Nestor entertains Telemachus at Pylos and tells him how the Greeks
departed from Troy; and sends him for further information to Sparta.
Now the sun arose and left the lovely mere, speeding to the brazen
heaven, to give light to the immortals and to mortal men on the earth,
the graingiver, and they reached Pylos, the stablished castle of
Neleus. There the people were doing sacrifice on the sea shore, slaying
black bulls without spot to the dark-haired god, the shaker of the
earth. Nine companies there were, and five hundred men sat in each, and
in every company they held nine bulls ready to hand. Just as they had
tasted the inner parts, and were burning the slices of the thighs on
the altar to the god, the others were bearing straight to land, and
brailed up the sails of the gallant ship, and moored her, and
themselves came forth. And Telemachus too stept forth from the ship,
and Athene led the way. And the goddess, grey-eyed Athene, spake first
to him, saying:
“Telemachus, thou needst not now be abashed, no, not one whit. For to
this very end didst thou sail over the deep, that thou mightest hear
tidings of thy father, even where the earth closed over him, and what
manner of death he met. But come now, go straight to Nestor, tamer of
horses: let us learn what counsel he hath in the secret of his heart.
And beseech him thyself that he may give unerring answer; and he will
not lie to thee, for he is very wise.”
The wise Telemachus answered, saying: “Mentor, and how shall I go, how
shall I greet him, I, who am untried in words of wisdom? Moreover a
young man may well be abashed to question an elder.”
Then the goddess, grey-eyed Athene, spake to him again: “Telemachus,
thou shalt bethink thee of somewhat in thine own breast, and somewhat
the god will give thee to say. For thou, methinks, of all men wert not
born and bred without the will of the gods.”
So spake Pallas Athene and led the way quickly; and he followed hard in
the steps of the goddess. And they came to the gathering and the
session of the men of Pylos. There was Nestor seated with his sons, and
round him his company making ready the feast, and roasting some of the
flesh and spitting other. Now when they saw the strangers, they went
all together, and clasped their hands in welcome, and would have them
sit down. First Peisistratus, son of Nestor, drew nigh, and took the
hands of each, and made them to sit down at the feast on soft fleeces
upon the sea sand, beside his brother Thrasymedes and his father. And
he gave them messes of the inner meat, and poured wine into a golden
cup, and pledging her, he spake unto Pallas Athene, daughter of Zeus,
lord of the aegis:
“Pray now, my guest, to the lord Poseidon, even as it is his feast
whereon ye have chanced in coming hither. And when thou hast made drink
offering and prayed, as is due, give thy friend also the cup of honeyed
wine to make offering thereof, inasmuch as he too, methinks, prayeth to
the deathless gods, for all men stand in need of the gods. Howbeit he
is younger and mine own equal in years, therefore to thee first will I
give the golden chalice.”
Therewith he placed in her hand the cup of sweet wine. And Athene
rejoiced in the wisdom and judgment of the man, in that he had given to
her first the chalice of gold. And straightway she prayed, and that
instantly, to the lord Poseidon:
“Hear me, Poseidon, girdler of the earth, and grudge not the fulfilment
of this labour in answer to our prayer. To Nestor first and to his sons
vouchsafe renown, and thereafter grant to all the people of Pylos a
gracious recompense for this splendid hecatomb. Grant moreover that
Telemachus and I may return, when we have accomplished that for which
we came hither with our swift black ship.”
Now as she prayed on this wise, herself the while was fulfilling the
prayer. And she gave Telemachus the fair two-handled cup; and in like
manner prayed the dear son of Odysseus. Then, when the others had
roasted the outer parts and drawn them off the spits, they divided the
messes and shared the glorious feast. But when they had put from them
the desire of meat and drink, Nestor of Gerenia, lord of chariots,
first spake among them:
“Now is the better time to enquire and ask of the strangers who they
are, now that they have had their delight of food. Strangers, who are
ye? Whence sail ye over the wet ways? On some trading enterprise, or at
adventure do ye rove, even as sea-robbers, over the brine, for they
wander at hazard of their own lives bringing bale to alien men?”
Then wise Telemachus answered him and spake with courage, for Athene
herself had put boldness in his heart, that he might ask about his
father who was afar, and that he might be had in good report among men:
“Nestor, son of Neleus, great glory of the Achaeans, thou askest whence
we are, and I will surely tell thee all. We have come forth out of
Ithaca that is below Neïon; and this our quest whereof I speak is a
matter of mine own, and not of the common weal. I follow after the
far-spread rumour of my father, if haply I may hear thereof, even of
the goodly steadfast Odysseus, who upon a time, men say, fought by thy
side and sacked the city of the Trojans. For of all the others, as many
as warred with the Trojans, we hear tidings, and where each one fell by
a pitiful death; but even the death of this man Cronion hath left
untold. For none can surely declare the place where he hath perished,
whether he was smitten by foemen on the mainland, or lost upon the deep
among the waves of Amphitrite. So now am I come hither to thy knees, if
perchance thou art willing to tell me of his pitiful death, as one that
saw it with thine own eyes, or heard the story from some other
wanderer,—for his mother bare him to exceeding sorrow. And speak me no
soft words in ruth or pity, but tell me plainly what sight thou didst
get of him. Ah! I pray thee, if ever at all my father, noble Odysseus,
made promise to thee of word or work, and fulfilled the same in the
land of the Trojans, where ye Achaeans suffered affliction; these
things, I pray thee, now remember and tell me truth.”
Then Nestor of Gerenia, lord of chariots, answered him: “My friend,
since thou hast brought sorrow back to mind, behold, this is the story
of the woe which we endured in that land, we sons of the Achaeans,
unrestrained in fury, and of all that we bore in wanderings after
spoil, sailing with our ships over the misty deep, wheresoever Achilles
led; and of all our war round the mighty burg of king Priam. Yea and
there the best of us were slain. There lies valiant Aias, and there
Achilles, and there Patroclus, the peer of the gods in counsel, and
there my own dear son, strong and noble, Antilochus, that excelled in
speed of foot and in the fight. And many other ills we suffered beside
these; who of mortal men could tell the tale? Nay none, though thou
wert to abide here for five years, ay and for six, and ask of all the
ills which the goodly Achaeans then endured. Ere all was told thou
wouldst be weary and turn to thine own country. For nine whole years we
were busy about them, devising their ruin with all manner of craft; and
scarce did Cronion bring it to pass. There never a man durst match with
him in wisdom, for goodly Odysseus very far outdid the rest in all
manner of craft, Odysseus thy father, if indeed thou art his
son,—amazement comes upon me as I look at thee; for verily thy speech
is like unto his; none would say that a younger man would speak so like
an elder. Now look you, all the while that myself and goodly Odysseus
were there, we never spake diversely either in the assembly or in the
council, but always were of one mind, and advised the Argives with
understanding and sound counsel, how all might be for the very best.
But after we had sacked the steep city of Priam, and had departed in
our ships, and a god had scattered the Achaeans, even then did Zeus
devise in his heart a pitiful returning for the Argives, for in no wise
were they all discreet or just. Wherefore many of them met with an ill
faring by reason of the deadly wrath of the grey-eyed goddess, the
daughter of the mighty sire, who set debate between the two sons of
Atreus. And they twain called to the gathering of the host all the
Achaeans, recklessly and out of order, against the going down of the
sun; and lo, the sons of the Achaeans came heavy with wine. And the
Atreidae spake out and told the reason wherefore they had assembled the
host. Then verily Menelaus charged all the Achaeans to bethink them of
returning over the broad back of the sea, but in no sort did he please
Agamemnon, whose desire was to keep back the host and to offer holy
hecatombs, that so he might appease that dread wrath of Athene. Fool!
for he knew not this, that she was never to be won; for the mind of the
everlasting gods is not lightly turned to repentance. So these twain
stood bandying hard words; but the goodly-greaved Achaeans sprang up
with a wondrous din, and twofold counsels found favour among them. So
that one night we rested, thinking hard things against each other, for
Zeus was fashioning for us a ruinous doom. But in the morning, we of
the one part drew our ships to the fair salt sea, and put aboard our
wealth, and the low-girdled Trojan women. Now one half the people abode
steadfastly there with Agamemnon, son of Atreus, shepherd of the host;
and half of us embarked and drave to sea and swiftly the ships sailed,
for a god made smooth the sea with the depths thereof. And when we came
to Tenedos, we did sacrifice to the gods, being eager for the homeward
way; but Zeus did not yet purpose our returning, nay, hard was he, that
roused once more an evil strife among us. Then some turned back their
curved ships, and went their way, even the company of Odysseus, the
wise and manifold in counsel, once again showing a favour to Agamemnon,
son of Atreus. But I fled on with the squadron that followed me, for I
knew how now the god imagined mischief. And the warlike son of Tydeus
fled and roused his men thereto. And late in our track came Menelaus of
the fair hair, who found us in Lesbos, considering about the long
voyage, whether we should go sea-ward of craggy Chios, by the isle of
Psyria, keeping the isle upon our left, or inside Chios past windy
Mimas. So we asked the god to show us a sign, and a sign he declared to
us, and bade us cleave a path across the middle sea to Euboea, that we
might flee the swiftest way from sorrow. And a shrill wind arose and
blew, and the ships ran most fleetly over the teeming ways, and in the
night they touched at Geraestus. So there we sacrificed many thighs of
bulls to Poseidon, for joy that we had measured out so great a stretch
of sea. It was the fourth day when the company of Diomede son of
Tydeus, tamer of horses, moored their gallant ships at Argos; but I
held on for Pylos, and the breeze was never quenched from the hour that
the god sent it forth to blow. Even so I came, dear child, without
tidings, nor know I aught of those others, which of the Achaeans were
saved and which were lost. But all that I hear tell of as I sit in our
halls, thou shalt learn as it is meet, and I will hide nothing from
thee. Safely, they say, came the Myrmidons the wild spearsmen, whom the
famous son of high-souled Achilles led; and safely Philoctetes, the
glorious son of Poias. And Idomeneus brought all his company to Crete,
all that escaped the war, and from him the sea gat none. And of the son
of Atreus even yourselves have heard, far apart though ye dwell, how he
came, and how Aegisthus devised his evil end; but verily he himself
paid a terrible reckoning. So good a thing it is that a son of the dead
should still be left, even as that son also took vengeance on the
slayer of his father, guileful Aegisthus, who slew his famous sire. And
thou too, my friend, for I see thee very comely and tall, be valiant,
that even men unborn may praise thee.”
And wise Telemachus answered him, and said: “Nestor, son of Neleus,
great glory of the Achaeans, verily and indeed he avenged himself, and
the Achaeans shall noise his fame abroad, that even those may hear who
are yet for to be. Oh that the gods would clothe me with such strength
as his, that I might take vengeance on the wooers for their cruel
transgression, who wantonly devise against me infatuate deeds! But the
gods have woven for me the web of no such weal, for me or for my sire.
But now I must in any wise endure it.”
Then Nestor of Gerenia, lord of chariots, made answer: “Dear friend,
seeing thou dost call these things to my remembrance and speak thereof,
they tell me that many wooers for thy mother’s hand plan mischief
within the halls in thy despite. Say, dost thou willingly submit thee
to oppression, or do the people through the land hate thee, obedient to
the voice of a god? Who knows but that Odysseus may some day come and
requite their violence, either himself alone or all the host of the
Achaeans with him? Ah, if but grey-eyed Athene were inclined to love
thee, as once she cared exceedingly for the renowned Odysseus in the
land of the Trojans, where we Achaeans were sore afflicted, for never
yet have I seen the gods show forth such manifest love, as then did
Pallas Athene standing manifest by him,—if she would be pleased so to
love thee and to care for thee, then might certain of them clean forget
their marriage.”
And wise Telemachus answered him, saying: “Old man, in no wise methinks
shall this word be accomplished. This is a hard saying of thine, awe
comes over me. Not for my hopes shall this thing come to pass, not even
if the gods so willed it.”
Then the goddess, grey-eyed Athene, spake to him again: “Telemachus,
what word hath escaped the door of thy lips? Lightly might a god, if so
he would, bring a man safe home even from afar. Rather myself would I
have travail and much pain ere I came home and saw the day of my
returning, than come back and straightway perish on my own
hearth-stone, even as Agamemnon perished by guile at the hands of his
own wife and of Aegisthus. But lo you, death, which is common to all,
the very gods cannot avert even from the man they love, when the
ruinous doom shall bring him low of death that lays men at their
length.”
And wise Telemachus answered her, saying: “Mentor, no longer let us
tell of these things, sorrowful though we be. There is none assurance
any more of his returning, but already have the deathless gods devised
for him death and black fate. But now I would question Nestor, and ask
him of another matter, as one who above all men knows judgments and
wisdom: for thrice, men say, he hath been king through the generations
of men; yea, like an immortal he seems to me to look upon. Nestor, son
of Neleus, now tell me true: how died the son of Atreus, Agamemnon of
the wide domain? Where was Menelaus? What death did crafty Aegisthus
plan for him, in that he killed a man more valiant far than he? Or was
Menelaus not in Argos of Achaia but wandering elsewhere among men, and
that other took heart and slew Agamemnon?”
Then Nestor of Gerenia, lord of chariots, answered him: “Yea now, my
child, I will tell thee the whole truth. Verily thou guessest aright
even of thyself how things would have fallen out, if Menelaus of the
fair hair, the son of Atreus, when he came back from Troy, had found
Aegisthus yet alive in the halls. Then even in his death would they not
have heaped the piled earth over him, but dogs and fowls of the air
would have devoured him as he lay on the plain far from the town.[6]
Nor would any of the Achaean women have bewailed him; so dread was the
deed he contrived. Now we sat in leaguer there, achieving many
adventures; but he the while in peace in the heart of Argos, the
pastureland of horses, spake ofttimes, tempting her, to the wife of
Agamemnon. Verily at the first she would none of the foul deed, the
fair Clytemnestra, for she had a good understanding. Moreover there was
with her a minstrel, whom the son of Atreus straitly charged as he went
to Troy to have a care of his wife. But when at last the doom of the
gods bound her to her ruin, then did Aegisthus carry the minstrel to a
lonely isle, and left him there to be the prey and spoil of birds;
while as for her, he led her to his house, a willing lover with a
willing lady. And he burnt many thigh slices upon the holy altars of
the gods, and hung up many offerings, woven-work and gold, seeing that
he had accomplished a great deed, beyond all hope. Now we, I say, were
sailing together on our way from Troy, the son of Atreus and I, as
loving friends. But when we had reached holy Sunium, the headland of
Athens, there Phoebus Apollo slew the pilot of Menelaus with the
visitation of his gentle shafts, as he held between his hands the
rudder of the running ship, even Phrontis, son of Onetor, who excelled
the tribes of men in piloting a ship, whenso the storm-winds were
hurrying by. Thus was Menelaus holden there, though eager for the way,
till he might bury his friend and pay the last rites over him. But when
he in his turn, faring over the wine-dark sea in hollow ships, reached
in swift course the steep mount of Malea, then it was that Zeus of the
far-borne voice devised a hateful path, and shed upon them the breath
of the shrill winds, and great swelling waves arose like unto
mountains. There sundered he the fleet in twain, and part thereof he
brought nigh to Crete, where the Cydonians dwelt about the streams of
Iardanus. Now there is a certain cliff, smooth and sheer towards the
sea, on the border of Gortyn, in the misty deep, where the South-West
Wind drives a great wave against the left headland, towards Phaestus,
and a little rock keeps back the mighty water. Thither came one part of
the fleet, and the men scarce escaped destruction, but the ships were
broken by the waves against the rock; while those other five
dark-prowed ships the wind and the water bare and brought nigh to
Egypt. Thus Menelaus, gathering much livelihood and gold, was wandering
there with his ships among men of strange speech, and even then
Aegisthus planned that pitiful work at home. And for seven years he
ruled over Mycenae, rich in gold, after he slew the son of Atreus, and
the people were subdued unto him. But in the eighth year came upon him
goodly Orestes back from Athens to be his bane, and slew the slayer of
his father, guileful Aegisthus, who killed his famous sire. Now when he
had slain him, he made a funeral feast to the Argives over his hateful
mother, and over the craven Aegisthus. And on the selfsame day there
came to him Menelaus of the loud war-cry, bringing much treasure, even
all the freight of his ships. So thou, my friend, wander not long far
away from home, leaving thy substance behind thee and men in thy house
so wanton, lest they divide and utterly devour all thy wealth, and thou
shalt have gone on a vain journey. Rather I bid and command thee to go
to Menelaus, for he hath lately come from a strange country, from the
land of men whence none would hope in his heart to return, whom once
the storms have driven wandering into so wide a sea. Thence not even
the birds can make their way in the space of one year, so great a sea
it is and terrible. But go now with thy ship and with thy company, or
if thou hast a mind to fare by land, I have a chariot and horses at thy
service, yea and my sons to do thy will, who will be thy guides to
goodly Lacedaemon, where is Menelaus of the fair hair. Do thou thyself
entreat him, that he may give thee unerring answer. He will not lie to
thee, for he is very wise.”
[6] Reading ἄστεος. v. 1. Ἄργεος, which must be wrong.
Thus he spake, and the sun went down and darkness came on. Then the
goddess, grey-eyed Athene, spake among them, saying: “Yea, old man,
thou hast told all this thy tale aright. But come, cut up the tongues
of the victims and mix the wine, that we may pour forth before Poseidon
and the other deathless gods, and so may bethink us of sleep, for it is
the hour for sleep. For already has the light gone beneath the west,
and it is not seemly to sit long at a banquet of the gods, but to be
going home.”
So spake the daughter of Zeus, and they hearkened to her voice. And the
henchmen poured water over their hands, and pages crowned the mixing
bowls with drink, and served out the wine to all, after they had first
poured for libation into each cup in turn; and they cast the tongues
upon the fire, and stood up and poured the drink-offering thereon. But
when they had poured forth and had drunken to their heart’s content,
Athene and godlike Telemachus were both set on returning to the hollow
ship; but Nestor would have stayed them, and accosted them, saying:
“Zeus forfend it, and all the other deathless gods, that ye should
depart from my house to the swift ship, as from the dwelling of one
that is utterly without raiment or a needy man, who hath not rugs or
blankets many in his house whereon to sleep softly, he or his guests.
Nay not so, I have rugs and fair blankets by me. Never, methinks, shall
the dear son of this man, even of Odysseus, lay him down upon the
ship’s deck, while as yet I am alive, and my children after me are left
in my hall to entertain strangers, whoso may chance to come to my
house.”
Then the goddess, grey-eyed Athene, spake to him again: “Yea, herein
hast thou spoken aright, dear father: and Telemachus may well obey
thee, for before all things this is meet. Behold, he shall now depart
with thee, that he may sleep in thy halls; as for me I will go to the
black ship, that I may cheer my company and tell them all. For I avow
me to be the one elder among them; those others are but younger men,
who follow for love of him, all of them of like age with the
high-souled Telemachus. There will I lay me down by the black hollow
ship this night; but in the morning I will go to the Cauconians high of
heart, where somewhat of mine is owing to me, no small debt nor of
yesterday. But do thou send this man upon his way with thy chariot and
thy son, since he hath come to thy house, and give him horses the
lightest of foot and chief in strength.”
Therewith grey-eyed Athene departed in the semblance of a sea-eagle;
and amazement fell on all that saw it, and the old man he marvelled
when his eyes beheld it. And he took the hand of Telemachus and spake
and hailed him:
“My friend, methinks that thou wilt in no sort be a coward and a
weakling, if indeed in thy youth the gods thus follow with thee to be
thy guides. For truly this is none other of those who keep the mansions
of Olympus, save only the daughter of Zeus, the driver of the spoil,
the maiden Trito-born, she that honoured thy good father too among the
Argives. Nay be gracious, queen, and vouchsafe a goodly fame to me,
even to me and to my sons and to my wife revered. And I in turn will
sacrifice to thee a yearling heifer, broad of brow, unbroken, which man
never yet hath led beneath the yoke. Such an one will I offer to thee,
and gild her horns with gold.”
Even so he spake in prayer, and Pallas Athene heard him. Then Nestor of
Gerenia, lord of chariots, led them, even his sons and the husbands of
his daughters, to his own fair house. But when they had reached this
prince’s famous halls, they sat down all orderly on seats and high
chairs; and when they were come, the old man mixed well for them a bowl
of sweet wine, which now in the eleventh year from the vintaging the
housewife opened, and unloosed the string that fastened the lid. The
old man let mix a bowl thereof, and prayed instantly to Athene as he
poured forth before her, even to the daughter of Zeus, lord of the
aegis.
But after they had poured forth and had drunken to their heart’s
content, these went each one to his own house to lie down to rest. But
Nestor of Gerenia, lord of chariots, would needs have Telemachus, son
of divine Odysseus, to sleep there on a jointed bedstead beneath the
echoing gallery, and by him Peisistratus of the good ashen spear,
leader of men, who alone of his sons was yet unwed in his halls. As for
him he slept within the inmost chamber of the lofty house, and the lady
his wife arrayed for him bedstead and bedding.
So soon as early Dawn shone forth, the rosy-fingered, Nestor of
Gerenia, lord of chariots, gat him up from his bed, and he went forth
and sat him down upon the smooth stones, which were before his lofty
doors, all polished, white and glistening, whereon Neleus sat of old,
in counsel the peer of the gods. Howbeit, stricken by fate, he had ere
now gone down to the house of Hades, and to-day Nestor of Gerenia in
his turn sat thereon, warder of the Achaeans, with his staff in his
hands. And about him his sons were gathered and come together, issuing
from their chambers, Echephron and Stratius, and Perseus and Aretus and
the godlike Thrasymedes. And sixth and last came the hero Peisistratus.
And they led godlike Telemachus and set him by their side, and Nestor
of Gerenia, lord of chariots, spake first among them:
“Quickly, my dear children, accomplish my desire, that first of all the
gods I may propitiate Athene, who came to me in visible presence to the
rich feast of the god. Nay then, let one go to the plain for a heifer,
that she may come as soon as may be, and that the neat-herd may drive
her: and let another go to the black ship of high-souled Telemachus to
bring all his company, and let him leave two men only. And let one
again bid Laerces the goldsmith to come hither that he may gild the
horns of the heifer. And ye others, abide ye here together and speak to
the handmaids within that they make ready a banquet through our famous
halls, and fetch seats and logs to set about the altar, and bring clear
water.”
Thus he spake and lo, they all hastened to the work. The heifer she
came from the field, and from the swift gallant ship came the company
of great-hearted Telemachus; the smith came holding in his hands his
tools, the instruments of his craft, anvil and hammer and well-made
pincers, wherewith he wrought the gold; Athene too came to receive her
sacrifice. And the old knight Nestor gave gold, and the other fashioned
it skilfully, and gilded therewith the horns of the heifer, that the
goddess might be glad at the sight of her fair offering. And Stratius
and goodly Echephron led the heifer by the horns. And Aretus came forth
from the chamber bearing water for the washing of hands in a basin of
flowered work, and in the other hand he held the barley-meal in a
basket; and Thrasymedes, steadfast in the battle, stood by holding in
his hand a sharp axe, ready to smite the heifer. And Perseus held the
dish for the blood, and the old man Nestor, driver of chariots,
performed the first rite of the washing of hands and the sprinkling of
the meal, and he prayed instantly to Athene as he began the rite,
casting into the fire the lock from the head of the victim.
Now when they had prayed and tossed the sprinkled grain, straightway
the son of Nestor, gallant Thrasymedes, stood by and struck the blow;
and the axe severed the tendons of the neck and loosened the might of
the heifer; and the women raised their cry, the daughters and the sons’
wives and the wife revered of Nestor, Eurydice, eldest of the daughters
of Clymenus. And now they lifted the victim’s head from the wide-wayed
earth, and held it so, while Peisistratus, leader of men, cut the
throat. And after the black blood had gushed forth and the life had
left the bones, quickly they broke up the body, and anon cut slices
from the thighs all duly, and wrapt the same in the fat, folding them
double, and laid raw flesh thereon. So that old man burnt them on the
cleft wood, and poured over them the red wine, and by his side the
young men held in their hands the five-pronged forks. Now after that
the thighs were quite consumed and they had tasted the inner parts,
they cut the rest up small and spitted and roasted it, holding the
sharp spits in their hands.
Meanwhile she bathed Telemachus, even fair Polycaste, the youngest
daughter of Nestor, son of Neleus. And after she had bathed him and
anointed him with olive oil, and cast about him a goodly mantle and a
doublet, he came forth from the bath in fashion like the deathless
gods. So he went and sat him down by Nestor, shepherd of the people.
Now when they had roasted the outer flesh, and drawn it off the spits,
they sat down and fell to feasting, and honourable men waited on them,
pouring wine into the golden cups. But when they had put from them the
desire of meat and drink, Nestor of Gerenia, lord of chariots, first
spake among them:
“Lo now, my sons, yoke for Telemachus horses with flowing mane and lead
them beneath the car, that he may get forward on his way.”
Even so he spake, and they gave good heed and hearkened; and quickly
they yoked the swift horses beneath the chariot. And the dame that kept
the stores placed therein corn and wine and dainties, such as princes
eat, the fosterlings of Zeus. So Telemachus stept up into the goodly
car, and with him Peisistratus son of Nestor, leader of men, likewise
climbed the car and grasped the reins in his hands, and he touched the
horses with the whip to start them, and nothing loth the pair flew
towards the plain, and left the steep citadel of Pylos. So all day long
they swayed the yoke they bore upon their necks.
Now the sun sank and all the ways were darkened. And they came to
Pherae, to the house of Diocles, son of Orsilochus, the child begotten
of Alpheus. There they rested for the night, and by them he set the
entertainment of strangers.
Now so soon as early Dawn shone forth, the rosy-fingered, they yoked
the horses and mounted the inlaid car. And forth they drave from the
gateway and the echoing gallery, and Peisistratus touched the horses
with the whip to start them, and the pair flew onward nothing loth. So
they came to the wheat-bearing plain, and thenceforth they pressed
toward the end: in such wise did the swift horses speed forward. Now
the sun sank and all the ways were darkened.