"My dears, heaven has been
pleased to try me with more affliction than any other woman of my age
and country. First I lost my brave and lion-hearted husband, who had
every good quality [aretê] under heaven, and
whose kleos was great over all Hellas and middle Argos; and
now my darling son is at the mercy of the winds and waves, without my
having heard one word about his leaving home. You hussies, there was
not one of you would so much as think of giving me a call out of my
bed, though you all of you very well knew when he was starting. If I
had known he meant taking this voyage, he would have had to give it
up, no matter how much he was bent upon it, or leave me a corpse
behind him - one or other. Now, however, go some of you and call old
Dolios, who was given me by my father on my marriage, and who is my
gardener. Bid him go at once and tell everything to Laertes, who may
be able to hit on some plan for enlisting public sympathy on our
side, as against those who are trying to exterminate his own race and
that of Odysseus."
Then the dear old nurse Eurykleia
said, "You may kill me, my lady, or let me live on in your house,
whichever you please, but I will tell you the real truth. I knew all
about it, and gave him everything he wanted in the way of bread and
wine, but he made me take my solemn oath that I would not tell you
anything for some ten or twelve days, unless you asked or happened to
hear of his having gone, for he did not want you to spoil your beauty
by crying. And now, my lady, wash your face, change your dress, and
go upstairs with your maids to offer prayers to Athena, daughter of
Aegis-bearing Zeus, for she can save him even though he be in the
jaws of death. Do not trouble Laertes: he has trouble enough already.
Besides, I cannot think that the gods hate the race of the son of
Arceisius so much, but there will be a son left to come up after him,
and inherit both the house and the fair fields that lie far all round
it."
With these words she made her
mistress leave off crying, and dried the tears from her eyes.
Penelope washed her face, changed her dress, and went upstairs with
her maids. She then put some bruised barley into a basket and began
praying to Athena.
"Hear me," she cried, "Daughter
of Aegis-bearing Zeus, unweariable. If ever Odysseus while he was
here burned you fat thigh bones of sheep or heifer, bear it in mind
now as in my favor, and save my darling son from the villainy of the
suitors."
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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