden-throned Morn in the ocean, nor did she suffer her to yoke her swift-footed horses, that bear light to men, Lampus and Phæthon, steeds that lead the Morn. And then indeed much-planning Ulysses addressed his wife:

"O wife, we have not yet arrived at the end of all our toils, but still there will be an immeasurable labour behind, great and difficult, all which it behoves me to accomplish. For thus the soul of Tiresias foretold to me on that day, when I went down to the house of Pluto, seeking for a return for my companions and myself. But come, wife, let us go to bed, that even now going to rest, we may be delighted with sweet sleep."

But him prudent Penelope addressed in turn: "A bed indeed then there shall be for thee, whenever thou desirest it in thine own mind; since the gods have made thee reach thy well-built house, and thy paternal land. But since thou hast mentioned it, and God has put it in thy mind, come, tell me the toil; since I think I shall hear it afterwards: but it is not worse to hear it immediately."

But her much-counselling Ulysses answering addressed: "Unhappy one! why indeed dost thou again desire me to speak, urging me very much? but I will relate [my adventures], nor will I conceal them. Thy mind indeed will not rejoice; for neither do I myself rejoice; since he has desired me to go to very many cities of mortals, having in my hands a well-fitted oar; until I come to those men, who know not the sea, and who do not eat food mixed with salt, they indeed neither know the purple-cheeked ships, nor the well-fitted oars, which are wings for ships. But he told me this plain sign; (nor will I conceal it from thee;) when indeed another traveller meeting me should say that I have a winnowing-fan^[5] upon my glorious shoulder, then he desired me, having fixed an oar in the earth, and having offered excellent sacrifices to king Neptune, a ram, and a bull, and a boar, the mate of swine, to go away home, and to offer up sacred hecatombs to the immortal gods, who possess the wide heaven, to all in order: but death will come upon me away from the sea, gentle, such a one as will kill me overcome by happy old age: and around me the people will be prosperous; all these things, he said, would be performed."

But him prudent Penelope addressed in turn: "If of a truth the gods make for thee a better old age, then indeed there is hope that there will be a refuge from ills."

Thus they spoke to one another; but in the mean time Eurynome and the nurse prepared a bed of soft clothing, by the light of shining torches, busying themselves. And when they had strewed the thick bed, the old woman went back to the house to lie down. But the chambermaid Eurynome led them going to bed, holding a torch in her hands; and having conducted them into the chamber, she went away again: they then gladly came to the rites of their ancient bed.^[6] But Telemachus and the herdsman and swineherd stopped their feet from dancing, and made the women stop: and they slept in the shady palace. But when they twain were satiated with agreeable love, they were delighted telling to one another with words, she indeed, divine one of women, what things she had endured in the palace, beholding the destructive company of suitors; who on her account slew many [cattle], oxen and fat sheep, and [by whom] much wine was drawn from the casks. But Jove-sprung Ulysses, [relating] what cares he had brought upon men, and what he himself suffering had toiled through, told all; she then was delighted hearing it, nor did sleep fall upon her eyelids, before he had related all. And he began, how first he subdued the Ciconians, but then came to the fruitful land of the men Lotophagi; and how many deeds the Cyclops did, and how he avenged the destruction of his doughty companions, whom he eat,^[7] nor did he pity them: and how he came to Æolus, who kindly received him and sent him away; nor yet was it fated for him to reach his paternal land; but the tempest snatching him away again, bore him mourning heavily over the fishy sea; and how he came to Læstrigonia to Telephilus, who^[8] destroyed his ships, and his well-greaved companions [all; but Ulysses alone escaped in a black ship]:^[9] and he related the deceit and the various contrivance of Circe; and how he came into the spacious dwelling of Pluto, in a many-benched ship, to consult the soul of Theban Tiresias, and saw all his companions, and his mother, who brought him forth and nourished him, being little: and how he heard the voice of the assembled Sirens; and how he came to the wandering rocks, and to terrible Charybdis and Scylla, which men have never escaped unharmed: and how his companions slew the beeves of the Sun, and how high-thundering Jove struck the swift ship with smouldering thunder; and all his excellent companions perished together, but he himself escaped from the evil Fates: and how he came to the island Ogygia, and the nymph Calypso, who indeed detained him, desiring him to be her husband, in her hollow grot, and nourished him, and said that she would make him immortal and free from old age all his days: but she did not by any means persuade his mind in his breast: and how he came to the Phæacians, having toiled much, who honoured him in their heart as a god, and escorted him with a ship to his dear paternal land, giving him brass and gold in abundance, and garments. This was the last word he said, when sweet sleep loosing his limbs rushed upon him, relaxing the cares of his mind. But the blue-eyed goddess Minerva again thought of other things: when she now expected that Ulysses was satiated in his mind with the bed of his wife and with sleep, she immediately excited the golden-throned mother of dawn from the ocean, that she might give light to mortals: but Ulysses arose from his soft bed, and enjoined a command to his wife:

"O wife, we are now both of us satiated with many labours; thou indeed weeping for my toil-fraught return: but Jove and the other gods bound me anxious from my paternal land. But now, since both of us have reached our much-wished-for bed, take care of the possessions which I have in the palace: but as to the sheep, which the overbearing suitors have consumed, I myself will seize many as booty, and the Greeks shall give others, until they fill all my stalls. But I indeed am going to the well-wooded farm, to see my excellent sire, who is continually grieved for me. But to thee, O wife, I enjoin these things, although thou art prudent: for forthwith with the rising sun a rumour will go [abroad] concerning the suitors whom I have slain in the palace. Going to the upper room, with your women attendants, sit down, nor look out or inquire of any one."

He spoke, and around his shoulders he girt his beautiful arms; and he roused Telemachus and the herdsman and swineherd, and desired all to take their warlike weapons in their hands. And they did not disobey him: but they were armed with brass, and they opened the doors and went out: but Ulysses led the way. Now indeed light was upon the earth; but Minerva concealing them in night, led them quickly out of the city.

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1. Ὑπερικταίνοντο, (from ἴκταρ,)=ἐκινοῦντο. Lex. MS. apud Alberti on Hesych. t. ii. p. 1459, "pedes cito commovebat propter laetitiam."
2. The full force of αὐτὰρ seems to be, "and I, for my part, will," &c.
3. Cf. Il. x. 254. Θεοὺς ἐπιδώμεθα, "let us give the gods as witnesses." See Thiersch, p. 481, sq. ψ. 485, τρίποδος περιδώμεθα ἠε λέβητος. Hesychius, περιδώσομαι, συνθηκοποιήσομαι, i. e. "I will make this stipulation with thee." See Alberti on v. περιδώμεθα.
4. Observe the zeugma in χεῦεν.
5. See xi. 127.
6. According to Eustathius, the grammarians, Aristarchus and Aristophanes, terminated the Odyssey at this line, considering the subsequent portion as spurious. But see Clarke.
7. The Cyclops.
8. οἱ, scilicet, οἱ Λαιστρύγονες.
9. A doubtful verse.