Thus did he speak, and his words
pleased them well, so they rose forthwith and went to the house of
Odysseus where they took their accustomed seats.
Then Penelope resolved that she
would show herself to the outrageous [hubris] suitors.
She knew of the plot against Telemakhos, for the servant Medon had
overheard their counsels and had told her; she went down therefore to
the court attended by her maidens, and when she reached the suitors
she stood by one of the bearing-posts supporting the roof of the room
holding a veil before her face, and rebuked Antinoos
saying:
"Antinoos, insolent
[hubris] and wicked schemer, they say you are the best
speaker and counselor of any man your own age in the
dêmos of Ithaca, but you are nothing of the kind.
Madman, why should you try to compass the death of Telemakhos, and
take no heed of suppliants, whose witness is Zeus himself? It is not
right for you to plot thus against one another. Do you not remember
how your father fled to this house in fear of the people
[dêmos], who were enraged against him for having
gone with some Taphian pirates and plundered the Thesprotians who
were at peace with us? They wanted to tear him in pieces and eat up
everything he had, but Odysseus stayed their hands although they were
infuriated, and now you devour his property without paying for it,
and break my heart by wooing his wife and trying to kill his son.
Leave off doing so, and stop the others also."
To this Eurymakhos son of Polybos
answered, "Take heart, Queen Penelope daughter of Ikarios, and do not
trouble yourself about these matters. The man is not yet born, nor
never will be, who shall lay hands upon your son Telemakhos, while I
yet live to look upon the face of the earth. I say - and it shall
surely be - that my spear shall be reddened with his blood; for many
a time has Odysseus taken me on his knees, held wine up to my lips to
drink, and put pieces of meat into my hands. Therefore Telemakhos is
much the dearest friend I have, and has nothing to fear from the
hands of us suitors. Of course, if death comes to him from the gods,
he cannot escape it." He said this to quiet her, but in reality he
was plotting against Telemakhos.
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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