《奥德修记》-15

and treated me with the utmost kindness; indeed she wanted to makeme immortal that I might never grow old, but she could not persuade meto let her do so."I stayed with Calypso seven years straight on end, and wateredthe good clothes she gave me with my tears during the whole time;but at last when the eighth year came round she bade me depart ofher own free will, either because Jove had told her she must, orbecause she had changed her mind. She sent me from her island on araft, which she provisioned with abundance of bread and wine. Moreovershe gave me good stout clothing, and sent me a wind that blew bothwarm and fair. Days seven and ten did I sail over the sea, and onthe eighteenth I caught sight of the first outlines of the mountainsupon your coast- and glad indeed was I to set eyes upon them.Nevertheless there was still much trouble in store for me, for at thispoint Neptune would let me go no further, and raised a great stormagainst me; the sea was so terribly high that I could no longer keepto my raft, which went to pieces under the fury of the gale, and I hadto swim for it, till wind and current brought me to your shores."There I tried to land, but could not, for it was a bad place andthe waves dashed me against the rocks, so I again took to the seaand swam on till I came to a river that seemed the most likely landingplace, for there were no rocks and it was sheltered from the wind.Here, then, I got out of the water and gathered my senses togetheragain. Night was coming on, so I left the river, and went into athicket, where I covered myself all over with leaves, and presentlyheaven sent me off into a very deep sleep. Sick and sorry as I was Islept among the leaves all night, and through the next day tillafternoon, when I woke as the sun was westering, and saw yourdaughter's maid servants playing upon the beach, and your daughteramong them looking like a goddess. I besought her aid, and sheproved to be of an excellent disposition, much more so than could beexpected from so young a person- for young people are apt to bethoughtless. She gave me plenty of bread and wine, and when she hadhad me washed in the river she also gave me the clothes in which yousee me. Now, therefore, though it has pained me to do so, I havetold you the whole truth."Then Alcinous said, "Stranger, it was very wrong of my daughternot to bring you on at once to my house along with the maids, seeingthat she was the first person whose aid you asked.""Pray do not scold her," replied Ulysses; "she is not to blame.She did tell me to follow along with the maids, but I was ashamedand afraid, for I thought you might perhaps be displeased if you sawme. Every human being is sometimes a little suspicious and irritable.""Stranger," replied Alcinous, "I am not the kind of man to get angryabout nothing; it is always better to be reasonable; but by FatherJove, Minerva, and Apollo, now that I see what kind of person you are,and how much you think as I do, I wish you would stay here, marry mydaughter, and become my son-in-law. If you will stay I will give you ahouse and an estate, but no one (heaven forbid) shall keep you hereagainst your own wish, and that you may be sure of this I willattend to-morrow to the matter of your escort. You can sleep duringthe whole voyage if you like, and the men shall sail you over smoothwaters either to your own home, or wherever you please, even though itbe a long way further off than Euboea, which those of my people whosaw it when they took yellow-haired Rhadamanthus to see Tityus the sonof Gaia, tell me is the furthest of any place- and yet they did thewhole voyage in a single day without distressing themselves, andcame back again afterwards. You will thus see how much my shipsexcel all others, and what magnificent oarsmen my sailors are."Then was Ulysses glad and prayed aloud saying, "Father Jove, grantthat Alcinous may do all as he has said, for so he will win animperishable name among mankind, and at the same time I shall returnto my country."Thus did they converse. Then Arete told her maids to set a bed inthe room that was in the gatehouse, and make it with good red rugs,and to spread coverlets on the top of them with woollen cloaks forUlysses to wear. The maids thereon went out with torches in theirhands, and when they had made the bed they came up to Ulysses andsaid, "Rise, sir stranger, and come with us for your bed is ready,"and glad indeed was he to go to his rest.So Ulysses slept in a bed placed in a room over the echoing gateway;but Alcinous lay in the inner part of the house, with the queen hiswife by his side.BOOK VIII.NOW when the child of morning, rosy-fingered Dawn, appeared,Alcinous and Ulysses both rose, and Alcinous led the way to thePhaecian place of assembly, which was near the ships. When they gotthere they sat down side by side on a seat of polished stone, whileMinerva took the form of one of Alcinous' servants, and went round thetown in order to help Ulysses to get home. She went up to thecitizens, man by man, and said, "Aldermen and town councillors ofthe Phaeacians, come to the assembly all of you and listen to thestranger who has just come off a long voyage to the house of KingAlcinous; he looks like an immortal god."With these words she made them all want to come, and they flocked tothe assembly till seats and standing room were alike crowded. Everyone was struck with the appearance of Ulysses, for Minerva hadbeautified him about the head and shoulders, making him look tallerand stouter than he really was, that he might impress the Phaeciansfavourably as being a very remarkable man, and might come off wellin 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 thePhaeacians, that I may speak even as I am minded. This stranger,whoever he may be, has found his way to my house from somewhere orother either East or West. He wants an escort and wishes to have thematter settled. Let us then get one ready for him, as we have done forothers before him; indeed, no one who ever yet came to my house hasbeen 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. Thenwhen you have made fast your oars each by his own seat, leave the shipand come to my house to prepare a feast. I will find you ineverything. I am giving will these instructions to the young men whowill form the crew, for as regards you aldermen and towncouncillors, you will join me in entertaining our guest in thecloisters. I can take no excuses, and we will have Demodocus to singto us; for there is no bard like him whatever he may choose to singabout."Alcinous then led the way, and the others followed after, while aservant went to fetch Demodocus. The fifty-two picked oarsmen wentto the sea shore as they had been told, and when they got there theydrew the ship into the water, got her mast and sails inside her, boundthe oars to the thole-pins with twisted thongs of leather, all indue course, and spread the white sails aloft. They moored the vessel alittle way out from land, and then came on shore and went to the houseof King Alcinous. The outhouses, yards, and all the precincts werefilled with crowds of men in great multitudes both old and young;and Alcinous killed them a dozen sheep, eight full grown pigs, and twooxen. These they skinned and dressed so as to provide a magnificentbanquet.A servant presently led in the famous bard Demodocus, whom themuse 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 hadrobbed him of his eyesight. Pontonous set a seat for him among theguests, leaning it up against a bearing-post. He hung the lyre for himon a peg over his head, and showed him where he was to feel for itwith his hands. He also set a fair table with a basket of victualsby his side, and a cup of wine from which he might drink whenever hewas so disposed.The company then laid their hands upon the good things that werebefore them, but as soon as they had had enough to eat and drink,the muse inspired Demodocus to sing the feats of heroes, and moreespecially a matter that was then in the mouths of all men, to wit,the quarrel between Ulysses and Achilles, and the fierce words thatthey heaped on one another as they gat together at a banquet. ButAgamemnon was glad when he heard his chieftains quarrelling with oneanother, for Apollo had foretold him this at Pytho when he crossed thestone floor to consult the oracle. Here was the beginning of theevil that by the will of Jove fell both Danaans and Trojans.Thus sang the bard, but Ulysses drew his purple mantle over his headand covered his face, for he was ashamed to let the Phaeacians seethat he was weeping. When the bard left off singing he wiped the tearsfrom his eyes, uncovered his face, and, taking his cup, made adrink-offering to the gods; but when the Phaeacians pressedDemodocus to sing further, for they delighted in his lays, thenUlysses again drew his mantle over his head and wept bitterly. Noone 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 enoughnow, both of the feast, and of the minstrelsy that is its dueaccompaniment; let us proceed therefore to the athletic sports, sothat our guest on his return home may be able to tell his friendshow much we surpass all other nations as boxers, wrestlers, jumpers,and runners."With these words he led the way, and the others followed after. Aservant hung Demodocus's lyre on its peg for him, led him out of thecloister, and set him on the same way as that along which all thechief men of the Phaeacians were going to see the sports; a crowd ofseveral thousands of people followed them, and there were manyexcellent 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 wasalso Euryalus son of Naubolus, who was like Mars himself, and wasthe best looking man among the Phaecians except Laodamas. Three sonsof Alcinous, Laodamas, Halios, and Clytoneus, competed also.The foot races came first. The course was set out for them fromthe starting post, and they raised a dust upon the plain as they allflew forward at the same moment. Clytoneus came in first by a longway; he left every one else behind him by the length of the furrowthat a couple of mules can plough in a fallow field. They thenturned to the painful art of wrestling, and here Euryalus proved to bethe best man. Amphialus excelled all the others in jumping, while atthrowing the disc there was no one who could approach Elatreus.Alcinous's son Laodamas was the best boxer, and he it was whopresently said, when they had all been diverted with the games, "Letus ask the stranger whether he excels in any of these sports; he seemsvery powerfully built; his thighs, claves, hands, and neck are ofprodigious strength, nor is he at all old, but he has suffered muchlately, 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 yourguest and speak to him about it yourself."When Laodamas heard this he made his way into the middle of thecrowd and said to Ulysses, "I hope, Sir, that you will enteryourself for some one or other of our competitions if you areskilled in any of them- and you must have gone in for many a onebefore now. There is nothing that does any one so much credit all