The Odyssey - Book 2 Reading

The Odyssey of Homer, book 2, The Debate in Ethica. As soon as dawn appeared, fresh and rosy fingers, Odysseus's son got up from his bed and put his clothes on. He slung a sharp sword from his shoulder, bound a stout pair of sandals on his glistening feet, and strode from his bedroom, looking like a god. He at once gave orders to the clear voiced cries to call the long-haired accans to assembly. The heralds cried their summons and the people quickly gathered. When all had arrived and the assembly was complete, Telemica himself set out for the meeting place, bronze spear in hand, escorted only by two hunting dogs. Athena endowed him with such supernatural grace that all eyes were turned on him in admiration when he came up. The elders made way for him as he took his father's seat. Igeptius, an old lord, bent with years in richen wisdom, was the first to speak. His own soldier son, Antifus, had sailed with god like Odysseus in the big ships to Ilium, the city of horses, only to be killed by the savage cyclops in his cabin home when he made the last of his meals of Odysseus's men. And although he had three other sons, Euronomus, who had joined with the suitors, and two who worked steadily on their father's estate, Antifus was always in his mind. His grief was inconsolable, and it was but tears for his lost son that he now rose to address the gathering. My fellow countrymen listened to what I have to say. Not one since the good Odysseus sailed have we been called to assembly or council meeting here, who has summoned us now, was it one of the young men or one of the older generation, and what is his pressing need? Perhaps he has heard of an army's approach and wishes to tell us the early news he has received, or is there some other matter of public concern that he intends to raise for discussion? "Good man," I say in any case, "our blessing on him may Zeus reward him with his heart's desire." His all-spacious words delighted Odysseus's son. Eager to speak, he left his seat without further ado and took his stand in the middle of the assembly. The herald Pysonor, a shrewd, experienced counsellor thrust the speaker's staff into his hand, and Telemachus, turning first to old Egyptius, began, "Benerable Sir, you shall have the truth at once. The man who summoned this gathering is not far to seek. It was I. I am in great distress." Of an army's approach, I have heard nothing to tell you, nor is it some other question of public concern that I propose to bring forth but my own private business, the affliction, the double affliction that is fallen on my house. In the first place I have lost my good father, who is one's king among you here, and gentle as a father to you all. But now there is a far greater calamity, one which will bring my house to utter ruin and rob me of any livelihood I have. A crowd of suitors are pestering my mother with their unwanted attentions, and these suitors are actually the sons of those who are your leaders here. To cowardly to present themselves at a father's house for a courier to make terms with his daughter's hand with the claimant he prefers, they spend all day in and out of our house. They slaughter our oxen, our sheep, our fatted goats. They feast themselves and drink our sparkling wine, with never a thought for all the wealth that is being wasted. The truth is that there is no one like Odysseus and charge to purge the house of this blight. We are not able to defend it ourselves, we would prove miserably weak, quite untrained to fight, yet I would willingly fight if I had the strength, for I tell you that things they do are past all bearing. The destruction of my house is an injustice which you gentlemen should resent not only on your own behalf, but as a scandal to our neighbours who live round about. You should shrink from the wrath of the gods. Do you know fear that they may be outraged at your wickedness and turn on you? In the name of Olympian Zeus, in the name of themus, who summons and dissolves the councils of men, I beg you, my friends, to leave me alone with my bitter grief. Unless by any chance you think that my good father harmed the well-grieved Achaeans out of malice, and you are trying to repay me with equal malice by the encouragement you give these men, if only it were you men of Ithaca who were devouring our treasure and our flocks, I think we should be better off. For in that case we should not have far to look for compensation, we should simply hound you up and down the town for the restitution of our goods till every item was repaid. As it is, you fill my heart with the pain for which I find no cure. As he spoke his passion rose and at the end he burst into tears and flung the staff on the ground. A wave of pity swept through the gathering, nobody made a move, nobody had the heart to give telemaca's a sharp reply, and the silence was unbroken till Antenna was retorted. What a speech telemaca's in, what a temper, so you'd put us to shame would you infix the blame on us? You are wrong. We suit us plead not guilty. It is your own mother, that incomparable schemer who is the culprit. Listen, for three whole years, in fact close on four, she has been leading us on, giving us all some grounds for hope, and in her private messages to each, making promises that she is not the slightest intention of keeping. And here's another example of her duplicity. On her loom in her house, she set up a great weapon began weaving a large and delicate piece of work. She said to us, "My lords, my suitors, now that Noble Odysseus is dead, restrain your ardor. Do not urge on this marriage till I have done this work, so that the threads I have spun may not be altogether wasted. It is a shroud for Lord Laiertis, when he succumbs to the dread hand of Remorse's death that stretches all men out at last. I must not risk the scandal there would be among my country women here, if one who had amassed such wealth were laid to rest without a shroud." That's what she said, and we were magnanimously consented. So by day, she used to weave at the great web, but every night, had torches set beside it and undid the work. Three years, she took us in by this trick. A fourth began, and the seasons were slipping by when one of her women who knew all about it gave her mistress away. We caught her unraveling her beautiful work, and she was forced reluctantly to complete it. Here is the suit as answer, telemicus, and I want you and all the people to be quite clear about it. Send your mother away, and make her marry the man whom her father chooses in whom she prefers. She must beware of trying our young men's patience much further, and counting too much on the matchless gifts that she owes to Athena, her skill and fine handicraft, her excellent brain, and their genius she has for getting her way. In that respect are grant, she has no equal, not even in story. For of all the arcane beauties of former times, not terror, nor alchemy, nor my senior, the lovely diadem, had it her commands such a wits as she. Yet in the present case, Penelope has misused those wits. For I assure you that so long as she maintains this attitude that the gods have guided her to adopt, the suitors will continue to eat you out of house and home. She may be winning a great name for herself, but at what expense to you? So we will not return to our own estate, nor go anywhere else until she makes her choice and marries one of us. Antonis, the thoughtful telemicus replied, "It is quite impossible for me to cast out against her will, the mother who bore me and brought me up, with my father somewhere at the world's end, perhaps alive, perhaps dead. Think what I would have to pay a courier if I would send my mother back to him. I would suffer at his hands, and the gods would send me further disasters, because my mother, as she left, would call down on me the avenging furies. And I would incur the wrath of my countrymen. You may be sure that I will never give the word. If you feel angry about this, then quit my palace and feast somewhere else, eating your own food in each other's houses. But if you think it's a sound of skiing to destroy one man's estate and not make restitution, then eat your fill. While I pray that Zeus will bring a day of reckoning, when in this house I will destroy you and not make restitution." In answer to his words, Zeus the Thunderer urged two eagles into flight from the mountain top. For a while they sailed down the wind with outstretched opinions, wing to wing, but as soon as they were directly over the meeting place, where the sound of voices filled the air, they began to flap their wings and wheel about, glancing down at the faces of the crowd with looks for boating there. Then with their talons they clawed at each other's cheeks and neck, and so swooped eastward over the house tops of the busy town. The people stared at the birds in amazement and asked themselves what was to come of it. At last, the old hero Hela Thursy's master's son spoke out. He knew more of Bird Law and Sooth saying that any man of his generation had his countrymen's welfare at heart when he rose now to address them. "People of Ethica hear what I have to say, and my pronouncement is meant particularly for the suitors. A great calamity is about to engulf them. Odysseus is not going to be be parted from his friends much longer. This very moment he has closed at hand, sewing the seeds of a bloody doom for the suitors one and all, which means disaster to many others of us who live under the clear skies of Ethica. Let us plan to stop these men before it happens. Or rather, won't they stop of their own accord, which would be the better course? I am not unskilled in prophecy. I speak from ripe experience. Consider Odysseus has not everything happened as I warned the self-reliant man when he embarked for Ilium with the Argyve Army. I said he would return home in the 20th year after much suffering, having lost all his comrades, and that no one would know him when he came. And now all of this is coming true. It was Eurymicus, polybus's son who rose to reply. "That's enough old man," he said. "Run home and read omens to your children or some disaster may happen to them. And leave me to interpret these signs. I am better at that than you." After all, plenty of birds go about their business in the sunny air, but it isn't everyone that is a bird of omen. As for Odysseus, he has met his fate abroad. If only you had shared his fate. We should then have been spared this tedious prophesying from your mouth, and you wouldn't be fueling Telemicus' anger. No doubt you expect him at some time to make a gift to your household. But now I will make a prophecy, and this will come true. If you, his senior, with the lore of the ages at your disposal, misuse your eloquence to incite this young man to violence. In the first place, it will be all the worse for him. And secondly, for you old man, there will be the extremely unpleasant consequence that we shall impose on you a fight will break your heart to pay. For Telemicus, here is my own advice. I give it openly before you all. Let him tell his mother to return to her father's house, where they shall make arrangements for her wedding, and see that she has a generous dowry, as is only right for a much loved daughter. Not till this is done, can I see the sons of your canes giving up their unwelcome suit? For we are afraid of no one at all. Certainly not Telemicus, for all his rhetoric. Nor old man do we pay the slightest attention to these prophecies that fall from your lips. They come to nothing and only make you even more hated. No. Telemicus must see his wealth ruthlessly consumed without hope of restitution, so long as Penelope keeps us kicking our heels in this matter of her marriage. Meanwhile, we stay. And instead of each seeking a suitable bride, we feed our hopes from day to day on the thought of the incomparable prize for which we are competing. Yerimicus, the thoughtful Telemicus replied, "And all you distinguished suitors, I make no further appeal. I have said my say." The gods and the whole people here have heard my case, so now give me a fast chip in a crew of 20 to see me to my journey's end and back, where I am going to Sparta and to Sandy Pylos to inquire after my long-lost father, in the hope that someone may be able to tell me about him, or that I may pick up one of those rumors from Zeus that so often turn out to be true. If I hear that he is alive and on his way back, then harassed though I am, I will hold out for one more year. But if I learn that he is dead and gone, I shall come home, build him amount with all the proper funeral rights and give my mother in marriage to a new husband. Telemicus resumed his seat and mentor rose to speak. Mentor was an old friend of Odysseus, to whom the king had entrusted his whole household when he sailed with orders to defer to the aged lairties and keep everything safe and sound. He spoke now from the goodness of his heart. My fellow citizens, he said, kindness, generosity and justice should no longer be the aims of any man who wields the royal scepter. In fact, he might just as well devote his days to tyranny and lawless deeds, since none of those whom the god like Odysseus ruled with a father's loving care give a thought to him today. Of course, it is not for me to pass judgment on the villainy of these black-hearted suitors. It is their own skins they are risking when they squander Odysseus's estate in the belief that he is gone forever. No, it is for the rest of you sitting there in silence that stir my indignation. They are few and you are many, yet not a word have they had from you in condemnation or restraint. Up sprangly or brightest, you and your son. "Mentor, you crazy fool," he shouted. What are you saying, inciting the people to stop us? It's expecting much of men to take up arms over a meal, even with the odds in their favor. Even if Odysseus of Ethica himself came back and took it into his head to drive us nobles from the palace because he found us dining in his hall, his wife would have no joy of his return, much as she may have missed him. Then and there had come to an ignominious end, fighting alone against so many. So what you suggest is out of the question. But enough of this, break up the meeting and each man go back to his own estate, while mentor and hella thirseys has old friends of his father, speed telemickers on his way. Though I have an idea that he will never bring this journey off, but will find himself sitting in Ethica for many a long day, gathering news as best he can. The assembled people were quick to accept this dismissal and now scattered to their homes, while the suitors made their way to King Odysseus as palace. In the meantime, telemickers sought the solitude of the seashore where he washed his hands in the gray surf and lifted them in prayer to Athena. "Here, I beg you, you that in your Godhead came yesterday to my house. It was your command that I should sail across the misty seas to find out whether my long-lost father is ever coming back. But my countrymen and above all those suitors that besieged my mother are thwarting me at every point." This was his prayer, Athena drew near to him and assuming the form and voice of mentor addressed him with winging the words. Telemickers, you will be neither a coward nor a fool in the future if your father's manly vigor has descended on you and what a man he was in word indeed. This journey of yours will not prove futile or fruitless. It is only if you are not the true son of Odysseus and penality that I would think that your plans might come to nothing. Few sons indeed are like their fathers. Generally, they are worse, but just a few are better. And since you are by no means lacking and Odysseus' resourcefulness, and since you will be no fool or coward in the future, you can hope to succeed in this undertaking. So forget the suitors now and dismiss their plots and machinations from your mind. They are fools and there is no sense in them nor have they any inkling of the dark fate that is stalking so near and will strike them all down in a single day. You meanwhile will soon be starting this journey you have set your heart on. For am I not your father's friend and ready to find you a fast ship and sail with you myself? Go home now and show yourself to the suitors. Then get provisions ready and stow them all in containers. The wine and jars and the barley meal that gives men strength and strong skins. Meanwhile, I will soon collect a crew of volunteers in the town and there are plenty of ships older new and see good ethical. I myself will pick out the best view and will have a rigged in no time and launcher on the open sea. Athena, daughter of Zeus had spoken and there was no loitering there for telemagus when he heard the voice of the goddess. He set off at once for home, though with an anxious heart. At the palace he found the high and mighty suitors' skinning goats and sinjing fatted hogs in the courtyard. Antonis with a laugh ran up to him, seized his hand and loudly calling his name said, telemagus my fiery young orator. Enough now of hard words and thoughts of violence. Let me see you eat and drink with us as usual. Our people will make all arrangements on your behalf for a ship and a picked crew to speed you on your way to sacred pylos on your noble father's trail. But segacious telemagus replied, "Antonis, it is out of the question for a man to sit down to a quiet supper and take his ease with a rowdy mob like you." Isn't it enough that all this time under pretext of your suit you've been robbing me of my best while I was still too young to understand? I tell you now that I'm old enough to learn from others what happened and to feel my own strength at last, I will do my best to send you all to perdition whether I go to pylos or stay here in ethical and I shall not be thwarted over this journey of mine. I am going, if only as a passenger, since it seems to have suited you better that I should not be allowed a ship or crew of my own. With this, telemagus calmly withdrew his hand from Antonis's. The suitors who had been preparing a meal greeted the speech for the storm of insults and derision. I do believe, said one arrogant young man, that telemagus wants to cut our throats and he's off to sandy pylos to get help. Perhaps he'll go as far as sputter in back since he's so thirsty for our blood or it may occur to him that the third-ile soil of a fire is worth a visit. He'll come home with a deadly poison, drop it in the wine bowl and kill us all off. And another insolent youth chimed in, "Ah, but who knows? If he too takes to sea-faring, he may stray from home and be lost like Odysseus, far from his friends." And what about you? and what a nuisance that would be for us. All the extra trouble of dividing his property between us and presenting his house to his mother and her bridegroom. Tellamicus let them talk and went down to his father's storeroom. A big and lofty chain was stacked with golden bronze and with chests full of clothing and stores of fragrant oil. There too, packed close along the walls to jars of mellow vintage wine, full of the true unblended juice, waiting for the day when Odysseus, after all his suffering. Should find his way home again. There were locks to the closely fitting double doors. In day and night, the room and its treasures were in charge of the housekeeper, Yuriklaya, daughter of Ops, Pysnaur's son, who had all her wits about her. Calling her now to the storeroom, Tellamicus said, "Listen, nurse dear, will you draw some flagens of wine for me? And let it be the choices you have next to the vintage you keep with such care for your unlucky king. Always hoping that he may escape his fate and return home. Fill twelve flagens and put their stoppers on and pour out some barley meal and strongly the bags. Twenty measures, please, of mil crushed grain, not a word to anyone else. Get all the provisions together and in the evening I will fetch them myself when my mother has gone upstairs for the night. I am off to Sparta and Sandy Pylos on the chance of finding out something about my dear father's return. But this his nurse Yuriklaya gave a shriek and burst into tears and poured out winged words. Dear child, what on earth has put this idea into your head? Why must you go wandering all over the world? You and only son, the apple of your mother's eye. And a disious favorite of Zeus did and gone far from his home in foreign parts? The moment your back is turned, those men will be plotting mischief against you. And when they have done you to death, they will share all this between them. Stay here at home where you belong. There is no call for you to go out looking for trouble all over the barren seas. Have no fears, nurse dear, the prudent telemicus replied. There is a God's hand in this, but you must swear to me that you won't tell my good mother for at least a dozen days, or till she misses me herself and finds them gone. She don't want tears to spoil her lovely cheeks. The old woman swore by all the gods that she would keep her secret. And when she had solemnly taken her oath, she drew off the wine for him in flagans and ran the barley meal into strong bags. Telemicus rejoined the company in the hall. The bright-eyed goddess Athena now had another idea. Disguising herself as telemicus, she went all through the town, picked out her twenty men and passed them each the word to foregather by the good ship at nightfall. The vessel itself she begged of Neumont's son of Phronius, a prominent ethicon who willingly promised to give it to her. The sun went down and all the ways grew dark. The goddess now ran the good ship into the water and stowed in her all the gear that big ships carry. This done, she mauled her in the far corner of the harbour. When the good ship's company had gathered round, the goddess had an encouraging word for each of them. The bright-eyed goddess Athena now had yet another idea. She made her way to God like Odysseus's palace and lulled the suitors there into a state of pleasant drowsiness, clouding their wits as they drank, and striking the wine cups from their hands. Their eyelids heavy with sleep, they lingered no more at the table, but went off to the town to their beds. Then bright-eyed Athena, assuming Mentor's form and voice once more, called telemicus out of the palace to her side. "Telemicus," she said, "your well-grieved companions are sitting at their ores waiting for your word to start. Come, we do not want to delay the journey." With this palace Athena led the way swiftly and telemicus followed in the footsteps of the goddess. When they came down to the sea and reached the boat, they found their long-haired crew waiting on the beach, and the noble telemicus addressed them. My friends, follow me. We must get the stores on board. They are all stacked and ready at the palace. My mother knows nothing of this nor did the servants except one woman who I took into my confidence. He led off and the crew followed. They brought down all the stores and stowed them in their well-built ship, taking their orders from Odysseus's son. Telemicus then followed Athena on board. She took her seat on the after deck and he sat down beside her. The men cast the horses off, climbed in, and took their places at their ores. And now out of the west, a thinner of the flashing eyes called up for them a steady following wind and sent it singing over the wine-dark sea. Telemicus shouted to the crew to rig the ship and they lep to his orders. They hauled up the pine-mast, placed it in its hollow box, made it fast with stays, and hoisted the white sail with plated oxide ropes. The sail billowed out in the wind and a dark wave hissed loudly around her keel, as the vessel gathered away and sped on her course through the seas. When all was made fast and swift black ship, they took out the mixing bowls, filled them to the brim with wine and poured libations to the immortal gods who lived forever, and above all to the daughter of Zeus, the lady of the gleaming eyes. And all night long, and into the dawn, the ship floured her way through the sea.