So Eumaios went up to him and
said, "Stranger, Telemakhos sends you this, and says you are to go
the round of the suitors begging, for beggars must not be shamefaced
[aidôs]."
Odysseus answered, "May lord Zeus
grant all happiness [olbos] to Telemakhos, and fulfill
the desire of his heart."
Then with both hands he took what
Telemakhos had sent him, and laid it on the dirty old wallet at his
feet. He went on eating it while the bard was singing, and had just
finished his dinner as he left off. The suitors applauded the bard,
whereon Athena went up to Odysseus and prompted him to beg pieces of
bread from each one of the suitors, that he might see what kind of
people they were, and tell the good from the bad; but come what might
she was not going to save a single one of them. Odysseus, therefore,
went on his round, going from left to right, and stretched out his
hands to beg as though he were a real beggar. Some of them pitied
him, and were curious about him, asking one another who he was and
where he came from; whereon the goatherd Melanthios said, "Suitors of
my noble mistress, I can tell you something about him, for I have
seen him before. The swineherd brought him here, but I know nothing
about the man himself, nor where he comes from."
On this Antinoos began to abuse
the swineherd. "You precious idiot," he cried, "what have you brought
this man to town for? Have we not tramps and beggars enough already
to pester us as we sit at meat? Do you think it a small thing that
such people gather here to waste your master's property and must
you needs bring this man as well?"
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