Epic poetry, Greek -- Translations into English; Homer -- Translations into English; Odysseus, King of Ithaca (Mythological character)
Thereupon the crone took the shining cauldron, wherefrom[34] she set to
wash his feet, and poured in much cold water and next mingled therewith
the warm. Now Odysseus sat aloof from the hearth, and of a sudden he
turned his face to the darkness, for anon he had a misgiving of heart
lest when she handled him she might know the scar again, and all should
be revealed. Now she drew near her lord to wash him, and straightway
she knew the scar of the wound, that the boar had dealt him with his
white tusk long ago, when Odysseus went to Parnassus to see Autolycus,
and the sons of Autolycus, his mother’s noble father, who outdid all
men in thievery and skill in swearing. This skill was the gift of the
god himself, even Hermes, for that he burned to him the well-pleasing
sacrifice of the thighs of lambs and kids; wherefore Hermes abetted him
gladly. Now Autolycus once had gone to the rich land of Ithaca, and
found his daughter’s son a child new-born, and when he was making an
end of supper, behold, Eurycleia set the babe on his knees, and spake
and hailed him: “Autolycus find now a name thyself to give thy child’s
own son; for lo, he is a child of many prayers.”
[34] Reading τοῦ.
Then Autolycus made answer and spake: “My daughter and my daughter’s
lord, give ye him whatsoever name I tell you. Forasmuch as I am come
hither in wrath against many a one, both man and woman, over the
fruitful earth, wherefore let the child’s name be ‘a man of wrath,’
Odysseus. But when the child reaches his full growth, and comes to the
great house of his mother’s kin at Parnassus, whereby are my
possessions, I will give him a gift out of these and send him on his
way rejoicing.”
Therefore it was that Odysseus went to receive the splendid gifts. And
Autolycus and the sons of Autolycus grasped his hands and greeted him
with gentle words, and Amphithea, his mother’s mother, clasped him in
her arms and kissed his face and both his fair eyes. Then Autolycus
called to his renowned sons to get ready the meal, and they hearkened
to the call. So presently they led in a five-year-old bull, which they
flayed and busily prepared, and cut up all the limbs and deftly chopped
them small, and pierced them with spits and roasted them cunningly,
dividing the messes. So for that livelong day they feasted till the
going down of the sun, and their soul lacked not ought of the equal
banquet. But when the sun sank and darkness came on, they laid them to
rest and took the boon of sleep.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account