cause of all. Antinoüs first Began this course of wrong. Nor were his thoughts So much of marriage as another aim— Which Saturn’s son denied him—to bear rule Himself o’er those who till the pleasant fields Of Ithaca, first having slain thy son In ambush. But he now has met his fate. Spare, then, thy people. We will afterward Make due amends in public for the waste Here in thy palace of the food and wine. For each of us shall bring thee twenty beeves, And brass and gold, until thy heart shall be Content. Till then we cannot blame thy wrath.”
Sternly the wise Ulysses frowned, and said:
“Eurymachus, if thou shouldst offer me All that thou hast, thy father’s wealth entire, And add yet other gifts, not even then Would I refrain from bloodshed, ere my hand Avenged my wrongs upon the suitor-crew. Choose then to fight or flee, whoever hopes Escape from death and fate; yet none of you Will now, I think, avoid that bitter doom.”
He spake. At once their knees and head grew faint, And thus Eurymachus bespake the rest:—
“This man, O friends, to his untamable arm Will give no rest, but with that bow in hand, And quiver, will send forth from where he stands His shafts, till he has slain us all. Prepare For combat then, and draw your swords, and hold The tables up against his deadly shafts, And rush together at him as one man, And drive him from the threshold through the door. Then, hurrying through the city, let us sound The alarm, and soon he will have shot his last.”
He spake, and, drawing his keen two-edged sword Of brass, sprang toward him with a dreadful cry, Just as the great Ulysses, sending forth