The ship bounded forward on her
way as a four in hand chariot flies over the course when the horses
feel the whip. Her prow curved as it were the neck of a stallion, and
a great wave of dark seething water boiled in her wake. She held
steadily on her course, and even a falcon, swiftest of all birds,
could not have kept pace with her. Thus, then, she cut her way
through the water. carrying one who was as cunning as the gods, but
who was now sleeping peacefully, forgetful of all that he had
suffered both on the field of battle and by the waves of the weary
sea.
When the bright star that heralds
the approach of dawn began to show. the ship drew near to land. Now
there is in the dêmos of Ithaca a haven of the Old One
of the Sea, Phorkys, which lies between two points that break the
line of the sea and shut the harbor in. These shelter it from the
storms of wind and sea that rage outside, so that, when once within
it, a ship may lie without being even moored. At the head of this
harbor there is a large olive tree, and at no distance a fine
overarching cavern sacred to the nymphs who are called Naiads. There
are mixing-bowls within it and wine-jars of stone, and the bees hive
there. Moreover, there are great looms of stone on which the nymphs
weave their robes of sea purple - very curious to see - and at all
times there is water within it. It has two entrances, one facing
North by which mortals can go down into the cave, while the other
comes from the South and is more mysterious; mortals cannot possibly
get in by it, it is the way taken by the gods.
Into this harbor, then, they took
their ship, for they knew the place, She had so much way upon her
that she ran half her own length on to the shore; when, however, they
had landed, the first thing they did was to lift Odysseus with his
rug and linen sheet out of the ship, and lay him down upon the sand
still fast asleep. Then they took out the presents which Athena had
persuaded the Phaeacians to give him when he was setting out on his
voyage homewards. They put these all together by the root of the
olive tree, away from the road, for fear some passer by might come
and steal them before Odysseus awoke; and then they made the best of
their way home again.
But Poseidon did not forget the
threats with which he had already threatened Odysseus, so he took
counsel with Zeus. "Father Zeus," said he, "I shall no longer be held
in any sort of respect among you gods, if mortals like the
Phaeacians, who are my own flesh and blood, show such small regard
for me. I said I would get Odysseus home when he had suffered
sufficiently. I did not say that he should never have a homecoming
[nostos] at all, for I knew you had already nodded
your head about it, and promised that he should do so; but now they
have brought him over the sea in a ship fast asleep and have landed
him in Ithaca after loading him with more magnificent presents of
bronze, gold, and raiment than he would ever have brought back from
Troy, if he had had his share of the spoil and got home without
misadventure."
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