Adventure Books

05 - The Odyssey - Homer

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Duration:: 30m
Broadcast on:: 09 Sep 2024
Audio Format:: mp3

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And now, as dawn rose from her couch, besides tithenous, harbinger of lighter like to mortals and immortals, the guards met in council and with them, Joe, the lord of thunder, who is their king. Thereon Minerva began to tell them of the many sufferings of Ulysses, for she pitied him away there in the house of the nymph, Calypso. "Father Jove," said she, "and all you other gods that live in everlasting bliss. I hope there may never be such a thing as a kind and well-disposed ruler anymore, nor one who will govern equitably. I hope there will all be ends worth cruel and unjust, for there is not one of his subjects, but has forgotten Ulysses, who ruled them as though he were their father. There he is, lying in great pain, in an island where dwells the nymph, Calypso, who will not let him go, and it cannot get back to his own country, for he can find other ships, nor sailors, to take him over the sea. Furthermore, wicked people are now trying to murder his only son, Delamarcus, who is coming home from Eilis and Lassa Demon, where he has been to see if he can get further news of his father. What my dear, are you talking about, replied her father? Did you not send him there yourself, because you thought it would help Ulysses to get home and punish the suitors, besides you are perfectly able to protect Calamarcus, and just eat him safely home again? While the suitors have to come, are he scurrying back without having killed him? When he had thus spoken, he said to his son Mercury, Mercury, you are our messenger. Go there for, and El Calypso, we have to read that for Ulysses is to return home, is to be convoyed, neither by God nor men. But after a perilous voyage of twenty days upon a raft, he is to reach Fertil Shuria, the land of the Phasians, who are near of kin to the gods, and will honor him as though he were one of ourselves. They will send him in a ship, to his own country, and will give him more bronze and gold and raiment than he would have brought back from Troy, if he had had. All his prize money, and had got home without disaster. This is how we have settled, that he shall return to his country, and his friends. Thus he spoke, and Mercury, guide and guardian, slayer of Argus, did it he was told. Fourth with, he bound on his glittering golden sandals, with which he could fly like the wind over land and sea. He took the wand with which he seals men's eyes in sleep, or wakes them just as he pleases, and flew holding it in his hand over Bayeria. Then he swooped down through the phenomenon till he reached the level of the sea, whose waves he skimmed like a cormorant that flies fishing every hole in the corner of the ocean, and drenching its thick plumage in the spray. He flew and flew over many a weary wave, but when at last he got to the island, which was his journey's end, he left the sea, and went on by land, till he came to the cave where the nymph, Calypso, lived. He found her at home. There was a large fire burning on the hearth, and one could smell from far the fragrant reek of burning cedar and sandalwood, as for herself. She was busy at her loom. Using her golden shuttle through the warp and singing beautifully, rounder gave there was a thick wood of alder, Popla, and sweet-smelling cypress trees, wherein all kinds of grape-birds had built their nests, owls, awks, and shattering sea-crows that occupy their business in the waters. A vine loaded with grapes was drained and grew luxuriantly, about the mouth of the cave. There were also four running reels of water and channels cut pretty close together, and durn hither and bither, so as to irrigate the beds of violets and luscious herbage over which they flowed. Even a god could not help being charmed with such a lovely spot, so mercury stood still and looked at it, but when he added mud it sufficiently he went inside the cave. Calypso knew him at once, but the gods all knew each other, no matter how far they lived from one another. But Ulysses was not within. He was on the seashore as usual, looking out upon the barren ocean, with tears in his eyes, groaning and breaking his heart for sorrow. Calypso gave mercury his seat and said, "Why have you come to see me, mercury? Honored and ever welcome, for you do not visit me often. Say what you want. I will do it for you at once, if I can, and if it can be done at all." He had come inside, and let me set refreshment before you. As she spoke she drew a table loaded with ambrosia beside him and mixed him some red nectar, so mercury ate and drank till he had had enough, and then said, "We are speaking God and goddess to one another. And you ask me why I have come here, and I will tell you truly, as you would have me do. Jove sent me, it was no doing of mine, who could possibly want to come all this way over the sea, where there are no cities full of people to offer me sacrifices, or choice egotumes. Nevertheless, I had to come, for none of us other gods can cross Jove, nor transgress, his orders." He says that you have here the most ill-starred of all those who fought nine years before the city of King Brian, and sailed home in the 10th year after having sacked it. On their way home they sinned against Minerva, who raised both wind and waves against them, so that all his brave companions perished, and he alone was carried hither by wind and died. "Jove says that you are to let this man go at once, for it is decreed that he shall not perish here, far from his own people, but shall have returned to his house and country and see his friends again. Lips so trembled with rage when she heard this, you gods, you exclaimed, ought to be ashamed of yourselves. You are always jealous, and aint seeing a goddess take a fancy to a mortal man and live with him in open matrimony. So when Rosie Fingerdon made love to Orion, you precious gods were all view furious till Diana went and killed him in Ortasia. So again, when Ceres fell in love with Aishin, and yielded to him in a thrice-plowed fellow field, Jove came to hear of it before so long and killed Aishin with his thunderbolts. And now you are angry with me too, because I have a man here. I found the poor creature sitting all alone as dried of a gill, for Jove had struck his ship with lightning and sunken in mid-ocean, so that all his crew were drowned. While he himself was driven by wind and waves on to my island, I got fond of him and cherished him and had set my heart on making him immortal, so that he should never grow old all his days. Still I cannot cross Jove, nor bring his counsels to nothing, therefore if he insists upon it. Let the man go beyond the seas again, but I cannot send him anywhere myself, or I have neither ships nor men who can take him. Nevertheless, I will readily give him such advice in all good faith, as will be likely to bring him safely to his own country. Then send him away, said Mercury, for Jove will be angry with you, and punish you. On this he took his leave, and Galipso went out to look for Ulysses, for she had a Jove's message. She found him sitting upon the beach, with his eyes ever filled with tears, and dying of your homesickness, for he had got tired of Galipso. And though he was forced to sleep with her in the cave by night, it was she, not he, that would have it so. As for the day time, he spent it on the rocks, and on the seashore, weeping, crying aloud for his despair, and always looking out upon the sea. Galipso then went close up to him and said, "My poor fellow, you shall not stay a grieving and fretting your life out any longer. I am going to send you away of my own free will, so go. Cut some beams of wood, and make yourself a large raft, with an upper deck, that it may carry you safely over the sea. I will put bread, wine, and water on board to save you from starving. I will also give you clothes, and will send you a fair wind to take you home, if the gods in Evans so will it, for they know more about these things, and can settle them better than I can. You lizzy shuddered as he oughta. "Now, goddess," he answered, "there is something behind all this, you cannot be really meaning to help me home when you bid me do such a dreadful thing as put to sea on a raft. Not even a well-found ship with a fair wind could venture on such a distant voyage. Nothing that you can say or do, so make me go on board a raft unless you first solemnly swear that you mean me, no mischief. Calypso smiled at this, and caressed him with her hand. You know a great deal, said she, but you are quite wrong here. May heaven above and earth below be my witnesses, with the waters of the river sticks, and this is the most solemn oath which a blessed god can take, that I mean you, no sort of arm, and am only advising you to do exactly what I should do myself in your place. I am dealing with you quite straightforwardly. My heart is not made of iron, and I am very sorry for you." When she had thus spoken, she led the way rapidly before him, and Ulysses followed in her steps. So the bear, goddess and man, went on and on till they came to Calypso's cave, where Ulysses took the seat that mercury had just left. Calypso set meat and drink before him, of the food that mortals eat, but her maids brought ambrosia and nectar for herself, and they laid their hands on the good things that were before them. When they had satisfied themselves with meat and drink, Calypso spoke, saying, "Ulysses, nobles and of laterties, so you would start home to your own land at once. Good luck go with you, but if you could only know how much suffering is in store for you, before you get back to your own country, you would stay, where you are. Keep house alarm with me, and let me make you immortal. No matter how anxious you may be to see this wife of yours, of whom you are thinking all the time, day after day, yet I flatter myself, that I am no wit less tall or well-looking than she is, for it is not to be expected, that a mortal woman should compare in beauty with an immortal. Goddess, reply to you, lisies, do not be angry with me about this. I am quite aware that my wife Penelope is nothing like so tall or so beautiful as yourself. She is only a woman, whereas you are an immortal. Nevertheless I want to get home, and can think of nothing else. If some god wrecks me when I am on the sea, I will bear it, and make the best of it. I have had in vented trouble both by land and sea already, so let this go with the rest. Presently the sunset, and it became dark, where on the very tired into the inner part of the cave, and went to bed, when the child of mourning, rosy finger dawn appeared, lisies put on his shirt and cloak, while the goddess wore a dress of a light-galsam of fabric, very fine and graceful, with a beautiful golden girdle about her waist, and a veil to cover her head. She had once at herself to think how she could speed you lisies on his way, so she gave him a great bronze axe that suited his hands. It was sharpened on both sides, and had a beautiful olive wood handle that had firmly on to it. She also gave him a sharp ad, and then led the way to the far end of the island, where the largest trees grow, alder, poplar and vine, that reached the sky, very dry and well-seasoned, so as to sail light for him in the water. Then when she had shown him where the best trees grow, Calypso went home, leaving him to cut them, which he soon finished doing. He cut down twenty trees and all, and adds them smooth, squaring them by rule in good workman-like fashion. Meanwhile Calypso came back with some august, so he bore holes with them, and fitted the timbers together with bolts and rivets. He made the raft as broad as a skilled ship-right, makes the beam of a large vessel, and he filed a deck on top of the ribs, and ran a gun wall all around it. He also met a mouse of yardom and a rudder to steer with. He fenced the raft all round with... When you need mealtime inspiration, it's worth shopping king supers, for thousands of appetizing ingredients that inspire countless mouth-watering meals. And no matter what tasty choice you make, you'll enjoy our everyday low prices, plus extra ways to save, like digital coupons worth over $600 each week, and up to one dollar off per gallon at the pump with points, so you can get big flavors and big savings, king supers, fresh for everyone, fuel restrictions apply. Every day we rise, challenging ourselves to work for what we believe in. At US Border Patrol, protecting our borders is more than a job. It's a calling. Let's answer the call, working together to keep our country and communities safe. If you're ready for a new mission, join US Border Patrol and go beyond. Learn more at cpp.gov/careers. The wicker hurdles as a protection against the waves, and then he threw on a quantity of wood, pied by, calypso brought him some linen to make the sails, and he made these two excellently, making them fast with braces and sheets. Last of all, with the help of Levis, he drew the raft down into the water. In four days, he had completed the whole work, and on the fifth, calypso sent him from the island after washing him and giving him some clean clothes. She gave him a goat skin full of black wine, and another larger one of water. She also gave him a wallet full of provisions and found him much good meat. Moreover, she made the wind bear and warm for him, and gladly did Ulysses spread his sail before it. Police sat and guided the raft, skillfully, by means of the rudder. He never closed his eyes, but kept them fixed on the Pleiades, on late setting booths and on the bear, which men also called the Wayne, which turns round and round where it is, facing Orion, and alone never dipping into the stream of Oceonus. What calypso had told him to keep this to his left, days seven and ten did he sail over the sea, and on the eighteen, the dim outlines of the mountains on the nearest part of the phasian coast appeared, rising like a shield on the horizon, but King Neptune, who was returning from the Ethiopians, caught sight of Ulysses a long way off from the mountains of the psalami. He could see him sailing upon the sea, and it made him very angry, so he wagged his head and mutthed to himself, saying, "Evans, so the gods have been changing their minds about Ulysses while I was away in Ethiopia, and now he is close to the land of the phasians, where it is decreed that he shall escape from the calamities that have befallen him till he shall have plenty of our trip yet, before he has done with it. Thereon he gathered his clouds together, rasped his trident, stirred at round in the sea, and roused the rage of every wind that blows till earth, sea and sky were hidden and cloud, and nights rang forth, out of the heavens, winds from east, south, north and west fell upon him all at the same time, and a tremendous sea got up, so that Ulysses' heart began to fail him. Alas, he said to himself in his dismay, "Whatever will be come of me, I am afraid Calypso was right when she said I should have troubled I see before I got back home. It is all coming through, how black is Joe of making heaven with his clouds, and what a sea the winds are raising from every quarter at once. I am now safe to perish. Blessed him thrice blessed were those Danons who fell before try in the cause of the sons of Atreus, with that had been gilled on the day when the Trojans were pressing me so sorely about the dead body of Achilles, for then I should have adieu burial, and the Achaeans would have honored my name, but now it seems that I shall come to a most pitiable land." As he spoke, a sea broke over him with such terrific fury, that the raft reeled again and he was carried overboard a long way off. He let go the home, and the force of the arach, and was so great, that it broke the mast halfway up, and both sail and yawd went over into the sea. For a long time Ulysses was under water, and it was all he could do to rise to the surface again, for the clothes Calypso had given him weighed him down. But at last he got his head above water and spat out the bitter brine that was running down his face in streams. In spite of all this, however, he did not lose sight of his raft, but swam as fast as he could towards it, got hold of it and climbed on board again, so as to escape drowning. The sea took the raft, and tossed it about as autumn winds whirled this all down, round and round upon a road. It was as though the south, north, east, and west winds were all playing battle-door, and shuttlecock with it at once. When he was in this blight, you know, a daughter of Cadmus, also called Luca Thea, saw him. She had formerly been a mere mortal, but had been since raised to the rank of a marine goddess. Seeing in what great distress Ulysses now was, she had compassion upon him, and rising like a seagull from the waves, took her seat upon the raft. My poor good man said she, "Why is Neptune so furiously angry with you? He is giving you a great deal of trouble, but for all his bluster he will not kill you. You seem to be a sensible person. Do then as I bid you. Strip, leave your off to drive before the wind, and swim to the fayation coast where better luck awaits you. And dear, take my val and put it round your chest. It is enchanted, and you can come to know alms as long as you wear it. As soon as you touch land, take it off, throw it back as far as you can into the sea, and then go away again. With these words, she took off her val and gave it to him. Then she dived down again like a seagull, and vanished beneath the dark blue waters. But Ulysses did not know what to think. Alas, he said to himself in his dismay, "This is only some one or other of the gods who is luring me to ruin by advising me to quit my raft. At any rate I will not do so at present. For the land where she said I should be quit of all troubles seem to be still a good way off. I know what I will do. I am sure it will be best, no matter what happens. I will stick to the raft, as long as her timbers all together, but when the sea breaks her up I will swim for it. I do not see how I can do any better than this." While he was thus in two minds, Neptune sent a terrible great wave that seemed to rear itself above his head. Philip broke right over the raft, which then went to pieces as though it were a heap of dry chaff tossed about by a whirlwind. Ulysses got a stride of one blank and rode upon it, as if he were on horseback. He then took off the glows Calypso had given him, bound Ino's veil under his arms, and lunged into the sea, meaning to swim on shore. King Neptune watched him as he did so, and wagged his head, muttering to himself and saying, "There now swim up and down as you best can, who you fall in with the well to do people. I do not think you will be able to say that I have let you off too lightly." On this he lashed his horses, and drove to a jeer, where his palace is. But Minerva resolved to help Ulysses, so she bound the ways of all the winds except one, and made them lie quite still. But she roused a good stiff breeze from the north, that should lay the waters till Ulysses reached the land of the fashions, where he would be safe. There are any floated about, for two nights and two days in the water, where the heavies well on the sea, and death, staring him in the face. But when the third day broke, the wind fell, and there was a dead garm without so much as a breath of air stirring. As he rose on the swell he looked eagerly ahead, and could see land quite near, then. As children rejoice when their dear father begins to get better, after having for a long dime born sore of liction, sent him by some angry spirit, but the gods delivery him from evil. So was Ulysses thankful when he again saw land and trees, and swam on with all his strength, that he might once more set foot upon dry ground. When, however, he got within earshot, and began to hear the surf thundering up against the rock, for this well still broke against them with a terrific roar. Everything was enveloped in spray, though no others, where a ship, might ride, nor shelter of any kind. But only Edlins, low-lying rocks and mountain-dop, Ulysses' art, now began to fail him, and he said despairingly to himself, alas, "Joe, let me see land, after swimming so far, that I had given up all hope, but I can buy no landing-blaze, for the coast is rocky and self-beaten. The rocks are smooth and rise shear from the sea, with deep water close under them, so that I cannot climb out for want of foot old. I am afraid some great wave will lift me off my legs, and dash me against the rocks as I leave the water, which would give me a sorry landing; if, on the other hand, I swam further in search of some shelving beach or harbor. A hurricane may carry me out to see again, sorely against my will, or heaven, may sense some great monster of the deep to attack me, for amfortry breeds many such, and I know that Neptune is very angry with me, while he was thus into mine's a wave-god him and took him with such force against the rocks that he would have been smashed and drawn to pieces of Minerva, not shown him what to do. He got old of the rock with both hands, and clung to it, groaning with pain, till the wave retired, so he was saved that time. But presently the wave came on again and carried him back with it, far into the sea, bearing his hands as the suckers of Apollavus are torn when someone lucks it from its bed, and the stones come up along with it, even so did the rock stare the skin from his strong hands, and then the wave drew him deep down under the water. Here, poor Ulysses would have certainly perished, even in spite of his own destiny, if Minerva had not helped him to give his wits about him. He swam he would again, beyond reach of the surf that was beating against the land, and at the same time he kept looking towards the shore to see if he could find some even, or a spit that should take the waves as land, by and by, as he swam on, he came to the mouth of a river, and here he thought would be the best place where there were no rocks, and at a portage shelter from the wind he felt that there was a current, so he prayed inwardly, and said, "Hear me, O King, whoever you may be, and save me from the anger of the sea-god Neptune, for I approach you prayerfully. Anyone who has lost his way has at all times a claim, even upon the gods, wherefore in my distress I draw near to your stream, and cling to the knees of your riverbed, have mercy upon me, O King, for I declare myself your supplian, then the god stayed his stream instilled the waves, making all calmly for him, and bringing him safely into the mouth of the river. Here at last Ulysses' knees and strong hands failed him, for this he had completely broken him. His body was all swollen, and his mouth and nostrils ran down like a river of seawater, so that he could neither breathe, nor speak, and lay swooning with sheer exhaustion, presently, when he got his breath, and came to himself again. He took off a scarf that, you know, had given him, and threw it back into the salt stream of the river, where I, you know, received it into her hands from the wave that bored towards her, and he left the river, laid himself down among the rushes, and kissed the bounteous earth. Alas, a cry to himself in his dismay, whatever will become of me, and how is it all to end. If I stay here upon the riverbed, through the long watches of the night, I am so exhausted that the bitter cold and damp may make an end of me; for towards sunrise there will be a keen wind blowing from off the river; if on the other hand I climb the hillside, find shelter in the woods, and sleep in some thicket. I may escape the cold and have a good night's rest, but some savage beast may take advantage of me and devour me. In the end he deemed it best to take to the wood, and he found one upon some eye-ground not far from the water. There he crept beneath two shoots of olive that grew from a single stalk, the one an ungrafted sucker, while the other had been grafted. No wind, however squally, could break through the cover they afforded, nor could the sun's rays pierce them; nor the rain get through them, so closely did they grow into one another. Ulysses crept under these and began to make himself a bed to lie on; for there was a great litter of dead leaves lying about, enough to make a covering for two or three men, even in hard winter weather. He was glad enough to see this, so he laid himself down, and heaped the leaves all round him. Then as one who lives alone in the country, thought from any neighbour, hides a brand as fire-seared in the ashes to save himself from having to get a light elsewhere. Even so did Ulysses cover himself up with leaves, and Minerva shed a sweet sleep upon his eyes, closed his eyelids, and made him lose all memories of his sorrows. End of book five. When you need meal time inspiration, it's worth shopping king supers, for thousands of appetizing ingredients that inspire countless mouth-watering meals. And no matter what tasty choice you make, you'll enjoy our everyday low prices, plus extra ways to save, like digital coupons worth over $600 each week, and up to $1 off per gallon at the pump with points, so you can get big flavours and big savings, king supers, fresh for everyone, fuel restrictions apply. Every day we rise, challenging ourselves to work for what we believe in. At U.S. Border Patrol, protecting our borders is more than a job, it's a calling. Agents answer the call, working together to keep our country and communities safe. If you're ready for a new mission, join U.S. Border Patrol and go beyond. Learn more at cpp.gov/careers. You