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visit LibriVox dot org. This reading by Kara Shallenberg. The
Odyssey by Homer, translated by Samuel Butler, Book twenty. Ulysses
slept in the cloister upon an undressed bullock's hide, on
the top of which he threw several skins of the
sheep the suitors had eaten, and Urinumee threw a cloak
over him. After he had laid himself down there. Then
Ulysses lay wakefully brooding upon the way in which he
should kill the suitors. And by and by the women,
who had been in the habit of misconducting themselves with them,
left the house, giggling and laughing with one another. This
made Ulysses very angry, and he doubted whether to get
up and kill every single one of them then and there,
or to let them sleep one way more and last
time with the suitors. His heart growled within him. And
as a bitch with puppies growls and shows her teeth
when she sees a stranger, so did his heart growl
with anger at the evil deeds that were being done.
But he beat his breast and said, heart, be still,
you had worse than this to bear on the day
when the terrible cyclops ate your brave companions. Yet you
bore it in silence till your cunning got you safe
out of the cave, though you made sure of being killed.
Thus he chided with his heart and checked it into endurance.
But he tossed about as one who turns a paunch
full of blood and fat in front of a hot fire,
doing it first on one side and then on the other,
that he may get it cooked as soon as possible.
Even so did he turn himself about from side to side,
thinking all the time how single handed as he was,
he should contrive to kill so large a body of
men as the wicked suitors. But by and by Minerva
came down from heaven in the likeness of a woman,
and hovered over his head, saying, my poor, unhappy man,
why do you lie awake in this way? This is
your house. Your wife is safe inside it, and so
is your son, who is just such a young man
as any father may be proud of. Goddess, answered Ulysses,
all that you have said is true. But I am
in some doubt as to how I shall be able
to kill these wicked suitors single handed, seeing what a
number of them there always are. And there is this
further difficulty which is still more considerable. Supposing that, with
Joves and your assistance, I succeed in killing them, I
must ask you to consider where I am to escape
to from their avengers when it is all over. For shame,
replied Minerva. Why any one else would trust a worse
ally than myself, even though that ally were only a
mortal and less wise than I am? Am I not
a goddess, and have I not protected you throughout in
all your troubles? I tell you plainly that even though
there were fifty bands of men surrounding us and eager
to kill us, you should take all their sheep and
cattle and drive them away with you. But go to sleep.
It is a very bad thing to lie awake all night,
and you shall be out of your troubles. Before long
as she spoke, she shed sleep over his eyes, and
then went back to Olympus. While Ulysses was thus yielding
himself to a very deep slumber that eased the burden
of his sorrows, His admirable wife awoke and, sitting up
in her bed, began to cry. When she had relieved
herself by weeping, she prayed to Diana, saying, Great Goddess Diana,
daughter of Jove, drive an arrow into my heart and
slay me. Or let some whirlwind snatch me up and
bear me through paths of darkness till it dropped me
into the mouths of overflowing oceanus as it did the
daughters of Pandareus. The daughters of Pandaraus lost their father
and mother, for the gods killed them, so they were
left orphans. But Venus took care of them and fed
them on cheese, honey, and sweet wine. Juno taught them
to excel all women in beauty of form and understanding.
Diana gave them an imposing presence, and Minerva endowed them
with every kind of accomplishment. But one day, when Venus
had gone up to Olympus to see Jove about getting
them married, for well does he know both what shall
happen and what not? Happened to everyone, the storm winds
came and spirited them away to become handmaids to the
dread Erineas even so I wish that the gods who
live in heaven would hide me from mortal sight, or
that fair Diana might strike me, For I would fain
go even beneath the sad earth, if I might do so,
still looking towards Ulysses only, and without having to yield
myself to a worse man than he was. Besides, no
matter how much people may grieve by day, they can
put up with it so long as they can sleep
at night. For when the eyes are closed in slumber,
people forget good and ill alike. Whereas my misery haunts
me even in my dreams. This very night, methought, there
was one lying by my side who was like Ulysses
as he was when he went away with his host.
And I rejoiced, for I believed that it was no dream,
but the very truth itself. On this day broke. But
Ulysses heard the sound of her weeping, and it puzzled him,
for it seemed as though she already knew him and
was by his side. Then he gathered up the cloak
and the fleeces on which he had lain, and set
them on a seat in the cloister. But he took
the bullocks hide out into the open. He lifted up
his hands to heaven and prayed, saying, Father Jove, since
you have seen fit to bring me over land and
sea to my own home, after all the affliction you
have laid upon me, give me a sign out of
the mouth of some one or other of those who
are now waking within the house, and let me have
another sign of some kind from outside. Thus did he pray.
Jove heard his prayer, and forthwith thundered high up among
the clouds, from the splendor of Olympus and Ulysses. Was
glad when he heard it. At the same time, within
the house, a miller woman from hard By in the
mill room lifted up her voice and gave him another sign.
There were twelve miller women whose business it was to
grind wheat and barley, which are the staff of life.
The others had ground their task and had gone to
take their rest. But this one had not yet finished,
for she was not so strong as they were, and
when she heard the thunder, she stopped grinding and gave
the sign to her master. Father Jove said, she, you
who rule over heaven and earth, you have thundered from
a clear sky without so much as a cloud in it,
and this means something for somebody. Grant the prayer then
of me, your poor servant, who calls upon you, And
let this be the very last day that the suitors
dine in the house of Ulysses. They have worn me
out with the labor of grinding meal for them, and
I hope they may never have another dinner anywhere at all.
Ulysses was glad when he heard the omens conveyed to
him by the woman's speech and by the thunder, for
he knew they meant that he should avenge himself on
the suitors. Then the other maids in the house rose
and lit the fire on the hearth. Telemachus also rose
and put on his clothes. He girded his sword about
his shoulder, bound his sandals on his comely feet, and
took a doughty spear with a point of sharpened bronze.
Then he went to the threshold of the cloister and
said to euryclea nurse, did you make the stranger comfortable
both as regards bed and board, or did you let
him shift for himself? For my mother, good woman, though
she is, has a way of paying great attention to
second rate people, and of neglecting others who are in
reality much better. Men do not find fault, child, said Euryclea,
when there is no one to find fault with the
strangers sat and drank his wine as long as he liked.
Your mother did ask him if he would take any
more bread, and he said he would not. When he
wanted to go to bed, she told the servants to
make one for him, but he said he was such
a wretched outcast that he would not sleep on a
bed and under blankets. He insisted on having an undressed
bullock's hide and some sheepskins put for him in the cloister,
And I threw a cloak over him myself. Then Telemachus
went out of the court to the place where the
Achaeans were meeting in assembly. He had his spear in
his hand, and he was not alone, for his two
dogs went with him. But Euryclea called the maids and said,
come wake up. Set about sweeping the cloisters and sprinkling
them with water to lay the dust. Put the cover
on the seats, Wipe down the tables, some of you
with a wet sponge, clean out the mixing jugs and
the cups, and go for water from the fountain at once.
The suitors will be here directly. They will be here early,
for it is a feast day. Thus did she speak,
and they did even as she had said. Twenty of
them went to the fountain for water, and the others
set themselves busily to work about the house. The men
who were in attendance on the suitors also came up
and began chopping firewood. By and by, the women returned
from the fountain, and the swineherd came after them with
the three best pigs he could pick out. These he
let feed about the premises. And then he said, good
humoredly to Ulysses, stranger, are the suitors treating you any
better now? Or are they as insolent as ever? May heaven?
Answered Ulysses, requite to them the wickedness with which they
deal high handedly in another man's house without any sense
of shame. Thus did they converse. Meanwhile, Melanthius the goatherd
came up, for he too was bringing in his best
goats for the suitor's dinner, and he had two shepherds
with him. They tied the goats up under the gatehouse,
and then Melanthius began gibing at Ulysses. Are you still here, stranger?
Said he, to pester people by begging about the house.
Why can you not go elsewhere? You and I shall
not come to an understanding before we have given each
other a taste of our fists. You beg without any
sense of decency? Are there not feasts elsewhere among the
Achaeans as well as here? Ulysses made no answer, but
bowed his head and brooded. Then a third man, Filoecius,
joined them, who was bringing in a baron heifer and
some goats. These were brought over by the boatmen, who
are there to take people over when any one comes
to them. So Filocius made his heifer and his goats
secure under the gatehouse. And then when up to the swineherd,
who swineherd said, he is this stranger that is lately
come here? Is he one of your men? What is
his family? Where does he come from? Poor fellow? He
looks as if he had been some great man. But
the gods give sorrow to whom they will, even to kings,
if it so pleases them. As he spoke, he went
up to Ulysses and saluted him with his right hand.
Good day to you, father stranger, said he. You seem
to be very poorly off now, but I hope you
will have better times by and by Father Jove, of
all gods, you are the most malicious. We are your
own children, yet you show us no mercy in all
our misery and afflictions. A sweat came over me when
I saw this man, and my eyes filled with tears,
for he reminds me of Ulysses, who I fear is
going about in just such rags as this man's are,
if indeed he is still among the living, if he
is already dead and in the house of Hades, then
alas for my good master, who made me his stockman
when I was quite young among the Cephalenians, and now
his cattle are countless, no one could have done better
with them than I have, for they have bread like
ears of corn. Nevertheless, I have to keep bringing them
in for others to eat, who take no heed to
his son, though he is in the house and fear
not the wrath of heaven, but are already eager to
divide ulysses property among them, because he has been away
so long. I have often thought only it would not
be right while his son is living of going off
with the cattle to some foreign country. Bad as this
would be, it is still harder to stay here and
be ill treated about other people's herds. My position is intolerable,
and I should long since have run away and put
myself under the protection of some other chief, only that
I believe my poor master will yet return and send
all these suitors flying out of the house. Stockman answered, Ulysses,
you seem to be a very well disposed person, and
I can see that you are a man of sense.
Therefore I will tell you, and will confirm my words
with an oath by Jove, the chief of all gods,
and by that hearth of Ulysses, to which I am
now come. Ulysses shall return before you leave this place,
and if you are so minded, you shall see him
killing the suitors who are now masters here. If Jove
were to bring this to pass, replied the stockman, you
should see how I would do my very utmost to
help him. And in like manner, Eumaeus prayed that Ulysses
might return home. Thus did they converse. Meanwhile, the suitors
were hatching a plot to murder Telemachus, but a bird
flew near them on their left hand an eagle with
a dove in its talons. On this, Amphinomus said, my friends,
this plot of ours to murder Telemachus will not succeed.
Let us go to dinner instead. The others assented, so
they went inside and laid their cloaks on the benches
and seats. They sacrificed the sheep, goats, pigs, and the heifer,
and when the inward meats were cooked, they served them round.
They mixed the wine in the mixing bowls, and the
swineherd gave every man his cup, while Filoecius handed round
the bread in the bread baskets, and Melanthius poured them
out their wine. Then they laid their hands upon the
good things that were before them. Telemachus purposely made Ulysses
sit in the part of the cloister that was paved
with stone. He gave him a shabby looking seat at
a little table to himself, and had his portion of
the inward meats brought to him with his wine in
a gold cup. Sit there, said he, and drink your
wine among the great people. I will put a stop
to the jibes and blows of the suitors, for this
is no public house, but belongs to Ulysses and has
passed from him to me. Therefore, suitors, keep your hands
and your tongues to yourselves, or or there will be mischief.
The suitors bit their lips and marveled at the boldness
of his speech. Then Antinus said, we do not like
such language, but we will put up with it, for
Telemachus is threatening us in good earnest. If Jove had
let us, we should have put a stop to his
brave talk air. Now, thus spoke Antinus, but Telemachus heeded
him not. Meanwhile, the heralds were bringing the Holy hecatomb
through the city, and the Achaeans gathered under the shady
grove of Apollo. Then they roasted the outer meat, drew
it off the spits, gave every man his portion, and
feasted to their hearts content. Those who waited at table
gave Ulysses exactly the same portion as the others had,
for Telemachus had told them to do so. But Minerva
would not let the suitors for one moment drop their insolence,
for she wanted Ulysses to become still more bitter against them.
Now there happened to be among them a ribe old fellow,
whose name was Catesippus, and who came from Sammeh. This man,
confident in his great wealth, was paying court to the
wife of Ulysses, and said to the suitors, hear what
I have to say. The stranger has already had as
large a portion as any one else. This is well,
for it is not right nor reasonable to ill treat
any guest of Telemachus who comes here. I will, however,
make him a present on my own account, that he
may have something to give to the bath woman or
to some other of ulysses servants. As he spoke, he
picked up a heifer's foot from the meat basket in
which it lay, and threw it at Ulysses. But Ulysses
turned his head a little aside and avoided it, smiling
grimly Sardinian fashion as he did so, and it hit
the wall, not him. On this Telemachus spoke fiercely to Tiesippus.
It is a good thing for you, said he, that
the stranger turned his head so that you missed him.
If you had hit him, I should have run you
through with my spear, and your father would have had
to see about getting you buried rather than married in
this house. So let me have no more unseemly behavior
for any of you, for I am grown up now
to the knowledge of good and evil and understand what
is going on, instead of being the child that I
have been heretofore, I have long seen you killing my
sheep and making free with my corn and wine. I
have put up with this, for one man is no
match for many. But do me no further violence. Still,
if you wish to kill me, kill me. I would
far rather die than see such disgraceful scenes. Day after day,
guests insulted, and men dragging the women servants about the
house in an unseemly way. They all held their peace
till at last Agilaus, son of Damastor, said, no one
should take offense at what has just been said, nor
gainsay it, for it is quite reasonable. Leave off therefore,
ill treating the stranger or any one else of the
servant who are about the house. I would say, however,
a friendly word to Telemachus and his mother, which I
trust may commend itself to both. As long I would say,
as you had ground for hoping that Ulysses would one
day come home, no one could complain of your waiting
and suffering the suitors to be in your house. It
would have been better that he should have returned, but
it is now sufficiently clear that he will never do so. Therefore,
talk all this quietly over with your mother, and tell
her to marry the best man and the one who
makes her the most advantageous offer. Thus you will yourself
be able to manage your own inheritance and to eat
and drink in peace, while your mother will look after
some other man's house, not yours. To this, Telemachus answered,
by Jove Agilaus, and by the sorrows of my unhappy father,
who has either perished far from Ithaca or is wandering
in some distant land. I throw no obstacles in the
way of my mother's marriage. On the contrary, I urge
her to choose whomsoever she will, and I will give
her numberless gifts into the bargain. But I dare not
insist point blank that she shall leave the house against
her own wishes. Heaven forbid that I should do this.
Minerva now made the suitors fall to laughing immoderately, and
set their wits wandering. But they were laughing with a
forced laughter. Their meat became smeared with blood, their eyes
filled with tears, and their hearts were heavy with forebodings.
Theo Clemenus saw this and said, unhappy men, what is
it that ails you? There is a shroud of darkness
drawn over you from head to foot. Your cheeks are
wet with tears. The air is alive with wailing voices.
The walls and roof beams drip blood. The gait of
the cloisters, and the court beyond them are full of
ghosts trooping down into the night of hell. The sun
is blotted out of heaven, and a blighting gloom is
over all the land. Thus did he speak, and they
all of them laughed heartily. Eurymachus then said, this stranger
who has lately come here has lost his senses. Servants
turn him out into the streets, since he finds it
so dark here. But theo Clemenus said, Eurymachus, you need
not send any one with me. I have eyes, ears,
and a pair of feet of my own, to say
nothing of an understanding mind. I will take these out
of the house with me, for I see mischief overhanging you,
from which not one of you men who are insulting
people and plotting ill deeds in the house of Ulysses
will be able to escape. He left the house as
he spoke and went back to Pereeus, who gave him welcome.
But the suitors kept looking at one another and provoking
Telemachus by laughing at the strangers. One insolent fellow said
to him, Telemachus, you are not happy in your guests. First,
you have this importunate tramp who comes begging bread and wine,
and has no skill for work or for fighting, but
is perfectly useless. And now here is another fellow who
is setting himself up as a prophet. Let me persuade you,
for it will be much better to put them on
board ship and send them off to the sea cells
to sell for what they will bring. Telemachus gave him
no heed, but sat silently watching his father, expecting every
moment that he would begin his attack upon the suitors. Meanwhile,
the daughter of Ecarius Wise, Penelope, had had a rich
seat placed for her, facing the court and cloisters, so
that she could hear what every one was saying. The dinner, indeed,
had been prepared amid much merriment. It had been both
good and abundant, for they had sacrificed many victims, But
the supper was yet to come. And nothing can be
conceived more gruesome than the meal which a goddess and
a brave man were soon to lay before them, For
they had brought their doom upon themselves. End of Book
twenty read by Kara Shallenberg www. Dot kay dot org
on October fourth, two thousand and six, in Oceanside, California,