ODYSSEUS ARRIVES AT THE PALACE OF ALKINOÖS
After Nausicaä had mounted to her seat on the cart, she said to
Odysseus: "Get ready now, stranger, and we will lead thee to my
father's palace, where thou wilt meet the chiefs of the Phæacians.
If thou art wise, take well to heart what I shall say to thee. As
long as we are at a good distance from the city there is no harm in
going along with us. Just follow close to the wagon with my maids.
"But when we come near to the town thou must go more slowly and tarry
behind a little, till we have reached my father's hall, because I
dread the gossip of the baser sort of people whom we may meet. After
thou hast seen us enter the city, then thou mayest enter it also and
inquire the way to the king's palace. It is very beautiful. Thou mayest
easily find it by thyself, for there is no other house in the city
as large as ours.
"Enter at once and find my mother and sue to her for protection and
help, that thou mayest reach thy native land and thy dear ones again."
Having spoken these words, Nausicaä touched the mules with her long
whip and they quickly left the river, wending their way toward the
city. They reached it at sunset, but Odysseus sat down in the sacred
grove of Athena, outside of the city to wait, and prayed to the goddess
that he might receive pity from the people of Phæacia.
While he prayed, the damsels went on and soon reached the king's palace.
Nausicaä's brothers came out and welcomed them, and unhitched the
mules. When Odysseus had given them time to get home, he arose and
found his way to the town. He had hardly entered it when Athena, in
the form of a young girl carrying a pitcher of water, met him.
"My daughter," Odysseus said to her, "canst thou show me the way to
the king's palace? I am a stranger, and here for the first time."
Athena answered him: "With pleasure, stranger; the king is our
neighbor. Follow me, and I will lead thee thither. But on the way
do not greet anyone or ask questions, for the people here are not
fond of those who come from other lands."
Thus spoke Athena and pursued her way with Odysseus following her.
She threw a veil of darkness over the hero to hide him from rude gazers.
Odysseus beheld the beautiful port with astonishment--the large
ships, the great market-place, and the high walls of the city.
When they reached the palace, the girl stopped and said: "This is
the house of the king. Go in without any fear, for they love brave
men, even when they come from afar. The first thing to do is to find
the queen, whose name is Aretè.
"She is greatly honored by the king, and all the people treat her
as if she were a goddess, on account of her gentleness and virtue.
In case the queen looks upon thee with favor, thou mayest be sure
of safely reaching home."
Having spoken these words, the goddess took a friendly leave of the
hero, and he entered the outer hall of Alkinoös, where he was
bewildered by the splendor. The walls were of brass, the doors of
gold, and the thresholds and lintels of pure silver. On each side
of the main entrance gold and silver dogs stood guard. They were
endowed with life and were immortal, the work and gift of the divine
Hephæstus.
There were two rows of splendid seats in the large dining-hall. They
were covered with costly mats, and the Phæacian leaders were wont
to sit there and enjoy themselves. Golden statues of boys with lighted
torches in their hands stood on beautiful pedestals and spread light
over the merry banquets. There were fifty maid-servants in the palace.
Some of them were grinding corn in the mill. Some spent their time
in spinning and weaving, for as the men were renowned sailors, the
women also were famous for making fine cloth.
There was a large orchard all around the palace, surrounded by a thick
hedge. In the orchard there was a great variety of fruit-trees--pear,
apple, pomegranate, olive, and fig. The trees were never bare of fruit,
either in summer or in winter, for an ever-blowing west wind created
such a mild climate that the trees were constantly blooming and
ripening their fruit.
There was to be seen a tree full of blossoms, while another bent down
under the load of ripe fruit. Thus it was with the grape-vines in
the vineyard close to the orchard. Some were blooming, others had
only begun to form fruit-buds, while some were loaded with ripe
clusters ready for the wine-press. At the end of the orchard there
was a magnificent flower-garden, in which the most fragrant flowers
were blooming. Two springs also bubbled from the ground. One watered
the orchard, and the other ran to the very door of the palace, and
all the people filled their pitchers there. Such were the gifts
Alkinoös had received from the gods.