throughout the palace, that we may make libations to thunder-rejoicing Jove, and who attends upon venerable suppliants."
Thus he spoke; and Pontonous mixed the grateful wine; and distributed to all, having first begun with the cups.[1] But when they had made libations, and drunk as much as their mind wished, Alcinous harangued and addressed them:
"Hear me, ye leaders and rulers over the Phæacians, that I may speak the things which my mind commands me in my breast. Now, indeed, having feasted ye may go home and sleep; but in the morning convoking more old men, we will entertain the stranger in the palace, and will offer fitting sacrifices to the gods: and afterwards we will be mindful of his escort, that the stranger may return rejoicing to his own paternal land without labour and affliction under our escort, quickly, although he is very far off: nor in the mean time may he suffer any evil and calamity, before he steps upon his own land. There then he will suffer whatever things Fate and the heavy Destinies spun with the thread for him at his birth, when his mother brought him forth. But if any one indeed of the immortals has come from heaven, then this is something else which the gods are contriving: for always hitherto the gods appear manifest unto us, when we offer up illustrious hecatombs, and they feast sitting with us where we are. But if even any traveller going alone has met them, they by no means conceal themselves; since we are close unto them, like as the Cyclops[2] and the savage tribes of Giants [are like one another]."
But him the much-planning Ulysses addressed in answer: "O Alcinous, let something else be a care in thy mind; for I am not like unto the immortals, who possess the wide heaven, either in my person or my nature, but unto mortal men, whomever of mankind thou knowest especially enduring toil; to these indeed I should liken myself in my griefs: and I could relate to you even more evils, all the labours indeed which I have suffered by the will of the gods. But permit me, al-
- ↑ i. e. having first made the due libations.
- ↑ The Scholiast explains the passage thus: "We resemble the gods in righteousness as much as the Cyclops and Giants resembled each other in impiety. But in this sense of it there is something intricate and contrary to Homer's manner. We have seen that they derived themselves from Neptune, which sufficiently justifies the above interpretation." Cowper. I have followed the Scholiast, with Loewe.
