the odyssey(奥德赛)-第69章

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soft　bed　as　you　deserve。　You　will　know　very　well　when　morning　comes
from　the　streams　of　Oceanus；　and　it　is　time　for　you　to　be　driving　in
your　goats　for　the　suitors　to　feast　on。〃
　　There；　then；　they　left　him　in　very　cruel　bondage；　and　having　put
on　their　armour　they　closed　the　door　behind　them　and　went　back　to　take
their　places　by　the　side　of　Ulysses；　whereon　the　four　men　stood　in　the
cloister；　fierce　and　full　of　fury；　nevertheless；　those　who　were　in　the
body　of　the　court　were　still　both　brave　and　many。　Then　Jove's　daughter
Minerva　came　up　to　them；　having　assumed　the　voice　and　form　of
Mentor。　Ulysses　was　glad　when　he　saw　her　and　said；　〃Mentor；　lend　me
your　help；　and　forget　not　your　old　comrade；　nor　the　many　good　turns　he
has　done　you。　Besides；　you　are　my　age…mate。〃
　　But　all　the　time　he　felt　sure　it　was　Minerva；　and　the　suitors　from
the　other　side　raised　an　uproar　when　they　saw　her。　Agelaus　was　the
first　to　reproach　her。　〃Mentor；〃　he　cried；　〃do　not　let　Ulysses　beguile
you　into　siding　with　him　and　fighting　the　suitors。　This　is　what　we
will　do：　when　we　have　killed　these　people；　father　and　son；　we　will
kill　you　too。　You　shall　pay　for　it　with　your　head；　and　when　we　have
killed　you；　we　will　take　all　you　have；　in　doors　or　out；　and　bring　it
into　hotch…pot　with　Ulysses'　property；　we　will　not　let　your　sons
live　in　your　house；　nor　your　daughters；　nor　shall　your　widow
continue　to　live　in　the　city　of　Ithaca。〃
　　This　made　Minerva　still　more　furious；　so　she　scolded　Ulysses　very
angrily。　〃Ulysses；〃　said　she；　〃your　strength　and　prowess　are　no　longer
what　they　were　when　you　fought　for　nine　long　years　among　the　Trojans
about　the　noble　lady　Helen。　You　killed　many　a　man　in　those　days；　and
it　was　through　your　stratagem　that　Priam's　city　was　taken。　How　comes
it　that　you　are　so　lamentably　less　valiant　now　that　you　are　on　your
own　ground；　face　to　face　with　the　suitors　in　your　own　house？　Come
on；　my　good　fellow；　stand　by　my　side　and　see　how　Mentor；　son　of
Alcinous　shall　fight　your　foes　and　requite　your　kindnesses　conferred
upon　him。〃
　　But　she　would　not　give　him　full　victory　as　yet；　for　she　wished　still
further　to　prove　his　own　prowess　and　that　of　his　brave　son；　so　she
flew　up　to　one　of　the　rafters　in　the　roof　of　the　cloister　and　sat　upon
it　in　the　form　of　a　swallow。
　　Meanwhile　Agelaus　son　of　Damastor；　Eurynomus；　Amphimedon；
Demoptolemus；　Pisander；　and　Polybus　son　of　Polyctor　bore　the　brunt
of　the　fight　upon　the　suitors'　side；　of　all　those　who　were　still
fighting　for　their　lives　they　were　by　far　the　most　valiant；　for　the
others　had　already　fallen　under　the　arrows　of　Ulysses。　Agelaus　shouted
to　them　and　said；　〃My　friends；　he　will　soon　have　to　leave　off；　for
Mentor　has　gone　away　after　having　done　nothing　for　him　but　brag。
They　are　standing　at　the　doors　unsupported。　Do　not　aim　at　him　all　at
once；　but　six　of　you　throw　your　spears　first；　and　see　if　you　cannot
cover　yourselves　with　glory　by　killing　him。　When　he　has　fallen　we　need
not　be　uneasy　about　the　others。〃
　　They　threw　their　spears　as　he　bade　them；　but　Minerva　made　them　all
of　no　effect。　One　hit　the　door　post；　another　went　against　the　door；
the　pointed　shaft　of　another　struck　the　wall；　and　as　soon　as　they
had　avoided　all　the　spears　of　the　suitors　Ulysses　said　to　his　own　men；
〃My　friends；　I　should　say　we　too　had　better　let　drive　into　the
middle　of　them；　or　they　will　crown　all　the　harm　they　have　done　us　by
us　outright。〃
　　They　therefore　aimed　straight　in　front　of　them　and　threw　their
spears。　Ulysses　killed　Demoptolemus；　Telemachus　Euryades；　Eumaeus
Elatus；　while　the　stockman　killed　Pisander。　These　all　bit　the　dust；
and　as　the　others　drew　back　into　a　corner　Ulysses　and　his　men　rushed
forward　and　regained　their　spears　by　drawing　them　from　the　bodies　of
the　dead。
　　The　suitors　now　aimed　a　second　time；　but　again　Minerva　made　their
weapons　for　the　most　part　without　effect。　One　hit　a　bearing…post　of
the　cloister；　another　went　against　the　door；　while　the　pointed　shaft
of　another　struck　the　wall。　Still；　Amphimedon　just　took　a　piece　of　the
top　skin　from　off　Telemachus's　wrist；　and　Ctesippus　managed　to　graze
Eumaeus's　shoulder　above　his　shield；　but　the　spear　went　on　and　fell　to
the　ground。　Then　Ulysses　and　his　men　let　drive　into　the　crowd　of
suitors。　Ulysses　hit　Eurydamas；　Telemachus　Amphimedon；　and　Eumaeus
Polybus。　After　this　the　stockman　hit　Ctesippus　in　the　breast；　and
taunted　him　saying；　〃Foul…mouthed　son　of　Polytherses；　do　not　be　so
foolish　as　to　talk　wickedly　another　time；　but　let　heaven　direct　your
speech；　for　the　gods　are　far　stronger　than　men。　I　make　you　a　present
of　this　advice　to　repay　you　for　the　foot　which　you　gave　Ulysses　when
he　was　begging　about　in　his　own　house。〃
　　Thus　spoke　the　stockman；　and　Ulysses　struck　the　son　of　Damastor　with
a　spear　in　close　fight；　while　Telemachus　hit　Leocritus　son　of　Evenor
in　the　belly；　and　the　dart　went　clean　through　him；　so　that　he　fell
forward　full　on　his　face　upon　the　ground。　Then　Minerva　from　her　seat
on　the　rafter　held　up　her　deadly　aegis；　and　the　hearts　of　the
suitors　quailed。　They　fled　to　the　other　end　of　the　court　like　a　herd
of　cattle　maddened　by　the　gadfly　in　early　summer　when　the　days　are
at　their　longest。　As　eagle…beaked；　crook…taloned　vultures　from　the
mountains　swoop　down　on　the　smaller　birds　that　cower　in　flocks　upon
the　ground；　and　kill　them；　for　they　cannot　either　fight　or　fly；　and
lookers　on　enjoy　the　sport…　even　so　did　Ulysses　and　his　men　fall
upon　the　suitors　and　smite　them　on　every　side。　They　made　a　horrible
groaning　as　their　brains　were　being　battered　in；　and　the　ground
seethed　with　their　blood。
　　Leiodes　then　caught　the　knees　of　Ulysses　and　said；　〃Ulysses　I
beseech　you　have　mercy　upon　me　and　spare　me。　I　never　wronged　any　of
the　women　in　your　house　either　in　word　or　deed；　and　I　tried　to　stop
the　others。　I　saw　them；　but　they　would　not　listen；　and　now　they　are
paying　for　their　folly。　I　was　their　sacrificing　priest；　if　you　kill
me；　I　shall　die　without　having　done　anything　to　deserve　it；　and
shall　have　got　no　thanks　for　all　the　good　that　I　did。〃
　　Ulysses　looked　sternly　at　him　and　answered；　〃If　you　were　their
sacrificing　priest；　you　must　have　prayed　many　a　time　that　it　might
be　long　before　I　got　home　again；　and　that　you　might　marry　my　wife
and　have　children　by　her。　Therefore　you　shall　die。〃
　　With　these　words　he　picked　up　the　sword　that　Agelaus　had　dropped
when　he　was　being　killed；　and　which　was　lying　upon　the　ground。　Then　he
struck　Leiodes　on　the　back　of　his　neck；　so　that　his　head　fell
rolling　in　the　dust　while　he　was　yet　speaking。
　　The　minstrel　Phemius　son　of　Terpes…　he　who　had　been　forced　by　the
suitors　to　sing　to　them…　now　tried　to　save　his　life。　He　was　standing
near　towards　the　trap　door；　and　held　his　lyre　in　his　hand。　He　did
not　know　whether　to　fly　out　of　the　cloister　and　sit　down　by　the
altar　of　Jove　that　was　in　the　outer　court；　and　on　which　both　Laertes
and　Ulysses　had　offered　up　the　thigh　bones　of　many　an　ox；　or　whether
to　go　straight　up　to　Ulysses　and　embrace　his　knees；　but　in　the　end
he　deemed　it　best　to　embrace　Ulysses'　knees。　So　he　laid　his　lyre　on
the　ground　the　ground　between　the　mixing…bowl　and　the　silver…studded
seat；　then　going　up　to　Ulysses　he　caught　hold　of　his　knees　and　said；
〃Ulysses；　I　beseech　you　have　mercy　on　me　and　spare　me。　You　will　be
sorry　for　it　afterwards　if　you　kill　a　bard　who　can　sing　both　for
gods　and　men　as　I　can。　I　make　all　my　lays　myself；　and　heaven　visits　me
with　every　kind　of　inspiration。　I　would　sing　to　you　as　though　you　were
a　god；　do　not　therefore　be　in　such　a　hurry　to　cut　my　head　off。　Your
own　son　Telemachus　will　tell　you　that　I　did　not　want　to　frequent
your　house　and　sing　to　the　suitors　after　their　meals；　but　they　were
too　many　and　too　strong　for　me；　so　they　made　me。〃
　　Telemachus　heard　him；　and　at　once　went　up　to　his　father。　〃Hold！〃
he　cried；　〃the　man　is　guiltless；　do　him　no　hurt；　and　we　will　Medon
too；　who　was　always　good　to　me　when　I　was　a　boy；　unless　Philoetius
or　Eumaeus　has　already　killed　him；　or　he　has　fallen　in　your　way　when
you　were　raging　about　the　court。〃
　　Medon　caught　these　words　of　Telemachus；　for　he　was　crouching　under　a
seat　beneath　which　he　had　hidden　by　covering　himself　u