the door, and bade them enter. They, thinking no
“‘We went,’ said he, as you told us, through the evil, followed her, all except Eurylochus, who sus-forest, and in the middle of it there was a fine house pected mischief and stayed outside. When she had built with cut stones in a place that could be seen got them into her house, she set them upon benches from far. There we found a woman, or else she was and seats and mixed them a mess with cheese, honey, a goddess, working at her loom and singing sweetly; 121
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so the men shouted to her and called her, whereon
“With this I left the ship and went up inland.
she at once came down, opened the door, and in-When I got through the charmed grove, and was vited us in. The others did not suspect any mis-near the great house of the enchantress Circe, I met chief so they followed her into the house, but I Mercury with his golden wand, disguised as a young stayed where I was, for I thought there might be man in the hey-day of his youth and beauty with some treachery. From that moment I saw them no the down just coming upon his face. He came up to more, for not one of them ever came out, though I me and took my hand within his own, saying, ‘My sat a long time watching for them.’
poor unhappy man, whither are you going over this
“Then I took my sword of bronze and slung it mountain top, alone and without knowing the way?
over my shoulders; I also took my bow, and told Your men are shut up in Circe’s pigsties, like so many Eurylochus to come back with me and show me wild boars in their lairs. You surely do not fancy the way. But he laid hold of me with both his hands that you can set them free? I can tell you that you and spoke piteously, saying, ‘Sir, do not force me to will never get back and will have to stay there with go with you, but let me stay here, for I know you the rest of them. But never mind, I will protect you will not bring one of them back with you, nor even and get you out of your difficulty. Take this herb, return alive yourself; let us rather see if we cannot which is one of great virtue, and keep it about you escape at any rate with the few that are left us, for when you go to Circe’s house, it will be a talisman we may still save our lives.’
to you against every kind of mischief.
“‘Stay where you are, then, ‘answered I, ‘eating
“‘And I will tell you of all the wicked witchcraft and drinking at the ship, but I must go, for I am that Circe will try to practise upon you. She will most urgently bound to do so.’
mix a mess for you to drink, and she will drug the 122
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meal with which she makes it, but she will not be the house of Circe, and my heart was clouded with able to charm you, for the virtue of the herb that I care as I walked along. When I got to the gates I shall give you will prevent her spells from working.
stood there and called the goddess, and as soon as I will tell you all about it. When Circe strikes you she heard me she came down, opened the door, and with her wand, draw your sword and spring upon asked me to come in; so I followed her—much her as though you were goings to kill her. She will troubled in my mind. She set me on a richly deco-then be frightened and will desire you to go to bed rated seat inlaid with silver, there was a footstool with her; on this you must not point blank refuse also under my feet, and she mixed a mess in a golden her, for you want her to set your companions free, goblet for me to drink; but she drugged it, for she and to take good care also of yourself, but you make meant me mischief. When she had given it me, and her swear solemnly by all the blessed that she will I had drunk it without its charming me, she struck plot no further mischief against you, or else when she, struck me with her wand. ‘There now,’ she cried, she has got you naked she will unman you and make
‘be off to the pigsty, and make your lair with the you fit for nothing.’
rest of them.’
“As he spoke he pulled the herb out of the ground
“But I rushed at her with my sword drawn as an showed me what it was like. The root was black, though I would kill her, whereon she fell with a loud while the flower was as white as milk; the gods call scream, clasped my knees, and spoke piteously, say-it Moly, and mortal men cannot uproot it, but the ing, ‘Who and whence are you? from what place and gods can do whatever they like.
people have you come? How can it be that my drugs
“Then Mercury went back to high Olympus pass-have no power to charm you? Never yet was any ing over the wooded island; but I fared onward to man able to stand so much as a taste of the herb I 123
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gave you; you must be spell-proof; surely you can be fair purple cloth over a seat, and laid a carpet un-none other than the bold hero Ulysses, who Mer-derneath it. Another brought tables of silver up to cury always said would come here some day with his the seats, and set them with baskets of gold. A third ship while on his way home form Troy; so be it then; mixed some sweet wine with water in a silver bowl sheathe your sword and let us go to bed, that we and put golden cups upon the tables, while the may make friends and learn to trust each other.’
fourth she brought in water and set it to boil in a
“And I answered, ‘Circe, how can you expect me large cauldron over a good fire which she had lighted.
to be friendly with you when you have just been When the water in the cauldron was boiling, she turning all my men into pigs? And now that you poured cold into it till it was just as I liked it, and have got me here myself, you mean me mischief then she set me in a bath and began washing me when you ask me to go to bed with you, and will from the cauldron about the head and shoulders, unman me and make me fit for nothing. I shall cer-to take the tire and stiffness out of my limbs. As tainly not consent to go to bed with you unless you soon as she had done washing me and anointing will first take your solemn oath to plot no further me with oil, she arrayed me in a good cloak and harm against me.’
shirt and led me to a richly decorated seat inlaid
“So she swore at once as I had told her, and when she with silver; there was a footstool also under my feet.
had completed her oath then I went to bed with her.
A maid servant then brought me water in a beauti-
“Meanwhile her four servants, who are her house-ful golden ewer and poured it into a silver basin for maids, set about their work. They are the children me to wash my hands, and she drew a clean table of the groves and fountains, and of the holy waters beside me; an upper servant brought me bread and that run down into the sea. One of them spread a offered me many things of what there was in the 124
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house, and then Circe bade me eat, but I would ond drug, whereon the bristles that the bad drug not, and sat without heeding what was before me, had given them fell off, and they became men again, still moody and suspicious.
younger than they were before, and much taller and
“When Circe saw me sitting there without eat-better looking. They knew me at once, seized me ing, and in great grief, she came to me and said, each of them by the hand, and wept for joy till the
‘Ulysses, why do you sit like that as though you whole house was filled with the sound of their were dumb, gnawing at your own heart, and refus-hullabalooing, and Circe herself was so sorry for ing both meat and drink? Is it that you are still them that she came up to me and said, ‘Ulysses, suspicious? You ought not to be, for I have already noble son of Laertes, go back at once to the sea where sworn solemnly that I will not hurt you.’
you have left your ship, and first draw it on to the
“And I said, ‘Circe, no man with any sense of what land. Then, hide all your ship’s gear and property in is right can think of either eating or drinking in some cave, and come back here with your men.’
your house until you have set his friends free and
“I agreed to this, so I went back to the sea shore, let him see them. If you want me to eat and drink, and found the men at the ship weeping and wailing you must free my men and bring them to me that I most piteously. When they saw me the silly blubber-may see them with my own eyes.’
ing fellows began frisking round me as calves break
“When I had said this she went straight through out and gambol round their mothers, when they see the court with her wand in her hand and opened them coming home to be milked after they have been the pigsty doors. My men came out like so many feeding all day, and the homestead resounds with prime hogs and stood looking at her, but she went their lowing. They seemed as glad to see me as though about among them and anointed each with a sec-they had got back to their own rugged Ithaca, where 125
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they had been born and bred. ‘Sir,’ said the affec-or no to draw the keen blade that hung by my sturdy tionate creatures, ‘we are as glad to see you back as thigh and cut his head off in spite of his being a though we had got safe home to Ithaca; but tell us near relation of my own; but the men interceded all about the fate of our comrades.’
for him and said, ‘Sir, if it may so be, let this fellow
“I spoke comfortingly to them and said, ‘We must stay here and mind the ship, but take the rest of us draw our ship on to the land, and hide the ship’s with you to Circe’s house.’
gear with all our property in some cave; then come
“On this we all went inland, and Eurylochus was with me all of you as fast as you can to Circe’s house, not left behind after all, but came on too, for he where you will find your comrades eating and drink-was frightened by the severe reprimand that I had ing in the midst of great abundance.’
given him.
“On this the men would have come with me at
“Meanwhile Circe had been seeing that the men once, but Eurylochus tried to hold them back and who had been left behind were washed and anointed said, ‘Alas, poor wretches that we are, what will be-with olive oil; she had also given them woollen cloaks come of us? Rush not on your ruin by going to the and shirts, and when we came we found them all house of Circe, who will turn us all into pigs or comfortably at dinner in her house. As soon as the wolves or lions, and we shall have to keep guard men saw each other face to face and knew one an-over her house. Remember how the Cyclops treated other, they wept for joy and cried aloud till the whole us when our comrades went inside his cave, and palace rang again. Thereon Circe came up to me and Ulysses with them. It was all through his sheer folly said, ‘Ulysses, noble son of Laertes, tell your men to that those men lost their lives.’
leave off crying; I know how much you have all of
“When I heard him I was in two minds whether you suffered at sea, and how ill you have fared among 126
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cruel savages on the mainland, but that is over now, her by her knees, and the goddess listened to what I so stay here, and eat and drink till you are once more had got to say. ‘Circe,’ said I, ‘please to keep the as strong and hearty as you were when you left Ithaca; promise you made me about furthering me on my for at present you are weakened both in body and homeward voyage. I want to get back and so do my mind; you keep all the time thinking of the hard-men, they are always pestering me with their com-ships—you have suffered during your travels, so that plaints as soon as ever your back is turned.’
you have no more cheerfulness left in you.’
“And the goddess answered, ‘Ulysses, noble son
“Thus did she speak and we assented. We stayed of Laertes, you shall none of you stay here any longer with Circe for a whole twelvemonth feasting upon if you do not want to, but there is another journey an untold quantity both of meat and wine. But when which you have got to take before you can sail home-the year had passed in the waning of moons and the wards. You must go to the house of Hades and of long days had come round, my men called me apart dread Proserpine to consult the ghost of the blind and said, ‘Sir, it is time you began to think about Theban prophet Teiresias whose reason is still un-going home, if so be you are to be spared to see your shaken. To him alone has Proserpine left his under-house and native country at all.’
standing even in death, but the other ghosts flit
“Thus did they speak and I assented. Thereon about aimlessly.’
through the livelong day to the going down of the
“I was dismayed when I heard this. I sat up in sun we feasted our fill on meat and wine, but when bed and wept, and would gladly have lived no longer the sun went down and it came on dark the men laid to see the light of the sun, but presently when I was themselves down to sleep in the covered cloisters. I, tired of weeping and tossing myself about, I said, however, after I had got into bed with Circe, besought
‘And who shall guide me upon this voyage- for the 127
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house of Hades is a port that no ship can reach.’
that when you get back to Ithaca you will sacrifice a
“‘You will want no guide,’ she answered; ‘raise barren heifer to them, the best you have, and will you mast, set your white sails, sit quite still, and load the pyre with good things. More particularly the North Wind will blow you there of itself. When you must promise that Teiresias shall have a black your ship has traversed the waters of Oceanus, you sheep all to himself, the finest in all your flocks.
will reach the fertile shore of Proserpine’s country
“‘When you shall have thus besought the ghosts with its groves of tall poplars and willows that shed with your prayers, offer them a ram and a black their fruit untimely; here beach your ship upon the ewe, bending their heads towards Erebus; but your-shore of Oceanus, and go straight on to the dark self turn away from them as though you would make abode of Hades. You will find it near the place where towards the river. On this, many dead men’s ghosts the rivers Pyriphlegethon and Cocytus (which is a will come to you, and you must tell your men to branch of the river Styx) flow into Acheron, and skin the two sheep that you have just killed, and you will see a rock near it, just where the two roar-offer them as a burnt sacrifice with prayers to Ha-ing rivers run into one another.
des and to Proserpine. Then draw your sword and
“‘When you have reached this spot, as I now tell sit there, so as to prevent any other poor ghost from you, dig a trench a cubit or so in length, breadth, coming near the split blood before Teiresias shall and depth, and pour into it as a drink-offering to all have answered your questions. The seer will pres-the dead, first, honey mixed with milk, then wine, ently come to you, and will tell you about your and in the third place water-sprinkling white barley voyage—what stages you are to make, and how you meal over the whole. Moreover you must offer many are to sail the see so as to reach your home.’
prayers to the poor feeble ghosts, and promise them
“It was day-break by the time she had done speak-128
The Odyssey – Book XI ing, so she dressed me in my shirt and cloak. As for
‘You think you are about to start home again, but herself she threw a beautiful light gossamer fabric Circe has explained to me that instead of this, we over her shoulders, fastening it with a golden girdle have got to go to the house of Hades and Proserpine round her waist, and she covered her head with a to consult the ghost of the Theban prophet Teiresias.’
mantle. Then I went about among the men every-
“The men were broken-hearted as they heard me, where all over the house, and spoke kindly to each and threw themselves on the ground groaning and of them man by man: ‘You must not lie sleeping tearing their hair, but they did not mend matters here any longer,’
by crying. When we reached the sea shore, weeping said I to them, ‘we must be going, for Circe has told and lamenting our fate, Circe brought the ram and me all about it.’ And this they did as I bade them.
the ewe, and we made them fast hard by the ship.
“Even so, however, I did not get them away with-She passed through the midst of us without our out misadventure. We had with us a certain youth knowing it, for who can see the comings and goings named Elpenor, not very remarkable for sense or cour-of a god, if the god does not wish to be seen?
age, who had got drunk and was lying on the house-top away from the rest of the men, to sleep off his BOOK XI
liquor in the cool. When he heard the noise of the men bustling about, he jumped up on a sudden and THEN, WHEN WE HAD GOT DOWN to the sea shore we forgot all about coming down by the main staircase, drew our ship into the water and got her mast and so he tumbled right off the roof and broke his neck, sails into her; we also put the sheep on board and and his soul went down to the house of Hades.
took our places, weeping and in great distress of
“When I had got the men together I said to them, mind. Circe, that great and cunning goddess, sent 129
The Odyssey – Book XI us a fair wind that blew dead aft and stayed steadily over the whole, praying earnestly to the poor feck-with us keeping our sails all the time well filled; so less ghosts, and promising them that when I got we did whatever wanted doing to the ship’s gear back to Ithaca I would sacrifice a barren heifer for and let her go as the wind and helmsman headed them, the best I had, and would load the pyre with her. All day long her sails were full as she held her good things. I also particularly promised that course over the sea, but when the sun went down Teiresias should have a black sheep to himself, the and darkness was over all the earth, we got into the best in all my flocks. When I had prayed sufficiently deep waters of the river Oceanus, where lie the land to the dead, I cut the throats of the two sheep and and city of the Cimmerians who live enshrouded in let the blood run into the trench, whereon the ghosts mist and darkness which the rays of the sun never came trooping up from Erebus- brides, young bach-pierce neither at his rising nor as he goes down again elors, old men worn out with toil, maids who had out of the heavens, but the poor wretches live in been crossed in love, and brave men who had been one long melancholy night. When we got there we killed in battle, with their armour still smirched with beached the ship, took the sheep out of her, and blood; they came from every quarter and flitted went along by the waters of Oceanus till we came round the trench with a strange kind of screaming to the place of which Circe had told us.
sound that made me turn pale with fear. When I
“Here Perimedes and Eurylochus held the victims, saw them coming I told the men to be quick and while I drew my sword and dug the trench a cubit flay the carcasses of the two dead sheep and make each way. I made a drink-offering to all the dead, burnt offerings of them, and at the same time to first with honey and milk, then with wine, and repeat prayers to Hades and to Proserpine; but I thirdly with water, and I sprinkled white barley meal sat where I was with my sword drawn and would 130
The Odyssey – Book XI not let the poor feckless ghosts come near the blood that when you leave this limbo you will again hold till Teiresias should have answered my questions.
your ship for the Aeaean island. Do not go thence
“The first ghost ‘that came was that of my com-leaving me unwaked and unburied behind you, or I rade Elpenor, for he had not yet been laid beneath may bring heaven’s anger upon you; but burn me the earth. We had left his body unwaked and un-with whatever armour I have, build a barrow for buried in Circe’s house, for we had had too much me on the sea shore, that may tell people in days to else to do. I was very sorry for him, and cried when come what a poor unlucky fellow I was, and plant I saw him: ‘Elpenor,’ said I, ‘how did you come down over my grave the oar I used to row with when I here into this gloom and darkness? You have here was yet alive and with my messmates.’ And I said, ‘My on foot quicker than I have with my ship.’
poor fellow, I will do all that you have asked of me.’
“‘Sir,’ he answered with a groan, ‘it was all bad
“Thus, then, did we sit and hold sad talk with luck, and my own unspeakable drunkenness. I was one another, I on the one side of the trench with lying asleep on the top of Circe’s house, and never my sword held over the blood, and the ghost of my thought of coming down again by the great stair-comrade saying all this to me from the other side.
case but fell right off the roof and broke my neck, Then came the ghost of my dead mother Anticlea, so my soul down to the house of Hades. And now I daughter to Autolycus. I had left her alive when I beseech you by all those whom you have left be-set out for Troy and was moved to tears when I saw hind you, though they are not here, by your wife, her, but even so, for all my sorrow I would not let by the father who brought you up when you were a her come near the blood till I had asked my ques-child, and by Telemachus who is the one hope of tions of Teiresias.
your house, do what I shall now ask you. I know
“Then came also the ghost of Theban Teiresias, 131
The Odyssey – Book XI with his golden sceptre in his hand. He knew me both of your ship and of your men. Even though and said, ‘Ulysses, noble son of Laertes, why, poor you may yourself escape, you will return in bad man, have you left the light of day and come down plight after losing all your men, [in another man’s to visit the dead in this sad place? Stand back from ship, and you will find trouble in your house, which the trench and withdraw your sword that I may will be overrun by high-handed people, who are drink of the blood and answer your questions truly.’
devouring your substance under the pretext of pay-
“So I drew back, and sheathed my sword, whereon when ing court and making presents to your wife.
he had drank of the blood he began with his prophecy.
“‘When you get home you will take your revenge
“You want to know,’ said he, ‘about your return on these suitors; and after you have killed them by home, but heaven will make this hard for you. I do force or fraud in your own house, you must take a not think that you will escape the eye of Neptune, well-made oar and carry it on and on, till you come who still nurses his bitter grudge against you for to a country where the people have never heard of having blinded his son. Still, after much suffering the sea and do not even mix salt with their food, you may get home if you can restrain yourself and nor do they know anything about ships, and oars your companions when your ship reaches the that are as the wings of a ship. I will give you this Thrinacian island, where you will find the sheep certain token which cannot escape your notice. A and cattle belonging to the sun, who sees and gives wayfarer will meet you and will say it must be a ear to everything. If you leave these flocks unharmed winnowing shovel that you have got upon your and think of nothing but of getting home, you may shoulder; on this you must fix the oar in the ground yet after much hardship reach Ithaca; but if you and sacrifice a ram, a bull, and a boar to Neptune.
harm them, then I forewarn you of the destruction Then go home and offer hecatombs to an the gods 132
The Odyssey – Book XI in heaven one after the other. As for yourself, death while you are still alive? It is a hard thing for the shall come to you from the sea, and your life shall living to see these places, for between us and them ebb away very gently when you are full of years there are great and terrible waters, and there is and peace of mind, and your people shall bless you.
Oceanus, which no man can cross on foot, but he All that I have said will come true].’
must have a good ship to take him. Are you all this
“‘This,’ I answered, ‘must be as it may please time trying to find your way home from Troy, and heaven, but tell me and tell me and tell me true, I have you never yet got back to Ithaca nor seen your see my poor mother’s ghost close by us; she is sitting wife in your own house?’
by the blood without saying a word, and though I
“‘Mother,’ said I, ‘I was forced to come here to am her own son she does not remember me and speak consult the ghost of the Theban prophet Teiresias.
to me; tell me, Sir, how I can make her know me.’
I have never yet been near the Achaean land nor
“‘That,’ said he, ‘I can soon do Any ghost that set foot on my native country, and I have had noth-you let taste of the blood will talk with you like a ing but one long series of misfortunes from the very reasonable being, but if you do not let them have first day that I set out with Agamemnon for Ilius, any blood they will go away again.’
the land of noble steeds, to fight the Trojans. But
“On this the ghost of Teiresias went back to the tell me, and tell me true, in what way did you die?
house of Hades, for his prophecyings had now been Did you have a long illness, or did heaven vouch-spoken, but I sat still where I was until my mother safe you a gentle easy passage to eternity? Tell me came up and tasted the blood. Then she knew me also about my father, and the son whom I left be-at once and spoke fondly to me, saying, ‘My son, hind me; is my property still in their hands, or has how did you come down to this abode of darkness some one else got hold of it, who thinks that I shall 133
The Odyssey – Book XI not return to claim it? Tell me again what my wife and more as he grows older. As for my own end it intends doing, and in what mind she is; does she was in this wise: heaven did not take me swiftly and live with my son and guard my estate securely, or painlessly in my own house, nor was I attacked by has she made the best match she could and mar-any illness such as those that generally wear people ried again?’
out and kill them, but my longing to know what you
“My mother answered, ‘Your wife still remains in were doing and the force of my affection for you—
your house, but she is in great distress of mind and this it was that was the death of me.’
spends her whole time in tears both night and day.
“Then I tried to find some way of embracing my No one as yet has got possession of your fine prop-mother’s ghost. Thrice I sprang towards her and erty, and Telemachus still holds your lands undis-tried to clasp her in my arms, but each time she turbed. He has to entertain largely, as of course he flitted from my embrace as it were a dream or phan-must, considering his position as a magistrate, and tom, and being touched to the quick I said to her, how every one invites him; your father remains at
‘Mother, why do you not stay still when I would his old place in the country and never goes near the embrace you? If we could throw our arms around town. He has no comfortable bed nor bedding; in one another we might find sad comfort in the shar-the winter he sleeps on the floor in front of the fire ing of our sorrows even in the house of Hades; does with the men and goes about all in rags, but in sum-Proserpine want to lay a still further load of grief mer, when the warm weather comes on again, he lies upon me by mocking me with a phantom only?’
out in the vineyard on a bed of vine leaves thrown
“‘My son,’ she answered, ‘most ill-fated of all man-anyhow upon the ground. He grieves continually kind, it is not Proserpine that is beguiling you, but all about your never having come home, and suffers more people are like this when they are dead. The sinews 134
The Odyssey – Book XI no longer hold the flesh and bones together; these Neptune, disguised as her lover, lay with her at the perish in the fierceness of consuming fire as soon as mouth of the river, and a huge blue wave arched life has left the body, and the soul flits away as though itself like a mountain over them to hide both woman it were a dream. Now, however, go back to the light of and god, whereon he loosed her virgin girdle and day as soon as you can, and note all these things that laid her in a deep slumber. When the god had ac-you may tell them to your wife hereafter.’
complished the deed of love, he took her hand in
“Thus did we converse, and anon Proserpine sent his own and said, ‘Tyro, rejoice in all good will; the up the ghosts of the wives and daughters of all the embraces of the gods are not fruitless, and you will most famous men. They gathered in crowds about have fine twins about this time twelve months. Take the blood, and I considered how I might question great care of th