Homer

“ But she then addressed her dear son Telemachus: "O Telemachus, no longer is thy mind firm, nor thy counsel: when thou wert still a child, thou didst even more meditate what was profitable in thy mind: but now, when thou art large, and hast reached the measure of youth, and a foreign man would say, that thou art the offspring of a happy man, looking at thy size and beauty; thy mind and thy counsel are no longer proper. What a deed is this which has now been done in the palace, thou who hast suffered a stranger to be treated thus in an unseemly way? ”

“ And ascending to the upper room, with her women attendants, she then bewailed Ulysses, her dear husband; until blue-eyed Minerva shed sweet sleep over her eye-lids. But the divine swineherd taking the bow, carried it; and all the suitors in the palace chided him; and thus some one of the proud youths spoke:
"Where now art thou bearing the crooked bow, O unenviable swineherd, wandering fellow? The swift dogs which thou hast nourished over thy swine shall soon consume thee away from men, if Apollo and the other immortal gods are propitious to us." ”

“ But Telemachus, (for he by no means believed that it was his father,) immediately answering in words addressed him:
"Thou art not my father Ulysses; but a deity cheats me, that still more lamenting I may mourn: for a mortal man could not have contrived these things by his own mind, except when a god himself coming upon him should easily, if he wished, make him young or old: for thou lately wast certainly old, and wast clothed in unseemly guise, but now thou art like unto the gods, who possess the wide heaven." ”

“ O dear nurse, do not by any means boast greatly, exulting; for thou knowest how welcome he would appear to all in the palace, but especially to me, and to my son, to whom we gave life. But this is not a true tale, as thou tellest it; but some one of the immortals has slain the noble suitors, being indignant at their mind-grieving insolence and evil deeds: for they honoured no one of mortal men, either bad or good, whoever came to them; wherefore through their infatuation have they suffered ill: but Ulysses has lost his return, far away from Achaia, and has himself perished. ”

“ Whosoever through ignorance has approached and heard the voice of the Sirens, by no means do his wife and infant children stand near him when he returns home, nor do they rejoice. But the Sirens, sitting in a meadow, soothe him with a shrill song, and around there is a large heap of bones of men rotting, and skins waste away round about. But sail beyond; and anoint the ears of thy companions, moulding sweet wax, lest any one of the others should hear; but do thou thyself hear, if thou wilt. Let them bind thee hands and feet in the swift ship, upright in the mast hole ”

“ Wherefore I greatly dread in my mind and soul, lest, when he first beholds the light of the sun, he will despise the island, because I am of a rugged soil, and, having overturned it with his feet, spurn it into the billows of the deep, where me, indeed, the mighty wave will ever wash over the head; but he will go to another land, which may please him to build a temple and foliaged grove. But in me the polypuses and black sea-calves will make their unpleasing abodes, through lack of people. ”

“ But divine Ulysses washed away the brine, which surrounded his back and wide shoulders, from his body in the river; and from his head he wiped off the froth of the barren sea.
But when he had washed himself all over, and anointed himself with oil, and had put on the garments which the chaste virgins gave him; Minerva, born of Jove, made him greater and stouter to behold: and from his head she made his hair curled, like unto a hyacinthine [8] flower. As when some skilful man, whom Vulcan and Pallas Minerva have instructed in a cunning art, pours gold round silver, and performs beautiful works ”

“ For no other Ulysses will any more come here. But I, who am such, having suffered ills, and wandered much, have come in the twentieth year to my paternal land. But this is the work of the huntress Minerva, who made me such a one, as she wishes;—for she has the power—at one time like unto a beggar, at another again like unto a young man, and to one that has beautiful garments around his body. But it is easy for the gods, who possess the wide heaven, both to exalt and to debase a mortal man. ”

“ I who before lost my excellent husband, lion-hearted, adorned amongst the Grecians with all kinds of virtues, excellent; whose glory is wide throughout Greece and the middle of Argos. Now my beloved son is gone in a hollow ship, childish, nor well experienced in labours, or commerce. I am now even more grieved for his sake, than for that one. For him I tremble and fear, lest he should suffer something, either from those amongst the people where he is gone, or on the sea: for many enemies are devising snares against him, desiring to kill him before he comes to his paternal land. ”

“ Thus having spoken, he cheered on his steeds, and they, at his exhortation, swiftly bore along the fleet chariot, like wing-expanding birds. But upon her mind a more sad and ruder grief fell, and then, enraged at the dark-clouded son of Saturn, going apart from the council of the gods and mighty Olympus, she went to the cities and rich fields of men, obscuring her form for a long time. Nor did any one of men or deep-bosomed women, seeing, recognise her, before that she came to the dwelling of prudent Celeus, who was at that time the ruler of sweet-scented Eleusis. ”

“ Hear me, ye suitors of the illustrious queen, whilst I speak the things which the mind in my breast commands me. There is no sorrow in one's mind, nor grief at all, when a man fighting for his own possessions is stricken, either for his oxen, or white sheep: but Antinous struck me on account of my sad belly, pernicious, which gives many evils to men. But if there are any where gods and Erinnyes of poor men, may the end of death reach him before his marriage. ”

“ Do we know, O thou Jove-nurtured Menelaus, what men these are who profess to come to our house? Shall I say false, or shall I speak the truth? For my mind exhorts me. For I say that I have never seen any man or woman so like (reverence possesses me as I behold him) as he is like unto Telemachus, the son of magnanimous Ulysses, whom that man left lately born in his house, when ye Grecians came to Troy on account of me, immodest one, arousing fierce war. ”

“ But he said apart, away from the gods, in his well-fastened temple, receiving beauteous offerings from mortal men. But her father's brother, the Many-receiver, who rules over many, the many-named son of Saturn, bore her away against her will with his immortal steeds. Now as long as the goddess beheld the earth and the starry heaven, and the much-flowing fishy sea, and the rays of the sun, and still hoped to behold her careful mother, and the tribes of the gods who are for ever, so long did hope soften her mighty mind, although grieving. ”

“ And the blue-eyed goddess Minerva began a discourse to him:
"O Jove-born son of Laertes, much-planning Ulysses, consider how thou mayest lay thy hands upon the shameless suitors, who now for three years are lording it over thy palace, wooing thy godlike wife, and giving her bridal gifts. But she, ever lamenting in her mind for thy return, gives hopes to all, and makes promises to each man, sending forth messages to them; but her mind meditates other things." ”

“ Ceres, renowned for fruits, as she was sporting with the deep-bosomed daughters of Oceanus, and culling flowers through the soft meadow, roses, and crocus, and beauteous violets, and iris, and hyacinths, and narcissus, which earth, at the behest of Jove, brought forth as a snare to the virgin, favouring the Many-receiver, [4] wondrously flourishing, a marvel then for all to behold, both immortal gods and mortal men. And from its root a hundred heads sprang forth, and the whole wide heaven above was scented with its fragrance, and the whole earth laughed, and the briny wave of the sea. ”

“ But them Apollo, the son of Jove, smiling, answered: "Infant-like men, of sad cares, who wish for anxiety, and grievous toils, and groans in your mind, I will tell you an easy word, and set it in your minds. Let each of you, having a cutlass in his right hand, always slay sheep, (but they shall be at hand in all abundance,) as many as the renowned tribes of men bring to me. And guard my temple, and receive the tribes of men assembled hither, and regulate my banquet, as to if there be any vain word or deed, or injury, as is the wont of mortal men. ”

“ Thus then they feasted during the whole day until sunset; nor did the mind at all want an equal feast. But when the sun set, and darkness came on, then they lay down to rest, and took the gift of sleep. But when the mother of dawn, rosy-fingered morning, appeared, they set out to the hunt, both the dogs, and the sons of Autolycus; and divine Ulysses went with them: and they came to the lofty mountain of Parnassus, clad in wood; and they soon reached the windy heights. ”

“ And ye must have heard these things from your fathers, whoever they be; for I have suffered very many things, and have lost my house, which was very well inhabited, containing many and excellent things. Of which I would wish having even the third part to dwell in my house, and that the men should be safe who then perished in spacious Troy far from horse-pasturing Argos. But however mourning and grieving for all, ofttimes sitting in my palace, sometimes I am delighted in my mind with grief, at other times again I rest; but the satiety of chilly grief is quick. ”

“ And she sent her to the house of divine Ulysses; if she could by any means make Penelope, mourning and grieving, cease from her wailing and tearful grief. But she entered the chamber near the thong of the bolt, and she stood over her head and addressed her in words.
"Art thou sleeping, Penelope, sorrowing in thy dear heart? the gods who live easily by no means suffer thee to weep, nor to be sad, since thy son is still about to return; for he is not at all a sinner against the gods." ”