The Adventures of Odysseus and The Tales of Troy

y. There he met one who showed him the way to the palace of King Alcinous. The doors of that palace were golden and the door-posts were of silver. And there was a garden b

fell or was gathered but other fruit ripened to take its place; from

h the great hall. Now on that evening the Captains and the Councillors of the Ph?acians sat drinking wine with the King. Odysseus passed by them, and stayed

give all who are here a happy life and may each see his children in safe possession of his halls. I have come to thee

es of the hearth with his head bowed. No one spoke for lon

uld sit in the ashes by thy hearth. Bid the stranger rise n

n Laodamas give place to him. He sat on a chair inlaid with silver and the housedame broug

his stranger with a feast in our halls, and we shall take co

alone in the hall with the King and the Queen. Now Arete, looking closely at Odysseus, recognized the mantle he wore

g to us from across the deep? And if thou didst come t

d me and dashed me against great rocks in a desolate place. At length I came to a river, and I swam through its mouth and I found a shelter from the wind. There I lay amongst the leaves all the night long and from dawn to mid-day. Then came t

ughter did not do well when she did

w with her company, and she was only careful that no one should hav

l to abide with us,' he said, 'I shall give thee a ship and a company of men to take thee to thy own land, even if that land be as far as Eub?a, which, our men say, is the farthest of all lands.' As he said

rm coverlets and purple blankets upon it. And when Odysseus came to the bed an

he Ph?acians. When the Princes and Captains and Councillo

us, as in times past we have done for others, help him in his journey. Nay, let us even now draw down a black ship to the sea, and put two and fifty of our noblest youths upon it, and let us make it ready for the voyage. But bef

and fifty youths went down to the shore of the sea, and drew down a ship and placed the masts and sails upon it, and left the oars i

e henchman led him through the company, and placed him on a seat inlaid with silver, and hung his lyre on the pillar above his seat. When the guest

r his head. Tears were falling down his cheeks and he was ashamed of their being seen. No one marked his w

et us go forth now and engage in games and sports so that our stranger gue

ere was a boxing-match, and there was wrestling and weight-throwing. All the youths present went int

d said, 'Friend and stranger, come now and try thy skill in the games. Cast care away from thee, for thy journey shall not be long dela

y heart than sport, for much have I e

mas is surely mistaken in thinking that thou shouldst be proficient in sports. As I look at thee I think

u hast beauty surely, but thou hast not grace of manner nor speech. And t

e flung it from his hands. Beyond all marks it flew, and one who was standing far off cried out, 'Even a blind man, stranger, might kno

th me in boxing or wrestling or even in the foot-race, let him stand forward-anyone except Laodamas, for

are most skilful. For we Ph?acians are not perfect boxers or wrestlers, but we excel all in running and in dancing and in pulling with the oar. Lo, now, ye dancers! Come forwar

struck the ground with their feet. Odysseus as he watched them marvelled at their grace and their spirit. When the dance was ended he said to the

h of us now give him the stranger's gift. Here there are twelve princes of the Ph?acians and I am the thirteenth. Let each of us give him a worthy gift, and th

ht that offended thee, may the storm winds snatch it and bear it away. May the gods grant that thou shalt

Odysseus took it and said, 'And to you, my friend, may the gods grant all happiness, and mayst

ce and left by the side of the Queen. And Arete herself gave Odysseus a beautiful coffer

not since he had left the Island of Calypso did he have a warm bath. He came from the bath and put on

day he would be her husband. But now she knew that by no means would he abide in the land of the Ph?acians. As he passed by, she spoke to him and said, 'Farewell, O Stranger! And when thou art in thine own country, think sometimes of me

hen supper was served Odysseus sent to Demodocus a portion of his own meat. He spoke too in praise of the minstrel saying, 'Right well dost thou sing of the Greeks and all they wrought and suffered-as well, methinks, as if thou hads

Trojans themselves had dragged across their broken wall. So the Wooden Horse stood, and the people gathered around talked of what should be done with so wonderful a thing-whether to break open its timbers, or drag it to a steep hill an

eping except Alcinous the King. But the King cried out to the company saying, 'Let the minstrel cease, for there is one amon

owed and his mantle wrapped around his head. Why did he weep? each man asked. No one had asked o

of thy land and thy city. And tell us, too, where thou wert borne on thy wanderings, and to what lands and peoples thou earnest. And as a brother tell us why thou dost weep and mourn in spirit over the tale of the going forth of the Greeks to the wa

ysseus taking the mantle from around