As he spoke day began to break,
and Menelaos, who had already risen, leaving Helen in bed, came
towards them. When Telemakhos saw him he put on his shirt as fast as
he could, threw a great cloak over his shoulders, and went out to
meet him. "Menelaos," said he, "let me go back now to my own country,
for I want to get home [nostos]."
And Menelaos answered,
"Telemakhos, if you insist on going I will not detain you. I do not
like to see a host either too fond of his guest or too rude to him.
Moderation is best in all things, and not letting a man go when he
wants to do so is as bad as telling him to go if he would like to
stay. One should treat a guest well as long as he is in the house and
speed him when he wants to leave it. Wait, then, till I can get your
beautiful presents into your chariot, and till you have yourself seen
them. I will tell the women to prepare a sufficient dinner for you of
what there may be in the house; it will be at once more proper and
cheaper for you to get your dinner before setting out on such a long
journey. If, moreover, you have a fancy for making a tour in Hellas
or in the Peloponnese, I will yoke my horses, and will conduct you
myself through all our principal cities. No one will send us away
empty handed; every one will give us something - a bronze tripod, a
couple of mules, or a gold cup."
"Menelaos," replied Telemakhos, "I
want to go home at once, for when I came away I left my property
without protection, and fear that while looking for my father I shall
come to ruin myself, or find that something valuable has been stolen
during my absence."
When Menelaos heard this he
immediately told his wife and servants to prepare a sufficient dinner
from what there might be in the house. At this moment Eteoneus joined
him, for he lived close by and had just got up; so Menelaos told him
to light the fire and cook some meat, which he at once did. Then
Menelaos went down into his fragrant store room, not alone, but Helen
went too, with Megapenthes. When he reached the place where the
treasures of his house were kept, he selected a double cup, and told
his son Megapenthes to bring also a silver mixing-bowl. Meanwhile
Helen went to the chest where she kept the lovely dresses which she
had made with her own hands, and took out one that was largest and
most beautifully enriched with embroidery; it glittered like a star,
and lay at the very bottom of the chest. Then they all came back
through the house again till they got to Telemakhos, and Menelaos
said, "Telemakhos, may Zeus, the mighty husband of Hera, bring you
safely home [nostos] according to your desire. I will
now present you with the finest and most precious piece of plate in
all my house. It is a mixing-bowl of pure silver, except the rim,
which is inlaid with gold, and it is the work of Hephaistos.
Phaidimos king of the Sidonians made me a present of it in the course
of a visit that I paid him while I was on my return home. I should
like to give it to you."
Homer. The Odyssey. Rendered into English prose for the use of those who cannot read the original. Samuel Butler. Based on public domain edition, revised by Timothy Power and Gregory Nagy. A. C. Fifield, London. 1900 (?).
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