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The Odyssey
By Homer

Translated by Samuel Butler

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BOOK I
<bullet indent="-18">I</bullet>Tell me, O muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide
 a b c &| & | A' A ' after he had sacked the famous town of Troy. Many cities did he visit,
and many were the nations with whose manners and customs he was acquainted;
moreover he suffered much by sea while trying to save his own life
and bring his men safely home; but do what he might he could not
save<super>1</super>
his men, for they perished through their own sheer folly in eating
the cattle of the Sun-god Hyperion; so the god prevented them from
ever reaching home. Tell me, too, about all these things, O daughter
of Jove, from whatsoever source you may know them. 

So now all who escaped death in battle or by shipwreck had got safely
home except Ulysses, and he, though he was longing to return to his
wife and country, was detained by the goddess Calypso, who had got
him into a large cave and wanted to marry him. But as years went by,
there came a time when the gods settled that he should go back to
Ithaca; even then, however, when he was among his own people, his
troubles were not yet over; nevertheless all the gods had now begun
to pity him except Neptune, who still persecuted him without ceasing
and would not let him get home. 

Now Neptune had gone off to the Ethiopians, who are at the world's
end, and lie in two halves, the one looking West and the other East.
He had gone there to accept a hecatomb of sheep and oxen, and was
enjoying himself at his festival; but the other gods met in the house
of Olympian Jove, and the sire of gods and men spoke first. At that
moment he was thinking of Aegisthus, who had been killed by Agamemnon's
son Orestes; so he said to the other gods:

"See now, how men lay blame upon us gods for what is after all nothing
but their own folly. Look at Aegisthus; he must needs make love to
Agamemnon's wife unrighteously and then kill Agamemnon, though he
knew it would be the death of him; for I sent Mercury to warn him
not to do either of these things, inasmuch as Orestes would be sure
to take his revenge when he grew up and wanted to return home. Mercury
told him this in all good will but he would not listen, and now he
has paid for everything in full." 

Then Minerva said, "Father, son of Saturn, King of kings, it served
Aegisthus right, and so it would any one else who does as he did;
but Aegisthus is neither here nor there; it is for Ulysses that my
heart bleeds, when I think of his sufferings in that lonely sea-girt
island, far away, poor man, from all his friends. It is an island
covered with forest, in the very middle of the sea, and a goddess
lives there, daughter of the magician Atlas, who looks after the bottom
of the ocean, and carries the great columns that keep heaven and earth
asunder. This daughter of Atlas has got hold of poor unhappy Ulysses,
and keeps trying by every kind of blandishment to make him forget
his home, so that he is tired of life, and thinks of nothing but how
he may once more see the smoke of his own chimneys. You, sir, take
no heed of this, and yet when Ulysses was before Troy did he not propitiate
you with many a burnt sacrifice? Why then should you keep on being
so angry with him?" 

And Jove said, "My child, what are you talking about? How can I forget
Ulysses than whom there is no more capable man on earth, nor more
liberal in his offerings to the immortal gods that live in heaven?
Bear in mind, however, that Neptune is still furious with Ulysses
for having blinded an eye of Polyphemus king of the Cyclopes. Polyphemus
is son to Neptune by the nymph Thoosa, daughter to the sea-king Phorcys;
therefore though he will not kill Ulysses outright, he torments him
by preventing him from getting home. Still, let us lay our heads together
and see how we can help him to return; Neptune will then be pacified,
for if we are all of a mind he can hardly stand out against us."

And Minerva said, "Father, son of Saturn, King of kings, if, then,
the gods now mean that Ulysses should get home, we should first send
Mercury to the Ogygian island to tell Calypso that we have made up
our minds and that he is to return. In the meantime I will go to Ithaca,
to put heart into Ulysses' son Telemachus; I will embolden him to
call the Achaeans in assembly, and speak out to the suitors of his
mother Penelope, who persist in eating up any number of his sheep
and oxen; I will also conduct him to Sparta and to Pylos, to see if
he can hear anything about the return of his dear father- for this
will make people speak well of him." 

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"Men of Ithaca, it is all your own fault that things have turned out
as they have; you would not listen to me, nor yet to Mentor, when
we bade you check the folly of your sons who were doing much wrong
in the wantonness of their hearts- wasting the substance and dishonouring
the wife of a chieftain who they thought would not return. Now, however,
let it be as I say, and do as I tell you. Do not go out against Ulysses,
or you may find that you have been drawing down evil on your own heads."

This was what he said, and more than half raised a loud shout, and
at once left the assembly. But the rest stayed where they were, for
the speech of Halitherses displeased them, and they sided with Eupeithes;
they therefore hurried off for their armour, and when they had armed
themselves, they met together in front of the city, and Eupeithes
led them on in their folly. He thought he was going to avenge the
murder of his son, whereas in truth he was never to return, but was
himself to perish in his attempt. 

Then Minerva said to Jove, "Father, son of Saturn, king of kings,
answer me this question- What do you propose to do? Will you set them
fighting still further, or will you make peace between them?"

And Jove answered, "My child, why should you ask me? Was it not by
your own arrangement that Ulysses came home and took his revenge upon
the suitors? Do whatever you like, but I will tell you what I think
will be most reasonable arrangement. Now that Ulysses is revenged,
let them swear to a solemn covenant, in virtue of which he shall continue
to rule, while we cause the others to forgive and forget the massacre
of their sons and brothers. Let them then all become friends as heretofore,
and let peace and plenty reign." 

This was what Minerva was already eager to bring about, so down she
darted from off the topmost summits of Olympus. 

Now when Laertes and the others had done dinner, Ulysses began by
saying, "Some of you go out and see if they are not getting close
up to us." So one of Dolius's sons went as he was bid. Standing on
the threshold he could see them all quite near, and said to Ulysses,
"Here they are, let us put on our armour at once." 

They put on their armour as fast as they could- that is to say Ulysses,
his three men, and the six sons of Dolius. Laertes also and Dolius
did the same- warriors by necessity in spite of their grey hair. When
they had all put on their armour, they opened the gate and sallied
forth, Ulysses leading the way. 

Then Jove's daughter Minerva came up to them, having assumed the form
and voice of Mentor. Ulysses was glad when he saw her, and said to
his son Telemachus, "Telemachus, now that are about to fight in an
engagement, which will show every man's mettle, be sure not to disgrace
your ancestors, who were eminent for their strength and courage all
the world over." 

"You say truly, my dear father," answered Telemachus, "and you shall
see, if you will, that I am in no mind to disgrace your family."

Laertes was delighted when he heard this. "Good heavens, he exclaimed,
"what a day I am enjoying: I do indeed rejoice at it. My son and grandson
are vying with one another in the matter of valour." 

On this Minerva came close up to him and said, "Son of Arceisius-
best friend I have in the world- pray to the blue-eyed damsel, and
to Jove her father; then poise your spear and hurl it." 

As she spoke she infused fresh vigour into him, and when he had prayed
to her he poised his spear and hurled it. He hit Eupeithes' helmet,
and the spear went right through it, for the helmet stayed it not,
and his armour rang rattling round him as he fell heavily to the ground.
Meantime Ulysses and his son fell the front line of the foe and smote
them with their swords and spears; indeed, they would have killed
every one of them, and prevented them from ever getting home again,
only Minerva raised her voice aloud, and made every one pause. "Men
of Ithaca," she cried, cease this dreadful war, and settle the matter
at once without further bloodshed." 

On this pale fear seized every one; they were so frightened that their
arms dropped from their hands and fell upon the ground at the sound
of the goddess's voice, and they fled back to the city for their lives.
But Ulysses gave a great cry, and gathering himself together swooped
down like a soaring eagle. Then the son of Saturn sent a thunderbolt
of fire that fell just in front of Minerva, so she said to Ulysses,
"Ulysses, noble son of Laertes, stop this warful strife, or Jove will
be angry with you." 

Thus spoke Minerva, and Ulysses obeyed her gladly. Then Minerva assumed
the form and voice of Mentor, and presently made a covenant of peace
between the two contending parties. 

THE END

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