Anthony Verity

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“"There now; I have revealed the token to you. I do not know,lady, if this bed of mine is still firmly planted or if some manhas now cut through the tree's base and moved it elsewhere."  So he spoke, and her heart and knees at once went slack,as she recognized the sure token Odysseus had revealed to her.”

“     Odysseus, man of many wiles,lifted up the great bow, examining it from every side,and then, just as a man skilled in lyre-playing and songwithout difficulty stretches a string around a new peg,tying the well-twisted gut of a sheep at both its ends,so, without any effort, did Odysseus string the great bow.Taking it up in his right hand he tested the string,and it sang out sweetly, like the song of a swallow.At this great distress fell upon the suitors, and the colourleft their faces.”

“The first to rise to his feet was Leodes, son of Oenops,who interpreted their sacrifices, and always sat furthest away,next to the fine mixing-bowl; he was the only one who hatedthe suitors' reckless deeds, and was indignant with them all.”

“She climbed a tall staircase in the house, takingin her sturdy hand a cunningly forged key, finelymade of bronze; and the handle on it was of ivory.”

“Amphinomus . . . went back through the house, troubled in spiritand shaking his head, because in his heart he could foresee evil.Even so he did not escape death; he too was bound fast by Athena,to be overcome by Telemachus' hands and the force of his spear.”

“never yet among mortal mankind have there been menwho plot such arrogant and reckless violence as these do.”

“Athena came and stood next to Odysseus, Laertes' son,and urged him to go round the suitors and collect crusts, tofind out which were right-minded and which lawless;even so, she did not intend that any should escape ruin.”

“But now circumspect Penelope had another idea: to appearbefore the suitors, men of violent insolence, since she hadlearned that they were plotting death for her son in the halls.Medon the herald had heard their scheming and had told her this.”

“       I would indeeddisapprove of any host who is either over-hospitable ortoo lacking in civility; moderation in all things is best. It is,I think, an equal failing to speed a guest's departure when he isreluctant to leave and to detain him when eager to go. One mustcare for the guest in one's house, but send him on when he wishes.”

“Come now, let us not talk like this any longer, since we are bothwell versed in deception: among mortals you surpass all men inplotting and tale-spinning, while among all the gods I am wellknown for cleverness and cunning. But you did not recognizePallas Athena, daughter of Zeus, I who have always stoodby you in all your trials and have watched over you; it wasI who made sure you were welcomed by all the Phaeacians.”

“Sun-god, of course you must continue to shine on the immortals,and on mortal men who live on the grain-giving ploughland.As for these men, I shall at once hurl a shining thunderbolt attheir swift ship, and smash it in pieces out on the wine-dark sea.”

“Odysseus of many tales, great glory of the Achaeans, draw near;bring your ship into land, and listen to our twofold song!No man has ever sailed past this place in his black ship withouthearing the honey-toned voice that issues from our lips, andthen, full of delight, going on his way a much wiser man.You see, we know everything that both Trojans and Argivesendured on Troy's wide plain, by the will of the gods; and weknow too all that happens on the earth that nourishes many.”

“She led them inside and seated them on chairs and seats—though Eurylochus alone hung back, suspecting some trickery—and prepared a mixture of cheese, barley, and yellow honey,blended with Pramnian wine. Into this she stirred somenoxious drugs, to make them lose all thought of their homeland.When she had given them this and they had drunk it down, shetapped them with her stick and drove them into her pigsties,for now they had the heads and bodies and bristles of pigs, andgrunted like pigs, though their minds were unchanged from before.”

“But when on my way through the sacred valleys I had nearlyreached the great house of Circe, skilled in many drugs,Hermes of the golden rod fell in with me as I was walkingtowards the house, in the likeness of a young man whose beardis just coming, which is the most charming time of youth.”

“In a wooded valley they came upon the palace of Circe,built of polished stone, set in a sheltered position; andaround it were prowling mountain wolves and lions, mento whom Circe had fed noxious drugs and so bewitched.These did not charge at my men, but actually reared up ontheir hind legs and fawned on them, wagging their long tails.As when dogs fawn on their master when he comes froma feast, because he always brings scraps to please them,so these wolves and strong-clawed lions fawned about mymen; but when they saw these grim beasts they were afraid.”

“   a man clothed in huge strength,a savage with no understanding of either justice or laws.”

“They came at dawn, as many as leaves or flowers that appearin season; and then an evil fate from Zeus stood close to us,ill-fated as we were, and caused us to suffer many torments.”

“I heard from my father Nausithous the tale I shall now tell you.He always said that Poseidon would hold a grudge against us,because we, remaining unharmed, give safe-conduct to all men.He said that one day he will smash a fine ship of the Phaeaciansas it returns from an escort mission on the mist-shrouded sea,and will then hide our city behind a huge encircling mountain.This was what the old man said; and the god will eithermake it happen or leave it undone, as his spirit pleases him.”

“Then {{w|Nausicaa}} addressed her lovely-haired maidservants:"Listen to me, white-armed servants, to what I shall say:it is not without the will of all the gods who dwell on Olympusthat this man has come among the godlike Phaeacians;before this he looked to me like a man of mean appearance,but now he resembles the gods who live in the broad high sky."”