Odysseus, the Hero of Ithaca Part 4

These mocking words vexed Odysseus, and he retorted: "My friend, thou dost not speak like a man of good mind. The G.o.ds do not bestow their gifts equally on all men. To thee they have given great beauty, but they have denied thee wit. Thy words carry no weight. Learn, then, that I am not unskilled in the games. When I was young and strong I was one of the best athletes. But even now, after all my shipwrecks and hardships, I will strive with thee, for thy words are offensive and challenge me to the proof."

Having said this, Odysseus seized a much larger and heavier quoit than the Phaeacian prince could use, and swinging it in his powerful hand he hurled it forth. The stone whirred through the air and fell to the ground away beyond the marks of the other disks. Then Athena took the form of a Phaeacian and set a mark where the quoit fell, and exclaimed as she did so: "Stranger, even a blind man could easily find thy mark, for it is far beyond the others. Sit down in peace and do not fear that anybody else can throw so far." Odysseus was pleased when he heard these friendly words. With a light heart he said to the Phaeacian youths: "Reach my mark, if you can, young men, and I will send a stone farther yet. But if you cannot reach it, and prefer a match at boxing or wrestling or foot-race, come forth. I am ready to try any of the games with you. I can throw a spear farther than any of you can shoot an arrow. I fear nothing unless it may be the foot-race, for I have lost my strength with want of food and being tossed by the waves."

He ended, and King Alkinoos stepped forward, for the young men were all silent. "Stranger," he said, "thou art our dearly loved guest, and no one can doubt thy bravery. We do not boast that we are fine boxers or wrestlers. We excel in the dance and are unsurpa.s.sed in sailing ships. Come, then, young men, show your skill in dancing, that our guest may tell his people when he reaches his home how much we outdo all others in that art. And let a herald hasten to the palace and bring the lyre of Demodokos, which has been left there."

The young men arranged themselves in two rows on the polished floors and began the dance, while the minstrel, standing in their midst, played on the lyre and sang most sweetly. Odysseus looked on and greatly admired the swift and rhythmical movements of their feet.

All danced very well; but two of the sons of the king came out and danced alone, for none of the others equalled them. One of them held a golden ball in his hand, and bending backward threw it so high that it seemed to touch the clouds. The other sprang up and caught it easily before it touched the ground.

They both danced, going through intricate and rhythmical figures, while the other young men stood around in a circle and clapped their hands, keeping time. Then Odysseus said to Alkinoos: "Truly, no one excels the Phaeacian princes in dancing. I see the twinkling of their feet with amazement."

These words pleased Alkinoos greatly, and he said to his people: "Listen, my chiefs, for our guest seems to be a wise man. It becomes us now to bestow upon him the gifts of hospitality. In this land there are twelve kings. I am the thirteenth. Let each one of us bring a fine cloak, and a tunic, and a talent of gold, that our guest may see them before he partakes of the evening banquet. And let Euryalos, who spoke such scoffing words to him, try to win back his friendship and bring a costly gift." All the chiefs approved the words of King Alkinoos, and each one sent a servant to his house to bring a valuable present.

Euryalos cheerfully obeyed the king. He brought a bra.s.s sword with a silver hilt to Odysseus, and said: "My father, if I have uttered any offensive word to thee, may the winds scatter all remembrance of it. May the G.o.ds grant thee a speedy return to thy country, where thou shalt see thy wife and friends from whom thou hast so long been separated."

Odysseus answered: "Hail to thee, also, my friend! May the G.o.ds give thee all that there is good, and may no need of this sword ever come to thee." Odysseus took the sword and threw it across his shoulders.

The sun had set, and the servants carried the gifts to the royal palace, where the queen took care of them. King Alkinoos led the way to the palace, his guest at his side and the princes following. When they had taken their seats on high thrones, the king told his wife to lay the royal presents in a chest, adding a much richer cloak and tunic than anyone else had given as a gift from himself.

Arete did as her husband wished, and placed a beautiful cup of gold also in the chest, and led Odysseus up to look at the presents. Then she taught him how to lock the chest and unlock it, and her maids called him to a warm bath, after which he anointed himself with fragrant oil and put on fresh garments.

While he was wending his way to the men who sat before their wine, he met Nausicaa in her G.o.ddess-like beauty, standing near a pillar.

"Stranger, farewell," she said. "I wish thee joy and a safe return to thy native land. Do not forget that I was the first to befriend thee in the land of the Phaeacians."

Odysseus answered: "May the G.o.ds be as sure to favor my return to my home as I shall be to make a prayer daily in thy behalf, fair maiden, who hath saved my life." Then Odysseus entered the great hall and took his place at the feast.

CHAPTER XII ODYSSEUS RELATES HIS ADVENTURES

When they had all eaten and drunk to their hearts' content, the hero begged Demodokos to sing about the invention of the wooden horse with which Odysseus had artfully tricked the Trojans to their own destruction.

The minstrel felt the inspiration of the song, and began where the Greeks threw firebrands into their own tents and sailed away from Troy, pretending that they had given up the war.

He told how the Trojans wondered what to do with the huge wooden horse which the enemy had left in their city, whether to hew it to pieces and burn it, or to drag it to the edge of a high rock and throw it over, or whether to spare it as an act of reverence to the G.o.ds. This last was done, and in the night Odysseus and his men came out of the great wooden trap and set fire to the city while the men of Troy slept.

As Demodokos sang, tears rolled down the cheeks of Odysseus. but no one noticed his weeping except the king, who said: "It is better to stop the song of Demodokos, as it does not delight us all. Ever since the bard began to sing, our guest has been weeping. He carries some great trouble in his heart. Let the song cease, and let us all make merry. Let no grief mar our banquet. And, honored stranger, tell us the name of thy father, and the city which is thy home. Our seamen shall take thee safely to thine own land, although there is a prophecy that one of our good ships shall be changed into a high rock, to stand forever in front of our city, if we show such courtesies to strangers.

"Tell us truly who thou art and whither thou hast roamed, what tribes of men thou hast seen, and why thou dost weep when the minstrel sings of Troy. Didst thou lose a n.o.ble kinsman there, or a dear friend?

For a friend is often dearer than a brother." Odysseus replied: "In truth, O king, it is a pleasant thing to listen to a bard like Demodokos, for his voice is as sweet as the voice of a G.o.d.

"And I cannot think of anything more delightful than the joy of a contented people listening to a great poet and singer while seated at a feast in a royal hall. But I pine to be at home, and I will declare my name and tell the story of my sufferings.

"I am the chieftain Odysseus, son of Laertes, and widely known to fame. I dwell in sunny Ithaca, whose high mountains are seen from afar, covered with rustling trees. Around it are many smaller islands, full of people. Ithaca has low sh.o.r.es on the east. It is a rugged island, but it is the sweetest land on earth, and has a n.o.ble race of mortals. When the Trojan war was at an end, I started for home with my twelve ships, but a contrary wind drove us to Ismaros, the city of the Kikonians.

"We captured it and put the inhabitants to the sword. Then I exhorted my comrades to fly, but, like madmen, they remained on the sea-sh.o.r.e.

Then they slaughtered a large number of sheep and oxen and made a feast. The Kikonians called on their strong neighbors to come and help them, and they came in swarms with their brazen spears. They fell upon our men and killed six of them from each ship, and drove the rest back to their boats.

"Brisk handling of our oars soon carried us out into the sea, but Jove sent a hurricane that tore our sails and split our masts, so that our sailors drew them into the ships in fear. Two days and nights we lay helpless in our boats, worn out with fear and grief, but the third day the sun shone on us again, and we raised the masts and sails to take the breeze, hoping to reach our own land."

CHAPTER XIII THE LOTUS-EATERS AND THE CYCLOPS

"We sailed onward in a westerly direction, heading for the Grecian sh.o.r.e, and thought our trials would soon be at an end. But in this we were disappointed, for when we were about to round the cape at the southern point of Greece, we met an evil wind which always blows there, and it drove us far to the east, beyond the island of Cythera.

"Nine days and nine nights we were driven about on the sea by the violent storm, and on the tenth we reached the land of the Lotus-eaters.

These men eat flowers that look like water-lilies, and they have no other food. We landed on the sh.o.r.e of the mainland, and my comrades took their evening meal close to the boats.

"When our hunger was satisfied, I sent out two of the best men to explore the country about and find out what sort of people the Lotus-eaters were. I sent a herald with them, whom they might send back with the news.

"They soon found themselves among the Lotus-eaters, who were gentle and friendly, and gave them the lotus plant to eat. This food is pleasant to the taste, but dangerous; for anyone who eats of it loses all desire to return to his own home. He forgets his cares and troubles, but also his friends.

"As soon as my comrades had eaten of the lotus, they became attached to the Lotus-eaters, and desired to remain with them. They wept bitterly when I commanded them to return to the ships, and I was obliged to force them to go.

"I bound them down to the benches in the ships, and the whole company went on board in haste lest they should never think of their homes again. Each man bent to his oars, and the waves were soon white with the beating of the ships against them as we sailed with all haste in the direction of our own land.

"We sailed about on unknown seas and with sorrowing hearts until we came to the land of the Cyclops. They are a wild people who have no laws. They never plough the fields nor plant them, for everything grows of its own accord--wheat, and barley, and the vine. The grapes yield good wine. The Cyclops do not come together in a friendly way, but live in caves near the mountain tops, each one in his own den.

They do not care much for one another, and each rules his wife and children as he likes.

"There is a little woody island lying at the entrance to the land of the Cyclops, on which swarm numberless wild goats, never disturbed by human beings, for the Cyclops have no ships to take them over.

This island is very fertile, but there are no sheep to eat the gra.s.s and no people to plough the fields. The goats are the only inhabitants.

The island has a harbor which is safe, and the ships that enter it have no need of anchors or fastenings.

"In the midst of the harbor there is a cliff, from which bubbles forth a spring of excellent water, and poplar-trees grow all around it.

The soil is so rich it might bear all kinds of fruit, if there were anyone to plant them. There are beautiful meadows all along the coast, which are gay with yellow fruit and pink blossoms.

"We were shaping our course toward this island, and a good breeze brought us there on a dark night. The moon did not shine and none of the crew saw the land until we were upon the sh.o.r.e. We lowered our sails and rested there until morning. When daylight appeared we beheld with wonder the island where the wild goats abounded. My comrades walked around, admiring the beauty of the place, while the nymphs, daughters of Zeus, roused the goats that they might give us milk. We took our bows and arrows from the ships immediately and, forming three hunting-parties, killed a great number of the nimble creatures. Each of my twelve ships received nine goats as its share, but mine received ten. The remainder of the day we pa.s.sed in eating and drinking."

CHAPTER XIV THE CAVE OF THE CYCLOPS

"The next day I started with twelve men, the crew of my own ship, to find out what kind of men inhabited the country opposite us, leaving all the other boats and their men on the island. When we sailed up to the coast of the mainland, we heard the voices of giants, and the bleating of their sheep and goats. And we saw a cave with a high roof, over whose entrance grew laurel shrubs, and many cattle, sheep, and goats were lying around at rest. We found an enclosure of rough stone in the form of a court, with tall pines and leafy oaks at the mouth of the cave.

"The largest giant of all the race of Cyclops dwelt there and took care of his cattle all alone. Usually he spent his time prowling all by himself around the mountains. He had nothing to do with his neighbors, but led a solitary life, plotting wicked deeds. He looked more like a huge mountain top, with s.h.a.ggy overhanging forests, towering above other mountains, than a human being.

"We were soon inside the cave, but we did not find the owner at home.

We had carried with us a wine-skin full of wine which a priest of Apollo had given us. The wine was very fragrant and so pleasant that no one who had once tasted it, could let it alone. We had taken along a basket of food also, for fear of meeting with men of great strength and no sense of the courtesy due to strangers.

"As we looked around the cave we wondered at what we saw. There were baskets all about heaped with cheeses, and pens of lambs separated into three folds, the older in one pen, the younger in another, and the youngest in a third. And there were pails full of whey, and buckets of milk. My companions ate as much of the cheese as they liked, after which they begged to drive all the lambs and kids down to the ship.

"But I would not allow this. It was my wish to stay there and see the cave-dweller and find out what kind of a man he was. I thought he would give me a handsome present, according to the laws of hospitality. It was cold in the cave, so we lit a fire and sat down to wait for the owner to arrive.