i*:tf#'
iv-
'r:
10
l)
9M
t,':
Now Penelope
sank down, holding the weapon on her knees,
and drew her husband'sgreat bow out, and sobbed
and bit her lip and let the salt tears flow.
Then back she went to face the crowded hall,
tremendous bow in hand, and on her shoulder hung
the quiver spiked with coughing death. Behind her
maids bore a basket full of axeheads,bronze
and iron implements for the master'sgame.
Thus in her beauty she approachedthe suitors,
and near a pillar of the solid roof
she paused,her shining veil acrossher cheeks,
her maids on either hand and still.
then spoke to the banqueters:
Guide for
1-4 Noticethat Penelope
still
grievesfor Odysseus,
evenafter20t
years.
7 quiver (kwiv'ed:a casein which
arrows are carried.\ivhatdo You
t l r i n i : r r . r '1 t '. ,h: )r y" t h e q u i v e r
r r.rlrghingoeath"?
::,itr:,.r,l
v'ii-i
8 - 9 a x e h e a d s . . . g a m e :m e t a l
headsof axes(without handles)
Ina
usedto emPloy
that Odysseus
d i s p l a yo f a r c h e r ys k i l l .
"My lords, hear me:
suitors indeed, you commandeeredthis house
to feast and drink in, day and night, my husband
being long gone, long out of mind. You found
no iustification for yourselves-none
except your lust to marry me. Stand up, then:
\YORDS
;;f N6 w
Reading
commandeer(k6m'en-dir')v. to take controlof by force
justification(jUs'to-fY-ke'shon)
n. an explanation
or excusefor an action
+g
{
i
i
20
l5
we now declarea contest for that prlzeHere is my lord Odysseus'hunting bow.
Bend and string it if you can. \7ho sendsan arrow
through iron axe-helvesockets,twelve in line?
I join my life with his, and leave this place, my home,
my rich and beautiful bridal house, forever
to be remembered,though I dream it only."
21-23 Note that the contesthas
two parts:first the suitormust
bend the heavybow and stringit.a task that requiresimmense
strength and skill-then fremust
shoot an arrow straightthrough
t h e h o l e si n 1 2 a x f t e a d ss e tu p i n3
row.
Then to Eumaeus:
"Carry the bow forward.
Carry the biades."
Tears came to the swineherd'seyes
as he reached out for the big bow. He laid it
down at the suitors' feet. Across the room
the cowherd sobbed, knowing the master'sweapon.
Antinous growled, with a glance at both:
28-38 Noticethe emotionexpressed by the swineherdEumaeus
s hen
a n d t h e c o w h e r d P h i l o e t i uw
they are reminded of their master
Then notice how Antinoustreats
O d y s s e u s 's e r v a n t s .
"Clods.
They go to piecesover nothing.
lou two. there.
why are you sniveling?To upset the woman
even more? Has she not Pain enough
over her lost husband?Slr down.
Get on with dinner quietly, or cry about it
outside, if you must. Leave us the bow.
A clean-cut game, it looks to me.
Nobody bends that bowstave easilY
in this company. Is there a man here
made like Odysseus?I remember him
from childhood: I can seehim even now."
That was the way he played it, hoping inwardly
to span the great horn bow with corded gut
and drill the iron with his shot-he, Antinous,
destinedto be the first of all to savor
blood from a biting arrow at his throat,
a shaft drawn by the fingers of Odysseus
whom he had mocked and plundered, leading on
the rest,his boon companions.
946
\(/ORDS
To
I(N O w
4rt-51 Antinous imagineshimsel{
winning Penelope'scontest.Notice'
however,that his death is foreshadowedhere.
51 boon comPanions:jollYfrienos
plunder(plin'der)u to rob of propeltyby force;steaifrom
j
F=]:
llolll-l
€ i P I T €
H €Ar
I N C
AN
D
6 K€Ai
I N C t h r ' I t o | ', t l r e l e s s e r . s t t l f o r s
t- l
ilu l
fioldoJJ.
sulfors,!4ntinousttnd'Euntmuchus,
to stringit.'Tlie mostLrbLe
proueLmable
lriil
'l.Ahiletfit suitorsare busy u,itfitlie bow, Odysserrs-sfi//tlisqursed
ns an oltl beqgar-
Itill
t= ' tl
' ' E umLreus
tl i e su,i nehet'snd
d
g l e s t0 enlis t t lie dd o J tu ,o o f h i s tn L s te ds e rL )u tl ts,
Itilil
t= t I
1t-l
t-l
lt--ll L! |
l l L! |
l_-_1_
'P lii[oetitts tfie cowfierd.
)J
:
::
..':
|[d lrfl
Two men had meanwhile left the hall:
swineherd and cowherd, in companionship,
one downcast as the other. But Odysseus
followed them outdoors, outside the court,
and coming up said gentlyr
"You, herdsman,
and you, too, swineherd, I could say a thing to you,
or should I keep it dark?
No, no; speak,
my heart tells me. \fould you be men enough
to stand by Odysseusif he came back?
Supposehe dropped out of a clear sky, as I did?
Supposesome god should bring him?
'Would
you bear arms for him, or for the suitors?"
'-ti
The cowherd said:
65
"Ah, let the master come!
Father Zeus, grant our old wish! Some courier
guide him back! Then judge what stuff is in me
and how I manage arms!"
Likewise Eumaeus
fell to praying all heaven for his return,
so that Odysseus,sure at least of these,
told them:
!:
F.
F
Fr
=
7{
f=,
F
H.
s...
h
"I am at home, for I am he.
I bore adversities,but in the twentieth year
I am ashore in my own land. I find
the two of you, alone among my people,
longed for my coming. PrayersI never heard
except your own that I might come again.
So now what is in store for you I'll teli you:
72-75 What is the quality that
O d y s s e uvsa l u e ss o h i g h l y i n t h e s e
two servants?
rHE HoMECoMTNG
947
:€
'4
:j
]i
a
If Zeus brings down the suitors by my hand
I promise marriagesto both, and cattle,
and housesbuilt near mine. And you shall be
brothers-in-armsof my Telemachus.
Here, let me show you something else,a sign
that I am he, that you can trust me, look:
this old scar from the tusk wound that I sot
boar hunting on ParnassusAutolycus' sons and I."
Shifting his rags
he bared the long gash. Both men looked, and knew,
and threw their arms around the old soldier,weeping,
kissing his head and shoulders.He as well
took each man's head and hands to kiss, then saidto cut it short, else they might weep till dark-
100
105
110
"Break off, no more of this.
Anyone at the door could see and tell them.
Drift back in, but separateiyat intervals
after me.
Now listen to your orders:
when the time comes, those gentlemen,to a man,
will be dead against giving me bow or quiver.
Defy them. Eumaeus,bring the bow
and put it in my hands there at the door.
Tell the women to lock their own door tight.
Tell them if someonehears the shock of arms
or groans of men, in hall or court, not one
must show her face, but keep still at her weaving.
Philoetius, run to the outer gate and lock it.
Throw the cross bar and lash it."
He turned back
into the courtyard and the beautiful house
and took the stool he had before. They followed
one by one, the two hands loyal to him.
Eurymachus had now picked up the bow.
He turned it round, and turned it round
before the licking flame to warm it up,
but could not, even so, put stressupon it
UNIT SIX
PART 1: THE ODYSSEY
84 Parnassus(pdr-nds'es):
a
m o u n t a i n i n c e n t r a lG r e e c e .
85 Autolycus' (6-tdl'Y-kes)
sons:
Odysseus'uncles.(Autolycuswas
Odysseus'grandfatheron his
mother'sside.)
hasa Planbut
94-104 Odysseus
revealsto the servantsonlYthe
detailsthey must take careof. On
r h e b a s i so f t h e o r d e r sh e g i v e s ,
w h a t d o y o u r h i n k O d Y s s e ui s
p l an ni n g?
:
to jam the loop over the tip
though his heart groaned to bursting.
Then he said grimly:
this day'
\fhat gloom I feel, not for myseif uron.,t"tt"
and not only becausewe lose that bride.
\7omen are not lacking in Achaea,
in other towns, or on Ithaca. No, the worst
is humiliation-to be shown up for children
measuredagainst Odysseus-we who cannot
even hitch the string over his bow.
\7hat shame to be repeatedof us. after us!"
113-121 Sincemost of the suitors
have alreadytried the challenge
here speaks
and failed, Eurymachus
for all of thein when he expresses
h i s s h a m ea n d e m b a r r a s s m e n lts.
t h e l u i t o r s ' c o n c e r na b o u t t h e i r
r e p u t a t i o n i o r p h y s i c asl t r e n q t h
s i m i l a ri o a t t i t u d e sr n e n h a v e
today?
116 Achaea(+k6'e):the Greek
mainland.
THE HOMECOMING 949
Then spoke Odysseus,all craft and gall:
12 i
13 0
"My lords, contendersfor the queen, permit me:
a passion in me moves me to speak out.
I put it to Eurymachus above all
and to that brilliant prince, Antinous. . . .
But iet me try my hand at the smooth bow!
Let me test my fingers and my pull
to seeif any of the oldtime kick is there,
or if thin fare and roving took it out of me."
122-130 Rememberthat
i s d i s g u i s e da s a n o l d b e g g a r .
about the effect of an old
requestto try the challenge
1us1
after the finest princesinjhe
l^,
h a v ef a i l e d s o m i s e r a b l y ,
130 thin fare and roving:poor
food and hard travel.
Now irritation beyond reason swept them all,
since they were naplgedby fear that he could string r l
Antinous answered,coldiy and at iength:
13 . 5
"You bleary vagabond, no rag of senseis left you.
Are you not coddled here enough, at table
taking meat with gentlemen,your berrers,
denied nothing, and listening to our talk?
.When
have we let a tramp hear all our talk?
The sweet goad of wine has made you rave!"
iltrll
L=]
Iolt
Li=J
ilotl
L=I
At this the watchful queen Peneiope
interposed:
"Anfinous, discourtesy
to a guest of Telemachus-whatever guestthat is not handsome. ril/hat are you afraid of?
Supposethis exile put his back into it
14.t and drew the great bow of Odysseuscould he then take me home to be his bride?
You know he does not imagine that! No one
need let that prospect weigh upon his dinner!
How very, very improbable it seems."
ffi
L - ] i l j DIt
=il:]
A.
140-149 The epithet "watchful
queen" characterizes
Penelope
as
patient and observant.Hereshe
s c o l d st h e s u i t o r sf o r t h e i r l a c ko f
courtesyand hospitaIity-values
they consistentlyignore-and :.
urgesthem to give the stranger
a chance.
r€ L€MA c H U s ' K €qu ( s r , ( P u t c [ oltytttet , c s t lic m e n t o s c t L lc t lit
ffi
( /u csir .lo l rlicl,ot (uu,tr.q
llrr'rrr.'r,1i, r, r
-]Hf
950
134-139 How does Antinous
to the beggar'srequest?
V/ORD S
To
KNO'W
gall (96l)n. scornfulboldness
Ht
i l tr i l tr _l
150
The swineherd had the horned bow in his hands
moving toward Odysseus,when the crowd
in the banquet hall broke into an ugly din,
shouts rising from the flushed young men:
"Ho! Where
do you think you are taking that, you smutty slave?"
153-157 How would you
the way the suitorstreat the
old
swineherd?
"What is this dithering?"
"We'll toss you back alone
among the pigs, for your own dogs to eat,
if bright Apollo nods and the gods are kind!"
15 0
He faltered, all at once put down the bow, and stood
in panic, buffeted by waves of cries,
hearing Telemachusfrom another quarter
shout:
"Go on, take him the bow!
15 5
170
Do you obey this pack?
You will be stoned back to your hills! Young as I am
my power is over you! I wish to God
I had as much the upper hand of these!
There would be suitors pitched like dead rats
through our gate, for the evil plotted here!"
Telemachus' frenzy struck someone as funny,
and soon the whole room roared with laughter at him,
so that all tension passed.Eumaeuspicked up
bow and quiver, making for the door,
and there he placed them in Odysseus'hands.
Calling Eurycleia to his side he said:
"Telemachus
trusts you to take care of the women's doorway.
Lock it tight. If anyone inside
should hear the shock of arms or groans of men
in hall or court, not one must show her face,
but go on with her weaving."
162-172 As Penelopedid earlier;
Telemachusstandsup to the suitors. He wishesthat he had as
much power over them as he
has,despitehis youth, overthe
servantEumaeus.The suitorsjust
laugh at Telemachus,
but asthey
do, Eumaeusis able to deliverthe
bow safelyto Odysseus.
173-178 EumaeusordersEurYcleia
to lock the women'sroom.Why
does he say that the orderscame
from Telemachusratherthan from
Odysseus?
The old woman
noddedand kept still. Shedisappeared
'woRD S
g5Z
To
KN ow
,...
dithering (dYth'er-Yng)
n. actingin a nervousor uncertainway dither v
frenzy (fr6n'26)n' a wildly excitedstateof mind
180
185
1.90
into the women's hall, bolting the door behind her.
Philoetius left the house now at one bound,
catlike, running to bolt the courtyard gate.
A coil of deck-rope of papyrus fiber
lay in the gateway; this he used for lashing,
and ran back to the same stool as before.
fastening his eyesupon Odysseus.
And Odysseustook his time,
turning the bow, tapping it, every inch,
for borings that termites might have made
while the master of the weapon was abroad.
The suitors were now watching him, and some
jested among themselves:
"A bow lover!"
"Deaierin old bows!"
"Maybe he has one Iike it
a t h o m e !"
"Or has an itch to make one for himself."
"Seehow he handlesit. the slv old buzzard!"
And one disdainful suitor added this:
l' ,s
t
"May his fortune grow an inch for every inch he bends it!"
But the man skilled in all ways of contending,
satisfiedby the great bow's look and heft,
like a musician, like a harper, when
with quiet hand upon his instrument
he draws between his thumb and forefinger
a sweet new string upon a peg: so effortlessly
Odysseusin one motion strung the bow.
Then slid his right hand down the cord and plucked it,
so the taut gut vibrating hummed and sang
a swallow's nore.
In the hushed hall it smote the suitors
and all their faceschanged.Then Zeus thundered
overhead,one loud crack for a sign.
And Odysseuslaughed within him that the son
198 heft: weight.
199-203 In this epicsimile
Odysseus'stringing of the bow
is comparedto the stringing of a
h a r p . Wh a t q u a l i t i e so f O d y s s e u s
d o e si h i s c o m p a r i s o ne m p h a s i z e ?
206 smote: struck; affected
sharply.
2O7-2OaThe thunder, a sign from
Zeus,indicatesthat the gods are
on Odysseus'side.
THE HOMECOM]NG
270
220
of crooked-minded Cronus had flung that omen down.
He picked one ready arrow from his table
where it lay bare: the rest were waiting still
in the quiver for the young men's turn to come.
He nocked it, Iet it rest acrossthe handgrip,
and drew the string and grooved butt of the arroq
aiming from where he sat upon the stool.
Now flashed
arrow from twanging bow clean as a whistle
through every socket ring, and grazed not one,
to thud with heavy brazen head beyond.
Then quietly
said:
Odysseus
210 Cronus(kro'nes):
Zeus,fathei
214 nocked it: placedthe arrowb..i
feathered end againstthe bow_ r,
srflng.
219 brazent made of brass,
"Telemachus, the stranger
you welcomed in your hall has not disgracedyou.
I did not miss, neither did I take all day
stringing the bow. My hand and eye are sound,
not so contemptible as the young men say.
The hour has come to cook their lordships'muttonsupper by daylight. Other amusementslater,
with song and harping that adorn a feast."
230
He dropped his eyesand nodded, and the prince
Telemachus,true son of King Odysseus,
belted his sword on, clapped hand to his spear,
and with a clink and glitter of keen bronze
stood bv his chair. in the forefront near his father.
*
954
?:,o
* * J*
s
22A-232 Book 21 ends with the
image of father and son standing
side by side facing more than 100
enemies.
orn"n (o'men)n. an eventthoughtto foretellgoodor evil;sign
contemptible(ken-t6mp'te-bal)
ad7.deserving
of scornor drsdain;
worthless