Pontonoos then mixed wine and
water, and handed it round after giving every man his drink-offering.
When they had made their offerings, and had drunk each as much as he
was minded, Alkinoos said:
"Aldermen and town councilors of
the Phaeacians, hear my words. You have had your supper, so now go
home to bed. Tomorrow morning I shall invite a still larger number of
aldermen, and will give a sacrificial banquet in honor of our guest;
we can then discuss the question of his escort, and consider how we
may at once send him back rejoicing to his own country without toil
[ponos] or inconvenience to himself, no matter how
distant it may be. We must see that he comes to no harm while on his
homeward journey, but when he is once at home he will have to take
the luck he was born with for better or worse like other people. It
is possible, however, that the stranger is one of the immortals who
has come down from heaven to visit us; but in this case the gods are
departing from their usual practice, for hitherto they have made
themselves perfectly clear to us when we have been offering them
hecatombs. They come and sit at our feasts just like one of our
selves, and if any solitary wayfarer happens to stumble upon some one
or other of them, they affect no concealment, for we are as near of
kin to the gods as the Cyclopes and the savage giants
are."
Then Odysseus said: "Pray,
Alkinoos, do not take any such notion into your head. I have nothing
of the immortal about me, neither in body nor mind, and most resemble
those among you who are the most afflicted. Indeed, were I to tell
you all that heaven has seen fit to lay upon me, you would say that I
was still worse off than they are. Nevertheless, let me sup in spite
of sorrow, for an empty stomach is a very importunate thing, and
thrusts itself on a man's notice no matter how dire is his
distress [penthos]. I am in great distress
[penthos], yet it insists that I shall eat and drink,
bids me lay aside all memory of my sorrows and dwell only on the due
replenishing of itself. As for yourselves, do as you propose, and at
break of day set about helping me to get home. I shall be content to
die if I may first once more behold my property, my bondsmen, and all
the greatness of my house."
Thus did he speak. Every one
approved his saying, and agreed that he should have his escort
inasmuch as he had spoken reasonably. Then when they had made their
drink-offerings, and had drunk each as much as he was minded they
went home to bed every man in his own abode, leaving Odysseus in the
room with Arete and Alkinoos while the servants were taking the
things away after supper. Arete was the first to speak, for she
recognized the shirt, cloak, and good clothes that Odysseus was
wearing, as the work of herself and of her maids; so she said,
"Stranger, before we go any further, there is a question I should
like to ask you. Who, and whence are you, and who gave you those
clothes? Did you not say you had come here from beyond the
sea?"
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