RHAPSODY Ξ

Odysseus soon arrived through the path that led to Eumaeus' hut. The swineherd, according to the law of Xenius Zeus, welcomed the stranger into his home. He then cut up a piglet to set the table for his guest.

Eumaeus then opened up to the stranger telling him his complaint about Odysseus' absence and that the suitors were eating and drinking from his master's life. Odysseus chose not to reveal his identity to him even though he loved his faithful servant. He made up and told him a fantastic story about himself. But he assured him that Odysseus would return to Ithaca. After a while the three assistants of Eumaeus arrived, so after dinner they all fell asleep in the poor swineherd's hut.

RHAPSODY Ο

The goddess Athena on the other hand flew straight to Sparta where she met Telemachus. She advised him to return as soon as possible to Ithaca, because his mother's father urged her to give in and marry one of the suitors, Eurymachus. He also told him not to follow the route from Sami, as his suitors had set an ambush. Instead he should have anchored in some other small cove and gone on foot to Eumaeus' hut.

Telemachus followed Athena's advice, woke Peisistratus, said goodbye to Menelaus and Helen, and set sail for Pylos. Later when they arrived at Nestor's palace, Telemachus provisioned the ship for Ithaca and immediately set sail, clearly worried about the suitors' trap.

Meanwhile, Odysseus, who was dining with Eumaeus, asked him if he would advise him to go and beg from the suitors in Odysseus' palace. Eumaeus of course prevented him from meeting the suitors. Continuing the conversation, Eumaeus told the transformed Odysseus about the fate of his mother, and of the old Laertes who had moved away from the palace.

At the same time, Telemachus and his sailors anchored for a while in the small port that was quite close to the hut of Eumaeus. In the shallow harbor they ate and drank and then Telemachus sent his crew back to Ithaca with the ship, while he would visit the hut of Eumaeus. Athena had ordered him to send Eumaeus to his mother, to reassure her that he was safe.