Now when the child of morning, rosy-fingered Dawn, appeared,
Alcinous and Ulysses both rose, and Alcinous led the way to the
Phaeacian place of assembly, which was near the ships. When they
got there they sat down side by side on a seat of polished
stone, while Minerva took the form of one of Alcinous' servants,
and went round the town in order to help Ulysses to get home.
She went up to the citizens, man by man, and said, "Aldermen and
town councillors of the Phaeacians, come to the assembly all of
you and listen to the stranger who has just come off a long
voyage to the house of King Alcinous; he looks like an immortal
god."
With these words she made them all want to come, and they
flocked to the assembly till seats and standing room were alike
crowded. Every one was struck with the appearance of Ulysses,
for Minerva had beautified him about the head and shoulders,
making him look taller and stouter than he really was, that he
might impress the Phaeacians favourably as being a very
remarkable man, and might come off well in the many trials of
skill to which they would challenge him. Then, when they were
got together, Alcinous spoke:
"Hear me," said he, "aldermen and town councillors of the
Phaeacians, that I may speak even as I am minded. This stranger,
whoever he may be, has found his way to my house from somewhere
or other either East or West. He wants an escort and wishes to
have the matter settled. Let us then get one ready for him, as
we have done for others before him; indeed, no one who ever yet
came to my house has been able to complain of me for not
speeding on his way soon enough. Let us draw a ship into the
sea--one that has never yet made a voyage--and man her with two
and fifty of our smartest young sailors. Then when you have made
fast your oars each by his own seat, leave the ship and come to
my house to prepare a feast. I will find you in everything.
I am giving these instructions to the young men who will form
the crew, for as regards you aldermen and town councillors, you
will join me in entertaining our guest in the cloisters. I can
take no excuses, and we will have Demodocus to sing to us; for
there is no bard like him whatever he may choose to sing about."
Alcinous then led the way, and the others followed after, while
a servant went to fetch Demodocus. The fifty-two picked oarsmen
went to the sea shore as they had been told, and when they got
there they drew the ship into the water, got her mast and sails
inside her, bound the oars to the thole-pins with twisted thongs
of leather, all in due course, and spread the white sails aloft.
They moored the vessel a little way out from land, and then came
on shore and went to the house of King Alcinous. The out houses,
yards, and all the precincts were filled with crowds of men
in great multitudes both old and young; and Alcinous killed them
a dozen sheep, eight full grown pigs, and two oxen. These they
skinned and dressed so as to provide a magnificent banquet.
A servant presently led in the famous bard Demodocus, whom the
muse had dearly loved, but to whom she had given both good and
evil, for though she had endowed him with a divine gift of song,
she had robbed him of his eyesight. Pontonous set a seat for
him among the guests, leaning it up against a bearing-post. He
hung the lyre for him on a peg over his head, and showed him
where he was to feel for it with his hands. He also set a fair
table with a basket of victuals by his side, and a cup of wine
from which he might drink whenever he was so disposed.
The company then laid their hands upon the good things that were
before them, but as soon as they had had enough to eat and
drink, the muse inspired Demodocus to sing the feats of heroes,
and more especially a matter that was then in the mouths of all
men, to wit, the quarrel between Ulysses and Achilles, and the
fierce words that they heaped on one another as they sat
together at a banquet. But Agamemnon was glad when he heard his
chieftains quarrelling with one another, for Apollo had foretold
him this at Pytho when he crossed the stone floor to consult the
oracle. Here was the beginning of the evil that by the will of
Jove fell both upon Danaans and Trojans.
Thus sang the bard, but Ulysses drew his purple mantle over his
head and covered his face, for he was ashamed to let the
Phaeacians see that he was weeping. When the bard left off
singing he wiped the tears from his eyes, uncovered his face,
and, taking his cup, made a drink-offering to the gods; but when
the Phaeacians pressed Demodocus to sing further, for they
delighted in his lays, then Ulysses again drew his mantle over
his head and wept bitterly. No one noticed his distress except
Alcinous, who was sitting near him, and heard the heavy sighs
that he was heaving. So he at once said, "Aldermen and town
councillors of the Phaeacians, we have had enough now, both of
the feast, and of the minstrelsy that is its due accompaniment;
let us proceed therefore to the athletic sports, so that our
guest on his return home may be able to tell his friends how
much we surpass all other nations as boxers, wrestlers, jumpers,
and runners."
With these words he led the way, and the others followed after.
A servant hung Demodocus's lyre on its peg for him, led him out
of the cloister, and set him on the same way as that along which
all the chief men of the Phaeacians were going to see the
sports; a crowd of several thousands of people followed them,
and there were many excellent competitors for all the prizes.
Acroneos, Ocyalus, Elatreus, Nauteus, Prymneus, Anchialus,
Eretmeus, Ponteus, Proreus, Thoon, Anabesineus, and Amphialus
son of Polyneus son of Tecton. There was also Euryalus son of
Naubolus, who was like Mars himself, and was the best looking
man among the Phaeacians except Laodamas. Three sons of
Alcinous, Laodamas, Halios, and Clytoneus, competed also.
The foot races came first. The course was set out for them from
the starting post, and they raised a dust upon the plain as they
all flew forward at the same moment. Clytoneus came in first by
a long way; he left every one else behind him by the length of
the furrow that a couple of mules can plough in a fallow field.
They then turned to the painful art of wrestling, and here
Euryalus proved to be the best man. Amphialus excelled all the
others in jumping, while at throwing the disc there was no one
who could approach Elatreus. Alcinous's son Laodamas was the
best boxer, and he it was who presently said, when they had all
been diverted with the games, "Let us ask the stranger whether
he excels in any of these sports; he seems very powerfully
built; his thighs, calves, hands, and neck are of prodigious
strength, nor is he at all old, but he has suffered much lately,
and there is nothing like the sea for making havoc with a man,
no matter how strong he is."
"You are quite right, Laodamas," replied Euryalus, "go up to
your guest and speak to him about it yourself."
When Laodamas heard this he made his way into the middle of the
crowd and said to Ulysses, "I hope, Sir, that you will enter
yourself for some one or other of our competitions if you are
skilled in any of them--and you must have gone in for many a one
before now. There is nothing that does any one so much credit
all his life long as the showing himself a proper man with his
hands and feet. Have a try therefore at something, and banish
all sorrow from your mind. Your return home will not be long
delayed, for the ship is already drawn into the water, and the
crew is found."
Ulysses answered, "Laodamas, why do you taunt me in this way? my
mind is set rather on cares than contests; I have been through
infinite trouble, and am come among you now as a suppliant,
praying your king and people to further me on my return home."
Then Euryalus reviled him outright and said, "I gather, then,
that you are unskilled in any of the many sports that men
generally delight in. I suppose you are one of those grasping
traders that go about in ships as captains or merchants, and who
think of nothing but of their outward freights and homeward
cargoes. There does not seem to be much of the athlete about
you."
"For shame, Sir," answered Ulysses, fiercely, "you are an
insolent fellow--so true is it that the gods do not grace all
men alike in speech, person, and understanding. One man may be
of weak presence, but heaven has adorned this with such a good
conversation that he charms every one who sees him; his honeyed
moderation carries his hearers with him so that he is leader in
all assemblies of his fellows, and wherever he goes he is looked
up to. Another may be as handsome as a god, but his good looks
are not crowned with discretion. This is your case. No god could
make a finer looking fellow than you are, but you are a fool.
Your ill-judged remarks have made me exceedingly angry, and you
are quite mistaken, for I excel in a great many athletic
exercises; indeed, so long as I had youth and strength, I was
among the first athletes of the age. Now, however, I am worn out
by labour and sorrow, for I have gone through much both on the
field of battle and by the waves of the weary sea; still, in
spite of all this I will compete, for your taunts have stung me
to the quick."
So he hurried up without even taking his cloak off, and seized a
disc, larger, more massive and much heavier than those used by
the Phaeacians when disc-throwing among themselves. Then,
swinging it back, he threw it from his brawny hand, and it made
a humming sound in the air as he did so. The Phaeacians quailed
beneath the rushing of its flight as it sped gracefully from his
hand, and flew beyond any mark that had been made yet. Minerva,
in the form of a man, came and marked the place where it had
fallen. "A blind man, Sir," said she, "could easily tell your
mark by groping for it--it is so far ahead of any other. You may
make your mind easy about this contest, for no Phaeacian can
come near to such a throw as yours."
Ulysses was glad when he found he had a friend among the
lookers-on, so he began to speak more pleasantly. "Young men,"
said he, "come up to that throw if you can, and I will throw
another disc as heavy or even heavier. If anyone wants to have a
bout with me let him come on, for I am exceedingly angry; I will
box, wrestle, or run, I do not care what it is, with any man of
you all except Laodamas, but not with him because I am his
guest, and one cannot compete with one's own personal friend. At
least I do not think it a prudent or a sensible thing for a
guest to challenge his host's family at any game, especially
when he is in a foreign country. He will cut the ground from
under his own feet if he does; but I make no exception as
regards any one else, for I want to have the matter out and know
which is the best man. I am a good hand at every kind of
athletic sport known among mankind. I am an excellent archer.
In battle I am always the first to bring a man down with my
arrow, no matter how many more are taking aim at him alongside
of me. Philoctetes was the only man who could shoot better than
I could when we Achaeans were before Troy and in practice. I far
excel every one else in the whole world, of those who still eat
bread upon the face of the earth, but I should not like to shoot
against the mighty dead, such as Hercules, or Eurytus the
Oechalian--men who could shoot against the gods themselves. This
in fact was how Eurytus came prematurely by his end, for Apollo
was angry with him and killed him because he challenged him as
an archer. I can throw a dart farther than any one else can
shoot an arrow. Running is the only point in respect of which I
am afraid some of the Phaeacians might beat me, for I have been
brought down very low at sea; my provisions ran short, and
therefore I am still weak."
They all held their peace except King Alcinous, who began, "Sir,
we have had much pleasure in hearing all that you have told us,
from which I understand that you are willing to show your
prowess, as having been displeased with some insolent remarks
that have been made to you by one of our athletes, and which
could never have been uttered by any one who knows how to talk
with propriety. I hope you will apprehend my meaning, and will
explain to any one of your chief men who may be dining with
yourself and your family when you get home, that we have an
hereditary aptitude for accomplishments of all kinds. We are not
particularly remarkable for our boxing, nor yet as wrestlers,
but we are singularly fleet of foot and are excellent sailors.
We are extremely fond of good dinners, music, and dancing; we
also like frequent changes of linen, warm baths, and good beds,
so now, please, some of you who are the best dancers set about
dancing, that our guest on his return home may be able to tell
his friends how much we surpass all other nations as sailors,
runners, dancers, and minstrels. Demodocus has left his lyre at
my house, so run some one or other of you and fetch it for him."
On this a servant hurried off to bring the lyre from the king's
house, and the nine men who had been chosen as stewards stood
forward. It was their business to manage everything connected
with the sports, so they made the ground smooth and marked a
wide space for the dancers. Presently the servant came back
with Demodocus's lyre, and he took his place in the midst of
them, whereon the best young dancers in the town began to foot
and trip it so nimbly that Ulysses was delighted with the merry
twinkling of their feet.
Meanwhile the bard began to sing the loves of Mars and Venus,
and how they first began their intrigue in the house of Vulcan.
Mars made Venus many presents, and defiled King Vulcan's
marriage bed, so the sun, who saw what they were about, told
Vulcan. Vulcan was very angry when he heard such dreadful news,
so he went to his smithy brooding mischief, got his great anvil
into its place, and began to forge some chains which none could
either unloose or break, so that they might stay there in that
place. When he had finished his snare he went into his
bedroom and festooned the bed-posts all over with chains like
cobwebs; he also let many hang down from the great beam of the
ceiling. Not even a god could see them so fine and subtle were
they. As soon as he had spread the chains all over the bed, he
made as though he were setting out for the fair state of Lemnos,
which of all places in the world was the one he was most fond
of. But Mars kept no blind look out, and as soon as he saw him
start, hurried off to his house, burning with love for Venus.
Now Venus was just come in from a visit to her father Jove, and
was about sitting down when Mars came inside the house, and said
as he took her hand in his own, "Let us go to the couch of
Vulcan: he is not at home, but is gone off to Lemnos among the
Sintians, whose speech is barbarous."
She was nothing loth, so they went to the couch to take their
rest, whereon they were caught in the toils which cunning Vulcan
had spread for them, and could neither get up nor stir hand or
foot, but found too late that they were in a trap. Then Vulcan
came up to them, for he had turned back before reaching Lemnos,
when his scout the sun told him what was going on. He was in a
furious passion, and stood in the vestibule making a dreadful
noise as he shouted to all the gods.
"Father Jove," he cried, "and all you other blessed gods who
live for ever, come here and see the ridiculous and disgraceful
sight that I will show you. Jove's daughter Venus is always
dishonouring me because I am lame. She is in love with Mars, who
is handsome and clean built, whereas I am a cripple--but my
parents are to blame for that, not I; they ought never to have
begotten me. Come and see the pair together asleep on my bed. It
makes me furious to look at them. They are very fond of one
another, but I do not think they will lie there longer than they
can help, nor do I think that they will sleep much; there,
however, they shall stay till her father has repaid me the sum I
gave him for his baggage of a daughter, who is fair but not
honest."
On this the gods gathered to the house of Vulcan.
Earth-encircling Neptune came, and Mercury the bringer of luck,
and King Apollo, but the goddesses staid at home all of them for
shame. Then the givers of all good things stood in the doorway,
and the blessed gods roared with inextinguishable laughter, as
they saw how cunning Vulcan had been, whereon one would turn
towards his neighbour saying:
"Ill deeds do not prosper, and the weak confound the strong. See
how limping Vulcan, lame as he is, has caught Mars who is the
fleetest god in heaven; and now Mars will be cast in heavy
damages."
Thus did they converse, but King Apollo said to Mercury,
"Messenger Mercury, giver of good things, you would not care how
strong the chains were, would you, if you could sleep with
Venus?"
"King Apollo," answered Mercury, "I only wish I might get the
chance, though there were three times as many chains--and you
might look on, all of you, gods and goddesses, but I would sleep
with her if I could."
The immortal gods burst out laughing as they heard him, but
Neptune took it all seriously, and kept on imploring Vulcan to
set Mars free again. "Let him go," he cried, "and I will
undertake, as you require, that he shall pay you all the damages
that are held reasonable among the immortal gods."
"Do not," replied Vulcan, "ask me to do this; a bad man's bond
is bad security; what remedy could I enforce against you if Mars
should go away and leave his debts behind him along with his
chains?"
"Vulcan," said Neptune, "if Mars goes away without paying his
damages, I will pay you myself." So Vulcan answered, "In this
case I cannot and must not refuse you."
Thereon he loosed the bonds that bound them, and as soon as they
were free they scampered off, Mars to Thrace and laughter-loving
Venus to Cyprus and to Paphos, where is her grove and her altar
fragrant with burnt offerings. Here the Graces bathed her, and
anointed her with oil of ambrosia such as the immortal gods make
use of, and they clothed her in raiment of the most enchanting
beauty.
Thus sang the bard, and both Ulysses and the seafaring
Phaeacians were charmed as they heard him.
Then Alcinous told Laodamas and Halius to dance alone, for there
was no one to compete with them. So they took a red ball which
Polybus had made for them, and one of them bent himself
backwards and threw it up towards the clouds, while the other
jumped from off the ground and caught it with ease before it
came down again. When they had done throwing the ball straight
up into the air they began to dance, and at the same time kept
on throwing it backwards and forwards to one another, while all
the young men in the ring applauded and made a great stamping
with their feet. Then Ulysses said:
"King Alcinous, you said your people were the nimblest dancers
in the world, and indeed they have proved themselves to be so. I
was astonished as I saw them."
The king was delighted at this, and exclaimed to the Phaeacians,
"Aldermen and town councillors, our guest seems to be a person
of singular judgement; let us give him such proof of our
hospitality as he may reasonably expect. There are twelve chief
men among you, and counting myself there are thirteen;
contribute, each of you, a clean cloak, a shirt, and a talent of
fine gold; let us give him all this in a lump down at once, so
that when he gets his supper he may do so with a light heart. As
for Euryalus he will have to make a formal apology and a present
too, for he has been rude."
Thus did he speak. The others all of them applauded his saying,
and sent their servants to fetch the presents. Then Euryalus
said, "King Alcinous, I will give the stranger all the
satisfaction you require. He shall have my sword, which is of
bronze, all but the hilt, which is of silver. I will also give
him the scabbard of newly sawn ivory into which it fits. It will
be worth a great deal to him."
As he spoke he placed the sword in the hands of Ulysses and
said, "Good luck to you, father stranger; if anything has been
said amiss may the winds blow it away with them, and may heaven
grant you a safe return, for I understand you have been long
away from home, and have gone through much hardship."
To which Ulysses answered, "Good luck to you too my friend, and
may the gods grant you every happiness. I hope you will not miss
the sword you have given me along with your apology."
With these words he girded the sword about his shoulders and
towards sundown the presents began to make their appearance, as
the servants of the donors kept bringing them to the house of
King Alcinous; here his sons received them, and placed them
under their mother's charge. Then Alcinous led the way to the
house and bade his guests take their seats.
"Wife," said he, turning to Queen Arete, "Go, fetch the best
chest we have, and put a clean cloak and shirt in it. Also, set
a copper on the fire and heat some water; our guest will take a
warm bath; see also to the careful packing of the presents that
the noble Phaeacians have made him; he will thus better enjoy
both his supper and the singing that will follow. I shall myself
give him this golden goblet--which is of exquisite
workmanship--that he may be reminded of me for the rest of his
life whenever he makes a drink offering to Jove, or to any of
the gods."
Then Arete told her maids to set a large tripod upon the fire as
fast as they could, whereon they set a tripod full of bath water
on to a clear fire; they threw on sticks to make it blaze, and
the water became hot as the flame played about the belly of the
tripod. Meanwhile Arete brought a magnificent chest from
her own room, and inside it she packed all the beautiful
presents of gold and raiment which the Phaeacians had brought.
Lastly she added a cloak and a good shirt from Alcinous, and
said to Ulysses:
"See to the lid yourself, and have the whole bound round at
once, for fear any one should rob you by the way when you are
asleep in your ship."
When Ulysses heard this he put the lid on the chest and made it
fast with a bond that Circe had taught him. He had done so
before an upper servant told him to come to the bath and wash
himself. He was very glad of a warm bath, for he had had no one
to wait upon him ever since he left the house of Calypso, who as
long as he remained with her had taken as good care of him as
though he had been a god. When the servants had done washing
and anointing him with oil, and had given him a clean cloak and
shirt, he left the bath room and joined the guests who were
sitting over their wine. Lovely Nausicaa stood by one of the
bearing-posts supporting the roof of the cloister, and admired
him as she saw him pass. "Farewell stranger," said she, "do not
forget me when you are safe at home again, for it is to me first
that you owe a ransom for having saved your life."
And Ulysses said, "Nausicaa, daughter of great Alcinous, may
Jove the mighty husband of Juno, grant that I may reach my home;
so shall I bless you as my guardian angel all my days, for it
was you who saved me."
When he had said this, he seated himself beside Alcinous.
Supper was then served, and the wine was mixed for drinking. A
servant led in the favourite bard Demodocus, and set him in the
midst of the company, near one of the bearing-posts supporting
the cloister, that he might lean against it. Then Ulysses cut
off a piece of roast pork with plenty of fat (for there was
abundance left on the joint) and said to a servant, "Take this
piece of pork over to Demodocus and tell him to eat it; for all
the pain his lays may cause me I will salute him none the less;
bards are honoured and respected throughout the world, for the
muse teaches them their songs and loves them."
The servant carried the pork in his fingers over to Demodocus,
who took it and was very much pleased. They then laid their
hands on the good things that were before them, and as soon as
they had had to eat and drink, Ulysses said to Demodocus,
"Demodocus, there is no one in the world whom I admire more than
I do you. You must have studied under the Muse, Jove's daughter,
and under Apollo, so accurately do you sing the return of the
Achaeans with all their sufferings and adventures. If you were
not there yourself, you must have heard it all from some one who
was. Now, however, change your song and tell us of the wooden
horse which Epeus made with the assistance of Minerva, and which
Ulysses got by stratagem into the fort of Troy after freighting
it with the men who afterwards sacked the city. If you will sing
this tale aright I will tell all the world how magnificently
heaven has endowed you."
The bard inspired of heaven took up the story at the point where
some of the Argives set fire to their tents and sailed away
while others, hidden within the horse, were waiting with
Ulysses in the Trojan place of assembly. For the Trojans
themselves had drawn the horse into their fortress, and it stood
there while they sat in council round it, and were in three
minds as to what they should do. Some were for breaking it up
then and there; others would have it dragged to the top of the
rock on which the fortress stood, and then thrown down the
precipice; while yet others were for letting it remain as an
offering and propitiation for the gods. And this was how they
settled it in the end, for the city was doomed when it took in
that horse, within which were all the bravest of the Argives
waiting to bring death and destruction on the Trojans. Anon he
sang how the sons of the Achaeans issued from the horse, and
sacked the town, breaking out from their ambuscade. He sang how
they overran the city hither and thither and ravaged it, and how
Ulysses went raging like Mars along with Menelaus to the house
of Deiphobus. It was there that the fight raged most furiously,
nevertheless by Minerva's help he was victorious.
All this he told, but Ulysses was overcome as he heard him, and
his cheeks were wet with tears. He wept as a woman weeps when
she throws herself on the body of her husband who has fallen
before his own city and people, fighting bravely in defence of
his home and children. She screams aloud and flings her arms
about him as he lies gasping for breath and dying, but her
enemies beat her from behind about the back and shoulders, and
carry her off into slavery, to a life of labour and sorrow, and
the beauty fades from her cheeks--even so piteously did Ulysses
weep, but none of those present perceived his tears except
Alcinous, who was sitting near him, and could hear the sobs and
sighs that he was heaving. The king, therefore, at once rose and
said:
"Aldermen and town councillors of the Phaeacians, let Demodocus
cease his song, for there are those present who do not seem to
like it. From the moment that we had done supper and Demodocus
began to sing, our guest has been all the time groaning and
lamenting. He is evidently in great trouble, so let the bard
leave off, that we may all enjoy ourselves, hosts and guest
alike. This will be much more as it should be, for all these
festivities, with the escort and the presents that we are making
with so much good will are wholly in his honour, and any one
with even a moderate amount of right feeling knows that he ought
to treat a guest and a suppliant as though he were his own
brother.
"Therefore, Sir, do you on your part affect no more concealment
nor reserve in the matter about which I shall ask you; it will
be more polite in you to give me a plain answer; tell me the
name by which your father and mother over yonder used to call
you, and by which you were known among your neighbours and
fellow-citizens. There is no one, neither rich nor poor, who is
absolutely without any name whatever, for people's fathers and
mothers give them names as soon as they are born. Tell me also
your country, nation, and city, that our ships may shape their
purpose accordingly and take you there. For the Phaeacians have
no pilots; their vessels have no rudders as those of other
nations have, but the ships themselves understand what it is
that we are thinking about and want; they know all the cities
and countries in the whole world, and can traverse the sea just
as well even when it is covered with mist and cloud, so that
there is no danger of being wrecked or coming to any harm. Still
I do remember hearing my father say that Neptune was angry with
us for being too easy-going in the matter of giving people
escorts. He said that one of these days he should wreck a ship
of ours as it was returning from having escorted some one,
and bury our city under a high mountain. This is what my father
used to say, but whether the god will carry out his threat or no
is a matter which he will decide for himself.
"And now, tell me and tell me true. Where have you been
wandering, and in what countries have you travelled? Tell us of
the peoples themselves, and of their cities--who were hostile,
savage and uncivilised, and who, on the other hand, hospitable
and humane. Tell us also why you are made so unhappy on hearing
about the return of the Argive Danaans from Troy. The gods
arranged all this, and sent them their misfortunes in order that
future generations might have something to sing about. Did you
lose some brave kinsman of your wife's when you were before
Troy? a son-in-law or father-in-law--which are the nearest
relations a man has outside his own flesh and blood? or was it
some brave and kindly-natured comrade--for a good friend is as
dear to a man as his own brother?"
Back to: The Odyssey