good king. However we will leave alone the oath ; but may Ulysses come, as I wish he should, and Penelope, and aged Laertes, and godlike Telemachus. Now again I lament unceasingly for the son, whom Ulysses begot, Telemachus: since the gods had nourished him, like unto a plant; and I said that he would not be at all inferior amongst men to his dear father, admirable as to his frame and form; but some one of the immortals has injured his mind which was equal within, or some of men; but he has gone in quest of news of his father, to divine Pylos: but for him the illustrious suitors lie in ambush as he is returning home, that the clan of godlike Arcesias may perish entirely from Ithaca without a name. But however we will leave him, whether he is wandering or flying away, and may the son of Saturn hold his hand over him. But come, do thou, O old man, relate to me thine own sorrows, and tell me this truly, that I may know it well, who art thou? from whence art thou of men? where are thy city and parents? in what kind of ship didst thou come? how did the sailors conduct thee to Ithaca? whom did they boast themselves to be? for I do not think at all that thou camest here on foot."

But him much-planning Ulysses answering addressed: "Then I will tell thee these things very truly. If now we had for a long time both food and sweet wine, when we are within your lodge, to feast at ease, but should others attend to their business: I should not easily then finish, even for a whole year, telling of the sorrows of my mind, all the things whatever I have toiled through by the will of the gods. I boast myself to be of the race of spacious Crete, the son of an opulent man: but many other sons also were both nourished and born in his palace, legitimate from his wife; but me a purchased mother brought forth, a concubine, but Castor Hylacides, of whose race I boast myself to be, honoured me equally with his legitimate sons; who formerly was honoured, as a god, by the people amongst the Cretans, on account of his prosperity, and riches, and his glorious sons. But however the fates of death came bringing him to the abodes of Pluto; and his high-minded sons divided his livelihood, and cast lots [for the shares]: but to me they gave very few things, and allotted me a dwelling. But on account of my excellence I married a wife fit for wealthy men: since I neither was vain, nor cowardly in war; but now all things

have failed; however I think that thou wilt know [the ear] when thou beholdest the straw: 19 for much woe possesses me. Mars indeed and Minerva bestowed courage on me, and power to break through ranks, whenever for an ambush I chose excellent men, sowing evils for mine enemies: nor did my noble mind ever set death before mine eyes; but having leaped on far the foremost with my spear, I slew whoever of hostile men gave way to me with their feet. Such a one I was in war; but work 20 was not agreeable to me, nor house-keeping, which nurtures noble children: but oar-equipped ships were always loved by me, and wars, and well-polished javelins, and arrows, mournful things, which are objects of shuddering to others. But to me these things were dear, these things the deity placed in my mind; for different men are delighted with different employments. For before the sons of the Grecians embarked against Troy, nine times I was commander over men, and swift ships, against foreign men: and all things turned out well for me; from these 21 I chose out what was agreeable to my mind, and many things I afterwards obtained by lot; but my house rapidly increased, and then I became mighty and revered amongst the Cretans. But when wide-seeing Jove determined on this hateful expedition, which loosened the knees of many men, then they ordered me and illustrious Idomeneus to take the command of the ships to Troy; nor was there any contrivance to refuse it, for the clamour of the people was harsh. There indeed for nine years we sons of the Grecians waged war, but in the tenth having destroyed the city of Priam, we embarked homewards with our ships; and the deity dispersed the Grecians. But for wretched me planning Jove devised evil; for for a month only I remained delighted with my parents, and my virgin-wedded wife, and my possessions. But then my mind incited me to sail to Egypt, having well-equipped ships with godlike companions. I equipped nine ships, and quickly were the people collected together. For six days then my beloved companions feasted; but I gave [them] many victims, both to sacrifice to the gods, and to furnish a banquet for themselves. But on the seventh,

19 i. e. seeing me in my present infirm old age, thou wilt guess what I was when young. See Loewe.

20 i. e. agriculture.

21 i. e. from the booty, the results of my labours.

embarking from spacious Crete, we sailed with a clear, beautiful north wind, easily, and as if down the stream; nor indeed was any one of my ships injured, but we sat unscathed and free from disease; and the wind and the helmsmen directed them. But on the fifth day we came to fair-streamed Egypt; and I stationed my ships, rowed on both sides, in the river Egyptus ; 22 then indeed I ordered my beloved companions to remain there near to the ships, and to draw up the ships; and I urged watches to go to watch-places. But they, yielding to insolence, following their own impulse, very quickly laid waste the beautiful fields of the Egyptians, and took away their wives and infant children, and slew them. And the clamour soon reached the city; and they, hearing the cry, came together with the shining morn: and the whole plain was filled with foot and horse, and the glittering of brass: but thunder-rejoicing Jove cast a cowardly panic upon my companions, nor did any one dare to remain opposed to them ; 23 for evils surrounded them 24 from on every side. There they

slew many of us indeed with the sharp brass, and some they led away alive, to work for them by necessity. But Jove himself put this thought in my breast, (would that I had died, and drawn on my fate there in Egypt! for calamity still then awaited me): I immediately took the well-made helmet from my head, and the shield from my shoulders, and I threw my spear out of my hand: but I came opposite the horses of the king, and taking hold of his knees I kissed them; but he freed me, and took pity on me: and having set me in his chariot, he led me home shedding tears. Many of them indeed rushed against me with their ash-shafted spears,25 desiring to kill me, (for they were very wroth,) but he warded them off: for he revered the anger of hospitable Jove, who is especially indignant at evil deeds. Then indeed I for seven years remained there, and collected many possessions amongst Egyptian men, for all offered gifts. But when at length the eighth year came revolving round, then a Phoenician man came, knowing deceitful things, crafty, who indeed had worked many evils for men; who took me away, over-per

22 The Nile. Cf. Pausan. ix. 40, Όμηρος τοῖς ἀρχαίοις ἐχρήσατο ὀνόμασιν, καθότι καὶ "Αιγυπτον τὸν ποταμὸν εἶπεν, οὐ Νεῖλον. Loewe, 23 The Egyptians. 24 The companions of Ulysses. 25 This is the full meaning of uɛλiyoiv.

suading me by his wit, until we came to Phoenicia, where his houses and possessions lay. There with him I remained for a full year. But when the months and days were now finished, the year revolving round again, and the seasons came on, he set me in a sea-traversing ship, [to go] to Libya, having plotted false things, that I take freight together with him, but in order that he might transport me thither [to be sold as a slave], and receive a vast price [for me]. I attended him in the ship by necessity, although suspecting. And it ran with a clear beautiful north wind to the middle main beyond Crete: but Jove devised destruction for them. But when we had now left Crete,26 nor did any other land appear, but the heaven and the sea, then at length the son of Saturn reared an azure cloud above the hollow ship; and the sea grew dark 27 beneath it. But Jove thundered frequently, and hurled a thunder-bolt upon the ship: and it was all whirled about, stricken by the thunder-bolt of Jove, and it was filled with sulphur, and all (the sailors) fell from the ship. And they, like unto gulls, were borne on the waves around the black ship; and God took away their return. But Jove gave to me in mine hands, although having griefs in mind, the unbroken mast of the azure-prowed ship, that I might still escape calamity. Clinging around this, I was borne along by the destructive winds: for nine days I was borne, but in the tenth black night a mighty rolling billow drifted me to the land of the Thesprotians. There the hero Pheidon, king of the Thesprotians, entertained me without expense: for his dear son, coming to me subdued with cold and toil, led me home, having raised me by the hand, until he reached the house of his sire. And he put on me a cloak and tunic as garments.

"There I heard of Ulysses; for he said that he entertained him, and received him kindly, as he was returning to his paternal land. And he showed me the possessions which Ulysses had collected together, brass, and gold, and muchwrought steel. And it would feed another family even to the tenth generation; so much treasure lay for him in the palace

26 Cf. xii. 403, sqq. Moschus, Id. ii. 127. no' öte dǹ yains аπо παтрiδος δεν ἄνευθεν φαίνεται δ ̓ οὐτ ἀκτή τις ἁλίῤῥους, οὔτ ̓ ὄρος αἰπύ, ̓Αλλ ̓ ἀὴρ μὲν ὕπερθεν, ἔνερθε δὲ πόντος ἀπείρων.

* So Alciphron, Op. i. 1. ἐπεφρίκει μὲν ὁ πόντος μελαινόμενος. Pacuvius, "inhorrescit mare, tenebræ conduplicantur, noctisque et nimbûm occæcat nigror."

of the king. But he said that he was gone to Dodona, that he might ask the counsel of the deity from the lofty-tressed oak of Jove, how he should return to the rich people of Ithaca, having now been a long time absent, whether openly or secretly. And he swore to me myself, making libations in his house, that the ship was launched, and that his companions were ready, who should at length escort him to his dear paternal land. But me he sent away first; for a ship of the Thesprotians happened to be going to wheat-abounding Dulichium. Then he ordered them to conduct me diligently to king Acastus: but an evil plan concerning me pleased them in their mind, that I might still be in woe in addition to calamity. But when the sea-traversing ship had sailed far away from the land, they immediately plotted for me the day of slavery. They took off my cloak and tunic, my garments, and then around me threw another sordid rag, and tunic, tattered, which even thou thyself beholdest with thine eyes. But in the evening they came to the tilled-lands of Western Ithaca; there indeed they bound me down in the wellbenched ship, firmly, with a well-twisted cable; but they disembarking, hastily took a supper near the shore of the sea. But the gods themselves easily bent back my bond; and wrapping a rag around my head, I descended down the polished rudder, and made my breast approach the sea: then I rowed on with both my hands, swimming, and I was very quickly out of the way, at a distance from them. Then going up where there was a thicket of a flourishing wood, I lay crouching down; but they walked about groaning greatly: but it did not appear to them to be better to search further; therefore they embarked again in the hollow ship: but the gods themselves eaisly concealed me; and leading me away, made me approach the abode of a skilful man; for still it is fated for me to live."

But

But him thou didst address in answer, O swineherd Eumæus: "Ah wretched one of strangers! thou hast excited my mind very much, relating each of these things, how much thou hast suffered, and how much thou hast wandered. I do not think that these things are right, nor wilt thou persuade me, speaking about Ulysses; why is it fit that thou, being such a one, shouldst speak falsely, to no purpose? But I myself well know as to the return of my master, that