Book 16

So in the hut Odysseus and the noble swineherdmade ready their breakfast at the rising of dawn, having kindled a fire,and sent out the herdsmen with the gathered herds of swine.But the dogs, loud-baying, fawned about Telemachus,nor barked at him as he came near. And noble Odysseus markedhow the dogs fawned, and the sound of feet came to him.Straightway he spoke winged words to Eumaeus:Eumaeus, surely some comrade of yours comes hither,or some other man well known to you, since the dogs bark not,but fawn about him; and I hear the thunder of feet beneath.Not yet was the whole word spoken, when his own dear sonstood in the doorway. Amazed, the swineherd sprang up,and from his hands fell the vessels wherewith he labored,as he mixed the fiery wine. And he went to meet his master,and kissed his head and both his beautiful eyesand both his hands; and a warm tear fell from him.As a father with loving heart welcomes his own dear sonwho comes in the tenth year from a land afar,an only son, late-born, for whom he has toiled through many griefs,so then the noble swineherd kissed godlike Telemachusall over, clinging close, as one escaped from death;and lamenting he spoke winged words:You have come, Telemachus, sweet light. No longer did I thinkto see you again, since you went in the ship to Pylos.But come now, enter, dear child, so that in my heartI may take delight in gazing on you, newly come from elsewhere.For you come not often to the field, nor to the herdsmen,but you abide in the town; so it has pleased your heart,to behold the baleful throng of the wooing men.Then Telemachus the wise answered him and said:So shall it be, good sir; for your sake I am come hither,that with my eyes I may see you and hear your speech,whether my mother still waits in the halls for me, or whether alreadysome other man has wed her, and the bed of Odysseuslies empty of coverlets, holding foul cobwebs.Then the swineherd, leader of men, answered him again:Truly she still waits with an enduring heartin your halls; and her woeful nights and days everwaste away, as she sheds her tears.So he spoke, and took from him the bronze spear;and he went within and crossed over the stone threshold.As he came on, his father Odysseus gave way from the seat;but Telemachus from the other side stayed him and spoke:Sit, stranger; we shall find us a seat elsewherein our own steading; and here is a man to set it out.So he spoke, and he went back and sat down; and the swineherdstrewed beneath him green brushwood and a fleece above;there then sat the dear son of Odysseus.And to them the swineherd set out platters of fleshroasted, which they had left behind on the day before when they ate,and eagerly he heaped up bread in baskets,and in an ivy-wood bowl he mixed the honey-sweet wine;and he himself sat down facing godlike Odysseus.And they stretched out their hands to the ready food lying before them.But when they had put away the desire of drink and of food,then Telemachus spoke to the noble swineherd:Father, whence came this stranger to you? And how did sailorsbring him to Ithaca? Who did they boast themselves to be?For in no wise do I think he came hither on foot.Answering him, you spoke, Eumaeus the swineherd:Then verily I will tell you all the truth, my child.From broad Crete he boasts his lineage; and he saysthat he has wandered over many cities of mortals,roaming; for so some god spun it for him.And now, escaped from a ship of Thesprotian men,he has come to my steading, and I will hand him over to you;do as you will; and he declares himself your suppliant.Then Telemachus the wise answered him and said:Eumaeus, surely you have spoken a heart-grieving word.For how shall I receive this stranger in my house?I myself am young, and my hands are not yet trustedto beat off a man when one provokes me first.And my mother's heart in her breast ponders two ways:whether she abides here with me and tends the house,honoring the bed of her husband and the people's voice,or whether she already follows whoever of the Achaeans is bestand woos her in the halls and offers the most.But this stranger, since he has come to your house,I will clothe in cloak and tunic, goodly garments,and I will give him a two-edged sword and sandals for his feet,and send him wherever his heart and spirit bid.But if you wish it, keep him, holding him fast in the steading;and I will send garments hither and all his foodto eat, so that he wear not you out nor your comrades.But I would not let him go thither among the suitors;for they hold outrage beyond all measure.Lest they mock him, and dread grief be mine.And hard it is to accomplish anything among more men,a man even though mighty, since they are far the stronger.Then much-enduring noble Odysseus answered him:O friend, since it is right for me too to answer,truly my dear heart is rent within me as I hearhow you say the suitors devise reckless deedsin the halls, against your will, though you are such a man.Tell me, do you yield to them willingly, or do the peoplehate you throughout the land, following the voice of some god,or do you find fault with your brothers, on whom a manrelies when they do battle, even if a great quarrel arises?Would that I were so young, with the spirit I bear,either a son of blameless Odysseus, or Odysseus himself.Then at once let a stranger cut the head from me,if I did not become a bane to all those men,coming into the hall of Odysseus, son of Laertes.But if they should overcome me with their numbers, being one alone,I would rather, slain amid my own halls,lie dead, than ever behold these shameful deeds:strangers roughly handled, and handmaidsdragged shamefully through the fair halls,and the wine wasted, and the food devouredin vain, idly, for a work that has no end.Then Telemachus the wise answered him and said:Then verily, stranger, I will tell you quite exactly.No, the whole people is not wrathful with me in hatred,nor do I find fault with my brothers, on whom a manrelies when they do battle, even if a great quarrel arises.For thus the son of Cronos made our race to be single:Laertes only did Arceisius beget as a son,and Laertes again begot Odysseus only; but Odysseusbegot only me in the halls and left me, and had no joy of me.Therefore countless foes are now within my house.For as many as are lords over the islands,Dulichium and Same and wooded Zacynthus,and as many as hold sway over rocky Ithaca,so many woo my mother, and waste my house.And she neither refuses the hateful marriage, nor is ableto bring it to an end; and they wear away my houseas they feast; and soon they will tear me to pieces too.But verily these things lie on the knees of the gods.Father, do you go swiftly, and to wise Penelopesay that I am safe and have come back from Pylos.But I will wait here; and do you come back hither,having told her alone; and of the other Achaeans let no onelearn of it; for many devise evils against me.Answering him, you spoke, Eumaeus the swineherd:I know, I understand; you bid one who gives heed.But come, tell me this too and recount it exactly:shall I go to Laertes as a messenger on that same road,the unhappy man, who till now, grieving greatly for Odysseus,used to oversee the work, and among the servants in the housedrank and ate, whenever the spirit in his breast bade him;but now, ever since you went in the ship to Pylos,they say he has not eaten and drunk as before,nor looked to the work, but with groaning and wailinghe sits lamenting, and the flesh wastes from about his bones.Then Telemachus the wise answered him and said:Sorer it is; yet let us leave him, grieving though we be.For if mortals could choose all things for themselves,we would first choose the day of my father's homecoming.But do you go back with the message, and do not through the fieldswander after him; but bid the housekeeperto tell my mother as quickly as may be,in secret; for she it is who could tell the old man.So he spoke, and roused the swineherd; and he took sandals in his hands,bound them beneath his feet, and went to the city. Nor did Athenafail to mark Eumaeus the swineherd going from the steading,but she came near; and in form she was like a woman,beautiful and tall and skilled in glorious handiwork.She stood at the doorway of the hut, shown to Odysseus;and Telemachus saw her not face to face nor marked her,for in no wise do the gods appear manifest to all.But Odysseus and the dogs saw her, and they barked not,but with a whimper they fled the other way through the steading.And she nodded with her brows; and noble Odysseus marked it,and went out of the hut past the great wall of the courtyard,and stood before her; and Athena spoke to him:Zeus-born son of Laertes, much-devising Odysseus,now at once speak to your son and hide it not,so that the two of you, devising death and doom for the suitors,may go to the far-famed city; and I myselfwill not be long from you two, eager for the fight.So she spoke, and touched him with a golden wand, Athena.First she put about his chest a well-washed cloakand tunic, and increased his stature and his youth.And he became dark again of skin, and his jaws were widened,and dark the beard grew about his chin.So she, having done this, went back; and Odysseuswent into the hut; and his dear son marvelled at him,and in fear cast his eyes aside, lest it be a god,and speaking to him he spoke winged words:Other than before you appear to me now, stranger,and you wear other garments, and your skin is no longer the same.Surely you are some god, one of those who hold the wide heaven.But be gracious, that we may give you acceptable sacrificesand wrought golden gifts; and spare us.Then much-enduring noble Odysseus answered him:No god am I; why do you liken me to the immortals?But I am your own father, for whose sake you groanand suffer many griefs, enduring the violence of men.So he spoke, and kissed his son, and down his cheekshe let a tear fall to the ground; before, he ever held it back.But Telemachus, for he did not yet believe he was his father,again answered him with words and said:You are not Odysseus, my father, but some godbewitches me, so that I may lament and groan the more.For in no way could a mortal man devise these thingswith his own mind, unless a god himself came upon himand easily, at his will, made him young or old.For verily just now you were an old man and wore shameful clothes;but now you are like the gods, who hold the wide heaven.Answering him, much-devising Odysseus said:Telemachus, it becomes you not, when your dear father is within,to wonder overmuch or be amazed;for no other Odysseus will come hither any more,but this is I, such as I am, having suffered evils and wandered much;I have come in the twentieth year to my native land.And this is the work of Athena, driver of the spoil,who made me such as she wills; she has the power;at one time like a beggar, at another againlike a young man wearing goodly garments about his skin.Easy it is for the gods, who hold the wide heaven,both to glorify a mortal man and to abase him.So he spoke, and sat down; and Telemachus,clinging about his noble father, wept, shedding tears,and in both of them the desire of wailing arose.They wept aloud, more thickly than birds,sea-eagles or vultures of crooked talons, whose nestlingscountrymen have taken away before they could fly;so they shed a piteous tear beneath their brows.And the light of the sun would have gone down on them lamenting,had not Telemachus straightway spoken to his father:In what manner of ship, dear father, have sailors now brought youhither to Ithaca? Who did they boast themselves to be?For in no wise do I think you came hither on foot.Then much-enduring noble Odysseus answered him:Then verily I will recount the truth to you, my child.The Phaeacians brought me, famed for ships, who also bringother men, whoever comes to them;and as I slept in their swift ship over the sea they carried meand set me down in Ithaca, and gave me glorious gifts,bronze and gold in abundance and woven raiment.And these lie in the caves by the will of the gods.And now I am come hither by the counsels of Athena,so that we may take counsel of slaughter for our foes.But come, count and recount the suitors to me,so that I may know how many and what manner of men they are;and I will ponder it in my blameless heart,and consider whether we two can hold against themalone, apart from others, or whether we must seek others too.Then Telemachus the wise answered him and said:O father, verily I ever heard of your great fame,that your hands are warlike and your counsel wise.But you have spoken far too greatly; amazement holds me; nor may it bethat two men do battle against many and valiant foes.And of the suitors there is not a sure ten, nor only two,but far more by far; and soon shall you learn their number here.From Dulichium come two and fiftychosen youths, and six serving-men follow with them;and from Same there are four and twenty men,and from Zacynthus are twenty youths of the Achaeans,and from Ithaca itself twelve, all of them the best,and with them is Medon the herald and a godlike minstreland two serving-men, skilled in the carving of feasts.If we shall meet with all of these within the hall,take heed lest you pay, when you come, a bitter and dreadful price for violence.But come, if you can devise some champion of defence,consider who might defend us two with eager heart.Then much-enduring noble Odysseus answered him and said:Therefore will I speak, and do you mark it and hear me:and declare whether Athena with father Zeusshall help us both, or whether I should devise some other defender.Then prudent Telemachus answered him in turn:Good indeed are these two defenders whom you name,though they sit on high amid the clouds; for they have powerover other men and over the immortal gods.Then much-enduring noble Odysseus answered him and said:Truly those two shall not for a long time stand apartfrom the mighty battle, when between the suitors and usin my halls the fury of Ares is decided.But do you now go, at the appearing of the dawn,homeward, and mingle with the overbearing suitors;and the swineherd shall bring me later to the town,like a wretched beggar and an old man.And if they dishonor me throughout the house, let your own dear heartendure it in your breast, while I suffer evil,even if they drag me by the feet through the house to the dooror strike me with missiles; do you look on and endure.But indeed you should bid them cease from their folly,speaking to them with gentle words; yet they will notbe persuaded; for the day of doom stands near them.And another thing I will tell you, and do you lay it in your heart:when Athena of many counsels shall put it in your mind,I will nod to you with my head, and do you then, marking it,as many warlike arms as lie in the halls,take them up and lay them in the recess of the lofty chamber,all of them; and the suitors with soft wordscoax, when they question you in their desire;say that you set them aside from the smoke, since no longer did they resemblethe like of what Odysseus left behind when he went to Troy,but they are tarnished, as far as the breath of fire has reached them.And moreover the son of Cronos put this greater thought in my heart,lest, being drunken, they stir up strife among you,and you wound one another and shame the feastand the wooing; for iron of itself draws on a man.And for us two alone let two swords and two spearsbe left, and two ox-hide shields to take in our hands,so that we may rush upon them and seize them; and thenPallas Athena shall bewitch them, and Zeus the counselor.And another thing I will tell you, and do you lay it in your heart:if you are truly mine and of our blood,let no one then hear that Odysseus is within,neither let Laertes know it, nor the swineherd,nor any of the household, nor Penelope herself,but let you and I alone learn the mind of the women;and we might also make trial of some of the slave men,both where one honors us two and fears in his heart,and where one cares not, and dishonors you though you are such as you are.Then his glorious son answered him and spoke:Father, you shall know my heart even hereafter, I think,for no slackness of mind possesses me;but I do not think this will be a gainfor us both; and I bid you consider it.For long will you go about making trial of each man,going among the works; while they in the halls at easedevour the goods with violence, and there is no sparing.But I bid you learn the women,which of them dishonor you and which are blameless;but among the men in the farmsteads I would nothave us make trial, but these things to be labored at later,if you truly know some sign from aegis-bearing Zeus.So these two spoke such words to one another,and meanwhile the well-built ship was coming down to Ithaca,which carried Telemachus from Pylos and all his comrades.Now when they came within the deep-gulfed harbor,they drew the black ship up on the mainland,and the high-spirited attendants carried away their arms,and straightway they bore the splendid gifts to the house of Clytius.And they sent a herald to the house of Odysseus,to tell the message to wise Penelope,that Telemachus was in the country, and had ordered the shipto sail back to the city, lest in fear of heartthe noble queen should shed a tender tear.So the herald and the noble swineherd met togetherfor the same message's sake, to tell it to the woman.But when they came to the house of the godlike king,the herald spoke among the serving-women:Queen, your dear son has already come home.And the swineherd, standing near, told Penelopeall that her dear son had bidden him to say.And when he had told the whole charge,he went his way to the swine, and left the courts and the hall.But the suitors were vexed and downcast in heart,and came out of the hall past the great wall of the court,and sat them down in front of the doors.And Eurymachus, son of Polybus, began to speak among them:Friends, a great deed has been overweeningly accomplishedby Telemachus, this journey; and we said it would not be fulfilled.But come, let us drag down the best black ship we have,and gather seafaring rowers, who may most swiftlytell those men to hasten home.Not yet was all said, when Amphinomus saw the shipturning from his place, within the deep-gulfed harbor,with men furling sails and holding oars in their hands.And with a sweet laugh he spoke to his comrades:Let us no longer urge any message; for these men are within.Either some god told them this, or they themselves sawthe ship passing by, and could not catch it.So he spoke, and they rose and went to the shore of the sea,and straightway drew the black ship up on the mainland,and the high-spirited attendants carried away their arms.And they themselves went in a body to the assembly, and suffered no otherneither of the young nor of the old to sit among them.Then Antinous spoke among them, son of Eupeithes:Alas, how have the gods loosed this man from his misery.By day we watchers sat on the windy headlands,ever one after another; and at sunsetnever did we spend the night on land, but on the seasailing in our swift ship we waited for the bright Dawn,lying in wait for Telemachus, that we might seize and slay him;but meanwhile a god brought him home,and let us here devise for him a woeful destruction,for Telemachus, and let him not escape us; for I thinkthat while this man lives these deeds will not be accomplished.For he himself is skilled in counsel and in mind,and the people no longer altogether bear goodwill to us.But come, before that man gathers the Achaeansinto assembly—for I do not think he will let it drop,but will rage, and standing up will tell before allthat we plotted a sheer murder against him and did not achieve it;and they will not praise us when they hear of evil deeds;lest they do us some harm and drive us outof our land, and we come to the country of others;but let us slay him, seizing him in the country apart from the city,or on the road; and let us ourselves hold his livelihood and possessions,sharing them fairly among us; and the house let usgive to his mother to hold, and to whoever weds her.But if this word displeases you, and you would ratherthat he live and keep all his father's goods,then let us no longer spend goods upon him, plentiful and pleasant to the heart,gathering here, but let each man woo her from his own houseseeking her with bridal gifts; and she may thenmarry whoever gives the most, and is fated to come.So he spoke, and they all became silent in stillness.Then Amphinomus spoke among them and said,the glorious son of Nisus, lord Aretiades,who from Dulichium, rich in wheat and grassy,led the suitors, and most of all pleased Penelopewith his words; for he had good understanding;he, well-minded toward them, spoke and said:Friends, I would not wish to slayTelemachus; for it is a dreadful thing to slay the royal race;but first let us ask the counsels of the gods.If the decrees of great Zeus approve,I myself will slay him and bid all the others do so;but if the gods turn us back, I bid you cease.So spoke Amphinomus, and his word pleased them.Then straightway they rose and went to the house of Odysseus,and having come they sat down on the polished seats.But wise Penelope thought of another thing,to appear before the suitors in their violent insolence.For she had learned of the destruction of her son in the halls;for the herald Medon told her, who had learned of their counsels.And she went to the hall with her attendant women.But when the shining among women came to the suitors,she stood by the doorpost of the well-built roof,holding her shining veil before her cheeks,and she rebuked Antinous, and spoke a word and named him:Antinous, full of insolence, evil-deviser, and they say that youamong the people of Ithaca, among your fellows, are the bestin counsel and in speech; but you are not such as that.Madman, why do you weave death and doomfor Telemachus, and do not regard suppliants, for whom Zeusis witness? Nor is it holy to weave evils against one another.Do you not know when your father came here as a fugitive,in fear of the people? For they were exceedingly angry,because he had followed the Taphian piratesand had harmed the Thesprotians; and they were friends to us;and they wished to destroy him and tear out his dear heartand to eat up his abundant, heart-pleasing livelihood;but Odysseus restrained them and held them back, eager though they were.Now you devour his house in dishonor, and woo his wifeand would kill his son, and grieve me greatly;but I bid you cease, and bid the others too.Then Eurymachus, son of Polybus, answered her:Daughter of Icarius, wise Penelope,take courage; let not these things trouble your heart.There is no such man, nor shall there be, nor shall he be born,who shall lay hands on Telemachus your son,while I live and look upon the earth.For thus I will speak out, and surely it shall be accomplished:quickly shall his black blood flow about my spear,my own, since Odysseus, sacker of cities, oncemany a time set me on his knees and put roast meatin my hands, and held the red wine to me.Therefore Telemachus is by far the dearest to me of allmen, and I bid him not to fear death at allfrom the suitors; but from the gods there is no escaping.So he spoke, encouraging her, but himself was preparing his destruction.And she went up to the shining upper chambersand wept for Odysseus, her dear husband, until on her eyelidsbright-eyed Athena cast sweet sleep.In the evening the noble swineherd came to Odysseus and his son;and they made ready their supper standing by,having sacrificed a year-old boar. But Athena,standing near, smote Odysseus, son of Laertes,with her rod and made him an old man again,and clothed him in wretched garments about his body, lest the swineherdshould know him looking on him, and should go to wise Penelopeand tell her, nor keep it in his heart.And Telemachus spoke first to him:You have come, noble Eumaeus. What then is the talk in the city?Are the proud suitors already withinfrom their ambush, or are they yet watching for me as I return home?And answering him you said, Eumaeus the swineherd:I had no care to ask and inquire about these thingsas I went down into the city; my heart bade me most swiftlytell my message and come back hither again.And a swift messenger went with me from your comrades,a herald, who was the first to speak a word to your mother.And another thing I know; for I saw it with my eyes.Already above the city, where the hill of Hermes is,I was going, when I saw a swift ship coming downinto our harbor; and there were many men in it,and it was heavy with shields and two-edged spears;and I thought they were those men, but I do not know for sure.So he spoke, and the sacred strength of Telemachus smiled,looking with his eyes at his father, and shunned the swineherd's notice.But when they had ceased from their labor and made ready the feast,they feasted, nor did their heart lack an equal share of the feast.But when they had put away the desire of drink and food,they bethought them of their beds and took the gift of sleep.

In the hut Odysseus and the noble swineherdwere getting breakfast ready at dawn, after lighting a fire,and they sent out the herdsmen with the pigs that had been gathered.The loud-barking dogs fawned around Telemachusand did not bark at him as he came near. Noble Odysseus noticedthat the dogs were fawning, and the sound of feet reached him.At once he spoke winged words to Eumaeus:Eumaeus, some friend of yours is surely coming here,or some other person you know, since the dogs are not barkingbut fawning around him; and I hear the thud of feet.He had not yet finished the whole sentence when his dear sonstood in the doorway. The swineherd jumped up in astonishment,and the bowls he was working with fell from his handsas he mixed the fiery wine. He went to meet his masterand kissed his head and both his beautiful eyesand both his hands; and a big warm tear fell from him.Just as a father, loving his son, welcomes him warmlywhen he comes back in the tenth year from a distant land,an only late-born son, for whom he has suffered many sorrows,so then the noble swineherd kissed godlike Telemachusall over, clinging to him, as one escaped from death;and weeping he spoke winged words:You have come, Telemachus, sweet light. I never thoughtI would see you again, after you sailed to Pylos.But come in now, dear child, so that in my heartI may enjoy looking at you, newly arrived from somewhere else.You do not often come out to the farm or to the herdsmen,but you stay in town; that is what has pleased your heart,to watch the deadly crowd of suitors.Then thoughtful Telemachus answered him:That is how it will be, sir; it is because of you that I have come here,so that I may see you with my eyes and hear you speak,whether my mother is still waiting in the halls for me, or whether some otherman has already married her, and Odysseus' bedlies empty of blankets, covered with ugly cobwebs.Then the swineherd, leader of men, answered him:She is still waiting, with an enduring heart,in your halls; but her miserable nights and daysalways waste away, as she sheds tears.After saying this he took the bronze spear from him;and he went inside and stepped over the stone threshold.As he came in, his father Odysseus gave up his seat to him;but Telemachus from the other side stopped him and said:Sit, stranger; we will find a seat somewhere elsein our own farm; there is a man here who will set one out.So he spoke, and he went back and sat down; and the swineherdspread green brushwood under him and a fleece on top;then Odysseus' dear son sat down there.The swineherd set before them platters of roast meatthat they had left over from eating the day before,and he hurriedly piled up bread in baskets,and in an ivy-wood cup he mixed honey-sweet wine;and he himself sat down facing godlike Odysseus.They reached out their hands to the ready food set before them.When they had satisfied their desire for drink and food,then Telemachus spoke to the noble swineherd:Sir, where did this stranger come to you from? How did sailorsbring him to Ithaca? Who did they claim to be?I certainly do not think he got here on foot.Answering him, you said, Eumaeus the swineherd:Then I will tell you the whole truth, child.He claims his family is from broad Crete,and he says he has wandered around many cities of menin his roaming; that is how some god spun it for him.And now, after escaping from a ship of Thesprotian men,he has come to my farm, and I will hand him over to you;do as you wish; he claims to be your suppliant.Then thoughtful Telemachus answered him:Eumaeus, that is a heart-grieving thing you have said;for how am I to take this stranger into my house?I myself am young and do not yet trust my handsto fight off a man when someone provokes me first;and my mother's heart in her chest is torn two ways,whether to stay here with me and manage the house,respecting her husband's bed and what people say,or to follow whichever of the Achaeans is bestand courts her in the halls and offers the most.But this stranger, since he has come to your house,I will dress him in a cloak and tunic, fine clothes,and I will give him a two-edged sword and sandals for his feet,and send him wherever his heart and spirit tell him.If you want, you can keep him here, holding him at the farm;and I will send clothes here and all his foodto eat, so that he does not wear you and your friends out.I would not let him go over there among the suitors;for they are outrageously arrogant;they might mock him, and that would be terrible grief for me.And it is hard for a man, even a strong one,to get anything done among more men, since they are far stronger.Then much-enduring noble Odysseus answered him:Friend, since it is proper for me to answer too,truly my dear heart is torn apart as I listento you saying that the suitors recklessly plotin the halls, against your will, when you are the man you are.Tell me, are you subdued willingly, or do the peoplehate you across the land, following some god's voice,or do you have a complaint against your brothers, whom a mantrusts when they fight, even if a great quarrel arises?If only I were as young as my spirit here,either a son of blameless Odysseus or Odysseus himself;then let some stranger cut off my head at onceif I did not become a curse to all of them,coming into the hall of Odysseus, son of Laertes.But if they overcame me with their numbers while I was alone,I would rather be killed in my own hallsand die than always watch these shameful deeds:strangers being roughly handled, and slave womendragged shamefully through the fine halls,and wine being wasted, and food being eatenfor nothing, uselessly, with no end to the work.Then thoughtful Telemachus answered him:Then I will tell you quite exactly, stranger.The whole people is not angry with me in hatred,nor do I blame my brothers, whom a mantrusts when they fight, even if a great quarrel arises.For the son of Cronos made our family a single line:Arceisius fathered only Laertes as a son,and Laertes in turn fathered only Odysseus; and Odysseusfathered only me in the halls and left me, and had no benefit from me.So now there are countless enemies in my house.For as many lords as rule over the islands,Dulichium and Same and wooded Zacynthus,and as many as are lords over rocky Ithaca,that many court my mother, and they wear out my house.And she neither refuses the hateful marriage nor is ableto bring it to an end; and they wear away my houseby eating; and soon they will destroy me too.But these things lie on the knees of the gods.Sir, you go quickly and tell wise Penelopethat I am safe and have come back from Pylos.But I will stay here, and you come back here,after telling her alone; and let no other of the Achaeanshear about it; for many are plotting evil against me.Answering him, you said, Eumaeus the swineherd:I know, I understand; you are telling someone who understands.But come, tell me this too and tell it exactly:should I also go to Laertes as a messenger on that same road,the poor man, who until now, grieving greatly for Odysseus,used to keep an eye on the work, and in the house among the servantsdrank and ate whenever his heart in his chest told him to;but now, since you sailed to Pylos,they say he no longer eats and drinks the same way,nor looks at the work, but with groaning and wailinghe sits and mourns, and the flesh wastes away from his bones.Then thoughtful Telemachus answered him:It is worse, but even so let us leave him, grieving as we are;for if mortals could choose everything for themselves,we would first choose the day of my father's return.But you go back after giving the message, and do notwander through the fields after him; but tell my mother'shousekeeper to tell her as quickly as possible,secretly; for she could report it to the old man.So he spoke and roused the swineherd; and he took sandals in his hands,tied them under his feet, and went to the city. And Athena did notfail to notice Eumaeus the swineherd leaving the farm,but she came near; in body she was like a woman,beautiful and tall and skilled in glorious handiwork.She stood at the front doorway of the hut, appearing to Odysseus;and Telemachus did not see her face to face or notice her,for the gods do not appear clearly to everyone,but Odysseus and the dogs saw her, and they did not bark,but with a whimper they fled to the other side through the farm.And she nodded with her eyebrows; noble Odysseus noticed,and went out of the hut past the great wall of the courtyard,and stood in front of her; and Athena spoke to him:Zeus-born son of Laertes, much-devising Odysseus,now at once speak to your son and do not hide it,so that the two of you, planning death and doom for the suitors,may go to the famous city; and I myselfwill not be far from you two, eager for the fight.So she spoke, and Athena touched him with a golden wand.First she put a well-washed cloak and tunicaround his chest, and increased his size and youthfulness.And he became dark-skinned again, and his jaws grew broad,and a dark beard grew around his chin.She did this and went back; but Odysseuswent into the hut; and his dear son was amazed at him,and in fear he threw his eyes aside, in case he was a god,and speaking to him he said winged words:You look different to me now than before, stranger,and you are wearing different clothes, and your skin is no longer the same.Surely you are some god, one of those who hold the wide heaven;but be merciful, so that we may give you pleasing sacrificesand golden gifts, well made; and spare us.Then much-enduring noble Odysseus answered him:I am no god; why do you compare me to the immortals?But I am your father, for whose sake you groanand suffer many sorrows, putting up with the violence of men.So saying, he kissed his son, and down his cheekshe let a tear fall to the ground; before, he had always held it back.But Telemachus, because he still did not believe he was his father,again answered him and said:You are not Odysseus, my father, but some godis bewitching me, so that I may mourn and groan even more.For no mortal man could plan these thingswith his own mind, unless a god himself cameand easily, at will, made him young or old.A moment ago you were an old man and wore shameful clothes;but now you are like the gods, who hold the wide heaven.Answering him, much-devising Odysseus said:Telemachus, it is not right for you to be amazedbeyond measure or astonished that your dear father is here;for no other Odysseus will come here again,but here I am, just as I am, after suffering evils and much wandering,and I have come in the twentieth year to my native land.This is the work of Athena, driver of the spoil,who made me as she wants; she can do it,sometimes like a beggar, and sometimes againlike a young man wearing fine clothes on his skin.It is easy for the gods, who hold the wide heaven,both to make a mortal man glorious and to ruin him.So saying, he sat down, and Telemachusthrew his arms around his noble father and wept, shedding tears,and in both of them the desire to wail arose;they wept loudly, more thickly than birds,sea-eagles or hook-clawed vultures, whose youngcountry people have taken away before they can fly;so they shed a pitiful tear under their brows.And the light of the sun would have set on them as they mourned,if Telemachus had not quickly spoken to his father:In what kind of ship, dear father, did sailors now bring youhere to Ithaca? Who did they claim to be?I certainly do not think you got here on foot.Then much-enduring noble Odysseus answered him:Then I will tell you the truth, child.The Phaeacians, famous for ships, brought me, the ones who alsosend other men, whoever comes to them;and while I slept in their swift ship over the sea, carrying methey set me down in Ithaca, and gave me glorious gifts,bronze and gold in plenty and woven clothing.And these lie in the caves by the will of the gods.And now I have come here on Athena's instructions,so that we may plan murder against our enemies.But come, count up the suitors and tell them to me,so that I may know how many they are and what kind of men they are;and I will consider it in my blameless heartand figure out whether we two can stand against themalone, without others, or whether we should look for others.Then thoughtful Telemachus answered him:Father, I always heard of your great fame,that your hands are warlike and your counsel wise.But you have said far too much; amazement takes hold of me; and it cannot bethat two men fight against many and strong enemies.And of the suitors there is not a sure ten or just two,but many more; and soon you will learn their number here.From Dulichium there are fifty-twopicked young men, and six servants follow them;and from Same there are twenty-four men,and from Zacynthus there are twenty young men of the Achaeans,and from Ithaca itself twelve, all of them the best,and along with them is Medon the herald and a godlike poetand two servants, skilled in carving meat.If we meet all of these inside,be careful that you do not come and pay a very bitter and dreadful price for your violence.But come, if you can think of some defender,consider who might defend us two with a willing heart.Then much-enduring noble Odysseus answered him:So I will speak, and you pay attention and hear me:and tell whether Athena with father Zeuswill be enough for us, or whether I should think of some other defender.Then wise Telemachus answered him in turn:These two you speak of are good defenders,even though they sit high in the clouds; and they have power over othermen and over the immortal gods.Then much-enduring noble Odysseus answered him:Those two certainly will not be apart for a long timefrom the strong battle, when between the suitors and usin my halls the fury of Ares is decided.But you now go, as dawn appears,home, and mix with the arrogant suitors;and the swineherd will bring me later to the town,like a wretched beggar and an old man.And if they dishonor me through the house, let your own dear heartendure it in your chest, while I suffer badly,even if they drag me by the feet through the house and out the dooror throw things at me; you look on and endure it.But indeed you should tell them to stop their foolishness,speaking to them with gentle words; but they will notbe persuaded; for the day of their fate stands near.And another thing I will tell you, and put it in your heart:when Athena of many counsels puts it in your mind,I will nod to you with my head, and then you, noticing,as many of the warlike weapons as lie in the halls,take them up and put them in the recess of the high chamber,all of them; and the suitors with soft wordsput off, when they ask you about them, wanting them;say you put them away from the smoke, since they no longer looked likewhat Odysseus left behind when he went to Troy,but they are tarnished as far as the smoke of the fire reached.And on top of that the son of Cronos put this greater thing in my mind,that somehow, drunk, having started a quarrel among you,you might wound each other and shame the feastand the wooing; for iron itself draws a man on.And for us two alone let two swords and two spearsbe left, and two shields to take in our hands,so that we may rush and seize them; and thenPallas Athena will charm them, and Zeus the counselor.And another thing I will tell you, and put it in your heart:if you are truly mine and of our blood,let no one then hear that Odysseus is inside,neither let Laertes know it, nor the swineherd,nor any of the household, nor Penelope herself,but let you and I alone learn the mind of the women;and we might also test some of the male slaves,both where someone honors us two and fears in his heart,and where someone does not care, and dishonors you though you are such a man.Then his glorious son answered him and said:Father, you will also know my heart after this, I think,for no slackness of mind holds me;but I do not think this will be a gainfor us both; and I tell you to think about it.For you will learn for a long time going around testing each man,going among the work; and they in the halls at easedevour the goods violently, and there is no sparing.But I tell you to find out about the women,which ones dishonor you and which are blameless;but among the men in the farmsteads I would notwant us to test them, but these things to be dealt with later,if you truly know some sign from aegis-bearing Zeus.So these two spoke such things to each other,and meanwhile the well-built ship was coming down to Ithaca,which carried Telemachus from Pylos and all his comrades.And when they came inside the deep harbor,they dragged the black ship up on the land,and the high-spirited servants carried away their weapons,and at once they brought the very beautiful gifts to the house of Clytius.And they sent a herald to the house of Odysseus,to tell the message to wise Penelope,that Telemachus was in the country, and had ordered the shipto sail back to the city, so that she might not, in fear in her heart,the noble queen, shed a tender tear.And the herald and the noble swineherd met each otherfor the same message, to tell it to the woman.But when they came to the house of the godlike king,the herald spoke among the serving women:Queen, your dear son has already come.And the swineherd, standing near, told Penelopeeverything that her dear son had told him to say.And when he had told the whole message,he went to the pigs, and left the yard and the hall.And the suitors were distressed and downcast in their hearts,and they came out of the hall past the great wall of the courtyard,and sat down right in front of the doors.And Eurymachus, son of Polybus, began to speak to them:Friends, this journey of his has been accomplished, a great and arrogant deed,and we said it would not happen for Telemachus.But come, let us drag down the best black ship we have,and gather rowing seamen, who may most quicklytell those men to hurry home.Not everything had been said, when Amphinomus saw the ship,turning from his place, inside the deep harbor,with men furling sails and holding oars in their hands.And laughing sweetly he spoke to his comrades:Let us no longer urge on any message; for these men are inside.Either some god told them this, or they themselves sawthe ship passing by, and could not catch it.So he spoke, and they stood up and went to the shore of the sea,and at once dragged the black ship up on the land,and the high-spirited servants carried away their weapons.And they themselves went in a crowd to the assembly, and would not allow any othereither of the young or the old to sit among them.And Antinous spoke among them, son of Eupeithes:Alas, how the gods have freed this man from his misery.By day the watchers sat on the windy heights,always one after another; and at sunsetwe never spent the night on land, but on the seasailing in a swift ship we waited for the bright Dawn,lying in wait for Telemachus, so that we might seize and kill him;but meanwhile a god brought him home,and let us here plan a miserable deathfor Telemachus, and let him not escape us; for I do not thinkthat while this man lives these deeds will be accomplished.For he himself is knowledgeable in counsel and in mind,and the people no longer altogether bring goodwill to us.But come, before that man gathers the Achaeansinto assembly—for I do not think he will let it go,but he will be furious, and standing up will say before everyonethat we plotted sheer murder against him and did not accomplish it;and they will not approve when they hear of evil deeds;lest they do some harm and drive us outof our land, and we come to the land of others;but let us kill him, seizing him in the country away from the city,or on the road; and let us ourselves keep his livelihood and property,dividing it fairly among us, and the houselet us give to his mother to keep, and to whoever marries her.But if this word displeases you, and you would ratherthat he live and keep all his father's goods,then let us not give him goods, pleasant and plentiful,gathering here, but from the hall let each manwoo her, seeking her with gifts; and she may thenmarry whoever gives the most and is fated to come.So he spoke, and they all became silent in quiet.And Amphinomus spoke among them and said,the glorious son of Nisus, lord Aretiades,who from Dulichium, rich in wheat and grassy,led the suitors, and most pleased Penelopewith his words; for he had good sense;he, well-minded toward them, spoke and said:Friends, I would not want to killTelemachus; for it is a dreadful thing to kill the royal race;but first let us ask the counsels of the gods.If the decrees of great Zeus approve,I myself will kill him and order all the others to do so;but if the gods turn us away, I tell you to stop.So spoke Amphinomus, and his word pleased them.At once then they stood up and went to the house of Odysseus,and when they came they sat down on the polished seats.And wise Penelope thought of another thing,to appear before the suitors in their arrogant violence.For she had learned of the destruction of her son in the halls;for the herald Medon told her, who had learned of their plans.And she went to the hall with her serving women.But when the shining one among women came to the suitors,she stood by the doorpost of the well-built roof,holding her shining veil before her cheeks,and she rebuked Antinous, and spoke a word and called him by name:Antinous, full of arrogance, evil plotter, and they say that youamong the people of Ithaca, among your fellows, are the bestin counsel and in words; but you are not such a man.Madman, why do you weave death and doomfor Telemachus, and do not care about suppliants, for whom Zeusis witness? Nor is it holy to weave evils against one another.Do you not know when your father came here fleeing,afraid of the people? For they were very angry,because he had followed the Taphian piratesand harmed the Thesprotians; and they were friends with us;and they wanted to destroy him and tear out his dear heartand eat up his plentiful, heart-pleasing livelihood;but Odysseus held them back and stopped them, eager as they were.Now you devour his house in dishonor, and woo his wifeand kill his son, and grieve me greatly;but I tell you to stop, and to tell the others too.Then Eurymachus, son of Polybus, answered her:Daughter of Icarius, wise Penelope,take courage; let these things not trouble your heart.There is no such man, nor will there be, nor will he be born,who will lay hands on Telemachus your son,while I am alive and looking on the earth.For I will speak out, and surely it will be accomplished:quickly his black blood will flow around my own spear,since Odysseus, sacker of cities, oncemany times set me on his knees and put roast meatin my hands, and held the red wine to me.Therefore Telemachus is by far the dearest to me of allmen, and I tell him not to fear death at allfrom the suitors; but from the gods there is no escaping.So he spoke, encouraging her, but he himself was preparing his destruction.And she went up to the shining upper chambersand wept for Odysseus, her dear husband, until on her eyelidsbright-eyed Athena cast sweet sleep.In the evening the noble swineherd came to Odysseus and his son;and they made ready supper standing by,having sacrificed a year-old boar. But Athena,standing near, struck Odysseus, son of Laertes,with a rod and made him an old man again,and dressed him in wretched clothes on his body, so that the swineherdwould not recognize him looking at him, and would not go to wise Penelopeand report, nor keep it in his thoughts.And Telemachus spoke to him first:You have come, noble Eumaeus. What then is the talk in the city?Are the proud suitors already insidefrom the ambush, or are they still watching for me as I come home?And answering him you said, Eumaeus the swineherd:I did not care to ask and inquire about these thingsas I went down to the city; my heart bade me most quicklytell my message and come back here again.And a swift messenger went with me from your comrades,a herald, who was the first to speak a word to your mother.And another thing I know; for I saw it with my eyes.Already above the city, where the hill of Hermes is,I was going, when I saw a swift ship coming downinto our harbor; and there were many men in it,and it was heavy with shields and two-edged spears;and I thought they were those men, but I do not know for sure.So he spoke, and the sacred strength of Telemachus smiled,looking with his eyes at his father, and avoided the swineherd's notice.But when they had stopped their work and made ready the feast,they feasted, and their heart did not lack an equal share of the feast.But when they had put away their desire for drink and food,they thought of bed and took the gift of sleep.