"Stockman, and you swineherd, I
have something in my mind which I am in doubt whether to say or no;
but I think I will say it. What manner of men would you be to stand
by Odysseus, if some god should bring him back here all of a sudden?
Say which you are disposed to do - to side with the suitors, or with
Odysseus?"
"Father Zeus," answered the
stockman, "would indeed that you might so ordain it. If some
daimôn were but to bring Odysseus back, you should see
with what might and main I would fight for him."
In like words Eumaios prayed to
all the gods that Odysseus might return; when, therefore, he saw for
certain what mind [noos] they were of, Odysseus said,
"It is I, Odysseus, who am here. I have suffered much, but at last,
in the twentieth year, I am come back to my own country. I find that
you two alone of all my servants are glad that I should do so, for I
have not heard any of the others praying for my return. To you two,
therefore, will I unfold the truth [alêtheia] as
it shall be. If heaven shall deliver the suitors into my hands, I
will find wives for both of you, will give you house and holding
close to my own, and you shall be to me as though you were brothers
and friends of Telemakhos. I will now give you a convincing proof
[sêma] that you may know me and be assured. See,
here is the scar from the boar's tooth that ripped me when I was
out hunting on Mount Parnassus with the sons of
Autolykos."
As he spoke he drew his rags
aside from the great scar, and when they had examined it thoroughly,
they both of them wept about Odysseus, threw their arms round him and
kissed his head and shoulders, while Odysseus kissed their hands and
faces in return. The sun would have gone down upon their mourning if
Odysseus had not checked them and said:
Homer. The Odyssey. Rendered into English prose for the use of those who cannot read the original. Samuel Butler. Based on public domain edition, revised by Timothy Power and Gregory Nagy. A. C. Fifield, London. 1900 (?).
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