| Now the sun arose and left the lovely mere, speeding
to the brazen heaven, to give light to the immortals and to mortal men on
the earth, the graingiver, and they reached Pylos, the stablished castle
of Neleus. There the people were doing sacrifice on the sea shore, slaying
black bulls without spot to the dark-haired god, the shaker of the earth.
Nine companies there were, and five hundred men sat in each, and in every
company they held nine bulls ready to hand. Just as they had tasted the
inner parts, and were burning the slices of the thighs on the altar to the
god, the others were bearing straight to land, and brailed up the sails
of the gallant ship, and moored her, and themselves came forth. And Telemachus
too stept forth from the ship, and Athene led the way. And the goddess,
grey-eyed Athene, spake first to him, saying:
"Telemachus, thou needst not now be abashed, no, not one whit.
For to this very end didst thou sail over the deep, that thou mightest
hear tidings of thy father, even where the earth closed over him, and
what manner of death he met. But come now, go straight to Nestor, tamer
of horses: let us learn what counsel he hath in the secret of his heart.
And beseech him thyself that he may give unerring answer; and he will
not lie to thee, for he is very wise."
The wise Telemachus answered, saying:
"Mentor, and how shall I go, how shall I greet him, I, who am untried
in words of wisdom? Moreover, a young man may well be abashed to question
an elder."
Then the goddess, grey-eyed Athene, spake to him again:
"Telemachus, thou shalt bethink thee of somewhat in thine own breast,
and somewhat the god will give thee to say. For thou, methinks, of all
men wert not born and bred without the will of the gods."
So spake Pallas Athene and led the way quickly; and he followed hard
in the steps of the goddess. And they came to the gathering and the session
of the men of Pylos. There was Nestor seated with his sons, and round
him his company making ready the feast, and roasting some of the flesh
and spitting other. Now when they saw the strangers, they went all together,
and clasped their hands in welcome, and would have them sit down. First
Peisistratus, son of Nestor, drew nigh, and took the hands of each, and
made them to sit down at the feast on soft fleeces upon the sea sand,
beside his brother Thrasymedes and his father. And he gave them messes
of the inner meat, and poured wine into a golden cup, and pledging her,
he spake unto Pallas Athene, daughter of Zeus, lord of the aegis:
"Pray now, my guest, to the lord Poseidon, even as it is his feast
whereon ye have chanced in coming hither. And when thou hast made drink
offering and prayed, as is due, give thy friend also the cup of honeyed
wine to make offering thereof, inasmuch as he too, methinks, prayeth to
the deathless gods, for all men stand in need of the gods. Howbeit he
is younger and mine own equal in years, therefore to thee first will I
give the golden chalice."
Therewith he placed in her hand the cup of sweet wine. And Athene rejoiced
in the wisdom and judgment of the man, in that he had given to her first
the chalice of gold. And straightway she prayed, and that instantly, to
the lord Poseidon:
"Hear me, Poseidon, girdler of the earth, and grudge not the fulfilment
of this labour in answer to our prayer. To Nestor first and to his sons
vouchsafe renown, and thereafter grant to all the people of Pylos a gracious
recompense for this splendid hecatomb. Grant moreover that Telemachus
and I may return, when we have accomplished that for which we came hither
with our swift black ship."
Now as she prayed on this wise, herself the while was fulfilling the
prayer. And she gave Telemachus the fair two-handled cup; and in like
manner prayed the dear son of Odysseus. Then, when the others had roasted
the outer parts and drawn them off the spits, they divided the messes
and shared the glorious feast. But when they had put from them the desire
of meat and drink, Nestor of Gerenia, lord of chariots, first spake among
them:
"Now is the better time to enquire and ask of the strangers who
they are, now that they have had their delight of food. Strangers, who
are ye? Whence sail ye over the wet ways? On some trading enterprise,
or at adventure do ye rove, even as sea-robbers, over the brine, for they
wander at hazard of their own lives bringing bale to alien men?"
Then wise Telemachus answered him and spake with courage, for Athene
herself had put boldness in his heart, that he might ask about his father
who was afar, and that he might be had in good report among men:
"Nestor, son of Neleus, great glory of the Achaeans, thou askest
whence we are, and I will surely tell thee all. We have come forth out
of Ithaca that is below Neion; and this our quest whereof I speak is a
matter of mine own, and not of the common weal. I follow after the far-spread
rumour of my father, if haply I may hear thereof, even of the goodly steadfast
Odysseus, who upon a time, men say, fought by thy side and sacked the
city of the Trojans. For of all the others, as many as warred with the
Trojans, we hear tidings, and where each one fell by a pitiful death;
but even the death of this man Cronion hath left untold. For none can
surely declare the place where he hath perished, whether he was smitten
by foemen on the mainland, or lost upon the deep among the waves of Amphitrite.
So now am I come hither to thy knees, if perchance thou art willing to
tell me of his pitiful death, as one that saw it with thine own eyes,
or heard the story from some other wanderer, --for his mother bare him
to exceeding sorrow. And speak me no soft words in ruth or pity, but tell
me plainly what sight thou didst get of him. Ah! I pray thee, if ever
at all my father, noble Odysseus, made promise to thee of word or work,
and fulfilled the same in the land of the Trojans, where ye Achaeans suffered
affliction; these things, I pray thee, now remember and tell me truth."
Then Nestor of Gerenia, lord of chariots, answered him:
"My friend, since thou hast brought sorrow back to mind, behold,
this is the story of the woe which we endured in that land, we sons of
the Achaeans, unrestrained in fury, and of all that we bore in wanderings
after spoil, sailing with our ships over the misty deep, wheresoever Achilles
led; and of all our war round the mighty burg of king Priam. Yea and there
the best of us were slain. There lies valiant Aias, and there Achilles,
and there Patroclus, the peer of the gods in counsel, and there my own
dear son, strong and noble, Antilochus, that excelled in speed of foot
and in the fight. And many other ills we suffered beside these; who of
mortal men could tell the tale? Nay none, though thou wert to abide here
for five years, ay and for six, and ask of all the ills which the goodly
Achaeans then endured. Ere all was told thou wouldst be weary and turn
to thine own country. For nine whole years we were busy about them, devising
their ruin with all manner of craft; and scarce did Cronion bring it to
pass. There never a man durst match with him in wisdom, for goodly Odysseus
very far outdid the rest in all manner of craft, Odysseus thy father,
if indeed thou art his son, --amazement comes upon me as I look at thee;
for verily thy speech is like unto his; none would say that a younger
man would speak so like an elder. Now look you, all the while that myself
and goodly Odysseus were there, we never spake diversely either in the
assembly or in the council, but always were of one mind, and advised the
Argives with understanding and sound counsel, how all might be for the
very best. But after we had sacked the steep city of Priam, and had departed
in our ships, and a god had scattered the Achaeans, even then did Zeus
devise in his heart a pitiful returning for the Argives, for in no wise
were they all discreet or just. Wherefore many of them met with an ill
faring by reason of the deadly wrath of the grey-eyed goddess, the daughter
of the mighty sire, who set debate between the two sons of Atreus. And
they twain called to the gathering of the host all the Achaeans, recklessly
and out of order, against the going down of the sun; and lo, the sons
of the Achaeans came heavy with wine. And the Atreidae spake out and told
the reason wherefore they had assembled the host. Then verily Menelaus
charged all the Achaeans to bethink them of returning over the broad back
of the sea, but in no sort did he please Agamemnon, whose desire was to
keep back the host and to offer holy hecatombs, that so he might appease
that dread wrath of Athene. Fool! for he knew not this, that she was never
to be won; for the mind of the everlasting gods is not lightly turned
to repentance. So these twain stood bandying hard words; but the goodly-greaved
Achaeans sprang up with a wondrous din, and twofold counsels found favour
among them. So that one night we rested, thinking hard things against
each other, for Zeus was fashioning for us a ruinous doom. But in the
morning, we of the one part drew our ships to the fair salt sea, and put
aboard our wealth, and the low-girdled Trojan women. Now one half the
people abode steadfastly there with Agamemnon, son of Atreus, shepherd
of the host; and half of us embarked and drave to sea and swiftly the
ships sailed, for a god made smooth the sea with the depths thereof. And
when we came to Tenedos, we did sacrifice to the gods, being eager for
the homeward way; but Zeus did not yet purpose our returning, nay, hard
was he, that roused once more an evil strife among us. Then some turned
back their curved ships, and went their way, even the company of Odysseus,
the wise and manifold in counsel, once again showing a favour to Agamemnon,
son of Atreus. But I fled on with the squadron that followed me, for I
knew how now the god imagined mischief. And the warlike son of Tydeus
fled and roused his men thereto. And late in our track came Menelaus of
the fair hair, who found us in Lesbos, considering about the long voyage,
whether we should go sea-ward of craggy Chios, by the isle of Psyria,
keeping the isle upon our left, or inside Chios past windy Mimas. So we
asked the god to show us a sign, and a sign he declared to us, and bade
us cleave a path across the middle sea to Euboea, that we might flee the
swiftest way from sorrow. And a shrill wind arose and blew, and the ships
ran most fleetly over the teeming ways, and in the night they touched
at Geraestus. So there we sacrified many thighs of bulls to Poseidon,
for joy that we had measured out so great a stretch of sea. It was the
fourth day when the company of Diomede, son of Tydeus, tamer of horses,
moored their gallant ships at Argos; but I held on for Pylos, and the
breeze was never quenched from the hour that the god sent it forth to
blow. Even so I came, dear child, without tidings, nor know I aught of
those others, which of the Achaeans were saved and which were lost. But
all that I hear tell of as I sit in our halls, thou shalt learn as it
is meet, and I will hide nothing from thee. Safely, they say, came the
Myrmidons the wild spearsmen, whom the famous son of high-souled Achilles
led; and safely Philoctetes, the glorious son of Poias. And Idomeneus
brought all his company to Crete, all that escaped the war, and from him
the sea gat none. And of the son of Atreus even yourselves have heard,
far apart though ye dwell, how he came, and how Aegisthus devised his
evil end; but verily he himself paid a terrible reckoning. So good a thing
it is that a son of the dead should still be left, even as that son also
took vengeance on the slayer of his father, guileful Aegisthus, who slew
his famous sire. And thou too, my friend, for I see thee very comely and
tall, be valiant, that even men unborn may praise thee."
And wise Telemachus answered him, and said:
"Nestor, son of Neleus, great glory of the Achaeans, verily and
indeed he avenged himself, and the Achaeans shall noise his fame abroad,
that even those may hear who are yet for to be. Oh that the gods would
clothe me with such strength as his, that I might take vengeance on the
wooers for their cruel transgression, who wantonly devise against me infatuate
deeds! But the gods have woven for me the web of no such weal, for me
or for my sire. But now I must in any wise endure it."
Then Nestor of Gerenia, lord of chariots, made answer:
"Dear friend, seeing thou dost call these things to my remembrance
and speak thereof, they tell me that many wooers for thy mother's hand
plan mischief within the halls in thy despite. Say, dost thou willingly
submit thee to oppression, or do the people through the land hate thee,
obedient to the voice of a god? Who knows but that Odysseus may some day
come and requite their violence, either himself alone or all the host
of the Achaeans with him? Ah, if but grey-eyed Athene were inclined to
love thee, as once she cared exceedingly for the renowned Odysseus in
the land of the Trojans, where we Achaeans were sore afflicted, for never
yet have I seen the gods show forth such manifest love, as then did Pallas
Athene standing manifest by him, --if she would be pleased so to love
thee and to care for thee, then might certain of them clean forget their
marriage."
And wise Telemachus answered him, saying:
"Old man, in no wise methinks shall this word be accomplished.
This is a hard saying of thine, awe comes over me. Not for my hopes shall
this thing come to pass, not even if the gods so willed it."
Then the goddess, grey-eyed Athene, spake to him again:
"Telemachus, what word hath escaped the door of thy lips? Lightly
might a god, if so he would, bring a man safe home even from afar. Rather
myself would I have travail and much pain ere I came home and saw the
day of my returning, than come back and straightway perish on my own hearth-stone,
even as Agamemnon perished by guile at the hands of his own wife and of
Aegisthus. But lo you, death, which is common to all, the very gods cannot
avert even from the man they love, when the ruinous doom shall bring him
low of death that lays men at their length."
And wise Telemachus answered her, saying:
"Mentor, no longer let us tell of these things, sorrowful though
we be. There is none assurance any more of his returning, but already
have the deathless gods devised for him death and black fate. But now
I would question Nestor, and ask him of another matter, as one who above
all men knows judgment and wisdom: for thrice, men say, he hath been king
through the generations of men; yea, like an immortal he seems to me to
look upon. Nestor, son of Neleus, now tell me true: how died the son of
Atreus, Agamemnon of the wide domain? Where was Menelaus? What death did
crafty Aegisthus plan for him, in that he killed a man more valiant far
than he? Or was Menelaus not in Argos of Achaia but wandering elsewhere
among men, and that other took heart and slew Agamemnon?"
Then Nestor of Gerenia, lord of chariots, answered him:
"Yea now, my child, I will tell thee the whole truth. Verily thou
guessest aright even of thyself how things would have fallen out, if Menelaus
of the fair hair, the son of Atreus, when he came back from Troy, had
found Aegisthus yet alive in the halls. Then even in his death would they
not have heaped the piled earth over him, but dogs and fowls of the air
would have devoured him as he lay on the plain far from the town. Nor
would any of the Achaean women have bewailed him; so dread was the deed
he contrived. Now we sat in leaguer there, achieving many adventures;
but he the while in peace in the heart of Argos, the pastureland of horses,
spake ofttimes, tempting her, to the wife of Agamemnon. Verily at the
first she would none of the foul deed, the fair Clytemnestra, for she
had a good understanding. Moreover, there was with her a minstrel, whom
the son of Atreus straitly charged as he went to Troy to have a care of
his wife. But when at last the doom of the gods bound her to her ruin,
then did Aegisthus carry the minstrel to a lonely isle, and left him there
to be the prey and spoil of birds; while as for her, he led her to his
house, a willing lover with a willing lady. And he burnt many thigh slices
upon the holy altars of the gods, and hung up many offerings, woven-work
and gold, seeing that he had accomplished a great deed, beyond all hope.
Now we, I say, were sailing together on our way from Troy, the son of
Atreus and I, as loving friends. But when we had reached holy Sunium,
the headland of Athens, there Phoebus Apollo slew the pilot of Menelaus
with the visitation of his gentle shafts, as he held between his hands
the rudder of the running ship, even Phrontis, son of Onetor, who excelled
the tribes of men in piloting a ship, whenso the storm-winds were hurrying
by. Thus was Menelaus holden there, though eager for the way, till he
might bury his friend and pay the last rites over him. But when he in
his turn, faring over the wine-dark sea in hollow ships, reached in swift
course the steep mount of Malea, then it was that Zeus of the far-borne
voice devised a hateful path, and shed upon them the breath of the shrill
winds, and great swelling waves arose like unto mountains. There sundered
he the fleet in twain, and part thereof he brought nigh to Crete, where
the Cydonians dwelt about the streams of Iardanus. Now there is a certain
cliff, smooth and sheer towards the sea, on the border of Gortyn, in the
misty deep, where the South-West Wind drives a great wave against the
left headland, towards Phaestus, and a little rock keeps back the mighty
water. Thither came one part of the fleet, and the men scarce escaped
destruction, but the ships were broken by the waves against the rock;
while those other five dark-prowed ships the wind and the water bare and
brought nigh to Egypt. Thus Menelaus, gathering much livelihood and gold,
was wandering there with his ships among men of strange speech, and even
then Aegisthus planned that pitiful work at home. And for seven years
he ruled over Mycenae, rich in gold, after he slew the son of Atreus,
and the people were subdued unto him. But in the eight year came upon
him goodly Orestes back from Athens to be his bane, and slew the slayer
of his father, guileful Aegisthus, who killed his famous sire. Now when
he had slain him, he made a funeral feast to the Argives over his hateful
mother, and over the craven Aegisthus. And on the selfsame day there came
to him Menelaus of the loud war-cry, bringing much treasure, even all
the freight of his ships. So thou, my friend, wander not long far away
from home, leaving thy substance behind thee and men in thy house so wanton,
lest they divide and utterly devour all thy wealth, and thou shalt have
gone on a vain journey. Rather I bid and command thee to go to Menelaus,
for he hath lately come from a strange country, from the land of men whence
none would hope in his heart to return, whom once the storms have driven
wandering into so wide a sea. Thence not even the birds can make their
way in the space of one year, so great a sea it is and terrible. But go
now with thy ship and with thy company, or if thou hast a mind to fare
by land, I have a chariot and horses at thy service, yea and my sons to
do thy will, who will be thy guides to goodly Lacedaemon, where is Menelaus
of the fair hair. Do thou thyself entreat him, that he may give thee unerring
answer. He will not lie to thee, for he is very wise."
Thus he spake, and the sun went down and darkness came on. Then the
goddess, grey-eyed Athene, spake among them, saying:
"Yea, old man, thou hast told all this thy tale aright. But come,
cut up the tonques of the victims and mix the wine, that we may pour forth
before Poseidon and the other deathless gods, and so may bethink us of
sleep, for it is the hour for sleep. For already has the light gone beneath
the west, and it is not seemly to sit long at a banquet of the gods, but
to be going home."
So spake the daughter of Zeus, and they hearkened to her voice. And
the henchmen poured water over their hands, and pages crowned the mixing
bowls with drink, and served out the wine to all, after they had first
poured for libation into each cup in turn; and they cast the tongues upon
the fire, and stood up and poured the drink-offering thereon. But when
they had poured forth and had drunken to their heart's content, Athene
and godlike Telemachus were both set on returning to the hollow ship;
but Nestor would have stayed them, and accosted them, saying:
"Zeus forfend it, and all the other deathless gods, that ye should
depart from my house to the swift ship, as from the dwelling of one that
is utterly without raiment or a needy man, who hath not rugs or blankets
many in his house whereon to sleep softly, he or his guests. Nay not so,
I have rugs and fair blankets by me. Never, methinks, shall the dear son
of this man, even of Odysseus, lay him down upon the ship's deck, while
as yet I am alive, and my children after me are left in my hall to entertain
strangers, whoso may chance to come to my house."
Then the goddess, grey-eyed Athene, spake to him again:
"Yea, herein hast thou spoken aright, dear father: and Telemachus
may well obey thee, for before all things this is meet. Behold, he shall
now depart with thee, that he may sleep in thy halls; as for me I will
go to the black ship, that I may cheer my company and tell them all. For
I avow me to be the one elder among them; those others are but younger
men, who follow for love of him, all of them of like age with the high-souled
Telemachus. There will I lay me down by the black hollow ship this night;
but in the morning I will go to the Cauconians high of heart, where somewhat
of mine is owing to me, no small debt nor of yesterday. But do thou send
this man upon his way with thy chariot and thy son, since he hath come
to thy house, and give him horses the lightest of foot and chief in strength."
Therewith grey-eyed Athene departed in the semblance of a sea-eagle;
and amazement fell on all that saw it, and the old man he marvelled when
his eyes beheld it. And he took the hand of Telemachus and spake and hailed
him:
"My friend, methinks that thou wilt in no sort be a coward and
a weakling, if indeed in thy youth the gods thus follow with thee to be
thy guides. For truly this is none other of those who keep the mansions
of Olympus, save only the daughter of Zeus, the driver of the spoil, the
maiden Tritoborn, she that honoured thy good father too among the Argives.
Nay be gracious, queen, and vouchsafe a goodly fame to me, even to me
and to my sons and to my wife revered. And I in turn will sacrifice to
thee a yearling heifer, broad of brow, unbroken, which man never yet hath
led beneath the yoke. Such an one will I offer to thee, and gild her horns
with gold."
Even so he spake in prayer, and Pallas Athene heard him. Then Nestor
of Gerenia, lord of chariots, led them, even his sons and the husbands
of his daughters, to his own fair house. But when they had reached this
prince's famous halls, they sat down all orderly on seats and high chairs;
and when they were come, the old man mixed well for them a bowl of sweet
wine, which now in the eleventh year from the vintaging the housewife
opened, and unloosed the string that fastened the lid. The old man let
mix a bowl thereof, and prayed instantly to Athene as he poured forth
before her, even to the daughter of Zeus, lord of the aegis.
But after they had poured forth and had drunken to their heart's content,
these went each one to his own house to lie down to rest. But Nestor of
Gerenia, lord of chariots, would needs have Telemachus, son of divine
Odysseus, to sleep there on a jointed bedstead beneath the echoing gallery,
and by him Peisistratus of the good ashen spear, leader of men, who alone
of his sons was yet unwed in his halls. As for him he slept within the
inmost chamber of the lofty house, and the lady his wife arrayed for him
bedstead and bedding.
So soon as early Dawn shone forth, the rosy-fingered, Nestor of Gerenia,
lord of chariots, gat him up from his bed, and he went forth and sat him
down upon the smooth stones, which were before his lofty doors, all polished,
white and glistening, whereon Neleus sat of old, in counsel the peer of
the gods. Howbeit, stricken by fate, he had ere now gone down to the house
of Hades, and to-day Nestor of Gerenia in his turn sat thereon, warder
of the Achaeans, with his staff in his hands. And about him his two sons
were gathered and come together, issuing from their chambers, Echephron
and Stratius, and Perseus and Aretus and the godlike Thrasymedes. And
sixth and last came the hero Peisistratus. And they led godlike Telemachus
and set him by their side, and Nestor of Gerenia, lord of chariots, spake
first among them:
"Quickly, my dear children, accomplish my desire, that first of
all the gods I may propitiate Athene, who came to me in visible presence
to the rich feast of the god. Nay then, let one go to the plain for a
heifer, that she may come as soon as may be, and that the neat-herd may
drive her: and let another go to the black ship of high-souled Telemachus
to bring all his company, and let him leave two men only. And let one
again bid Laerces the goldsmith to come hither that he may gild the horns
of the heifer. And ye others, abide ye here together and speak to the
handmaids within that they make ready a banquet through our famous halls,
and fetch seats and logs to set about the altar, and bring clear water."
Thus he spake and lo, they all hastened to the work. The heifer she
came from the field, and from the swift gallant ship came the company
of great hearted Telemachus; the smith came holding in his hands his tools,
the instruments of his craft, anvil and hammer and well-made pincers,
wherewith he wrought the gold; Athene too came to receive her sacrifice.
And the old knight Nestor gave gold, and the other fashioned it skilfully,
and gilded therewith the horns of the heifer, that the goddess might be
glad at the sight of her fair offering. And Stratius and goodly Echephron
led the heifer by the horns. And Aretus came forth from the chamber bearing
water for the washing of hands in a basin of flowered work, and in the
other hand he held the barley meal in a basket; and Thrasymedes, steadfast
in the battle, stood by holding in his hand a sharp axe, ready to smile
the heifer. And Perseus held the dish for the blood, and the old man Nestor,
driver of chariots, performed the first rite of the washing of hands and
the sprinkling of the meal, and he prayed instantly to Athene as he began
the rite, casting into the fire the lock from the head of the victim.
Now when they had prayed and tossed the sprinkled grain, straightway
the son of Nestor, gallant Thrasymedes, stood by and struck the blow;
and the axe severed the tendons of the neck and loosened the might of
the heifer; and the women raised their cry, the daughters and the sons'
wives and the wife revered of Nestor, Eurydice, eldest of the daughters
of Clymenus. And now they lifted the victim's head from the wide-wayed
earth, and held it so, while Peisistratus, leader of men, cut the throat.
And after the black blood had gushed forth and the life had left the bones,
quickly they broke up the body, and anon cut slices from the thighs all
duly, and wrapt the same in the fat, folding them double, and laid raw
flesh thereon. So that old man burnt them on the cleft wood, and poured
over them the red wine, and by his side the young men held in their hands
the five-pronged forks. Now after that the thighs were quite consumed
and they had tasted the inner parts, they cut the rest up small and spitted
and roasted it, holding the sharp spits in their hands.
Meanwhile she bathed Telemachus, even fair Polycaste, the youngest daughter
of Nestor, son of Neleus. And after she had bathed him and anointed him
with olive oil, and cast about him a goodly mantle and a doublet, he came
forth from the bath in fashion like the deathless gods. So he went and
sat him down by Nestor, shepherd of the people.
Now when they had roasted the outer flesh, and drawn it off the spits,
they sat down and fell to feasting, and honourable men waited on them,
pouring wine into the golden cups. But when they had put from them the
desire of meat and drink, Nestor of Gerenia, lord of chariots, first spake
among them:
"Lo now, my son, yoke for Telemachus horses with flowing mane and
lead them beneath the car, that he may get forward on his way."
Even so he spake, and they gave good heed and hearkened; and quickly
they yoked the swift horses beneath the chariot. And the dame that kept
the stores placed therein corn and wine and dainties, such as princes
eat, the fosterlings of Zeus. So Telemachus stept up into the goodly car,
and with him Peisistratus son of Nestor, leader of men, likewise climbed
the car and grasped the reins in his hands, and he touched the horses
with the whip to start them, and nothing loth the pair flew towards the
plain, and left the steep citadel of Pylos. So all day long they swayed
the yoke they bore upon their necks.
Now the sun sank and all the ways were darkened. And they came to Pherae,
to the house of Diocles, son of Orsilochus, the child begotten of Alpheus.
There they rested for the night, and by them he set the entertainment
of strangers.
Now so soon as early Dawn shone forth, the rosy-fingered, they yoked
the horses and mounted the inlaid car. And forth they drave from the gateway
and the echoing gallery, and Peisistratus touched the horses with the
whip to start them, and the pair flew onward nothing loth. So they came
to the wheat bearing plain, and thenceforth they pressed toward the end:
in such wise did the swift horses speed forward. Now the sun sank and
all the ways were darkened.
|
But as the sun was rising
from the fair sea into the firmament of heaven to shed
light on mortals and immortals, they reached Pylos the city of Neleus.
Now the people of Pylos were gathered on the sea shore to offer sacrifice
of black bulls to Neptune lord of the Earthquake. There were nine
guilds with five hundred men in each, and there were nine bulls to each
guild. As they were eating the inward meats and burning the thigh bones
[on the embers] in the name of Neptune, Telemachus and his crew arrived,
furled their sails, brought their ship to anchor, and went
ashore.
Minerva led the way and Telemachus followed her. Presently she
said, "Telemachus, you must not be in the least shy or nervous; you have
taken this voyage to try and find out where your father is buried and how
he came by his end; so go straight up to Nestor that we may see what he
has got to tell us. Beg of him to speak the truth, and he will tell no
lies, for he is an excellent person."
"But how, Mentor," replied Telemachus, "dare I go up to Nestor,
and how am I to address him? I have never yet been used to holding long
conversations with people, and am ashamed to begin questioning one who
is so much older than myself."
"Some things, Telemachus," answered Minerva, "will be suggested
to you by your own instinct, and heaven will prompt you further; for I
am assured that the gods have been with you from the time of your birth
until now."
She then went quickly on, and Telemachus followed in her steps
till they reached the place where the guilds of the Pylian people were
assembled. There they found Nestor sitting with his sons, while his company
round him were busy getting dinner ready, and putting pieces of meat on
to the spits while other pieces were cooking. When they saw the strangers
they crowded round them, took them by the hand and bade them take their
places. Nestor's son Pisistratus at once offered his hand to each of them,
and seated them on some soft sheepskins that were lying on the sands near
his father and his brother Thrasymedes. Then he gave them their portions
of the inward meats and poured wine for them into a golden cup, handing
it to Minerva first, and saluting her at the same time.
"Offer a prayer, sir," said he, "to King Neptune, for it is his
feast that you are joining; when you have duly prayed and made your drink-offering,
pass the cup to your friend that he may do so also. I doubt not that he
too lifts his hands in prayer, for man cannot live without God in the world.
Still he is younger than you are, and is much of an age with myself, so
I he handed I will give you the precedence."
As he spoke he handed her the cup. Minerva thought it very right
and proper of him to have given it to herself first; she accordingly began
praying heartily to Neptune. "O thou," she cried, "that encirclest the
earth, vouchsafe to grant the prayers of thy servants that call upon thee.
More especially we pray thee send down thy grace on Nestor and on his sons;
thereafter also make the rest of the Pylian people some handsome return
for the goodly hecatomb they are offering you. Lastly, grant Telemachus
and myself a happy issue, in respect of the matter that has brought us
in our to Pylos."
When she had thus made an end of praying, she handed the cup to
Telemachus and he prayed likewise. By and by, when the outer meats were
roasted and had been taken off the spits, the carvers gave every man his
portion and they all made an excellent dinner. As soon as they had had
enough to eat and drink, Nestor, knight of Gerene, began to
speak.
"Now," said he, "that our guests have done their dinner, it will
be best to ask them who they are. Who, then, sir strangers, are you, and
from what port have you sailed? Are you traders? or do you sail the seas
as rovers with your hand against every man, and every man's hand against
you?"
Telemachus answered boldly, for Minerva had given him courage to
ask about his father and get himself a good name.
"Nestor," said he, "son of Neleus, honour to the Achaean name,
you ask whence we come, and I will tell you. We come from Ithaca under
Neritum, and the matter about which I would speak is of private not public
import. I seek news of my unhappy father Ulysses, who is said to have sacked
the town of Troy in company with yourself. We know what fate befell each
one of the other heroes who fought at Troy, but as regards Ulysses heaven
has hidden from us the knowledge even that he is dead at all, for no one
can certify us in what place he perished, nor say whether he fell in battle
on the mainland, or was lost at sea amid the waves of Amphitrite. Therefore
I am suppliant at your knees, if haply you may be pleased to tell me of
his melancholy end, whether you saw it with your own eyes, or heard it
from some other traveller, for he was a man born to trouble. Do not soften
things out of any pity for me, but tell me in all plainness exactly what
you saw. If my brave father Ulysses ever did you loyal service, either
by word or deed, when you Achaeans were harassed among the Trojans, bear
it in mind now as in my favour and tell me truly all."
"My friend," answered Nestor, "you recall a time of much sorrow
to my mind, for the brave Achaeans suffered much both at sea, while privateering
under Achilles, and when fighting before the great city of king Priam.
Our best men all of them fell there- Ajax, Achilles, Patroclus peer of
gods in counsel, and my own dear son Antilochus, a man singularly fleet
of foot and in fight valiant. But we suffered much more than this; what
mortal tongue indeed could tell the whole story? Though you were to stay
here and question me for five years, or even six, I could not tell you
all that the Achaeans suffered, and you would turn homeward weary of my
tale before it ended. Nine long years did we try every kind of stratagem,
but the hand of heaven was against us; during all this time there was no
one who could compare with your father in subtlety- if indeed you are his
son- I can hardly believe my eyes- and you talk just like him too- no one
would say that people of such different ages could speak so much alike.
He and I never had any kind of difference from first to last neither in
camp nor council, but in singleness of heart and purpose we advised the
Argives how all might be ordered for the best.
"When however, we had sacked the city of Priam, and were setting
sail in our ships as heaven had dispersed us, then Jove saw fit to vex
the Argives on their homeward voyage; for they had Not all been either
wise or understanding, and hence many came to a bad end through the displeasure
of Jove's daughter Minerva, who brought about a quarrel between the two
sons of Atreus.
"The sons of Atreus called a meeting which was not as it should
be, for it was sunset and the Achaeans were heavy with wine. When they
explained why they had called- the people together, it seemed that Menelaus
was for sailing homeward at once, and this displeased Agamemnon, who thought
that we should wait till we had offered hecatombs to appease the anger
of Minerva. Fool that he was, he might have known that he would not prevail
with her, for when the gods have made up their minds they do not change
them lightly. So the two stood bandying hard words, whereon the Achaeans
sprang to their feet with a cry that rent the air, and were of two minds
as to what they should do.
"That night we rested and nursed our anger, for Jove was hatching
mischief against us. But in the morning some of us drew our ships into
the water and put our goods with our women on board, while the rest, about
half in number, stayed behind with Agamemnon. We- the other half- embarked
and sailed; and the ships went well, for heaven had smoothed the sea. When
we reached Tenedos we offered sacrifices to the gods, for we were longing
to get home; cruel Jove, however, did not yet mean that we should do so,
and raised a second quarrel in the course of which some among us turned
their ships back again, and sailed away under Ulysses to make their peace
with Agamemnon; but I, and all the ships that were with me pressed forward,
for I saw that mischief was brewing. The son of Tydeus went on also with
me, and his crews with him. Later on Menelaus joined us at Lesbos, and
found us making up our minds about our course- for we did not know whether
to go outside Chios by the island of Psyra, keeping this to our left, or
inside Chios, over against the stormy headland of Mimas. So we asked heaven
for a sign, and were shown one to the effect that we should be soonest
out of danger if we headed our ships across the open sea to Euboea. This
we therefore did, and a fair wind sprang up which gave us a quick passage
during the night to Geraestus, where we offered many sacrifices to Neptune
for having helped us so far on our way. Four days later Diomed and his
men stationed their ships in Argos, but I held on for Pylos, and the wind
never fell light from the day when heaven first made it fair for
me.
"Therefore, my dear young friend, I returned without hearing anything
about the others. I know neither who got home safely nor who were lost
but, as in duty bound, I will give you without reserve the reports that
have reached me since I have been here in my own house. They say the Myrmidons
returned home safely under Achilles' son Neoptolemus; so also did the valiant
son of Poias, Philoctetes. Idomeneus, again, lost no men at sea, and all
his followers who escaped death in the field got safe home with him to
Crete. No matter how far out of the world you live, you will have heard
of Agamemnon and the bad end he came to at the hands of Aegisthus- and
a fearful reckoning did Aegisthus presently pay. See what a good thing
it is for a man to leave a son behind him to do as Orestes did, who killed
false Aegisthus the murderer of his noble father. You too, then- for you
are a tall, smart-looking fellow- show your mettle and make yourself a
name in story."
"Nestor son of Neleus," answered Telemachus, "honour to the Achaean
name, the Achaeans applaud Orestes and his name will live through all time
for he has avenged his father nobly. Would that heaven might grant me to
do like vengeance on the insolence of the wicked suitors, who are ill treating
me and plotting my ruin; but the gods have no such happiness in store for
me and for my father, so we must bear it as best we
may."
"My friend," said Nestor, "now that you remind me, I remember to
have heard that your mother has many suitors, who are ill disposed towards
you and are making havoc of your estate. Do you submit to this tamely,
or are public feeling and the voice of heaven against you? Who knows but
what Ulysses may come back after all, and pay these scoundrels in full,
either single-handed or with a force of Achaeans behind him? If Minerva
were to take as great a liking to you as she did to Ulysses when we were
fighting before Troy (for I never yet saw the gods so openly fond of any
one as Minerva then was of your father), if she would take as good care
of you as she did of him, these wooers would soon some of them him, forget
their wooing."
Telemachus answered, "I can expect nothing of the kind; it would
be far too much to hope for. I dare not let myself think of it. Even though
the gods themselves willed it no such good fortune could befall
me."
On this Minerva said, "Telemachus, what are you talking about?
Heaven has a long arm if it is minded to save a man; and if it were me,
I should not care how much I suffered before getting home, provided I could
be safe when I was once there. I would rather this, than get home quickly,
and then be killed in my own house as Agamemnon was by the treachery of
Aegisthus and his wife. Still, death is certain, and when a man's hour
is come, not even the gods can save him, no matter how fond they are of
him."
"Mentor," answered Telemachus, "do not let us talk about it any
more. There is no chance of my father's ever coming back; the gods have
long since counselled his destruction. There is something else, however,
about which I should like to ask Nestor, for he knows much more than any
one else does. They say he has reigned for three generations so that it
is like talking to an immortal. Tell me, therefore, Nestor, and tell me
true; how did Agamemnon come to die in that way? What was Menelaus doing?
And how came false Aegisthus to kill so far better a man than himself?
Was Menelaus away from Achaean Argos, voyaging elsewhither among mankind,
that Aegisthus took heart and killed Agamemnon?"
"I will tell you truly," answered Nestor, "and indeed you have
yourself divined how it all happened. If Menelaus when he got back from
Troy had found Aegisthus still alive in his house, there would have been
no barrow heaped up for him, not even when he was dead, but he would have
been thrown outside the city to dogs and vultures, and not a woman would
have mourned him, for he had done a deed of great wickedness; but we were
over there, fighting hard at Troy, and Aegisthus who was taking his ease
quietly in the heart of Argos, cajoled Agamemnon's wife Clytemnestra with
incessant flattery.
"At first she would have nothing to do with his wicked scheme,
for she was of a good natural disposition; moreover there was a bard with
her, to whom Agamemnon had given strict orders on setting out for Troy,
that he was to keep guard over his wife; but when heaven had counselled
her destruction, Aegisthus thus this bard off to a desert island and left
him there for crows and seagulls to batten upon- after which she went willingly
enough to the house of Aegisthus. Then he offered many burnt sacrifices
to the gods, and decorated many temples with tapestries and gilding, for
he had succeeded far beyond his expectations.
"Meanwhile Menelaus and I were on our way home from Troy, on good
terms with one another. When we got to Sunium, which is the point of Athens,
Apollo with his painless shafts killed Phrontis the steersman of Menelaus'
ship (and never man knew better how to handle a vessel in rough weather)
so that he died then and there with the helm in his hand, and Menelaus,
though very anxious to press forward, had to wait in order to bury his
comrade and give him his due funeral rites. Presently, when he too could
put to sea again, and had sailed on as far as the Malean heads, Jove counselled
evil against him and made it it blow hard till the waves ran mountains
high. Here he divided his fleet and took the one half towards Crete where
the Cydonians dwell round about the waters of the river Iardanus. There
is a high headland hereabouts stretching out into the sea from a place
called Gortyn, and all along this part of the coast as far as Phaestus
the sea runs high when there is a south wind blowing, but arter Phaestus
the coast is more protected, for a small headland can make a great shelter.
Here this part of the fleet was driven on to the rocks and wrecked; but
the crews just managed to save themselves. As for the other five ships,
they were taken by winds and seas to Egypt, where Menelaus gathered much
gold and substance among people of an alien speech. Meanwhile Aegisthus
here at home plotted his evil deed. For seven years after he had killed
Agamemnon he ruled in Mycene, and the people were obedient under him, but
in the eighth year Orestes came back from Athens to be his bane, and killed
the murderer of his father. Then he celebrated the funeral rites of his
mother and of false Aegisthus by a banquet to the people of Argos, and
on that very day Menelaus came home, with as much treasure as his ships
could carry.
"Take my advice then, and do not go travelling about for long so
far from home, nor leave your property with such dangerous people in your
house; they will eat up everything you have among them, and you will have
been on a fool's errand. Still, I should advise you by all means to go
and visit Menelaus, who has lately come off a voyage among such distant
peoples as no man could ever hope to get back from, when the winds had
once carried him so far out of his reckoning; even birds cannot fly the
distance in a twelvemonth, so vast and terrible are the seas that they
must cross. Go to him, therefore, by sea, and take your own men with you;
or if you would rather travel by land you can have a chariot, you can have
horses, and here are my sons who can escort you to Lacedaemon where Menelaus
lives. Beg of him to speak the truth, and he will tell you no lies, for
he is an excellent person."
As he spoke the sun set and it came on dark, whereon Minerva said,
"Sir, all that you have said is well; now, however, order the tongues of
the victims to be cut, and mix wine that we may make drink-offerings to
Neptune, and the other immortals, and then go to bed, for it is bed time.
People should go away early and not keep late hours at a religious
festival."
Thus spoke the daughter of Jove, and they obeyed her saying. Men
servants poured water over the hands of the guests, while pages filled
the mixing-bowls with wine and water, and handed it round after giving
every man his drink-offering; then they threw the tongues of the victims
into the fire, and stood up to make their drink-offerings. When they had
made their offerings and had drunk each as much as he was minded, Minerva
and Telemachus were forgoing on board their ship, but Nestor caught them
up at once and stayed them.
"Heaven and the immortal gods," he exclaimed, "forbid that you
should leave my house to go on board of a ship. Do you think I am so poor
and short of clothes, or that I have so few cloaks and as to be unable
to find comfortable beds both for myself and for my guests? Let me tell
you I have store both of rugs and cloaks, and shall not permit the son
of my old friend Ulysses to camp down on the deck of a ship- not while
I live- nor yet will my sons after me, but they will keep open house as
have done."
Then Minerva answered, "Sir, you have spoken well, and it will
be much better that Telemachus should do as you have said; he, therefore,
shall return with you and sleep at your house, but I must go back to give
orders to my crew, and keep them in good heart. I am the only older person
among them; the rest are all young men of Telemachus' own age, who have
taken this voyage out of friendship; so I must return to the ship and sleep
there. Moreover to-morrow I must go to the Cauconians where I have a large
sum of money long owing to me. As for Telemachus, now that he is your guest,
send him to Lacedaemon in a chariot, and let one of your sons go with him.
Be pleased also to provide him with your best and fleetest
horses."
When she had thus spoken, she flew away in the form of an eagle,
and all marvelled as they beheld it. Nestor was astonished, and took Telemachus
by the hand. "My friend," said he, "I see that you are going to be a great
hero some day, since the gods wait upon you thus while you are still so
young. This can have been none other of those who dwell in heaven than
Jove's redoubtable daughter, the Trito-born, who showed such favour towards
your brave father among the Argives." "Holy queen," he continued, "vouchsafe
to send down thy grace upon myself, my good wife, and my children. In return,
I will offer you in sacrifice a broad-browed heifer of a year old, unbroken,
and never yet brought by man under the yoke. I will gild her horns, and
will offer her up to you in sacrifice."
Thus did he pray, and Minerva heard his prayer. He then led the
way to his own house, followed by his sons and sons-in-law. When they had
got there and had taken their places on the benches and seats, he mixed
them a bowl of sweet wine that was eleven years old when the housekeeper
took the lid off the jar that held it. As he mixed the wine, he prayed
much and made drink-offerings to Minerva, daughter of Aegis-bearing Jove.
Then, when they had made their drink-offerings and had drunk each as much
as he was minded, the others went home to bed each in his own abode; but
Nestor put Telemachus to sleep in the room that was over the gateway along
with Pisistratus, who was the only unmarried son now left him. As for himself,
he slept in an inner room of the house, with the queen his wife by his
side.
Now when the child of morning, rosy-fingered Dawn, appeared, Nestor
left his couch and took his seat on the benches of white and polished marble
that stood in front of his house. Here aforetime sat Neleus, peer of gods
in counsel, but he was now dead, and had gone to the house of Hades; so
Nestor sat in his seat, sceptre in hand, as guardian of the public weal.
His sons as they left their rooms gathered round him, Echephron, Stratius,
Perseus, Aretus, and Thrasymedes; the sixth son was Pisistratus, and when
Telemachus joined them they made him sit with them. Nestor then addressed
them.
"My sons," said he, "make haste to do as I shall bid you. I wish
first and foremost to propitiate the great goddess Minerva, who manifested
herself visibly to me during yesterday's festivities. Go, then, one or
other of you to the plain, tell the stockman to look me out a heifer, and
come on here with it at once. Another must go to Telemachus's ship, and
invite all the crew, leaving two men only in charge of the vessel. Some
one else will run and fetch Laerceus the goldsmith to gild the horns of
the heifer. The rest, stay all of you where you are; tell the maids in
the house to prepare an excellent dinner, and to fetch seats, and logs
of wood for a burnt offering. Tell them also- to bring me some clear spring
water."
On this they hurried off on their several errands. The heifer was
brought in from the plain, and Telemachus's crew came from the ship; the
goldsmith brought the anvil, hammer, and tongs, with which he worked his
gold, and Minerva herself came to the sacrifice. Nestor gave out the gold,
and the smith gilded the horns of the heifer that the goddess might have
pleasure in their beauty. Then Stratius and Echephron brought her in by
the horns; Aretus fetched water from the house in a ewer that had a flower
pattern on it, and in his other hand he held a basket of barley meal; sturdy
Thrasymedes stood by with a sharp axe, ready to strike the heifer, while
Perseus held a bucket. Then Nestor began with washing his hands and sprinkling
the barley meal, and he offered many a prayer to Minerva as he threw a
lock from the heifer's head upon the fire.
When they had done praying and sprinkling the barley meal Thrasymedes
dealt his blow, and brought the heifer down with a stroke that cut through
the tendons at the base of her neck, whereon the daughters and daughters-in-law
of Nestor, and his venerable wife Eurydice (she was eldest daughter to
Clymenus) screamed with delight. Then they lifted the heifer's head from
off the ground, and Pisistratus cut her throat. When she had done bleeding
and was quite dead, they cut her up. They cut out the thigh bones all in
due course, wrapped them round in two layers of fat, and set some pieces
of raw meat on the top of them; then Nestor laid them upon the wood fire
and poured wine over them, while the young men stood near him with five-pronged
spits in their hands. When the thighs were burned and they had tasted the
inward meats, they cut the rest of the meat up small, put the pieces on
the spits and toasted them over the fire.
Meanwhile lovely Polycaste, Nestor's youngest daughter, washed
Telemachus. When she had washed him and anointed him with oil, she brought
him a fair mantle and shirt, and he looked like a god as he came from the
bath and took his seat by the side of Nestor. When the outer meats were
done they drew them off the spits and sat down to dinner where they were
waited upon by some worthy henchmen, who kept pouring them out their wine
in cups of gold. As soon as they had had had enough to eat and drink Nestor
said, "Sons, put Telemachus's horses to the chariot that he may start at
once."
Thus did he speak, and they did even as he had said, and yoked
the fleet horses to the chariot. The housekeeper packed them up a provision
of bread, wine, and sweetmeats fit for the sons of princes. Then Telemachus
got into the chariot, while Pisistratus gathered up the reins and took
his seat beside him. He lashed the horses on and they flew forward nothing
loth into the open country, leaving the high citadel of Pylos behind them.
All that day did they travel, swaying the yoke upon their necks till the
sun went down and darkness was over all the land. Then they reached Pherae
where Diocles lived, who was son to Ortilochus and grandson to Alpheus.
Here they passed the night and Diocles entertained them hospitably. When
the child of morning, rosy-fingered Dawn; appeared, they again yoked their
horses and drove out through the gateway under the echoing gatehouse. Pisistratus
lashed the horses on and they flew forward nothing loth; presently they
came to the corn lands Of the open country, and in the course of time completed
their journey, so well did their steeds take them.
Now when the sun had set and darkness was over the
land, |