But as the sun was rising from the fair sea into the firmament
of
heaven to shed light on mortals and immortals, they reached
Pylos
the city of Neleus. Now the people of Pylos were gathered on the
sea
shore to offer sacrifice of black bulls to Neptune lord of the
Earthquake.
There were nine guilds with five hundred men in each, and there
were
nine bulls to each guild. As they were eating the inward meats
and
burning the thigh bones [on the embers] in the name of Neptune,
Telemachus
and his crew arrived, furled their sails, brought their ship to
anchor,
and went ashore.
Minerva led the way and Telemachus followed her. Presently she
said,
"Telemachus, you must not be in the least shy or nervous; you
have
taken this voyage to try and find out where your father is
buried
and how he came by his end; so go straight up to Nestor that we
may
see what he has got to tell us. Beg of him to speak the truth,
and
he will tell no lies, for he is an excellent person."
"But how, Mentor," replied Telemachus, "dare I go up to Nestor,
and
how am I to address him? I have never yet been used to holding
long
conversations with people, and am ashamed to begin questioning
one
who is so much older than myself."
"Some things, Telemachus," answered Minerva, "will be suggested
to
you by your own instinct, and heaven will prompt you further;
for
I am assured that the gods have been with you from the time of
your
birth until now."
She then went quickly on, and Telemachus followed in her steps
till
they reached the place where the guilds of the Pylian people
were
assembled. There they found Nestor sitting with his sons, while
his
company round him were busy getting dinner ready, and putting
pieces
of meat on to the spits while other pieces were cooking. When
they
saw the strangers they crowded round them, took them by the hand
and
bade them take their places. Nestor's son Pisistratus at once
offered
his hand to each of them, and seated them on some soft
sheepskins
that were lying on the sands near his father and his brother
Thrasymedes.
Then he gave them their portions of the inward meats and poured
wine
for them into a golden cup, handing it to Minerva first, and
saluting
her at the same time.
"Offer a prayer, sir," said he, "to King Neptune, for it is his
feast
that you are joining; when you have duly prayed and made your
drink-offering,
pass the cup to your friend that he may do so also. I doubt not
that
he too lifts his hands in prayer, for man cannot live without
God
in the world. Still he is younger than you are, and is much of
an
age with myself, so I he handed I will give you the
precedence."
As he spoke he handed her the cup. Minerva thought it very right
and
proper of him to have given it to herself first; she accordingly
began
praying heartily to Neptune. "O thou," she cried, "that
encirclest
the earth, vouchsafe to grant the prayers of thy servants that
call
upon thee. More especially we pray thee send down thy grace on
Nestor
and on his sons; thereafter also make the rest of the Pylian
people
some handsome return for the goodly hecatomb they are offering
you.
Lastly, grant Telemachus and myself a happy issue, in respect of
the
matter that has brought us in our to Pylos."
When she had thus made an end of praying, she handed the cup to
Telemachus
and he prayed likewise. By and by, when the outer meats were
roasted
and had been taken off the spits, the carvers gave every man his
portion
and they all made an excellent dinner. As soon as they had had
enough
to eat and drink, Nestor, knight of Gerene, began to speak.
"Now," said he, "that our guests have done their dinner, it will
be
best to ask them who they are. Who, then, sir strangers, are
you,
and from what port have you sailed? Are you traders? or do you
sail
the seas as rovers with your hand against every man, and every
man's
hand against you?"
Telemachus answered boldly, for Minerva had given him courage to
ask
about his father and get himself a good name.
"Nestor," said he, "son of Neleus, honour to the Achaean name,
you
ask whence we come, and I will tell you. We come from Ithaca
under
Neritum, and the matter about which I would speak is of private
not
public import. I seek news of my unhappy father Ulysses, who is
said
to have sacked the town of Troy in company with yourself. We
know
what fate befell each one of the other heroes who fought at
Troy,
but as regards Ulysses heaven has hidden from us the knowledge
even
that he is dead at all, for no one can certify us in what place
he
perished, nor say whether he fell in battle on the mainland, or
was
lost at sea amid the waves of Amphitrite. Therefore I am
suppliant
at your knees, if haply you may be pleased to tell me of his
melancholy
end, whether you saw it with your own eyes, or heard it from
some
other traveller, for he was a man born to trouble. Do not soften
things
out of any pity for me, but tell me in all plainness exactly
what
you saw. If my brave father Ulysses ever did you loyal service,
either
by word or deed, when you Achaeans were harassed among the
Trojans,
bear it in mind now as in my favour and tell me truly all."
"My friend," answered Nestor, "you recall a time of much sorrow
to
my mind, for the brave Achaeans suffered much both at sea, while
privateering
under Achilles, and when fighting before the great city of king
Priam.
Our best men all of them fell there- Ajax, Achilles, Patroclus
peer
of gods in counsel, and my own dear son Antilochus, a man
singularly
fleet of foot and in fight valiant. But we suffered much more
than
this; what mortal tongue indeed could tell the whole story?
Though
you were to stay here and question me for five years, or even
six,
I could not tell you all that the Achaeans suffered, and you
would
turn homeward weary of my tale before it ended. Nine long years
did
we try every kind of stratagem, but the hand of heaven was
against
us; during all this time there was no one who could compare with
your
father in subtlety- if indeed you are his son- I can hardly
believe
my eyes- and you talk just like him too- no one would say that
people
of such different ages could speak so much alike. He and I never
had
any kind of difference from first to last neither in camp nor
council,
but in singleness of heart and purpose we advised the Argives
how
all might be ordered for the best.
"When however, we had sacked the city of Priam, and were setting
sail
in our ships as heaven had dispersed us, then Jove saw fit to
vex
the Argives on their homeward voyage; for they had Not all been
either
wise or understanding, and hence many came to a bad end through
the
displeasure of Jove's daughter Minerva, who brought about a
quarrel
between the two sons of Atreus.
"The sons of Atreus called a meeting which was not as it should
be,
for it was sunset and the Achaeans were heavy with wine. When
they
explained why they had called- the people together, it seemed
that
Menelaus was for sailing homeward at once, and this displeased
Agamemnon,
who thought that we should wait till we had offered hecatombs to
appease
the anger of Minerva. Fool that he was, he might have known that
he
would not prevail with her, for when the gods have made up their
minds
they do not change them lightly. So the two stood bandying hard
words,
whereon the Achaeans sprang to their feet with a cry that rent
the
air, and were of two minds as to what they should do.
"That night we rested and nursed our anger, for Jove was
hatching
mischief against us. But in the morning some of us drew our
ships
into the water and put our goods with our women on board, while
the
rest, about half in number, stayed behind with Agamemnon. We-
the
other half- embarked and sailed; and the ships went well, for
heaven
had smoothed the sea. When we reached Tenedos we offered
sacrifices
to the gods, for we were longing to get home; cruel Jove,
however,
did not yet mean that we should do so, and raised a second
quarrel
in the course of which some among us turned their ships back
again,
and sailed away under Ulysses to make their peace with
Agamemnon;
but I, and all the ships that were with me pressed forward, for
I
saw that mischief was brewing. The son of Tydeus went on also
with
me, and his crews with him. Later on Menelaus joined us at
Lesbos,
and found us making up our minds about our course- for we did
not
know whether to go outside Chios by the island of Psyra, keeping
this
to our left, or inside Chios, over against the stormy headland
of
Mimas. So we asked heaven for a sign, and were shown one to the
effect
that we should be soonest out of danger if we headed our ships
across
the open sea to Euboea. This we therefore did, and a fair wind
sprang
up which gave us a quick passage during the night to Geraestus,
where
we offered many sacrifices to Neptune for having helped us so
far
on our way. Four days later Diomed and his men stationed their
ships
in Argos, but I held on for Pylos, and the wind never fell light
from
the day when heaven first made it fair for me.
"Therefore, my dear young friend, I returned without hearing
anything
about the others. I know neither who got home safely nor who
were
lost but, as in duty bound, I will give you without reserve the
reports
that have reached me since I have been here in my own house.
They
say the Myrmidons returned home safely under Achilles' son
Neoptolemus;
so also did the valiant son of Poias, Philoctetes. Idomeneus,
again,
lost no men at sea, and all his followers who escaped death in
the
field got safe home with him to Crete. No matter how far out of
the
world you live, you will have heard of Agamemnon and the bad end
he
came to at the hands of Aegisthus- and a fearful reckoning did
Aegisthus
presently pay. See what a good thing it is for a man to leave a
son
behind him to do as Orestes did, who killed false Aegisthus the
murderer
of his noble father. You too, then- for you are a tall,
smart-looking
fellow- show your mettle and make yourself a name in story."
"Nestor son of Neleus," answered Telemachus, "honour to the
Achaean
name, the Achaeans applaud Orestes and his name will live
through
all time for he has avenged his father nobly. Would that heaven
might
grant me to do like vengeance on the insolence of the wicked
suitors,
who are ill treating me and plotting my ruin; but the gods have
no
such happiness in store for me and for my father, so we must
bear
it as best we may."
"My friend," said Nestor, "now that you remind me, I remember to
have
heard that your mother has many suitors, who are ill disposed
towards
you and are making havoc of your estate. Do you submit to this
tamely,
or are public feeling and the voice of heaven against you? Who
knows
but what Ulysses may come back after all, and pay these
scoundrels
in full, either single-handed or with a force of Achaeans behind
him?
If Minerva were to take as great a liking to you as she did to
Ulysses
when we were fighting before Troy (for I never yet saw the gods
so
openly fond of any one as Minerva then was of your father), if
she
would take as good care of you as she did of him, these wooers
would
soon some of them him, forget their wooing."
Telemachus answered, "I can expect nothing of the kind; it would
be
far too much to hope for. I dare not let myself think of it.
Even
though the gods themselves willed it no such good fortune could
befall
me."
On this Minerva said, "Telemachus, what are you talking about?
Heaven
has a long arm if it is minded to save a man; and if it were me,
I
should not care how much I suffered before getting home,
provided
I could be safe when I was once there. I would rather this, than
get
home quickly, and then be killed in my own house as Agamemnon
was
by the treachery of Aegisthus and his wife. Still, death is
certain,
and when a man's hour is come, not even the gods can save him,
no
matter how fond they are of him."
"Mentor," answered Telemachus, "do not let us talk about it any
more.
There is no chance of my father's ever coming back; the gods
have
long since counselled his destruction. There is something else,
however,
about which I should like to ask Nestor, for he knows much more
than
any one else does. They say he has reigned for three generations
so
that it is like talking to an immortal. Tell me, therefore,
Nestor,
and tell me true; how did Agamemnon come to die in that way?
What
was Menelaus doing? And how came false Aegisthus to kill so far
better
a man than himself? Was Menelaus away from Achaean Argos,
voyaging
elsewhither among mankind, that Aegisthus took heart and killed
Agamemnon?"
"I will tell you truly," answered Nestor, "and indeed you have
yourself
divined how it all happened. If Menelaus when he got back from
Troy
had found Aegisthus still alive in his house, there would have
been
no barrow heaped up for him, not even when he was dead, but he
would
have been thrown outside the city to dogs and vultures, and not
a
woman would have mourned him, for he had done a deed of great
wickedness;
but we were over there, fighting hard at Troy, and Aegisthus who
was
taking his ease quietly in the heart of Argos, cajoled
Agamemnon's
wife Clytemnestra with incessant flattery.
"At first she would have nothing to do with his wicked scheme,
for
she was of a good natural disposition; moreover there was a bard
with
her, to whom Agamemnon had given strict orders on setting out
for
Troy, that he was to keep guard over his wife; but when heaven
had
counselled her destruction, Aegisthus thus this bard off to a
desert
island and left him there for crows and seagulls to batten upon-
after
which she went willingly enough to the house of Aegisthus. Then
he
offered many burnt sacrifices to the gods, and decorated many
temples
with tapestries and gilding, for he had succeeded far beyond his
expectations.
"Meanwhile Menelaus and I were on our way home from Troy, on
good
terms with one another. When we got to Sunium, which is the
point
of Athens, Apollo with his painless shafts killed Phrontis the
steersman
of Menelaus' ship (and never man knew better how to handle a
vessel
in rough weather) so that he died then and there with the helm
in
his hand, and Menelaus, though very anxious to press forward,
had
to wait in order to bury his comrade and give him his due
funeral
rites. Presently, when he too could put to sea again, and had
sailed
on as far as the Malean heads, Jove counselled evil against him
and
made it it blow hard till the waves ran mountains high. Here he
divided
his fleet and took the one half towards Crete where the
Cydonians
dwell round about the waters of the river Iardanus. There is a
high
headland hereabouts stretching out into the sea from a place
called
Gortyn, and all along this part of the coast as far as Phaestus
the
sea runs high when there is a south wind blowing, but arter
Phaestus
the coast is more protected, for a small headland can make a
great
shelter. Here this part of the fleet was driven on to the rocks
and
wrecked; but the crews just managed to save themselves. As for
the
other five ships, they were taken by winds and seas to Egypt,
where
Menelaus gathered much gold and substance among people of an
alien
speech. Meanwhile Aegisthus here at home plotted his evil deed.
For
seven years after he had killed Agamemnon he ruled in Mycene,
and
the people were obedient under him, but in the eighth year
Orestes
came back from Athens to be his bane, and killed the murderer of
his
father. Then he celebrated the funeral rites of his mother and
of
false Aegisthus by a banquet to the people of Argos, and on that
very
day Menelaus came home, with as much treasure as his ships could
carry.
"Take my advice then, and do not go travelling about for long so
far
from home, nor leave your property with such dangerous people in
your
house; they will eat up everything you have among them, and you
will
have been on a fool's errand. Still, I should advise you by all
means
to go and visit Menelaus, who has lately come off a voyage among
such
distant peoples as no man could ever hope to get back from, when
the
winds had once carried him so far out of his reckoning; even
birds
cannot fly the distance in a twelvemonth, so vast and terrible
are
the seas that they must cross. Go to him, therefore, by sea, and
take
your own men with you; or if you would rather travel by land you
can
have a chariot, you can have horses, and here are my sons who
can
escort you to Lacedaemon where Menelaus lives. Beg of him to
speak
the truth, and he will tell you no lies, for he is an excellent
person."
As he spoke the sun set and it came on dark, whereon Minerva
said,
"Sir, all that you have said is well; now, however, order the
tongues
of the victims to be cut, and mix wine that we may make
drink-offerings
to Neptune, and the other immortals, and then go to bed, for it
is
bed time. People should go away early and not keep late hours at
a
religious festival."
Thus spoke the daughter of Jove, and they obeyed her saying. Men
servants
poured water over the hands of the guests, while pages filled
the
mixing-bowls with wine and water, and handed it round after
giving
every man his drink-offering; then they threw the tongues of the
victims
into the fire, and stood up to make their drink-offerings. When
they
had made their offerings and had drunk each as much as he was
minded,
Minerva and Telemachus were forgoing on board their ship, but
Nestor
caught them up at once and stayed them.
"Heaven and the immortal gods," he exclaimed, "forbid that you
should
leave my house to go on board of a ship. Do you think I am so
poor
and short of clothes, or that I have so few cloaks and as to be
unable
to find comfortable beds both for myself and for my guests? Let
me
tell you I have store both of rugs and cloaks, and shall not
permit
the son of my old friend Ulysses to camp down on the deck of a
ship-
not while I live- nor yet will my sons after me, but they will
keep
open house as have done."
Then Minerva answered, "Sir, you have spoken well, and it will
be
much better that Telemachus should do as you have said; he,
therefore,
shall return with you and sleep at your house, but I must go
back
to give orders to my crew, and keep them in good heart. I am the
only
older person among them; the rest are all young men of
Telemachus'
own age, who have taken this voyage out of friendship; so I must
return
to the ship and sleep there. Moreover to-morrow I must go to the
Cauconians
where I have a large sum of money long owing to me. As for
Telemachus,
now that he is your guest, send him to Lacedaemon in a chariot,
and
let one of your sons go with him. Be pleased also to provide him
with
your best and fleetest horses."
When she had thus spoken, she flew away in the form of an eagle,
and
all marvelled as they beheld it. Nestor was astonished, and took
Telemachus
by the hand. "My friend," said he, "I see that you are going to
be
a great hero some day, since the gods wait upon you thus while
you
are still so young. This can have been none other of those who
dwell
in heaven than Jove's redoubtable daughter, the Trito-born, who
showed
such favour towards your brave father among the Argives." "Holy
queen,"
he continued, "vouchsafe to send down thy grace upon myself, my
good
wife, and my children. In return, I will offer you in sacrifice
a
broad-browed heifer of a year old, unbroken, and never yet
brought
by man under the yoke. I will gild her horns, and will offer her
up
to you in sacrifice."
Thus did he pray, and Minerva heard his prayer. He then led the
way
to his own house, followed by his sons and sons-in-law. When
they
had got there and had taken their places on the benches and
seats,
he mixed them a bowl of sweet wine that was eleven years old
when
the housekeeper took the lid off the jar that held it. As he
mixed
the wine, he prayed much and made drink-offerings to Minerva,
daughter
of Aegis-bearing Jove. Then, when they had made their
drink-offerings
and had drunk each as much as he was minded, the others went
home
to bed each in his own abode; but Nestor put Telemachus to sleep
in
the room that was over the gateway along with Pisistratus, who
was
the only unmarried son now left him. As for himself, he slept in
an
inner room of the house, with the queen his wife by his side.
Now when the child of morning, rosy-fingered Dawn, appeared,
Nestor
left his couch and took his seat on the benches of white and
polished
marble that stood in front of his house. Here aforetime sat
Neleus,
peer of gods in counsel, but he was now dead, and had gone to
the
house of Hades; so Nestor sat in his seat, sceptre in hand, as
guardian
of the public weal. His sons as they left their rooms gathered
round
him, Echephron, Stratius, Perseus, Aretus, and Thrasymedes; the
sixth
son was Pisistratus, and when Telemachus joined them they made
him
sit with them. Nestor then addressed them.
"My sons," said he, "make haste to do as I shall bid you. I wish
first
and foremost to propitiate the great goddess Minerva, who
manifested
herself visibly to me during yesterday's festivities. Go, then,
one
or other of you to the plain, tell the stockman to look me out a
heifer,
and come on here with it at once. Another must go to
Telemachus's
ship, and invite all the crew, leaving two men only in charge of
the
vessel. Some one else will run and fetch Laerceus the goldsmith
to
gild the horns of the heifer. The rest, stay all of you where
you
are; tell the maids in the house to prepare an excellent dinner,
and
to fetch seats, and logs of wood for a burnt offering. Tell them
also-
to bring me some clear spring water."
On this they hurried off on their several errands. The heifer
was
brought in from the plain, and Telemachus's crew came from the
ship;
the goldsmith brought the anvil, hammer, and tongs, with which
he
worked his gold, and Minerva herself came to the sacrifice.
Nestor
gave out the gold, and the smith gilded the horns of the heifer
that
the goddess might have pleasure in their beauty. Then Stratius
and
Echephron brought her in by the horns; Aretus fetched water from
the
house in a ewer that had a flower pattern on it, and in his
other
hand he held a basket of barley meal; sturdy Thrasymedes stood
by
with a sharp axe, ready to strike the heifer, while Perseus held
a
bucket. Then Nestor began with washing his hands and sprinkling
the
barley meal, and he offered many a prayer to Minerva as he threw
a
lock from the heifer's head upon the fire.
When they had done praying and sprinkling the barley meal
Thrasymedes
dealt his blow, and brought the heifer down with a stroke that
cut
through the tendons at the base of her neck, whereon the
daughters
and daughters-in-law of Nestor, and his venerable wife Eurydice
(she
was eldest daughter to Clymenus) screamed with delight. Then
they
lifted the heifer's head from off the ground, and Pisistratus
cut
her throat. When she had done bleeding and was quite dead, they
cut
her up. They cut out the thigh bones all in due course, wrapped
them
round in two layers of fat, and set some pieces of raw meat on
the
top of them; then Nestor laid them upon the wood fire and poured
wine
over them, while the young men stood near him with five-pronged
spits
in their hands. When the thighs were burned and they had tasted
the
inward meats, they cut the rest of the meat up small, put the
pieces
on the spits and toasted them over the fire.
Meanwhile lovely Polycaste, Nestor's youngest daughter, washed
Telemachus.
When she had washed him and anointed him with oil, she brought
him
a fair mantle and shirt, and he looked like a god as he came
from
the bath and took his seat by the side of Nestor. When the outer
meats
were done they drew them off the spits and sat down to dinner
where
they were waited upon by some worthy henchmen, who kept pouring
them
out their wine in cups of gold. As soon as they had had had
enough
to eat and drink Nestor said, "Sons, put Telemachus's horses to
the
chariot that he may start at once."
Thus did he speak, and they did even as he had said, and yoked
the
fleet horses to the chariot. The housekeeper packed them up a
provision
of bread, wine, and sweetmeats fit for the sons of princes. Then
Telemachus
got into the chariot, while Pisistratus gathered up the reins
and
took his seat beside him. He lashed the horses on and they flew
forward
nothing loth into the open country, leaving the high citadel of
Pylos
behind them. All that day did they travel, swaying the yoke upon
their
necks till the sun went down and darkness was over all the land.
Then
they reached Pherae where Diocles lived, who was son to
Ortilochus
and grandson to Alpheus. Here they passed the night and Diocles
entertained
them hospitably. When the child of morning, rosy-fingered Dawn;
appeared,
they again yoked their horses and drove out through the gateway
under
the echoing gatehouse. Pisistratus lashed the horses on and they
flew
forward nothing loth; presently they came to the corn lands Of
the
open country, and in the course of time completed their journey,
so
well did their steeds take them.
Now when the sun had set and darkness was over the land,