BOOK 23

BOOK 23

The old woman laughed as she went upstairs

To tell her mistress that her husband was home.
She ran up the steps, lifting her knees high,
And, bending over Penelope, she said:

"Wake up, dear child, so you can see for yourself 5

What you have yearned for day in and day out.

Odysseus has come home, after all this time,
And has killed those men who tried to marry you
And who ravaged your house and bullied your son."

And Penelope, alert now and wary: 10

"Dear nurse, the gods have driven you crazy.

The gods can make even the wise mad,
Just as they often make the foolish wise.
Now they have wrecked your usually sound mind.
Why do you mock me and my sorrowful heart, 15

Waking me from sleep to tell me this nonsense—

And such a sweet sleep. It sealed my eyelids.
I haven't slept like that since the day Odysseus
Left for Ilion—that accursed city.
Now go back down to the hall. 20

If any of the others had told me this

And wakened me from sleep, I would have
ODYSSEY
Sent her back with something to be sorry about!
You can thank your old age for this at least."

And Eurycleia, the loyal nurse: 25

"I am not mocking you, child. Odysseus

Really is here. He's come home, just as I say.
He's the stranger they all insulted in the great hall.
Telemachus has known all along, but had
The self-control to hide his father's plans 30

Until he could pay the arrogant bastards back."

Penelope felt a sudden pang of joy. She leapt

From her bed and flung her arms around the old woman,
And with tears in her eyes she said to her:

"Dear nurse, if it is true, if he really has 35

Come back to his house, tell me how

He laid his hands on the shameless suitors,
One man alone against all of that mob."

Eurycleia answered her:

"I didn't see and didn't ask. I only heard the groaning 40

Of men being killed. We women sat

In the far corner of our quarters, trembling,
With the good solid doors bolted shut
Until your son came from the hall to call me,
Telemachus. His father had sent him to call me. 45

And there he was, Odysseus, standing

 BOOK 23
In a sea of dead bodies, all piled
On top of each other on the hard-packed floor.
It would have warmed your heart to see him,
Spattered with blood and filth like a lion. 50

And now the bodies are all gathered together

At the gates, and he is purifying the house
With sulfur, and has built a great fire,
And has sent me to call you. Come with me now
So that both your hearts can be happy again. 55

You have suffered so much, but now

Your long desire has been fulfilled.
He has come himself, alive, to his own hearth,
And has found you and his son in the hall.
As for the suitors, who did him wrong, 60

He's taken his revenge on every last man."

And Penelope, ever cautious:

"Dear nurse, don't gloat over them yet.

You know how welcome the sight of him
Would be to us all, and especially to me 65

And the son he and I bore. But this story

Can't be true, not the way you tell it.
One of the immortals must have killed the suitors,
Angry at their arrogance and evil deeds.
They respected no man, good or bad, 70

So their blind folly has killed them. But Odysseus

Is lost, lost to us here, and gone forever."

And Eurycleia, the faithful nurse:

ODYSSEY

"Child, how can you say this? Your husband

Is here at his own fireside, and yet you are sure 75

He will never come home! Always on guard!

But here's something else, clear proof:
The scar he got from the tusk of that boar.
I noticed it when I was washing his feet
And wanted to tell you, but he shrewdly clamped 80

His hand on my mouth and wouldn't let me speak.

Just come with me, and I will stake my life on it.
If I am lying you can torture me to death."

Still wary, Penelope replied:

"Dear nurse, it is hard for you to comprehend 85

The ways of the eternal gods, wise as you are.

Still, let us go to my son, so that I may see
The suitors dead and the man who killed them."

And Penelope descended the stairs, her heart

In turmoil. Should she hold back and question 90

Her husband? Or should she go up to him,

Embrace him, and kiss his hands and head?
She entered the hall, crossing the stone threshold,
And sat opposite Odysseus, in the firelight
Beside the farther wall. He sat by a column, 95

Looking down, waiting to see if his incomparable wife

Would say anything to him when she saw him.
She sat a long time in silence, wondering.
She would look at his face and see her husband,
 BOOK 23
But then fail to know him in his dirty rags. 100

Telemachus couldn't take it any more:

"Mother, how can you be so hard,

Holding back like that? Why don't you sit
Next to father and talk to him, ask him things?
No other woman would have the heart 105

To stand off from her husband who has come back

After twenty hard years to his country and home.
But your heart is always colder than stone."

And Penelope, cautious as ever:

"My child, I am lost in wonder 110

And unable to speak or ask a question

Or look him in the eyes. If he really is
Odysseus come home, the two of us
Will be sure of each other, very sure.
There are secrets between us no one else knows." 115

Odysseus, who had borne much, smiled,

And his words flew to his son on wings:

"Telemachus, let your mother test me

In our hall. She will soon see more clearly.
Now, because I am dirty and wearing rags, 120

She is not ready to acknowledge who I am.

But you and I have to devise a plan.
When someone kills just one man,
Even a man who has few to avenge him,
ODYSSEY
He goes into exile, leaving country and kin. 125

Well, we have killed a city of young men,

The flower of Ithaca. Think about that."

And Telemachus, in his clear-headed way:

"You should think about it, Father. They say

No man alive can match you for cunning. 130

We'll follow you for all we are worth,

And I don't think we'll fail for lack of courage."

And Odysseus, the master strategist:

"Well, this is what I think we should do.

First, bathe yourselves and put on clean tunics 135

And tell the women to choose their clothes well.

Then have the singer pick up his lyre
And lead everyone in a lively dance tune,
Loud and clear. Anyone who hears the sound,
A passerby or neighbor, will think it's a wedding, 140

And so word of the suitors' killing won't spread

Down through the town before we can reach
Our woodland farm. Once there we'll see
What kind of luck the Olympian gives us."

They did as he said. The men bathed 145

And put on tunics, and the women dressed up.

The godlike singer, sweeping his hollow lyre,
Put a song in their hearts and made their feet move,
And the great hall resounded under the tread
 BOOK 23
Of men and silken-waisted women dancing. 150

And people outside would hear it and say:

"Well, someone has finally married the queen,

Fickle woman. Couldn't bear to keep the house
For her true husband until he came back."

But they had no idea how things actually stood. 155

Odysseus, meanwhile, was being bathed

By the housekeeper, Eurynome. She
Rubbed him with olive oil and threw about him
A beautiful cloak and tunic. And Athena
Shed beauty upon him, and made him look 160

Taller and more muscled, and made his hair

Tumble down his head like hyacinth flowers.

Imagine a craftsman overlaying silver

With pure gold. He has learned his art
From Pallas Athena and Lord Hephaestus, 165

And creates works of breathtaking beauty.

So Athena herself made his head and shoulders

Shimmer with grace. He came from the bath
Like a god, and sat down on the chair again
Opposite his wife, and spoke to her and said: 170

"You're a mysterious woman.

The gods
Have given to you, more than to any
ODYSSEY
Other woman, an unyielding heart.
No other woman would be able to endure
Standing off from her husband, come back 175

After twenty hard years to his country and home.

Nurse, make up a bed for me so I can lie down
Alone, since her heart is a cold lump of iron."

And Penelope, cautious and wary:

"You're a mysterious man. 180

I am not being proud

Or scornful, nor am I bewildered—not at all.
I know very well what you looked like
When you left Ithaca on your long-oared ship.
Nurse, bring the bed out from the master bedroom,
The bedstead he made himself, and spread it for him 185

With fleeces and blankets and silky coverlets."

She was testing her husband.

Odysseus
Could bear no more, and he cried out to his wife:

"By God, woman, now you've cut deep.

Who moved my bed? It would be hard 190

For anyone, no matter how skilled, to move it.

A god could come down and move it easily,
But not a man alive, however young and strong,
Could ever pry it up. There's something telling
About how that bed's built, and no one else 195

Built it but me.

 BOOK 23
There was an olive tree
Growing on the site, long-leaved and full,
Its trunk thick as a post. I built my bedroom
Around that tree, and when I had finished
The masonry walls and done the roofing 200

And set in the jointed, close-fitting doors,

I lopped off all of the olive's branches,
Trimmed the trunk from the root on up,
And rounded it and trued it with an adze until
I had myself a bedpost. I bored it with an auger, 205

And starting from this I framed up the whole bed,

Inlaying it with gold and silver and ivory
And stretching across it oxhide thongs dyed purple.
So there's our secret. But I do not know, woman,
Whether my bed is still firmly in place, or if 210

Some other man has cut through the olive's trunk."

At this, Penelope finally let go.

Odysseus had shown he knew their old secret.
In tears, she ran straight to him, threw her arms
Around him, kissed his face, and said: 215

"Don't be angry with me, Odysseus. You,

Of all men, know how the world goes.
It is the gods who gave us sorrow, the gods
Who begrudged us a life together, enjoying
Our youth and arriving side by side 220

To the threshold of old age. Don't hold it against me

That when I first saw you I didn't welcome you
As I do now. My heart has been cold with fear
ODYSSEY
That an imposter would come and deceive me.
There are many who scheme for ill-gotten gains. 225

Not even Helen, daughter of Zeus,

Would have slept with a foreigner had she known
The Greeks would go to war to bring her back home.
It was a god who drove her to that dreadful act,
Or she never would have thought of doing what she did, 230

The horror that brought suffering to us as well.

But now, since you have confirmed the secret
Of our marriage bed, which no one has ever seen—
Only you and I and a single servant, Actor's daughter,
Whom my father gave me before I ever came here 235

And who kept the doors of our bridal chamber—

You have persuaded even my stubborn heart."

This brought tears from deep within him,

And as he wept he clung to his beloved wife.

Land is a welcome sight to men swimming 240

For their lives, after Poseidon has smashed their ship

In heavy seas. Only a few of them escape
And make it to shore. They come out
Of the grey water crusted with brine, glad
To be alive and set foot on dry land. 245

So welcome a sight was her husband to her.

She would not loosen her white arms from his neck,
And rose-fingered Dawn would have risen
On their weeping, had not Athena stepped in
And held back the long night at the end of its course 250
 BOOK 23
And stopped gold-stitched Dawn at Ocean's shores
From yoking the horses that bring light to men,
Lampus and Phaethon, the colts of Dawn.

Then Odysseus said to his wife:

"We have not yet come to the end of our trials. 255

There is still a long, hard task for me to complete,

As the spirit of Tiresias foretold to me
On the day I went down to the house of Hades
To ask him about my companions' return
And my own. But come to bed now, 260

And we'll close our eyes in the pleasure of sleep."

And Penelope calmly answered him:

"Your bed is ready for you whenever

You want it, now that the gods have brought you
Home to your family and native land. 265

But since you've brought it up, tell me

About this trial. I'll learn about it soon enough,
And it won't be any worse to hear it now."

And Odysseus, his mind teeming:

"You are a mystery to me. Why do you insist 270

I tell you now? Well, here's the whole story.

It's not a tale you will enjoy, and I have no joy
In telling it.
Tiresias told me that I must go
ODYSSEY
To city after city carrying a broad-bladed oar,
Until I come to men who know nothing of the sea, 275

Who eat their food unsalted, and have never seen

Red-prowed ships or the oars that wing them along.
And he told me that I would know I had found them
When I met another traveler who thought
The oar I was carrying was a winnowing fan. 280

Then I must fix my oar in the earth

And offer sacrifice to Lord Poseidon,
A ram, a bull, and a boar in its prime.
Then at last I am to come home and offer
Grand sacrifice to the immortal gods 285

Who hold high heaven, to each in turn.

And death shall come to me from the sea,
As gentle as this touch, and take me off
When I am worn out in sleek old age,
With my people prosperous around me. 290

All this Tiresias said would come true."

Then Penelope, watching him, answered:

"If the gods are going to grant you a happy old age,
There is hope your troubles will someday be over."

While they spoke to one another, 295

Eurynome and the nurse made the bed

By torchlight, spreading it with soft coverlets.
Then the old nurse went to her room to he down,
And Eurynome, who kept the bedroom,
Led the couple to their bed, lighting the way. 300
 BOOK 23
When she had led them in, she withdrew,
And they went with joy to their bed
And to their rituals of old.

Telemachus and his men

Stopped dancing, stopped the women's dance,
And lay down to sleep in the shadowy halls. 305

After Odysseus and Penelope

Had made sweet love, they took turns
Telling stories to each other. She told him
All that she had to endure as the fair lady
In the palace, looking upon the loathsome throng 310

Of suitors, who used her as an excuse

To kill many cattle, whole flocks of sheep,
And to empty the cellar of much of its wine.
Odysseus told her of all the suffering
He had brought upon others, and of all the pain 315

He endured himself. She loved listening to him

And did not fall asleep until he had told the whole tale.

He began with how he overcame the Cicones

And then came to the land of the Lotus-Eaters,
And all that the Cyclops did, and how he 320

Paid him back for eating his comrades.

Then how he came to Aeolus,
Who welcomed him and sent him on his way,
But since it was not his destiny to return home then,
The stormwinds grabbed him and swept him off 325
ODYSSEY
Groaning deeply over the teeming saltwater.
Then how he came to the Laestrygonians,
Who destroyed his ships and all their crews,
Leaving him with only one black-tarred hull.
Then all of Circe's tricks and wiles, 330

And how he sailed to the dank house of Hades

To consult the spirit of Theban Tiresias
And saw his old comrades there
And his aged mother who nursed him as a child.
Then how he heard the Sirens' eternal song, 335

And came to the Clashing Rocks,

And dread Charybdis and Scylla,
Whom no man had ever escaped before.
Then how his crew killed the cattle of the Sun,
And how Zeus, the high lord of thunder, 340

Slivered his ship with lightning, and all his men

Went down, and he alone survived.
And he told her how he came to Ogygia,
The island of the nymph Calypso,
Who kept him there in her scalloped caves, 345

Yearning for him to be her husband,

And how she took care of him, and promised
To make him immortal and ageless all his days
But did not persuade the heart in his breast.
Then how he crawled out of the sea in Phaeacia, 350

And how the Phaeacians honored him like a god

And sent him on a ship to his own native land
With gifts of bronze and clothing and gold.

He told the story all the way through,

 BOOK 23
And then sleep, which slackens our bodies, 355

Fell upon him and released him from care.

The Grey-eyed One knew what to do next.

When she felt that Odysseus was satisfied
With sleep and with lying next to his wife,
She roused the slumbering, golden Dawn, 360

Who climbed from Ocean with light for the world.

Odysseus got up from his rose-shadowed bed
And turned to Penelope with these instructions:

"My wife, we've had our fill of trials now,

You here, weeping over all the troubles 365

My absence caused, and I, bound by Zeus

To suffer far from the home I yearned for.
Now that we have both come to the bed
We have long desired, you must take charge
Of all that is mine in the house, while I 370

See to replenishing the flocks and herds

The insolent suitors have depleted.
I'll get some back on raids, some as tribute,
Until the pens are full again. But now,
I want you to know I am going to our farm 375

To see my father, who has suffered terribly

On my account. You don't need me to tell you
That when the sun rises the news will spread
That I have killed the suitors in our hall. So,
Go upstairs with your women and sit quietly. 380

Don't look outside or speak to anyone."

ODYSSEY
Odysseus spoke and put on his beautiful armor.
He woke Telemachus, and the cowherd
And swineherd, and had them arm also.
They strapped on their bronze, opened the doors 385

And went out, Odysseus leading the way.

It was light by now, but Athena hid them
In darkness, and spirited them out of the city.
 BOOK 24

BOOK 24

Hermes, meanwhile, was calling forth

The ghosts of the suitors. He held the wand
He uses to charm mortal eyes to sleep
And make sleepers awake; and with this beautiful,
Golden wand he marshaled the ghosts, 5

Who followed along squeaking and gibbering.

Bats deep inside an eerie cave

Flit and gibber when one of them falls
From the cluster clinging to the rock overhead.

So too these ghosts, as Hermes led them 10

Down the cold, dank ways, past

The streams of Ocean, past the White Rock,
Past the Gates of the Sun and the Land of Dreams,
Until they came to the Meadow of Asphodel,
Where the spirits of the dead dwell, phantoms 15

Of men outworn.

Here was the ghost of Achilles,

And those of Patroclus, of flawless Antilochus,
And of Ajax, the best of the Achaeans
After Achilles, Peleus' incomparable son.
These ghosts gathered around Achilles 20

And were joined by the ghost of Agamemnon,

ODYSSEY
Son of Atreus, grieving, he himself surrounded
By the ghosts of those who had died with him
And met their fate in the house of Aegisthus.
The son of Peleus was the first to greet him: 25

"Son of Atreus, we believed that you of all heroes

Were dear to thundering Zeus your whole life through,
For you were the lord of the great army at Troy,
Where we Greeks endured a bitter campaign.
But you too had an early rendezvous with death, 30

Which no man can escape once he is born.

How much better to have died at Troy
With all the honor you commanded there!
The entire Greek army would have raised you a tomb,
And you would have won glory for your son as well. 35

As it was, you were doomed to a most pitiable death."

And the ghost of Agamemnon answered:

"Godlike Achilles, you did have the good fortune

To die in Troy, far from Argos. Around you fell
Some of the best Greeks and Trojans of their time, 40

Fighting for your body, as you lay there

In the howling dust of war, one of the great,
Your horsemanship forgotten. We fought all day
And would never have stopped, had not Zeus
Halted us with a great storm. Then we bore your body 45

Back to the ships and laid it on a bier, and cleansed

Your beautiful flesh with warm water and ointments,
And the men shed many hot tears and cut their hair.
 BOOK 24
Then your mother heard, and she came from the sea
With her saltwater women, and an eerie cry 50

Rose over the deep. The troops panicked,

And they would have run for the ships, had not
A man who was wise in the old ways stopped them,
Nestor, whose counsel had prevailed before.
Full of concern, he called out to the troops: 55

'Argives and Achaeans, halt! This is no time to flee.

It is his mother, with her immortal nymphs,
Come from the sea to mourn her dead son.'

"When he said that the troops settled down.

Then the daughters of the Old Man of the Sea 60

Stood all around you and wailed piteously,

And they dressed you in immortal clothing.
And the Muses, all nine, chanted the dirge,
Singing responsively in beautiful voices.
You couldn't have seen a dry eye in the army, 65

So poignant was the song of the Muses.

For seventeen days we mourned you like that,
Men and gods together. On the eighteenth day
We gave you to the fire, slaughtering sheep
And horned cattle around you. You were burned 70

In the clothing of the gods, with rich unguents

And sweet honey, and many Greek heroes
Paraded in arms around your burning pyre,
Both infantry and charioteers,
And the sound of their marching rose to heaven. 75

When the fire had consumed you,

ODYSSEY
We gathered your white bones at dawn, Achilles,
And laid them in unmixed wine and unguents.
Your mother had given us a golden urn,
A gift of Dionysus, she said, made by Hephaestus. 80

In this urn lie your white bones, Achilles,

Mingled with those of the dead Patroclus.
Just apart lie the bones of Antilochus
Whom you honored most after Patroclus died.
Over them all we spearmen of the great army 85

Heaped an immense and perfect barrow

On a headland beside the broad Hellespont
So that it might be seen from far out at sea
By men now and men to come.
Your mother, Thetis,
Had collected beautiful prizes from the gods 90

And now set them down in the middle of the field

To honor the best of the Achaean athletes.
You have been to many heroes' funeral games
Where young men contend for prizes,
But you would have marveled at the sight 95

Of the beautiful prizes silver-footed Thetis

Set out for you. You were very dear to the gods.
Not even in death have you lost your name,
Achilles, nor your honor among men.
But what did I get for winding up the war? 100

Zeus worked out for me a ghastly death

At the hands of Aegisthus and my murderous wife."

As these two heroes talked with each other,

Quicksilver Hermes was leading down
 BOOK 24
The ghosts of the suitors killed by Odysseus. 105

When Hermes and these ghosts drew near,

The two heroes were amazed and went up to see
Who they were. The ghost of Agamemnon
Recognized one of them, Amphimedon,
Who had been his host in Ithaca, and called out: 110

"Amphimedon! Why have you come down

Beneath the dark earth, you and your company,
All men of rank, all the same age? It's as if
Someone had hand-picked the city's best men.
Did Poseidon sink your ships and drown you 115

In the wind-whipped waves? Was it that, or

Did an enemy destroy you on land
As you cut off their cattle and flocks of sheep—
Or as they fought for their city and women?
Tell me. Remember who is asking— 120

An old friend of your house. I came there

With godlike Menelaus to urge Odysseus
To sail with the fleet to Ilion. A full month
That journey to Ithaca took us—hard work
Persuading Odysseus, destroyer of cities." 125

The ghost of Amphimedon responded:

"Son of Atreus, most glorious Agamemnon,

I remember all that, just as you tell it,
And I will tell you exactly what happened to us,
And how it ended in our bitter death. 130

We were courting the wife of Odysseus,

ODYSSEY
Long gone by then. She loathed the thought
Of remarrying, but she wouldn't give us a yes or no.
Her mind was bent on death and darkness for us.
Here is one of the tricks she dreamed up: 135

She set up a loom in the hall and started weaving—

A huge, fine-threaded piece—and then came out and said:

'Young men—my suitors, since Odysseus is dead—

Eager as you are to marry me, you must wait
Until I finish this robe—it would be a shame 140

To waste my spinning—a shroud for the hero

Laertes, when death's doom lays him low.
I fear the Achaean women would reproach me
If he should lie shroudless for all his wealth.'

"We went along with this appeal to our honor. 145

Every day she would weave at the great loom,

And every night she would unweave by torchlight.
She fooled us for three years with her craft.
But in the fourth year, as the seasons rolled by,
And the moons waned, and the days dragged on, 150

One of her women who knew all about it

Told us, and we caught her unweaving
The gloried shroud. Then we forced her to finish it.
When it was done she washed it and showed it to us,
And it shone like the sun or the moon. 155

It was then
That some evil spirit brought Odysseus
From who knows where to the border of his land,
Where the swineherd lived. Odysseus' son
 BOOK 24
Put in from Pylos in his black ship and joined him.
These two, after they had plotted an ugly death 160

For the suitors, came up to the town, first Telemachus

And then later Odysseus, led by the swineherd,
Who brought his master wearing tattered clothes,
Looking for all the world like a miserable old beggar,
Leaning on a staff, his rags hanging off him. 165

None of us could know who he was, not even

The older men, when he showed up like that.
We threw things at him and gave him a hard time.
He just took it, pelted and taunted in his own house,
Until, prompted by Zeus, he and Telemachus 170

Removed all the weapons from the hall

And locked them away in a storeroom.
Then he showed all his cunning. He told his wife
To set before the suitors his bow and grey iron—
Implements for a contest, and for our ill-fated death. 175

None of us were able to string that bow.

We couldn't even come close. When it came
Around to Odysseus, we cried out and objected,
'Don't give the bow to that beggar,
No matter what he says!' Telemachus alone 180

Urged him on and encouraged him to take it.

And he did. The great Odysseus
Took the bow, strung it easily, and shot an arrow
Straight through the iron. Then he stood on the threshold,
Poured the arrows out, and glaring around him 185

He shot Lord Antinous. And then he shot others,

With perfect aim, and we fell thick and fast.
You could see that some god was helping them,
ODYSSEY
The way they raged through the hall, cutting us down
Right and left; and you could hear 190

The hideous groans of men as their heads

Were bashed in. The floor smoked with blood.
That's how we died, Agamemnon. Our bodies
Still lie uncared for in Odysseus' halls.
Word has not yet reached our friends and family, 195

Who could wash the black blood from our wounds

And lay us out with wailing, as is due the dead."

And the ghost of Agamemnon responded:

"Well done, Odysseus, Laertes' wily son!

You won a wife of great character 200

In Icarius' daughter. What a mind she has,

A woman beyond reproach! How well Penelope
Kept in her heart her husband, Odysseus.
And so her virtue's fame will never perish,
And the gods will make among men on earth 205

A song of praise for steadfast Penelope.

But Tyndareus' daughter was evil to the core,
Killing her own husband, and her song will be
A song of scorn, bringing ill-repute
To all women, even the virtuous." 210

That was the drift of their talk as they stood

In the Dark Lord's halls deep under the earth.

Odysseus and the others went from the town

 BOOK 24
And made good time getting down to Laertes'
Well-kept fields. The old man had worked hard 215

Reclaiming the land from the wilderness.

His farmhouse was there with a row of huts around it
Where the field hands ate and rested and slept.
These were his slaves, and they did as he wished.
There was an old Sicilian woman, too, 220

Who took good care of the old man out in the country.

Odysseus had a word with the herdsmen and his son:

"Go into the farmhouse and make yourselves busy.

Sacrifice the best pig and roast it for dinner.
I am going to test my father. Will he recognize me? 225

Will he know who I am after all these years?"

He disarmed and gave his weapons to the herdsmen.

They hurried off indoors, leaving Odysseus
To search through the rows of fruit trees and vines.
He did not find Dolius, or any of his sons 230

Anywhere in the orchard. Old Dolius had taken them

To gather fieldstones for a garden wall.
But he found his father, alone, on a well-banked plot,
Spading a plant. He had on an old, dirty shirt,
Mended and patched, and leather leggings 235

Pieced together as protection from scratches.

He wore gloves because of the bushes, and on his head
He had a goatskin cap, crowning his sorrow.
Odysseus, who had borne much, saw him like this,
Worn with age and a grieving heart, 240
ODYSSEY
And wept as he watched from a pear tree's shade.
He thought it over. Should he just throw his arms
Around his father, kiss him and tell him all he had done,
And how he'd returned to his homeland again—
Or should he question him and feel him out first? 245

Better that way, he thought, to feel him out first

With a few pointed remarks. With this in mind,
Godlike Odysseus walked up to his father,
Who kept his head down and went on digging.
His illustrious son stood close by him and said: 250

"Well, old-timer, you certainly know how to garden.

There's not a plant, a fig tree, a vine or an olive,
Not a pear tree or leek in this whole garden untended.
But if I may say so without getting you angry,
You don't take such good care of yourself. Old age 255

Is hard, yes. But unwashed, scruffy and dressed in rags?

It can't be that your lord is too lax to care for you,
And anyway there's nothing in your build or looks
To suggest you're a slave. You look more like a king,
The sort of man who after he has bathed and eaten 260

Sleeps on a soft bed, as is only right for elders.

Come on now and give me a straight answer.
Whose slave are you? Whose orchard is this?
And tell me this, too, so that I can be sure:
Is this really Ithaca I've come to, as I was told 265

By that man I ran into on my way over here?

He wasn't very polite, couldn't be bothered
To tell me what I wanted, or even to hear me out.
I've been trying to find out about an old friend
 BOOK 24
I entertained at my house once, whether he's still alive 270

Or is dead by now and gone down to Hades.

So I'll ask you, if you'll give me your attention.
I was host to a man once back in my own country,
A man who means more to me than anyone else
Who has ever visited my home from abroad. 275

He claimed his family was from Ithaca, and he said

His father was Laertes, son of Arcesius.
I took him into my home, and entertained him
In a style befitting the wealth in my house,
And gave him suitable gifts to seal our friendship: 280

Seven ingots of fine gold, a silver mixing bowl

Embossed with flowers, twelve cloaks, as many
Carpets, mantles and tunics, and his choice of four
Beautiful women superbly trained in handicrafts."

A tear wet his father's cheek as he answered: 285

"You've come to the land you're looking for, stranger,

But it's in the hands of haughty and violent men.
You've given all those generous gifts in vain.
If you were to find him alive here in Ithaca
He would send you off with the beautiful gifts 290

And fine hospitality you deserve as his friend.

But tell me this now, and tell me the truth:
How many years has it been since you hosted
Your ill-fated guest, my son—if I ever had a son?
Born for sorrow he was, and now far from home, 295

Far from his loved ones, his bones are picked clean
By fish undersea; or on some wild shore
ODYSSEY
His body is feeding the scavenging birds,
Unburied, unmourned by his mother and me,
Who brought him into this world. Nor has his wife, 300

Penelope, patient and wise, who brought him so much,

Lamented her husband on a funeral bier
Or closed his eyelids, as is due the dead.
And tell me this, too, so that I will know.
Who are you? 305

What city are you from? Who are your parents?

And where have you moored the sailing ship
That brought you and your crew of heroes here?
Or did you come as a passenger on another's ship
That put you ashore and went on its way?" 310

And Odysseus, his great mind teeming:

"I'll tell you everything point by point.

I come from Alybas and have my home there.
I'm the son of Apheidas and Polypemon's grandson.
My name is Eperitus. Some storm spirit drove me 315

Off course from Sicily and, as luck had it, here.

My ship stands off wild country far from the town.
As for Odysseus, it's been five years now
Since he left my land, ill-fated maybe,
But the birds were good when he sailed out— 320

On the right. This cheered me as I sent him off,

And he was cheered, too, our hearts full of hope
We would meet again and exchange splendid gifts."

A black mist of pain shrouded Laertes.

 BOOK 24
He scooped up fistfuls of shimmering dust 325

And groaned as he poured it upon his grey head.

This wrung Odysseus' heart, and bitter longing
Stung his nostrils as he watched his father.
With a bound he embraced him, kissed him and said:

"I'm the one that you miss, Father, right here, 330

Back in my homeland after twenty years.

But don't cry now. Hold back your tears.
I'm telling you, we really have to hurry.
I've killed the suitors in our house and avenged
All of the wrongs that have grieved your heart." 335

But Laertes' voice rang out in answer:

"If you are really Odysseus and my son come back,

Give me a sign, a clear sign I can trust."

And Odysseus, the master strategist:

"First, here's the scar I got on Parnassus 340

From that boar's bright tusk. Mother and you

Had sent me to my grandfather Autolycus
To collect some presents he had promised me
When he had visited us here. And let me count off
All of the trees in the orchard rows 345

You gave me one day when I was still a boy.

You gave me thirteen pear trees, ten apple trees,
Forty fig trees, and fifty vine rows
That ripened one by one as the season went on
ODYSSEY
With heavy clusters of all sorts of grapes." 350

He spoke, and the old man's knees went slack

As he recognized the signs Odysseus showed him.
He threw his arms around his beloved son
And gasped for breath. And godly Odysseus,
Who had borne much, embraced him. 355

When he had caught his breath and his spirit returned,

Laertes' voice rang out to the sky:

"Father Zeus, there are still gods on high Olympus,

If the suitors have really paid the price!
But now I have a terrible fear 360

That all of Ithaca will be upon us soon,

And word will have gone out to Cephallenia, too."

And Odysseus, his mind teeming:

"We don't have to worry about that right now.

Let's go to the cottage near the orchard. 365

I sent Telemachus there, and the cowherd

And swineherd, to prepare a meal for us."

And they went together to the house

With its comfortable rooms and found
Telemachus and the two herdsmen there 370

Carving huge roasts and mixing wine.

While they were busy with these tasks,
The old Sicilian woman bathed great Laertes
In his own house and rubbed him down
 BOOK 24
With olive oil and threw about his shoulders 375

A handsome cloak. And Athena came

And made the shepherd of the people
Taller than before and added muscle to his frame.
When he came from the bath, his son marveled
At his deathless, godlike appearance, 380

And his words rose to his father on wings:

"Father, surely one of the gods eternal

Has made you larger, and more handsome, too."

And Laertes, feeling the magic, answered him:

"I wish by Zeus and Athena and Apollo 385

That I could have stood at your side yesterday

In our house, armor on my shoulders,
As the man I was when I took Nericus,
The mainland town, commanding the Cephallenians!
I would have beaten the daylights out of them 390

There in our halls, and made your heart proud."

While they were talking, the others

Had finished preparing the meal.
They all sat down on benches and chairs
And were just serving themselves food 395

When old Dolius came in with his sons,

Weary from their work in the fields.
Their mother, the old Sicilian woman,
Had gone out to call them. It was she
Who made their meals and took care 400
ODYSSEY
Of Dolius, now that old age had set in.
When they saw Odysseus, and realized
Who he was, they stood there dumbfounded.
Odysseus spoke to them gently and said:

"Old man, sit down to dinner, and all of you, 405

You can stop being amazed. Hungry as we are,

We've been waiting a long time for you."

He spoke, and Dolius ran up to him

With arms outstretched, and clasped
Odysseus' hand and kissed him on the wrist. 410

Trembling with excitement, the old man said:

"My dear Odysseus, you have come back home.

We missed you so much but never hoped
To see you again. The gods themselves
Have brought you back. Welcome, welcome, 415

And may the gods grant you happiness.

But tell me this—I have to know—
Does Penelope know that you have returned,
Or should we send her a messenger?"

And Odysseus, his mind teeming: 420

"She knows, old man. You don't have to worry."

He spoke, and Dolius sat down in a polished chair.

His sons then gathered around glorious Odysseus
And greeted him and clasped his hands
 BOOK 24
And then sat down in order next to their father. 425

While they were busy with their meal,

Rumor, that swift messenger, flew
All through the city, telling everyone
About the grim fate the suitors had met.
Before long a crowd had gathered 430

Outside Odysseus' palace, and the sound

Of their lamentation hung in the air.
They carried their dead out of the hall
And buried them. Those from other cities
They put aboard ships to be brought home by sea. 435

Then they all went to the meeting place,

Sad at heart. When they were assembled,
Eupeithes rose and spoke among them,
Upon his heart an unbearable grief
For his son Antinous, the first man 440

Whom Odysseus killed. Weeping for him

He addressed the assembly and said:

"My friends, it is truly monstrous—

What this man has done to our city.
First, he sailed off with many of our finest men 445

And lost the ships and every man aboard.

Now he has come back and killed many others,
By far the best of the Cephallenians.
We must act now, before he runs off to Pylos
Or takes refuge with the Epean lords of Elis. 450

We will be disgraced forever if we don't avenge

ODYSSEY
Our sons' and brothers' deaths, and if we don't,
I see no point in living. I'd rather be dead.
Let's move now, before they cross the sea!"

He wept as he spoke, and they all pitied him. 455

Then up came Medon and the godlike bard

From Odysseus' halls. They had just woken up
From a long sleep and stood now in the midst
Of the wondering crowd. Medon had this to say:

"Hear me, men of Ithaca. It was not without the will 460

Of the deathless gods that Odysseus managed this.

I myself saw one of the immortals
Close to Odysseus. He looked just like Mentor
But was a god, now appearing in front of Odysseus,
Urging him on, then raging through the hall 465

Terrifying the suitors, who fell thick and fast."

He spoke, and they all turned pale with fear.

Then the old hero Halitherses, son of Mastor,
Rose to speak. He alone looked ahead and behind,
And spoke with the best of intentions to them: 470

"Now hear what I have to say, men of Ithaca.

You have only yourselves to blame, my friends,
For what has happened. You would not obey me
Nor Mentor, shepherd of the people, when we told you
To make your sons stop their foolishness. 475

It was what your sons did that was truly monstrous,

Wasting the wealth and dishonoring the wife
 BOOK 24
Of a great man, who they said would never return.
Now listen to me and keep your peace. Some of you
Are asking for trouble—and you just might find it." 480

Less than half of them took his advice

And stayed in their seats. Most of them
Jumped up with a whoop and went with Eupeithes.
They rushed to get weapons, and when the mob
Had armed themselves in glowing bronze, 485

They put the city behind them, following Eupeithes,

Who in his folly thought he would avenge
His son's death, but met his own fate instead.
Eupeithes would never return home again.

Athena, meanwhile, was having a word with Zeus: 490

"Father of us all, Son of Cronus most high,

Tell me what is hidden in that mind of yours.
Will you let this grim struggle go on?
Or will you establish peace on Ithaca?"

And Zeus in his thunderhead responded: 495

"Why question me, Daughter? Wasn't this

Your plan, to have Odysseus pay them back
With a vengeance? Do as you will,
But I will tell you what would be fitting.
Now that Odysseus has paid the suitors back, 500

Let all parties swear a solemn oath,

ODYSSEY
That he will be king on Ithaca all of his days.
We, for our part, will have them forget
The killing of their sons and brothers.
Let them live in friendship as before, 505

And let peace and prosperity abound."

This was all Athena needed to hear,

And she streaked down from Olympus' peaks.

The meal was over. Seeing that his company

Had satisfied their hunger, Odysseus said: 510

"Someone should go out to see if they're coming."

One of Dolius' sons went to the doorway,

Looked out, and saw the mob closing in.
His words flew fast to Odysseus:

"They're almost here. We'd better arm quickly." 515

They jumped up and put on their gear,

Odysseus and his three men and Dolius' six sons.
Laertes and Dolius armed themselves, too,
Warriors in a pinch despite their white hair.
When they had strapped on their bronze 520

They opened the doors and headed out

Behind Odysseus.

Athena joined them,

 BOOK 24
Looking for all the world like Mentor,
And Odysseus was glad to see her. He turned
To his son Telemachus and said: 525

"Telemachus, now you will see firsthand

What it means to distinguish yourself in war.
Don't shame your ancestors. We have been
Strong and brave in every generation."

And Telemachus coolly answered him: 530

"The way I feel now, I don't think you'll see me

Shaming my ancestors, as you put it, Father."

Laertes was delighted with this and exclaimed:

"What a day, dear gods! My son and grandson

Going head to head to see who is best." 535

The Grey-eyed One stood next to him and said:

"Son of Arcesius, my dearest comrade,

Say a prayer to Zeus and his grey-eyed daughter,
And then cast your long-shadowed spear."

Pallas Athena breathed great strength into him, 540

And with a prayer to Zeus' grey-eyed daughter,

Laertes cast his long-shadowed spear
And hit Eupeithes square in the helmet.
Bronze bored through bronze, and Eupeithes
ODYSSEY
Thudded to the ground, his armor clattering. 545

Odysseus and his glorious son

Charged the front lines, thrusting hard
With their swords and spears. They would have killed
Every last man—not one would have gone home—
Had not Athena, daughter of the Storm Cloud, 550

Given voice to a cry that stopped them all cold:

"ITHACANS!
Lay down your arms now,
And go your ways with no more bloodshed."

Thus Athena, and they turned pale with fear.

The weapons dropped from their trembling hands 555

And fell to the ground as the goddess' voice

Sent shock waves through them. They turned
Back toward the city and ran for their lives.
With a roar, the great, long-suffering Odysseus
Gathered himself and swept after them 560

Like a soaring raptor.

At that moment
Zeus, Son of Cronus, hurled down
A flaming thunderbolt that landed at the feet
Of his owl-eyed daughter, who said:

"Son of Laertes in the line of Zeus, 565

Cunning Odysseus—restrain yourself.

End this quarrel and cease from fighting
 BOOK 24
Lest broad-browed Zeus frown upon you."

Thus Athena. The man obeyed and was glad,

And the goddess made both sides swear binding oaths— 570

Pallas Athena, daughter of the Storm Cloud,

Who looked like Mentor and spoke with his voice.