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While they were thus busy getting
their dinner ready, Rumor went round the town, and noised abroad the
terrible fate that had befallen the suitors; as soon, therefore, as
the people heard of it they gathered from every quarter, groaning and
hooting before the house of Odysseus. They took the dead away, buried
every man his own, and put the bodies of those who came from
elsewhere on board the fishing vessels, for the fishermen to take
each of them to his own place. They then met angrily in the place of
assembly, and when they were got together Eupeithes rose to speak. He
was overwhelmed with grief [penthos] for the death of
his son Antinoos, who had been the first man killed by Odysseus, so
he said, weeping bitterly, "My friend, this man has done the Achaeans
great wrong. He took many of our best men away with him in his fleet,
and he has lost both ships and men; now, moreover, on his return he
has been killing all the foremost men among the Cephallênians.
Let us be up and doing before he can get away to Pylos or to Elis
where the Epeans rule, or we shall be ashamed of ourselves for ever
afterwards. It will be an everlasting disgrace to us if we do not
avenge the murder of our sons and brothers. For my own part I should
have no more pleasure in life, but had rather die at once. Let us be
up, then, and after them, before they can cross over to the
mainland."
He wept as he spoke and every one
pitied him. But Medon and the bard Phemios had now woke up, and came
to them from the house of Odysseus. Every one was astonished at
seeing them, but they stood in the middle of the assembly, and Medon
said, "Hear me, men of Ithaca. Odysseus did not do these things
against the will of heaven. I myself saw an immortal god take the
form of Mentor and stand beside him. This god appeared, now in front
of him encouraging him, and now going furiously about the court and
attacking the suitors whereon they fell thick on one
another."
On this pale fear laid hold of
them, and old Halitherses, son of Mastor, rose to speak, for he was
the only man among them who knew both past and future; so he spoke to
them plainly and in all honesty, saying,
"Men of Ithaca, it is all your
own fault that things have turned out as they have; you would not
listen to me, nor yet to Mentor, when we bade you check the folly of
your sons who were doing much wrong in the wantonness of their hearts
- wasting the substance and dishonoring the wife of a chieftain who
they thought would not return. Now, however, let it be as I say, and
do as I tell you. Do not go out against Odysseus, or you may find
that you have been drawing down evil on your own heads."
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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