ODYSSEUS ARRIVES AT ITHACA
When the morning star arose the ship reached Ithaca. It entered a
harbor called Phorkys, where there was a grotto sacred to the nymphs,
and it was shaded at the entrance by an olive-tree. Stone vases stood
around in the grotto, and there bees had stored up honey. The nymphs
spun their fine thread from stone spindles there, and wove their
sea-purple robes. Springs of cool water flowed through the grotto,
and there was an entrance for mortals and one which was kept holy
for the gods.
When the ship touched the beach the sailors disembarked and carried
the sleeping Odysseus on a rug on to the shore and laid him down.
They brought his presents also from under the ship's benches and laid
them under the olive-tree, a short distance from the road, for fear
that some evil-minded person would take them before Odysseus woke
up.
Then the crew sailed homeward, but Poseidon saw them and was angry
because his purpose to cause Odysseus endless suffering had been
thwarted. He at once complained to Zeus that the Phæacians had
restored Odysseus to his native land, with gifts finer and more
valuable than anything he could have brought from Troy. Zeus listened
to his complaint and gave him authority to destroy the Phæacian boat
and its crew. Poseidon promptly repaired to the island of Scheria,
and when the ship came in sight of the town he transformed it into
a towering rock, that it might hide the island from mariners and the
Phæacians would no longer be tempted to escort strangers to their
homes.
The ship had gone, and it was broad daylight when Odysseus awoke.
He did not recognize his own country, he had been away from it for
such a long time, and besides that, Athena had spread a dense fog
over it. His first thought was that the Phæacians had deceived him
and left him on an unknown shore. He began to accuse them of treachery,
and prayed to Zeus to punish them. He looked around and found that
his gifts had been carefully placed, so he knew that he had not been
robbed. He counted his gifts and examined them.
There were tripods and vases of gold and brass and beautiful
hand-woven garments. He paced up and down the shore and wept and wailed
aloud. Then Athena appeared to him disguised as a shepherd lad.
When Odysseus saw her, he hastened to her and said: "Hail, fair youth!
I am a stranger and find myself for the first time in this place.
I entreat thee to tell me the name of this country, and what kind
of people inhabit it." The goddess answered him: "Truly, stranger,
thou must come from a far-off land that thou dost not know Ithaca,
which is known from the rising to the setting of the sun.
"It is indeed a stony island but it is not barren, nor is it a good
place for raising horses. It is rich in grain and grapes. It has an
abundance of dew and rain, and most delicious wine is made here.
Nowhere can be found handsomer goats or finer cattle. Every kind of
tree grows in its forests, and its springs are never dry. The fame
of Ithaca has reached even as far as Troy itself which, I am told,
lies far from Hellas."
Odysseus was overjoyed to find that he was in his own country. But
he did not venture to tell his name to the shepherd, nor whence he
came. Instead of that he told a long story that he came from Crete,
which he had been obliged to leave because he had killed the King's
son, who had robbed him.
Athena smiled and, assuming the form of a beautiful woman, took him
by the hand and said: "Thou crafty man, why dost thou tell such lies?
Dost thou not know Athena, daughter of Zeus, who has protected thee
everywhere and saved thee from all danger? I have just come again
to assist thee in hiding thy treasures and to tell thee what thou
must encounter in thine own palace. But thou must not repeat anything
which I tell thee, nor make thyself known to any man or woman. And
thou must bear many indignities in silence until the right time comes,
for there are many violent men in thy halls."
Odysseus's heart was filled with joy. He knelt down and kissed the
soil of his native land. "Tell me, is it true," he said, "that I am
in my own beloved Ithaca? I pray thee, goddess, do not jest with me."
"Thy native land! Such ever is thy thought," answered the goddess.
"Any other man would have hastened with all speed to his wife and
home. But thou must wait and come not at once into the presence of
Penelope. She sits within thy palace, weeping night and day because
thou dost not come. Hide thy gifts here in this grotto, and I will
tell thee what to do next."
With a glad heart Odysseus saluted the nymphs of the cave and spring:
"Hail to you, nymphs of my native land, daughters of Zeus! I thought
I should never see you again. I shall bring you rich gifts in days
to come, if it please Athena to keep me from harm." After he had carried
the presents into the grotto and carefully hidden them, he sat down
with the goddess among the gnarled roots of the olive-tree, and they
laid plots to destroy Penelope's impudent suitors. Athena told him
about the trouble they had caused her; how they had established
themselves in her own home, trying to win her for a wife. For three
years the noble Penelope had kept these arrogant men in suspense,
deluded with empty hopes, while she waited for her husband's return.
When Odysseus heard these words he was greatly disturbed, and said:
"Woe is me! I might have been slain in my own home but for these timely
words. Now I am forearmed. Stand by me, I pray, in my great need,
and give me strength to meet my enemies. If thou art my helper, I
can resist, single-handed, three hundred foes."
"Take courage," said the goddess. "But to carry out our plans I must
change thee to a miserable old man with a wrinkled face and clad in
ragged garments, so that no one can recognize thee.
"Then must thou go to thy faithful swineherd, Eumaios, who loves thy
wife and child and thy whole house.
"Thou wilt find him as he feeds the swine on acorns in a field near
the mountain, Korax, and the spring, Arethusa. He will tell thee all
the doings in thy house. Meantime I will take my way to Sparta.
Telemachos, thy son, is there. He went to visit Menelaos and try to
find out if there were any news of thee. I will call him to return
to Ithaca."
The goddess touched Odysseus with her magic wand. At once he shrank
and withered into a wrinkled, shabby, old beggar. Then she gave him
a staff and a tattered sack and sent him to his loyal swineherd while
she took her way to Sparta.
[Illustration: ALPHEUS AND ARETHUSA]