br />
but outrageous and reckless men are now masters of it,
and these countless gifts you bestowed were given in vain,
for if you'd found him alive in this land of Ithake
he'd have sent you on your way with ample gifts in exchange,
285
after generous entertainment, the due right of the one
who began it. Come, tell me this, and give me a truthful answer:
How many years is it now since you entertained that guest,
your unfortunate guest--my son, if he ever existed,
my ill-fated son! Far from friends and homeland, either
290
fish have doubtless devoured him out in the deep, or else
he's fallen prey on land to wild beasts and birds. Neither
his mother nor I, his parents, mourned and enshrouded him;
nor did prudent Penelope, his well-dowered wife,
keen over her own husband, as was fitting, on his bier
295
after closing his eyes--the proper entitlement of the dead.
And tell me this truly also, so I may be certain:
Who are you? From where? What city? Who are your parents?
Where is the swift ship moored that brought you hither
with your godlike comrades? Or did you pay your passage
300
aboard another's vessel, so they put you off, and sailed on?"
Then resourceful Odysseus responded to him, saying:
"I will give you a full and truthful account of these things.
I come from Alybas, where I live in a well-known house,
and I'm the son of Apheidas, Lord Polypemon's son:
305
my own name is Eperitos. Some god drove me off course
from Sikanie,5 landed me here against my will. My ship's
out there, beached off farmland, far distant from the city.
But as for Odysseus, this is now the fifth year since
he departed from there and left my native country--
310
ill-fated man! Yet he had good omens on setting out--
birds on the right: I was glad of them as I sent him on his way,
and he was glad at departure. We both had high hopes
of meeting again as guest-friends, and exchanging splendid gifts."
So he spoke. A black cloud of grief now covered Laertes:
315
with both hands he gathered up the dark grimy dust,
poured it over his grizzled head, ceaselessly groaning.
Odysseus' heart was stirred, and up through his nostrils
rose a strong sharp pang as he looked at his dear father.
He sprang forward, embraced and kissed him, exclaiming: "Father,
320
I myself, here, am the man about whom you ask,
come back in the twentieth year to my own country!
So stop your weeping and tearful lamentation,
for I'll explain everything. But we urgently need to hurry--
I've killed the suitors who were occupying our house,
325
in revenge for their outrageous conduct and wicked acts."
Then Laertes responded to him, saying: "If it's true
that you who've come here are indeed my son, Odysseus,
then give me some certain proof that will convince me."
To him resourceful Odysseus responded, saying: "Firstly,
330
take a close look at this scar, from a wound I was dealt
by the white tusk of a boar out up on Parnassos, when
I went there because you sent me, you and my lady mother,
to my mother's father Autolykos, to collect the gifts
he'd agreed and promised to give me when he came here.
335
Look, I'll also tell you the trees that you once gave me
in our well-laid-out orchard: I asked for each one as I
accompanied you through the garden--I was still a child.
It was these very trees we passed by, and you named them for me,
and told me about each one. Thirteen pear trees you gave me,
340
ten apple trees, forty fig trees. Rows of vines too you named,
and promised me fifty of these, to ripen at different times,
with clusters of grapes upon them at every stage, depending
on when Zeus' seasons brought them to their heaviest weight."
So he spoke, and his father's knees and heart gave way
345
as he recognized the sure signs that Odysseus had given him.
He embraced his dear son; but then noble much-enduring
Odysseus caught and held him close as he fainted. But when
he came round again, and the spirit revived in his breast,
he responded once more, and spoke, saying: "Zeus, Father,
350
you gods indeed still exist on high Olympos, if it's true
that the suitors have paid the price for their wanton violence!
But now I'm terribly scared at heart that very soon all
the men of Ithake will come here against us, and send
urgent messages out to the Kephallenian cities."
355
Resourceful Odysseus now responded to him, saying:
"Never fear, don't let these matters disturb your mind!
And now let's go to your house near the orchard, for I sent
Telemachos on ahead, with the cowherd and swineherd,
to quickly prepare a meal there."
So the two of them spoke,
360
and now made their way to Laertes' fine house; and when
they reached his pleasantly sited dwelling, there they found
Telemachos and the cowherd and the swineherd
carving plentiful meat up and mixing the bright wine.
Now great-hearted Laertes was bathed there in his house
365
by the Sikel servant. She rubbed him down with oil,
and dressed him in a fine mantle; and Athene stood close,
and filled out the limbs of the shepherd of the people
and made him of greater stature and sturdier to behold.
Out of the bath he came, and his dear son was astonished
370
to see him look so like the immortal gods; and he spoke,
and addressed him with winged words, saying: "My father,
it must be that one of the gods who are forever
has improved your looks, made you taller and more handsome!"
Then sagacious Laertes responded to him, saying:
375
"How I wish, by Zeus the Father, by Athene and Apollo,
that--as strong as I was when, as lord of the Kephallenians,
I took Nerikos' well-built citadel, on the mainland cape--
in our domain yesterday, my armor about my shoulders,
standing beside you I'd helped to beat back those men,
380
the suitors! Then indeed I'd have unstrung the knees of many
there in your halls: the sight would have gladdened your heart."
Such was the conversation between them, When the others
had finished their work, and the meal was made and ready,
they sat down in order on the benches and chairs. As they
385
were reaching their hands to the food, there now came in
the elderly Dolios, and with him the old man's sons,
all tired from their field work: their mother, old Sikel servant,
had gone out and called them in, she who'd brought them up,
and took good care of Laertes, now great age was on him.
390
They, when they saw Odysseus, and realized who he was,
stood still, in dumbstruck amazement. But Odysseus
in conciliatory language now addressed them, saying:
"Old man, sit you down to dinner, and you others, give over
your wonder--we wanted to start on the food, but we've
395
been waiting a while, expecting you any moment."
So he spoke; but Dolios made straight for him, with both
arms outstretched, caught and kissed Odysseus' hand at the wrist,
then addressed him with winged words, saying: "Dear master,
you're back! We missed you so much, we never thought
400
we'd see you again! The gods themselves brought you here!
Good health to you, a warm welcome, may the gods bless you!
Oh, and tell me this truly, I want to be quite certain:
Does prudent Penelope already know for sure
that you're back home, or shall we send her a messenger?"
405
Resourceful Odysseus then responded to him, saying:
"She already knows, old man: what need for you to do this?"
So he spoke. Dolios sat down again6 on his polished chair.
In the same way, his sons now gathered round famous Odysseus
made him welcoming speeches and clasped his hands in theirs,
410
and then sat down in order beside their father, Dolios.
While they busied themselves with dinner, there in the hall,
Rumor the messenger sped through the city's every quarter,
reporting the hideous death and fate of the suitors. Those
who heard it now hurriedly gathered from all directions,
415
sobbing and wailing, there in front of Odysseus' domain.
Out from it each of them fetched their own dead for burial,
and all those from other cities they now sent homeward,
in the charge of seamen aboard swift ships; they themselves
went, grieving at heart, in a body to the place of assembly.
420
Then, when they were all assembled and met together,
Eupeithes stood up and addressed them, incurable sorrow
a great weight on his heart on account of his own son,
Antinoos, the first man that noble Odysseus had slain.
Shedding tears for him, he now addressed the assembly, saying:
425
"A foul act it was, my friends, that this man committed
against the Achaians! Many fine men he took in his ships,
and the hollow ships he lost, and the men all perished;
and others, the best of the Kephallenians, he slaughtered
on his return. So come, before he runs away to Pylos
430
or sacred Elis, where the Epeians hold sway,
let's get going, or hereafter we shall be disgraced forever:
this matter will be a reproach for men yet unborn to hear of
unless we're revenged on the killers of our sons and brothers!
For me there would certainly be no pleasure in clinging
435
to life--I'd rather die now, join the departed shades!
So lets get going, before they cross the sea and escape us."
So he spoke, shedding tears. Pity seized on all the Achaians.
Then they were joined by Medon and the godlike minstrel
from Odysseus' domain, for sleep had now let them go.
440
They stood there among them: amazement gripped every man.
Then Medon, thoughtful and sensible, addressed them, saying:
"Hear me out now, men of Ithake! Odysseus did not
perform these deeds without the immortal gods' support!
I myself saw a deathless god, who stood beside him,
445
in all ways resembling Mentor, yet as an immortal
god he appeared there, in front of Odysseus, now
encouraging him; now again, alarming the suitors
he'd storm through the hall, and they fell thick and fast."
So he spoke, and pale fear now seized upon them all.
450
Then among them there spoke the aged hero Halitherses,
son of Mastor: he alone saw both before and after.
He with friendly intent now addressed the assembly, saying:
"Give a hearing, you men of Ithake, to what I shall tell you!
It's your own fault, my friends, that all these actions happened!
455
You wouldn't listen to me or to Mentor, the people's shepherd,
and make your sons give over their mindless stupidity!
In their criminal folly they perpetrated a monstrous wrong,
squandering the possessions and insulting the bedfellow
of a most noble man, saying he would never return.
460
Let it be this way, then, and do as I tell you: we should not
strike back--he that does might bring trouble upon himself."
So he spoke. More than half of them now sprang to their feet
in a great uproar--the rest stayed together where they were,--
for this speech aroused their displeasure, they were convinced
465
by Eupeithes, so that now they rushed off for their armor,
and when they'd clothed their bodies in gleaming bronze,
they assembled then in a body in front of the spacious town,
with Eupeithes in his folly leading them: he imagined
he was going to avenge his son's murder. He was not destined
470
to come back himself, but rather to meet his fate there.
Athene now spoke to Zeus, the son of Kronos, saying:
"Son of Kronos, our Father, supreme above all rulers,
will you answer my questions? What's your mind now hiding?
Will you promote further warfare and the vile din of battle,
475
or rather make friendship between the opposing sides?"
Then Zeus the cloud-gatherer responded to her, saying:
"My child, why ask me questions about these matters?
Was it not you yourself who thought up this whole plan,
for Odysseus to come home and be revenged on these men?
480
So, do as you please--but I'll tell you what's fitting. Now
that noble Odysseus has worked his vengeance on the suitors,
they must swear a solemn oath: let him be king for life,
while as to the killing of their sons and brothers, let us
enforce a forgetting of it. Let them, as previously,
485
be friends with each other; let wealth and peace abound."
So saying, he roused Athene, who was eager already, and she
went on her way, darting down from Olympos' heights.
When his group had assuaged their desire for mind-honeying food,
much-enduring noble Odysseus quickly spoke to them, saying:
490
"Someone has to go out and see how near they're getting."
So he spoke. One of Dolios' sons now went out, as he ordered,
stood at the threshold and saw them, all close at hand,
and at once addressed Odysseus with winged words, saying:
"It's them, they're close! We need to arm ourselves at once!"
495
So he spoke; they stood up and donned their armor. Odysseus
and his men were four, with the six sons of Dolios, while
Laertes, and Dolios too, both armed themselves as well,
grey-haired though they were, now forced to be warriors.
Then, when they'd clothed their bodies in gleaming bronze,
500
they opened the doors and went out. Odysseus led them.
Athene, daughter of Zeus, now joined their company,
likening herself to Mentor in both voice and appearance.
Much-enduring noble Odysseus rejoiced at he sight of her,
and at once he addressed his dear son Telemachos, saying:
505
"Telemachos, you'll now learn for yourself--having come