The Odyssey, Page 21

  secretly, how he showered her with gifts, shamed the marital

  bed of the lord Hephaistos, to whom Helios promptly came

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  with the news that he'd seen them making love. And when

  Hephaistos heard his heart-rending tattle, he went

  off to his smithy, secretly planning revenge,

  and set on its block the great anvil, and hammered out bonds

  unbreakable and unloosable, made to hold fast when set;

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  then, having fashioned this snare in his fury against Ares,

  he went to the chamber where his own dear bedstead stood

  and circled the bonds round the bedposts from every angle:

  many he hung overhead, attached to the rafters, as fine

  as spiders' webs, so that none could see them, not even

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  one of the blessed gods, so craftily were they fashioned.

  Then, when he'd placed his snares all around the bed, he made

  as though he was going to Lemnos, that well-built citadel,

  of all lands on earth to him by far the dearest. And no

  blind watch did golden-reined Ares keep, but when

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  he saw the famed craftsman Hephaistos departing, he went

  straight off to the house of the same famous Hephaistos,

  his mind imagining sex with sweet-garlanded Kythereia.2

  Now she from a spell with her father, the mighty son of Kronos,

  had just arrived, and sat down: Ares entered the house

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  and took her by the hand, and addressed her, saying:

  "Come, my love, let's to bed and its pleasures: for no longer

  is Hephaistos around here, but I think is on his way

  to Lemnos, off there visiting the rough-spoken Sintians."3

  Such his words, and she welcomed the prospect of bedding him.

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  They went to bed and lay down. But the crafty bonds devised

  by artful Hephaistos immobilized them: they were unable

  to move their limbs, let alone get up. Then they knew the truth,

  that for them no longer was there any chance of escape.

  So the far-famed double cripple came home and found them,

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  having turned back before he reached the land of Lemnos,

  since Helios kept watch for him, brought him the news.

  He went to his house now, deeply troubled at heart,

  and stood there in the forecourt, gripped by a wild fury,

  and with a terrible shout cried out to all the gods:

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  "Zeus! Father! All you other blessed immortal gods!

  Come see a sight both ridiculous and unseemly--

  the way because I'm lame Zeus' daughter Aphrodite

  dishonors me constantly by loving destructive Ares

  because he's strong-limbed and handsome, whereas I

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  was born misshapen, for which there's no one to blame

  but my two parents--would they'd never had me! Now you

  shall see for yourselves the way they go to make love

  in my own bed, to me a grievous sight--yet somehow

  I don't imagine they'll want to lie thus a minute longer

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  however much they're in love: they'll soon lose the urge

  for sleep--rather those crafty bonds will hold them tight

  until her father pays back to me every single bride-gift

  I lavished on him in return for his bitch of a daughter,

  since the daughter's beautiful, but lacking in self-restraint."

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  So he spoke, and the gods came crowding to his bronze-floored

  house: Poseidon, the Earth-Embracer, along with Hermes,

  the helper, and Lord Apollo, the deadly archer; but

  the female deities stayed, every one, at home for shame.

  So there they stood in the doorway: gods, givers of good things,

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  and laughter unquenchable rose among the blessed gods

  as they gazed at the crafty work of ingenious Hephaistos,

  and thus would one of them say, with a glance at his neighbor:

  "Ill deeds don't thrive! The slow catches the swift,

  just as now Hephaistos the laggard has caught Ares,

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  though of the gods holding Olympos he's the swiftest;

  though lame, he caught him by guile. Now Ares must pay

  the adulterer's fine." So they spoke to one another.

  But to Hermes the lord Apollo, the son of Zeus, now said:

  "Hermes, Zeus' son, guide, giver of good things, would you

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  be ready, even if hard-pressed by such powerful bonds,

  to sleep in a bed at the side of golden Aphrodite?"

  Then the guide, the slayer of Argos, answered him: "How I wish,

  Lord Apollo, deadly archer, that this might come to pass--

  with three times as many unshakable bonds set round me,

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  and you gods, with all the goddesses too, looking on--

  that I might sleep at the side of golden Aphrodite!"

  At his words laughter arose among the immortal gods.

  Poseidon, though, was not laughing, but kept entreating

  Hephaistos, the far-famed craftsman, to set Ares free:

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  he spoke, and addressed him with winged words, saying: "Free him,

  and I promise on his behalf, as you require, that he will

  pay the full proper sum before the immortal gods."

  Then the far-famed double cripple answered him thus:

  "Do not demand this of me, Poseidon, Earth-Embracer:

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  a pledge made on behalf of the worthless is a worthless pledge!

  And how could I constrain you among the immortal gods

  were Ares to dodge both debt and bond and just vanish?"

  Then Poseidon the Earth-Shaker responded to him, saying:

  "Hephaistos, even were Ares to renege on the debt he owes

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  and take off in flight, I myself will pay the total sum."

  The far-famed double cripple responded to this, saying:

  "I cannot refuse your offer: that would not be seemly."

  So saying, the mighty Hephaistos unlocked the snares,

  and the two, once freed from the snares, despite their strength,

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  sprang up at once: he, Ares, now took himself off to Thrace,

  while she, smiling Aphrodite, left for Paphos on Cyprus,

  where she had her sacred precinct and fragrant altar.

  There the Graces bathed her, anointed her with ambrosial

  oil, such as soothes the skin of the gods who are forever,

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  and clothed her in elegant raiment, a wonder to behold.

  This was the lay the famed minstrel sang; and Odysseus

  listened with great enjoyment, as did the others,

  the long-oared Phaiakians, men famous for their ships.

  Then Alkinoos had Halios and Laodamas dance--

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  alone, since no one else could match their performance.

  They took in their hands an exquisite purple ball,

  that the skilled artist Polybos had fashioned for them,

  and one would toss it high to the shadowy clouds,

  leaning back, while the other would leap high off the ground

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  and easily catch it before his feet touched earth again.

  But when they'd tested their skill at throwing the ball

  straight up, then they danced upon the grain-giving earth,

  quickly tossing the ball to and fro, while the other youths

  stood beating time, and a din of stamping feet arose.

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  Then godlike Odysseu
s addressed Alkinoos, saying:

  "Alkinoos, lord, most distinguished among all peoples,

  you claimed that these your dancers were unrivaled,

  and they've proved it true: I'm awed by the sight of them."

  So he spoke, and Alkinoos, princely in power, rejoiced,

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  and at once addressed the oar-loving Phaiakians, saying:

  "Listen, you leaders and counselors of the Phaiakians:

  this stranger seems to me a man of the highest discretion!

  Come then, let's give him a guest-gift, as is befitting:

  twelve renowned princes hold sway in this our country

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  as rulers, and I myself am the thirteenth: let each

  one of the twelve now bring him a fresh-washed mantle

  and tunic, as well as a talent of precious gold,

  and let's collect all this now, so that the stranger

  may go happy to supper, holding our gifts in his hands--

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  and let Euryalos make amends to him in person,

  with words and a gift: what he said was most unfitting."

  So he spoke: they all approved, and endorsed the offer,

  and each sent off a herald to fetch the gifts,

  and Euryalos in his turn now responded, saying:

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  "Alkinoos, lord, most distinguished among all peoples,

  I shall indeed makes amends to the stranger, as you bid me.

  I'll give him this all-bronze sword, which possesses a hilt

  of silver, and a scabbard of fresh-sawn ivory

  encases it. It will be of great value to him."

  That said,

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  to Odysseus he handed over the silver-studded sword,

  and addressed him with winged words, saying: "Greetings, father,

  stranger: if any word that's been uttered was improper,

  may storm winds now snatch it up and carry it off! And may

  the gods grant you see your wife, reach your own country:

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  Too long you've endured hardship far from your dear ones."

  Resourceful Odysseus then responded to him, saying:

  "Greetings to you too, friend! May the gods enrich you,

  and may you never hereafter be seized by longing for

  this sword you've given me--with a handsome apology."

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  That said, he hung from his shoulders the silver-studded sword,

  and the sun went down, and the glorious gifts appeared.

  Noble heralds now bore them to Alkinoos' abode,

  where the sons of peerless Alkinoos took charge of these

  exquisite presents, and set them before their revered

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  mother. Alkinoos, princely in power, led them,

  and in they came and sat down on the high-backed chairs.

  Then mighty Alkinoos addressed himself to Arete:

  "My wife, bring a fine chest here, the best we have,

  and in it put a fresh-laundered mantle and a tunic,

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  and set a bronze cauldron to warm on the fire, heat water in it,

  so that when the stranger has bathed and had a good look

  at all the gifts the peerless Phaiakians brought here,

  he may then enjoy the feast, and the minstrel's singing;

  and I shall make him a present of this fine golden

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  cup of mine, that he may remember me all his days

  when he pours in his hall libations to Zeus and the other gods."

  So he spoke; and Arete gave orders to her handmaids

  to set over the fire a great cauldron as quickly as they could.

  They settled the bathwater cauldron on the blazing flames

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  and filled it with water and under it kindled firewood.

  Flames lapped the cauldron's belly, the water grew hot,

  while Arete fetched for the stranger an exquisite chest

  from her storeroom, and in it placed the beautiful gifts--

  the clothes, the gold--that the Phaiakians provided,

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  together with a mantle and fine tunic that she put in

  herself, then addressed Odysseus with winged words, saying:

  "Take care of the lid yourself, put a quick knot on it,

  lest someone rob you during your homeward journey,

  while you're traveling, sweetly asleep, aboard that black ship."

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  When much-enduring godlike Odysseus heard those words

  he at once fitted the lid on, and quickly secured it with

  a complex knot he'd once learned from the lady Kirke.

  Then promptly the housekeeper called him to go and be scrubbed

  in the bathtub, and he rejoiced in his heart on seeing

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  the warm bath, since such care had been far from frequent

  ever since he'd left the home of fair-tressed Kalypso,

  though till then he'd been cared for continually like a god.

  So when the handmaids had bathed him, rubbed him with oil,

  they dressed him in a splendid mantle and tunic, and he

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  stepped away from the bathtub and went to join the men

  at their wine. And Nausikaa, whose beauty was from the gods,

  stood by the pillar supporting the close-packed roof,

  and marveled at Odysseus as she took in his appearance,

  and spoke, and addressed him with winged words, saying:

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  "Farewell, stranger: even when you're back in your own country

  remember me: I was the first to whom you owed your life."

  In answer to her resourceful Odysseus then said:

  "Nausikaa, daughter of great-hearted Alkinoos,

  so now may Zeus, Here's loud-thundering husband,

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  let me return to see the day of my homecoming!

  There too I'll pray to you as I would to a god

  all the days of my life: for you saved my life, my dear."

  With that he sat down on the chair beside King Alkinoos.

  By now they were serving out portions and mixing the wine,

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  and the herald came in leading the trusty minstrel

  Demodokos, much honored by the people, set his chair

  in the midst of the diners, backed against a high pillar.

  Then resourceful Odysseus addressed himself to the herald

  as he cut off a piece of the chine--more still was left--

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  from a white-tusked boar, with rich fat on either side:

  "Here, herald, take this cut and give it to eat

  to Demodokos: I salute him, despite my grief:

  for among all men worldwide minstrels receive their share

  of honor and reverence, since the Muse has taught them

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  the ways of song, and has love for the whole tribe of singers."

  So he spoke: the herald took it and placed it in the hands

  of the hero Demodokos. He accepted it with pleasure.

  Now they reached out their hands to the good things ready for them;

  but when they had satisfied their desire for food and drink,

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  then resourceful Odysseus addressed Demodokos, saying:

  "Demodokos, higher than all mortal men I praise you,

  whether it was the Muse, Zeus' daughter, or Apollo

  that taught you, for you sing truly of the Achaians' fate--

  all that they did and suffered, every hardship they endured,

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  as though you'd been there yourself, or were told by one who had!

  But change your theme now, and tell us about the Horse,

  the Wooden Horse that Epeios made with Athene's help,

  and Odysseus led up to the citadel, a deceptive trap,
r />   after filling it with the men who sacked Ilion. If indeed

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  you perform this lay in right fashion, then I'll declare,