The Odyssey of Homer Part 36

Oh consort dear! already we have striv'n Against our lot, till wearied with the toil, My painful absence, thou with ceaseless tears 420 Deploring, and myself in deep distress Withheld reluctant from my native sh.o.r.es By Jove and by the other pow'rs of heav'n.

But since we have in this delightful bed Met once again, watch thou and keep secure All my domestic treasures, and ere long I will replace my num'rous sheep destroy'd By those imperious suitors, and the Greeks Shall add yet others till my folds be fill'd.

But to the woodlands go I now--to see 430 My n.o.ble father, who for my sake mourns Continual; as for thee, my love, although I know thee wise, I give thee thus in charge.

The sun no sooner shall ascend, than fame Shall wide divulge the deed that I have done, Slaying the suitors under my own roof.

Thou, therefore, with thy maidens, sit retired In thy own chamber at the palace-top, Nor question ask, nor, curious, look abroad.

He said, and cov'ring with his radiant arms 440 His shoulders, called Telemachus; he roused Eumaeus and the herdsman too, and bade All take their martial weapons in their hand.

Not disobedient they, as he enjoin'd, Put armour on, and issued from the gates Ulysses at their head. The earth was now Enlighten'd, but Minerva them in haste Led forth into the fields, unseen by all.

FOOTNOTES:

[108] The proof consisted in this--that the bed being attached to the stump of an olive tree still rooted, was immovable, and Ulysses having made it himself, no person present, he must needs be apprized of the impossibility of her orders, if he were indeed Ulysses; accordingly, this demonstration of his ident.i.ty satisfies all her scruples.

[109] See the note on the same pa.s.sage, Book XI.

[110] Aristophanes the grammarian and Aristarchus chose that the Odyssey should end here; but the story is not properly concluded till the tumult occasioned by the slaughter of so many Princes being composed, Ulysses finds himself once more in peaceful possession of his country.

BOOK XXIV

ARGUMENT

Mercury conducts the souls of the suitors down to Ades. Ulysses discovers himself to Laertes, and quells, by the aid of Minerva, an insurrection of the people resenting the death of the suitors.

And now Cyllenian Hermes summon'd forth The spirits of the suitors; waving wide The golden wand of pow'r to seal all eyes In slumber, and to ope them wide again, He drove them gibb'ring down into the shades,[111]

As when the bats within some hallow'd cave Flit squeaking all around, for if but one Fall from the rock, the rest all follow him, In such connexion mutual they adhere, So, after bounteous Mercury, the ghosts, 10 Troop'd downward gibb'ring all the dreary way.[111]

The Ocean's flood and the Leucadian rock, The Sun's gate also and the land of Dreams They pa.s.s'd, whence, next, into the meads they came Of Asphodel, by shadowy forms possess'd, Simulars of the dead. They found the souls Of brave Pelides there, and of his friend Patroclus, of Antilochus renown'd, And of the mightier Ajax, for his form And bulk (Achilles sole except) of all 20 The sons of the Achaians most admired.

These waited on Achilles. Then, appear'd The mournful ghost of Agamemnon, son Of Atreus, compa.s.s'd by the ghosts of all Who shared his fate beneath aegisthus' roof, And him the ghost of Peleus' son bespake.

Atrides! of all Heroes we esteem'd Thee dearest to the G.o.ds, for that thy sway Extended over such a glorious host At Ilium, scene of sorrow to the Greeks. 30 But Fate, whose ruthless force none may escape Of all who breathe, pursued thee from the first.

Thou should'st have perish'd full of honour, full Of royalty, at Troy; so all the Greeks Had rais'd thy tomb, and thou hadst then bequeath'd Great glory to thy son; but Fate ordain'd A death, oh how deplorable! for thee.

To whom Atrides' spirit thus replied.

Blest son of Peleus, semblance of the G.o.ds, At Ilium, far from Argos, fall'n! for whom 40 Contending, many a Trojan, many a Chief Of Greece died also, while in eddies whelm'd Of dust thy vastness spread the plain,[112] nor thee The chariot aught or steed could int'rest more!

All day we waged the battle, nor at last Desisted, but for tempests sent from Jove.

At length we bore into the Greecian fleet Thy body from the field; there, first, we cleansed With tepid baths and oil'd thy shapely corse, Then placed thee on thy bier, while many a Greek 50 Around thee wept, and sh.o.r.e his locks for thee.

Thy mother, also, hearing of thy death With her immortal nymphs from the abyss Arose and came; terrible was the sound On the salt flood; a panic seized the Greeks, And ev'ry warrior had return'd on board That moment, had not Nestor, ancient Chief, Illumed by long experience, interposed, His counsels, ever wisest, wisest proved Then also, and he thus address'd the host. 60 Sons of Achaia; fly not; stay, ye Greeks!

Thetis arrives with her immortal nymphs From the abyss, to visit her dead son.

So he; and, by his admonition stay'd, The Greeks fled not. Then, all around thee stood The daughters of the Ancient of the Deep, Mourning disconsolate; with heav'nly robes They clothed thy corse, and all the Muses nine Deplored thee in full choir with sweetest tones Responsive, nor one Greecian hadst thou seen 70 Dry-eyed, such grief the Muses moved in all.

Full sev'nteen days we, day and night, deplored Thy death, both G.o.ds in heav'n and men below, But, on the eighteenth day, we gave thy corse Its burning, and fat sheep around thee slew Num'rous, with many a pastur'd ox moon-horn'd.

We burn'd thee clothed in vesture of the G.o.ds, With honey and with oil feeding the flames Abundant, while Achaia's Heroes arm'd, Both horse and foot, encompa.s.sing thy pile, 80 Clash'd on their shields, and deaf'ning was the din.

But when the fires of Vulcan had at length Consumed thee, at the dawn we stored thy bones In unguent and in undiluted wine; For Thetis gave to us a golden vase Twin-ear'd, which she profess'd to have received From Bacchus, work divine of Vulcan's hand.

Within that vase, Achilles, treasured lie Thine and the bones of thy departed friend Patroclus, but a sep'rate urn we gave 90 To those of brave Antilochus, who most Of all thy friends at Ilium shared thy love And thy respect, thy friend Patroclus slain.

Around both urns we piled a n.o.ble tomb, (We warriors of the sacred Argive host) On a tall promontory shooting far Into the s.p.a.cious h.e.l.lespont, that all Who live, and who shall yet be born, may view Thy record, even from the distant waves.

Then, by permission from the G.o.ds obtain'd, 100 To the Achaian Chiefs in circus met Thetis appointed games. I have beheld The burial rites of many an Hero bold, When, on the death of some great Chief, the youths Girding their loins antic.i.p.ate the prize, But sight of those with wonder fill'd me most, So glorious past all others were the games By silver-footed Thetis giv'n for thee, For thou wast ever favour'd of the G.o.ds.

Thus, hast thou not, Achilles! although dead, 110 Foregone thy glory, but thy fair report Is universal among all mankind; But, as for me, what recompense had I, My warfare closed? for whom, at my return, Jove framed such dire destruction by the hands Of fell aegisthus and my murth'ress wife.

Thus, mutual, they conferr'd; meantime approach'd, Swift messenger of heav'n, the Argicide, Conducting thither all the shades of those Slain by Ulysses. At that sight amazed 120 Both moved toward them. Agamemnon's shade Knew well Amphimedon, for he had been Erewhile his father's guest in Ithaca, And thus the spirit of Atreus' son began.

Amphimedon! by what disastrous chance, Covals as ye seem, and of an air Distinguish'd all, descend ye to the Deeps?

For not the chosen youths of a whole town Should form a n.o.bler band. Perish'd ye sunk Amid vast billows and rude tempests raised 130 By Neptune's pow'r? or on dry land through force Of hostile mult.i.tudes, while cutting off Beeves from the herd, or driving flocks away?

Or fighting for your city and your wives?

Resolve me? I was once a guest of yours.

Remember'st not what time at your abode With G.o.dlike Menelaus I arrived, That we might win Ulysses with his fleet To follow us to Troy? scarce we prevail'd At last to gain the city-waster Chief, 140 And, after all, consumed a whole month more The wide sea traversing from side to side.

To whom the spirit of Amphimedon.

Ill.u.s.trious Agamemnon, King of men!

All this I bear in mind, and will rehea.r.s.e The manner of our most disastrous end.

Believing brave Ulysses lost, we woo'd Meantime his wife; she our detested suit Would neither ratify nor yet refuse, But, planning for us a tremendous death, 150 This novel stratagem, at last, devised.

Beginning, in her own recess, a web Of slend'rest thread, and of a length and breadth Unusual, thus the suitors she address'd.

Princes, my suitors! since the n.o.ble Chief Ulysses is no more, enforce not yet My nuptials; wait till I shall finish first A fun'ral robe (lest all my threads decay) Which for the ancient Hero I prepare, Laertes, looking for the mournful hour 160 When fate shall s.n.a.t.c.h him to eternal rest; Else, I the censure dread of all my s.e.x, Should he so wealthy, want at last a shroud.

So spake the Queen; we, unsuspicious all, With her request complied. Thenceforth, all day She wove the ample web, and by the aid Of torches ravell'd it again at night.

Three years she thus by artifice our suit Eluded safe, but when the fourth arrived, And the same season, after many moons 170 And fleeting days, return'd, a damsel then Of her attendants, conscious of the fraud, Reveal'd it, and we found her pulling loose The splendid web. Thus, through constraint, at length, She finish'd it, and in her own despight.

But when the Queen produced, at length, her work Finish'd, new-blanch'd, bright as the sun or moon, Then came Ulysses, by some adverse G.o.d Conducted, to a cottage on the verge Of his own fields, in which his swine-herd dwells; 180 There also the ill.u.s.trious Hero's son Arrived soon after, in his sable bark From sandy Pylus borne; they, plotting both A dreadful death for all the suitors, sought Our glorious city, but Ulysses last, And first Telemachus. The father came Conducted by his swine-herd, and attired In tatters foul; a mendicant he seem'd, Time-worn, and halted on a staff. So clad, And ent'ring on the sudden, he escaped 190 All knowledge even of our eldest there, And we reviled and smote him; he although Beneath his own roof smitten and reproach'd, With patience suffer'd it awhile, but roused By inspiration of Jove aegis-arm'd At length, in concert with his son convey'd To his own chamber his resplendent arms, There lodg'd them safe, and barr'd the ma.s.sy doors Then, in his subtlety he bade the Queen A contest inst.i.tute with bow and rings 200 Between the hapless suitors, whence ensued Slaughter to all. No suitor there had pow'r To overcome the stubborn bow that mock'd All our attempts; and when the weapon huge At length was offer'd to Ulysses' hands, With clamour'd menaces we bade the swain Withhold it from him, plead he as he might; Telemachus alone with loud command, Bade give it him, and the ill.u.s.trious Chief Receiving in his hand the bow, with ease 210 Bent it, and sped a shaft through all the rings.

Then, springing to the portal steps, he pour'd The arrows forth, peer'd terrible around, Pierced King Antinous, and, aiming sure His deadly darts, pierced others after him, Till in one common carnage heap'd we lay.

Some G.o.d, as plain appear'd, vouchsafed them aid, Such ardour urged them, and with such dispatch They slew us on all sides; hideous were heard The groans of dying men fell'd to the earth 220 With head-strokes rude, and the floor swam with blood.

Such, royal Agamemnon! was the fate By which we perish'd, all whose bodies lie Unburied still, and in Ulysses' house, For tidings none have yet our friends alarm'd And kindred, who might cleanse from sable gore Our clotted wounds, and mourn us on the bier, Which are the rightful privilege of the dead.

Him answer'd, then, the shade of Atreus' son.

Oh happy offspring of Laertes! shrewd 230 Ulysses! matchless valour thou hast shewn Recov'ring thus thy wife; nor less appears The virtue of Icarius' daughter wise, The chaste Penelope, so faithful found To her Ulysses, husband of her youth.

His glory, by superior merit earn'd, Shall never die, and the immortal G.o.ds Shall make Penelope a theme of song Delightful in the ears of all mankind.

Not such was Clytemnestra, daughter vile 240 Of Tyndarus; she shed her husband's blood, And shall be chronicled in song a wife Of hateful memory, by whose offence Even the virtuous of her s.e.x are shamed.

Thus they, beneath the vaulted roof obscure Of Pluto's house, conferring mutual stood.

Meantime, descending from the city-gates, Ulysses, by his son and by his swains Follow'd, arrived at the delightful farm Which old Laertes had with strenuous toil 250 Himself long since acquired. There stood his house Encompa.s.s'd by a bow'r in which the hinds Who served and pleased him, ate, and sat, and slept.

An ancient woman, a Sicilian, dwelt There also, who in that sequester'd spot Attended diligent her aged Lord.

Then thus Ulysses to his followers spake.

Haste now, and, ent'ring, slay ye of the swine The best for our regale; myself, the while, Will prove my father, if his eye hath still 260 Discernment of me, or if absence long Have worn the knowledge of me from his mind.

He said, and gave into his servants' care His arms; they swift proceeded to the house, And to the fruitful grove himself as swift To prove his father. Down he went at once Into the s.p.a.cious garden-plot, but found Nor Dolius there, nor any of his sons Or servants; they were occupied elsewhere, And, with the ancient hind himself, employ'd 270 Collecting thorns with which to fence the grove.

In that umbrageous spot he found alone Laertes, with his hoe clearing a plant; Sordid his tunic was, with many a patch Mended unseemly; leathern were his greaves, Thong-tied and also patch'd, a frail defence Against sharp thorns, while gloves secured his hands From briar-points, and on his head he bore A goat-skin casque, nourishing hopeless woe.

No sooner then the Hero toil-inured 280 Saw him age-worn and wretched, than he paused Beneath a lofty pear-tree's shade to weep.

There standing much he mused, whether, at once, Kissing and clasping in his arms his sire, To tell him all, by what means he had reach'd His native country, or to prove him first.

At length, he chose as his best course, with words Of seeming strangeness to accost his ear, And, with that purpose, moved direct toward him.

He, stooping low, loosen'd the earth around 290 A garden-plant, when his ill.u.s.trious son Now, standing close beside him, thus began.

Old sir! thou art no novice in these toils Of culture, but thy garden thrives; I mark In all thy ground no plant, fig, olive, vine, Pear-tree or flow'r-bed suff'ring through neglect.

But let it not offend thee if I say That thou neglect'st thyself, at the same time Oppress'd with age, sun-parch'd and ill-attired.

Not for thy inactivity, methinks, 300 Thy master slights thee thus, nor speaks thy form Or thy surpa.s.sing stature servile aught In thee, but thou resemblest more a King.

Yes--thou resemblest one who, bathed and fed, Should softly sleep; such is the claim of age.

But tell me true--for whom labourest thou, And whose this garden? answer me beside, For I would learn; have I indeed arrived In Ithaca, as one whom here I met Ev'n now a.s.sured me, but who seem'd a man 310 Not overwise, refusing both to hear My questions, and to answer when I ask'd Concerning one in other days my guest And friend, if he have still his being here, Or have deceas'd and journey'd to the shades.

For I will tell thee; therefore mark. Long since A stranger reach'd my house in my own land, Whom I with hospitality receiv'd, Nor ever sojourn'd foreigner with me Whom I lov'd more. He was by birth, he said, 320 Ithacan, and Laertes claim'd his sire, Son of Arcesias. Introducing him Beneath my roof, I entertain'd him well, And proved by gifts his welcome at my board.

I gave him seven talents of wrought gold, A goblet, argent all, with flow'rs emboss'd, Twelve single cloaks, twelve carpets, mantles twelve Of brightest l.u.s.tre, with as many vests, And added four fair damsels, whom he chose Himself, well born and well accomplish'd all. 330 Then thus his ancient sire weeping replied.

Stranger! thou hast in truth attain'd the isle Of thy enquiry, but it is possess'd By a rude race, and lawless. Vain, alas!

Were all thy num'rous gifts; yet hadst thou found Him living here in Ithaca, with gifts Reciprocated he had sent thee hence, Requiting honourably in his turn Thy hospitality. But give me quick Answer and true. How many have been the years 340 Since thy reception of that hapless guest My son? for mine, my own dear son was he.

But him, far distant both from friends and home, Either the fishes of the unknown Deep Have eaten, or wild beasts and fowls of prey, Nor I, or she who bare him, was ordain'd To bathe his shrouded body with our tears, Nor his chaste wife, well-dow'r'd Penelope To close her husband's eyes, and to deplore His doom, which is the privilege of the dead. 350 But tell me also thou, for I would learn, Who art thou? whence? where born? and sprung from whom?

The bark in which thou and thy G.o.dlike friends Arrived, where is she anchor'd on our coast?

Or cam'st thou only pa.s.senger on board Another's bark, who landed thee and went?

To whom Ulysses, ever-wise, replied.

I will with all simplicity relate What thou hast ask'd. Of Alybas am I, Where in much state I dwell, son of the rich 360 Apheidas royal Polypemon's son, And I am named Eperitus; by storms Driven from Sicily I have arrived, And yonder, on the margin of the field That skirts your city, I have moor'd my bark.

Five years have pa.s.s'd since thy Ulysses left, Unhappy Chief! my country; yet the birds At his departure hovered on the right, And in that sign rejoicing, I dismiss'd Him thence rejoicing also, for we hoped 370 To mix in social intercourse again, And to exchange once more pledges of love.

He spake; then sorrow as a sable cloud Involved Laertes; gath'ring with both hands The dust, he pour'd it on his rev'rend head With many a piteous groan. Ulysses' heart Commotion felt, and his stretch'd nostrils throbb'd With agony close-pent, while fixt he eyed His father; with a sudden force he sprang Toward him, clasp'd, and kiss'd him, and exclaim'd. 380 My father! I am he. Thou seest thy son Absent these twenty years at last return'd.

But bid thy sorrow cease; suspend henceforth All lamentation; for I tell thee true, (And the occasion bids me briefly tell thee) I have slain all the suitors at my home, And all their taunts and injuries avenged.

Then answer thus Laertes quick return'd.

If thou hast come again, and art indeed My son Ulysses, give me then the proof 390 Indubitable, that I may believe.

To whom Ulysses, ever-wise, replied.