Part 21 (1/2)
[Sidenote: The Lotus-eaters.]
A hurricane soon arose. The flying clouds blotted the stars from view. The vessels, with broken masts and torn sails, were driven far out of their course, and, after ten days, reached the land of the Lotophagi or Lotus-eaters,--a people whose sole food consisted of lotus fruit and blossoms.
Three of Ulysses' best men were sent ash.o.r.e to reconnoiter: but they had not gone very far before they met the natives, seated under their favorite trees, banqueting on their sweet food. These received the strangers hospitably, and made them partake of the lotus blossoms; but no sooner had the three men done so, than all recollection of their waiting companions or distant homes pa.s.sed from their minds, while a dreamy, lethargic sensation stole over them, and made them long to recline there and feast forever.
”Whoever tasted once of that sweet food Wished not to see his native country more, Nor give his friends the knowledge of his fate. And then my messengers desired to dwell Among the Lotus-eaters, and to feed Upon the lotus, never to return.”
Homer (Bryant's tr.).
Ulysses impatiently watched for their return; then, seeing they did not appear, feared some evil had befallen them, and set out, with a few well-armed men, to go in search of them. Instead of finding them in chains, as he fully expected, he soon perceived them feasting among the Lotus-eaters. Their eyes had lost all animation, and rested upon him in a vague, dreamy way, which aroused his suspicions. At the same moment some of the Lotus-eaters advanced to invite him and his troop to join in their feast.
”Branches they bore of that enchanted stem, Laden with flower and fruit, whereof they gave To each, but whoso did receive of them, And taste, to him the gus.h.i.+ng of the wave Far, far away did seem to mourn and rave On alien sh.o.r.es; and if his fellow spake, His voice was thin, as voices from the grave; And deep asleep he seem'd, yet all awake, And music in his ears his beating heart did make.”
Tennyson.
In peremptory tones Ulysses quickly forbade his men to taste of the magic food, directed them to seize and bind their unwilling comrades, and forcibly take them back to their s.h.i.+ps. There the magic effect of the lotus food soon wore away, and the men rowed steadily westward, until they came to the Island of Sicily, then inhabited by the Cyclopes, a rude race of one-eyed giants.
”A single ball of sight was fix'd In their mid-forehead: hence the Cyclops' name: For that one circular eye was broad infix'd In the mid-forehead:--strength was theirs, and force, And craft of curious toil.”
Hesiod (Elton's tr.).
The main part of the fleet was stationed at another island not far distant, but Ulysses and twelve companions landed in Sicily in search of food. The prospect was promising, for on the plains and hillsides great flocks of sheep cropped the tender gra.s.s; and Ulysses and his followers soon came to a great cave filled with rich stores of milk and cheese. This was the abode of Polyphemus, son of Neptune, the largest and fiercest among the gigantic Cyclopean race. The Greeks' first impulse was to help themselves, since no one was there to say them nay; but they finally decided to await the master's home-coming, and courteously ask his a.s.sistance. They had moored their vessel under an overhanging cliff, where no one would be likely to find it, and had therefore no fear lest their means of escape should be cut off.
[Ill.u.s.tration: TRIUMPH OF GALATEA.--Raphael.]
[Sidenote: Polyphemus and Galatea.]
Polyphemus, the ugly giant in whose cave they were waiting, had once seen the charming sea nymph Galatea riding in her pearl-sh.e.l.l chariot drawn by bounding dolphins. Her unsurpa.s.sed loveliness made a vivid impression upon him, and he was soon deeply in love with her. He neglected his flocks, shunned his companions, and spent all his time near the seash.o.r.e, watching for her, and bitterly cursing his fate, which prevented his seeking her in her native element, for the G.o.ds had cursed the race of Cyclops with an unconquerable aversion to water. He --”lov'd Not in the little present-making style, With baskets of new fruit and pots of roses, But with consuming pa.s.sion. Many a time Would his flocks go home by themselves at eve, Leaving him wasting by the dark seash.o.r.e, And sunrise would behold him wasting still.”
Theocritus (Hunt's tr.).
To induce Galatea to leave the salt sea waves and linger by his side on the white sandy beach, Polyphemus constantly made the most extravagant promises; but the dainty nymph merely laughed at all his professions, and strolled on the sh.o.r.e only when he was sound asleep. Although she made fun of his love, she was not so obdurate to the suit of Acis, a very fascinating young shepherd, who had no need to call her repeatedly; for she always yielded to his first appeal, joyfully joined him, and sat beside him under the shade of some great rock, listening to his tender wooing.
[Ill.u.s.tration: ACIS AND GALATEA (Evening).--Claude Lorraine. (St. Petersburg.)]
Polyphemus once accidentally came upon them thus, ere they were aware of his proximity. For a moment he glared down upon them; then, seizing a huge rock, he vowed his rival Acis should not live to enjoy the love which was denied him, and hurled it down upon the unsuspecting lovers. Galatea, the G.o.ddess, being immortal, escaped unhurt; but poor Acis, her beloved, was crushed to death. The stream of blood from his mangled remains was changed by the G.o.ds into an exhaustless stream of limpid water, which ever hastened down to the sea to join Galatea.
[Sidenote: Polyphemus' cave.]
Ulysses and his companions, waiting in the cave, soon felt the ground shake beneath their feet, and saw the sheep throng into the cave and take their usual places; then behind them came the horrible apparition of Polyphemus, who picked up a huge rock and placed it before the opening of the cave, preventing all egress. Ulysses' companions had shrunk with fear into the darkest corners of the cave, whence they watched the giant milk his ewes, dispose of his cheeses, and make his evening meal. But the firelight soon revealed the intruders; and Polyphemus immediately demanded who they were, whence they came, and what they were seeking.
Ulysses, ever wily, replied that his name was No man, that he and his companions were s.h.i.+pwrecked mariners, and that they would fain receive his hospitality. In answer to this statement, the Cyclops stretched forth his huge hand and grasped two of the sailors, whom he proceeded to devour for dessert. Then, his frightful repast being ended, he lay down on the rushes and fell asleep, his loud snores reverberating like thunder through the great cave.
Ulysses silently crept to his side, sword in hand, and was about to kill him, when he suddenly recollected that neither he nor his men could move the rock at the cave's mouth, and that they would never be able to escape. He therefore resolved to have recourse to a stratagem.
When morning came, the giant rose, milked his flock, made his cheese, arranged the vessels, and then, without the least warning, again seized and devoured two of the Greeks. His brawny arm next pushed aside the rock, and he stood beside it with watchful eye, until all his herd had pa.s.sed out; then, replacing the stone to prevent the escape of his prisoners, he went off to the distant pasture ground.
During his absence, Ulysses and his men devised a cunning plan whereby they hoped to effect their escape, and made all their preparations to insure its complete success. A huge pine club which they found in the cave was duly pointed, hardened in the fire, and set aside for future use.
When the darkness began to fall over the earth, Polyphemus again rolled the stone away to admit his flocks, keeping careful guard upon the Greeks. The sheep all in, he replaced the rock, performed his usual evening duties, and then devoured two of Ulysses' crew.
[Sidenote: Ulysses blinds Polyphemus.]
When this part of the evening meal was over, Ulysses drew near and offered him a leather flask full of heady wine, which the giant took down at a gulp, little suspecting its effect. Very soon he sank into a deep drunken sleep; and then the men, at a sign from Ulysses, heated the point of the huge club and put out his sole eye, in spite of his frightful cries and execrations, which soon attracted the attention of the other Cyclopes.
They thronged without the cave, clamoring to know who was hurting him. ”No man!” replied the Cyclops, howling with pain, ”No man!” which answer convinced his would-be helpers that he needed no a.s.sistance, and made them disperse.
”'If no man does thee violence, and thou Art quite alone, reflect that none escape Diseases; they are sent by Jove.'”
Homer (Bryant's tr.).
[Sidenote: Ulysses' escape.]
Deserted by his companions, Polyphemus spent the night in agony; and, when the anxious lowing of his herd roused him at break of day, he fumblingly milked them, and prepared to let them go forth, as usual, in search of their morning meal. To avoid the Greeks escaping, he rolled the stone only partly aside, and allowed the sheep to pa.s.s out a few at a time, carefully running his hand over each broad back to make sure that none of the prisoners were mounted upon them.
Ulysses, in the mean while, having observed this maneuver, fastened his companions under the rams, reserving one for his own use, and watched them pa.s.s out one after the other undetected. Then, clinging to the wool of the largest ram, he too was slowly dragged out; while Polyphemus petted the ram, and inquired how he came to pa.s.s out last of all.
”'My favorite ram, how art thou now the last To leave the cave? It hath not been thy wont To let the sheep go first, but thou didst come Earliest to feed among the flowery gra.s.s, Walking with stately strides, and thou wert first At the fresh stream, and first at eve to seek The stable; now thou art the last of all. Grievest thou for thy master, who has lost His eye, put out by a deceitful wretch And his vile crew?'”
Homer (Bryant's tr.).
Ulysses, having thus escaped, sprang to his feet, set his companions free, rushed with them down to the seash.o.r.e, taking the choice animals on board, and then, when his men had rowed some distance, raised his voice and taunted Polyphemus, revealing at the same time his ident.i.ty.
”'Ha! Cyclops! those whom in thy rocky cave Thou, in thy brutal fury, hast devoured, Were friends of one not unexpert in war; Amply have thy own guilty deeds returned Upon thee. Cruel one! who didst not fear To eat the strangers sheltered by thy roof, Jove and the other G.o.ds avenge them thus!
Cyclops, if any man of mortal birth Note thine unseemly blindness, and inquire The occasion, tell him that Laertes' son, Ulysses, the destroyer of walled towns, Whose home is Ithaca, put out thine eye.'”
Homer (Bryant's tr.).
With a cry of rage, Polyphemus then ran down to the sh.o.r.e, tore up some huge rocks, which he hurled in the direction whence the taunting voice came, and in his rage almost destroyed the Greeks; for one piece of rock fell very near their vessel, and they were forced to redouble their efforts to row out of reach and prevent disaster.
[Sidenote: Gift of AEolus.]
The Greeks now sailed on until they reached the AEolian Islands, where dwelt AEolus, king and father of the winds. He had heard of Ulysses' prowess, received him kindly, and at parting gave him a leather bag containing all the contrary winds, which Ulysses was thus at liberty to retain imprisoned until he had safely reached home (p. 214).
Day and night Ulysses' barks now bounded over the blue waves. On the ninth evening the sh.o.r.es of Ithaca were discerned by the eager eyes on board, and all made their preparations for landing early the next morning. For the first time since he had left the AEolian sh.o.r.es, Ulysses now indulged in sleep; and while he was lost in oblivion his sailors opened the leather bag, intending to rob their master of a portion of his treasure, for they imagined that AEolus had given him much gold.
The bag was no sooner opened, than the contrary winds, weary and cramped with their uncomfortable position, sprang out with a rush and a roar, and in a few moments stirred up a terrible storm, which tore the s.h.i.+ps from their anchors, and soon drove them far out to sea.
After untold suffering, the Greeks landed again upon the AEolian Isle, and Ulysses sought the king, to beseech his aid once more; but this time the G.o.d received him coldly, and bade him depart, as his cruelty to Polyphemus had awakened the G.o.ds' wrath.
”'Hence with thee! Leave our island instantly, Vilest of living men! It may not be That I receive or aid as he departs One who is hated by the blessed G.o.ds,-- And thou art hated by the G.o.ds. Away!'”
Homer (Bryant's tr.).
[Sidenote: The Laestrygonians.]
Sorrowfully now the Greeks embarked; but, instead of being hurried along by favorable winds, they were obliged to row against wind and waves, and only after many days came to the land of the Laestrygonians, where fresh losses awaited them. These people were cannibals, who were in the habit of slaying all the strangers who visited their sh.o.r.es, to satisfy their horrible appet.i.tes. When they saw the vessels enter their harbor, they sunk some of them by casting huge rocks at them from their tall cliffs, and speared and devoured the unfortunate crews.