when they come to the dung-heap, after they have been satisfied with pasture; nor did the stalls any longer contain them, but continually lowing, they run about their mothers; so they, when they beheld me with their eyes, weeping were poured around me: and their mind seemed to be in the same state as though they had come to their country and their city of rough Ithaca, where they were nurtured and were born. And lamenting, they addressed to me winged words: We so rejoice at thy return, O noble one, as if we had come to our paternal land, Ithaca: but come, relate the death of our other companions." "Thus they spoke; but I addressed them with words: 'First of all let us draw the ship to the shore, and let us lay up our possessions and all our arms in the caves: and do ye all together hasten to follow me, that ye may see your companions, drinking and eating in the sacred house of Circe: for they have abundance.' "Thus I spoke; but they quickly obeyed my words: but Eurylochus alone detained all my companions, [and addressing them, spoke winged words]: 666 'Ah wretched ones, where shall we go? why do ye long for these evils, to go down to the palace of Circe? who will make us all either swine, or wolves, or lions; who must guard her great house, even by necessity. So also the Cyclops did, when our companions came to his abode, and bold Ulysses followed with them: for they also perished through his infatuation.' "Thus he spoke; but I meditated in my mind, drawing my long sword from my stout thigh, having cut off his head, to throw it to the ground, although he was very near to me in kindred; 15 but my companions one with another restrained me with gentle words: 'O noble one, let us leave him, if thou desirest it, to remain here near the ship and to guard the ship. But do thou lead us to the sacred dwelling of Circe.' "Thus having spoken, they went up from the ship and the sea. Nor was Eurylochus left at the hollow ship, but he followed; for he feared my terrible threat. But in the mean time Circe had carefully washed and anointed with rich oil my other companions in her house; and she threw woollen 15 Eurylochus had married Ktimene, sister of Ulysses. cloaks around them and garments; and we found them all banqueting in the palace. But when they beheld one another, and thought of all things, they wept mourning, and the house resounded with groans on all sides. And she, the divine one of goddesses, standing near me addressed [me]: 666 "O noble son of Laertes, much-contriving Ulysses, no more now excite fresh mourning; even I myself know both what griefs thou hast suffered in the fishy sea, and what harms hostile men have done to thee on the shore. But come, eat food and drink wine, until thou again receivest thy mind in thy breast, such as when first thou didst leave thy paternal land of rugged Ithaca: but now thou art wearied 16 and spiritless, ever mindful of thy severe wanderings: nor is thy mind ever in joyfulness since thou hast suffered very many things.' "Thus she spoke; but our noble mind was immediately persuaded. There we sat all the days for a full year, feasting upon abundance of flesh and sweet wine: but when it was now a year, and the seasons turned round, [the months waning, and the long days were brought round to a conclusion,] then my beloved companions calling me out, spoke: "Wretched one, now at length be mindful of thy paternal land, if it is foretold for thee to be saved, and reach thy loftyroofed house, and thine own paternal land.' ["Thus they spoke; but my noble mind was persuaded. Thus then we sat during the whole day until sun-set, feasting upon abundance of flesh and sweet wine: but when the sun set and darkness came on, they slept in the shadowy palace.] But I, having ascended the beautiful bed of Circe, besought her at her knees; and the goddess heard my voice, and addressing her, I spoke winged words: "O Circe, perform for me the promise, which thou didst promise, that thou wouldst send me home; for my mind now urges me, and that of my other beloved companions, who waste away my dear heart, mourning around me, when thou indeed dost happen to be at a distance.' "Thus I spoke; but she, the divine one of goddesses, immediately answered me: 'O noble son of Laertes, much-contriving Ulysses, do not ye any longer remain in my house. against your will. But ye must first perform another voyage, and come to the house of Pluto and awful Proserpine, 16 Literally, parched, dry. to consult the soul of Theban Tiresias, a blind prophet, whose mind is firm; to him even when dead Proserpine has given understanding, alone to be prudent; but the rest flit 17 about as shades.' "Thus she spoke; but my dear heart was broken; and I sat down on the bed and wept, nor did my mind wish to live any longer and behold the light of the sun. But when I was satiated with weeping and rolling about, then answering her with words I addressed her: "O Circe, who will conduct me on this voyage? no one has yet come to Pluto's in a black ship.' "Thus I spoke; but she, the divine one of goddesses, immediately answered me: 'O noble son of Laertes, much-contriving Ulysses, let not the desire of a guide for thy ship be at all a care to thee: but having erected the mast, and spread out the white sails, sit down: and let the blast of the north wind carry it. But when thou shalt have passed through the ocean in thy ship, where is the easy-dug 18 shore, and the groves of Proserpine, and tall poplars, and fruit-destroying willows, there draw up thy ship in the deep-eddying ocean, and do thou thyself go to the spacious house of Pluto. Here indeed both Pyriphlegethon and Cocytus, 19 which is a stream from the water of Styx, flow into Acheron, and there is a rock, and the meeting of two loud-sounding rivers. There then, O hero, approaching near as I command thee, dig a trench, the width of a cubit each way: and pour around it libations to all the dead, first with mixed honey, then with sweet wine, again the third time with water: 20 and sprinkle white meal 17 ȧtoow is properly used of the wandering, uncertain motion of ghosts. So Eur. Hec. 31. 18 I cannot profess myself satisfied with this interpretation of λáxea, which was a doubtful word in the days of Eustathius. (See on Od. ix. 116.) Probably we should read λáxɛia in this passage also. Cf. intpp. Hesych. t. i. p. 1165, sq. t. ii. p. 435. Villois. on Apoll. Lex. s. v. 19 Milton, Par. Lost, ii. 577 : "Abhorred Styx, the flood of deadly hate; Heard on the rueful stream; fierce Phlegethon, 20 On these lustrations to the dead, see my notes on Esch. Pers. pp. 72, 83, ed. Bohn, and on Soph. Œd. Col. vs. 999, do. over it. And entreat much the powerless heads of the dead, [promising, that] when thou comest to Ithaca, thou wilt offer up in thy palace a barren heifer, whichever is the best, and wilt fill the pyre with excellent things; and that thou wilt sacrifice separately to Tiresias alone a sheep all-black, which excels amongst thy sheep. But when thou shalt have entreated the illustrious nations of the dead with prayers, then sacrifice a male sheep and a black female, turning towards Erebus, and do thou thyself be turned away at a distance, going towards the streams of the river; but there many souls of those gone dead will come. Then immediately exhort thy companions, and command them, having skinned the sheep which lie there slain with the unpitying brass, to burn them, and to invoke the gods, both mighty Pluto and dread Proserpine. And do thou, having drawn thy sharp sword from thy thigh, sit down, nor suffer the powerless heads of the dead to go near the blood, before thou inquirest of Tiresias. There the prophet will immediately come to thee, O leader of the people, who will tell to thee the voyage and the measures of the and thy return, how thou mayest go over the fishy sea.' "Thus she spoke ; and the golden-throned morn immediately And she put a cloak around me, and a tunic, as garments. But the Nymph herself put on a large white veil, slender and graceful, and around her loins she threw a girdle, beautiful, of gold; and she put a head-dress on her head. But I, going through the house, incited my companions with mild words, standing near each man: 'No longer now slum-. bering crop the flower of sweet sleep: but let us go; for now venerable Circe has counselled me.' came. way, "Thus I spoke; and their noble mind was persuaded: nor even from thence did I lead away my companions unharmed, for there was a certain Elpenor, the youngest, not very courageous in war, nor proper in his understanding, who, heavy with wine, lay down, desiring coolness at a distance from his companions in the house of Circe: but having heard the noise and bustle of his companions moving, he rushed up on a sudden, and forgot in his mind to descend backwards, when he came to a long ladder; but he fell straight down from the roof; and his neck was broken from the vertebræ, and his soul went down to Hades. And I spoke words to them when they came: L "Ye think perhaps that ye will come home to your dear paternal land, but Circe has showed to us another way, to the houses of Pluto and severe Proserpine, to consult the soul of Theban Tiresias.' "Thus I spoke; but their dear heart was broken: and sitting down they wept there, and tore their hair. But there was not any advantage to them wailing. "But when now we went sorrowing to the swift ship and the shore of the sea, shedding the warm tear; in the mean time Circe, going to the black ship, bound to it a male sheep, and a black female, easily escaping our notice; for who could see with his eyes a god who was unwilling, going either here or there? BOOK XI. ARGUMENT. Ulysses describes his voyage to the infernal regions, his interview with Tiresias respecting his own and his companions' safety; the heroes and heroines he saw in Hades, and amongst others his mother, and some of the chiefs who had died whilst fighting with him at Troy. "BUT when we were come down to the ship and the sea, we first of all drew the ship into the divine sea; and we placed a mast and sails in the black ship. And taking the sheep we put them on board; and we ourselves also embarked grieving, shedding the warm tear. And fair-haired Circe, an awful goddess, possessing human speech,' sent behind our darkblue-prowed ship a moist wind that filled the sails, an excellent companion. And we sat down, making use of each of the instruments in the ship; and the wind and the pilot directed it. And the sails of it passing over the sea were stretched out the whole day; and the sun set, and all the ways were over-shadowed. And it reached the extreme boundaries of the deep-flowing ocean; where are the people and city of the Cimmerians, covered with shadow and vapour, nor does the shining sun behold them with his beams, neither when he goes towards the starry heaven, nor when he 1 See on v. 334. 2 Duport, Gnom. Hom. p. 204, compares the proverb, comes pro vehiculo." |