Ulysses and the Goatherd—the Dog Argos—Ulysses in the Hall among the
Suitors
At daybreak Telemachus arose, put on his sandals, and took up his lance.
“Now fare thee well, father,” he said to Eumæus. “I am going to the
city, for my mother will not cease worrying until she sees me. I charge
thee bring thy guest to my house, where he may try his luck, and help
shall not fail him.”
“It is well,” said Ulysses. “In the city, where there are many rich
people, a beggar can make his way better than in the country. The
morning air is cold and my rags are thin, so let me warm myself a while
at the fire and then I shall be ready.”
Telemachus walked quickly away. He reached town before the suitors had
arrived at his house, placed his lance, according to custom, outside the
door against a pillar, and entered the hall. There the old servant
Euryclea was dusting and arranging the cushions. When she saw the youth
she hastened to him weeping; the other maids also welcomed him and
kissed his face and shoulders. Penelope also came and embraced her
beloved son with tears. She held him for a long time in her arms and
begged him to tell her what he had heard on his journey.
“Mother,” said he, “do not make me speak of new troubles, for I have
scarce escaped death. But now bathe thyself and put on clean garments,
then ascend to the housetop and vow a thank-offering to the gods if they
will avenge the shame of our house. I am going to the market place to
fetch the stranger who accompanied me on my return.”
He went, and his mother obeyed his behests. When Telemachus crossed the
market place he found all the suitors assembled there. They greeted him
pleasantly, but their hearts were full of mischief. He did not join
them, but seated himself with the few older men who had remained true to
his father, and answered their curious questions. As soon as he caught
sight of the seer Theoclymenus, he arose and went to him and took him to
his house, before the rough crowd had arrived. While Telemachus was
entertaining his guest, Penelope came in with her women and sat down to
spin and listen to the tale of her son’s adventures. He did not dare to
betray the secret of his father’s arrival, so that Penelope’s longing
remained unsatisfied until the cheering assurance came from the strange
seer that unfailing signs portended the early return of her beloved
husband.
In the midst of her joy over this the queen was disturbed by the hubbub
of the brawling suitors, who had been amusing themselves by throwing
quoits outside the palace and now burst into the hall to feast and drink
as usual. She went straight to her chamber, and the stranger, too, left
the hall. The servants began slaughtering the beeves, goats, swine, and
sheep in the courtyard and preparing delicious dishes for the suitors.
Ulysses had remained until noon in the herdsman’s hut. The road to the
city was long, and the circuitous mountain path led past a well where
the maidens were accustomed to draw water. An altar had been erected on
the height where passing travellers made offerings to the nymphs of the
spring. At this well the goatherd Melantheus met with the two wayfarers.
He was an impudent fellow, unfaithful to his master, and ready for any
mischief that the suitors should devise. He was an arch enemy of the
swineherd, as of all honest people. Hardly had he caught sight of him
accompanied by a ragged beggar than he called out with coarse raillery:
“It is a true saying that one beggar leads the other. How the gods do
pair like with like. Where art thou going with the hungry one, thou
ignoble swineherd? Shall he stand at the door of the palace in his
hideous garb to disgust the gay guests, to rub his shoulders at the
doorposts, and beg for crumbs? If thou wouldst give him to me, to sweep
out the stalls and make beds for the young kids, he might get some flesh
on his bones. But of course, beggars’ bread is easily gained. I tell
thee, if thou bringest the nasty fellow to the palace, bones and joints
in scores will fly at his head.”
With these insulting words he gave poor Ulysses a sharp kick. Ulysses
reflected for a moment whether he should dash the wretch to the
ground—an easy task for him—or pretend to be weak and fearful. He chose
the latter course and took the insult humbly. But Eumæus defied the
goatherd to his face and prayed to the holy nymphs of the well that they
should cause Ulysses to return and punish the wretch. To avoid the
fellow the two companions let him go ahead with his goats. “Thou dog,”
he called back, “some day I shall pack thee aboard ship and sell thee as
a slave.”
When Ulysses and the swineherd approached the royal palace, the beggar
exclaimed with profound emotion: “Ah! one can see that this must be the
stately dwelling of Ulysses. Inside, sounds of festivity, and outside
the defiant battlements the impregnable wall. A rich and mighty king
must live here.”
“Do thou enter first,” he said to Eumæus. “I will soon follow.” Thus
they passed into the courtyard. Behold, in the corner on the dunghill
lay a dog called Argos. He was thin and wasted and swarming with vermin.
A year before his departure for Troy, Ulysses had trained this dog for
the chase. He had often played with him as a puppy, but when he had
gone, Argos had been neglected. Now he was too weak to crawl, but when
he saw Ulysses near to him he raised himself painfully and wagged his
tail. When he tried to run to his master his legs gave way and down he
sank. Ulysses recognized the faithful animal and turned aside to brush
away a tear. Then he said to Eumæus: “Tell me, Eumæus. The animal there
on the dunghill is well built. Was he not fleet of foot?”
“Yes,” answered the swineherd; “he, too, misses his good master. Thou
shouldst have seen him twenty years ago. He was his master’s favorite,
for he had trained him, and no prey was so swift that Argos could not
overtake it. But no one tends him now, and he has to pick up a miserable
living in the courtyard. Servants are careless when the master is
abroad.”
The swineherd entered the house and was spied by Telemachus, who called
him to his side where he was served with bread and meat. But Ulysses
remained a while without to watch the faithful dog draw his last breath.
Then he, too, entered the house and seated himself near the door in the
hall.
At first the feasters did not notice him, but Telemachus sent him food.
He laid it down upon the dirty wallet and ate, while the minstrel sang
sweet songs to the music of his harp. When the singer had finished,
Ulysses went among the suitors to collect alms, that he might discover
which ones were kindly disposed and which were hard and cruel. Many gave
to him pityingly and asked one another in surprise who the old man was
and whence he came. “The swineherd brought him here,” cried Melantheus.
“Who he is I know not.”
“Swineherd,” grumbled Antinous, “why didst thou bring this fellow to the
city? I thought there were plenty of us already to eat up the absent
master’s substance, and we could do without beggars.”
“Not seemly is thy speech, Antinous, although thou art noble,” answered
the swineherd. “Thou wert always hard on Ulysses’ servants, and
especially on me. However, I take no notice so long as Penelope and
Telemachus live in this palace.”
“Hush, Eumæus,” interrupted Telemachus. “Thou knowest Antinous. If that
is thy only scruple, Antinous, that the alms which thou givest the poor
come from my store, do not refrain from giving. Neither my mother nor I
begrudge them. But that is not thy real meaning. Thou wouldst rather use
it all thyself.”
“Thou insolent young cub,” interrupted Antinous. “If each of the suitors
would send him what I do, he would not enter the house again in three
months.” He accompanied these words with a motion toward a footstool
under the table, and was just going to throw it at the beggar’s head
when a neighbor seized his arm.
Ulysses desired to tempt the ungovernable man further. He went up to him
and begged an alms, and even tried to touch his heart by relating his
wanderings and hardships. But Antinous harshly bade him begone, and
Ulysses retired with the words: “Truly, Antinous, thy body and thy mind
are not in harmony.”
“Was there ever such an insolent beggar!” cried Antinous angrily. “Now
truly, thou shalt not leave the hall unpunished,” and with all his might
he threw the footstool, which struck Ulysses’ shoulder. He stood firm as
a rock, only shaking his head in silence, then returned to the gate and
sat down, opening his wallet.
Telemachus could hardly contain himself, and even Penelope, who could
hear all from her balcony, pitied the stranger whom she could not see.
She desired Eumæus to conduct the strange man to her, that she might
talk with him and supply him with fine raiment.
But he replied: “I should like nothing better than to see the queen, for
I have much to tell her, but I fear the cruel suitors. Bid the noble
Penelope wait for me in her apartments until the sun is set. Then she
may question me about her husband’s return.” And he remained quietly
sitting on the doorstep, while his guests, having no idea that he was
really their host, amused themselves, after the banquet was over, with
singing and dancing. How he longed to have them go, that he might at
last see his dear wife once more. But before he did so he was to have
another strange adventure.