Book sixteen, Ulysses reveals himself to Telemachus. Meanwhile, Ulysses and the swineherd
had lit a fire in the hut and were getting breakfast ready at daybreak,
for they had sent the men out with the pigs. When Telemachus came up,
the dogs did not bark, but fawned upon him. So Ulysses,
hearing the sound of feet, and noticing that the dogs did not bark,
said to Eumaeus, Eumaeus, I hear footsteps. I suppose one of your
men, or some one of your acquaintance is coming here, for the dogs
are fawning upon him and not barking. The words were hardly out of his
mouth before his son stood at the door. Eumaeus sprang to his feet,
and the bulls in which he was mixing wine fell from his hands. As
he made towards his master, he kissed his head and both his beautiful eyes,
and wept for joy. A father could not be more delighted at the
return of an only son, the child of his old age, after ten
years absence in a foreign country, and after having gone through much hardship.
He embraced him, kissed him all over as though he had come back from
the dead, and spoke fondly to him, saying, so you are come,
Telemachus, light of my eyes, that you are. When I heard
you had gone to Pylos, I made sure I was never going to see
you any more. Come in, my dear child, and sit down,
that I may have a good look at you. Now you are home again.
It is not very often you come into the country to see us,
herdsman. You stick pretty close to the town generally. I suppose you think
it better to keep an eye on what the suitors are doing. So be
it, old friend, answered Telemachus. But I am come now because I
want to see you, and to learn whether my mother is still at her
old home or whether some one else has married her. So that the bed
of Ulysses is without betting and covered with cobwebs, she is still at the
house, replied Eumaeus, grieving and breaking her heart and doing nothing but weep
both night and day continually. As he spoke, he took Telemachus's spear,
whereon he crossed the stone threshold and came inside. Ulysses rose from his seat
to give him place as he entered, but Telemachus checked him. Sit down
stranger, said he, I can easily find another seat, and there is
one here who will lay it for me. Ulysses went back to his own
place, and Eumaeus strewed some green brushwood on the floor and threw a sheepskin
on top of it for Telemachus to sit upon. Then the swine herd brought
them platters of cold meat, the remains from what they had eaten the day
before, and he filled the bread baskets with bread as fast as he could.
He mixed wine all twin bowls of ivy wood, and took his seat
facing Ulysses. Then they laid their hands on the good things that were before
them, And as soon as they had had enough to eat and drink,
Telemachus said to Eumaeus, old friend, where does the stranger come from?
How did his crew bring him to Ithaca? And who were they? For?
Assuredly, he did not come here by land to this you answered,
oh swineherd, Eumaeus, my son, I will tell you the real truth.
He says he is a Cretan and that he has been a great traveler.
At this moment he is running away from a Thesprotian ship and has taken
refuge at my station, so I will put him into your hands. Do
whatever you like with him, only remember that he is yours suppliant. I
am very much distressed, said Telemaccha by what you have just told me.
How can I take this stranger into my house? I am as yet young,
and am not strong enough to hold my own if any man attacks me.
My mother cannot make up her mind whether to stay where she is and
look after the house out of respect for public opinion and the memory of her
husband, or whether the time is now come for her to take the best
man of those who are wooing her, and the one who will make her
the most advantageous offer. Still, as the stranger has come to your station,
I will find him a cloak and shirt of good wear, with the
sword and sandals, and will send him wherever he wants to go. Or
if you like, you can keep him here at the station, and I
will send him clothes and food that he may be no burden on you and
on your men. But I will not have him go near the suitors,
for they are very insolent and are sure to ill treat him in a way
that would grace grieve me, no matter how valiant a man may be,
he can do nothing against numbers, for they will be too strong for him.
Then, Ulysses said, sir, it is right that I should say
something myself. I am much shocked about what you have said about the insolent
way in which the suitors are behaving in despite of such a man as you
are. Tell me, do you submit to such treatment tamely? Or has
some God set your people against you? May you not complain of your brothers,
For it is to these that a man may look for support, however
great his quarrel may be. I wish I were as young as you are,
and in my present mind, if I were son to Ulysses, or
indeed Ulysses himself, I would rather some one came and cut my head off.
But I would go to the house and be the bane of every one
of these men. If they were too many for me, I being single
handed, I would rather die fighting in my own house than see such disgraceful
sights day after day, strangers grossly maltreated, and men dragging the women servants
about the house in an unseemly way, wine drawn recklessly, and bread wasted,
all to no purpose for an end that she'll never be accomplished. And
Telemachus answered, I will tell you truly everything. There is no enmity between
me and my people, nor can I complain of brothers to whom a man
may look for support, however great his quarrel may be. Jove has made
us a race of only sons. Layertes was the only son of Arcissus,
and Ulysses only son of Layertes. I am myself the only son of Ulysses,
who left me behind him when he went away, so that I have
never been of any use to him. Hence it comes that my house is
in the hands of numberless marauders. For the chiefs from all the neighboring islands
du lachiem sammey zacynthus as also all the principal men of Ithaca itself are eating
up my house under the pretext of paying court to my mother, who will
neither say point blank that she will not marry, nor yet bring matters to
an end. So they are making havoc of my estate, and before long
will do so with myself into the bargain. The issue, however, rests
with Heaven. But do you, old friend Eumaeus, go at once and
tell Penelope that I am safe and have returned from Pylos. Tell it to
herself alone, and then come back here without letting any one else know,
for there are many who are plotting mischief against me. I understand and heed,
you, replied, Eumaeus, you need and struck me no further.
Only I am going that way, say whether I had not better Let poor
Layer Tees know that you are returned. He used to superintend the work on
his farm in spite of his bitter sorrow about Ulysses, and he would eat
and drink at will along with his servants. But they tell me that from
the day on which you set out for Pylos, he is neither eaten nor
drunk as he ought to do. Nor does he look after his farm,
but sits weeping and wasting the flesh from off his bones. More's the pity,
answered Telemachus. I am sorry for him, but we must leave him
to himself. Just now. If people could have everything their own way,
the first thing I should choose would be the return of my father. But
go and give your message. Then make haste back again, and do not
turn out of your way to tell Layer Tease. Tell my mother to send
one of her women secretly with the news at once and let him hear it
from her. Thus did he urge this wineherd. Eumaeus therefore took his sandals,
bound them to his feet, and started for the town. Minerva watched
him well off the station, and then came up to it in the form
of a woman fair stately and wise. She stood against the side of the
entry and revealed herself to Ulysses. But Telemachus could not see her and knew
not that she was there, for the gods do not let themselves be seen
by everybody. Ulysses saw her, and so did the dogs, for they
did not bark, but went scared and whining off to the other side of
the yards. She nodded her head and motioned to Ulysses with her eyebrows,
whereon he left the hut and stood before her outside the main wall of the
yards. Then she said to him, Ulysses, noble son of Laertes,
it is now time for you to tell your son. Do not keep him
in the dark any longer, but lay your plans for the destruction of the
suitors, and then make for the town. I will not be long in
joining you, for I am too eager for the fray. As she spoke,
she touched him with her golden wand first she threw a fair, clean
shirt and cloak about his shoulders. Then she made him younger and of more
imposing presents. She gave him back his color, filled out his cheeks,
and let his beard become dark again. Then she went away, and Ulysses
came back inside the hut. His son was astounded when he saw him,
and turned his eyes away for fear he might be looking upon a god stranger.
Said he, how suddenly you have changed from what you were a moment
or two ago. You were dressed differently, and your color is not the
same. Are you some one or other of the gods that live in heaven?
If so, be propitious to me till I can make you do sacrifice
and offerings of wrought gold. Have mercy upon me, And Ulysses said,
I am no god, Why should you take me for one. I am
your father, on whose account you grieve and suffer so much at the hands
of lawless men. As he spoke, he kissed his son, and a
tear fell from his cheek on to the ground, for he had restrained all
tears till now. But Telemachus could not yet believe that it was his father,
and said, you are not my father, but some god is flattering
me with vain hopes that I may grieve the more hereafter. No mortal man
could of himself contrived to do as you have been doing and make yourself old
and young at a moment's notice, unless a god were with him. A
second ago you were old and all in rags, and now you are like
some god come down from heaven. Ulysses, answered Telemachus. You ought not
to be so immeasurably astounded at my being really here. There is no other
Ulysses who will come hereafter such as I am. It is I who,
after long wandering and much hardship, have got home in the twentieth year,
to my own country. What you wonder at is the work of the redoubtable
goddess Minerva, who does with me whatever she will, for she can do
what she pleases. At one moment she makes me like a beggar, and
the next I am a young man with good clothes on my back. It
is an easy matter for the gods who live in heaven to make any man
look either rich or poor. As he spoke, he sat down, and
Telemachus threw his arms about his father and wept. They were both so much
moved that they cried aloud, like eagles or vultures with crooked howe ellens that
have been robbed of their half fledged young by peasants. Thus piteously did they
weep, and the sun would have gone down upon their mourning if Telemachus had
not suddenly said, in what ship, my dear father, did your crew
bring you to Ithaca? Of what nation did they declare themselves to be?
For you cannot have come by land. I will tell you the truth,
my son replied, Ulysses. It was the Phaeacians who brought me here.
They are great sailors and are in the habit of giving escorts to anyone who
reaches their coasts. They took me over the sea while I was fast asleep,
and landed me in Ithaca, after giving me many presents in bronze,
gold and raiment. These things, by Heaven's mercy, are lying concealed in
a cave. And I am now come here on the suggestion of Minerva,
that we may consult about killing our enemies first. Therefore, let me give
a list of the suitors with their number, that I may learn who and
how many they are. I can then turn the matter over in my mind
and see whether we two can fight the whole body of them ourselves, or
whether we must find others to help us to this. Telemachus answered, father,
I have always heard of your renown, both in the field and in
council. But the task you talk of is a very great one. I
am awed at the mere thought of it. Two men cannot stand against many
and brave ones. There are not ten suitors only, nor twice ten,
but ten many times over. You shall learn their number at once. There
are fifty two chosen youths from Dulichium, and they have six servants from Psame.
There are twenty four twenty young Achaeans from Zacynthus, and twelve from Ithaca
itself, all of them well bornorn. They have with them the servant meadonn
a Bard, and two men who can carve at table. If we face
such numbers as this, you may have bitter cause to rue your coming and
your revenge. See whether you cannot think of some one who would be willing
to come and help us. Listen to me, replied Ulysses, and think
whether Minerva and her father Jove may seem sufficient, or whether I am to
try and find some one else as well. Those whom you have named,
answered, Telemachus, are a couple of good allies. For though they dwell
high up among the clouds, they have power over both gods and men.
These two, continued, Ulysses, will not keep long out of the fray
when the suitors and we join the fight in my house. Now, therefore,
return home early tomorrow morning and go about among the suitors as before,
lad are on the swineherd will bring me to the city disguised as a miserable
old beggar. If you see them ill treating me, steal your heart against
my sufferings, even though they drag me feed foremost out of the house or
throw things at me, look on and do nothing beyond gently trying to make
them behave more reasonably. But they will not listen to you, for the
day of their reckoning is at hand. Furthermore, I say, and lay
my saying to your heart. When Minerva shall put it in my mind,
I will nod my head to you, And on seeing me do this,
you must collect all the armor that is in the house, and hide it
in the strong storeroom. Make some excuse when the suitors ask you why you
were removing it, Say that you have taken it to be out of the
way of the smoke, inasmuch as it is no longer what it was when
Ulysses went away, but has become soiled and begrimed with soot. Add to
this more particularly that you are afraid Jove may set them on to quarrel over
their wine, and that they may do each other some harm, which may
disgrace both Banquet and Wooing for the sight of arms sometimes tempts people to use
them. But leave a sword and a spear apiece for yourself and me,
and a couple ox hide shields, so that we can snatch them up at
any moment. Jove and Minerva will then soon quiet these people. There is
also another matter. If you are indeed my son, and my blood runs
in your veins, let no one know that Ulysses is within the house,
neither Layerties, nor yet the swineherd, nor any of the servants, nor
even Penelope herself. Let you and me exploit the women alone, and let
us also make trial of some other of the men's servants to see who is
on our side and whose hand is against us. Us father replied Telemachus,
you will come to know me by and by, and when you do,
you will find that I can keep your counsel. I do not think,
however, the plan you propose will turn out well for either of us.
Think it over. It will take us a long time to go the round
of farms and exploit the men, and all the time the suitors will be
wasting your estate with impunity and without compunction. Prove the women by all means
to see who are disloyal and who guiltless. But I am not in favor
of going round and trying the men. We can attend to that later on,
if you really have some sign from Jove that he will support you.
Thus they did converse, And meanwhile, the ship which had brought Telemachus and
his crew from Pylos had reached the town of Ithaca. When they had come
inside the harbor, they drew the ship on to the land. Their servants
came and took their armor from them, and they lie at all the presence
at the house of Clytius. Then they sent a servant to tell Penelope the
Telemachus had gone into the country, but had sent the ship to the town
to prevent her from being alarmed and made unhappy. This servant and Eumaeus happened
to meet when they were both on the same errand of going to tell Penelope.
When they reached the house, the servant stood up and said to the
queen, in the presence of the waiting women, your son, Madam,
is now returned from Pylos. But Eumaeus went close up to Penelope and said
privately all that her son had bidden him tell her. When he had given
his message, he left the house with its outbuildings and went back to his
pigs again. The suitors were surprised and angry at what had happened, so
they went outside the great wall that ran round the outer court and held a
council near the main entrance. Eurymachus, son of Polybus, was the first
to speak. My friends, said he, this voyage of Telemachuses is a
very serious matter. We had made sure that it would come to nothing.
Now, however, let us draw a ship into the water and get a
crew together to send after the others, and tell them to come back as
fast as they can. He had hardly done speaking when Amphonomas turned in his
place and saw the ship inside the harbor, with the crew lowering her sails
and putting by their oars. So he laughed and said to the others,
we need not send them any message, for they are here. Some God
must have told them or else. They saw the ship go by and could
not overtake her. On this they rose and went to the water side.
The crew then drew the ship on shore. Their servants took their armor from
them, and they went up in a body to the place of assembly.
But they would not let any one old or young sit along with them.
A Antonus, son of eupae Athos, spoke first. Good heavens, said
he see how the gods have saved this man from destruction. We kept a
succession of scouts upon the headlands all day long, and when the sun was
down, we never went on shore to sleep, but waited in the ship
all night till morning, in the hope of capturing and killing him. But
some God has conveyed him home in spite of us. Let us consider how
we can make an end of him. He must not escape us. Our
affair is never likely to come off. While he is alive, for he
is very shrewd, and public feeling is by no means all on our side.
We must make haste before he can call the Achaeans an assembly. He
will lose no time in doing so, for he will be furious with us,
and will tell all the world how we plotted to kill him but failed
to take him. The people will not like this when they come to know
of it. We must see that they do us no hurt, nor drive
us from our own country into exile. Let us try and lay hold of
him, either on his farm away from the town, or on the road
hither. Then we can divide up his property amongst us, and let his
mother and the man who marries her have the house. If this does not
please you, and you wish Telemachus to live on and hold his father's property,
then we must not gather here and eat up his goods in this way,
but must make our offers to Penelope, each from his own house,
and she can marry the man who give the most for her, and whose
lot it is to win her. They all held their peace until Lamphinomus rose
to speak. He was the son of Nysus, who was the son to
King Ereteus, and he was foremost among all the suitors, from the wheat
growing and well grassed island of Dulichium. His conversation, moreover, was more
agreeable to Penelope than that of any of the other suitors, for he was
a man of good natural disposition. My friend said, he speaking to them
plainly and in all honesty. I am not in favor of killing Telemachus.
It is a heinous thing to kill one who was of noble blood. Let
us first take counsel of the gods, and if the oracles of Jove advise
it, I will both help to kill him myself and will urge everyone else
to do so. But if they dissuade us, I would have you hold
your hands. Thus did he speak, and his words pleased them well.
So they rose forthwith and went to the house of Ulysses, where they took
their accustomed seats. Then Penelope resolved that she would show herself to the suitors.
She knew of the plot against Telemachus, for the servant Medon had overheard
their counsels and had told her. She went down therefore to the court,
attended by her maidens, and when she reached the suitors She stood by one
of the bearing posts supporting the roof of the cloister, holding a veil before
her face, and rebuked Antonus, saying, Antonus, insolent and wicked schemer.
They say you are the best speaker and counselor of any man of your
own age in Ithaca, but you are nothing of the kind madman. Why
should you try to compass the death of Telemachus and take no heed of suppliants
whose witness is Jove himself. It is not right for you to plot thus
against one another. Do you not remember how your father fled to this house
and fear of the people who were enraged against him for having gone with some
Taffian pirates and plundered the Thesprotians who were at peace with us. They wanted
to tear him in pieces and eat up everything he had, but Ulysses stayed
their hands, although they were infuriated. And now you devour his property without
paying for it, and break my heart by wooing his wife and trying to
kill his son. Leave off doing so, and stop the others. Also
to this, Eurymachus, son of Polybus, answered, take heart, Queen
Penelope, daughter of Vicarius, and do not trouble yourself about these matters.
The man is not yet born, nor never will be, who shall lay
hands upon your son, Telemachus. While I yet live to look upon the
face of the earth, I say, and it shall surely be that my
spear shall be reddened with his blood. For many a time his Ulysses taken
me on his knees, held wine up to my lips to drink, and
put pieces of meat into my hands. Therefore, Telemachus is much the dearest
friend I have, and has nothing to fear from the hands of us suitors.
Of course, if death comes to him from the gods, he cannot
escape it. He said this to quiet her, but in reality he was
plotting against Telemachus. Then Penelope went upstairs again and mourned her husband till Minerva
shed sleep over her eyes. In the evening, Eumaeus got back to Ulysses
and his son, who had just sacrificed a young pig of a year old,
and were helping one another to get supper ready. Minerva therefore came up
to Ulysses, turned him into an old man with a stroke of her wand
and clad him in his old clothes again for fear that the swineherd might recognize
him, and nought keep the secret, but go and tell Penelope. Telemachus
was the first to speak. So you have got back, Eumaeus said he,
what is the news of the town. Have the suitors returned or are
they still waiting over yonder to take me on my way home. I did
not think of asking about that, replied Eumaeus. When I was in the
town, I thought I would give my message and come back as soon as
I could. I met a man sent by those who had gone with you
to Pylos, and he was the first to tell the news to your mother.
But I can say what I saw with my own eyes. I had
just got on to the crest of the hill of Mercury, above the town,
when I saw a ship coming into harbor with a number of men in
her. They had many shields and spears, and I thought it was the
Suitors, but I cannot be sure. On hearing this, Telemachus smiled to
his father, but so that Eumaeus could not see him. Then, when
they had finished their work and the meal was ready, they ate it,
and every man had his full share, so that all were satisfied. As
soon as they had had enough to eat and drink, they laid down to
rest and enjoyed the boon of sleep. End of Book sixteen.