Then Athena answered, "Sir, you
have spoken well, and it will be much better that Telemakhos should
do as you have said; he, therefore, shall return with you and sleep
at your house, but I must go back to give orders to my crew, and keep
them in good heart. I am the only older person among them; the rest
are all young men of Telemakhos' own age, who have taken this
voyage out of friendship; so I must return to the ship and sleep
there. Moreover tomorrow I must go to the Cauconians where I have a
large sum of wealth long owed to me. As for Telemakhos, now that he
is your guest, send him to Lacedaemon in a chariot, and let one of
your sons go with him. Be pleased also to provide him with your best
and fleetest horses."
When she had thus spoken, she
flew away in the form of an eagle, and all marveled as they beheld
it. Nestor was astonished, and took Telemakhos by the hand. "My
friend," said he, "I see that you are going to be a great hero some
day, since the gods wait upon you thus while you are still so young.
This can have been none other of those who dwell in heaven than
Zeus' redoubtable daughter, the Trito-born, who showed such
favor towards your brave father among the Argives." "Holy queen," he
continued, "agree to send down noble kleos upon myself, my
good wife, and my children. In return, I will offer you in sacrifice
a broad-browed heifer of a year old, unbroken, and never yet brought
by man under the yoke. I will gild her horns, and will offer her up
to you in sacrifice."
Thus did he pray, and Athena
heard his prayer. He then led the way to his own house, followed by
his sons and sons-in-law. When they had got there and had taken their
places on the benches and seats, he mixed them a bowl of sweet wine
that was eleven years old when the housekeeper took the lid off the
jar that held it. As he mixed the wine, he prayed much and made
drink-offerings to Athena, daughter of Aegis-bearing Zeus. Then, when
they had made their drink-offerings and had drunk each as much as he
was minded, the others went home to bed each in his own abode; but
Nestor put Telemakhos to sleep in the room that was over the gateway
along with Peisistratos, who was the only unmarried son now left him.
As for himself, he slept in an inner room of the house, with the
queen his wife by his side.
Now when the child of morning,
rosy-fingered Dawn, appeared, Nestor left his couch and took his seat
on the benches of white and polished marble that stood in front of
his house. Here aforetime sat Neleus, peer of gods in counsel, but he
was now dead, and had gone to the house of Hades; so Nestor sat in
his seat, scepter in hand, as guardian of the public weal. His sons
as they left their rooms gathered round him, Echephron, Stratios,
Perseus, Aretos, and Thrasymedes; the sixth son was Peisistratos, and
when Telemakhos joined them they made him sit with them. Nestor then
addressed them.
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