Odysseus, the Hero of Ithaca Part 3

CHAPTER IX ODYSSEUS ARRIVES AT THE PALACE OF ALKINOoS

After Nausicaa had mounted to her seat on the cart, she said to Odysseus: "Get ready now, stranger, and we will lead thee to my father's palace, where thou wilt meet the chiefs of the Phaeacians.

If thou art wise, take well to heart what I shall say to thee. As long as we are at a good distance from the city there is no harm in going along with us. Just follow close to the wagon with my maids.

"But when we come near to the town thou must go more slowly and tarry behind a little, till we have reached my father's hall, because I dread the gossip of the baser sort of people whom we may meet. After thou hast seen us enter the city, then thou mayest enter it also and inquire the way to the king's palace. It is very beautiful. Thou mayest easily find it by thyself, for there is no other house in the city as large as ours.

"Enter at once and find my mother and sue to her for protection and help, that thou mayest reach thy native land and thy dear ones again."

Having spoken these words, Nausicaa touched the mules with her long whip and they quickly left the river, wending their way toward the city. They reached it at sunset, but Odysseus sat down in the sacred grove of Athena, outside of the city to wait, and prayed to the G.o.ddess that he might receive pity from the people of Phaeacia.

While he prayed, the damsels went on and soon reached the king's palace.

Nausicaa's brothers came out and welcomed them, and unhitched the mules. When Odysseus had given them time to get home, he arose and found his way to the town. He had hardly entered it when Athena, in the form of a young girl carrying a pitcher of water, met him.

"My daughter," Odysseus said to her, "canst thou show me the way to the king's palace? I am a stranger, and here for the first time."

Athena answered him: "With pleasure, stranger; the king is our neighbor. Follow me, and I will lead thee thither. But on the way do not greet anyone or ask questions, for the people here are not fond of those who come from other lands."

Thus spoke Athena and pursued her way with Odysseus following her.

She threw a veil of darkness over the hero to hide him from rude gazers.

Odysseus beheld the beautiful port with astonishment--the large ships, the great market-place, and the high walls of the city.

When they reached the palace, the girl stopped and said: "This is the house of the king. Go in without any fear, for they love brave men, even when they come from afar. The first thing to do is to find the queen, whose name is Arete.

"She is greatly honored by the king, and all the people treat her as if she were a G.o.ddess, on account of her gentleness and virtue.

In case the queen looks upon thee with favor, thou mayest be sure of safely reaching home."

Having spoken these words, the G.o.ddess took a friendly leave of the hero, and he entered the outer hall of Alkinoos, where he was bewildered by the splendor. The walls were of bra.s.s, the doors of gold, and the thresholds and lintels of pure silver. On each side of the main entrance gold and silver dogs stood guard. They were endowed with life and were immortal, the work and gift of the divine Hephaestus.

There were two rows of splendid seats in the large dining-hall. They were covered with costly mats, and the Phaeacian leaders were wont to sit there and enjoy themselves. Golden statues of boys with lighted torches in their hands stood on beautiful pedestals and spread light over the merry banquets. There were fifty maid-servants in the palace.

Some of them were grinding corn in the mill. Some spent their time in spinning and weaving, for as the men were renowned sailors, the women also were famous for making fine cloth.

There was a large orchard all around the palace, surrounded by a thick hedge. In the orchard there was a great variety of fruit-trees--pear, apple, pomegranate, olive, and fig. The trees were never bare of fruit, either in summer or in winter, for an ever-blowing west wind created such a mild climate that the trees were constantly blooming and ripening their fruit.

There was to be seen a tree full of blossoms, while another bent down under the load of ripe fruit. Thus it was with the grape-vines in the vineyard close to the orchard. Some were blooming, others had only begun to form fruit-buds, while some were loaded with ripe cl.u.s.ters ready for the wine-press. At the end of the orchard there was a magnificent flower-garden, in which the most fragrant flowers were blooming. Two springs also bubbled from the ground. One watered the orchard, and the other ran to the very door of the palace, and all the people filled their pitchers there. Such were the gifts Alkinoos had received from the G.o.ds.

CHAPTER X ODYSSEUS IN THE HALLS OF ALKINOoS

After Odysseus had contemplated these wonders to his heart's content, he entered the main hall. There he found the leaders of the Phaeacians bringing offerings of wine to Hermes, as the hour of sleep had arrived, and this was always their last ceremony before seeking slumber. No one saw Odysseus as he crossed the s.p.a.cious room and came close to the king and queen, for he was still concealed in the thick mist which Athena had thrown round him. Suddenly the cloud vanished, and Odysseus threw himself at the feet of Arete, and raised his voice in supplication.

"Arete," he prayed, "I have come to thy husband and to thy feet through many hardships and sorrows. May the G.o.ds give thee a long and happy life. For many years I have been a wanderer from home and all I love.

I beg that thou wilt give me a guide and send me to my own land."

When Odysseus had spoken these words he sat down amidst the ashes, close to the fire, and all the guests grew silent and looked at him with wonder. Then the oldest of the chiefs arose and said: "Alkinoos, this is not a royal seat for a stranger, among the cinders of the hearth. I pray thee, raise him up and place him on a throne, and order the heralds to fill a cup with wine, that we may pour a libation to Zeus, the protector of suppliants, and bid the guest welcome to our good cheer."

Then Alkinoos arose and took Odysseus by the hand. He led him to a splendid throne but little lower than his own, while the herald placed a table before him loaded with dainty food. When Odysseus had eaten and drunk, the attendants filled the cups to pour libations in honor of Zeus, and Alkinoos said to them: "Listen, ye leaders and chiefs of the Phaeacians. To-morrow we shall greet the stranger in our palace with honors and offer a great sacrifice to the G.o.ds. And then we will consider the best way of sending him home. But if we should find that he is a G.o.d instead of a mortal, we will do what seems best, for the G.o.ds do sometimes visit us in human shape."

Then said Odysseus: "Nay, Alkinoos, I am not a G.o.d, nor like the G.o.ds in form or looks. I am only a wanderer, and I could tell of fearful sorrows; and I would willingly die if I could only see my home once more."

The guests all greeted Odysseus with approving words, and promised to aid him. Then they rose, and each man went to his own home.

Odysseus remained in the hall with Arete and Alkinoos. As they conversed, the queen noticed the garments of Odysseus, because she had woven them herself, and she said to him: "Stranger, who art thou, and from what land? Didst thou not say thou hadst come here after many wanderings and voyages on the stormy sea? Who gave thee garments of my weaving?"

Odysseus answered her: "It would not be easy, gracious queen, to tell about all my hardships and sufferings. Yet I will do thy bidding.

I was shipwrecked long since, and thrown upon an island far out in the sea, where Calypso, the daughter of Atlas, lives. She cared for me most kindly, and would have made me, like herself, an immortal, but I chose instead the hope of seeing my own native land.

"The G.o.ddess detained me seven long years on her island before she bade me start for home. I built a raft, which she stored with food, and she sent a pleasant breeze to carry me across the waters. But Poseidon stirred the winds and waves against me, and I was thrown upon the sh.o.r.es of this island, near the lavers, where thy daughter and her maids went to wash the household linen. There the princess found me, and supplied me with food and the garments I have on."

"One duty my daughter left undone," Alkinoos said. "She should have brought thee home with her." "Do not blame her, I entreat," replied Odysseus, "for she bade me come with her maids, but I lingered in a grove to offer a prayer to Athena." When Alkinoos had heard this tale from Odysseus, he promised once more to give him a ship and sailors to escort him home.

Meanwhile the queen bade her servants prepare a bed for the hero out on the portico, and they covered a couch with s.h.a.ggy rugs and purple tapestries, where he could rest. With a grateful heart Odysseus arose, and, thanking the king for his generous hospitality, sought the bed, where he gave himself to happy dreams.

Odysseus rose early the next morning and went with Alkinoos to the market-place, close to the sea, where all the Phaeacians had a.s.sembled.

The people gazed with admiration at their stranger-guest, for Athena lent him greater dignity and beauty, and she went among the crowds, moving their hearts to sympathy with him.

Alkinoos then addressed the a.s.sembled mult.i.tude: "Hear me, ye chiefs of the Phaeacians," he said. "This stranger has come to our land after many wanderings and adventures. And he asks me to send him back to his own country. Let us fit out a ship for him quickly and launch it, and give him fifty-two young men from among our best sailors, who shall get everything ready for the long journey.

"While they are doing this the stranger shall come to my halls with the chiefs and princes, where we will make a great banquet. Summon also the bard, Demodokos, that he may enliven the festival with his harp and songs."

Having spoken, Alkinoos rose and led his guest back to the palace, the princes following him. Fifty-two youths were soon chosen from among the best seamen, and they launched a ship speedily and went up to the royal palace.

CHAPTER XI THE BANQUET IN HONOR OF ODYSSEUS

Alkinoos now ordered a sumptuous feast in honor of his guest. When the table was spread, the herald who had gone for Demodokos came in leading the bard, who was blind. The G.o.ds had deprived him of sight, but had bestowed upon him the gift of song. They gave him a seat on a silver throne, amid the guests, and hung his harp against a lofty pillar, close above his head, where he could easily reach it.

When all had eaten and drunk as much as they desired, Demodokos took his lyre and began to sing about the heroes of Troy. It was a song whose fame had reached over the whole world, the story of a friendly strife between Achilles and Odysseus before Troy, in which Achilles held that Troy would fall by force, but Odysseus maintained that it would come to an end through the cunning of a few brave Greeks.

All the guests enjoyed listening to the thrilling song, but Odysseus was deeply touched, and tears fell from his eyes. He brushed them away stealthily, so that no one should observe them, and drew a large purple veil over his face until the song was finished, when he put it away and took a goblet of wine, which he poured out on the ground as a libation to the G.o.ds.

Again the minstrel took his harp and sang, and again Odysseus wept.

Alkinoos noticed that the song of Demodokos moved Odysseus to tears, and thought it might be well to stay the music awhile and begin the games, that the stranger might witness the athletic skill of the Phaeacians. All the princes instantly arose and walked down to the market-place, the king leading and the people following.

When the chiefs had taken their seats a great number of young men hastened forward to begin the games. Some of them darted over the plain in a foot-race, raising a cloud of dust. Others strove with all their might in wrestling-matches, while some threw the quoit or played at boxing and leaping. After they had enjoyed looking at the games, Laodamas, a son of Alkinoos, said to his friends: "Let us ask the stranger to take part in the games. His strong arms and legs and powerful neck show that he is no weakling. Nor has he lost his youthful vigor after all his hardships, although nothing tires a man so much as being tossed about on the sea."

Then the friends of Laodamas advised him to challenge Odysseus to take part in the games; and this seemed right to the prince, so he said to him: "Father, I think thou must be skilful in these games.

Let us see thee try them. We will not delay thee long. Thy ship is ready for thee on the sea, and the crew is there, waiting. But there is no greater glory or pleasure for a man than to excel in swiftness of foot and strength of muscle."

Odysseus answered him: "Why dost thou urge me, O Laodamas? How can I take part in the games or find any pleasure in them after all that I have suffered? Here I sit, a suppliant, praying to be sent back to my wife and home." Then Euryalos scoffed at him, saying: "Thou art right, stranger, for thy countenance shows thou art anything but an athlete.

"Methinks thou art the owner of some merchant-vessel. Thou art a trader, whose head is full of bargains. Such men can take heed of nothing except how to increase wealth."