And Ulysses answered, "King Alcinous, it is a good thing to
hear
a bard with such a divine voice as this man has. There is
nothing
better or more delightful than when a whole people make merry
together,
with the guests sitting orderly to listen, while the table is
loaded
with bread and meats, and the cup-bearer draws wine and fills
his
cup for every man. This is indeed as fair a sight as a man can
see.
Now, however, since you are inclined to ask the story of my
sorrows,
and rekindle my own sad memories in respect of them, I do not
know
how to begin, nor yet how to continue and conclude my tale, for
the
hand of heaven has been laid heavily upon me.
"Firstly, then, I will tell you my name that you too may know
it,
and one day, if I outlive this time of sorrow, may become my
there
guests though I live so far away from all of you. I am Ulysses
son
of Laertes, reknowned among mankind for all manner of subtlety,
so
that my fame ascends to heaven. I live in Ithaca, where there is
a
high mountain called Neritum, covered with forests; and not far
from
it there is a group of islands very near to one another-
Dulichium,
Same, and the wooded island of Zacynthus. It lies squat on the
horizon,
all highest up in the sea towards the sunset, while the others
lie
away from it towards dawn. It is a rugged island, but it breeds
brave
men, and my eyes know none that they better love to look upon.
The
goddess Calypso kept me with her in her cave, and wanted me to
marry
her, as did also the cunning Aeaean goddess Circe; but they
could
neither of them persuade me, for there is nothing dearer to a
man
than his own country and his parents, and however splendid a
home
he may have in a foreign country, if it be far from father or
mother,
he does not care about it. Now, however, I will tell you of the
many
hazardous adventures which by Jove's will I met with on my
return
from Troy.
"When I had set sail thence the wind took me first to Ismarus,
which
is the city of the Cicons. There I sacked the town and put the
people
to the sword. We took their wives and also much booty, which we
divided
equitably amongst us, so that none might have reason to
complain.
I then said that we had better make off at once, but my men very
foolishly
would not obey me, so they stayed there drinking much wine and
killing
great numbers of sheep and oxen on the sea shore. Meanwhile the
Cicons
cried out for help to other Cicons who lived inland. These were
more
in number, and stronger, and they were more skilled in the art
of
war, for they could fight, either from chariots or on foot as
the
occasion served; in the morning, therefore, they came as thick
as
leaves and bloom in summer, and the hand of heaven was against
us,
so that we were hard pressed. They set the battle in array near
the
ships, and the hosts aimed their bronze-shod spears at one
another.
So long as the day waxed and it was still morning, we held our
own
against them, though they were more in number than we; but as
the
sun went down, towards the time when men loose their oxen, the
Cicons
got the better of us, and we lost half a dozen men from every
ship
we had; so we got away with those that were left.
"Thence we sailed onward with sorrow in our hearts, but glad to
have
escaped death though we had lost our comrades, nor did we leave
till
we had thrice invoked each one of the poor fellows who had
perished
by the hands of the Cicons. Then Jove raised the North wind
against
us till it blew a hurricane, so that land and sky were hidden in
thick
clouds, and night sprang forth out of the heavens. We let the
ships
run before the gale, but the force of the wind tore our sails to
tatters,
so we took them down for fear of shipwreck, and rowed our
hardest
towards the land. There we lay two days and two nights suffering
much
alike from toil and distress of mind, but on the morning of the
third
day we again raised our masts, set sail, and took our places,
letting
the wind and steersmen direct our ship. I should have got home
at
that time unharmed had not the North wind and the currents been
against
me as I was doubling Cape Malea, and set me off my course hard
by
the island of Cythera.
"I was driven thence by foul winds for a space of nine days upon
the
sea, but on the tenth day we reached the land of the
Lotus-eater,
who live on a food that comes from a kind of flower. Here we
landed
to take in fresh water, and our crews got their mid-day meal on
the
shore near the ships. When they had eaten and drunk I sent two
of
my company to see what manner of men the people of the place
might
be, and they had a third man under them. They started at once,
and
went about among the Lotus-eaters, who did them no hurt, but
gave
them to eat of the lotus, which was so delicious that those who
ate
of it left off caring about home, and did not even want to go
back
and say what had happened to them, but were for staying and
munching
lotus with the Lotus-eater without thinking further of their
return;
nevertheless, though they wept bitterly I forced them back to
the
ships and made them fast under the benches. Then I told the rest
to
go on board at once, lest any of them should taste of the lotus
and
leave off wanting to get home, so they took their places and
smote
the grey sea with their oars.
"We sailed hence, always in much distress, till we came to the
land
of the lawless and inhuman Cyclopes. Now the Cyclopes neither
plant
nor plough, but trust in providence, and live on such wheat,
barley,
and grapes as grow wild without any kind of tillage, and their
wild
grapes yield them wine as the sun and the rain may grow them.
They
have no laws nor assemblies of the people, but live in caves on
the
tops of high mountains; each is lord and master in his family,
and
they take no account of their neighbours.
"Now off their harbour there lies a wooded and fertile island
not
quite close to the land of the Cyclopes, but still not far. It
is
overrun with wild goats, that breed there in great numbers and
are
never disturbed by foot of man; for sportsmen- who as a rule
will
suffer so much hardship in forest or among mountain precipices-
do
not go there, nor yet again is it ever ploughed or fed down, but
it
lies a wilderness untilled and unsown from year to year, and has
no
living thing upon it but only goats. For the Cyclopes have no
ships,
nor yet shipwrights who could make ships for them; they cannot
therefore
go from city to city, or sail over the sea to one another's
country
as people who have ships can do; if they had had these they
would
have colonized the island, for it is a very good one, and would
yield
everything in due season. There are meadows that in some places
come
right down to the sea shore, well watered and full of luscious
grass;
grapes would do there excellently; there is level land for
ploughing,
and it would always yield heavily at harvest time, for the soil
is
deep. There is a good harbour where no cables are wanted, nor
yet
anchors, nor need a ship be moored, but all one has to do is to
beach
one's vessel and stay there till the wind becomes fair for
putting
out to sea again. At the head of the harbour there is a spring
of
clear water coming out of a cave, and there are poplars growing
all
round it.
"Here we entered, but so dark was the night that some god must
have
brought us in, for there was nothing whatever to be seen. A
thick
mist hung all round our ships; the moon was hidden behind a mass
of
clouds so that no one could have seen the island if he had
looked
for it, nor were there any breakers to tell us we were close in
shore
before we found ourselves upon the land itself; when, however,
we
had beached the ships, we took down the sails, went ashore and
camped
upon the beach till daybreak.
"When the child of morning, rosy-fingered Dawn, appeared, we
admired
the island and wandered all over it, while the nymphs Jove's
daughters
roused the wild goats that we might get some meat for our
dinner.
On this we fetched our spears and bows and arrows from the
ships,
and dividing ourselves into three bands began to shoot the
goats.
Heaven sent us excellent sport; I had twelve ships with me, and
each
ship got nine goats, while my own ship had ten; thus through the
livelong
day to the going down of the sun we ate and drank our fill,- and
we
had plenty of wine left, for each one of us had taken many jars
full
when we sacked the city of the Cicons, and this had not yet run
out.
While we were feasting we kept turning our eyes towards the land
of
the Cyclopes, which was hard by, and saw the smoke of their
stubble
fires. We could almost fancy we heard their voices and the
bleating
of their sheep and goats, but when the sun went down and it came
on
dark, we camped down upon the beach, and next morning I called a
council.
"'Stay here, my brave fellows,' said I, 'all the rest of you,
while
I go with my ship and exploit these people myself: I want to see
if
they are uncivilized savages, or a hospitable and humane race.'
"I went on board, bidding my men to do so also and loose the
hawsers;
so they took their places and smote the grey sea with their
oars.
When we got to the land, which was not far, there, on the face
of
a cliff near the sea, we saw a great cave overhung with laurels.
It
was a station for a great many sheep and goats, and outside
there
was a large yard, with a high wall round it made of stones built
into
the ground and of trees both pine and oak. This was the abode of
a
huge monster who was then away from home shepherding his flocks.
He
would have nothing to do with other people, but led the life of
an
outlaw. He was a horrid creature, not like a human being at all,
but
resembling rather some crag that stands out boldly against the
sky
on the top of a high mountain.
"I told my men to draw the ship ashore, and stay where they
were,
all but the twelve best among them, who were to go along with
myself.
I also took a goatskin of sweet black wine which had been given
me
by Maron, Apollo son of Euanthes, who was priest of Apollo the
patron
god of Ismarus, and lived within the wooded precincts of the
temple.
When we were sacking the city we respected him, and spared his
life,
as also his wife and child; so he made me some presents of great
value-
seven talents of fine gold, and a bowl of silver, with twelve
jars
of sweet wine, unblended, and of the most exquisite flavour. Not
a
man nor maid in the house knew about it, but only himself, his
wife,
and one housekeeper: when he drank it he mixed twenty parts of
water
to one of wine, and yet the fragrance from the mixing-bowl was
so
exquisite that it was impossible to refrain from drinking. I
filled
a large skin with this wine, and took a wallet full of
provisions
with me, for my mind misgave me that I might have to deal with
some
savage who would be of great strength, and would respect neither
right
nor law.
"We soon reached his cave, but he was out shepherding, so we
went
inside and took stock of all that we could see. His cheese-racks
were
loaded with cheeses, and he had more lambs and kids than his
pens
could hold. They were kept in separate flocks; first there were
the
hoggets, then the oldest of the younger lambs and lastly the
very
young ones all kept apart from one another; as for his dairy,
all
the vessels, bowls, and milk pails into which he milked, were
swimming
with whey. When they saw all this, my men begged me to let them
first
steal some cheeses, and make off with them to the ship; they
would
then return, drive down the lambs and kids, put them on board
and
sail away with them. It would have been indeed better if we had
done
so but I would not listen to them, for I wanted to see the owner
himself,
in the hope that he might give me a present. When, however, we
saw
him my poor men found him ill to deal with.
"We lit a fire, offered some of the cheeses in sacrifice, ate
others
of them, and then sat waiting till the Cyclops should come in
with
his sheep. When he came, he brought in with him a huge load of
dry
firewood to light the fire for his supper, and this he flung
with
such a noise on to the floor of his cave that we hid ourselves
for
fear at the far end of the cavern. Meanwhile he drove all the
ewes
inside, as well as the she-goats that he was going to milk,
leaving
the males, both rams and he-goats, outside in the yards. Then he
rolled
a huge stone to the mouth of the cave- so huge that two and
twenty
strong four-wheeled waggons would not be enough to draw it from
its
place against the doorway. When he had so done he sat down and
milked
his ewes and goats, all in due course, and then let each of them
have
her own young. He curdled half the milk and set it aside in
wicker
strainers, but the other half he poured into bowls that he might
drink
it for his supper. When he had got through with all his work, he
lit
the fire, and then caught sight of us, whereon he said:
"'Strangers, who are you? Where do sail from? Are you traders,
or
do you sail the as rovers, with your hands against every man,
and
every man's hand against you?'
"We were frightened out of our senses by his loud voice and
monstrous
form, but I managed to say, 'We are Achaeans on our way home
from
Troy, but by the will of Jove, and stress of weather, we have
been
driven far out of our course. We are the people of Agamemnon,
son
of Atreus, who has won infinite renown throughout the whole
world,
by sacking so great a city and killing so many people. We
therefore
humbly pray you to show us some hospitality, and otherwise make
us
such presents as visitors may reasonably expect. May your
excellency
fear the wrath of heaven, for we are your suppliants, and Jove
takes
all respectable travellers under his protection, for he is the
avenger
of all suppliants and foreigners in distress.'
"To this he gave me but a pitiless answer, 'Stranger,' said he,
'you
are a fool, or else you know nothing of this country. Talk to
me,
indeed, about fearing the gods or shunning their anger? We
Cyclopes
do not care about Jove or any of your blessed gods, for we are
ever
so much stronger than they. I shall not spare either yourself or
your
companions out of any regard for Jove, unless I am in the humour
for
doing so. And now tell me where you made your ship fast when you
came
on shore. Was it round the point, or is she lying straight off
the
land?'
"He said this to draw me out, but I was too cunning to be caught
in
that way, so I answered with a lie; 'Neptune,' said I, 'sent my
ship
on to the rocks at the far end of your country, and wrecked it.
We
were driven on to them from the open sea, but I and those who
are
with me escaped the jaws of death.'
"The cruel wretch vouchsafed me not one word of answer, but with
a
sudden clutch he gripped up two of my men at once and dashed
them
down upon the ground as though they had been puppies. Their
brains
were shed upon the ground, and the earth was wet with their
blood.
Then he tore them limb from limb and supped upon them. He
gobbled
them up like a lion in the wilderness, flesh, bones, marrow, and
entrails,
without leaving anything uneaten. As for us, we wept and lifted
up
our hands to heaven on seeing such a horrid sight, for we did
not
know what else to do; but when the Cyclops had filled his huge
paunch,
and had washed down his meal of human flesh with a drink of neat
milk,
he stretched himself full length upon the ground among his
sheep,
and went to sleep. I was at first inclined to seize my sword,
draw
it, and drive it into his vitals, but I reflected that if I did
we
should all certainly be lost, for we should never be able to
shift
the stone which the monster had put in front of the door. So we
stayed
sobbing and sighing where we were till morning came.
"When the child of morning, rosy-fingered Dawn, appeared, he
again
lit his fire, milked his goats and ewes, all quite rightly, and
then
let each have her own young one; as soon as he had got through
with
all his work, he clutched up two more of my men, and began
eating
them for his morning's meal. Presently, with the utmost ease, he
rolled
the stone away from the door and drove out his sheep, but he at
once
put it back again- as easily as though he were merely clapping
the
lid on to a quiver full of arrows. As soon as he had done so he
shouted,
and cried 'Shoo, shoo,' after his sheep to drive them on to the
mountain;
so I was left to scheme some way of taking my revenge and
covering
myself with glory.
"In the end I deemed it would be the best plan to do as follows.
The
Cyclops had a great club which was lying near one of the sheep
pens;
it was of green olive wood, and he had cut it intending to use
it
for a staff as soon as it should be dry. It was so huge that we
could
only compare it to the mast of a twenty-oared merchant vessel of
large
burden, and able to venture out into open sea. I went up to this
club
and cut off about six feet of it; I then gave this piece to the
men
and told them to fine it evenly off at one end, which they
proceeded
to do, and lastly I brought it to a point myself, charring the
end
in the fire to make it harder. When I had done this I hid it
under
dung, which was lying about all over the cave, and told the men
to
cast lots which of them should venture along with myself to lift
it
and bore it into the monster's eye while he was asleep. The lot
fell
upon the very four whom I should have chosen, and I myself made
five.
In the evening the wretch came back from shepherding, and drove
his
flocks into the cave- this time driving them all inside, and not
leaving
any in the yards; I suppose some fancy must have taken him, or a
god
must have prompted him to do so. As soon as he had put the stone
back
to its place against the door, he sat down, milked his ewes and
his
goats all quite rightly, and then let each have her own young
one;
when he had got through with all this work, he gripped up two
more
of my men, and made his supper off them. So I went up to him
with
an ivy-wood bowl of black wine in my hands:
"'Look here, Cyclops,' said I, you have been eating a great deal
of
man's flesh, so take this and drink some wine, that you may see
what
kind of liquor we had on board my ship. I was bringing it to you
as
a drink-offering, in the hope that you would take compassion
upon
me and further me on my way home, whereas all you do is to go on
ramping
and raving most intolerably. You ought to be ashamed yourself;
how
can you expect people to come see you any more if you treat them
in
this way?'
"He then took the cup and drank. He was so delighted with the
taste
of the wine that he begged me for another bowl full. 'Be so
kind,'
he said, 'as to give me some more, and tell me your name at
once.
I want to make you a present that you will be glad to have. We
have
wine even in this country, for our soil grows grapes and the sun
ripens
them, but this drinks like nectar and ambrosia all in one.'
"I then gave him some more; three times did I fill the bowl for
him,
and three times did he drain it without thought or heed; then,
when
I saw that the wine had got into his head, I said to him as
plausibly
as I could: 'Cyclops, you ask my name and I will tell it you;
give
me, therefore, the present you promised me; my name is Noman;
this
is what my father and mother and my friends have always called
me.'
"But the cruel wretch said, 'Then I will eat all Noman's
comrades
before Noman himself, and will keep Noman for the last. This is
the
present that I will make him.'
As he spoke he reeled, and fell sprawling face upwards on the
ground.
His great neck hung heavily backwards and a deep sleep took hold
upon
him. Presently he turned sick, and threw up both wine and the
gobbets
of human flesh on which he had been gorging, for he was very
drunk.
Then I thrust the beam of wood far into the embers to heat it,
and
encouraged my men lest any of them should turn faint-hearted.
When
the wood, green though it was, was about to blaze, I drew it out
of
the fire glowing with heat, and my men gathered round me, for
heaven
had filled their hearts with courage. We drove the sharp end of
the
beam into the monster's eye, and bearing upon it with all my
weight
I kept turning it round and round as though I were boring a hole
in
a ship's plank with an auger, which two men with a wheel and
strap
can keep on turning as long as they choose. Even thus did we
bore
the red hot beam into his eye, till the boiling blood bubbled
all
over it as we worked it round and round, so that the steam from
the
burning eyeball scalded his eyelids and eyebrows, and the roots
of
the eye sputtered in the fire. As a blacksmith plunges an axe or
hatchet
into cold water to temper it- for it is this that gives strength
to
the iron- and it makes a great hiss as he does so, even thus did
the
Cyclops' eye hiss round the beam of olive wood, and his hideous
yells
made the cave ring again. We ran away in a fright, but he
plucked
the beam all besmirched with gore from his eye, and hurled it
from
him in a frenzy of rage and pain, shouting as he did so to the
other
Cyclopes who lived on the bleak headlands near him; so they
gathered
from all quarters round his cave when they heard him crying, and
asked
what was the matter with him.
"'What ails you, Polyphemus,' said they, 'that you make such a
noise,
breaking the stillness of the night, and preventing us from
being
able to sleep? Surely no man is carrying off your sheep? Surely
no
man is trying to kill you either by fraud or by force?
"But Polyphemus shouted to them from inside the cave, 'Noman is
killing
me by fraud! Noman is killing me by force!'
"'Then,' said they, 'if no man is attacking you, you must be
ill;
when Jove makes people ill, there is no help for it, and you had
better
pray to your father Neptune.'
"Then they went away, and I laughed inwardly at the success of
my
clever stratagem, but the Cyclops, groaning and in an agony of
pain,
felt about with his hands till he found the stone and took it
from
the door; then he sat in the doorway and stretched his hands in
front
of it to catch anyone going out with the sheep, for he thought I
might
be foolish enough to attempt this.
"As for myself I kept on puzzling to think how I could best save
my
own life and those of my companions; I schemed and schemed, as
one
who knows that his life depends upon it, for the danger was very
great.
In the end I deemed that this plan would be the best. The male
sheep
were well grown, and carried a heavy black fleece, so I bound
them
noiselessly in threes together, with some of the withies on
which
the wicked monster used to sleep. There was to be a man under
the
middle sheep, and the two on either side were to cover him, so
that
there were three sheep to each man. As for myself there was a
ram
finer than any of the others, so I caught hold of him by the
back,
esconced myself in the thick wool under his belly, and flung on
patiently
to his fleece, face upwards, keeping a firm hold on it all the
time.
"Thus, then, did we wait in great fear of mind till morning
came,
but when the child of morning, rosy-fingered Dawn, appeared, the
male
sheep hurried out to feed, while the ewes remained bleating
about
the pens waiting to be milked, for their udders were full to
bursting;
but their master in spite of all his pain felt the backs of all
the
sheep as they stood upright, without being sharp enough to find
out
that the men were underneath their bellies. As the ram was going
out,
last of all, heavy with its fleece and with the weight of my
crafty
self; Polyphemus laid hold of it and said:
"'My good ram, what is it that makes you the last to leave my
cave
this morning? You are not wont to let the ewes go before you,
but
lead the mob with a run whether to flowery mead or bubbling
fountain,
and are the first to come home again at night; but now you lag
last
of all. Is it because you know your master has lost his eye, and
are
sorry because that wicked Noman and his horrid crew have got him
down
in his drink and blinded him? But I will have his life yet. If
you
could understand and talk, you would tell me where the wretch is
hiding,
and I would dash his brains upon the ground till they flew all
over
the cave. I should thus have some satisfaction for the harm a
this
no-good Noman has done me.'
"As spoke he drove the ram outside, but when we were a little
way
out from the cave and yards, I first got from under the ram's
belly,
and then freed my comrades; as for the sheep, which were very
fat,
by constantly heading them in the right direction we managed to
drive
them down to the ship. The crew rejoiced greatly at seeing those
of
us who had escaped death, but wept for the others whom the
Cyclops
had killed. However, I made signs to them by nodding and
frowning
that they were to hush their crying, and told them to get all
the
sheep on board at once and put out to sea; so they went aboard,
took
their places, and smote the grey sea with their oars. Then, when
I
had got as far out as my voice would reach, I began to jeer at
the
Cyclops.
"'Cyclops,' said I, 'you should have taken better measure of
your
man before eating up his comrades in your cave. You wretch, eat
up
your visitors in your own house? You might have known that your
sin
would find you out, and now Jove and the other gods have
punished
you.'
"He got more and more furious as he heard me, so he tore the top
from
off a high mountain, and flung it just in front of my ship so
that
it was within a little of hitting the end of the rudder. The sea
quaked
as the rock fell into it, and the wash of the wave it raised
carried
us back towards the mainland, and forced us towards the shore.
But
I snatched up a long pole and kept the ship off, making signs to
my
men by nodding my head, that they must row for their lives,
whereon
they laid out with a will. When we had got twice as far as we
were
before, I was for jeering at the Cyclops again, but the men
begged
and prayed of me to hold my tongue.
"'Do not,' they exclaimed, 'be mad enough to provoke this savage
creature
further; he has thrown one rock at us already which drove us
back
again to the mainland, and we made sure it had been the death of
us;
if he had then heard any further sound of voices he would have
pounded
our heads and our ship's timbers into a jelly with the rugged
rocks
he would have heaved at us, for he can throw them a long way.'
"But I would not listen to them, and shouted out to him in my
rage,
'Cyclops, if any one asks you who it was that put your eye out
and
spoiled your beauty, say it was the valiant warrior Ulysses, son
of
Laertes, who lives in Ithaca.'
"On this he groaned, and cried out, 'Alas, alas, then the old
prophecy
about me is coming true. There was a prophet here, at one time,
a
man both brave and of great stature, Telemus son of Eurymus, who
was
an excellent seer, and did all the prophesying for the Cyclopes
till
he grew old; he told me that all this would happen to me some
day,
and said I should lose my sight by the hand of Ulysses. I have
been
all along expecting some one of imposing presence and superhuman
strength,
whereas he turns out to be a little insignificant weakling, who
has
managed to blind my eye by taking advantage of me in my drink;
come
here, then, Ulysses, that I may make you presents to show my
hospitality,
and urge Neptune to help you forward on your journey- for
Neptune
and I are father and son. He, if he so will, shall heal me,
which
no one else neither god nor man can do.'
"Then I said, 'I wish I could be as sure of killing you outright
and
sending you down to the house of Hades, as I am that it will
take
more than Neptune to cure that eye of yours.'
"On this he lifted up his hands to the firmament of heaven and
prayed,
saying, 'Hear me, great Neptune; if I am indeed your own
true-begotten
son, grant that Ulysses may never reach his home alive; or if he
must
get back to his friends at last, let him do so late and in sore
plight
after losing all his men [let him reach his home in another
man's
ship and find trouble in his house.']
"Thus did he pray, and Neptune heard his prayer. Then he picked
up
a rock much larger than the first, swung it aloft and hurled it
with
prodigious force. It fell just short of the ship, but was within
a
little of hitting the end of the rudder. The sea quaked as the
rock
fell into it, and the wash of the wave it raised drove us
onwards
on our way towards the shore of the island.
"When at last we got to the island where we had left the rest of
our
ships, we found our comrades lamenting us, and anxiously
awaiting
our return. We ran our vessel upon the sands and got out of her
on
to the sea shore; we also landed the Cyclops' sheep, and divided
them
equitably amongst us so that none might have reason to complain.
As
for the ram, my companions agreed that I should have it as an
extra
share; so I sacrificed it on the sea shore, and burned its thigh
bones
to Jove, who is the lord of all. But he heeded not my sacrifice,
and
only thought how he might destroy my ships and my comrades.
"Thus through the livelong day to the going down of the sun we
feasted
our fill on meat and drink, but when the sun went down and it
came
on dark, we camped upon the beach. When the child of morning,
rosy-fingered
Dawn, appeared, I bade my men on board and loose the hawsers.
Then
they took their places and smote the grey sea with their oars;
so
we sailed on with sorrow in our hearts, but glad to have escaped
death
though we had lost our comrades.