Zacynthus dark With forests. Ithaca, with its low shores, Lies highest toward the setting sun; the rest Are on the side where first the morning breaks. A rugged region ’tis, but nourishes Nobly its youths, nor have I ever seen A sweeter spot on earth. Calypso late, That glorious goddess, in her grotto long Detained me from it, and desired that I Should be her husband; in her royal home Aeëan Circè, mistress of strange arts, Detained me also, and desired that I Should be her husband—yet they could not move The purpose of my heart. For there is naught More sweet and dear than our own native land And parents, though perchance our lot be cast In a rich home, yet far from our own kin And in a foreign land. Now let me speak Of the calamitous voyage which the will Of Jove ordained on my return from Troy.
“The wind that blew me from the Trojan shore Bore me to the Ciconians, who abode In Ismarus. I laid the city waste And slew its dwellers, carried off their wives And all their wealth and parted them among My men, that none might want an equal share. And then I warned them with all haste to leave The region. Madmen! they obeyed me not.
“And there they drank much wine, and on the beach Slew many sheep and many slow-paced steers With crumpled horns. Then the Ciconians called To their Ciconian neighbors, braver men Than they, and more in number, whose abode Was on the mainland, trained to fight from steeds, Or, if need were, on foot. In swarms they came, Thick as new leaves or morning flowers in spring. Then fell on our unhappy company An evil fate from Jove, and many griefs. They formed their lines, and fought at our good ships, Where man encountered man with brazen spears. While yet ’twas morning, and the holy light Of day waxed brighter, we withstood the assault And kept our ground, although more numerous they. But when the sun was sloping toward the west The enemy prevailed; the Achaian band Was routed, and was made to flee. That day There perished from each galley of our fleet Six valiant men; the rest escaped with life.