The Odyssey: Book 15 Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABCBDEFGHIBJGKLMNOPQ GRSTMEUVWMXBBYNZBA2B 2BAJBVNSC2D2JBSE2F2B G2C2H2OI2TJ2K2L2BBD2 MM2BN2BAO2N2P2MHDJD2 D2Q2R2H2HS2MGT2U2EHN JLBR2V2RW2BBBX2M2EMY 2JHJEZ2G2BD2OJN2D2MA 3B3DHA2BV2BG2C3BHH2N D3D2AA3BD2A3D2J2G2DE 3A3A3JGBPF3S2HG3H3JJ BA3GNI3D2D2BJ3H2K3D2 L3A3JM3HV2JMS2JD2D2B U2BDA3J2JJH2H2JJBD2B ZGN3O3FL2D2P3Q3R3D3E 2S3G2BD3T3U3LA3MBD3D 2BJA3GHJFDGHV3D2W3BX 3I2BS2A3HMBABAJD2G2A 3N2GD2MA3HHY3A3BS2Z3 D3BD3BA3A2A3JG2G2A3D 3JU3YD2G3AA4A3BJG2N2 V3A3A3BMB4MLD3D2A3DS 2J2G2AW2GBBS2A3V3C4J BD2S2D4D2B3AF2G2AB3Z 3JH2BO3E4XBE4A3E4U3G XF4HBD3G2D2HG4E4D2BO 2HBGC4JS2B3BH4D3MV3J 2BD4JD3MBBZ3JA3AV3HX JI4MD2G2JB3D2Z3D3A3C 4HHA3HL2H2A3O3BK3D2G 2A3A3BJ4BD2D2T2HL2K4 D3D3HHD3BO3A2BA3JMI3 A3FBBBF2A3But Minerva went to the fair city of Lacedaemon to tell Ulysses' son | A |
that he was to return at once She found him and Pisistratus | B |
sleeping in the forecourt of Menelaus's house Pisistratus was fast | C |
asleep but Telemachus could get no rest all night for thinking of his | B |
unhappy father so Minerva went close up to him and said | D |
Telemachus you should not remain so far away from home any longer | E |
nor leave your property with such dangerous people in your house they | F |
will eat up everything you have among them and you will have been | G |
on a fool's errand Ask Menelaus to send you home at once if you | H |
wish to find your excellent mother still there when you get back | I |
Her father and brothers are already urging her to marry Eurymachus | B |
who has given her more than any of the others and has been greatly | J |
increasing his wedding presents I hope nothing valuable may have been | G |
taken from the house in spite of you but you know what women are | K |
they always want to do the best they can for the man who marries them | L |
and never give another thought to the children of their first husband | M |
nor to their father either when he is dead and done with Go home | N |
therefore and put everything in charge of the most respectable | O |
woman servant that you have until it shall please heaven to send | P |
you a wife of your own Let me tell you also of another matter which | Q |
you had better attend to The chief men among the suitors are lying in | G |
wait for you in the Strait between Ithaca and Samos and they mean | R |
to kill you before you can reach home I do not much think they will | S |
succeed it is more likely that some of those who are now eating up | T |
your property will find a grave themselves Sail night and day and | M |
keep your ship well away from the islands the god who watches over | E |
you and protects you will send you a fair wind As soon as you get | U |
to Ithaca send your ship and men on to the town but yourself go | V |
straight to the swineherd who has charge your pigs he is well | W |
disposed towards you stay with him therefore for the night and | M |
then send him to Penelope to tell her that you have got back safe from | X |
Pylos | B |
Then she went back to Olympus but Telemachus stirred Pisistratus | B |
with his heel to rouse him and said Wake up Pisistratus and yoke | Y |
the horses to the chariot for we must set off home | N |
But Pisistratus said No matter what hurry we are in we cannot | Z |
drive in the dark It will be morning soon wait till Menelaus has | B |
brought his presents and put them in the chariot for us and let him | A2 |
say good bye to us in the usual way So long as he lives a guest | B2 |
should never forget a host who has shown him kindness | B |
As he spoke day began to break and Menelaus who had already risen | A |
leaving Helen in bed came towards them When Telemachus saw him he | J |
put on his shirt as fast as he could threw a great cloak over his | B |
shoulders and went out to meet him Menelaus said he let me go | V |
back now to my own country for I want to get home | N |
And Menelaus answered Telemachus if you insist on going I will | S |
not detain you not like to see a host either too fond of his guest or | C2 |
too rude to him Moderation is best in all things and not letting a | D2 |
man go when he wants to do so is as bad as telling him to go if he | J |
would like to stay One should treat a guest well as long as he is | B |
in the house and speed him when he wants to leave it Wait then till | S |
I can get your beautiful presents into your chariot and till you have | E2 |
yourself seen them I will tell the women to prepare a sufficient | F2 |
dinner for you of what there may be in the house it will be at once | B |
more proper and cheaper for you to get your dinner before setting | G2 |
out on such a long journey If moreover you have a fancy for | C2 |
making a tour in Hellas or in the Peloponnese I will yoke my | H2 |
horses and will conduct you myself through all our principal | O |
cities No one will send us away empty handed every one will give | I2 |
us something a bronze tripod a couple of mules or a gold cup | T |
Menelaus replied Telemachus I want to go home at once for when | J2 |
I came away I left my property without protection and fear that while | K2 |
looking for my father I shall come to ruin myself or find that | L2 |
something valuable has been stolen during my absence | B |
When Menelaus heard this he immediately told his wife and servants | B |
to prepare a sufficient dinner from what there might be in the | D2 |
house At this moment Eteoneus joined him for he lived close by and | M |
had just got up so Menelaus told him to light the fire and cook | M2 |
some meat which he at once did Then Menelaus went down into his | B |
fragrant store room not alone but Helen went too with | N2 |
Megapenthes When he reached the place where the treasures of his | B |
house were kept he selected a double cup and told his son | A |
Megapenthes to bring also a silver mixing bowl Meanwhile Helen went | O2 |
to the chest where she kept the lovely dresses which she had made with | N2 |
her own hands and took out one that was largest and most | P2 |
beautifully enriched with embroidery it glittered like a star and | M |
lay at the very bottom of the chest Then they all came back through | H |
the house again till they got to Telemachus and Menelaus said | D |
Telemachus may Jove the mighty husband of Juno bring you safely | J |
home according to your desire I will now present you with the | D2 |
finest and most precious piece of plate in all my house It is a | D2 |
mixing bowl of pure silver except the rim which is inlaid with gold | Q2 |
and it is the work of Vulcan Phaedimus king of the Sidonians made | R2 |
me a present of it in the course of a visit that I paid him while I | H2 |
was on my return home I should like to give it to you | H |
With these words he placed the double cup in the hands of | S2 |
Telemachus while Megapenthes brought the beautiful mixing bowl and | M |
set it before him Hard by stood lovely Helen with the robe ready in | G |
her hand | T2 |
I too my son said she have something for you as a keepsake | U2 |
from the hand of Helen it is for your bride to wear upon her | E |
wedding day Till then get your dear mother to keep it for you | H |
thus may you go back rejoicing to your own country and to your home | N |
So saying she gave the robe over to him and he received it gladly | J |
Then Pisistratus put the presents into the chariot and admired them | L |
all as he did so Presently Menelaus took Telemachus and Pisistratus | B |
into the house and they both of them sat down to table A maid | R2 |
servant brought them water in a beautiful golden ewer and poured it | V2 |
into a silver basin for them to wash their hands and she drew a clean | R |
table beside them an upper servant brought them bread and offered | W2 |
them many good things of what there was in the house Eteoneus | B |
carved the meat and gave them each their portions while Megapenthes | B |
poured out the wine Then they laid their hands upon the good things | B |
that were before them but as soon as they had had had enough to eat | X2 |
and drink Telemachus and Pisistratus yoked the horses and took | M2 |
their places in the chariot They drove out through the inner | E |
gateway and under the echoing gatehouse of the outer court and | M |
Menelaus came after them with a golden goblet of wine in his right | Y2 |
hand that they might make a drink offering before they set out He | J |
stood in front of the horses and pledged them saying Farewell to | H |
both of you see that you tell Nestor how I have treated you for he | J |
was as kind to me as any father could be while we Achaeans were | E |
fighting before Troy | Z2 |
We will be sure sir answered Telemachus to tell him everything | G2 |
as soon as we see him I wish I were as certain of finding Ulysses | B |
returned when I get back to Ithaca that I might tell him of the | D2 |
very great kindness you have shown me and of the many beautiful | O |
presents I am taking with me | J |
As he was thus speaking a bird flew on his right hand an eagle with | N2 |
a great white goose in its talons which it had carried off from the | D2 |
farm yard and all the men and women were running after it and | M |
shouting It came quite close up to them and flew away on their | A3 |
right hands in front of the horses When they saw it they were glad | B3 |
and their hearts took comfort within them whereon Pisistratus said | D |
Tell me Menelaus has heaven sent this omen for us or for you | H |
Menelaus was thinking what would be the most proper answer for him | A2 |
to make but Helen was too quick for him and said I will read this | B |
matter as heaven has put it in my heart and as I doubt not that it | V2 |
will come to pass The eagle came from the mountain where it was | B |
bred and has its nest and in like manner Ulysses after having | G2 |
travelled far and suffered much will return to take his revenge if | C3 |
indeed he is not back already and hatching mischief for the suitors | B |
May Jove so grant it replied Telemachus if it should prove to | H |
be so I will make vows to you as though you were a god even when I | H2 |
am at home | N |
As he spoke he lashed his horses and they started off at full | D3 |
speed through the town towards the open country They swayed the | D2 |
yoke upon their necks and travelled the whole day long till the sun | A |
set and darkness was over all the land Then they reached Pherae | A3 |
where Diocles lived who was son of Ortilochus the son of Alpheus | B |
There they passed the night and were treated hospitably When the | D2 |
child of morning rosy fingered Dawn appeared they again yoked their | A3 |
horses and their places in the chariot They drove out through the | D2 |
inner gateway and under the echoing gatehouse of the outer court Then | J2 |
Pisistratus lashed his horses on and they flew forward nothing | G2 |
loath ere long they came to Pylos and then Telemachus said | D |
Pisistratus I hope you will promise to do what I am going to ask | E3 |
you You know our fathers were old friends before us moreover we are | A3 |
both of an age and this journey has brought us together still more | A3 |
closely do not therefore take me past my ship but leave me | J |
there for if I go to your father's house he will try to keep me in | G |
the warmth of his good will towards me and I must go home at once | B |
Pisistratus thought how he should do as he was asked and in the end | P |
he deemed it best to turn his horses towards the ship and put | F3 |
Menelaus's beautiful presents of gold and raiment in the stern of | S2 |
the vessel Then he said Go on board at once and tell your men to do | H |
so also before I can reach home to tell my father I know how | G3 |
obstinate he is and am sure he will not let you go he will come down | H3 |
here to fetch you and he will not go back without you But he will be | J |
very angry | J |
With this he drove his goodly steeds back to the city of the Pylians | B |
and soon reached his home but Telemachus called the men together | A3 |
and gave his orders Now my men said he get everything in | G |
order on board the ship and let us set out home | N |
Thus did he speak and they went on board even as he had said But | I3 |
as Telemachus was thus busied praying also and sacrificing to Minerva | D2 |
in the ship's stern there came to him a man from a distant country a | D2 |
seer who was flying from Argos because he had killed a man He was | B |
descended from Melampus who used to live in Pylos the land of sheep | J3 |
he was rich and owned a great house but he was driven into exile by | H2 |
the great and powerful king Neleus Neleus seized his goods and held | K3 |
them for a whole year during which he was a close prisoner in the | D2 |
house of king Phylacus and in much distress of mind both on account | L3 |
of the daughter of Neleus and because he was haunted by a great sorrow | A3 |
that dread Erinyes had laid upon him In the end however he | J |
escaped with his life drove the cattle from Phylace to Pylos avenged | M3 |
the wrong that had been done him and gave the daughter of Neleus to | H |
his brother Then he left the country and went to Argos where it | V2 |
was ordained that he should reign over much people There he | J |
married established himself and had two famous sons Antiphates and | M |
Mantius Antiphates became father of Oicleus and Oicleus of | S2 |
Amphiaraus who was dearly loved both by Jove and by Apollo but he | J |
did not live to old age for he was killed in Thebes by reason of a | D2 |
woman's gifts His sons were Alcmaeon and Amphilochus Mantius the | D2 |
other son of Melampus was father to Polypheides and Cleitus | B |
Aurora throned in gold carried off Cleitus for his beauty's sake | U2 |
that he might dwell among the immortals but Apollo made Polypheides | B |
the greatest seer in the whole world now that Amphiaraus was dead | D |
He quarrelled with his father and went to live in Hyperesia where | A3 |
he remained and prophesied for all men | J2 |
His son Theoclymenus it was who now came up to Telemachus as he | J |
was making drink offerings and praying in his ship Friend' said he | J |
now that I find you sacrificing in this place I beseech you by | H2 |
your sacrifices themselves and by the god to whom you make them I | H2 |
pray you also by your own head and by those of your followers tell me | J |
the truth and nothing but the truth Who and whence are you Tell me | J |
also of your town and parents | B |
Telemachus said I will answer you quite truly I am from Ithaca | D2 |
and my father is 'Ulysses as surely as that he ever lived But he has | B |
come to some miserable end Therefore I have taken this ship and got | Z |
my crew together to see if I can hear any news of him for he has been | G |
away a long time | N3 |
I too answered Theoclymenus am an exile for I have killed a man | O3 |
of my own race He has many brothers and kinsmen in Argos and they | F |
have great power among the Argives I am flying to escape death at | L2 |
their hands and am thus doomed to be a wanderer on the face of the | D2 |
earth I am your suppliant take me therefore on board your ship | P3 |
that they may not kill me for I know they are in pursuit | Q3 |
I will not refuse you replied Telemachus if you wish to join | R3 |
us Come therefore and in Ithaca we will treat you hospitably | D3 |
according to what we have | E2 |
On this he received Theoclymenus' spear and laid it down on the deck | S3 |
of the ship He went on board and sat in the stern bidding | G2 |
Theoclymenus sit beside him then the men let go the hawsers | B |
Telemachus told them to catch hold of the ropes and they made all | D3 |
haste to do so They set the mast in its socket in the cross plank | T3 |
raised it and made it fast with the forestays and they hoisted | U3 |
their white sails with sheets of twisted ox hide Minerva sent them | L |
a fair wind that blew fresh and strong to take the ship on her | A3 |
course as fast as possible Thus then they passed by Crouni and | M |
Chalcis | B |
Presently the sun set and darkness was over all the land The vessel | D3 |
made a quick pass sage to Pheae and thence on to Elis where the | D2 |
Epeans rule Telemachus then headed her for the flying islands | B |
wondering within himself whether he should escape death or should be | J |
taken prisoner | A3 |
Meanwhile Ulysses and the swineherd were eating their supper in | G |
the hut and the men supped with them As soon as they had had to | H |
eat and drink Ulysses began trying to prove the swineherd and see | J |
whether he would continue to treat him kindly and ask him to stay | F |
on at the station or pack him off to the city so he said | D |
Eumaeus and all of you to morrow I want to go away and begin | G |
begging about the town so as to be no more trouble to you or to | H |
your men Give me your advice therefore and let me have a good | V3 |
guide to go with me and show me the way I will go the round of the | D2 |
city begging as I needs must to see if any one will give me a drink | W3 |
and a piece of bread I should like also to go to the house of Ulysses | B |
and bring news of her husband to queen Penelope I could then go about | X3 |
among the suitors and see if out of all their abundance they will give | I2 |
me a dinner I should soon make them an excellent servant in all sorts | B |
of ways Listen and believe when I tell you that by the blessing of | S2 |
Mercury who gives grace and good name to the works of all men there | A3 |
is no one living who would make a more handy servant than I should to | H |
put fresh wood on the fire chop fuel carve cook pour out wine and | M |
do all those services that poor men have to do for their betters | B |
The swineherd was very much disturbed when he heard this Heaven | A |
help me he exclaimed what ever can have put such a notion as | B |
that into your head If you go near the suitors you will be undone | A |
to a certainty for their pride and insolence reach the very | J |
heavens They would never think of taking a man like you for a | D2 |
servant Their servants are all young men well dressed wearing | G2 |
good cloaks and shirts with well looking faces and their hair | A3 |
always tidy the tables are kept quite clean and are loaded with | N2 |
bread meat and wine Stay where you are then you are not in | G |
anybody's way I do not mind your being here no more do any of the | D2 |
others and when Telemachus comes home he will give you a shirt and | M |
cloak and will send you wherever you want to go | A3 |
Ulysses answered I hope you may be as dear to the gods as you | H |
are to me for having saved me from going about and getting into | H |
trouble there is nothing worse than being always ways on the tramp | Y3 |
still when men have once got low down in the world they will go | A3 |
through a great deal on behalf of their miserable bellies Since | B |
however you press me to stay here and await the return of | S2 |
Telemachus tell about Ulysses' mother and his father whom he left on | Z3 |
the threshold of old age when he set out for Troy Are they still | D3 |
living or are they already dead and in the house of Hades | B |
I will tell you all about them replied Eumaeus Laertes is still | D3 |
living and prays heaven to let him depart peacefully his own house | B |
for he is terribly distressed about the absence of his son and also | A3 |
about the death of his wife which grieved him greatly and aged him | A2 |
more than anything else did She came to an unhappy end through sorrow | A3 |
for her son may no friend or neighbour who has dealt kindly by me | J |
come to such an end as she did As long as she was still living | G2 |
though she was always grieving I used to like seeing her and asking | G2 |
her how she did for she brought me up along with her daughter | A3 |
Ctimene the youngest of her children we were boy and girl | D3 |
together and she made little difference between us When however we | J |
both grew up they sent Ctimene to Same and received a splendid | U3 |
dowry for her As for me my mistress gave me a good shirt and cloak | Y |
with a pair of sandals for my feet and sent me off into the | D2 |
country but she was just as fond of me as ever This is all over now | G3 |
Still it has pleased heaven to prosper my work in the situation | A |
which I now hold I have enough to eat and drink and can find | A4 |
something for any respectable stranger who comes here but there is no | A3 |
getting a kind word or deed out of my mistress for the house has | B |
fallen into the hands of wicked people Servants want sometimes to see | J |
their mistress and have a talk with her they like to have something | G2 |
to eat and drink at the house and something too to take back with | N2 |
them into the country This is what will keep servants in a good | V3 |
humour | A3 |
Ulysses answered Then you must have been a very little fellow | A3 |
Eumaeus when you were taken so far away from your home and parents | B |
Tell me and tell me true was the city in which your father and | M |
mother lived sacked and pillaged or did some enemies carry you off | B4 |
when you were alone tending sheep or cattle ship you off here and | M |
sell you for whatever your master gave them | L |
Stranger replied Eumaeus as regards your question sit still | D3 |
make yourself comfortable drink your wine and listen to me The | D2 |
nights are now at their longest there is plenty of time both for | A3 |
sleeping and sitting up talking together you ought not to go to bed | D |
till bed time too much sleep is as bad as too little if any one of | S2 |
the others wishes to go to bed let him leave us and do so he can then | J2 |
take my master's pigs out when he has done breakfast in the morning | G2 |
We two will sit here eating and drinking in the hut and telling one | A |
another stories about our misfortunes for when a man has suffered | W2 |
much and been buffeted about in the world he takes pleasure in | G |
recalling the memory of sorrows that have long gone by As regards | B |
your question then my tale is as follows | B |
You may have heard of an island called Syra that lies over above | S2 |
Ortygia where the land begins to turn round and look in another | A3 |
direction It is not very thickly peopled but the soil is good | V3 |
with much pasture fit for cattle and sheep and it abounds with wine | C4 |
and wheat Dearth never comes there nor are the people plagued by any | J |
sickness but when they grow old Apollo comes with Diana and kills | B |
them with his painless shafts It contains two communities and the | D2 |
whole country is divided between these two My father Ctesius son of | S2 |
Ormenus a man comparable to the gods reigned over both | D4 |
Now to this place there came some cunning traders from Phoenicia | D2 |
for the Phoenicians are great mariners in a ship which they had | B3 |
freighted with gewgaws of all kinds There happened to be a Phoenician | A |
woman in my father's house very tall and comely and an excellent | F2 |
servant these scoundrels got hold of her one day when she was washing | G2 |
near their ship seduced her and cajoled her in ways that no woman | A |
can resist no matter how good she may be by nature The man who had | B3 |
seduced her asked her who she was and where she came from and on | Z3 |
this she told him her father's name 'I come from Sidon ' said she | J |
'and am daughter to Arybas a man rolling in wealth One day as I | H2 |
was coming into the town from the country some Taphian pirates | B |
seized me and took me here over the sea where they sold me to the man | O3 |
who owns this house and he gave them their price for me ' | E4 |
The man who had seduced her then said 'Would you like to come | X |
along with us to see the house of your parents and your parents | B |
themselves They are both alive and are said to be well off ' | E4 |
'I will do so gladly ' answered she 'if you men will first swear | A3 |
me a solemn oath that you will do me no harm by the way ' | E4 |
They all swore as she told them and when they had completed | U3 |
their oath the woman said 'Hush and if any of your men meets me in | G |
the street or at the well do not let him speak to me for fear some | X |
one should go and tell my master in which case he would suspect | F4 |
something He would put me in prison and would have all of you | H |
murdered keep your own counsel therefore buy your merchandise as | B |
fast as you can and send me word when you have done loading I will | D3 |
bring as much gold as I can lay my hands on and there is something | G2 |
else also that I can do towards paying my fare I am nurse to the | D2 |
son of the good man of the house a funny little fellow just able to | H |
run about I will carry him off in your ship and you will get a great | G4 |
deal of money for him if you take him and sell him in foreign parts ' | E4 |
On this she went back to the house The Phoenicians stayed a | D2 |
whole year till they had loaded their ship with much precious | B |
merchandise and then when they had got freight enough they sent | O2 |
to tell the woman Their messenger a very cunning fellow came to | H |
my father's house bringing a necklace of gold with amber beads | B |
strung among it and while my mother and the servants had it in | G |
their hands admiring it and bargaining about it he made a sign | C4 |
quietly to the woman and then went back to the ship whereon she | J |
took me by the hand and led me out of the house In the fore part of | S2 |
the house she saw the tables set with the cups of guests who had | B3 |
been feasting with my father as being in attendance on him these | B |
were now all gone to a meeting of the public assembly so she snatched | H4 |
up three cups and carried them off in the bosom of her dress while | D3 |
I followed her for I knew no better The sun was now set and | M |
darkness was over all the land so we hurried on as fast as we could | V3 |
till we reached the harbour where the Phoenician ship was lying When | J2 |
they had got on board they sailed their ways over the sea taking us | B |
with them and Jove sent then a fair wind six days did we sail both | D4 |
night and day but on the seventh day Diana struck the woman and she | J |
fell heavily down into the ship's hold as though she were a sea gull | D3 |
alighting on the water so they threw her overboard to the seals and | M |
fishes and I was left all sorrowful and alone Presently the winds | B |
and waves took the ship to Ithaca where Laertes gave sundry of his | B |
chattels for me and thus it was that ever I came to set eyes upon | Z3 |
this country | J |
Ulysses answered Eumaeus I have heard the story of your | A3 |
misfortunes with the most lively interest and pity but Jove has given | A |
you good as well as evil for in spite of everything you have a good | V3 |
master who sees that you always have enough to eat and drink and you | H |
lead a good life whereas I am still going about begging my way from | X |
city to city | J |
Thus did they converse and they had only a very little time left | I4 |
for sleep for it was soon daybreak In the meantime Telemachus and | M |
his crew were nearing land so they loosed the sails took down the | D2 |
mast and rowed the ship into the harbour They cast out their mooring | G2 |
stones and made fast the hawsers they then got out upon the sea | J |
shore mixed their wine and got dinner ready As soon as they had had | B3 |
enough to eat and drink Telemachus said Take the ship on to the | D2 |
town but leave me here for I want to look after the herdsmen on | Z3 |
one of my farms In the evening when I have seen all I want I will | D3 |
come down to the city and to morrow morning in return for your | A3 |
trouble I will give you all a good dinner with meat and wine | C4 |
Then Theoclymenus said 'And what my dear young friend is to | H |
become of me To whose house among all your chief men am I to | H |
repair or shall I go straight to your own house and to your mother | A3 |
At any other time replied Telemachus I should have bidden you | H |
go to my own house for you would find no want of hospitality at | L2 |
the present moment however you would not be comfortable there for I | H2 |
shall be away and my mother will not see you she does not often show | A3 |
herself even to the suitors but sits at her loom weaving in an | O3 |
upper chamber out of their way but I can tell you a man whose | B |
house you can go to I mean Eurymachus the son of Polybus who is held | K3 |
in the highest estimation by every one in Ithaca He is much the | D2 |
best man and the most persistent wooer of all those who are paying | G2 |
court to my mother and trying to take Ulysses' place Jove however | A3 |
in heaven alone knows whether or no they will come to a bad end before | A3 |
the marriage takes place | B |
As he was speaking a bird flew by upon his right hand a hawk | J4 |
Apollo's messenger It held a dove in its talons and the feathers as | B |
it tore them off fell to the ground midway between Telemachus and the | D2 |
ship On this Theoclymenus called him apart and caught him by the | D2 |
hand Telemachus said he that bird did not fly on your right hand | T2 |
without having been sent there by some god As soon as I saw it I knew | H |
it was an omen it means that you will remain powerful and that | L2 |
there will be no house in Ithaca more royal than your own | K4 |
I wish it may prove so answered Telemachus If it does I will | D3 |
show you so much good will and give you so many presents that all | D3 |
who meet you will congratulate you | H |
Then he said to his friend Piraeus Piraeus son of Clytius you | H |
have throughout shown yourself the most willing to serve me of all | D3 |
those who have accompanied me to Pylos I wish you would take this | B |
stranger to your own house and entertain him hospitably till I can | O3 |
come for him | A2 |
And Piraeus answered Telemachus you may stay away as long as | B |
you please but I will look after him for you and he shall find no | A3 |
lack of hospitality | J |
As he spoke he went on board and bade the others do so also and | M |
loose the hawsers so they took their places in the ship But | I3 |
Telemachus bound on his sandals and took a long and doughty spear | A3 |
with a head of sharpened bronze from the deck of the ship Then they | F |
loosed the hawsers thrust the ship off from land and made on towards | B |
the city as they had been told to do while Telemachus strode on as | B |
fast as he could till he reached the homestead where his countless | B |
herds of swine were feeding and where dwelt the excellent | F2 |
swineherd who was so devoted a servant to his master | A3 |
Homer
(1)
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