The Adventures of OdysseusHamiltion.docx

The Adventures of OdysseusHamiltion.docx

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TheAdventuresofOdysseusHamiltion

TheAdventuresofOdysseus

TheonlyauthorityforthisstoryistheOdyssey,exceptfortheaccountofAthenasagreementwithPoseidontodestroytheGreekFleet,whichisnotintheOdysseyandwhichIhavetakenfromEuripides'TrojanWomen.PartoftheinterestoftheOdyssey,asdistinguishedfromtheIliad,liesinthedetails,suchasaregiveninthestoryofNausicaiiandthevisitofTelemachustoMenelaus.Theyareusedwithadmirableskilltoenliventhestoryandmakeitseemreal,nevertoholditupordivertthereadersattentionfromthemainissue.

WhenthevictoriousGreekFleetputouttoseaafterthefallofTroy,manyacaptain,allunknowing,facedtroublesasblackasthosehehadbroughtdownontheTrojans.AthenaandPoseidonhadbeentheGreeks'greatestalliesamongthegods,butwhenTroyfellallthathadchanged.Theybecametheirbitterestenemies.TheGreekswentmadwithvictorythenighttheyenteredthecity;theyforgotwhatwasduetothegods;andontheirvoyagehometheywereterriblypunished.

Cassandra,oneofPriam'sdaughters,wasaprophetess.Apollohadlovedherandgivenherthepowertoforetellthefuture.Laterheturnedagainstherbecausesherefusedhislove,andalthoughhecouldnottakebackhisgift-divinefavorsoncebestowedmightnotberevoked—hemadeitofnoaccount:

nooneeverbelievedher.ShetoldtheTrojanseachtimewhatwouldhappen;theywouldneverlistentoher.ShedeclaredthatGreekswerehiddeninthewoodenhorse;noonegaveherwordsathought.Itwasherfatealwaystoknowthedisasterthatwascomingandbeunabletoavertit.WhentheGreekssackedthecityshewasinAthena’stempleclingingtoherimage,underthegoddess’protection.TheGreeksfoundherthereandtheydarenotlayviolenthandsonher.Ajax—notthegreatAjax,ofcourse,whowasdead,butalesserchieftainofthesamename,toreherformthealtaranddraggedheroutofthesanctuary.NotoneGreekprotestedagainstthesacrilege.Athena’swrathwasdeep.ShewenttoPoseidonandlaidherwrongsbeforehim.“Helpmetovengeance,”shesaid.“GivetheGreeksabitterhomecoming.Stirupyourwaterswithwildwhirlwindswhenthesail.Letdeadmenchokethebaysandlinetheshoresandreefs.”

Poseidonagreed.Troywasaheapofashesbynow.HecouldaffordtopayasidehisangeragainsttheTrojans.InthefearfultempestwhichstrucktheGreeksaftertheyleftforGreece,Agamemnoncameneartolosingallhisships;MenalauswasblowntoEgypt,andthearch-sinner,sacrilegiousAjax,wasdrowned.Attheheightofthestormhisboatwasshatteredandsank,buthesucceededinswimmingtoshore.Hewouldhavebeensavedifinhismadfillyhehadnotcriedoutthathewasonethattheseacouldnotdrown.Sucharrogancealwaysarousedtheangerofthegods.Poseidonbrokeoffthejaggedbitofrocktowhichhewasclinging.Ajaxfellandthewavesswepthimawaytohisdeath.

Odysseusdidnotlosehislife,butifhedidnotsufferasmuchassomeoftheGreeks,hesufferedlongerthanthemall.Hewonderedfortenyearsbeforehesawhishome.Whenhereachedit,thelittlesonhehadlefttherewasgrowntomanhood.TwentyyearshadpassedsinceOdysseushadsailedforTroy.

OnIthaca,theislandwherehishomewas,thingshadgonefrombadtoworse.Everyonebynowtookitforgrantedthathewasdead,exceptPenelope,hiswife,andhissonTelemachus.Theyalmostdespaired,butnotquite.AllthepeopleassumedthatPenelopewasawidowandcouldandshouldmarryagain.Fromtheislandsroundaboutand,ofcourse,fromIthaca,mencameswarmingtoOdysseus’housetowoohiswife.Shewouldhavenoneofthem;thehopethatherhusbandwouldreturnwasfaint,butitneverdied.MoreovershedetestedeveryoneofthemandsodidTelemachus,andwithgoodreason.Theywererude,greedy,overbearingmen,whospenttheirdayssittinginthegreathallofthehousedevouringOdysseus’storeofpossessions,slaughteringhiscattle,hissheep,hisswine,drinkinghiswine,burninghiswood,givingorderstohisservants.Theywouldneverleave,theydeclared,untilPenelopeconsentedtomarryoneofthem.Telemachustheytreatedwithamusedcontemptasifhewereamereboyandquitebeneaththeirnotice.Itwasanintolerablestateofthingstobothmotherandson,andyettheywerehelpless,onlytwoandoneofthemawomanagainstagreatcompany.

Penelopehadatfirsthopedtotirethemout.ShetoldthemthatshecouldnotmarryuntilshehadwovenaveryfineandexquisitelywroughtshroudforOdysseus’father,theagedLaertes,againstthedayofhisdeath.Theyhadtogiveintosopiousapurpose,andtheyagreedtowaituntiltheworkwasfinished.Butitneverwas,inasmuchasPenelopeunwoveeachnightwhatshehadwovenduringtheday.Butfinallythetrickfailed.Oneofherhandmaidenstoldthesuitorsandtheydiscoveredherintheveryact.Ofcourseafterthattheyweremoreinsistentandunmanageablethanever.SothemattersstoodwhenthetenthyearofOdysseus’wonderingsneareditsclose.

BecauseofthewickedwaytheyhadtreatedCassandra,AthenahadbeenangryatalltheGreeksindiscriminately,butbeforethat,duringtheTrojanWar,shehadespeciallyfavoredOdysseus.Shedelightedinhiswilymind,hisshrewdnessandhiscunning;shewasalwaysforwardtohelphim.AfterTroyfellsheincludedhimwiththeothersinherwrathfuldispleasureandhetoowascaughtbythestormwhenhesetsailanddrivensocompletelyoffhiscoursethatheneverfounditagain.Yearafteryearhevoyaged,hurriedfromoneperilousadventuretoanother.

Tenyears,however,isalongtimeforangertolast.ThegodshadbynowgrownsorryforOdysseus,withthesingleexceptionofPoseidon,andAthenawassorriestofall.Heroldfeelingforhimhadreturned;shewasdeterminedtoputanendtohissufferingsandbringhimhome.Withthesethoughtsinhermind,shewasdelightedtofindonedaythatPoseidonwasabsentfromthegatheringinOlympus.HehadgonetovisittheEthiopians,wholivedonthefartherbankofOcean,tothesouth,anditwascertainhewouldstaytheresometime,feastingmerrilywiththem.InstantlyshebroughtthesadcaseofOdysseusbeforetheothers.Hewas,atthemoment,shetoldthem,avirtualprisoneronanislandruledoverbythenymphCalypso,wholovedhimandplannednevertolethimgo.Ineveryotherwayexceptingivinghimhisfreedomsheoverwhelmedhimwithkindness;allthatshehadwasathisdisposal.ButOdysseuswasutterlywretched.Helongedforhishome,hiswife,hisson.Hespenthisdaysontheseashore,searchingthehorizonforasailthatnevercame,sickwithlongingtoseeeventhesmokecurlingupfromhishouse.

TheOlympiansweremovedbyherwords.TheyfeltthatOdysseyshaddeservedbetterattheirhandsandZeusspokeforthemallwhenhesaidtheymustputtheirheadstogetherandcontriveawayforhimtoreturn.IftheywereagreedPoseidoncouldnotstandaloneagainstthem.Forhispart,Zeussaid,hewouldsendHermestoCalypsototellherthatshemuststartOdysseysonhisvoyageback.Athenawell-pleasedleftOlympusandglideddowntoIthaca.Shehadalreadymadeherplans.

ShewasexceedinglyfondofTelemachus,notonlybecausehewasherdearOdysseus’son,butbecausehewasasober,discreteyoungman,steadyandprudent,anddependable.ShethoughtitwoulddohimgoodtotakeajourneywhileOdysseuswassailinghome,insteadofperpetuallywatchinginsilentfurytheoutrageousbehaviorofthesuitors.Alsoitwouldadvancehimintheopinionofmeneverywhereiftheobjectofthejourneyweretoseekforsomenewsofhisfather.Theywouldthinkhim,asindeedhewas,apiousyouthwiththemostadmirablefilialsentiments.Accordingly,shedisguisedherselftolooklikeaseafaringmanandwenttothehouse.Telemachussawherwaitingbythethresholdandwasvexedtotheheartthataguestshouldnotfindinstantwelcome.Hehastenedtogreetthestranger,takehisspear,andseathimonachairofhonor.Theattendantsalsohurriedtoshowthehospitalityofthegreathouse,settingfoodandwinebeforehimandstintinghiminnothing.Thenthetwotalkedtogether.Athenabeganbyaskinggentlywasthissomesortofdrinking-boutshehadhappenedupon?

Shedidnotwishtooffend,butawell-manneredmanmightbeexcusedforshowingdisgustatthewaythepeoplearoundwerethemwereacting.ThenTelemachustoldherall,thefearthatOdysseusmustsurelybynowbedead;howeverymanfromfarandnearhadcomewooinghismotherwhocouldnotrejecttheiroffersout-of-hand,butwouldnotacceptanyofthem,andhowthesuitorswereruiningthem,eatinguptheirsubstanceandmakinghavocofthehouse.Athenashowedgreatindignation.Itwasashamefultale,shesaid.IfonceOdysseusgothomethoseevilmenwouldhaveashortshriftandabitterend.Thensheadvisedhimstronglytotrytofindoutsomethingabouthisfather’sfate.Themenmostlikelytogivethenews,shesaid,wereNestorandMenelaus.Withthatshedeparted,leavingtheyoungmanfullofardoranddecision,allhisformeruncertaintyandhesitationgone.Hefeltthechangewithamazementandthebelieftookholdofhimthathisvisitorhadbeendivine.

Thenextdayhesummonedtheassemblyandtoldthemwhatheproposedtodoandaskedthemforawell-builtshipandtwentyrowerstomanher,buthegotnoanswerexceptjeersandtaunts.Lethimsitathomeandgethisnewsthere,thesuitorsbadehim.Theywouldseetoitthathewentonnovoyage.WithmockinglaughertheyswaggeredofftoOdysseus’palace.TelemachusindespairwentfarawayalongtheseashoreandashewalkedheprayedtoAthena.Sheheardhimandcame.Shehadput