That the whole house may perish of renown’d
Arcesias, named in Ithaca no more.
But whether he have fallen or ’scaped, let him
Rest also, whom Saturnian Jove protect!
But come, my ancient guest! now let me learn
Thy own afflictions; answer me in truth.
Who, and whence art thou? in what city born?
Where dwell thy parents; in what kind of ship
Cam’st thou? the mariners, why brought they thee
To Ithaca? and of what land are they?
For, that on foot thou found’st us not, is sure.
I will with truth resolve thee; and if here
Within thy cottage sitting, we had wine
And food for many a day, and business none
But to regale at ease while others toiled,
I could exhaust the year complete, my woes
Rehearsing, nor, at last, rehearse entire
My sorrows by the will of heav’n sustained.
In spacious Crete; son of a wealthy sire,
Who other sons train’d num’rous in his house,
Born of his wedded wife; but he begat
Me on his purchased concubine, whom yet
Dear as his other sons in wedlock born
Castor Hylacides esteem’d and lov’d,
For him I boast my father. Him in Crete,
While yet he liv’d, all reverenc’d as a God,
So rich, so prosp’rous, and so blest was he
With sons of highest praise. But death, the doom
Of all, him bore to Pluto’s drear abode,
And his illustrious sons among themselves
Portion’d his goods by lot; to me, indeed,
They gave a dwelling, and but little more,
Yet, for my virtuous qualities, I won
A wealthy bride, for I was neither vain
Nor base, forlorn as thou perceiv’st me now.
But thou canst guess, I judge, viewing the straw
What once was in the ear. Ah! I have borne
Much tribulation; heap’d and heavy woes.
Courage and phalanx-breaking might had I
From Mars and Pallas; at what time I drew,
(Planning some dread exploit) an ambush forth
Of our most valiant Chiefs, no boding fears
Of death seized me, but foremost far of all
I sprang to fight, and pierced the flying foe.
Such was I once in arms. But household toils
Sustain’d for children’s sake, and carking cares
T’ enrich a family, were not for me.
My pleasures were the gallant bark, the din
Of battle, the smooth spear and glitt’ring shaft,
Objects of dread to others, but which me
The Gods disposed to love and to enjoy.
Thus diff’rent minds are diff’rently amused;
For ere Achaia’s fleet had sailed to Troy,
Nine times was I commander of an host
Embark’d against a foreign foe, and found
In all those enterprizes great success.
From the whole booty, first, what pleased me most
Chusing, and sharing also much by lot
I rapidly grew rich, and had thenceforth
Among the Cretans rev’rence and respect.
But when loud-thund’ring Jove that voyage dire
Ordain’d, which loos’d the knees of many a Greek,
Then, to Idomeneus and me they gave
The charge of all their fleet, which how to avoid
We found not, so importunate the cry
Of the whole host impell’d us to the task.
There fought we nine long years, and in the tenth
(Priam’s proud city pillag’d) steer’d again
Our galleys homeward, which the Gods dispersed.
Then was it that deep-planning Jove devised
For me much evil. One short month, no more,
I gave to joys domestic, in my wife
Happy, and in my babes, and in my wealth,
When the desire seiz’d me with sev’ral ships
Well-rigg’d, and furnish’d all with gallant crews,
To sail for Ægypt; nine I fitted forth,
To which stout mariners assembled fast.
Six days the chosen partners of my voyage
Feasted, to whom I num’rous victims gave
For sacrifice, and for their own regale.
Embarking on the sev’nth from spacious Crete,
Before a clear breeze prosp’rous from the North
We glided easily along, as down
A river’s stream; nor one of all my ships
Damage incurr’d, but healthy and at ease
We sat, while gales well-managed urged us on.
The fifth day thence, smooth-flowing Nile we reach’d,
And safe I moor’d in the Ægyptian stream.
Then, charging all my mariners to keep
Strict watch for preservation of the ships,
I order’d spies into the hill- tops; but they
Under the impulse of a spirit rash
And hot for quarrel, the well-cultur’d fields
Pillaged of the Ægyptians, captive led
Their wives and little ones, and slew the men.
Soon was the city alarm’d, and at the cry
Down came the citizens, by dawn of day,
With horse and foot, and with the gleam of arms
Filling the plain. Then Jove with panic dread
Struck all my people; none found courage more
To stand, for mischiefs swarm’d on ev’ry side.
There, num’rous by the glittering spear we fell
Slaughter’d, while others they conducted thence
Alive to servitude. But Jove himself
My bosom with this thought inspired, (I would
That, dying, I had first fulfill’d my fate
In Ægypt, for new woes were yet to come!)
Loosing my brazen casque, and slipping off
My buckler, there I left them on the field,
Then cast my spear away, and seeking, next,
The chariot of the sov’reign, clasp’d his knees,
And kiss’d them. He, by my submission moved,
Deliver’d me, and to his chariot-seat
Raising, convey’d me weeping to his home.
With many an ashen spear his warriors sought
To slay me, (for they now grew fiery wroth)
But he, through fear of hospitable Jove,
Chief punisher of wrong, saved me alive.
Sev’n years I there abode, and much amass’d
Among the Ægyptians, gifted by them all;
But, in the eighth revolving year, arrived
A shrewd Phœnician, in all fraud adept,
Hungry, and who had num’rous
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