Odyssey

"That night we rested and nursed our anger, for Zeus was hatching mischief against us. But in the morning some of us drew our ships into the water and put our goods with our women on board, while the rest, about half in number, stayed behind with Agamemnon. We - the other half - embarked and sailed; and the ships went well, for heaven had smoothed the sea. When we reached Tenedos we offered sacrifices to the gods, for we were longing to get home [ nostos ]; cruel Zeus, however, did not yet mean that we should do so, and raised a second quarrel in the course of which some among us turned their ships back again, and sailed away under Odysseus to make their peace with Agamemnon; but I, and all the ships that were with me pressed forward, for I saw that mischief was brewing. The son of Tydeus went on also with me, and his crews with him. Later on Menelaos joined us at Lesbos , and found us making up our minds about our course - for we did not know whether to go outside Chios by the island of Psyra, keeping this to our left, or inside Chios , over against the stormy headland of Mimas. So we asked heaven [ daimôn ] for a sign, and were shown one to the effect that we should be soonest out of danger if we headed our ships across the open sea to Euboea . This we therefore did, and a fair wind sprang up which gave us a quick passage during the night to Geraistos , where we offered many sacrifices to Poseidon for having helped us so far on our way. Four days later Diomedes and his men stationed their ships in Argos , but I held on for Pylos , and the wind never fell light from the day when heaven first made it fair for me.

OdysseyBook 3, Line 151Samuel ButlerEnglishVerse permalinkRead in Book 3

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