The Odyssey: Book 03 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFGHCIJKLFMENNOP QRSTEUVWFXYUZPA2UCB2 C2UBXFD2BE2FF2G2EH2P I2J2GGK2L2PM2N2PO2P2 PEQ2IR2S2G2T2U2CV2EW 2R2EX2Y2PZ2G2A3BZB3C PC3D3HGE3G2GF3G3NH3E BI3H3E3LU2J3ZG2H3PK3 LPNPG3EL3BQ2BFM3U2FN 3EEH3G2GO3HGGBG2NCP3 GGH3PH3AFNPPFG2BC2U2 BR2ELPQ3H3PH3H3G2R3C S3NE3GY2G2T3EU3H3GH3 J2S3G2H3H3V3G2G2M3H3 F2W3GJX3E3IH3AFH3G2C Y3CL3Z3EG2G2A4H3E3AB BBH3PFB4C4BH3H3H3EDB H3PAI3GD4BH3FH3G2E4G PY2F4F2NFM3I3M3S3GGI BDPG4I3GH4NBH3G2HI4P H3G2R3J4K4L4GG2CPG2G PBH3BPH3FW3E4H3H3BBM 3L2M4EH3BGFM4G2BHBN4 O4CH3P4Q4FU2GR4H3FS4 I4T4PH3G2PGBPU4NEH3K 4G2EU2FBR4BR2G2V4EW4 BGX4O4FY4H3Z4EO4FO3E G2G2BPL3H3H3BBAH3BG2 LFH3LBHNZGI4R4

But as the sun was rising from the fair sea into the firmament ofA
heaven to shed Blight on mortals and immortals they reached Pylos theB
city of Neleus Now the people of Pylos were gathered on the sea shoreC
to offer sacrifice of black bulls to Neptune lord of the EarthquakeD
There were nine guilds with five hundred men in each and there wereE
nine bulls to each guild As they were eating the inward meats andF
burning the thigh bones on the embers in the name of NeptuneG
Telemachus and his crew arrived furled their sails brought theirH
ship to anchor and went ashoreC
Minerva led the way and Telemachus followed her Presently she saidI
Telemachus you must not be in the least shy or nervous you haveJ
taken this voyage to try and find out where your father is buriedK
and how he came by his end so go straight up to Nestor that we mayL
see what he has got to tell us Beg of him to speak the truth andF
he will tell no lies for he is an excellent personM
But how Mentor replied Telemachus dare I go up to NestorE
and how am I to address him I have never yet been used to holdingN
long conversations with people and am ashamed to begin questioningN
one who is so much older than myselfO
Some things Telemachus answered Minerva will be suggested toP
you by your own instinct and heaven will prompt you further for I amQ
assured that the gods have been with you from the time of your birthR
until nowS
She then went quickly on and Telemachus followed in her stepsT
till they reached the place where the guilds of the Pylian people wereE
assembled There they found Nestor sitting with his sons while hisU
company round him were busy getting dinner ready and putting piecesV
of meat on to the spits while other pieces were cooking When they sawW
the strangers they crowded round them took them by the hand andF
bade them take their places Nestor's son Pisistratus at onceX
offered his hand to each of them and seated them on some softY
sheepskins that were lying on the sands near his father and hisU
brother Thrasymedes Then he gave them their portions of the inwardZ
meats and poured wine for them into a golden cup handing it toP
Minerva first and saluting her at the same timeA2
Offer a prayer sir said he to King Neptune for it is hisU
feast that you are joining when you have duly prayed and made yourC
drink offering pass the cup to your friend that he may do so alsoB2
I doubt not that he too lifts his hands in prayer for man cannot liveC2
without God in the world Still he is younger than you are and isU
much of an age with myself so I he handed I will give you theB
precedenceX
As he spoke he handed her the cup Minerva thought it very right andF
proper of him to have given it to herself first she accordingly beganD2
praying heartily to Neptune O thou she cried that encirclest theB
earth vouchsafe to grant the prayers of thy servants that call uponE2
thee More especially we pray thee send down thy grace on Nestor andF
on his sons thereafter also make the rest of the Pylian people someF2
handsome return for the goodly hecatomb they are offering you LastlyG2
grant Telemachus and myself a happy issue in respect of the matterE
that has brought us in our to PylosH2
When she had thus made an end of praying she handed the cup toP
Telemachus and he prayed likewise By and by when the outer meatsI2
were roasted and had been taken off the spits the carvers gaveJ2
every man his portion and they all made an excellent dinner As soonG
as they had had enough to eat and drink Nestor knight of GereneG
began to speakK2
Now said he that our guests have done their dinner it willL2
be best to ask them who they are Who then sir strangers are youP
and from what port have you sailed Are you traders or do you sailM2
the seas as rovers with your hand against every man and every man'sN2
hand against youP
Telemachus answered boldly for Minerva had given him courage to askO2
about his father and get himself a good nameP2
Nestor said he son of Neleus honour to the Achaean name youP
ask whence we come and I will tell you We come from Ithaca underE
Neritum and the matter about which I would speak is of private notQ2
public import I seek news of my unhappy father Ulysses who is saidI
to have sacked the town of Troy in company with yourself We know whatR2
fate befell each one of the other heroes who fought at Troy but asS2
regards Ulysses heaven has hidden from us the knowledge even that heG2
is dead at all for no one can certify us in what place he perishedT2
nor say whether he fell in battle on the mainland or was lost atU2
sea amid the waves of Amphitrite Therefore I am suppliant at yourC
knees if haply you may be pleased to tell me of his melancholy endV2
whether you saw it with your own eyes or heard it from some otherE
traveller for he was a man born to trouble Do not soften thingsW2
out of any pity for me but tell me in all plainness exactly whatR2
you saw If my brave father Ulysses ever did you loyal service eitherE
by word or deed when you Achaeans were harassed among the TrojansX2
bear it in mind now as in my favour and tell me truly allY2
My friend answered Nestor you recall a time of much sorrow toP
my mind for the brave Achaeans suffered much both at sea whileZ2
privateering under Achilles and when fighting before the great cityG2
of king Priam Our best men all of them fell there Ajax AchillesA3
Patroclus peer of gods in counsel and my own dear son Antilochus aB
man singularly fleet of foot and in fight valiant But we sufferedZ
much more than this what mortal tongue indeed could tell the wholeB3
story Though you were to stay here and question me for five years orC
even six I could not tell you all that the Achaeans suffered and youP
would turn homeward weary of my tale before it ended Nine longC3
years did we try every kind of stratagem but the hand of heaven wasD3
against us during all this time there was no one who could compareH
with your father in subtlety if indeed you are his son I canG
hardly believe my eyes and you talk just like him too no one wouldE3
say that people of such different ages could speak so much alike HeG2
and I never had any kind of difference from first to last neither inG
camp nor council but in singleness of heart and purpose we advisedF3
the Argives how all might be ordered for the bestG3
When however we had sacked the city of Priam and were settingN
sail in our ships as heaven had dispersed us then Jove saw fit to vexH3
the Argives on their homeward voyage for they had Not all been eitherE
wise or understanding and hence many came to a bad end through theB
displeasure of Jove's daughter Minerva who brought about a quarrelI3
between the two sons of AtreusH3
The sons of Atreus called a meeting which was not as it shouldE3
be for it was sunset and the Achaeans were heavy with wine When theyL
explained why they had called the people together it seemed thatU2
Menelaus was for sailing homeward at once and this displeasedJ3
Agamemnon who thought that we should wait till we had offeredZ
hecatombs to appease the anger of Minerva Fool that he was heG2
might have known that he would not prevail with her for when the godsH3
have made up their minds they do not change them lightly So the twoP
stood bandying hard words whereon the Achaeans sprang to their feetK3
with a cry that rent the air and were of two minds as to what theyL
should doP
That night we rested and nursed our anger for Jove was hatchingN
mischief against us But in the morning some of us drew our ships intoP
the water and put our goods with our women on board while the restG3
about half in number stayed behind with Agamemnon We the otherE
half embarked and sailed and the ships went well for heaven hadL3
smoothed the sea When we reached Tenedos we offered sacrifices to theB
gods for we were longing to get home cruel Jove however did notQ2
yet mean that we should do so and raised a second quarrel in theB
course of which some among us turned their ships back again andF
sailed away under Ulysses to make their peace with Agamemnon but IM3
and all the ships that were with me pressed forward for I saw thatU2
mischief was brewing The son of Tydeus went on also with me andF
his crews with him Later on Menelaus joined us at Lesbos and foundN3
us making up our minds about our course for we did not know whetherE
to go outside Chios by the island of Psyra keeping this to ourE
left or inside Chios over against the stormy headland of Mimas SoH3
we asked heaven for a sign and were shown one to the effect that weG2
should be soonest out of danger if we headed our ships across the openG
sea to Euboea This we therefore did and a fair wind sprang upO3
which gave us a quick passage during the night to Geraestus whereH
we offered many sacrifices to Neptune for having helped us so far onG
our way Four days later Diomed and his men stationed their ships inG
Argos but I held on for Pylos and the wind never fell light from theB
day when heaven first made it fair for meG2
Therefore my dear young friend I returned without hearingN
anything about the others I know neither who got home safely norC
who were lost but as in duty bound I will give you without reserveP3
the reports that have reached me since I have been here in my ownG
house They say the Myrmidons returned home safely under Achilles' sonG
Neoptolemus so also did the valiant son of Poias PhiloctetesH3
Idomeneus again lost no men at sea and all his followers whoP
escaped death in the field got safe home with him to Crete NoH3
matter how far out of the world you live you will have heard ofA
Agamemnon and the bad end he came to at the hands of Aegisthus andF
a fearful reckoning did Aegisthus presently pay See what a good thingN
it is for a man to leave a son behind him to do as Orestes did whoP
killed false Aegisthus the murderer of his noble father You tooP
then for you are a tall smart looking fellow show your mettle andF
make yourself a name in storyG2
Nestor son of Neleus answered Telemachus honour to theB
Achaean name the Achaeans applaud Orestes and his name will liveC2
through all time for he has avenged his father nobly Would thatU2
heaven might grant me to do like vengeance on the insolence of theB
wicked suitors who are ill treating me and plotting my ruin butR2
the gods have no such happiness in store for me and for my fatherE
so we must bear it as best we mayL
My friend said Nestor now that you remind me I remember toP
have heard that your mother has many suitors who are ill disposedQ3
towards you and are making havoc of your estate Do you submit to thisH3
tamely or are public feeling and the voice of heaven against you WhoP
knows but what Ulysses may come back after all and pay theseH3
scoundrels in full either single handed or with a force of AchaeansH3
behind him If Minerva were to take as great a liking to you as sheG2
did to Ulysses when we were fighting before Troy for I never yetR3
saw the gods so openly fond of any one as Minerva then was of yourC
father if she would take as good care of you as she did of himS3
these wooers would soon some of them him forget their wooingN
Telemachus answered I can expect nothing of the kind it wouldE3
be far too much to hope for I dare not let myself think of it EvenG
though the gods themselves willed it no such good fortune could befallY2
meG2
On this Minerva said Telemachus what are you talking aboutT3
Heaven has a long arm if it is minded to save a man and if it wereE
me I should not care how much I suffered before getting homeU3
provided I could be safe when I was once there I would rather thisH3
than get home quickly and then be killed in my own house as AgamemnonG
was by the treachery of Aegisthus and his wife Still death isH3
certain and when a man's hour is come not even the gods can saveJ2
him no matter how fond they are of himS3
Mentor answered Telemachus do not let us talk about it anyG2
more There is no chance of my father's ever coming back the godsH3
have long since counselled his destruction There is something elseH3
however about which I should like to ask Nestor for he knows muchV3
more than any one else does They say he has reigned for threeG2
generations so that it is like talking to an immortal Tell meG2
therefore Nestor and tell me true how did Agamemnon come to dieM3
in that way What was Menelaus doing And how came false AegisthusH3
to kill so far better a man than himself Was Menelaus away fromF2
Achaean Argos voyaging elsewhither among mankind that Aegisthus tookW3
heart and killed AgamemnonG
I will tell you truly answered Nestor and indeed you haveJ
yourself divined how it all happened If Menelaus when he got backX3
from Troy had found Aegisthus still alive in his house there wouldE3
have been no barrow heaped up for him not even when he was deadI
but he would have been thrown outside the city to dogs and vulturesH3
and not a woman would have mourned him for he had done a deed ofA
great wickedness but we were over there fighting hard at Troy andF
Aegisthus who was taking his ease quietly in the heart of ArgosH3
cajoled Agamemnon's wife Clytemnestra with incessant flatteryG2
At first she would have nothing to do with his wicked scheme forC
she was of a good natural disposition moreover there was a bardY3
with her to whom Agamemnon had given strict orders on setting out forC
Troy that he was to keep guard over his wife but when heaven hadL3
counselled her destruction Aegisthus thus this bard off to a desertZ3
island and left him there for crows and seagulls to batten upon afterE
which she went willingly enough to the house of Aegisthus Then heG2
offered many burnt sacrifices to the gods and decorated manyG2
temples with tapestries and gilding for he had succeeded far beyondA4
his expectationsH3
Meanwhile Menelaus and I were on our way home from Troy on goodE3
terms with one another When we got to Sunium which is the point ofA
Athens Apollo with his painless shafts killed Phrontis theB
steersman of Menelaus' ship and never man knew better how to handle aB
vessel in rough weather so that he died then and there with theB
helm in his hand and Menelaus though very anxious to pressH3
forward had to wait in order to bury his comrade and give him his dueP
funeral rites Presently when he too could put to sea again andF
had sailed on as far as the Malean heads Jove counselled evil againstB4
him and made it it blow hard till the waves ran mountains high HereC4
he divided his fleet and took the one half towards Crete where theB
Cydonians dwell round about the waters of the river Iardanus There isH3
a high headland hereabouts stretching out into the sea from a placeH3
called Gortyn and all along this part of the coast as far as PhaestusH3
the sea runs high when there is a south wind blowing but arterE
Phaestus the coast is more protected for a small headland can makeD
a great shelter Here this part of the fleet was driven on to theB
rocks and wrecked but the crews just managed to save themselves AsH3
for the other five ships they were taken by winds and seas toP
Egypt where Menelaus gathered much gold and substance among people ofA
an alien speech Meanwhile Aegisthus here at home plotted his evilI3
deed For seven years after he had killed Agamemnon he ruled inG
Mycene and the people were obedient under him but in the eighth yearD4
Orestes came back from Athens to be his bane and killed theB
murderer of his father Then he celebrated the funeral rites of hisH3
mother and of false Aegisthus by a banquet to the people of Argos andF
on that very day Menelaus came home with as much treasure as hisH3
ships could carryG2
Take my advice then and do not go travelling about for long so farE4
from home nor leave your property with such dangerous people inG
your house they will eat up everything you have among them and youP
will have been on a fool's errand Still I should advise you by allY2
means to go and visit Menelaus who has lately come off a voyage amongF4
such distant peoples as no man could ever hope to get back fromF2
when the winds had once carried him so far out of his reckoningN
even birds cannot fly the distance in a twelvemonth so vast andF
terrible are the seas that they must cross Go to him therefore byM3
sea and take your own men with you or if you would rather travelI3
by land you can have a chariot you can have horses and here are myM3
sons who can escort you to Lacedaemon where Menelaus lives Beg of himS3
to speak the truth and he will tell you no lies for he is anG
excellent personG
As he spoke the sun set and it came on dark whereon Minerva saidI
Sir all that you have said is well now however order theB
tongues of the victims to be cut and mix wine that we may makeD
drink offerings to Neptune and the other immortals and then go toP
bed for it is bed time People should go away early and not keep lateG4
hours at a religious festivalI3
Thus spoke the daughter of Jove and they obeyed her saying MenG
servants poured water over the hands of the guests while pages filledH4
the mixing bowls with wine and water and handed it round after givingN
every man his drink offering then they threw the tongues of theB
victims into the fire and stood up to make their drink offeringsH3
When they had made their offerings and had drunk each as much as heG2
was minded Minerva and Telemachus were forgoing on board theirH
ship but Nestor caught them up at once and stayed themI4
Heaven and the immortal gods he exclaimed forbid that youP
should leave my house to go on board of a ship Do you think I am soH3
poor and short of clothes or that I have so few cloaks and as to beG2
unable to find comfortable beds both for myself and for my guests LetR3
me tell you I have store both of rugs and cloaks and shall not permitJ4
the son of my old friend Ulysses to camp down on the deck of a shipK4
not while I live nor yet will my sons after me but they will keepL4
open house as have doneG
Then Minerva answered Sir you have spoken well and it will beG2
much better that Telemachus should do as you have said he thereforeC
shall return with you and sleep at your house but I must go back toP
give orders to my crew and keep them in good heart I am the onlyG2
older person among them the rest are all young men of Telemachus' ownG
age who have taken this voyage out of friendship so I must return toP
the ship and sleep there Moreover to morrow I must go to theB
Cauconians where I have a large sum of money long owing to me AsH3
for Telemachus now that he is your guest send him to Lacedaemon in aB
chariot and let one of your sons go with him Be pleased also toP
provide him with your best and fleetest horsesH3
When she had thus spoken she flew away in the form of an eagle andF
all marvelled as they beheld it Nestor was astonished and tookW3
Telemachus by the hand My friend said he I see that you areE4
going to be a great hero some day since the gods wait upon you thusH3
while you are still so young This can have been none other of thoseH3
who dwell in heaven than Jove's redoubtable daughter theB
Trito born who showed such favour towards your brave father among theB
Argives Holy queen he continued vouchsafe to send down thyM3
grace upon myself my good wife and my children In return I willL2
offer you in sacrifice a broad browed heifer of a year oldM4
unbroken and never yet brought by man under the yoke I will gild herE
horns and will offer her up to you in sacrificeH3
Thus did he pray and Minerva heard his prayer He then led theB
way to his own house followed by his sons and sons in law WhenG
they had got there and had taken their places on the benches andF
seats he mixed them a bowl of sweet wine that was eleven years oldM4
when the housekeeper took the lid off the jar that held it As heG2
mixed the wine he prayed much and made drink offerings to MinervaB
daughter of Aegis bearing Jove Then when they had made theirH
drink offerings and had drunk each as much as he was minded theB
others went home to bed each in his own abode but Nestor putN4
Telemachus to sleep in the room that was over the gateway along withO4
Pisistratus who was the only unmarried son now left him As forC
himself he slept in an inner room of the house with the queen hisH3
wife by his sideP4
Now when the child of morning rosy fingered Dawn appearedQ4
Nestor left his couch and took his seat on the benches of white andF
polished marble that stood in front of his house Here aforetime satU2
Neleus peer of gods in counsel but he was now dead and had goneG
to the house of Hades so Nestor sat in his seat sceptre in handR4
as guardian of the public weal His sons as they left their roomsH3
gathered round him Echephron Stratius Perseus Aretus andF
Thrasymedes the sixth son was Pisistratus and when Telemachus joinedS4
them they made him sit with them Nestor then addressed themI4
My sons said he make haste to do as I shall bid you I wishT4
first and foremost to propitiate the great goddess Minerva whoP
manifested herself visibly to me during yesterday's festivities GoH3
then one or other of you to the plain tell the stockman to look meG2
out a heifer and come on here with it at once Another must go toP
Telemachus's ship and invite all the crew leaving two men only inG
charge of the vessel Some one else will run and fetch Laerceus theB
goldsmith to gild the horns of the heifer The rest stay all of youP
where you are tell the maids in the house to prepare an excellentU4
dinner and to fetch seats and logs of wood for a burnt offeringN
Tell them also to bring me some clear spring waterE
On this they hurried off on their several errands The heifer wasH3
brought in from the plain and Telemachus's crew came from the shipK4
the goldsmith brought the anvil hammer and tongs with which heG2
worked his gold and Minerva herself came to the sacrifice NestorE
gave out the gold and the smith gilded the horns of the heifer thatU2
the goddess might have pleasure in their beauty Then Stratius andF
Echephron brought her in by the horns Aretus fetched water from theB
house in a ewer that had a flower pattern on it and in his other handR4
he held a basket of barley meal sturdy Thrasymedes stood by with aB
sharp axe ready to strike the heifer while Perseus held a bucketR2
Then Nestor began with washing his hands and sprinkling the barleyG2
meal and he offered many a prayer to Minerva as he threw a lockV4
from the heifer's head upon the fireE
When they had done praying and sprinkling the barley mealW4
Thrasymedes dealt his blow and brought the heifer down with aB
stroke that cut through the tendons at the base of her neck whereonG
the daughters and daughters in law of Nestor and his venerable wifeX4
Eurydice she was eldest daughter to Clymenus screamed withO4
delight Then they lifted the heifer's head from off the ground andF
Pisistratus cut her throat When she had done bleeding and was quiteY4
dead they cut her up They cut out the thigh bones all in due courseH3
wrapped them round in two layers of fat and set some pieces of rawZ4
meat on the top of them then Nestor laid them upon the wood fireE
and poured wine over them while the young men stood near him withO4
five pronged spits in their hands When the thighs were burned andF
they had tasted the inward meats they cut the rest of the meat upO3
small put the pieces on the spits and toasted them over the fireE
Meanwhile lovely Polycaste Nestor's youngest daughter washed
Telemachus When she had washed him and anointed him with oil sheG2
brought him a fair mantle and shirt and he looked like a god as heG2
came from the bath and took his seat by the side of Nestor When theB
outer meats were done they drew them off the spits and sat down toP
dinner where they were waited upon by some worthy henchmen who kept
pouring them out their wine in cups of gold As soon as they had hadL3
had enough to eat and drink Nestor said Sons put Telemachus'sH3
horses to the chariot that he may start at onceH3
Thus did he speak and they did even as he had said and yoked theB
fleet horses to the chariot The housekeeper packed them up aB
provision of bread wine and sweetmeats fit for the sons ofA
princes Then Telemachus got into the chariot while PisistratusH3
gathered up the reins and took his seat beside him He lashed theB
horses on and they flew forward nothing loth into the open countryG2
leaving the high citadel of Pylos behind them All that day did theyL
travel swaying the yoke upon their necks till the sun went down andF
darkness was over all the land Then they reached Pherae where DioclesH3
lived who was son to Ortilochus and grandson to Alpheus Here theyL
passed the night and Diocles entertained them hospitably When theB
child of morning rosy fingered Dawn appeared they again yoked theirH
horses and drove out through the gateway under the echoingN
gatehouse Pisistratus lashed the horses on and they flew forwardZ
nothing loth presently they came to the corn lands Of the openG
country and in the course of time completed their journey so well
did their steeds take themI4
Now when the sun had set and darkness was over the landR4

Homer



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