The Odyssey: Rendered into English prose for the use of those who cannot read the originalHomer
General
The Odyssey: Rendered into English prose for the use of those who cannot read the original
Homer
Epic poetry, Greek -- Translations into English; Homer -- Translations into English; Odysseus, King of Ithaca (Mythological character)
“If you are Ulysses,” said he, “then what you have said is just. We
have done much wrong on your lands and in your house. But Antinous who
was the head and front of the offending lies low already. It was all
his doing. It was not that he wanted to marry Penelope; he did not so
much care about that; what he wanted was something quite different, and
Jove has not vouchsafed it to him; he wanted to kill your son and to be
chief man in Ithaca. Now, therefore, that he has met the death which
was his due, spare the lives of your people. We will make everything
good among ourselves, and pay you in full for all that we have eaten
and drunk. Each one of us shall pay you a fine worth twenty oxen, and
we will keep on giving you gold and bronze till your heart is softened.
Until we have done this no one can complain of your being enraged
against us.”
Ulysses again glared at him and said, “Though you should give me all
that you have in the world both now and all that you ever shall have, I
will not stay my hand till I have paid all of you in full. You must
fight, or fly for your lives; and fly, not a man of you shall.”
Their hearts sank as they heard him, but Eurymachus again spoke saying:
“My friends, this man will give us no quarter. He will stand where he
is and shoot us down till he has killed every man among us. Let us then
show fight; draw your swords, and hold up the tables to shield you from
his arrows. Let us have at him with a rush, to drive him from the
pavement and doorway: we can then get through into the town, and raise
such an alarm as shall soon stay his shooting.”
As he spoke he drew his keen blade of bronze, sharpened on both sides,
and with a loud cry sprang towards Ulysses, but Ulysses instantly shot
an arrow into his breast that caught him by the nipple and fixed itself
in his liver. He dropped his sword and fell doubled up over his table.
The cup and all the meats went over on to the ground as he smote the
earth with his forehead in the agonies of death, and he kicked the
stool with his feet until his eyes were closed in darkness.
Then Amphinomus drew his sword and made straight at Ulysses to try and
get him away from the door; but Telemachus was too quick for him, and
struck him from behind; the spear caught him between the shoulders and
went right through his chest, so that he fell heavily to the ground and
struck the earth with his forehead. Then Telemachus sprang away from
him, leaving his spear still in the body, for he feared that if he
stayed to draw it out, some one of the Achaeans might come up and hack
at him with his sword, or knock him down, so he set off at a run, and
immediately was at his father’s side. Then he said:
“Father, let me bring you a shield, two spears, and a brass helmet for
your temples. I will arm myself as well, and will bring other armour
for the swineherd and the stockman, for we had better be armed.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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