ravaged the land of the Egyptians, killing the men, and taking theirwives and children captives. The alarm was soon carried to the city,and when they heard the war-cry, the people came out at daybreaktill the plain was filled with soldiers horse and foot, and with thegleam of armour. Then Jove spread panic among my men, and they wouldno longer face the enemy, for they found themselves surrounded. TheEgyptians killed many of us, and took the rest alive to do forcedlabour for them; as for myself, they gave me to a friend who met them,to take to Cyprus, Dmetor by name, son of Iasus, who was a great manin Cyprus. Thence I am come hither in a state of great misery."Then Antinous said, "What god can have sent such a pestilence toplague us during our dinner? Get out, into the open part of the court,or I will give you Egypt and Cyprus over again for your insolenceand importunity; you have begged of all the others, and they havegiven you lavishly, for they have abundance round them, and it is easyto be free with other people's property when there is plenty of it."On this Ulysses began to move off, and said, "Your looks, my finesir, are better than your breeding; if you were in your own houseyou would not spare a poor man so much as a pinch of salt, forthough you are in another man's, and surrounded with abundance, youcannot find it in you to give him even a piece of bread."This made Antinous very angry, and he scowled at him saying, "Youshall pay for this before you get clear of the court." With thesewords he threw a footstool at him, and hit him on the rightshoulder-blade near the top of his back. Ulysses stood firm as arock and the blow did not even stagger him, but he shook his head insilence as he brooded on his revenge. Then he went back to thethreshold and sat down there, laying his well-filled wallet at hisfeet."Listen to me," he cried, "you suitors of Queen Penelope, that I mayspeak even as I am minded. A man knows neither ache nor pain if hegets hit while fighting for his money, or for his sheep or his cattle;and even so Antinous has hit me while in the service of my miserablebelly, which is always getting people into trouble. Still, if the poorhave gods and avenging deities at all, I pray them that Antinous maycome to a bad end before his marriage.""Sit where you are, and eat your victuals in silence, or be offelsewhere," shouted Antinous. "If you say more I will have you draggedhand and foot through the courts, and the servants shall flay youalive."The other suitors were much displeased at this, and one of the youngmen said, "Antinous, you did ill in striking that poor wretch of atramp: it will be worse for you if he should turn out to be somegod- and we know the gods go about disguised in all sorts of ways aspeople from foreign countries, and travel about the world to see whodo amiss and who righteously."Thus said the suitors, but Antinous paid them no heed. MeanwhileTelemachus was furious about the blow that had been given to hisfather, and though no tear fell from him, he shook his head in silenceand brooded on his revenge.Now when Penelope heard that the beggar had been struck in thebanqueting-cloister, she said before her maids, "Would that Apollowould so strike you, Antinous," and her waiting woman Eurynomeanswered, "If our prayers were answered not one of the suitors wouldever again see the sun rise." Then Penelope said, "Nurse, I hate everysingle one of them, for they mean nothing but mischief, but I hateAntinous like the darkness of death itself. A poor unfortunate tramphas come begging about the house for sheer want. Every one else hasgiven him something to put in his wallet, but Antinous has hit himon the right shoulder-blade with a footstool."Thus did she talk with her maids as she sat in her own room, andin the meantime Ulysses was getting his dinner. Then she called forthe swineherd and said, "Eumaeus, go and tell the stranger to comehere, I want to see him and ask him some questions. He seems to havetravelled much, and he may have seen or heard something of myunhappy husband."To this you answered, O swineherd Eumaeus, "If these Achaeans,Madam, would only keep quiet, you would be charmed with the history ofhis adventures. I had him three days and three nights with me in myhut, which was the first place he reached after running away fromhis ship, and he has not yet completed the story of his misfortunes.If he had been the most heaven-taught minstrel in the whole world,on whose lips all hearers hang entranced, I could not have been morecharmed as I sat in my hut and listened to him. He says there is anold friendship between his house and that of Ulysses, and that hecomes from Crete where the descendants of Minos live, after havingbeen driven hither and thither by every kind of misfortune; he alsodeclares that he has heard of Ulysses as being alive and near athand among the Thesprotians, and that he is bringing great wealth homewith him.""Call him here, then," said Penelope, "that I too may hear hisstory. As for the suitors, let them take their pleasure indoors or outas they will, for they have nothing to fret about. Their corn and wineremain unwasted in their houses with none but servants to consumethem, while they keep hanging about our house day after daysacrificing our oxen, sheep, and fat goats for their banquets, andnever giving so much as a thought to the quantity of wine theydrink. No estate can stand such recklessness, for we have now noUlysses to protect us. If he were to come again, he and his sonwould soon have their revenge."As she spoke Telemachus sneezed so loudly that the whole houseresounded with it. Penelope laughed when she heard this, and said toEumaeus, "Go and call the stranger; did you not hear how my sonsneezed just as I was speaking? This can only mean that all thesuitors are going to be killed, and that not one of them shall escape.Furthermore I say, and lay my saying to your heart: if I amsatisfied that the stranger is speaking the truth I shall give him ashirt and cloak of good wear."When Eumaeus heard this he went straight to Ulysses and said,"Father stranger, my mistress Penelope, mother of Telemachus, has sentfor you; she is in great grief, but she wishes to hear anything youcan tell her about her husband, and if she is satisfied that you arespeaking the truth, she will give you a shirt and cloak, which are thevery things that you are most in want of. As for bread, you can getenough of that to fill your belly, by begging about the town, andletting those give that will.""I will tell Penelope," answered Ulysses, "nothing but what isstrictly true. I know all about her husband, and have been partnerwith him in affliction, but I am afraid of passing. through this crowdof cruel suitors, for their pride and insolence reach heaven. Justnow, moreover, as I was going about the house without doing anyharm, a man gave me a blow that hurt me very much, but neitherTelemachus nor any one else defended me. Tell Penelope, therefore,to be patient and wait till sundown. Let her give me a seat close upto the fire, for my clothes are worn very thin- you know they are, foryou have seen them ever since I first asked you to help me- she canthen ask me about the return of her husband."The swineherd went back when he heard this, and Penelope said as shesaw him cross the threshold, "Why do you not bring him here,Eumaeus? Is he afraid that some one will ill-treat him, or is he shyof coming inside the house at all? Beggars should not be shamefaced."To this you answered, O swineherd Eumaeus, "The stranger is quitereasonable. He is avoiding the suitors, and is only doing what any oneelse would do. He asks you to wait till sundown, and it will be muchbetter, madam, that you should have him all to yourself, when youcan hear him and talk to him as you will.""The man is no fool," answered Penelope, "it would very likely be ashe says, for there are no such abominable people in the whole world asthese men are."When she had done speaking Eumaeus went back to the suitors, forhe had explained everything. Then he went up to Telemachus and said inhis ear so that none could overhear him, "My dear sir, I will now goback to the pigs, to see after your property and my own business.You will look to what is going on here, but above all be careful tokeep out of danger, for there are many who bear you ill will. May Jovebring them to a bad end before they do us a mischief.""Very well," replied Telemachus, "go home when you have had yourdinner, and in the morning come here with the victims we are tosacrifice for the day. Leave the rest to heaven and me."On this Eumaeus took his seat again, and when he had finished hisdinner he left the courts and the cloister with the men at table,and went back to his pigs. As for the suitors, they presently began toamuse themselves with singing and dancing, for it was now getting ontowards evening.BOOK XVIII.NOW there came a certain common tramp who used to go begging allover the city of Ithaca, and was notorious as an incorrigibleglutton and drunkard. This man had no strength nor stay in him, but hewas a great hulking fellow to look at; his real name, the one hismother gave him, was Arnaeus, but the young men of the place calledhim Irus, because he used to run errands for any one who would sendhim. As soon as he came he began to insult Ulysses, and to try anddrive him out of his own house."Be off, old man," he cried, "from the doorway, or you shall bedragged out neck and heels. Do you not see that they are all giving methe wink, and wanting me to turn you out by force, only I do notlike to do so? Get up then, and go of yourself, or we shall come toblows."Ulysses frowned on him and said, "My friend, I do you no manner ofharm; people give you a great deal, but I am not jealous. There isroom enough in this doorway for the pair of us, and you need notgrudge me things that are not yours to give. You seem to be justsuch another tramp as myself, but perhaps the gods will give us betterluck by and by. Do not, however, talk too much about fighting or youwill incense me, and old though I am, I shall cover your mouth andchest with blood. I shall have more peace to-morrow if I do, for youwill not come to the house of Ulysses any more."Irus was very angry and answered, "You filthy glutton, you run ontrippingly like an old fish-fag. I have a good mind to lay bothhands about you, and knock your teeth out of your head like so manyboar's tusks. Get ready, therefore, and let these people here stand byand look on. You will never be able to fight one who is so muchyounger than yourself."Thus roundly did they rate one another on the smooth pavement infront of the doorway, and when Antinous saw what was going on helaughed heartily and said to the others, "This is the finest sportthat you ever saw; heaven never yet sent anything like it into thishouse. The stranger and Irus have quarreled and are going to fight,let us set them on to do so at once."The suitors all came up laughing, and gathered round the tworagged tramps. "Listen to me," said Antinous, "there are some goats'paunches down at the fire, which we have filled with blood and fat,and set aside for supper; he who is victorious and proves himself tobe the better man shall have his pick of the lot; he shall be freeof our table and we will not allow any other beggar about the house atall."The others all agreed, but Ulysses, to throw them off the scent,said, "Sirs, an old man like myself, worn out with suffering, cannothold his own against a young one; but my irrepressible belly urgesme on, though I know it can only end in my getting a drubbing. Youmust swear, however that none of you will give me a foul blow tofavour Irus and secure him the victory."They swore as he told them, and when they had completed their oath