youngest daughter of Eurymedon, The large of soul, who ruled the arrogant brood Of giants, and beheld that guilty race Cut off, and perished by a fate like theirs. Her Neptune wooed; she bore to him a son, Large-souled Nausithoüs, whom Phaeacia owned Its sovereign. To Nausithoüs were born Rhexenor and Alcinoüs. He who bears The silver bow, Apollo, smote to death Rhexenor, newly wedded, in his home. He left no son, and but one daughter, named Aretè; her Alcinoüs made his wife, And honored her as nowhere else on earth Is any woman honored who bears charge Over a husband’s household.
From their hearts Her children pay her reverence, and the king And all the people, for they look on her As if she were a goddess.
When she goes Abroad into the streets, all welcome her With acclamations. Never does she fail In wise discernment, but decides disputes Kindly and justly between man and man.
And if thou gain her favor, there is hope That thou mayst see thy friends once more, and stand In thy tall palace on thy native soil.”
The blue-eyed Pallas, having spoken thus, Departed o’er the barren deep. She left The pleasant isle of Scheria, and repaired To Marathon and to the spacious streets Of Athens, entering there the massive halls Where dwelt Erectheus, while Ulysses toward The gorgeous palace of Alcinoüs turned His steps, yet stopped and pondered ere he crossed The threshold.
For on every side beneath The lofty roof of that magnanimous king A glory shone as of the sun or moon. There from the threshold, on each side, were walls Of brass that led towards the inner rooms, With blue steel cornices.