Then on a day, he called the elders of Ithaca together, and spoke10 to them in this wise: "My son Odysseus is now a grown-up man, wise and shrewd beyond any other among you. He is skilled in all kinds of knowledge and of handicraft; in matters of judgment11 he is without a peer, and in matters requiring courage he is foremost among men. Moreover, he is married to a wife, sweet Penelope, unexcelled in wifely virtues12; and he has a son and heir, Telemachus,--a smiling babe who has not yet seen the round of one full moon. Now, why should the old branch stand longer in the way of the new and vigorous shoot? This day I will give up my kingdom to my son, and he shall henceforth rule this island in his own name."
And all the people rejoiced when they heard his words; and straightway they hailed Odysseus king of Ithaca, and offered thanksgiving and sacrifice to Pallas Athené, who had blessed him with wisdom above that of other men. And good Laertes retired14 to his mountain farm, where no vexing15 questions of government would take him away from his vines and fruit-trees. "Here," said he, "I hope to end my days in peace."
When the men of Cephallenia and the dwellers16 in the rugged17 island of Zacynthus heard that young Odysseus ruled by his own right in Ithaca, they came and offered him their friendship and allegiance; for they were kinsmen18 of the Ithacans. They brought rich presents of corn and wine and of long-wooled sheep, and promised to bear him aid in time of need, if ever that time should come.
At about this time, old Icarius, the father of Penelope, came to Ithaca for a brief visit to his daughter. For his eyes had long yearned19 to see her, and he could find no rest until he knew that she was happy and well cared for in the new home which she had chosen. And Penelope asked him a thousand questions about her friends and her kinsfolk in dear old Laced?mon, and to all these questions he made answer as he best knew.
"We have now a new king at Laced?mon," said Icarius, "even brave Menelaus, the husband of your cousin Helen."
"But where is King Tyndareus, my good uncle?" asked Penelope. "And where are my noble twin cousins, Castor and Polydeuces? Do they share the kingdom with Menelaus?"
"I will tell you all about it," answered her father. And then he told her how it had come about that Menelaus was called to the kingship of Laced?mon:--
"As the feebleness of age began to take hold upon him, King Tyndareus bethought him that he would resign his kingdom to his sons, the twin heroes Castor and Polydeuces. But the restless youths cared not to take upon them duties which would keep them within the narrow bounds of Laced?mon; for they were not home-stayers, but they wandered hither and thither20 over many seas and through strange lands, doing brave and noble deeds innumerable. The story of their labors21 in times of peace and of their prowess in times of war was upon every tongue, and was sung by minstrels in every city of Hellas. Wherever public games were held, there the twins were the masters of the course and the field, and the awarders of the prizes. Wherever battles raged and where the fight was thickest, there the glorious heroes, on their snow-white steeds, were seen striking fearlessly for the cause of right. And men told how it was they who first taught the bards22 to sing songs of battle and p?ans of victory; and how it was they who first showed the glad feet of the victors how to tread the wild mazes23 of the war-dance; and how it was they who, in their friendship for seafarers, had guided many a vessel24 over the roughest seas, safe into the wished-for haven25. They belonged not more to their native Laced?mon than to the whole wide world.
"There came a time, however, when the men of Laconia quarrelled with their neighbors of Arcadia, and there was war upon the borders. Then Castor and Polydeuces hastened to take sides with their kinsmen. Mounted on their swift steeds, Phlogios and Harpagos, the gifts of Hermes, they made raid after raid across the mountains; and they brought back many a choice herd26 of cattle, or flock of sheep, from the pasture lands of Arcadia.
"It happened on a day, that their cousins Idas and Lynceus, two lawless men from Messene, joined them, and the four drove many cattle across the borders, and hid them in a glen at the foot of Mount Taygetus. Then they agreed that Idas should divide the booty into four parts, and give to each a part. But Idas was a crafty27 man, more famed for his guile28 than for his courage; and he planned how he might take all the herd for his own. So he killed a fat ox, and having flayed29 and dressed it, he cut it into four parts. Then he called the other men about him.
"'It would be a great pity to divide so fine a herd as this of ours among four owners,' he said. 'Therefore I have a plan by which one, or at most two of us, may fairly gain the whole. Behold30, here are the four quarters of the ox which I have slain31. This quarter belongs to Castor, this to Polydeuces, this to Lynceus, and this to myself. He who first eats the share allotted32 to him shall have half of the cattle for his own; he who next finishes shall have the other half.'
"Then, without another word, he began to eat the quarter which he had allotted to himself; nor was he long devouring33 it, but with greedy haste consumed it before his comrades had tasted even a morsel34. Next he seized upon the part assigned to Lynceus, and ate it as quickly as his own.
"'The cattle are all mine!' he cried. And calling upon his brother to help him, they drove the whole herd into Messene.
"Then anger filled the souls of the twin heroes, and they vowed35 to take vengeance36 upon their crafty kinsmen. One night when the moon lighted up both plain and mountain with her silvery beams, they made a rapid ride into Messene, and brought back not only the herd which Idas had taken from them by fraud, but as many cattle as were feeding in the Messenian meadows. Then, knowing that their cousins would follow them in hot haste, they hid themselves in the hollow of a tree in the mountain pass, and waited for the morning.
"At break of day, the two Messenians, having missed their cattle, hastened to follow their trail to Mount Taygetus. Then Lynceus, whose sharp eyes could see through rocks and the trunks of trees, climbed to the top of a crag to look about them; for they feared lest they should fall into an ambush37. And as he peered into every nook and glen and gorge38 of the wild mountain, he saw the twins close-hidden in the hollow trunk of an oak. Then quickly he descended39, and with stealthy tread he and Idas drew near their hiding-place. Castor saw them first; but before he could speak, a spear from the hand of Idas laid him low in death. Then mighty40 Polydeuces leaped forth13 in his wrath41, and rushed upon the slayers of his brother. Fear seized upon them, and they fled with winged feet into Messene, and paused not until they stood by the marble tomb of their father, great Aphareus. But Polydeuces, following on, overtook them there, and with his spear he smote42 Lynceus a deadly blow. At the same time, a peal43 of thunder shook the mountain and rolled over the plain; and Zeus hurled his fiery44 bolts at the bosom45 of crafty Idas, and laid him dead upon his father's tomb.
"The grief of Polydeuces for the death of Castor was terrible to see; and there was no one in all the world who could comfort him, or in any way make him forget his loss. Then he prayed the gods that they would take him, too, to Hades, that he might be in the dear company of his brother. And Zeus heard his prayer; and he asked Polydeuces to choose whether he would sit in the courts of Olympus, and be the peer of Ares and Pallas Athené, or whether he would share all things with Castor. And the glorious hero cried, 'Let me be forever with my brother!' His wish was granted to him; and the twin heroes still live, although the quickening earth lies over them. One day they wander in the fields of asphodel, and enjoy the bliss46 of immortality47; the next, they flit among the unquiet shades in the sunless regions of the dead. And thus they share together whatever of joy or woe48 the grave can bring.
"When King Tyndareus learned that he was bereft49 of his sons, he fell prone50 to the earth; and no one in Laced?mon could console him. 'Send for Helen, my peerless daughter!' he cried. 'Send for Menelaus. He is my only son. He shall dwell in my palace, and rule in my stead!'
"And that is the way in which it came about, that Menelaus was called to the kingship of Laced?mon."
Old Icarius remained but a short time at Ithaca. A ship was waiting in the harbor, ready to sail to Pylos and the ports beyond; and he knew that a like opportunity to return to Laced?mon might not soon be offered. And so, leaving his blessing51 with his children Odysseus and Penelope and the babe Telemachus, he departed.
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1
aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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ripened
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| v.成熟，使熟( ripen的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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oracles
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| 神示所( oracle的名词复数 )； 神谕； 圣贤； 哲人 | |
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5
foretold
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| v.预言，预示( foretell的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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doom
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| n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定 | |
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7
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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8
reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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everlastingly
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| 永久地，持久地 | |
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10
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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11
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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12
virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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13
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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vexing
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| adj.使人烦恼的，使人恼火的v.使烦恼( vex的现在分词 )；使苦恼；使生气；详细讨论 | |
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dwellers
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| n.居民，居住者( dweller的名词复数 ) | |
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rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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kinsmen
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| n.家属，亲属( kinsman的名词复数 ) | |
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yearned
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| 渴望，切盼，向往( yearn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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labors
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| v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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bards
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| n.诗人( bard的名词复数 ) | |
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mazes
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| 迷宫( maze的名词复数 )； 纷繁复杂的规则； 复杂难懂的细节； 迷宫图 | |
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24
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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haven
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| n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所 | |
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herd
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| n.兽群，牧群；vt.使集中，把…赶在一起 | |
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crafty
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| adj.狡猾的，诡诈的 | |
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guile
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| n.诈术 | |
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29
flayed
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| v.痛打( flay的过去式和过去分词 )；把…打得皮开肉绽；剥（通常指动物）的皮；严厉批评 | |
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30
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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slain
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| 杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词) | |
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32
allotted
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| 分配，拨给，摊派( allot的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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33
devouring
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| 吞没( devour的现在分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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morsel
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| n.一口，一点点 | |
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vowed
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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37
ambush
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| n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击 | |
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38
gorge
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| n.咽喉，胃，暴食，山峡；v.塞饱，狼吞虎咽地吃 | |
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39
descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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40
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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41
wrath
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| n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒 | |
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42
smote
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| v.猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去式 ) | |
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43
peal
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| n.钟声；v.鸣响 | |
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44
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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45
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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46
bliss
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| n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福 | |
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47
immortality
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| n.不死，不朽 | |
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48
woe
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| n.悲哀，苦痛，不幸，困难；int.用来表达悲伤或惊慌 | |
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49
bereft
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| adj.被剥夺的 | |
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50
prone
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| adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的 | |
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51
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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