The next day, as soon as the edge of the sky was painted with the bright purple of dawn, Telemachus went to the city. Leaving, he ordered Eumaeus to escort the wanderer to the city so that he could collect alms there. Arriving home, Telemachus was the first to meet his old nanny Eurycleia. She was incredibly happy when she saw Telemachus enter, and hugged him with tears. All the slaves came out to meet the son of Odysseus. Having learned about the return of her son, Penelope also went out to meet him. She hugged her son and began to ask him about what he had learned during his journey. But Telemachus did not tell her anything - he was in a hurry to go to the city square to bring Theoclymenes to his house.
When Telemachus came to the city square, the suitors surrounded him in a crowd, each of them was in a hurry to wish him something good, but in the depths of their hearts they were plotting the death of Telemachus. Soon Theoclymenes came to the square with Peraius, who sheltered him for a while while Telemachus was not in the city.
Now Telemachus invited Theoclymenes to his house and left with him. At home, having washed in beautiful marble baths, Telemachus and Theoclymenes sat down to a meal. Penelope came out to them and sat down near their table with her work. Telemachus told his mother about his journey to Pylos and Sparta. Penelope was saddened by the fact that Telemachus did not learn anything about his father. But Theoclymenes began to calm her down; he assured that Odysseus was already in Ithaca, that he was probably hiding somewhere in order to more accurately prepare the death of the suitors. Theoclymenus said that if Odysseus had not returned to Ithaca, the gods would not have sent signs when Telemachus returned.
During Penelope's conversation with Telemachus and Theoclymenes, the suitors amused themselves in the courtyard by throwing a disc and a spear. Soon the shepherds brought goats and sheep for the grooms' feast. The suitors entered the house of Odysseus in a crowd and began preparing for the feast. The herald Medont called them to the banquet hall.
Meanwhile, Odysseus and Eumaeus walked slowly towards the city. Leaning on a stick, Odysseus walked under the guise of a weak beggar. They were already not far from the city when the shepherd Melantius met them at the source from which the city residents took water. Seeing Eumaeus with the wanderer, the insolent Melanthius began to mock them and shouted:
- Here is one scoundrel leading another! Where are you, stupid Eumaeus, taking this beggar? Look, the suitors will break his ribs if he even dares to show himself in Odysseus’s house!
Having shouted this, Melantius kicked Odysseus hard, but Odysseus did not even move from this blow. He restrained himself so as not to kill the insolent man by hitting his head on the ground. Eumaeus began to threaten Melanthius that things would be bad for him when Odysseus returned. But Melantius rudely replied that he hoped in vain for the return of Odysseus, that Telemachus would soon be killed by the suitors, and Eumaeus himself would be sold to some foreigners. With these threats Melantius left.
Eumaeus and Odysseus slowly continued their journey. Finally, they approached the palace of Odysseus. From there came the sounds of the cithara and singing. The grooms' feast was in full swing. Eumaeus and Odysseus, talking loudly to each other, entered the courtyard. There, on a pile of manure right next to the gate, lay Odysseus’s old dog, Argus. As soon as she heard her master's voice, her ears perked up. Faithful Argus sensed his master, wagged his tail and wanted to rise to rush towards him, but was no longer able to move. Abandoned by everyone, old, he was dying. Odysseus also recognized his faithful Argus. A tear rolled down from his eyes; He quickly wiped away the tear with his hand so that Eumaeus would not notice it. Argus moved and died. He waited for his master for twenty years and immediately recognized him, even under the guise of a beggar.
Eumaeus entered the banquet hall first and sat down next to Telemachus. Following Eumaeus, Odysseus entered. But he did not go to the guests, but sat down at the very entrance, leaning against the door. Telemachus immediately took the bread and meat, ordered it to be taken to Odysseus and told him to boldly go to the guests to ask for alms. Odysseus stood up and began to walk around all the guests. Everyone served him, only one refused - Antinous. But Odysseus began to persistently ask him for alms. The cruel, rude Antinous became angry and drove Odysseus away from him. Odysseus left him, saying:
“Yes, I see that your mind is not as good as your face, since you regret giving me even a crust of bread, and someone else’s at that!”
Antinous flared up with anger, grabbed the bench, threw it with all his might at Odysseus and hit him in the back. But Odysseus did not even stagger from the strong blow, he stood like an unshakable rock; he only shook his head menacingly, sat down again right at the door and said:
“It doesn’t matter if someone suffers a beating while defending their property.” If only the goddess of vengeance Erinyes protects the poor, then instead of marriage, death awaits Antinous here.
Antinous became even more angry when he heard the words of Odysseus, but the suitors began to reproach him for insulting the stranger who came to the house, since it had happened more than once that immortal gods came to people under the guise of strangers. It was bitter for Telemachus to see how Antinous insulted his father, but, remembering the condition, he restrained his anger.
Penelope also learned how Antinous had insulted the unfortunate wanderer. She hated the daring Antinous even more. Calling Eumaeus to her, she asked him about the wanderer, and when she learned that Odysseus had once been a guest of the wanderer’s father, she exclaimed:
“Oh, I believe that Odysseus and Telemachus will take cruel revenge on the suitors when Odysseus returns!”
As soon as Penelope said this, Telemachus sneezed loudly. Penelope rejoiced at this sign; now she was sure that sooner or later the suitors would die at the hands of her husband.
She ordered Eumaeus to bring the wanderer to her to ask him about Odysseus. But Odysseus refused to go to Penelope right away; he asked to wait until the evening, not wanting to irritate the suitors even more. Penelope agreed to wait.
The feast of the suitors became more and more noisy. Night has fallen. Eumaeus had long since gone home. The grooms still did not leave. Suddenly a beggar, known throughout Ithaca as a glutton and drunkard, appeared at the door. His name was Irom. Seeing the stranger at the door, Ir began to chase him, but Odysseus did not leave. Then Ir began to threaten him that he would beat him if he did not leave immediately. A quarrel began. Antinous heard her and, wanting to provide entertainment for himself and the suitors, decided to force Ira to fight with the wanderer. He promised to give the winner a roasted goat stomach as a reward, and in addition, to allow him to come for alms every day. The suitors surrounded Ira and Odysseus and incited them to measure their strength. Odysseus agreed to fight with Ir, but first took an oath from the suitors that they would not help Ir. The grooms took an oath. Then Odysseus took off his rags and girded himself with them. The suitors looked in surprise at Odysseus’s powerful body, at his muscular arms, broad chest and shoulders. Ir was terribly frightened, but he could no longer help but fight with Odysseus, since the slaves grabbed him, girded him and put him against Odysseus. Ir could barely stand on his feet from fear. Looking at him, Odysseus thought: should he kill him with a blow of his fist or just knock him down? Odysseus decided that with a powerful blow he could arouse the suspicion of the suitors; therefore, when Ir hit him on the shoulder, he in turn hit him on the head just above the ear. Ir fell to the floor and screamed in pain. Odysseus grabbed him by the leg and pulled him out of the banquet hall into the courtyard, sat him there against the wall near the gate, threw his torn bag over his shoulders and gave him a stick in his hands. This is how Odysseus taught Ira a lesson because he boldly decided to drive him, a wanderer, out of his own home. The suitors were very happy that Odysseus had saved them from the annoying Ira. They cheerfully congratulated him on his victory, and one of them, Amphinos, presented Odysseus with a cup of wine and wished that the gods would again send him wealth and happiness. Amphinomus was the best of the suitors, he often kept the others from rioting and always protected Telemachus. Odysseus knew this and, wanting to save Amphinomus, advised him to leave the crowd of suitors and return to his father, since Odysseus would soon return and then death would threaten all the suitors. But Amphinos did not heed the advice of Odysseus; he himself walked towards his death.
At this time, the goddess Pallas Athena prompted Penelope to go out to the suitors in order to further inflame in them the desire to marry her, and so that Odysseus and Telemachus would even more appreciate her fidelity and love for them. Penelope immediately called Eurynoma and ordered two slaves to be summoned, who were to escort her to the banquet hall to the suitors. When Eurynome came out, the goddess Athena put Penelope into a short sleep and in her sleep endowed her with such beauty that she shone like the goddess of love Aphrodite. The slaves entered and woke Penelope. Penelope stood up and went to the grooms. They looked with delight at Odysseus’s wife entering. Penelope called Telemachus to her and reproached him for allowing him to insult the unfortunate wanderer in his house. Telemachus listened obediently to his mother’s reproach. One of the suitors, Eurymachus, turned to Penelope and began to praise her beauty. Penelope listened to him and replied that she no longer had her former beauty, she had lost it since Odysseus left her; only then would her beauty return to her again if Odysseus returned. She reproached the suitors for forcing her to enter into a marriage she hated with one of them and ruining the house of Odysseus with their feasts. It was not like this in the old days; then grooms tried to seduce the bride with gifts and did not waste other people’s property. But the suitors did not heed Penelope’s reproaches; Having calmly listened to her, the suitors sent their servants for rich gifts and presented them to Penelope, thinking to persuade her to marry with gifts. Penelope silently accepted the gifts and retired with her slaves to her chambers.
As soon as Penelope left, the suitors ordered the slaves to bring three large lamps and light a fire on them to brighten the banquet hall. The slaves carried out the order. Odysseus told the slaves to go do their work, and he would look after the lamps. But one of the slaves, Melantho, began to mock and scold him. Odysseus threatened the impudent Melantho that he would complain about her to Penelope. The slaves were frightened by this threat and hastily left. Odysseus began to watch the fire on the lamps. Eurymachus, to amuse the suitors, laughing at Odysseus, said:
“I see that some god sent this wanderer to us so that it would be easier for us to feast.” The light comes not from the lamps, but from his bald head, on which there is not a single hair.
The suitors laughed, and Eurymachus began to mock Odysseus even more. Odysseus calmly answered him:
- Eurymachus! Your arrogance is great, but you imagine that you are strong only because you are surrounded by weak people. If Odysseus came back now to your misfortune, then this wide door would immediately seem narrow to you, so quickly you would rush to run.
Eurymachus became terribly angry, he grabbed the bench and threw it at Odysseus with a flourish. But Odysseus deftly dodged the blow. The bench fell into the hand of a slave serving wine, and with a groan he fell to the floor, dropping the goblet. The suitors made a fuss. They were indignant that constant quarrels began at their feast from the moment the stranger appeared. But Telemachus said that this was not the reason for the quarrels: the reason was that everyone was drunk and it was time to end the feast. No matter how annoying it was for the suitors to hear such words from Telemachus, they were nevertheless forced to end the feast. They filled their goblets with wine again, drank and went home.
When all the suitors had left, Odysseus told Telemachus that now it was necessary to remove all the weapons from the banquet hall. Telemachus called Eurycleia and ordered her to lock all the maids in their room so that they would not see how they would take out the weapons, which must be put away so that they would not be spoiled by the smoke. Eurycleia fulfilled Telemachus' orders. Telemachus and Odysseus began to take out weapons, and the goddess Athena invisibly shone for them, lighting her lamp. Telemachus was surprised, seeing how the light from the invisible lamp was spreading everywhere, and asked Odysseus where this light came from. But Odysseus forbade his son to ask questions; He was afraid that he would anger the goddess Telemachus with his questions. Having removed all the weapons, Odysseus went to Penelope's chambers. She was looking forward to the wanderer to ask him about Odysseus. Telemachus went to his chambers and fell asleep calmly.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru