The servant carried the pork in
his fingers over to Demodokos, who took it and was very much pleased.
They then laid their hands on the good things that were before them,
and as soon as they had had enough to eat and drink, Odysseus said to
Demodokos, "Demodokos, there is no one in the world whom I praise
with admiration more than I do you. You must have studied under the
Muse, Zeus’ daughter, and under Apollo, - with such a sense of
order [kosmos] do you sing the return of the Achaeans
with all their sufferings and adventures. If you were not there
yourself, you must have heard it all from some one who was. Now,
however, change your song and tell us of the construction
[kosmos] of the wooden horse which Epeios made with
the assistance of Athena, and which Odysseus got by stratagem into
the fort of Troy after freighting it with the men who afterwards
sacked the city. If you will sing this tale aright I will tell all
the world how magnificently heaven has endowed you."
The bard, inspired by a god, lit
up the picture of his story, starting at the point where some of the
Argives set fire to their tents and sailed away while others, hidden
within the horse, were waiting with Odysseus in the Trojan place of
assembly. For the Trojans themselves had drawn the horse into their
fortress, and it stood there while they sat in council round it, and
were in three minds as to what they should do. Some were for breaking
it up then and there; others would have it dragged to the top of the
rock on which the fortress stood, and then thrown down the precipice;
while yet others were for letting it remain as an offering and
propitiation for the gods. And this was how they settled it in the
end, for the city was doomed when it took in that horse, within which
were all the bravest of the Argives waiting to bring death and
destruction on the Trojans. Anon he sang how the sons of the Achaeans
issued from the horse, and sacked the town, breaking out from their
ambuscade. He sang how they overran the city here and there and
ravaged it, and how Odysseus went raging like Ares along with
Menelaos to the house of Deiphobos. It was there that the fight raged
most furiously, nevertheless by Athena's help he was
victorious.
All this he told, but Odysseus
was overcome as he heard him, and his cheeks were wet with tears. He
wept as a woman weeps when she throws herself on the body of her
husband who has fallen before his own city and people, fighting
bravely in defense of his home and children. She screams aloud and
flings her arms about him as he lies gasping for breath and dying,
but her enemies beat her from behind about the back and shoulders,
and carry her off into slavery, to a life of labor
[ponos] and sorrow, and the beauty fades from her
cheeks - even so piteously did Odysseus weep, but none of those
present perceived his tears except Alkinoos, who was sitting near
him, and could hear the sobs and sighs that he was heaving. The king,
therefore, at once rose and said:
"Aldermen and town councilors of
the Phaeacians, let Demodokos cease his song, for there are those
present who do not seem to like it. From the moment that we had done
supper and Demodokos began to sing, our guest has been all the time
groaning and lamenting. He is evidently in great distress
[akhos], so let the bard leave off, that we may all
enjoy ourselves, hosts and guest alike. This will be much more as it
should be, for all these festivities, with the escort and the
presents that we are making with so much good will, are wholly in his
honor, and any one with even a moderate amount of right feeling knows
that he ought to treat a guest and a suppliant as though he were his
own brother.
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